Who invented the fountain pen?

The earliest surviving fountain pens date to the early 18th
(Or possibly later 17th) century; they are made of metal, and most
Used cut quills as nibs, although gold-nibbed examples are also known.
These are often called "Bion" pens, after the French royal instrument
Maker Nicolas Bion (1652-1733) who described them in a
Treatise first published in 1709. Bion made no claim to be their inventor,
Nor is there any evidence that he ever made such pens himself -- let alone, held a patent on them.

Notable players of the era included Mabie Todd, John Holland, Wirt, and
Waterman; New York City was the main center of activity, having long
Been the center of the gold nib trade.

Lewis Edson Waterman's first pens were conventional in design,
And while his original patented feed was undoubtedly effective,
It was by no means the first designed to harness the principle of capillary attraction.
To the extent it represented an advance, it was incremental – not a true breakthrough
Of the sort that turns an unworkable idea into a useful application.
The popularity of the instruments produced by Waterman's precursors is
Evidence enough that they were eminently practical, even if they weren't the
Equal of instruments to come, and it is surely no accident that the Waterman
Company’s claim of having made the first practical fountain pen was not
Trumpeted until well after its founder's death -- indeed, after virtually all the
Pioneers of the 1870s and 1880s were safely off the scene.

INFO COLLECTOR
INNOVATOR: K.BALAKRISHNA. (Kolar gold fields)
MEMBER: NIF & CIIE

Photo by santhosh P kumar