Monday, October 19, 2009

A Guide To The Different Types Of Pens

By Tommy King

A pen is used for writing purposes. It has the capability to work on different surfaces but the most widely used surface is paper. Pen was originated by man for the first time several centuries back. Firstly, reed pen was used for writing purposes, but later on feather pens were also developed which accomplished the aim of writing. After that, pens, which meant to be dipped in an inkpot before using it for writing, were introduced. This pen was named as the dip pen.

With the passage of time, new varieties of pens are introduced in the market thus, replacing the earlier varieties. At present, people are given the choice of selecting the desirable pen from the diverse variety.

In 1880s, fountain pens were introduced having a cartridge inside. The function of the cartridge is to store ink. When the stored ink ends, it can be filled again. The nib of the pen is designed such that it can enable to write in an effective manner but you have to be skilled enough to handle it.

On the other hand, ball point is a pen which is perfect for everyday use. It consists of a ball at the end point of the nib. Moreover, the ink inside the ball point pens is oil-based which makes it easy in use. It has affordable price and can be used for a longer time because of the sufficient amount of its ink. The ink is oil-based so it is quite sticky and non-erasable. However, now erasable variety is also available in the market. With the advent of ball point pens, the use of fountain pens is decreased to a greater extent.

Roller pens are also available which have almost the same design and mechanism but the type of ink is a bit different. Unlike ball points, these pens use water based-ink. This ink makes the writing smooth and attractive. The ink inside the pen is short lived as it goes dry soon.

There is another common type of pen widely used, known as fibre tip pen. It was invented in 1960s. It consists of a fibrous nib. There are several different sizes of this pen available in the market, which are used for different purposes such as, small size is used for simple writing, medium size is used for colouring purposes, and large sizes are used for surfaces like cardboards and plastics. These pens are of great use to children as their ink can be washed. Moreover, there are varieties having non-washable ink as well.

Recently, gel pens have been introduced in the market. They were launched in the year 1995, but have gained a lot of recognition since then. It has several varieties including perfumed and shimmered ones. They comprise coloured ink but this ink is capable of drying earlier than other types of pens.

To decide what type of pen to use, one has to see his/her usage and requirements. For everyday use, a ball point pen is the best option. For students, a roller ball pen would be a better choice as it delivers a better writing experience. For drawing and colouring purposes, felt tip pens and gel pens should be used.

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