Fountain pen

A type of writing instrument that contains a "reservoir" of water-based ink that is fed to a "nib" by a "feed" via combination of gravity and surface tension.

The nib is usually made of stainless steel or gold, and is cut into "tines". Usually there are two tines, spliting the nib in half, which converges to a "point", which actually touches the paper. In some pens, the point is made of platinum, due to the need for it to be smooth and very hard. Pens with steel points eventually wear out due to abrasion with the paper.

Fountain pens are widely regarded to be best tools to write with ink on paper. However, they are more expensive and more fragile than a ball point pen, and cannot be used with the various oil and particle based inks prized by artists that a dip pen can.

Fountain pens are often works of art. Ornate pens made of precious metals and jewels are made, appealing to the same people who like diamond crusted solid gold Rolex watches.

There is an avid community of enthusiasists, who collect and use antique as well as modern pens, and who also collect and exchange information about old and modern ink, ink bottles, and inkwells. Collectors often tend to prize being able to actually use the antiques, instead of merely placing them under glass for show.

Companies that manufacture fountain pens include Parker, Pelikan, Waterman, and Sheaffer. Companies who manufacture high quality ink include "Private Reserve" and the French company "Herbin".