History:
The beginnings of the fountain pen go way back to the Middle Ages. Back then, reeds or bird feathers were used and the tip was dipped into inkwells to write with.
How do fountain pens work today:
Modern fountain pens, on the other hand, have an internal ink reservoir, usually in the form of a cartridge or (more rarely) a refillable converter. Technically, a fountain pen uses a physical effect (called the capillary effect) to cause the ink to flow from the widest part (the cartridge) through the progressively narrower parts, such as those of the ink delivery system and nib tip, to the fibers of the paper.
What do I need to know about the nib:
The nib, along with the ink-guiding system, is the heart of the fountain pen. It consists of the nib itself, which is usually made of steel, and a "grain" at the tip, which in the case of high-quality fountain pens is usually made of a particularly robust material such as iridium. There are also nibs with differently shaped grains, which are then especially suitable for beginners or left-handers. The standard nib is the M (medium) nib.
Role as a writing instrument:
Today, fountain pens are often used when the writing should look particularly festive, as in greeting cards, or for signatures on important documents. For long and efficient writing, other technologies are usually used. In Germany, the fountain pen plays a special role in early childhood education: the majority of children in Germany still use a fountain pen to learn to write in elementary school.
