THE PEN TRULY IS MIGHTIER

Ballpoint pens are one of the most common pen types. The ink used in ballpoint pens is oil-based and dries faster than other types of ink; hence, less smudging. The ink is thick, so ballpoints use less ink and last longer. Thicker ink is more prone to clumping, so more pressure needs to be applied when writing; but ballpoints are a good everyday reliable pen. Ballpoint pens were originally only available in black, blue and then red and green but now they are available in a myriad of colours and hues as ink technology has advanced.

Rollerball pens use the same design, but they use water-based ink. This is more fluid and soaks into the paper more than ballpoint ink. You need to apply less pressure when writing and the ink does not clump. Due to the water-soluble dyes, there is a greater range of ink colours, but the ink won’t last as long as a ballpoint. This is a comfortable, easy to use pen for longtexts, therefore a favourite with students the world over.

Gel pens mix characteristics from ballpoint and rollerball pens. They use water-based gel ink that has a consistency between both types of ink. This makes the ink less likely to smudge, but still flows freely enough for smooth writing. Gel pens are like using a rollerball, but with the performance of a ballpoint. They also have a wide variety of colours, including pastels, metallics, neon and even glow-in-thedark and are really versatile for both text and drawing.

Marker pens have four types of ink: pigment-, water-, oil- and alcohol-based. Pigment-and water-based inks are for use on paper. The oil- and alcohol-based inks are for use on anything non-porous, like metal or glass, but the list is endless. Markers can be permanent or nonpermanent, like dry board markers or highlighters, and porous point (or felt tip) pens. These pens offer not only a difference in inks but also tip sizes and colours. These are great for projects and artwork and anything in between. The variations available and the mediums that can be drawn on are almost endless.

Permanent markers are felt tip markers with an indelible ink. They cannot be wiped away easily, though some solvents may work, and they may also damage the surface of the item marked. The ink of a permanent marker is water resistant, contains propanol, butanol, diacetone and alcohol.

The history and development of the modern pen started back as far as 3000BC, when during the first dynasty, ancient Egyptians wrote on scrolls of papyrus with thin reed brushes. Reed pens continued to be used until the Middle Ages but were eventually replaced by quills from about the seventh century. The reed pen, made from reed or bamboo, is still used in some parts of Pakistan today by young students and is used to write on small wooden boards.

The reed pen was the go-to until papyrus was replaced by animal skins, vellum and parchment as a writing surface. The smoother surface of skin allowed finer smaller writing with a quill pen. Flight feathers were used for this purpose. Quill pens remained in use right up until the 18th century.

Surprisingly, a copper nib was found in Pompeii, proving that metal nibs were in use in the year 79 A. D. 'New invented' metal pens were advertised in The Times in 1792. A metal pen point was patented in 1803, but the patent was not commercially exploited until a patent for the manufacture of metal pens was advertised for sale by Bryan Donkin in 1811. Finally in 1822, John Mitchell of Birmingham started to mass-produce pens with metal nibs, and after that, the quality of steel nibs improved enough so that dip pens with metal nibs came into widespread use.

A highlighter is a felt-tip marker filled with transparent fluorescent ink instead of black or opaque ink. There are variations available in pastels that are not fluorescent but create a more subtle overlay. The first highlighter was invented by Dr Frank Honn in 1962 and produced by Carter's Ink Company, using the trademarked name HI-LITER. Avery Dennison Corporation now owns the brand, having acquired Carter's Ink Company in 1975.

Whiteboard markers are not permanent and can be erased with a cloth or tissue when the ink has dried. They are available in a range of colours and with different tips. Whiteboard markers are sometimes scented and can have a useful magnet to attach them to the board when not in use.

Wetwipe markers or weterase markers are a type of marker used on non-porous surfaces like plastic and glass; and often used on overhead transparencies. They are not erasable without the addition of water or the use of wet wipes.

Fabric Markers - Permanent

A fabric marker is a marker that is permanent with specially formulated ink to allow it to adhere to fabric with minimal bleed. This ensures that an image or name transferred onto the fabric is clear and does not smudge. It is obviously washable with minimal fade.

