Who invented the original pen?

Answer 1

The very first pen, or writing instrument, would have been a finger. Next would have been a stick or straw or other conveniently handy object able to trace patterns on a surface, or in sand, soil, and so on.

Later, a small hollow bone might have been used to transfer liquids to a writing surface, and as time went on, reeds became widely used in this way, replacing sticks, bones and fingers in many parts of the world.

Later still, birds' flight feathers proved the perfect material for a ready-made sophisticated writing instrument, especially for use on paper, parchment and similar writing surfaces. Feathers are beautifully designed not just for the use of birds, but, by happy chance, for writing, and in the western world eventually replaced the old-fashioned reed pens by about the sixth century.

By cutting off the very tip of the quill - or shaft, or calamus - a reservoir is formed which can be filled with colored liquid such as ink. This liquid is slowly released onto the writing surface as the user writes.

Crow, goose and turkey feathers are very suitable for use as quill pens, and these instruments are still in use by some calligraphers today.

Most or all of the barbs - the feathery part of the feather - are stripped from the quill in order to make the pen easy to hold; the shaft might also be smoothed to avoid irritation to the hand.

Quills were used for most writing purposes from before recorded history until the end of the eighteenth century, when metal pen nibs, in use from ancient times but not generally manufactured over the centuries, became popular; these were attached to slim wooden holders.

The first of the metal pens was patented in the US in 1810, and mass production of metal nibs began in England in 1822.

The fountain pen was patented in France in 1827, the ballpoint pen was first patented, in the US, in 1888 by John Loud, and later, the Hungarian László Bíró is generally considered the father of the ballpoint, or biro, as we now know it. His patent was filed in the UK in 1938.

The felt-tipped, or fibre-point, pen was invented in Japan in the 1960s and sophisticated rollerball pens arrived in the 1980s, followed by gel pens.

Not a lot has changed in the world of pens so far this century. If you're looking for a really special pen to buy as an expensive gift, many people seek beautiful models of fountain pens and even quill pens. Otherwise, we generally use disposable plastic pens, or attractive non-disposable ballpoints or rollerballs, frequently made of precious metals.

Answer 2

The original pen was believed to be invented by either the ancient Egyptians or the Mesopotamians. The Egyptians used reed brushes to write on papyrus, while the Mesopotamians used a stylus to write on clay tablets.