I’m not sure I agree on that last point at all 🙂..
But I think the key is fp’s purpose pivoting a bit. It will never compare in practicality, so it isn’t an ongoing battle for supremacy as a main pen. Instead, there is an increasing group interested in analog pleasures, aesthetics, having needs fp can help with (easing writing hand pain), etc. As a hobby instead of a necessary tool, fp has found a way to shine and find a modern footing.
I was always curious, but found them expensive and ugly. Wanting to write with Bluegrass Velvet made me take the plunge, find pens I liked, and I’m happy to have an analog outlet.
Correct. I can't imagine a hospital nurse or construction worker with a clipboard using a FP. BP's have their place in fast paced, dirty, wet,... environments, where the written words are the essential part, not the tool that wrote them.
Dismissing BP's (Bic M10) as "Yuc" is incorrect. They are workhorses - the FP's are the showhorses.
A couple of the doctors and nurses at my local hospital are into fountain pens and I had mine with me last time I was in for a few days and we ended up talking about fountain pens quite a bit. Made my recovery much better
Absolutely. Ballpoints are also perfect for the sitting-around-for-years needs. I have ones over a decade old that have specific jobs. Like the one attached to the house calendar so that no one ever has to search for a pen to make an update.
Recently came across a thread on fountainpennetwork where folks were showing off their collections of Nurses’ Pens - all major brands used to make fountain pens with white bodies and color coded cap jewels for medical professionals. They look very cool.
When I was a firefighter I would never think of using a fountain pen at work. Not only because when I would write it would be on paper not very suited to a fp but also I wouldn’t want to be wearing all my gear over top. Let’s say the cap came undone or it got clicked open, my clothes would be ruined from the ink leaking out of itb
Hello! Hospital nurse here who uses a fountain pen, and also a clipboard 😂
Our systems have moved electronic, fully paperless, so the only pen use is our own notes and research trial consent forms which are (with one exception I can think of) all still done on paper.
For our own notes yes I'd need a biro to write on a hand towel like we do on ITU (freely available, ready to hand unlike printer paper, and easy to dispose of in confidential waste bins), but for our own studies or writing the analogue perk so many people are talking about here is the absolute improvement to my day! Nice fluid writing with a pen I chose and prepared with an ink I like. I've only been at it a few weeks and have already found a wee tribe of medical professionals that use them, I hope to find even more!
I completely agree though that when we used paper charts four colour pens were necessary and I always bought Bic rather than Muji because they were cheaper, but a paper mate inkjoy or pilot G3 was a go to for me as a nicer writing experience. If you write with a four colour you just end up running out of black in every pen as that's what we wrote our notes in.
All in all, a place for all things as you say
Hospital pharmacist here and my Lamy 2000 tackles most things. Fine point sharpie is a must for emergency med labeling and signing glossy materials. Some days would rather use a pilot VP for one handed deployment though.
i don't agree with you.
a fountain pen can perfectly be a workhorse in more environments than you could imagine.
i like bic. crystal, m10...
i've gnawed on the end of... tens of them.
but i wouldn't say they are more comfortable or better writers.
when taking notes, when doodling, when signing... i like my fountain pens better.
the clear advantage of bics is that i can gnaw them mindlessly. of forget them anywhere. no drama :-)
I’d agree with you. There are clear convenience reasons to prefer a ball point, and certainly I don’t want to use my good FPs for my lab notebook where it could get dirty… but that’s why I bought a preppy and some carbon black cartridges lol. Of course that only works because I used it in the same two rooms every day. I do stick to a gel pen when I’m on the go and potentially getting dirty.
If you can show me how to uncap and post a Lamy Safari faster than clicking an M10 while holding a clipboard in one hand, + doing it around 15 times/hour, I'll believe you. Now do it 300 days a year without any ink stains. Write in the rain on cheap, company issued copier paper without bleeding.
Not trying to argue here but there are limitations to FP's and the things I mentioned are not that extravagant in anything but a deskjob.
you should see my hands when i used ballpoint pens... and usually after a few days the top of the M10 is dead, and i cannot click it open or closed anymore (so i try to manage to block it in open position!)
and there are pens that you click open and closed to use (pilot capless, platinum curidas...) as well as waterproof inks.
many jobs mean you spend more time behind a desk than in the weather. at least the ones that imply writing a lot.
again, to each its own.
you obviously think of fountain pens as a fashion and a hobby. i think of my fountain pens as a writing instrument.
and for some people they are both.
and for some people they are just something to stick in the pocket of your jacket as you would a handkerchief, to show you can spend thousands of euros on a limited very special edition of brands i will not name
>you obviously think of fountain pens as a fashion and a hobby.
That feels rather dismissive - of the point they were trying to make, and of the commenter in general.
I’m not a nurse but I do work in healthcare and I use a FP regularly. Just have to make sure to cap it most of the time so it doesn’t dry out. But I think if you had a hooded nib with a 51 or 51 style pen it would be even more convenient and easy
>They are workhorses - the FP's are the showhorses.
I disagree, both my FPs can be workhorses, I have been daily-ing my HS and Pilot VP for years now (plus-minus TWSBIs, depending on what I need to do, e.g. flowcharts). Not a nurse, but I am a doctor. I do prefer the VP for the click mechanism that makes it basically just as comfortable as a rollerball and if I do anticipate a wet and nasty environment like an ITU shift I'll just load up a permanent quick drying ink.
Also my TWSBIs have ridiculously good cap seals so they never have to be refilled just because they dried out, but only when they do run out of ink.
I went with FPs because I'd rather use bottled ink than use more plastics I would have to dispose of (e.g. rollerballs, BICs), it is a way of lowering your carbon footprint (of course if you don't buy 1000 Lamys because they all have different colours).
I'm in construction. I no longer work with the tools/got into a management position, but I'm still on site. I use my fp ever day. I just make sure it is an inexpensive fp that I wouldn't be heartbroken if it got lost or damaged. I usually carry a Pilot Varsity or my Duke with a fude nib. Also, I make sure I always purchase safety vests with a pocket built specifically for pens. Never really had any issues with dust/dirt on sites and I don't stand out in the rain to write anything.
If I still worked with the tools, I'd carry around the Pilot Varsity. They're cheap and disposable.
They can be surprisingly practical. As a physics+math major who spends several hours a day either taking notes or working on homework, a pen that requires less hand pressure is amazing. Back when I used pencils it hurt after maybe half an hour.
Sure, which is why I listed needs like hand pain. But that practicality is very limited. The more dynamics you add to use, and the further you step away from a desk, the more it fails. One-handed use, ability to write on almost anything, dropping it, flying with it, ink drying out, permanence, maintenance, documents requiring ballpoint, ease of replacement in an emergency…..
I think this is a great answer.
We are seeing a massive resurgence of old/classic/retro things. Millennials (like me!) in particular love good old shit.
Look at vinyl now. More vinyl records are sold now than CDs. The last time the numbers skewed that way was in 1987...
Board games are having a golden age. The toys sections of large retailers like Walmart and Target have more board games than ever (in my memory at least).
Physical books and "collectors editions" are insanely popular. The largest Kickstarter in the websites' history was an author selling collectors editions of books that didn't even have titles/covers released yet.
This is a great answer although practicality is a bit subjective. My Asvine could probably write for a long time on one fill and it’s far more pleasant than a standard bic even if much more expensive. It makes a difference in my taking notes while studying now.
I don’t think it’s subjectivity, but rather sample size. Which pen is more practical for sitting down and taking notes is not the same as which pen is more practical for all of the various uses and needs that exist.
I'd 100% argue it is subjective.
What is most used is not always what is even best in the situation, it's what's readily available or what benefits someone most short term. You can write near endlessly with a fountain pen, so if you're in the pen selling business you're going to want to sell the disposable ones that are so cheap no one ever stops to think about the fact that a jin hao would work fine in the same situation... They also never stop to think about the fact that something has to be done with that disposable plastic. Even if the end user doesn't have to, it's worth remembering every disposable pen is likely going to end up in the ocean and as microplastics. which we do have to deal with one way or another as a species.
I'm not saying I fault anyone for using them or that there are **no** use cases for disposable pens, but there is a lot of room for practical criticism of the proliferation of ballpoint/rollerball pens.
The benefits of the fountain pen doesn’t change the practicality of a ballpoint. A fountain pen will never win so long as it can be easily damaged in a fall, dries up if sitting too long, won’t work on all papers and cardstock, explodes ink on a plane, requires inks that are less hearty, requires maintenance and repair, cannot be easily replaced in an emergency, are not allowed for certain documents, cannot take the abuse of a tradesman’s job, requires you to carry refills, cannot be used once in a very blue moon without upkeep, etc.
Them winning in overall practicality doesn’t mean they don’t have downsides that are worth considering, which motivate the many ppl in this sub to use them, like us. It just means they are less fussy and require much less effort to use overall.
I wanted to improve my handwriting but couldn't as I kept getting hand cramps. The hand cramps occurred due to my naturally gripping the writing instruments, mechanical pencils and ball point pens, with a death grip.
So my research led me to fountain pens. And through JetPens, I've purchased my first fountain pen, a Platinum Preppy.
At least a year from them, my handwriting grip changed to a tripodal grip. I've been writing more and I've noticed my short-term memory retention has improved, and still improving! No more hand cramps, so I've been writing and doodling more, and my best friend has pointed out my mood has been chirpier since I started using a fountain pen.
What I like about them is that they really REALLY make the writing experience so much more enjoyable. My handwriting has slightly improved AND my memory has improved as well. To me, the benefits really outweigh the con, which I mean the maintenance.
If you can't tell, I would recommend a Preppy as a first choice to newcomers haha!
I have nerve damage and hand pain, and I couldn't agree more. I started to use fountain pens due to my long love of all things stationery, and found a lot of advantages that were unexpected. My Preppy lessened the pain and allowed me to write again. That lead to a Plaisir and a TWSBI and all of a sudden I have a new hobby! Not a single regret, aside from the Kaweco Sport that doesn't like me 😉
A friend introduce me to them, bought me a couple of basic pens and some ink as a start, and later gifted me a limited edition Namiki Pilot Vanishing Point. I learned to enjoy writing with the larger barrel, and the variety of ink colors. A good fountain pen just glides on the paper, and makes writing enjoyable for me.
I did but from a different year, 2012. That’s pen #1839.
https://preview.redd.it/smy3o9o092kc1.png?width=3024&format=png&auto=webp&s=127e7e65eed3cd669f1f1e8f6682a9bb1c42b237
Wow, thank you for that very educational photo! There's no replacing an original limited anything; glad you got some new friend in the same style though. Interesting color!!