The other type of fabric marker is erasable or washable, and these are specifically for sewing and are especially made to disappear. The ink washes out so marks and guidelines cannot be seen. The marker often has two ends, a watersoluble tip and a disappearing ink tip. The water-soluble tip will draw in ink that needs to be washed out, whereas the disappearing ink tip will gradually fade over time.

Felt tips are a type of marker, originally invented in 1910, and made with a fibrous tip of porous material. They are available from a ridiculously small tip to a much broader tip and are used for amongst other things, artwork. A colloquial term for a broader nibbed felt tip here in South Africa is a koki pen, most school children have these in their stationery arsenal.

Fountain pens were once extremely popular and indeed are still a status symbol. The modern fountain pen has a liquid ink cartridge or disposable cartridge that is housed within the pen, whilst other types of fountain pen have a refillable reservoir which uses a pistonlike mechanism to draw ink from a bottle through the nib. Alternatively, it can be refilled with an eyedropper. The ink flows to a metal nib via a feed and then flows down a slit in the nib, so, via gravity, to the paper. This allows for a beautiful fluid movement of pen on paper, however as the ink is very liquid, some types of paper are unsuitable and it is prone to smudging. When writing in a diary or similar, you may need to wait before turning the page to allow for the ink to dry.

Calligraphy pens, once the mainstay of monks and still used in China today, are a favourite of many that enjoy the craft of writing. Similar to a fountain pen, it has an ink cartridge that is housed in the body of the pen and a metal nib with a central slit down which the ink flows. The nibs come in different widths to deliver a very distinctive and stylised form of script as different angles and pressures will alter the line width. There are also felt tipped calligraphy pens available and these are . usually used on wedding invitations and certificates.

There are thousands of different pens, all with their own distinctive characteristics and all with something that sets them apart from other pens. Every manufacturer will make subtle changes and alterations along the design path, the goal being to produce something unique and effortless to use. Even the humble ballpoint is a feat of engineering, and truth be told, we all have our favourite go-to pen.

There is nothing like putting pen to paper to bring back memories of childhood and school or the satisfying feeling of accomplishment when you complete a letter. Writing is a learnt skill, and something to take pride in. In a digital age where everything is on a keyboard or smart phone, take the time to pen a journal or write down some poignant memories to savour in the future. Make it a project to write down jokes or recipes, and enjoy writing and marvel in the wonder that is a pen. �

1. Fulgor Nocturnus by Tibaldi – $8-million 2. Aurora Diamante Fountain Pen – $1.47-million 3. Caran d’Ache 1010 Diamonds Fountain Pen – $1.2-million

Romanian Petrache Poenaru invented a fountain pen that used a quill as an ink reservoir. The French Government patented this in May 1827. Fountain pen patents and production then increased in the 1850s.

The first patent on a ballpoint pen was issued on 30 October 1888, to John J Loud. In 1938, László Bíró, a Hungarian newspaper editor, with assistance from his brother George, a chemist, began to design new types of pens, including one with a tiny ball in its tip that was free to turn in a socket. As the pen moved along the paper, the ball rotated, picking up ink from the ink cartridge and leaving it on the paper. Bíró filed a British patent on 15 June 1938.

In 1940, the Bíró brothers and a friend, Juan Jorge Meyne, moved to Argentina, fleeing Nazi Germany. On 17 June 1943, they filed for another patent. They formed "Bíró Pens of Argentina", and by the summer of 1943, the first commercial models were available; and a biro became the common term for a pen for decades thereafter, especially in the UK.

In the 1960s, the fibre- or felt-tipped pen was invented by Yukio Horie of the Tokyo Stationery Company, Japan. Paper Mate's Flair was among the first felt-tip pens to hit the U.S. market in the 1960s, and it has been the leader ever since. Marker pens and highlighters, both similar to felt pens, have become popular since.

Rollerball pens were introduced in the early 1970s. They used a mobile ball and liquid ink to produce a smoother line. Technological advances during the late 1980s and early 1990s have improved the roller ball's overall performance.