| Fountain pens have been manufactured ever since | | | | stage, the metal pen pieces next go on to the |
| the 18th century. However, with improvements in | | | | polishing stage. The barrels and caps are placed on |
| science and technology, the manufacturing techniques | | | | spindles and pass under circular polishing brushes to |
| too have undergone significant changes. | | | | remove oil used during polishing. |
| There are many phases involved in the making of | | | | After this process, the top line pens go to receive |
| fountain pens. First, large bands of metal are fed into | | | | gold or platinum plating on various parts, while the |
| automated machines to stamp out small circles. | | | | other pens go directly to the nib fitting stage. For the |
| These circles of brass are then shaped into the pen | | | | top line pens, nib making is a highly specialized, manual |
| parts by compressing the metal into various moulds, | | | | process while for normal pens it is usually automatic. |
| to provide it strength and durability. This process | | | | The nib metal is fed into a presser that compresses |
| produces each specific pen part. The parts are then | | | | the metal and this gives the nib a tapered thickness |
| cleaned properly so as to remove the excess oils | | | | whilst developing the spring of the nib. The tip is then |
| used in this process called stamping. | | | | coated with a mixture of hard metals and the ball is |
| The cleaned parts then go for cutting. In this stage, | | | | manually welded into the nib. It is then cut to create |
| the stamped-out barrels and caps are cut to the | | | | the forks that are later calibrated after being |
| exact measurements of each particular pen. Even | | | | engraved. Most pen makers even make the non |
| though this is an automatic process, some pieces are | | | | metal parts of the pens in their factories along with |
| cut by hand operated machines. From the cutting | | | | the ink cartridge bodies. |