A day for the fountain pen !!!

The Ink-nib pens, once commonly used for writing before the advent of convenient and affordable ballpoint and gel pens, are likely not used by many people today. These nostalgic pens, called fountain pens, use water-soluble ink and a metallic nib to write.  

A special day named, 'Fountain Pen Day,' is celebrated for fountain pens, a wonderful writing instrument, which some members of today's generation may not have even seen. This celebration began in 2012 and takes place on the First Friday of November each year. The day is dedicated to promoting the use of fountain pens and celebrating the joy of writing in general. The aim of the celebration is to draw attention to the pleasure of creative writing and the beauty of writing with exquisite instruments. 

Fountain pens were not discovered one fine morning. It is said that the ancient Egyptians invented a primitive form of fountain pen thousands years ago. They wrote using a mixture made from vegetables and animal hair, dipped into a formation of reeds, quills, and other materials. Due to the method of writing with this mixture, they were known as "dip pens." Centuries later, reservoir pens were developed that allowed ink to be stored within the writing instrument itself. It was only many centuries after that metal pens came into existence, which is believed to have occurred in the 17th and 18th centuries.

Al-Qadi al-Nu'man, a legal scholar and the official historian of the Fatimid Caliphate, discusses about an ink-based writing instrument in his book, Al-Majalis wa al-Musayarath. Al-Mu'izz li-Din Allah, the Fatimid Caliph of Arab Egypt, desired a flawless writing instrument that would not stain. Experts of the time designed a tool for him that allowed writing with ink stored in a reservoir, without soiling hands or garments. It was designed to prevent ink leakage, even when held upside down.  

There is notable evidence that Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci, the Italian painter, sculptor, and scientist of the Renaissance period, used an ink pen. Da Vinci's journals included drawings of cross-sections of a reservoir pen that operated using both gravity and capillary action.Fountain pens, which some of us have come to know and use, have emerged through centuries of continuous refinement processes. The components of the pen, such as the nib, reservoir, feed, and ink filling system, have all been consistently improved.  

The ink used in fountain pens is not a trivial matter. You cannot use just any colored liquid as ink in a fountain pen. It must be water-soluble, quick-drying, and its colour should not fade over time. Additionally, it should not clog the pen when it settles. Only when these various factors are met can we refer to it as high-quality ink. The reason some colors do not have corresponding ink formulations is that these desirable qualities do not exist in all pigments (coloring agents).   

Brands such as Parker, Sheaffer, Waterman, Pilot, Cross, Pelikan, Aurora, and Montblanc are well-known and popular worldwide. While these international brands possess a certain prestige, there are numerous popular Indian brands that also sell fountain pens.Currently, only a handful of brands offer fountain pens in India. In 2019, one Indian brand, Ratnam, garnered significant media attention. During a visit to India in November, German Chancellor Angela Merkel was presented with a handwoven khadi shawl from Ladakh and a Ratnam pen from Rajamundry, Andhra Pradesh, by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. This event catapulted the locally manufactured Ratnam pens into the spotlight, capturing the attention of the media and fountain pen enthusiasts alike.

A story connects Mahatma Gandhi to Ratnam pens. As a proponent of locally produced rural products, Gandhi advocated for reed pens made from natural materials. He refused to use fountain pens made from foreign materials or manufactured abroad. Gandhi even wrote an article titled "The Reed Versus the Fountain Pen."The Ratnam Foundation understood that if Bapu were to use a fountain pen, it had to be entirely locally made. The foundation's owner, K.V. Ratnam, successfully made Gandhi aware of their indigenous nature.

The significance of the Ratnam fountain pen is evident from the fact that it has been used by leaders like Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, Rajendra Prasad, Indira Gandhi, and many other notable figures. Every five years, the Ratnam Foundation sends pens inscribed with the names of the Prime Minister and the President to their residences. The foundation claims that each pen is handcrafted. They also manufacture customized pens according to consumer preferences, often using gold and silver for customization.

When an opportunity arises, let this note and the observance of Fountain Pen Day inspire each individual to acquire, collect, and use one or more fountain pens.

Tail Piece: The magnificent and great Indian Constitution is beautifully inscribed in
an italic calligraphy style. The handwriting of it was executed with a fountain pen by the exceptional artist Prem Bihari Narain Raizada from Delhi. A blessed artist, he learned calligraphy from his beloved grandfather. When Nehru requested him to handwrite the Constitution, he accepted the task with pride. In response to Nehru's inquiry about compensation, he simply stated that he desired no remuneration. However, he made a couple of requests: his name was to be inscribed at the bottom of each page, and on the final page, he wanted to include the name of his grandfather, who taught him the art of calligraphy. Nehru agreed. It took Mr. Prem Bihari six months to complete the Constitution. For this task, he used 432 penholder nibs, specifically No. 303 nibs. The calligraphic handwriting for the Hindi edition of the Indian Constitution was executed by the artist Vasant Krishna Vaidya.

Wishing you a thrilling and nostalgic writing experience with a fountain pen.

As a practicing chartered accountant, I use fountain pen for my professional attestations. The pen shown in the picture is my usual choice (That's a Ratnam Pen). 

In addition, I have a few other fountain pens in my collection. Pictures of some of them are exhibited below.

An early fountain pen patent awarded by the French Government to the Romanian inventor Petrache Poenaru on 25 May 1827

M. Klein and Henry W. Wynne received U.S. Patent 68,445 in 1867 

for an ink chamber and delivery system in the handle of the fountain pen

"Waterman's 

ideal fountain pen" 

1908 advertisement

Detail of a Visconti stainless steel nib and feed with a finned ink buffering structure at its rear half

Tip of a fountain pen nib

The Pilot Parallel, an example of a type of an italic nib used in fountain pens, often used to create art and calligraphy. This pen has two flat plates that meet in the center in place of a traditional nib

Mabie Todd Swan flexible 14k nib

 

The Integral Nib of a Parker 50 (Falcon)

Hooded nib of a Hero pen

A squeeze filler by Hero

Schmidt K5 piston-style standard international size fountain pen converter, containing a user inserted 2.5 mm diameter Marine grade 316 stainless steel bearing ball

Proprietary cartridges (left to right): Pilot, Parker, Lamy, short standard international (made by Kaweco)

Dimensions of short International Ink Cartridge