“Karma is like a rubber band…”
Anonymous
If you are into fountain pens, you will recognise this as a feed. It is key to the controlled presentation of ink to the nib. It is easily overlooked when assessing pen performance. Nearly all we encounter are made from polypropylene, but some are more elite. Ebonite is the brand name for vulcanised hard rubber. It was patented in 1851 by Nelson Goodyear, brother of the tyre guy. Ebonite was developed as an alternative to increasingly scarce and expensive ebony wood. In the early 20th century all components of a fountain pen were ebonite. Unfortunately, ebonite oxidises and becomes discoloured and brittle. The Japanese employed urushi lacquer to overcome this issue, long before it became a decorative step. Ebonite can still be found in high end fountain pens, most commonly in the potentially replaceable feed. These pens are prized as the rubber increases capillary action within the feed, improving the reliability and volume of ink flow. #eboniteandivory #letsmakelemonade
Pen Paint and Scalpel 