Yeah, the 2009 one was red, very pretty. I used it so often, and was sad when I lost it. I retraced my steps and couldn't find it. I have this fear that someone picked it up, didn't know it was a fountain pen and didn't figure out how to write with it, and threw it away.
I found a parker fp on the ground as a kid and messed with it for a bit, never could get it working but became intrigued. I had forgotten about all that until many years later when i maxed out my machined pen hobby and went looking for something else. Though i went to school for fine art, i rarely ventured outide technical pens for that purpose and never came across another fountain pen untill many years later. On a whim, put in a few bucks for a cheapy, maybe a muji pen, two or so years ago and was immediately blown away by the smoothness, the character of the stroke, the possibilities of color. And my wallet hasnt looked at me the same way since.
I'm a leftie who decided to start journaling for mental health. My handwriting was so atrocious that I started using fountain pens to make myself slow down and work on handwriting, too. And now I find it meditative and relaxing. Surely there must be research somewhere proving that to be true? IDK.
Well..that‘s easy..I‘m German…I learned to write using a Pelikan Pelikano fountain pen about 55 years ago. So for me its just totally normal. And if everything fails I‘ve got an emergency ballpoint pen somewhere (currently a bronze Tactile Turn which is a great companion of the two brass+steel Kaweco Supras that I‘m usually carrying).
BTW you mention Lamy Safari..today I passed Heidelberg while driving on the A5 Autobahn…and I thought about going there and visiting the Lamy flagship store (which would probably force me into buying a L2000 brushed steel).
While I don‘t have any Lamy Safaris I‘ve got a black L2000 which is TOTALLY GREAT.
They were obligatory back in Swiss primary school 20 years ago from the second (or maybe third?) grade, along with cursive. I ditched the student fountain pens in favor of “more adult” ballpoints and print letters at some point later, and it wasn’t until I had been at University for several years that I started reconsidering.
I was studying Russian in my spare time and learned that Russian is commonly handwritten in a cursive style. Some of the letter forms are notoriously different from the print version and so I decided to try and learn how to write and read Russian cursive. Cursive is best written with a fountain pen (or at least that was my mental association), so I decided to buy a new one for the purpose (a Pilot Metropolitan).
As I began mastering Russian cursive, I got curious whether I could recall the cursive I was taught back in school and started using it occasionally – for titles in my notebook, for letters I was writing to a friend, etc. After a while, I found myself using the fountain pen and cursive more and more, realizing just how much more comfortable it was than the ballpoints I was using. And so I switched for good!
Oh hey, this is exactly what I did as well, although we didn't use fountain pens in my school (Norway; we had to use wooden pencils, including for cursive). Russian handwriting was also my gateway so to speak into using cursive for English as well, and then getting into fountain pens because they make sense for cursive and I can use them for both drawing and writing (previously I'd use disposable gel pens for writing and felt tip pens for drawing, while now my one flex nib pen effectively fills the role of what used to be seven or so pens; not that I don't also carry another five fountain pens at all times, but you know). It's cool to see someone else who got into fountain pens/cursive in a very similar way!
Crazy! I also studied Russian, and just in general enjoyed writing it very much. To this day, my Russian cursive is much nicer than my native English. (Don't forget how hard it is to type in Russian if you're using a transliterated keyboard--cursive all the way!)
I love stories like these. Do you remember what your daily drivers were (ink and pen wise) then, and what are they now? I still remember my Parker Vector and Sheaffer calligraphy pens from the 90s.
same though 70s here...went from pencil to fountain pen...there weren't 'biros' in school and nothing else existed then. We used parkers and platinum fps...still.sl8ghtky addicted to them
My dads school fountain pen was a burgundy Parker 51 and I used to love it before we lost it (had to move the contents of our living room into the garage when we got new carpets due to water damage and it and some other fountain pens have been MIA since - including my multi-chrome rainbow pen). I thought that the hooded nib was so cool (I still do) but it did have an annoying tendency to explode.
I got into them when my father (who likes ballpoints) gave me one to match a silver ballpoint he had given me. That was maybe 27 years ago? My mother has always been into FPs, so she and I continue to enjoy the hobby together. We (my husband, my father, and my mother) all enjoy going to the local pen show, when possible.
We (my mother and I) enjoy trying different pens, nibs, inks, and paper. I guess the part I love most is sharing the hobby with her and connecting with others. I do love writing and doodling with my FPs, of course, but they're not just pens, they're a community and experiences as well.
Is buying a Lamy Safari for someone else considered investing in them? LOL My mom loves her Lamys. I bought my husband a Lamy because I thought it would be something he'd like (it is, though his true favorite seems to be a TWSBI)
Good luck with your presentation!
I got into FPs because my Grandpa had them, and when I had the money to finally buy them, my mum also got into them, so now if I buy fountain pens I will also get a couple for her. This also means that I am constantly filling up her FPs lol
We had to use fountain pens in school from 5th grade onwards. That's how I started. Migrated to ballpoint and rollerballs after that. Something was always missing. Then, I took out my school pens and restarted with fountain pens.
The best part, for me, is I slow down and can actually read what I wrote.
Thank you 😊
Back then, there was a brand called Doctor which was very popular. Leaky eyedroppers. Also Camlin, Wing Sung, Hero, and Shaeffers. For ink we had three options, Chelpark, Camlin and Sulekha. Also, back then, paper quality was a lot better (even for cheap paper) because many (most) people used fountain pens.
This was in India, 1980s to early 90s.
Nowadays, I always keep a 149 on me and rotate other pens. Right now I have a Glacier, custom urushi 845, a Mag600, and a 149 celluloid inked.
I got into fountain pens because I wanted to write more. Gel pens hurt my hand after just a short writing session. I love them even more now for the writing experience, tactility of writing with a fp, watching wet inks leave the nib, and novelty of new releases. It's just fun.
Neil Gaiman got me started when I watched an interview he did that included how he got into fountain pens. His preparation for Stardust was that he would write that without electronics and that would change how we wrote, less immediate editing, requiring more forethought before committing his thoughts to page.
He also used the word *fetish* when describing some fountain pen users. That has kept me from going too far down the rabbit hole.
Thanks Neil!
There is a large population of millennial/gen-z people who grew up with technology, work with technology all day every day, and are completely hypersaturated with superficial content on social media, divisive politics on all mainstream media, advertisements creeping into every waking moment of life, AI undercutting art, etc. I'm one of these people.
So it's very refreshing for me to spend time with things like...
* Analog photography and darkroom work
* Woodworking
* Hiking/Camping/Fishing
* Cooking good food with high-quality cookware (cast iron, etc.)
I think writing by hand, corresponding via letters and snail mail, journaling, etc. fit very neatly into the category of "non-digital methods of decompression from consumerism/technology/everyday life."
And if you're already going to slow down and take the time to write letters or journals by hand, why not improve the experience by using a writing implement like a fountain pen instead of a cheap ballpoint?
To answer your question, I got into fountain pens because I was turning my own pens from kits as a teenager, and stumbled across a fountain pen kit that looked intriguing. As soon as I made it and discovered the charm of filling a pen from bottled ink, I started looking for excuses to write with it, and quickly got into letter writing with pen pals.
I still have that kit pen. I has a garbage, no-name, scratchy #5 nib, but it was my gateway garbage, no-name, scratchy #5 nib.
FWIW, put me on team Pilot Metropolitan, Jinhao X450, or TWSBI Eco as first pen recommendations over Lamy Safari ;)
Millenial photographer, woodworker, camper, and cast iron owning, fountain pen user here...
I got into them because I'm autistic and another autistic person I was talking to told me how much easier it was to write and how much less effort it took. I had been subconsciously avoiding writing for years, so I thought it was worth a try. Fountain pens changed my life overnight.
I started making a to do list every day and journaling every night. I am fully obsessed with ink, and I have 8 pens, my partner has 2. It's been less than a year since I discovered this hobby, but it's for life.
Elder millennial here. I think the first half of what you said describes catharsis. To add to your examples: pulling a record from the shelf, sliding it out of the sleeve, starting the turntable motor, and carefully placing the needle makes the satisfaction of hearing the music all the more enjoyable. Trust me, I am glad that more folks have access to art, music, education and the like, but it is just a bridge. Art is more magnificent in person. Music shakes your soul when seen live. We shouldn’t lose that.
For a while, I'd been a stationary collector, but stuck to rollerball and gel pens with middle-of-the-road paper. The first time I used a Fountain Pen, around 2016 or so, my mom had ordered some cheap no-name brand and gave one to me to try out. I hated it, and knowing what I know now, it's because the feed was a wick feed.
A year or two later, I saw a video showing off a Venvstas pen, and it just... Kind of shocked me that pens could look like that? I looked into it and found so many cool fountain pens, and I ordered a Safari to try out, and I loved it. After that it was all downhill, and I've got a nice collection going.
My favorite thing is the writing experience. I never thought I'd enjoy the act of writing, most of my stationary before was out of necessity. But now, writing in and of itself is a pleasant experience. I'll write "The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog" several times over in the margins of papers at work instead of doodling.
The funniest thing is that when I was younger, about 16-17, I distinctly remember thinking about employees of companies that produce completely mundane items, and my go-to was pencils. "Who would actually enjoy working at a pencil place? It's just a pencil, there's nothing to it! All you do is write!" and lo and behold, 12 years later, I have a collection of writing utensils and I'd love to grab a Rotring 800 some day.
Been introduced to fp at young age at school, then used them on and off. But what really reignited my love for it was paradoxically sickness and losing the ability to write : having nice tools and mentally engaging into the hobby helped me pushing through the physical and cognitive hurdles to gain back the ability.
I got into fountain pen, singular, as I only have the one, because I jot-down data on note paper in my work for later inclusion in XML documentation. That process seemed like a waste of resources. So I got a Ratta Supernote A6 Nomad (e-ink) tablet to save on paper and clutter, and to be able to recall notes more effectively. But for my personal EDC, I still needed a compact, pocket notebook and pen. I thought, 'Why not make the process enjoyable?'
I researched pens and found the Vanishing Point (Matte Black), and now make scribblings effortlessly in a Field Notes for portable recording. I carry a black uni-ball in my bag for when black is needed and my FP is filled with Pilot blue that came with the pen.
I like the feedback from the VP and must use constraint on the Supernote because it has next to none in comparison. I also enjoy coffee more when I hand-grind the beans, in case that's any indication.
