Even though nearly all my work happens on the computer these days, I’m still never far from pen and paper. I’ve tried to keep a calendar on the computer, but I always fall back to pen and ink. There’s something about the act of writing that helps things stick in my head better. And I always have a creative writing notebook around for when the words just don’t come at the computer. Sometimes a change of scenery, or just the feel of pen to paper will help shake them loose.

(And there is a pesky rumor that I’ve been known to hyperventilate when I discover I don’t have a working pen in my purse. Yes, I know it’s a little sad.)

To make it all more complicated, I’m particular about my pens. I hate draggy pens that don’t glide across the paper. I hate wishy-washy pens that refuse to make a strong, clear line. And most of all, I hate bloppy pens that leave smudges and ink on my hands. So, writing with a quill pen and ink would have been miserable for me. I can’t imagine how Jane Austen managed it!

(No wonder it seemed a natural sort of thing for Rebecca to focus her considerable Wright Skill to fix.)

Even though we take it for granted today, the modern ballpoint pen has a pretty epic backstory—think centuries of ideas, a splash of science, and a dash of clever problem-solving, going through several evolutions along the way. One of the major evolutionary stops along the way was the fountain pen—and that didn’t happen until the 1800s.

What Is a Fountain Pen?

A fountain pen is a writing tool with its own little ink tank inside. Instead of dipping it into ink every few lines like one did with quills, you fill it once, and ink flows out through a little channel called a feed as you write. Gravity and capillary action (liquid moving through small spaces with no need to be pushed) keep the ink flowing down to the nib (the metal tip of the pen) so the writer can keep writing smoothly.

So much cleaner and more convenient than dipping a pen every few lines.

Early Concepts

Believe it or not, the self-inking pen idea dates all the way back to 974 AD. Fatimid Caliph Al-Mu’izz in Egypt asked for a pen that wouldn’t stain his hands. Apparently, someone gave him a reservoir-style pen, a sort of early fountain pen.

During the Renaissance, Leonardo da Vinci sketched a pen that used gravity and capillary action. While no original survives, artists have built working models based on his designs

The Patent Rush and Victorian Breakthroughs

Self-inking pens didn’t take off until the early 1800s, when a flurry of patents were filed. In 1809, Frederick Fölsch filed a British patent for an early fountain pen. Soon after, Joseph Bramah improved the ink-feeding. In 1819, John Scheffer built a pen that sold in stores. And in 1827, a Romanian named Petrache Poenaru invented a pen barrel made from a swan quill.

Unfortunately, these inventors did not understand how air pressure affected ink flow, and the ink itself was often grimy or corrosive. In short, the pens were unreliable, leaky, and messy. All the traits we look for in pens today, right?

In 1828, Josiah Mason invented a cheap, slip-in steel nib in Birmingham, England. By 1830, companies like Perry & Co. churned out nibs by the thousands. By the 1850s, Birmingham was making over half of the world’s steel nibs. Steel nibs were more affordable than quills, which meant more people could write—boosting education and literacy everywhere, but leaving a trail of ink stains and smudges along the way.

John Jacob Parker improved things in 1832 with a screw-piston mechanism that could draw ink into the pen’s reservoir. But pens still leaked and puddled like excited puppies on an oriental rug. (Can you tell I have powerful feelings about leaky pens?)

Enter Lewis Waterman—an insurance agent turned pen inventor, hen his pen leaked ink over an important contract. He didn’t just get mad; he got even. In 1884 (well after Rebecca solved the issue with her Wright’s Skill), Waterman created a fountain pen with three grooves in the feed and a vent-hole in the nib. This clever solution regulated air and ink so they flowed gently and steadily, not in drips and blobs. Is it any surprise that this reliable pen became wildly popular?

Meanwhile, engineers like George Safford Parker found ways to stop leaks. In 1897, he released the “Jointless” pen with a one-piece barrel—no gaps for ink to escape. This design eliminated the pesky ink leaks, protecting important papers everywhere—especially useful in business and government offices.

Finally, reliable writing without the mess!

Why Fountain Pens Were a Big Deal?

Okay, so they may be neat and all, but isn’t it a bit of overkill to have a National Fountain Pen Day?

You might think so, but the fountain pen actually changed how people lived and worked.

For one thing, it helped more people learn to write, serving as a foundation for literacy. Being able to read and write meant people could communicate better, get better jobs, and stay in touch with distant family members. It also helped in keeping records, especially as businesses and governments became more organized and widespread.

A pretty big contribution for an invention that fits in your pocket.

References

Birmingham pen trade. 2025. Wikipedia. Accessed September 4, 2025. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Birmingham_pen_trade

Dayspring Pens. 2022. “When Was the Fountain Pen Invented? A Brief History.” DaySpring Pens, January 5, 2015. https://www.dayspringpens.com/blogs/the-jotted-line/when-was-the-fountain-pen-invented-a-brief-history-1

Del Gatto, Maurizio. Pens and Pencils: A Collector’s Handbook. Milan: Mondadori Electa, 2001.

Fultz, Jonathan. “A Short History of Fountain Pens.” Pen World, July 2014.

Holt, Kristin . 2015. “Victorian Fountain Pens.” KristinHolt.com. https://www.kristinholt.com/archives/2074 (accessed September 4, 2025).

Lambrou, Andreas. Fountain Pens of the World. London: Philip Wilson Publishers, 2005.

Petroski, Henry. The Pencil: A History of Design and Circumstance. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1990.

Parker Jointless. 2025. Wikipedia. Accessed September 4, 2025. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parker_Jointless

Stationery Wiki. 2017. “Fountain Pen.” Stationery Wiki. Accessed September 4, 2025. https://stationery.wiki/Fountain_pen

Waterman Pen Company. 2025. Wikipedia. Accessed September 4, 2025. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waterman_Pen_Company

Wikipedia. 2025. “Fountain pen.” Wikipedia. Accessed September 4, 2025. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fountain_pen