Parker introduced this filling system in 1956 with the model 61. Rolled cellophane tissue was encased in a metal housing within the barrel. When the end of this housing was dipped in ink, the ink was absorbed through capillary action. The unit had no moving parts.

Ability of ink to flow in the narrow spaces inside the pen. Can be affected by the overall condition of the pen and different types of inks.

The part of a pen that covers the nib/feed assembly. Early caps were friction fitted, and later threaded caps were introduced. Both are used on contemporary pens.

Refers to placing the cap on the rear end of the barrel while in use. One must be very careful in doing this with early pens that are brittle. Most cap lip cracks resulted from posting the cap too firmly. The term also refers to a very fine nib used by accountants for posting numbers.

The part of the pen, sometimes removable, found above the clip. It can be used to hold the clip in place and on some pens functions as an inner cap.

Pen trim, usually gold or gold-filled, consisting of one or more bands near the lip (end) of the cap. The bands both decorate and protect from cracks. Some wide bands were used for personalized engraving.

A material used in some early pens prior to the development of plastic. Casein is derived from milk protein and could therefore be made in pastel colors. Parker produced casein pens as early as 1914, and these may have been the first pens in colors other than black and red. But the pens discolored quickly and were not very reliable. Casein is hygroscopic (absorbs moisture) and thus tends to deform if immersed in water for longer period of time.

A metal clasp attached to a pen cap to keep it firmly in place in a pocket or pen case. They often carry some part of the company logo.

a wood or metal stand with holes of various sizes. A section with nib and feed in inserted into the correct size hole nib down, and the feed and nib can be tapped out.

Cork seal, later plastic.

a pen that uses a piston that moves through the barrel to draw in ink. The Conklin Nozac is an early example. Today both Pelikan and Mont Blanc use the system. Converters that replace cartridges also use the piston device.

The knob, which has to be turned in order to move the piston for filling the pen with ink.

The knob at the barrel´s end of a pistonfiller pen, wich is attached to an inner spiral mechanism. By turning the knob, the piston seal is moved up and down, which draws ink into the pen like a syringe would do.

A fountain pen and pencil combined in one instrument. These were very popular through the 1930s and many second-tier companies marketed them as economical since they provided two writing options in one. Combinations by Parker, Waterman, and Eversharp are rare, while Sheaffer produced many.

A piston filling device used in place of a cartridge so that the pen can also be filled with bottled ink.

Deterioration of plastic parts on pens. Crystallization is most common on the translucent ends of the Waterman Hundred Year pens, and on some Wahl-Eversharp Dorics.

The first successful ballpoint, invented by Lazlo Biro in 1931, was broadly introduced in the USA in 1945 as the Reynolds. Eversharp soon introduced a ballpoint as well, but it was not until the first Parker Jotter in 1954 that the ballpoint really caught on and signaled the end of the golden age of fountain pens.