How Fast Does Fp Tech Evolve?

[Icywolfe]

The retractable FP is fairly an old design by now. So what might you think is the next step?

 

Same for filling mechs and nibs. What do yo think is the next step?

 

And if a new type of FP tech did come out will you jump on the bus?

Edited November 25, 2014 by Icywolfe

[Runnin_Ute]

Given numbers sold not a lot of motivation to use something not yet invented. So rhey use tried and true (proven) tech.

It isn't like the golden age with vacs and aeros and then c/c camr out around 1960.

Edited November 25, 2014 by Runnin_Ute

[jar]

I doubt there will be many if any new advances in fountain pen technology. And why jump on new tech?

[jmeldorf]

I agree, jar. Part of why I use a fountain pen is to enjoy the pace of use, but another reason is the history involved. And at a fairly low cost.

[lmarine0510]

Considering that fountain pens themselves are considered to be old technology, I don't see any major breakthroughs in FP tech coming in the future. Cartridge convertors and pistons have been the industry standard for almost 50 years and I don't see that changing anytime soon (although vacuum fillers seem to have been making a bit of a resurgence in the past few years). I would daresay that FP technology has plateaued for the most part.

[The Blue Knight]

I agree with Jar. If you look at fountain pens a piece of technology and ask what improvements are needed it's difficult to really identify one in particular.

 

In the sense that they are a wide range of filling mechanisms out and that race petered out when c/c was invented.

Price wise you can pick up one off ebay for £1.

 

Basically something only evolves when there is a particular problem to over come and for many folk the problems with a fountain pen were overcome with the invention of the ball point. I don't really think fountain pens have changed much in the 50 years since the invention of the ball point. Just enjoy fountain pens the way they are.

Edited November 25, 2014 by The Blue Knight

[Brian K]

I concur, other than use of new materials it seems that very few companies are interested in the "more advanced" or fancier filling systems. The tried and true - and fairly basic - systems like cartridge, converter, lever (and other sac sytems), piston and eyedropper have remained the go to technologies for the last half century. While we may occasionally see some truly original (and deucedly complicated) new systems, mostly what we will see are just iterations of proven, reliable mechanisms.

[brunico]

A fountain pen is just a controlled leak past a bit of metal. How much tech do you need?

 

Perhaps there's a market for new technology. Delta's marketing department certainly thought so with their Fusion nib, and they came out with the pseudoscience to back it up. Parker's marketing department also thought so, and they came out with a felt tip pen hidden behind a bit of plastic.

 

Me, I'd like to see a fountain pen that could take metallic gel inks. Not sure I have the skills to hack such a thing, though. Nonetheless, I feel confident I will personally be responsible for the next giant leap in fountain pen technology. I will advance on Delta and Parker's technological triumphs by hiding a bimetallic strip behind a bit of plastic, and I will call it, ladies and gentlemen, the Fifth DiFusion...

[Icywolfe]

A fountain pen is just a controlled leak past a bit of metal. How much tech do you need?

 

Perhaps there's a market for new technology. Delta's marketing department certainly thought so with their Fusion nib, and they came out with the pseudoscience to back it up. Parker's marketing department also thought so, and they came out with a felt tip pen hidden behind a bit of plastic.

 

Me, I'd like to see a fountain pen that could take metallic gel inks. Not sure I have the skills to hack such a thing, though. Nonetheless, I feel confident I will personally be responsible for the next giant leap in fountain pen technology. I will advance on Delta and Parker's technological triumphs by hiding a bimetallic strip behind a bit of plastic, and I will call it, ladies and gentlemen, the Fifth DiFusion...

 

I thought the Rotring art pens can use thicker inks? (Metallic inks are thicker I think)

 

I don't know what Parker pen you are referring to.

[brunico]

 

I thought the Rotring art pens can use thicker inks? (Metallic inks are thicker I think)

 

I don't know what Parker pen you are referring to.

