There is nothing quite as irritating as picking up a ball-point pen that doesn’t work, and even more so when you have done so one after another. Why can’t people just throw away old pens that do not work instead of amassing a rather sizable collection that do nothing but contribute to the overall clutter of the environment? How different would the world be if pens did not use any sort of ink to write stuff down? This is what we’ll explore today, with the inkless metal pen that does not contain a single drop of ink (as evident by its name, of course), and yet is capable of writing on most paper types without the need for a refill? Sounds almost like magic with a fair sprinkling of pixie dust, doesn’t it? I surely thought so, but there’s more to this inkless metal pen than meets the eye.

Made from stainless steel, this metal pen’s design was inspired from medieval times when artists and scribes employed a metal stylus in order to draw on a specially prepared paper surface. It is interesting to note that the material the pen was made from actually tells the whole world the status of the scribe’s employer, so naturally only the upper classes used gold and silver, while the less wealthy had to settle for lead. This type of pen was commonly known as Metalpoint, whereas those made from silver were dubbed Silverpoint. You’d be pleased to know that even the great Leonardo da Vinci used these, and hence you can relive history by using one of these today.

The solid metal ‘nib’ was made from a metal alloy instead of silver, and it is capable of leaving a mark on most types of paper, working best on standard copier/printer paper. While the mark left resembles that of a pencil, it cannot be erased by any means. Definitely not for those who are prone to making mistakes, and for those of us who have gotten so dependent on technology, you can be sure that there won’t be any ‘Backspace’ key found on this pen. Grand Illusions is currently selling this pen for $29.98, and can be considered to be a long-term investment since you will never need to buy another pen for a long time with the quarter century lifespan of the Metalpoint.

Source: Gizmag