Reed pen facts for kids
A reed pen is a special tool used for writing. It's made from a single piece of reed or bamboo that has been cut and shaped. In the Arabic language, it's called Qalam. People have used reed pens for writing for a very long time, going back to ancient history.
To make a reed pen, a reed is cut at an angle, and its tip is sharpened. You dip the pen into ink to write. In ancient times, people wrote on materials like papyrus or parchment. You can make lines thicker or thinner by changing how you hold the pen. An old reed pen made of bronze was found in a grave in Attica, Greece. It dates back to the 5th century BC, which is over 2,500 years ago! Interestingly, feathers were not used as writing tools until much later, around the 6th century AD.
Images for kids
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Egyptian reed pens inside ivory and wooden palettes, the Louvre
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Vincent Van Gogh, Ploughman in the Fields near Arles, 1888, National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
See also
In Spanish: Cálamo (escritura) para niños
