Dip pen

A dip pen is a writing instrument used to apply ink to paper by dipping into an inkwell. Dip pens usually consist of a metal nib with a central slit that acts as a capillary channel like those of fountain pen nibs, mounted in a handle or holder, usually made of wood. Other materials can be used for the holder, including bone, horn, metal and plastic, with some dip pens being made entirely of glass. Generally dip pens have no ink reservoir except for a small hole, indent, or pocket where a drop of ink is held by capillary action, so the user must frequently refill the ink from an inkwell or bottle to continue drawing or writing. Sometimes a simple metal reservoir can be clipped to the top of the pen, allowing for several sentences of uninterrupted use. While refilling can be done by dipping into an inkwell, it is also possible to charge the pen with an eyedropper or a brush, which gives more control over the amount of ink applied. Thus, "dip pens" are not necessarily dipped; many illustrators call them nib pens. While metal dip pens have existed since antiquity, pens with mass-produced replaceable nibs emerged in the early 19th century, when they supplanted feather quill pens and in some parts of the world, reed pens. Dip pens were widely used well into the 20th century, only gradually being displaced with the development of fountain pens in the very late 19th century, and are now mainly used in illustration, calligraphy, and comics. While a fountain pen offers the convenience of less frequent refills, the dip pen has certain advantages over a fountain pen. A dip pen can use waterproof, pigmented, iron gall ink, particle-and-binder-based inks (such as India ink), drawing ink, and acrylic inks with ease....