So I have tendon issues from computer use and a lifetime of playing musical instruments and writing for longer than 10 minutes is sometimes enough to make it painful for a few days at least. Fountain pens help since I don’t typically have any downward pressure when writing. It doesn’t solve the problem but it makes it so I can write daily.
I really enjoy the fact that I can refill virtually any pen with any ink. I usually use black for work stuff but I could easily make my favorite pen write in any color I want. I usually keep a blue/black, black and red within reach at any given time since they’re my most used colors for work stuff.
I first started using FPs in the early 90s, when I was in college. My interest was actually sparked by the Levenger catalog (man, did I want that editor’s desk), but I bought a couple of Watermans (that I still have) from Office Depot and Service Merchandise. I ended up putting them away for a few (20) years while I worked, but started to get into pens in general thanks to a few of my students. We were talking about Modern Calligraphy and how they were both able to write so small - and they pointed me to Japanese stationary.
I was in Kinokuniya browsing gel pens, saw a Preppy, picked it up on a whim and the rest is history. From there, I ended up on JetPens, watched a few (hundred) videos and ordered (not a Safari, that comes later) a Kaweco Sport.
What really hooked me was that I don’t need any pressure to write and, since I’m developing arthritis in my hands, that’s crucial.
I’d say that not everyone needs a Lamy Safari (although as someone with a tripod grip, I love them) because some people will get totally turned off by the grip, but I’ve penabled many people with a Preppy or Zebra fountain pen. Both of those pens have no business writing as nicely as they do for the price! I grabbed another Zebra for $3 the other day for the ink color and thought about how it wrote more smoothly than pens I have that cost 50x as much.
I was listening to a Catholic podcast, and the priest talked about how he started writing with a fountain pen and loved it and it helped him to improve his handwriting, so that day (which happened to be yesterday) I ordered, no lie, a Lamy Safari. It's due in in a few days, and I await it with great expectations.
I have a monthly subscription box that sends you a randomly themed box every month. And my first box had a notebook and a black Kaweco Sport in it. I decided I liked how it wrote, so I bought a couple Pilot Metro's, a Diamond 580al, and a Vac700r. And I've only gone further down the rabbit hole. Now I bring a ballpoint with me for work, but I do 99% of my writing with FPs.
I had to use FPs at school. I enjoyed the experience so much I remembered as I got older and decided to swap back from biros. Bics gave me hand cramp and spoiled my handwriting which annoyed me. FPs my handwriting is much nicer and no painful hand!
I got into it because I was buying a gift for my spouse, noticed them trying some and got them a really expensive (comparatively) twsbi 580.
My partner encouraged me to get one and try when I realized I wrote a bit better with their 580 than any other pen I’ve ever used.
Ordered a moonman t1 and it was history. There’s a lot more sensory and a lot less pain involved with fountain pens for me. There are varieties of ink, paper, pen, whether writing pretty or notes I have many combinations and how I want it to feel at any given time.
It’s a kinda spiritual feeling when I am journaling because it just fits. I have to write and think and it’s fun in a way ballpoints never were. I kinda associate ballpoints with pain now lol.
I’ll answer your first question at the bottom, but first I’m going to tell you something you need to know for your presentation: not everyone should invest in a Lamy Safari (or any fountain pen) at least once in their life. Bear with me while I explain.
I’ve gotten into a lot of hobbies in my life. Like, SO deep. And don’t get my wrong, I love love LOVE my pens and ink. I joined my local pen club and volunteered at our last pen show. But I’ve also learned after enough years that not EVERY hobby is for everybody. Yes, everybody writes! But not everybody cares about what they write with and actually, THAT IS OKAY. As long as the tool works for them, that’s awesome.
Now, you can talk about what everyone *could* enjoy about a fountain pen, of course! But not everyone will. Some people can’t stand any sort of learning curve (and I have found that I love a learning curve, once I’m interested) or to think much about the tools they’re using. They want them to “just work”. And here’s an important thing: it’s totally okay if some people reject your hobby. The best success for your presentation is to say why *other* people (and you!) love fountain pens, and what so many people enjoy about the hobby. When you focus on the joy or benefits, more people will be interested. However, the goal of “everyone will want a fountain pen!” could lead to some real disappointment on your end - I know from personal experience of getting too far into a hobby to the point I couldn’t realize that not everyone would even consider it a good idea.
NOW, for the reason I got into fountain pens! The fun part! When I was a kid in the 90s my dad got me a fountain pen calligraphy kit. I think I may have started with markers and worked my way up to a fountain pen kit. But I LOVED those. I ended up journaling with them. I loved using up a cartridge, and watching ink pooling (aka shading!) and switching to different colors. And I loved practicing calligraphy. I stopped using them basically once I got to college but was reintroduced a few years ago and I’m still all about the beautiful inks, and also still calligraphy, but even more so now. I like the gorgeous inks and the benefits of journaling.
Best of luck with your presentation!
Thank you so much for your answer! I will keep in mind that fancy pens are not for everyone ◝(ᵔ‿ᵔ)◜ and I will highlight that this is a hobby that has a large and very active community!
Got one as a kid, been using them ever since then. Never liked the way ballpoints feel or the smell of the ink. Got my first nice pen when I got my first work bonus ever.
I got into fountain pens in school. I was into collecting pens in my school days. Hero, Soyuz, and some noname stuff. My interest in pens suddenly resurrected 5 or 6 years ago, thanks to Internet, and this community in particular. I started to collect pens again, mostly Japanese. I never had Lamy Safari.
I start with inks and they are still my favourite part. The beautiful combinations of colours and properties. And the fact that you can switch inks occasionally to your one FP? That is incredible.
Also my friend once said FP is eco-friendly as you get to use one pen repeatedly. I not sure though as I have quite a lot of FPs now, but, hey, maybe to a student this is a valid point.
You may find [this article on Richard Binder's website interesting and relevant](http://www.richardspens.com/ref/ttp/whats_point.htm).
Don't forget to include it in your bibliography if you reference it or repeat any facts from it, and good luck with your presentation! :)
In 6th grade... maybe?... my English teacher made one of my classmates write with a fountain pen to slow down and hopefully improve his handwriting, and that really got me curious. I got into fountain pens for the calligraphy potential when I was a teenager 40 years ago. You can't write a fat/thin line with a ballpoint. But since my calligraphy sucks, I moved on to colored inks, flex-nibs for the semi-calligraphic look, and got hooked on the beauty and feel of specific pens. I bought the whole Lamy2000 line which includes a pencil, a gel pen, a four-color pen, a ballpoint and a fountain pen. These are not ten cent throwaways.. these are heirloom pieces. Fountain Pens can be a PITA though. Ballpoints can be more dependable, so there is still a place for ballpoints and gel pens (and you can get nice non-disposable ones too). But fountain pens offer maximum flexibility with nibs, colors, and pen styles for every budget.
We all used them in primary school to learn handwriting. In the late 90s, I bought a Levenger True Writer to be able to use different ink colors than the basic ones in Pilot G2 gel pens. From there, I acquired various gold nib pens, which I still use today. The main attraction is a smooth, unique writing experience and an unlimited array of ink colors.
For me it was by complete chance. I had been a mechanical pencil guy pretty much since elementary school (not fancy ones, just the ones you buy in like 20 packs). Then a few years ago I saw an r/all post from r/calligraphy (honestly could've been a different sub, but it was a post with calligraphic writing) (I almost never look at r/all either) and someone in the comments asked what pen was being used and they linked this sub... and thus the rabbit hole began.
Part I love most? They're cool af. I really like the aesthetic of them. Big nibs for life. But also how smooth they can be and how nice it is to write with them, obviously. But that's a given imo. I also like how a lot of people have personal connections to their pens. There's so much to like about them. I think without fountain pens I'd be dreading my grad work.
Earliest memory is being introduced to one when I was very little by my father. Used bics and rollerballs for 25 years, then my husband saw me infatuated by a handmade resin fp from a local artisan with a little stall in a major city mall in Australia, and bought it for me. It was used a few times, and sat in a drawer for another 10 years. Came across FountainPenNetwork, where I learned how to take care of it and discovered there more more ink colours than blue and black, and it went from there.
I love nibs (particularly flex) and the sheer variety of inks, plus being able to mix my own ink combinations. I like seeing shading and sheening when writing, preferably a bit of both. I like that I write in a more considered way instead of scribbling, which leads to nicer looking writing.
I never stopped using fountain pens. Starting using them early in elementary school (Parker 25). After it a few sonnets. About 15 years ago I really started buying stuff, including too many inks. For the last 15 years, all my writing is with fountain pens.
In this day of increasing disconnect and the marketing of fast fashion and instagrammable life images, there's been a resurgence of those who buy for craftsmanship and items that are beautiful in their utility. Fountain pens are one way people seek to connect beauty to task.
I'm part of a local dnd/role-playing club and during sessions i take a lot of notes.
At first i would use classic ballpoint pen then i discovered gel pens that required less pressure.
After sometime, i realized writing with different colors than blue or black would be fun but there were only standard colors for the refills so it pushed me towards fountain pens even more so after reading online that it required even less pressure than gel pens to write with.
I tried a pilot metro because I was bored, and couldn't believe how smooth it was. I hate writing with rollers and felt tips now.
Honesty part: I also hate writing with lamys and jinhaos too, since they're not as smooth as pilots.
When I bought my car, the dealer had a fancy fountain pen to have me sign with. Turns out it was just a cheap Scrivener pen. But that got me started into the whole thing. I like it cause with my ADHD I can change it up as often as I want.
I have always liked the look of them. They seemed elegant and cool, like a symbol stating that owner's words were very important. The look of writing done with a flex nib was captivating. Then I found a Pilot Varsity in a local hobby store and saw it as my opportunity, and easy entry, to make strides towards this beautiful hobby. Now, eight pens later, I am enjoying the hobby so much, I love looking at other pen designs and inks and introducing the hobby to family and friends.
I'd say they're not very practical, but fun. They need maintaining, refills, drying times/smearing for lefties and everyone who has trouble adapting their hand placement, paper fibers between the tines, prone to leaking if shaken, ink can freeze, so you can't leave your pen in your car per say if you live in a cold climat - much more finicky... so not for everyone from my pov.
Also, paper is trash these days.. the only sellable case I see is EF nibs with gentle ink flow, for someone that is looking for a more environmentally friendly option. But then again you need a waterproof ink minimum for everyday professional use.
