George Washington primarily used quill pens, fashioned from feathers, dipped in ink, but he also used high-quality, commercially made writing tools available in his era, like early dip pens and possibly simple metal-nib pens, alongside using servants to help manage his vast correspondence. Modern commemorative pens (like Montblanc or Retro 51) often use materials from Mount Vernon or designs inspired by him, but aren't what he used.
In Thomas Jefferson's era, writing instruments included quill pens, metal pens, and pencils. From Jefferson's records, Monticello researchers have compiled the following primary source references to writing instruments and ink.
John F. Kennedy seems to have used a number of different pens: the Parker “45,” an Esterbrook fountain pen, and a Montblanc Meisterstück No. 149.
US president Donald Trump has a well-known preference for using Sharpies to sign official government documents, as he did when he gave autographs. According to John Bolton, Trump once likened Taiwan to the tip of a Sharpie.
Quill pens were also used to write Magna Carta and the Declaration of Independence. U.S. President Thomas Jefferson bred geese specially at Monticello to supply his tremendous need for quills. Quill pens are still used today mainly by professional scribes and calligraphers.
Churchill used Onoto fountain pens throughout his life. During the First World War, when serving in the trenches, he even wrote to Clementine, saying: 'Send me a new Onoto pen. I have stupidly lost mine' (23 November 1915).
However, it was Ronald Reagan who first used a Cross pen officially in presidential moments—the iconic Classic Century ballpoint in Classic Black with 23KT gold-plated appointments. This tradition was continued by George H.W. Bush, who also favored the Classic Century for its slim elegance and reliability.
The first country to commemorate him on a stamp was Liberia. Since then, several countries have philatelically honored President Obama with stamps that feature his achievements, his travels, and his meetings with other world leaders. Sometimes the stamps include his wife, First Lady Michelle Obama, and his family.
Today, the Parker 51 pen used in the Reims signing is in the Harry S. Truman Presidential Library Collection. Another pen used in the Reims signing is the Shaeffer pen in the Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum.
While most Presidents-elect chose a Bible, as George Washington did, John Quincy Adams used a book of law, and Teddy Roosevelt did not use any book.
The most famous alcoholic president was U. S. Grant. While serving in remote army locations in the 1840's and 1850's he drank to excess out of boredom and loneliness. He resigned his commission in 1854 due to excessive drinking.
According to a 2018 article in Popular Science, “Carter boasted he could read 2,000 words a minute with 95 percent comprehension.” An advertisement for a speed-reading class in Australia claims that Carter read three thousand wpm and Kennedy five thousand (the reading equivalent of “Saul hath slain his thousands, and ...
President Bush used navy-blue Townsend ballpoint pens manufactured by the A.T. Cross company. Presidents had often used multiple pens at a bill signing, giving most of them to members of Congress and others who had helped pass the legislation.
Queen Elizabeth II famously used the Parker 51 fountain pen, a model she used for decades, leading to Parker receiving a Royal Warrant in 1962 as an official supplier to the Royal Household. She was known for using this iconic pen, sometimes with a specific "Tangerine" ink, and it became a symbol of her reign, with even modern versions being produced.
Hemingway's favorite pen to use was a Montegrappa! When he was in the war, he was stationed by the original factory in Bassano del Grappa at Villa Ca Erizzo in Italy. Montegrappa actually has a a collection called "Mightier than the Sword", which was named after Hemingway to celebrate his relationship with them.
Albert Einstein used a Pelikan 100N Fountain Pen
This was the first pen guaranteed not to cover your hands in ink upon refilling – meaning any scientists can spend less time tidying their desks, and more time solving the mysteries of our existence.
Parker Pens have been played a starring role in some of the biggest moments in modern history. In 1945, President Dwight D Eisenhower signed the WWII peace treaty using a Parker 51, while MacArthur used a Parker Duofold to sign the treaty with Japan.
Van Gogh used reed pens that he made himself. He found the reeds along the canals around the city. Reed pens create an aesthetically pleasing result, but it's not easy to draw with them. That's why he practiced a great deal.
Montblanc Meisterstuck fountain pen
James Bond uses a Montblanc Meisterstück fountain pen in Octopussy (1983), which has a gadget function added by Q Branch.
A rare "Inverted Jenny" U.S. postage stamp, famous for its upside-down airplane, sold for a record-breaking $2 million at a Robert A. Siegel Auction Galleries in New York in November 2023, setting a new record for a single U.S. stamp at auction. This 1918 stamp depicts a Curtiss JN-4 "Jenny" biplane printed upside down, with only 100 known to exist, making it a highly coveted item for collectors. The buyer was a longtime collector, Charles Hack, who called it the "holy grail of postage".
Most educated presidents
Woodrow Wilson is the only U.S. president to have obtained a Ph. D., which he received from Johns Hopkins University in 1886 for his work titled "Congressional Government: A Study in American Politics", and George W.
It was reported during his presidency that Barack Obama is reportedly AB-negative. In 2009, Max Deveson of BBC News reported that "a supply of AB-type blood (the president's blood type) travels with him for emergency transfusions." The Dallas Morning News referred to his AB-negative blood type that same year.
Oct. 2 (Bloomberg) -- If Tony Blair finds himself sucking his Conway Stewart pen while writing his memoirs, he could do worse than to consult ``The Ghost'' by Robert...
Each Visconti writing instrument is hand crafted by talented artisanal masters, creating beautiful pieces to be treasured. Every single Visconti pen is made with the highest quality materials and cutting-edge technology making Visconti one of the leading manufacturers of fine writing instruments in the world.
Here are some notable names that have created with Blackwing pencils: Author John Steinbeck wrote with the Grapes of Wrath with a Blackwing 602 pencil. His son, Thom Steinbeck, recounted that his father's writing ritual consisted of sharpening 24 Blackwing pencils before putting the first words onto the page.