Tony Bridges

That pen you’re holding in your hand, probably designed with laser precision in some 21st century facility in Japan, has come a long way in the last 5,000 years or so.

A recent piece on the patent history of ink pens over at IPWatchdog inspired us to round up a collection of timelines that describe the evolution of pens from the crude reeds used to carve clay in ancient Mesopotamia to some of the classics that we prize today.

A good place to start is a paper on the origins of writing instruments by the UK’s Writing Equipment Society. It traces the beginnings all the way back to 30,000 BCE when man was still drawing on cave walls and follows the trail through to the use of quill pens beginning about 1500 years ago.

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If you haven’t discovered the pen community on Massdrop yet, consider this just the push you need to rush over there right now.

Massdrop is sort of a Groupon for gear. Communities form around specific enthusiasms – pens, for instance – then come to a consensus on some of the best items in that category and score awesome deals on them.

Recent pen deals have included a Lamy Safari fountain pen and mechanical pencil combo for US$33, a package of two Pilot Varsity 12-packs for US$42, and a Monteverde Invincia fountain pen for US$45. Those are discounts of up to half off the usual prices.

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Calligraphy or beautiful writing to give its ancient greek meaning is an age old craft & could be said to have a lot in common with other handicrafts like glass staining & tapestry.

Depending where you look & what you read there are varying answers to the questions of the origins of calligraphy.

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