What Are the Parts of a Fountain Pen?

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By CJ Lundquist
eHow Contributing Writer

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Fountain pens offer a vintage writing style, personalized by the writer using the pen. The type of tip (or nib) on a fountain pen is indicative of the style of writing that is to be done with the pen, the most familiar of which is calligraphy.

The Nib

Nib of Fountain Pen
The nib of a fountain pen is the metallic tip of the pen. The feed, through which the ink flows, is seated within the nib, and both are attached to a piece called the section.

The Section

The section is the part of the fountain pen that attaches the barrel, or body, to the nib and feed. The inner cap of the pen sits neatly against the face of top of the section when closed.

The Barrel

The barrel, or the body of the fountain pen, is the part in which the ink reservoir, the filling mechanism and the pressure bar are contained.

Filling Mechanism

The filling mechanism varies in fountain pens. Older fountain pens had a lever, held in with a small lever pin, seated against the pressure bar, controlling the flow of ink. Modern pens have a spring clip inside the barrel that controls the pressure bar.

The Cap

Unlike other caps, the cap of a fountain pen is specifically designed to protect the nib as well as keep the ink from drying out. Seated within the cap is the inner cap, with room above the inner cap for the clip to attach to the inside of the cap.