Before fountain pens, writers relied on quills and dip pens that required constant re-dipping to replenish ink. Something more practical was needed -- and so began the long development of the fountain pen.
The Beginnings
The first recorded fountain pen dates from 973, when Fatimid Caliph Al-Mu'izz li-Din Allah requested a pen that would not leak over his hands and clothes. He was presented with a pen containing an internal ink reservoir -- the essential principle behind every fountain pen made since.
There is also evidence that Leonardo da Vinci created and used a working fountain pen during his lifetime. His journals appear to contain drawings of a reservoir pen operating on gravity and capillary action, and analysis of his handwriting suggests he used such an instrument.
Early Patents
References to fountain pens appear throughout the 17th century. German inventor Daniel Schwenter described a pen made from two quills, one holding ink inside the other. Samuel Pepys mentioned "a pen to carry ink" in his diary in 1663. The oldest known surviving fountain pen was made by Nicholas Bion and is inscribed with the year 1702; an illustrated description, the "plume sans fin", was published in 1723.
Formal patents began appearing from 1809, starting with an English patent for an improved fountain pen feed by Frederick Folsch. John Jacob Parker patented the first self-filling fountain pen with a screw mechanism in 1813. A further patent in 1819 from John Scheffer produced the "Penographic", which achieved commercial success -- some examples still survive today.
Petrache Poenaru is often credited with inventing the modern fountain pen, receiving a French patent in 1827 for a pen made from a large swan quill.
Mass Production
Once three key components were established -- iridium-tipped gold nibs, hard rubber barrels, and free-flowing ink -- patents and production soared. By the 1880s, fountain pens were being mass produced, with Cross and Waterman emerging as market leaders.
Manufacturers experimented with alternative filling systems to improve reliability and prevent leaking. The most successful were the crescent filler by Conklin and the twist filler from Waterman. Waterman later cemented their market leadership with the lever-filler, and in 1908 released their safety pen, in which the nib retracted into the barrel to create a leak-proof seal.
1929 saw Pelikan release their first fountain pen, the Model 100. Other notable releases of the era included the Parker Duofold and the Parker Vacumatic.
The Rise of the Ballpoint
The ballpoint pen arrived in the 1940s, though it did not immediately displace the fountain pen -- early ballpoints were expensive, and fountain pens remained the more affordable option. As ballpoint technology improved and prices fell, sales overtook fountain pens and stayed there.
The Fountain Pen Today
Over time, some manufacturers repositioned fountain pens as luxury items or collector's pieces, placing them out of reach for everyday writers. In more recent years, however, modern brands have brought the fountain pen back to its intended purpose -- as a practical, pleasurable writing instrument. Prices have become accessible again, and a new generation of writers has discovered the joy of writing with a fountain pen. Schools are once again encouraging pupils to use them to improve their handwriting.
For anyone curious about getting started, see our guide to choosing your first fountain pen.