| Ink cartridges have revolutionised written | | | | soot from pine smoke and lamp oil mixed with gelatine |
| communications. Time and labour saving are just two | | | | of donkey skin and musk. In common use by 1200BC, |
| of the assets of today's ink cartridge. This is one small | | | | I'm sure this came with a fairly pungent smell! Other |
| demonstration of the way the pace of life has picked | | | | cultures used a mixture of natural dyes and some of |
| up, to the point of not having time to hand write | | | | these ideas have held fast until today. |
| anything. Many people still extol the virtues of the | | | | Inventions of paper and ink pretty much paralleled over |
| written word, particularly older people who truly | | | | the years. Paper made from wood fibre came about |
| appreciate receiving a letter from a friend or relative. | | | | in 105AD but was kept as a secret within the country |
| Communication was more of a concern than speed | | | | until around 700AD, after which it rapidly spread. |
| before the invention of the ink cartridge. The human | | | | However, it wasn't until the late 14th Century with the |
| race have always had this built in need to leave their | | | | widespread building of paper mills that paper became |
| mark on the world, to communicate their life story and | | | | available throughout Europe. |
| pass on useful information. | | | | Reed pens made from hollow grass or bamboo |
| Cave men were not the Neanderthals people think, | | | | stems were popular for a period but it was the quill |
| simply concerned with hunting, grunting and reproducing. | | | | pen that dominated for the longest. Quill pens only |
| They coped with every-day life just as we do but with | | | | lasted a week, even if you chose the strongest |
| different priorities. In a bid to leave their mark and not | | | | feathers. It was well known that the strongest were |
| be forgotten, they used sharp implements to etch their | | | | taken from living birds in the spring from the five outer |
| memories on cave walls. | | | | left wing feathers. |
| Clay tablets were developed later on to make | | | | The left was picked because of the curvature of the |
| information transportable, so much easier than lugging | | | | quill when held in the right hand but this left the option |
| your cave around with you. Caveman etchings | | | | of using quills from the right wing to make left handed |
| consisted of a series of pictures that any onlookers | | | | pens. A special knife was used to sharpen these quills |
| could understand and the first alphabet that was | | | | bringing about the first pen knife. Pens that last one |
| written left to right was invented by the Greeks in | | | | week? What a throw away culture! |
| 400BC, all in upper case due to the rudimentary nature | | | | Today, of course, advancements are made all the |
| of writing implements fashioned from bone, ivory or | | | | time for different applications. Take, for example, the |
| metal. | | | | amount of money spent on trying to invent a pen that |
| They used these first 'pens' to mark wax coated | | | | would work in outer space with zero gravity. I think the |
| tablets that were hinged together 'book' style, in order | | | | Russians had that one sussed by using a pencil! |
| for them to close and protect the contents. I'm sure | | | | And then, of course, is the invention of the |
| the Greeks would have appreciated the ease of ink | | | | disappearing biro. The one you put down and |
| cartridges but at least they were able to condense | | | | apparently morphes into its surroundings, never to be |
| their communications with the first text messages | | | | seen again. I've bought countless pens of that type. At |
| without the need for pictures. | | | | least we know, when we buy an ink cartridge, that it's |
| The Chinese invented 'Indian Ink' from a mixture of | | | | just that bit too big to disappear on us. |