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The Pen Knife And The Left Handed Pen

by sparta

Ink cartridges have revolutionised written communications. Time
and labour saving are just two of the assets of today's ink
cartridge. This is one small demonstration of the way the pace of
life has picked up, to the point of not having time to hand write
anything. Many people still extol the virtues of the written
word, particularly older people who truly appreciate receiving a
letter from a friend or relative.

Communication was more of a concern than speed before the
invention of the ink cartridge. The human race have always had
this built in need to leave their mark on the world, to
communicate their life story and pass on useful information.

Cave men were not the Neanderthals people think, simply
concerned with hunting, grunting and reproducing. They coped with
every-day life just as we do but with different priorities. In a
bid to leave their mark and not be forgotten, they used sharp
implements to etch their memories on cave walls.

Clay tablets were developed later on to make information
transportable, so much easier than lugging your cave around with
you. Caveman etchings consisted of a series of pictures that any
onlookers could understand and the first alphabet that was
written left to right was invented by the Greeks in 400BC, all in
upper case due to the rudimentary nature of writing implements
fashioned from bone, ivory or metal.

They used these first 'pens' to mark wax coated tablets that
were hinged together 'book' style, in order for them to close and
protect the contents. I'm sure the Greeks would have appreciated
the ease of ink cartridges but at least they were able to
condense their communications with the first text messages
without the need for pictures.

The Chinese invented 'Indian Ink' from a mixture of soot from
pine smoke and lamp oil mixed with gelatine of donkey skin and
musk. In common use by 1200BC, I'm sure this came with a fairly
pungent smell! Other cultures used a mixture of natural dyes and
some of these ideas have held fast until today.

Inventions of paper and ink pretty much paralleled over the
years. Paper made from wood fibre came about in 105AD but was
kept as a secret within the country until around 700AD, after
which it rapidly spread. However, it wasn't until the late 14th
Century with the widespread building of paper mills that paper
became available throughout Europe.

Reed pens made from hollow grass or bamboo stems were popular
for a period but it was the quill pen that dominated for the
longest. Quill pens only lasted a week, even if you chose the
strongest feathers. It was well known that the strongest were
taken from living birds in the spring from the five outer left
wing feathers.

The left was picked because of the curvature of the quill when
held in the right hand but this left the option of using quills
from the right wing to make left handed pens. A special knife was
used to sharpen these quills bringing about the first pen knife.
Pens that last one week? What a throw away culture!

Today, of course, advancements are made all the time for
different applications. Take, for example, the amount of money
spent on trying to invent a pen that would work in outer space
with zero gravity. I think the Russians had that one sussed by
using a pencil!

And then, of course, is the invention of the disappearing biro.
The one you put down and apparently morphes into its
surroundings, never to be seen again. I've bought countless pens
of that type. At least we know, when we buy an ink cartridge,
that it's just that bit too big to disappear on us.

Printing expert Catherine Harvey looks at the inventions that led
up to the <a href="http://www.inksave.co.uk/">ink cartridges</a>
we use today. To find out more please visit
http://www.inksave.co.uk/

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