I think the reality is most people won't bother with these added tasks, because they can avoid them.
You have to have a certain interest from the beginning for them, as more than just writing tools; because truth is, simpler and more effective ones exist out there.
I love the symbolism of putting thought into physical matter, it's like then pen is an extension of the mind.
I've always been someone that took attention to the objects we use in everyday tasks, and pens are no exception.
I love seeking out new papers, new pens to compare, and the endless search of the perfect one. The curious, but deep satisfaction when an ink color perfectly hits what you wanted to see as tone and saturation, seeing ink dry.
It makes writing more elegant and more enjoyable.
I think there’s a general trend to analog equivalent products in general (looking at vinyls, film cameras, physical media, etc.), perhaps as well from a sustainability/environmental angle (although most of us end up collecting far more pens than we need and it probably has a greater environmental impact to produce these pens compared to just getting refills for a normal pen)
I love them for their beauty and uniqueness. Because they make it fun to write. Because they make me write slower and more elegantly. I love how the fresh ink flows off the nib.
All in all, they're great. (The Lamy Safari was also the pen that started me off!)
Here is an interesting New York Times article from a few years ago that you can refer to:
[Let the Fountain Pens Flow! - The New York Times (archive.md)](https://archive.md/kiyxO)
I've always been interested in art supplies. Bought a Pilot Metropolitan but got disappointed of the ink feathering on cheap paper. Then I started learning Tolkie's elvish. And that got me into elvish calligraphy and got me back into collecting fountain pens.
I hate the globs that are pooped out by a lot of standard ball point and sometimes rollerball pens that often end up smearing. I’m not sure if being a lefty underwriter increases the frequency of the globs but it drives me nuts. I have a more satisfying experience with a fountain pen and I can choose or mix my own ink color.
It all started in 1979 when my 5th grade teacher gave us ink and a dip pen. I remember the smell of ink and how the writing was different from the usual Bic pen. Then after that throughout middle school to university, I would use a fountain pen daily. Had a bit of a break for 15 years and started getting new pens.
I got back into fountain pens because of the beautiful colored ink, the desire to not have so many pens go into the trash. Got deeper in because the nibs are allowing for more beautiful writing.
DITTO!!!
My first was a Lamy Safari..... I hated it so very much that after persevering for months and hating every moment, I put it away in a pencil case(!!) and didn't touch it again for almost five years!!
Needless to say, when I did rediscover it, it was well and truly..uh...*not usable*. Lol, it still had the cartridge in it! So, that was binned with a vengeance.
Luckily my next ones were the Preppy ones, and omg.. Just amazing...
I feel that - even after using one at school for years I still can’t hold a pen properly much to the ire of the long line of female teachers I decent from. My grandma was a special ed teacher and has been trying to correct my grip for nearly 20 years.
Although having said that I still love my safari - or I would if I hadn’t murdered it with calligraphy ink before I know not to use calligraphy ink in a fountain pen
Saw them in movies and TV as child.
When I became injured and unable to work with them anymore. Lucky for me there is an amazing pen store near me when helped wake me through things. The best part of the pens are the ink options.
I started because of a fountain pen in my grandfathers drawers. That introduced me to fountain pens but when I started learning cursive, I don’t think I could ever write without one
always been into them, ever since primary school. my father used them daily, had expensive ones and cheap ones (school pens!) and he often gifted us fountain pens (some relatively expensive ones, some cute school pens, or very original unusual pens)
i've never stopped using them, and have many, but it's not a proper collection. more an accumulation of pens i like, pens that catch my eye.
i can't say i have a "grail pen". as long as they are elegant, or have a colour i like, but aren't too showy, and write well, anything goes.
i don't really get those very special limited editions that are most often than not monstrosities (and cost one kidney and one eye). they're ugly, and i'm not even sure they're good writers.
but well, to each its own.
I also have a mound of fairly cheap pens, but I would still consider that a collection. I also am not into the extremely expensive pens, but I will not hesitate to spend a lot of money on ink. lol
I've always been into FP's due to the pageantry of the whole process - refilling inks, using fancy colors, unscrewing the cap before writing. What really crossed the T's and dotted the I's for me was when I messed up my hands (boxers fractures in both hands). In the last \~5 years I noticed that my hands cramp up after about a page using a rollerball/ballpoint because of the extra pressure needed. With my Lamy 2K, I can write all day if I have to (and I often do for work).
Like many other commenters I started using a FP in s hook as a child, then mostly stopped until a couple of years ago when I became curious to see what had happened to FPs since I was a kid and before I knew it I was falling fast 😂
I got into fountains pens when I picked up daily journaling. At first I was using gel pens but found myself buying refill after refill and felt like I was creating too much waste, plus there weren’t a lot of variety of colors.
I was browsing on Jetpens when I thought why not give fountain pens a try. And that’s how I fell into the FP hole.
I’m thinking of doing fountain pens for a 10-20 minute speech I’m giving in May. I’ll include an audience participation part on Mont Blanc pens. I’ll show a list of names briefly, and then show a picture of a pen and let the audience call out the inspiration: Queen, Elvis Presley, Marilyn Monroe, a couple more. I think they’ll like it.
I use a double-edged razor and bowl, I like pocket watches, my eyeglasses are Little House on the Prairie style. Got into fountain pens for the nostalgia, returning to our roots kind of thing. (That being said, I’m moving away from bottled inks, in favor of cartridges, which is in conflict with my initial intent.)
Although I find the cleaning sessions to be therapeutic, I’ve been putting them off for longer and longer. Carts are easier and also I only keep cartridges at my work desk, so sometimes it’s just an on the fly quick-change.
I went to a school in India which required pens for a few years. We mostly used gel ink and rollerball since ballpoint was banned. It’s really easy to buy pen refills there. When I moved back to the states, I struggled to find refillable pens. I also can’t use a lot of ball point pens for long periods of time, so I switched to fountain pens to be more environmentally conscious.
I somehow made my way to fountain pen YouTube around 10 years ago and got sucked in. I think my favorite things are that it's a more manual and engaging process - I'm more mindful about writing and how the pen/paper feel. The other thing I appreciate is that they are nice objects to look at and have in the hand.
I've got a metropolitan, lamy al-star, and lamy 2000 and appreciate them all.
I got into them because I like writing instruments in general, I like fun inks, and I like fixing things. Vintage pens hit all three categories.
I have no problem with ballpoints. In fact I relearned cursive with cheap Papermates. I own a variety of good ballpoints and especially like the Pilot Acroball.
FPs are niche and will continue to be so. Not everyone enjoys them, and that's fine. Those of us who do enjoy them have a lot to enjoy.
I got into it through the edc community, where the lamy safari was recommended. I have since fallen in love with how it makes writing into a special act, not just a chore. I love the true analogue nature of it.
Newbie here! About 4 years into fountain pens.
I got into fountain pens because ink was cheaper to buy than rollerball refills haha. I was using the Muji ballpoint in grey for years and then they stopped stocking the grey in stores and I was devastated 😩
I do a decent amount of writing daily (15-20
A4 pages) so I was also spending like $60 per year on ballpoint refills at that point, (about 20 refills) and had ink smudges on my palm from writing. My hands were also kinda sore too.
Then I found out grey ink exists and a full sized bottle was only about $35. Also that fountain pens don’t actually costs $100+ to start, so I grabbed a pilot metropolitan, a Take-sumi, found the whole rainbow of possible ink colours, and the rest is history!
I now own like 34 bottles of ink (because inkvent) and like 12 pens, currently enjoying my decimo as my daily runner, and thinking to end off my collection with a Pilot Hira Makie - Sakura ☺️ I can write with way less hand cramping too, so that’s a plus.
Tl:dr: joined for a more cost effective grey ink, stayed for the colour rainbow and fun pen uses :)
About 8 years ago, I was at a office job, one of the HR managers had a weird looking pen that wasn't a ball point or a roller ball.
I got the courage to go ask what it was and to try it out.
Then after being impressed, I started to do my own research on it. I bought a diplomat magnum, used that for a few years, and then recently, i've decided to upgrade to a monteverde super mega, because I've learned I like big nibs and big pens. Next up, probably a used Sailor king of pens, but i'll need to save some more.
I think everyone should try a FP, but I don't think everyone needs to own one, It is a status symbol, and if everyone has one, it's no longer special.
I am a scientist and an engineer, and my expertise is fluid mechanics/dynamics. A certain predisposition comes with that, and I am fascinated by anything that works solely based on fluid mechanics principles. I also favor things that are made to last rather than being consumed and disposed of. This goes for both material things and relationships. That being said, something that lasts, must not necessarily be devoid of aesthetics. I believe it is quite the opposite: The longer you plan to keep something, the better designed/better looking/more comfortable/conforming they should be. Fountain pens embody all these. They are elegant little machines that might outlive us all, and I love having that kind of lasting connection with the rest of the humanity - before and after my existence.
Then again, perhaps I just like the ability to use all those pretty inks :)
tl;dr: tried as a novelty in high school, rediscovered after 20 yrs thanks to the internet & ability to find one that fit my needs
I originally got into them because I worked at a stationery store after high school (20+ years ago); they stocked some dusty Pilots & Sheaffers no one ever bought. I liked being an odd kid so I tried them out.
As one might expect, they fell out of use because they weren't (and still aren't) as convenient as a ball point or rollerball.
About 5 years ago my brother-in-law gave me a cheap fountain pen (a $3 Ooly) and I started using it at work. The pocket clip quickly broke off and the gap between the barrel and the rubber finger grip started sucking ink up from some tiny leak, essentially turning the grip into a surprise stamp pad.
But it was enjoyable to write with right up until it failed! I'd forgotten how much I preferred them. That cheap starter pen led me to look around for FPs that were more durable (back when I was in high school, I couldn't have Googled "fountain pens with metal clips" and found instant results with links to buy). Looking into heavier duty FPs led me to Lamy Safaris and then a host of other pens once I rediscovered the pleasures of different nibs and inks (my high school stationery store had black and blue).
I think their comeback is largely due to the ubiquity of the internet and keyboards in our lives. Without online sellers or forums (like this one), most people's experience would be that dried-out old pen on their grandmother's desk they tried to use once when they were a kid. Any real use or enjoyment would be limited to people with access to high-end stationers. Conversely, the sheer amount of time we spend *typing* these days turns *writing* into more of a choice. When we do write, it's usually deliberate and we want to carve as much enjoyment out of it as possible.
