The Ancient Friend in History

I'm going to talk about a very important invention that has been lost among all the things that have been invented in history. I swear it is much more important than the wheel, the printing press or the computer, which are considered to be the inventions of history, and maybe I can even prove it. People who know me well probably already know which invention I am talking about. Yes, my dear guests, today I am going to talk about pens. Although it is argued that the inventions that preceded them were more important, I am talking about the very thing that caused history itself to come to the forefront, because without the pen, how could the past reach the present, the present reach the future, or what would we be deprived of without the sole tool that enables the development of thought and the creation of drawings, which form the basis of all inventions?

Dating back to the first reed pens used by the Ancient Egyptians in 3200 BC, these pointed reeds enabled the engraving of letters on soft clay, resulting in the first reports, stories and even messages in history. Because there was no fine paper at the time and access to ink was limited, or where it was available, the quantity was not sufficient for use, we do not see any development for about 3600 years. In the year 600, the quill pens that reached our hands are in the minds of most people. These pens, which come to mind in movies, TV series or while reading old stories, were made from the flight feathers of birds that could fly. These feathers are ideal for making pens because of their hard and long structure. The feathers are plucked, dried in a sand oven or under the sun with the help of heat, and then slowly and carefully processed. First the tip is sharpened and angled, the cartilaginous structure of the feather is scraped to allow the ink to reach the paper, and once the ink channels are opened, the pen is ready to write. If you want it to be flashy, you can shave and shape the feather a bit, or if you just want it to write and to hell with the look, you can remove the whole pen from the feather and cut the feather stem to the desired length. For right-handers and left-handers, dear guests, we have customization possibilities; because if you are left-handed, you can take the pen from the right wing of the bird, and if you are right-handed, you can take the pen from the left wing of the bird and prevent it from blocking your vision. For 1200 years, quill pens have been used in various forms and innovations have been found to make writing easier day by day, but in the early 1800s, dip pens entered the scene. The only difference between them and quill pens is the material used, otherwise there is no change. No longer chasing birds and utilizing their feathers, these pens with metal nibs and wooden handles rode the stage until the mid-19th century. In the mid-19th century, I say let's take the children off the stage and give a place to the original owner of these places. Fountain pens are here now. The name of these pens is the biggest point of interest. They are called “fountain pens” because you don't need to keep a container on the table for the ink, as fountains direct the water from their sources into channels. Not long after, in 1888, the ballpoint pen was introduced, which would secure its place in history. With the help of the ball at the tip of the pen, the ink in the reservoir comes into contact with the paper, preventing the excessive use of ink that fountain pens can cause, and these pens have become the only thing that comes to mind when we think of “pen”. The promise that these pens, which we call un-ending pens but which deceive us by running out, “can write for kilometers” is perhaps true. I say maybe because I have never been able to use a ballpoint pen from the beginning to the end because it was either lost or stolen, dear guests.

We had a nice journey through history, but history itself does not have a Borani measure. So why don't we talk about the Borani measure of pens? My personal preference for fountain pens dates back to my primary school years. I have always been interested in stationery from a young age. The shape of a pen, the feel of the ink it uses, whether it is push or twist action was very interesting for Bora, who was just learning to write in primary school. The pens that my aunt brought from the conferences she went to and my father brought from the places he visited were collected in a box at home and I would choose the ones I liked the most and go to school with them. The pens that looked like a spine, the ones that could write green and black at the same time (not different keys, at the same time) were indispensable in my pen box. One day, when I opened the box to choose a new pen, I saw a pen I had never seen before. It was a metal pen, staring at me from the bottom of the box. I took it and immediately went to my room to write. When I opened the cap, I saw that the tip was different from the other pens and I thought of the movies I had watched. I thought, “Oh, this is one of those dipping pens!” and immediately went to get a glass of water and sat down at my desk. With my child mind, it was very normal for me to think that those pens were dipped in water and written. When I took the pen to the paper, it was written. Jesus turning water into wine and me turning water into ink! Of course he didn't write with water, but I wrote my name on the paper as a result of the water wetting the ink drying on the tip and I liked it very much. Afterwards, no matter how hard I tried, the pen didn't write and I took the bone-shaped pen with me and continued. Eleven years later, while preparing for the university exam, Bora went to buy a test book one day and came across a fountain pen again, leaving Bora right in the middle of the road of no return. Now that I know that a pen requires ink, I raise the bar to the next level and think about which ink writes better or whether the material on the tip of the pen, steel or gold, leaves a better mark.

Fountain pens are now in such a different place that you will get different answers if you ask anyone. Some people say “it just looks cool”, and if the person you ask is a maniac like me, they can tell you the history of it, just like I did. But actually fountain pens are very useful. Since fountain pens do not have a ball that prevents the ink you use from reaching the paper, it allows you to write without having to put pressure on the paper, allowing you to write without tiring your hand. This method, referred to as “Controlled Leak”, ensures that your ideas are on the paper by dominating the ink without crushing the paper, as it provides a controlled leak. The fact that it does not require much physical effort allows you to write quickly without forgetting what is on your mind, and the effort to be spent is used for your brain to work instead of your hand (there is no scientific basis, I am talking about a subjective experience). Because of the shape of the nibs of fountain pens, the way you write changes whether you want it to or not. If you make it look more aesthetically pleasing and even work on it more, you may find that your calligraphic writing is appreciated by many people.

Fountain pens are good, they are nice, and I think they are the best companions you can have. They may not be alive, but they are more alive than most living things because they help you, but they have needs too. If you use fountain pens, you have to take care of them. You shouldn't put too much pressure on it so that the tip doesn't bend and get damaged. Instead of giving commands, you should work with them and create something together. You should make sure that he has a full stomach and a strong back. If you don't keep enough ink or if you don't make sure that nothing gets into the cut in the tip, your pen may not write as it should. Even if you say “I can't be bothered, it's not a pen, it's enough to write”, the gradual transparency of the inked water and the shine of the pen while cleaning your pen will really be good for you like a psychological therapy. You should take care of your pens as you take care of yourself. Value them so that they walk side by side with you on the road. If you want to get something in life, you have to give. Pens are no different from this, sir. If you do not value the pen and treat it well, you cannot expect it to work for you. Fountain pens are beautiful, naive things, just like people, and they need attention just like people. They spend themselves for you, they age as you use them. Some will deteriorate over the years, some will appreciate with age. And it all depends on what you do with them. Appreciate fountain pens, because maybe the fountain pen is not the point here.