 

My mistake - I'm not really connoisseurish about felt tips. Seems it's just called the 5th or Ingenuity.

 

Some people report being able to use acrylic inks in an ArtPen or a Pilot Parallel if they flush them afterwards. Gel ink, as far as I understand it, is less fluid, more of a paste. I have a melon gel pen with glitter in it and gold and silver italic markers (the ink in these is actually paint), and it'd be fun to carry these 'inks' around in a fountain pen instead of having to use a dip pen or a felt marker (I'm not committed enough to keep sharpening the edge with a knife).

[Bo Bo Olson]

Fountainable has new tec...and at hand made prices...need a few lottery numbers please.

Bottom line is , that costs bonus money.

Edited November 26, 2014 by Bo Bo Olson

[tinysnail]

Considering the current prices of gold, probably the biggest place we'll see innovation for the next while will be in making non-steel nibs out of different materials. We're already seeing this with titanium and palladium and maybe others. The fountain pen market is much slower now than it was when manufacturers were racing each other to come up with the coolest new filling systems.

[pen2paper]

possibly a revisit of powdered ink along with water ampules to fill bukfillers where carrying supplies of liquid ink (traveling) might be dicey.

multi-purpose pens..

[Algester]

Or a multi nibbed pen... I mean we have multi pens how bout that... Perhaps pilot can do it with their capless studies

5 nibs in 1 pen body?

Edited November 26, 2014 by Algester

[balson]

Or a multi nibbed pen... I mean we have multi pens how bout that... Perhaps pilot can do it with their capless studies

5 nibs in 1 pen body?

they did that one back in the 20's or 30's i think. it just had two different nibs though.

 

edit: found it, looks like it was made in the mid 30's

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php/topic/4467-a-unic-safety/

Edited November 26, 2014 by balson

[abw9259]

Shaffer will introduce a limited edition "Spaceboy" Lifetime Balance with low gravity safe feed and new planetary dot. They'll make it out of new space age celluloid based on organic molecules discovered by the comet landing craft.

 

I think most pen evolution in the next few years will be in marketing... more precious resin, larger nibs, and higher prices--however the possibilities for ink are almost limitless... color changing, pressure sensitive, greater sheen etc.

[jar]

Considering the current prices of gold, probably the biggest place we'll see innovation for the next while will be in making non-steel nibs out of different materials. We're already seeing this with titanium and palladium and maybe others. The fountain pen market is much slower now than it was when manufacturers were racing each other to come up with the coolest new filling systems.

 

Of course non steel nibs are not new or an innovation. Sheaffer produced PdAg nibs a half century ago and Parker was producing their Octanium nibs at about the same time.

 

So much of what is seen as innovation today is just buyers lack of knowledge.

[Davis19942003]

May be there will be fountain pens that made of glass or carbon fibre and ceramic nibs.

[huy3825]

May be there will be fountain pens that made of glass or carbon fibre and ceramic nibs.

Perhaps a composite nib that sported greater flex when a small force is applied and no flex when a great force is applied all of a sudden.

 

Or maybe diamond tipping? Forever smooth? Idk

Edited November 26, 2014 by huy3825

[KBeezie]

Sometimes they devolve, like going from a Snorkel to a Cartridge (evolution in simplicity/practicality though).

 

Perhaps a composite nib that sported greater flex when a small force is applied and no flex when a great force is applied all of a sudden.

 

Or maybe diamond tipping? Forever smooth? Idk

Seems like a diamond would be more likely to cut than be smooth, plus how would you set the stone at the tip without the setting getting in the way of the ink flow or writing surface. Also would a diamond be practical for that? Does it have much ability for ink to flow over it. Plus there's the expensive re-tipping if one of the halves make it out of it's setting.

 

Far as the flex bit, that sounds interesting, sort of like what happens with a honey dipper, next to no real movement when in motion, but flows without motion.

Edited November 26, 2014 by KBeezie