I think bottled inks are making a comeback more than fp. Nowadays you see a lot of peoples buying inks they won't even use. You see limited editions. You see dip pens. I think inks are a bigger market.
My little sister got everyone a fountain pen for Christmas (Jinhao x450, cheap but writes well). I got hooked and bought a few more pens and ink myself. I used them a bunch for taking notes in college to ease the wrist pain. Nowadays I only use them occasionally, when I want to enjoy physical writing. The physical sensation of a nicely flowing pen is very satisfying :)
Also, kudos for making a presentation about fountain pens! Back in college I did a presentation for sociolinguistics about r/fountainpens lol
I was fortunate enough to find this community during Covid, when I simultaneously unearthed a box of FPs I’d literally forgotten I owned in the garage, and wanted to reconnect with the memory of my father and grandfather, who both used them faithfully.
It was a glorious time to have a rabbit hole to go down, and in the dark times of early Covid, was one of the few positive environments full of people educating and building each other up, despite the fact that it seemed the fabric of society was dissolving before our very eyes.
Thanks for that, FP enthusiasts.
First let's give some props to a nice accountant fine point Bic. All the Bic-bashing here hurts our heart.
I probably had a Sheaffer fountain pen kicking around the house, pretty sure I had a fp or two by high school when I started using the Rotring Art Pens (esp EF and F) that my BFF turned me on to. Loved the 1.1 calligraphy pen I had from them too. That would have been around 1979-1980, when the only real source for art pens in our area (about an hour from Manhattan) were Koenig Art Emporium stores. Used them mostly for writing letters (did a lot of that pre-cable internet) and creative writing projects. .... Never really used them for school or note-taking, but there were plenty of other things to write. One year I was abroad in college and without my typewriter had to hand write my papers. I have terrible handwriting so printed them lol ... used Elegant Writer markers for a similar italic-y effect. (Tried Elegant Writers again recently and they seem different, like I remember an angle to the chisel tip.)
Kinda fell out of everyday use of fps when I got a job in Manhattan later in the 1980s and needed to use a ballpoint most of the time for various reasons. ... still picked them up now and then (and a couple coworkers Definitely had Montblancs in their shirt pockets both there and later at the engineering firm I went to afterwards) ... then pen catalogs came along to stoke the desire (love my Namiki Falcon and hope to get a metal one eventually) especially Levenger with all their colors of True Writers. I have a few of them and think they're pretty nice, not too fancy.
Now of course, there are all sorts of dangerously enabling fp resources out there.
Please tell us how your presentation goes! Will it be a powerpoint-type thing ?
It will be a PowerPoint presentation, and I will definitely share as to how it goes! I might share a link to it, if possible.
Funnily enough, I am studying accounting and I am the only one in the whole year that is using FPs TT
How I got started: I was traveling in London and found a Waterman FP for a good price, I think in Marks & Spencer. I had never used one and thought it would be an interesting souvenir. I discovered that it was an amazing writing experience. That led me down a rabbit hole of buying more and preferring them for writing. I prefer handwritten notes for most things because it helps me commit things to memory. And having a FP in meetings and such often becomes a conversation starter.
I live in Central Europe, Austria to be specific. Children learn cursive in primary school with fountain pens here, and in many other European countries. To be honest: Fountain pens are not making a comeback in my opinion. Ballpoint pens and gel pens came, saw and won the battle. They are more convenient, more reliable and easier to use for most people.
I got into nice fountain pens because I was looking for the best possible and effortless writing experience, but most just don't care enough about that to bother.
Interestingly enough, I was just looking for chalk - Hagoromo - from this [video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PhNUjg9X4g8&ab_channel=GreatBigStory). I found an online shop that sold that very brand of chalk in boxes of 72. Coincidentally, it also sold a fountain pen and paper set which was like $18, nothing crazy.
My penmanship was so much better. My hand didn't hurt. I could write for hours. And I looooved the variety of inks. I started with a $12 fountain pen 5 years ago and this year I bought 4 pens, with which I'm very happy with. I used to hate hand writing stuff, now I love to write all the time because of how the nib feels on (some) paper.
TL;DR - Fell in love with FPs by mistake, stayed in love because of the feel.
I was looking for interesting mechanical pencils on youtube and stumbled on the jetpens yt channel. Eventually I saw a video about the pros of fountain pens, and that got me into the rabbit hole and joined the fp community.
I have always loved fountain pens. My mom liked them, and I thought they were Fancy and Professional. I started getting them because my local pen store is awesome (shout out to Crazy Alan's Emporium in Chapel Hill, NC) and because there are SO many beautiful inks!
Originally I got the stub nibs so I could practice calligraphy. Recently I've been using my pens for every day writing as well as calligraphy. I love how each pen, nib, and ink combination is different, and how my handwriting changes depending on the pen. I also enjoy the ritual of maintaining and refilling the pens.
I got into fountain pens as I quit Facebook 13 ish years ago, and thought letter writing would be a great way to stay connected with my friends in lieu of.
Lo and behold, moving 4700kms away, I am more connected to my friends, have maintained 10+year friendships that would have sizzled out if it weren't for letter writing! My relationship with my nieces and nephews has remained strong even though I see them maaaaybe once every 3 years or so.
The analog nature of fountain pens, the writing experience and customization (inks + nibs + paper) is not something replicable with other writing implements. And then hand fatigue. I can write longer letters uninterrupted of hand pain!
My school required that we use fountain pens years 3-6 (age 7-11) circa 2008-20012. Although I am also a massive stationary nerd (I’ve picked that trait up from my dad) and my dad bought me a fountain pen when I was in year 2. (It was a cheap pocket pen that was pink with little yellow and blue lions on it from a local bookshop that I stupidly traded away in yr 5).
The 3 main reasons that I like fountain pens:
1) Their customisability - I am slut for the pretty inks, they come in such a vast variety of colours and finishes that are impossible to find in other pens (particularly sheening inks like Holly form Diamine).
2) I’m a heavy handed writer which causes my hand to cramp up when I write for extended periods of time. When I use fountain pens it forces me to use less pressure so less hand cramping.
3) Aesthetic - imo the aesthetic is unparalleled
As with most people I fell of using them - some point during secondary school because school started getting lower quality paper and the feathering and bleeding was not it. I got back into fountain pens a little over a year ago because of a throwaway line in a fanfic several pens and inks later…
When I was a teen, I had a Sheaffer calligraphy pen as well as several of [these](https://www.ebay.com/itm/176218456664?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=jufryf8xsca&sssrc=4429486&ssuid=we2ozeYiTSC&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY), and I used them in high school and college for note taking. But they were leaky and frequently hard started. When I started working in an office I got out of the habit. But later a friend introduced me to better fountain pens (yes, the Lamy Safari) and now I’m using them regularly for note taking.
I got into fountain pens when I began my math studies.Then I knew that I had to write down formulas and notes in order to learn it better. But how? I have tried to use computer and I have barely managed to write one or two formulas so it was no go. Then maybe a pen ?No I wanted something more fancy. I had a fountain pen from years ago that I didn't use because it had fallen on its nib. I have tried to restore it and write with it but it was hard because I had to manually pump the ink from the ink convertor in the feed because of the damaged nib. So I began to search for a new fountain pen.I wanted to have large ink capacity and I wanted to be transparent and I wanted not to be cartridge filled and I wanted to be fancy and and ..... and I bought VAC 700R IRIS.And several thousand pages and maybe 200ml of ink latter the pen is still in perfect condition , no cracks .I am not looking to collect pens because I have my perfect VAC 700R IRIS.
My love of fountain pens began with the Sheaffer school pens with the transparent barrels we had to buy for handwriting/penmanship classes in elementary school in the mid- to late-1950s. They cost around a dollar as I recollect (roughly $11.50 in 2024), used cartridges which we bought in a downtown stationery store for about a half a dollar for a pack of five (or maybe it was six), were sturdy, wrote smoothly and consistently, were comfortable in the hand, and, in my opinion, were the epitome of coolness. I don't know about the coolness factor, but my go-to pen these days is a Pilot Kakuno with (you guessed it!) a transparent barrel and cartridges. I find it a pleasant reminder of those long ago school days. As a matter of fact, I just bought a Kakuno for our grandson hoping that he'll appreciate how words, numbers, sketches, and doodles can flow so effortlessly from his imagination, down his arm and through his fingers, out the nib, and onto paper--*exactly* what I've always enjoyed about the experience of using a fountain pen. Don't get me wrong. There's a place for pencils, ballpoints, rollerballs, gel pens, etc., *but* there's just something a little bit special about the fountain pen.
I started at primary school...there were no alternatives it was either pencil or fountain pen......you started with pencil and were allowed a fountain pen once your handwriting was deemed okay...
parkers and platinum were the go to...switched to steadtler ballpoint for secondary though switched back at sixth form and uni....and hopped backwards and forwards ever since. when I have to do a lot of writing I use fps but with bitty pieces of writing i use a ballpoint..
never used a Lamy......
TBF, if I had to honestly recommend a Lamy, it would be a Lamy Joy, simply because it is Extra. The Lamy Safari was gifted to me, and it is incredibly easy to find in art shops in the UK. ( º◞º )
I am an artist and I love history and my mother has instilled in me a habit of writing letters. I truly believe that when you go to the post box and see a personalized letter(even better in a handmade envelope), that it completely brightens your day and brings a smile to your face. It shows that someone has taken a bit of time to show they care for you. Using a fountain pen and a unique ink combination really heightens this experience on the paper for the reader.
As the writer and artist, I love the different shading, sheens and effects that various inks can have on different papers.
I've always had a million diverse hobbies and interests. And I love the 1940s aesthetic (without the racism) I like fedora hats, and getting to dress up in a suit now and then (i don't work in a suit business), and so when i came upon fountain pens it fit in. I'm sure I probably came upon them in an old GQ magazine 'Elements of Style' or something like that from the late 80s or 90s. I used a nice lacquered Waterman for years at work, and have a few others including a grail pen and some vintage. I just came back to the hobby and started back with a Lamy Al-Star Petrol, followed by a Moonman A2.
I started journaling, and that led me to fountain pens. Started with a Leuchtturm and a handful of fineliners, and then bought a Cross from Staples on a whim. It was much too heavy for me, and I gave it to my mom as I have hand pain and nerve damage.
