A writing implement or writing instrument is an object used to produce writing. Most of these items can be also used for other functions such as painting, drawing and technical drawing, but writing instruments generally have the unique requirement to create a smooth, controllable line. Another widely-used writing implement is the stylus used by blind users in conjunction with the slate for punching out the dots in Braille.

These have an inherent functionality in that their useful life corresponds to their length of their physical existence, i.e. they cannot "run out" and persist as useless objects. The oldest known examples of writing were created by incising a flat surface with a rigid tool rather than applying pigment with a secondary object, e.g., Chinese jiaguwen carved into turtle shells. However, this may simply represent the relative durability of such artifacts rather than truly representing the evolution of techniques, as the meaningful application of pigment is attested in prehistoric cave paintings such as the ones at Lascaux.

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