Pens
and Pencils
By Miranda
Ball-point Pens
In the early 1900's people tried to manufacture a pen with a rolling lip,
but not until 1938 did the Hungarian inventor, Georg Biro invent an oil
based ink that could be used with that certain pen. Early ball-point
pens did not write well. They often tended to slip and the oil based
ink dried slowly so it was easier to smudge. The ink was waterproof
and almost unerasable. It could write on many surfaces and could
be held in any position for writing.
Gel Pens
Gel pens are ball point pens with very bright colored ink. Kids love
them! They are very washable and good for drawing things.
Calligraphy
Calligraphy is the art of fine writing or script. The word calligraphy
comes from the Greek word, 'kalligraphia' which means beautiful writing.
In Middle eastern countries such as India, China, and Japan, calligraphy is done with a brush and has been a highly respected form of art for many centuries.
Pencils
One of the most popular tools for writing is a pencil. Pencil
marks, unlike writing implements like markers and pens, can be erased.
In 1795 a way was made of mixing powdered graphite with clay, cutting it
into strips and baking it. Have you ever heard of 'soft
lead' and 'dark lead'? The soft lead has less graphite that the dark lead has. In 1812 William Monroe invented a process still used today by surrounding the lead with cedar wood.