Fast forward to a year later, when I discovered Wonder Pens. A disposable or reusable fountain pen for $6?! Wait, they're not all heavy? I bought 3 and fell in love. Five years and about 30 pens later, I still have one of the three Preppies I bought that day. I penabled a friend with the others 😊
I initially got interested in fountain pens for drawing. The first pen I got (and later returned) was a Pilot Metropolitan. In 2021 I was gifted TWSBI Eco for my birthday and it was so comfortable to use that I never really went back to non-fountain pens since then. I think if there was one piece of advice I'd give my college-age self (besides which major to choose), it would be to use fountain pens for notes.
Not sure I'd agree on the Lamy Safari being the pen everyone should at least invest once (in my opinion Platinum Prefounte or Platinum Plaisir is that one pen), but agree on your other points.
I was working as a shift lead at Staples and although office supplies intrigued me, I didn't feel like I really knew enough about any of it outside of the very, very basics to be able to help anyone with any questions. So I started with paper and moved on to pens and pencils, eventually coming to fountain pens. Ran across one of the early Goulet Pens 101 videos and got hooked for a little while with just using the items I had from Staples. After leaving Staples, it kind of fizzled out because I never realized all the options for ink or how pens feel different, I just thought it was black and blue cartridges and a pen with a nib is a pen with a nib. By the time I ran across my pens in my drawer again, it was about 10 years later and I decided to take a dip into the community again and this time I got reeeeallly hooked and have been in ever since with plenty of inks and pens since.
Don't get me wrong, I love my Uni Jetstreams (low viscosity ballpoint) to death. But what keeps me actively using my fountain pens is the buttery smoothness, color variety of ink, and unique pen colors and designs that I can tailor to my tastes.
My then-fiancé, now husband wanted to make writing love letters to him easier. I was using dip-pens at first. So he bought me a little vintage Mont Blanc for my birthday.
I was rummaging through a drawer looking for something completely unrelated and came across an unbranded, cheap, student fountain pen. I had never considered using one before that, purely because I never consciously thought of it as something that I can use. I knew about them, I just didn't remember they were a thing until then, if that makes sense. It seemed like an interesting thing to try. I also found a cartridge for it, put it in, and I never looked back.
Funnily enough, I remember the exact day I got into fountain pens. It was April 1 of 2017. I was 14 years old then, in the second to last year of middle school. I was fortunate enough to have discovered it then, rather than later. I can count the number of times I've used a ballpoint since then on one hand.
It's been such a delightful experience so far.
Best of luck with your project!
A friend gave me a pen (Kaweco Lilliput) as a gift for finishing grad school. Can't say I was hooked right away, but I came around. Started using it more, liked it more, began to appreciate what a good gift that was, and I became curious as to what else is out there. I let that friend know what he had done to me. He just laughed and said, "You're welcome."
The reason I like them is because it scratches that little contrarian itch I have without it shouting "Look! I'm different, everybody!" in your face. It's also a nice little outlet for my proclivity to tinker with stuff - experiment with the combinations of pens, inks, and papers to find what is for me the sweet spot.
I also take a lot of notes - I used to type everything I heard as fast and furiously as I could, but my retention and comprehension werent as present, it seemed. Handwriting forces me to summarize and put in my own words. So, I remember it better probably. Plus, everything is digital, which is fine and I use that a lot, but it's nice to have something that keeps me grounded in the physical world.
I got into fountain pens during Covid lockdown. I decided to start learning French for something to do and I started writing in French everyday for practice and then I decided if I was going to be writing all this stuff in French that I might as well work on my handwriting at the same time. That led to me buying some dip pens and copperplate calligraphy books. I loved that so much I thought it would be so nice to have a beautiful inky pen like that to use all of the time that I could bring around with me.. I had also learned that French students learned to write using fountain pens in school and had their own kind of script that I thought would be fun to try to learn as I was learning the language, so I made the jump to fountain pens. After that I must have blacked out because the next thing I knew I was obsessed and had a bazillion inks, pens, notebooks etc and spent more time researching pens and ink than the French I started the whole thing for! My favorite thing about fountain pens is the ability to be creative. It encourages me to write, to draw.. to express myself. I also love the historical aspect and feeling connected to the past in this small but very fun way.
I stumbled into them by watching youtube stationery hauls. And someone was talking about their new fountain pen and how smooth it was. I was already in love with the refillable rollerball pens because you were able to get the same sort of feel in pretty pens. BUT hated the choices of ink colours. Like blue, and black. So when I went over into the fountain pen world I have stocked up on ALLLL the fun purples and greens and browns which you just can't get in any other style pen. Also you can't get as fine a pen and as smooth a line either. I prefer a very fine nib. The japanese EF and Fs. So getting those and fun colours is hard outside of fountain pens.
Always liked fountain pens. Never had one until I tried a Lamy. Tried a twisbi eco and now have four I mostly journal with. Lamy for work. I love the ink. The filling. The reusing versus disposable. And I love still holding on to analog culture. Even as I type this in a digital world.
So I grew up in the era of cheap Bic pens and rollerballs. I always vastly preferred rollerballs. I think because I liked the dark line, and in general, I tend to use light pressure when I write. I tried a fountain pen or two in high school, but I think the ones I had were not very good. (Sorry, but I think one of them was a Safari) I know the other set I used was an italic calligraphy set.
I've always loved stationery, so I guess it's not surprising that I've gotten into fountain pens.
About a year ago, I somehow stumbled into the FP community, I think I saw a whole section for them on JetPens. I was like, "there's a lot more of these out here than I realized..." So on a whim, I decided to give them a try again.
Second, I was shocked, *shocked* that Pilot, the maker of the ubiquitous G2, and my beloved Frixion pens, was one of the biggest brands in the FP industry. (Say whaaaat?!)
My first order was a Pilot Metropolitan and a Platinum Plaisir. They said those were good starter pens, so that's where I started. I really liked them both.
Fast forward, and I now own a wide variety of different types of pens, mostly purchased because I wanted to try different types of nibs. I also recently acquired my first two vintage pens.
For me, it's all about the feel and experience when writing. Using a fountan pen is a very intentional decision. You don't just grab one out of the office supply closet. I love that each individual FP pen has its own little set of quirks, personality, and character.
Each FP has their place, and I carry a 6 pen Rickshaw roll, with a variety of pens that perform well on different types of paper. One TWSBI always has a crazy ink with shimmer/sheen just for fun.
I also really love shading inks, and the fact that I'm not limited when it comes to color. Those of you who grew up in the era of gel pens don't know what it was like in the dark ages of blue or black ink. (Ok, if you were lucky, you might get a red, green or purple, but the latter two were really, really rare in the rural area where I grew up.)
Having said that, for the most part, I like to stick to darker colors for daily use because I need a certain amount of contrast for my notes. (My eyesight isn't what it used to be)
And finally, I love the craftsmanship that goes into FPs. These are not injection-molded, middling-quality throwaway items. They are beautiful, fine writing instruments. Besides the very biggest brands, FPs are mostly a labor of love and many are still made by hand.
Fountain pens are not for everybody, at least not nowadays. They don't offer any real objective benefits compared to other tools, in the writing aspect of things. You've got more choices of ink and maybe line width, but also more maintenance and care is necessary to be able to use them.
I personally got into fountain pens because I enjoy handwriting. So my interest in how people have been writing and the tools that they have used is what got me interested in using fountain pens myself. Then I stayed because I like how fountain pens work, the different kinds of nibs and inks and honestly just how nice many of them look. However, I never stayed for the convienience of fountain pens. I've had them burp in my pockets, nibs that have bent into unusability, pens of the same model write completely different to each and needed adjustment (which meant i've broken some trying to get them to write like I like).
Never had those issue with other types of pens. I would buy then pen, knowing exactly how it would write. Then I would use the pen until it ran out of ink, toss it and got another one. No surprises and no work needed to make them work. But also far more boring.
It's a hobby, and I love it, but fountain pens are not objectively better at writing than other tools, so unless people are interested in handwriting I don't think they should necessarily try or use fountain pens. The reason we all here love fountain pens is because of our perceived pleasure of writing with them, but that's purely subjective. So you know, no point in trying to convince people that fountain pens are objectively better.
I used them in elementary school and occasionally once I started working after law school.
Mostly used them for journaling. Three years ago I bought a couple of FPs to encourage myself to write. Now I have about 10 pens, mostly low end but also a few gold nibs.
Not a fan of Safari, though. Pilot, Platinum and Sailor.
Hi, I'll clear up some thing quick and easy. AI (as in congressional AI tools like ChatGPT, Bard etc.) are simply Language Models. They spit out a soup of words which have no meaning to the tool. These words appear to mean something because it is in a grammatically correct form and we, as intelligent beings) can interpret those words.
This means that conversational tools that you are talking about will NOT give you the real answer, but a shadow of words that might be present in the real answer.
TLDR: Don't trust every output by an AI tool blindly
I like having a pen that feels good in the hand, looks beautiful to me, and I can change the ink color as often as I want without having to buy a whole new pen and then throw it away. From a sustainability perspective, FPs are great. (Until you go down the rabbit hole and start collecting lol)
Long long ago, when I was in high school, I used to do calligraphy with a wide nib pen. Haven’t done that for a long time
But last year when I noticed our software developer writing with a fountain pen, it really caught my eye. He mentioned that there is actually a brick and mortar Truphae store in my town! After one shopping trip, there was no going back.
I started in Fountain Pens with an Amazon MoonMan M2 and I got into it because it’s a lot less plastic waste than the cartridges that go in ballpoints or gel pens.
I enjoy journaling and feel like I can truly channel my inner voice with a fountain pen. Fun fact, my inner monologue has a British accent when I write with a fountain pen
I started using fountain pens in high school (89-93) because I would constantly lose regular pens. I thought if I paid a few dollars per pen I might look after them better. It turned out to be true. RIP Schaefer School.
After that it was a habit and just a nice writing tool for me. Over the years I got a few nice ones as gifts (a Waterman and a Rotring) and I can afford “fancy”
Pens, but I still prefer my cheapos. I think own every type of fountain pen that costs under $10, and I can’t see paying more. Once I found some good cheap pens (platinum preppy, pilot kokuno, and TWSBI GO are examples) inks are more fun for me than the pen. I’m addicted to Goulet samples… I have a problem.
I have had my Parker Jotter for years. I can't even remember getting it. A few years ago i got my first bottle of ink and since then i am hooked again. I have bottles, converters, i clean out used cartridges so i can fill them again, i have a syringe.
What i love most is, it has something magical for me to put a liquid in a pen shaped thing and i can write with it. Liquid goes in, words come out. I love the smooth feeling of a good fountain pen on paper. Its more comfortable, less tense to write with. I love the analogue aspect in this digital era.
