Big Brother Fighters

The fountain pen was first developed at the request of an Egyptian caliph in the 10th century. The fountain pen was meant to replace the process of dipping a pen into ink with a pen that contained ink inside of a reservoir. Many developments have since occurred to improve the design of the fountain pen which brings it to the fountain pen that it is today.

Fountain pens do not require the same pressure of the hand which ballpoint pens require to write with. The ink from a fountain pen flows freely from the reservoir to the tip with just the gliding of the hand. The key to writing expressively with a fountain pen is to write with as little pressure as possible. The ease of the ink flow from the pen to the paper allows the hand more freedom of movement. Fountain pens are known for their ease and comfort of writing, and their facility for creating unique lettering.

The portion of the pen which touches the paper is called the nib. The nib of the pen is usually made of gold or steel and narrows down to a point. The ink flows down to the narrowest point of the nib, and is distributed to the paper as the hand writes with the pen. The end of the nib can vary in size from very fine to broad, which changes the width of the ink stroke on paper. For a much thinner line, a very fine nib would be used, but a broader nib would make a much bolder line.

New ink cartridges can be put into the pens when they have run out of ink for an easy and clean refill. Ink cartridges are available in many different colors and types of ink for a more personalized stroke.

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It was in England in 1941 that British scientists John Whinfield and James Dickson first produced poly fabric. However, polyester material did not begin to be made in the United States until 1950 when American company, Dupont, purchased the patent rights.

Since 1960 polyester fabric has become the most widely used material in the manufacturing of garments. This is due, in part, to its ability to defy both fading and shrinking. Polyester also became a popular alternative in the production of table cloths, chair covers, place mats, table skirts and aprons. The use of 100% poly cloth in the production of napkins was not as well accepted as it was for the production of clothes and home decor. Table napkins made of 100% polyester lacked absorption and did not have the feel of cotton, which one associated with costly table linen.

Enter spun polyester cloth. Spun polyester was initially produced for industrial use and home furnishings. An effort by Johnston Industries to develop a boat covering from spun polyester resulted in the discovery of a lighter weight poly that had an improved feel to it. Perhaps more significantly, they noticed that the cloth got softer as it was dyed and thus could be utilized in the manufacturing of table cloths.

This discovery was thought to be so significant that Johnston Industries discontinued their development of boat coverings. Bob Pomeranz, an expert in textiles, took on the plan of bettering spun poly fabric at Johnston Industries. Bob’s expert knowledge of spinning machines made it easy for him to spin a cloth free from pilling, the bothersome fiber clusters that detract from a cloth’s appearance. Ultimately, Johnston Industries made a tablecloth that was durable. It would keep its coloring, released dirt and resisted shrinking.

Table cloths constructed of spun polyester could now have the feel of cotton fabrics and most importantly, unlike cotton fiber, a spun poly tablecloth would not fade after numerous washes. As a rule, the more you laundered a spun poly table linen the softer and better it would feel to the touch.

Today, the consumer will find that chair covers, place mats, table skirting, aprons and even napkins are produced from spun polyester. In fact, spun polyester napkins were really absorbant, a feature that 100% poly napkins lacked.

So, the next time you feel a product made of polyester cloth, ask yourself, is it 100% polyester or spun polyester?

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