ink-pen

[James A. Landau]

In a message dated  Sat, 13 Nov 2004 18:22:32 -0500,
Michael McKernan <mckernan at LOCALNET.COM> complained

>  After some thought, I've realized that my own familiarity with the term
>  'ink pen' comes from my early elementary school education in a Catholic
>  parochial school (1957-62), where the nuns required us to write most
>  assignments using what we commonly called an 'ink pen' (rather than
>  ballpoint).  We had two alternatives:  the (then) old-fashioned 'fountain
>  pen,' which had a mechanism for taking up ink refills from an ink bottle;
>  or the new-fangled (and more popular with us) 'catridge pen', which was
>  refilled by using small, plastic, ink cartridges.  (Both of these qualified
>  as 'ink pens', while the forbidden 'ballpoint' pen did not, even though we
>  might argue that it also contained ink.)  The nuns never felt a need to
>  explain God's abhorrence of ballpoints, to my knowledge.  (We were
>  allowed--perhaps required, I can't remember--to use pencil for mathmatics
>  and perhaps some other writing activities). I doubt that this
>  strictly-enforced code was specific to that particular school (in
>  Washington, D.C.), but rather, expect that nuns everywhere (or at least the
>  Sisters of St. Joseph) required it.  If it proves otherwise, my belief
>  system will need yet another adjustment...

In the sixth grade, in public school in Louisville KY, we were required to
have and use fountain pens.

There is a reason.  A ball-point pen can only write a line of a single width.
 On the other hand (bad saying.  Few people are ambidextrous) a fountain pen,
in the hands (well, writing hand) of a moderately skilled penman
("penperson"?) can write lines of varying width and even fill in solid areas.  That's why
fountain pens survive in this era of ballpoints---writing done in a fountain
pen looks better, and you can do calligraphy with a fountain pen (or with any
pen that has a nib).  Of course, few people nowadays care about calligraphy
(except for things like weddings, for which they hire professional calligraphers).

As for the term "ink pen", some people might use that term to distinguish a
fountain pen (or even a ballpoint!) from a Magic Marker, which is sometimes
(and accurately) called a "felt pen".  Granted, a felt pen, like a ballpoint,
uses ink.

"Inkless pen" is a term I have never met.  The thing you poke at a
touch-sensitive computer screen (e.g. with a Palm-Pilot) is in my experience called a
"stylus".

      - James A. Landau

PS. The only SSJ I have ever met was Sr. Barbara Anne Foos, whom I fondly
remember as a superb math teacher.  She never said anything about what writing
utensils to use in her class.