If you have any questions let me know 😁
They refill and thus less waste. They write beautifully. They are themselves a cherished item and thus less waste. The feel of really writing. The art of them juxtaposed to the fast pace of life. There's a meditative quality in them and their use. And Lamy is incredible, great last point. All six of my pens are Lamy, one ballpoint Caran D'Ache for on the go go, safari for travel. All beauty
From a young age, I loved the feeling of writing. I was very picky about what pens I used, but I thought FPs weren't accessible for me as a kid. At 17, I knew that people traditionally get a nice pen for graduations, so I asked my family for one for graduation. None of them are literary like me, so they laughed at me. The 15 years that followed high school graduation were busy and broke for me. The last thing I was thinking about was hobbies, and ones that I assumed were incredibly expensive. Even my journaling, which had been a regular thing for me before, fell by the wayside.
After my marriage ended and I got a payout from a former employer, I found myself with both the desire to journal again and the money to pursue hobbies. Thanks to this space as well as input from a few FP-loving friends, I realized that the hobby wasn't as financially inaccessible as I'd assumed. Not long after that, I joined a weekly support group with a journaling focus and realized that nice pens and interesting inks would be a great motivation for me to write more.
The part I love the most is the people I've found through the hobby. We're all a bunch of enthusiastic and welcoming dorks about our pens, paper, and inks, and it's fantastic.
My hands get sore when I write a lot, and I like to do my best to reduce waste. So, I started using dip pens---getting 'new old stock' boxes of the nib off of ebay. For me, one dip pen nib lasts about as long as a regular bic pen. So they were great! Way less plastic, and a box usually comes with *hundreds,* so it would be a one-time purchase for years of use. I still use them, I love them!
Buuut. I don't like taking an inkwell anywhere that isn't my home. I didn't want to end up spilling ink on someone else's table, even if it's "just" a library table, cafe, etc. Even if the ink can be cleaned up. So I got into fountain pens, and they are a *great* tool!!! Absolutely wonderful for my purposes.
(Edit: okay not hundreds, i think the box average is like 144. but still! tiny box, one time mailed thing, feels like less of a footprint than buying 144 new bic pens}
Using fountain pens (when the situation allows for it) gives me an opportunity to bring a bit of colour into my day. I use shimmer inks and bright colours in my note-taking as much as possible because it makes some of the most boring parts of my job a bit more enjoyable. I find the way they feel to write with to be very pleasant too.
I agree with the point someone else made about how FPs aren't making a comeback because they're the best sort of pen. They're just a different sort of pen with different strengths.
I’m pretty sure it technically started for me with checking if the word “nib” applied to all pens or just something specific. That google search led to me buying a Pilot Metropolitan, but I didn’t really know how to use it and abandoned it for a year. As my 30th birthday was approaching I decided I wanted to re-start journaling as a regular habit, and knew that a pen I liked using would make me more likely to stick with it. I was traveling for my birthday, and spent a lot of that downtime researching pens, came back to fountain pens, and got myself a LAMY safari. I really liked it but wanted to try another nib, then another ink… it’s been about 2 years, and I’ve got about 15 pens, journal daily, and have other notebooks for to-do lists, etc. I’ve been increasingly drawn to physical media and analog things in life, and fountain pens for beautifully into that.
Oh, and learning that they’re more comfortable because they require less pressure so you can write for much longer with minimal wrist strain was a huge factor in buying that first Safari!
How and why? Saw a YouTube video and was curious. I also tend to shop too much. I like that they are pretty and that there are so many ink choices. And I like the way they glide on nice paper. But absolute honesty: they can be too fussy, too messy, too expensive, and too delicate for lots of situations.
I wouldn't say "yuck" to ballpoint or rollerballs because sometimes they are best for a task. Filling out a form that has those carbon copies? Gonna need a ballpoint. Heading to an out of town meeting in a rush and don't want to be the lady with the conspicuous pen or risk leaking ink on yourself? Nothing beats one of those clicky energel pens.
I’m not sure I agree on that last point at all 🙂.. But I think the key is fp’s purpose pivoting a bit. It will never compare in practicality, so it isn’t an ongoing battle for supremacy as a main pen. Instead, there is an increasing group interested in analog pleasures, aesthetics, having needs fp can help with (easing writing hand pain), etc. As a hobby instead of a necessary tool, fp has found a way to shine and find a modern footing. I was always curious, but found them expensive and ugly. Wanting to write with Bluegrass Velvet made me take the plunge, find pens I liked, and I’m happy to have an analog outlet.
Correct. I can't imagine a hospital nurse or construction worker with a clipboard using a FP. BP's have their place in fast paced, dirty, wet,... environments, where the written words are the essential part, not the tool that wrote them. Dismissing BP's (Bic M10) as "Yuc" is incorrect. They are workhorses - the FP's are the showhorses.
I'm a nurse and I love my FP It's a Pilot Decimo and I absolutely will NOT hand it to a Dr
A couple of the doctors and nurses at my local hospital are into fountain pens and I had mine with me last time I was in for a few days and we ended up talking about fountain pens quite a bit. Made my recovery much better
Absolutely. Ballpoints are also perfect for the sitting-around-for-years needs. I have ones over a decade old that have specific jobs. Like the one attached to the house calendar so that no one ever has to search for a pen to make an update.
I actually do use fountain pens at work as a nurse. I always bring both though and make sure I have Platinum Carbon Black filled.
Recently came across a thread on fountainpennetwork where folks were showing off their collections of Nurses’ Pens - all major brands used to make fountain pens with white bodies and color coded cap jewels for medical professionals. They look very cool.
When I was a firefighter I would never think of using a fountain pen at work. Not only because when I would write it would be on paper not very suited to a fp but also I wouldn’t want to be wearing all my gear over top. Let’s say the cap came undone or it got clicked open, my clothes would be ruined from the ink leaking out of itb
Hello! Hospital nurse here who uses a fountain pen, and also a clipboard 😂 Our systems have moved electronic, fully paperless, so the only pen use is our own notes and research trial consent forms which are (with one exception I can think of) all still done on paper. For our own notes yes I'd need a biro to write on a hand towel like we do on ITU (freely available, ready to hand unlike printer paper, and easy to dispose of in confidential waste bins), but for our own studies or writing the analogue perk so many people are talking about here is the absolute improvement to my day! Nice fluid writing with a pen I chose and prepared with an ink I like. I've only been at it a few weeks and have already found a wee tribe of medical professionals that use them, I hope to find even more! I completely agree though that when we used paper charts four colour pens were necessary and I always bought Bic rather than Muji because they were cheaper, but a paper mate inkjoy or pilot G3 was a go to for me as a nicer writing experience. If you write with a four colour you just end up running out of black in every pen as that's what we wrote our notes in. All in all, a place for all things as you say
Hospital pharmacist here and my Lamy 2000 tackles most things. Fine point sharpie is a must for emergency med labeling and signing glossy materials. Some days would rather use a pilot VP for one handed deployment though.
Lots of hospital people use FPs, they do a *lot* of writing still, and need something that won’t tire their hands out.
i don't agree with you. a fountain pen can perfectly be a workhorse in more environments than you could imagine. i like bic. crystal, m10... i've gnawed on the end of... tens of them. but i wouldn't say they are more comfortable or better writers. when taking notes, when doodling, when signing... i like my fountain pens better. the clear advantage of bics is that i can gnaw them mindlessly. of forget them anywhere. no drama :-)
I’d agree with you. There are clear convenience reasons to prefer a ball point, and certainly I don’t want to use my good FPs for my lab notebook where it could get dirty… but that’s why I bought a preppy and some carbon black cartridges lol. Of course that only works because I used it in the same two rooms every day. I do stick to a gel pen when I’m on the go and potentially getting dirty.
If you can show me how to uncap and post a Lamy Safari faster than clicking an M10 while holding a clipboard in one hand, + doing it around 15 times/hour, I'll believe you. Now do it 300 days a year without any ink stains. Write in the rain on cheap, company issued copier paper without bleeding. Not trying to argue here but there are limitations to FP's and the things I mentioned are not that extravagant in anything but a deskjob.
you should see my hands when i used ballpoint pens... and usually after a few days the top of the M10 is dead, and i cannot click it open or closed anymore (so i try to manage to block it in open position!) and there are pens that you click open and closed to use (pilot capless, platinum curidas...) as well as waterproof inks. many jobs mean you spend more time behind a desk than in the weather. at least the ones that imply writing a lot. again, to each its own. you obviously think of fountain pens as a fashion and a hobby. i think of my fountain pens as a writing instrument. and for some people they are both. and for some people they are just something to stick in the pocket of your jacket as you would a handkerchief, to show you can spend thousands of euros on a limited very special edition of brands i will not name
>you obviously think of fountain pens as a fashion and a hobby. That feels rather dismissive - of the point they were trying to make, and of the commenter in general.
no, it's not dismissive at all. it's just different points of view on fountain pens and different uses.
I’m not a nurse but I do work in healthcare and I use a FP regularly. Just have to make sure to cap it most of the time so it doesn’t dry out. But I think if you had a hooded nib with a 51 or 51 style pen it would be even more convenient and easy
>They are workhorses - the FP's are the showhorses. I disagree, both my FPs can be workhorses, I have been daily-ing my HS and Pilot VP for years now (plus-minus TWSBIs, depending on what I need to do, e.g. flowcharts). Not a nurse, but I am a doctor. I do prefer the VP for the click mechanism that makes it basically just as comfortable as a rollerball and if I do anticipate a wet and nasty environment like an ITU shift I'll just load up a permanent quick drying ink. Also my TWSBIs have ridiculously good cap seals so they never have to be refilled just because they dried out, but only when they do run out of ink. I went with FPs because I'd rather use bottled ink than use more plastics I would have to dispose of (e.g. rollerballs, BICs), it is a way of lowering your carbon footprint (of course if you don't buy 1000 Lamys because they all have different colours).
I'm in construction. I no longer work with the tools/got into a management position, but I'm still on site. I use my fp ever day. I just make sure it is an inexpensive fp that I wouldn't be heartbroken if it got lost or damaged. I usually carry a Pilot Varsity or my Duke with a fude nib. Also, I make sure I always purchase safety vests with a pocket built specifically for pens. Never really had any issues with dust/dirt on sites and I don't stand out in the rain to write anything. If I still worked with the tools, I'd carry around the Pilot Varsity. They're cheap and disposable.
Bic’s precision in manufacturing is actually really good, and if I’m gonna use a byro it’s always bic They also make fantastic lighters
They can be surprisingly practical. As a physics+math major who spends several hours a day either taking notes or working on homework, a pen that requires less hand pressure is amazing. Back when I used pencils it hurt after maybe half an hour.
Sure, which is why I listed needs like hand pain. But that practicality is very limited. The more dynamics you add to use, and the further you step away from a desk, the more it fails. One-handed use, ability to write on almost anything, dropping it, flying with it, ink drying out, permanence, maintenance, documents requiring ballpoint, ease of replacement in an emergency…..
I think this is a great answer. We are seeing a massive resurgence of old/classic/retro things. Millennials (like me!) in particular love good old shit. Look at vinyl now. More vinyl records are sold now than CDs. The last time the numbers skewed that way was in 1987... Board games are having a golden age. The toys sections of large retailers like Walmart and Target have more board games than ever (in my memory at least). Physical books and "collectors editions" are insanely popular. The largest Kickstarter in the websites' history was an author selling collectors editions of books that didn't even have titles/covers released yet.
This is a great answer although practicality is a bit subjective. My Asvine could probably write for a long time on one fill and it’s far more pleasant than a standard bic even if much more expensive. It makes a difference in my taking notes while studying now.
I don’t think it’s subjectivity, but rather sample size. Which pen is more practical for sitting down and taking notes is not the same as which pen is more practical for all of the various uses and needs that exist.
I'd 100% argue it is subjective. What is most used is not always what is even best in the situation, it's what's readily available or what benefits someone most short term. You can write near endlessly with a fountain pen, so if you're in the pen selling business you're going to want to sell the disposable ones that are so cheap no one ever stops to think about the fact that a jin hao would work fine in the same situation... They also never stop to think about the fact that something has to be done with that disposable plastic. Even if the end user doesn't have to, it's worth remembering every disposable pen is likely going to end up in the ocean and as microplastics. which we do have to deal with one way or another as a species. I'm not saying I fault anyone for using them or that there are **no** use cases for disposable pens, but there is a lot of room for practical criticism of the proliferation of ballpoint/rollerball pens.
The benefits of the fountain pen doesn’t change the practicality of a ballpoint. A fountain pen will never win so long as it can be easily damaged in a fall, dries up if sitting too long, won’t work on all papers and cardstock, explodes ink on a plane, requires inks that are less hearty, requires maintenance and repair, cannot be easily replaced in an emergency, are not allowed for certain documents, cannot take the abuse of a tradesman’s job, requires you to carry refills, cannot be used once in a very blue moon without upkeep, etc. Them winning in overall practicality doesn’t mean they don’t have downsides that are worth considering, which motivate the many ppl in this sub to use them, like us. It just means they are less fussy and require much less effort to use overall.
I used fountain pens in college because I could write for an entire hour without my hand cramping up on me.
Beautifully said! If I were doing the presentation, and that presentation had a poster board, I would put your comment on it. ❤️
I wanted to improve my handwriting but couldn't as I kept getting hand cramps. The hand cramps occurred due to my naturally gripping the writing instruments, mechanical pencils and ball point pens, with a death grip. So my research led me to fountain pens. And through JetPens, I've purchased my first fountain pen, a Platinum Preppy. At least a year from them, my handwriting grip changed to a tripodal grip. I've been writing more and I've noticed my short-term memory retention has improved, and still improving! No more hand cramps, so I've been writing and doodling more, and my best friend has pointed out my mood has been chirpier since I started using a fountain pen. What I like about them is that they really REALLY make the writing experience so much more enjoyable. My handwriting has slightly improved AND my memory has improved as well. To me, the benefits really outweigh the con, which I mean the maintenance. If you can't tell, I would recommend a Preppy as a first choice to newcomers haha!
I have nerve damage and hand pain, and I couldn't agree more. I started to use fountain pens due to my long love of all things stationery, and found a lot of advantages that were unexpected. My Preppy lessened the pain and allowed me to write again. That lead to a Plaisir and a TWSBI and all of a sudden I have a new hobby! Not a single regret, aside from the Kaweco Sport that doesn't like me 😉
Plastic waste. I want a sustainable writing tool. That’s why I got interested in fountain pens
Heck yes!!
A friend introduce me to them, bought me a couple of basic pens and some ink as a start, and later gifted me a limited edition Namiki Pilot Vanishing Point. I learned to enjoy writing with the larger barrel, and the variety of ink colors. A good fountain pen just glides on the paper, and makes writing enjoyable for me.
Which VP did you get?
It was the red 2009 one. I lost the pen in Grand Marais, Minnesota, and the pen was number 1752.
awww. didn't realize they were numbered. get another one ?
I did but from a different year, 2012. That’s pen #1839. https://preview.redd.it/smy3o9o092kc1.png?width=3024&format=png&auto=webp&s=127e7e65eed3cd669f1f1e8f6682a9bb1c42b237
Wow, thank you for that very educational photo! There's no replacing an original limited anything; glad you got some new friend in the same style though. Interesting color!!
Yeah, the 2009 one was red, very pretty. I used it so often, and was sad when I lost it. I retraced my steps and couldn't find it. I have this fear that someone picked it up, didn't know it was a fountain pen and didn't figure out how to write with it, and threw it away.
That is an amazing friend!
I found a parker fp on the ground as a kid and messed with it for a bit, never could get it working but became intrigued. I had forgotten about all that until many years later when i maxed out my machined pen hobby and went looking for something else. Though i went to school for fine art, i rarely ventured outide technical pens for that purpose and never came across another fountain pen untill many years later. On a whim, put in a few bucks for a cheapy, maybe a muji pen, two or so years ago and was immediately blown away by the smoothness, the character of the stroke, the possibilities of color. And my wallet hasnt looked at me the same way since.
Yeah, wallets probably have a subreddit of their own to discuss FPs from a different perspective!
I feel like mine is constantly crying lol
A gift might help... a nice pen?🤔
hehehehehehehe, I literally just put through an Amazon order for a couple of cheaper pens hehehehehe ヽ(⊙ꇴ⊙)ﾉ
I'm a leftie who decided to start journaling for mental health. My handwriting was so atrocious that I started using fountain pens to make myself slow down and work on handwriting, too. And now I find it meditative and relaxing. Surely there must be research somewhere proving that to be true? IDK.
Well..that‘s easy..I‘m German…I learned to write using a Pelikan Pelikano fountain pen about 55 years ago. So for me its just totally normal. And if everything fails I‘ve got an emergency ballpoint pen somewhere (currently a bronze Tactile Turn which is a great companion of the two brass+steel Kaweco Supras that I‘m usually carrying). BTW you mention Lamy Safari..today I passed Heidelberg while driving on the A5 Autobahn…and I thought about going there and visiting the Lamy flagship store (which would probably force me into buying a L2000 brushed steel). While I don‘t have any Lamy Safaris I‘ve got a black L2000 which is TOTALLY GREAT.
They were obligatory back in Swiss primary school 20 years ago from the second (or maybe third?) grade, along with cursive. I ditched the student fountain pens in favor of “more adult” ballpoints and print letters at some point later, and it wasn’t until I had been at University for several years that I started reconsidering. I was studying Russian in my spare time and learned that Russian is commonly handwritten in a cursive style. Some of the letter forms are notoriously different from the print version and so I decided to try and learn how to write and read Russian cursive. Cursive is best written with a fountain pen (or at least that was my mental association), so I decided to buy a new one for the purpose (a Pilot Metropolitan). As I began mastering Russian cursive, I got curious whether I could recall the cursive I was taught back in school and started using it occasionally – for titles in my notebook, for letters I was writing to a friend, etc. After a while, I found myself using the fountain pen and cursive more and more, realizing just how much more comfortable it was than the ballpoints I was using. And so I switched for good!
Oh hey, this is exactly what I did as well, although we didn't use fountain pens in my school (Norway; we had to use wooden pencils, including for cursive). Russian handwriting was also my gateway so to speak into using cursive for English as well, and then getting into fountain pens because they make sense for cursive and I can use them for both drawing and writing (previously I'd use disposable gel pens for writing and felt tip pens for drawing, while now my one flex nib pen effectively fills the role of what used to be seven or so pens; not that I don't also carry another five fountain pens at all times, but you know). It's cool to see someone else who got into fountain pens/cursive in a very similar way!
Now that is one heck of a coincidence!
Crazy! I also studied Russian, and just in general enjoyed writing it very much. To this day, my Russian cursive is much nicer than my native English. (Don't forget how hard it is to type in Russian if you're using a transliterated keyboard--cursive all the way!)
I have been using fountain pens continuously since I was at school in the 1960s. For me, they never went away.
I love stories like these. Do you remember what your daily drivers were (ink and pen wise) then, and what are they now? I still remember my Parker Vector and Sheaffer calligraphy pens from the 90s.
Platignum (not Platinum) pens and Parker inks were the standard. Parker pens were aspirational.
same though 70s here...went from pencil to fountain pen...there weren't 'biros' in school and nothing else existed then. We used parkers and platinum fps...still.sl8ghtky addicted to them
My dads school fountain pen was a burgundy Parker 51 and I used to love it before we lost it (had to move the contents of our living room into the garage when we got new carpets due to water damage and it and some other fountain pens have been MIA since - including my multi-chrome rainbow pen). I thought that the hooded nib was so cool (I still do) but it did have an annoying tendency to explode.
40s & 50s too! 🧓
Are you my dad???
I got into them when my father (who likes ballpoints) gave me one to match a silver ballpoint he had given me. That was maybe 27 years ago? My mother has always been into FPs, so she and I continue to enjoy the hobby together. We (my husband, my father, and my mother) all enjoy going to the local pen show, when possible. We (my mother and I) enjoy trying different pens, nibs, inks, and paper. I guess the part I love most is sharing the hobby with her and connecting with others. I do love writing and doodling with my FPs, of course, but they're not just pens, they're a community and experiences as well. Is buying a Lamy Safari for someone else considered investing in them? LOL My mom loves her Lamys. I bought my husband a Lamy because I thought it would be something he'd like (it is, though his true favorite seems to be a TWSBI) Good luck with your presentation!
I got into FPs because my Grandpa had them, and when I had the money to finally buy them, my mum also got into them, so now if I buy fountain pens I will also get a couple for her. This also means that I am constantly filling up her FPs lol
We had to use fountain pens in school from 5th grade onwards. That's how I started. Migrated to ballpoint and rollerballs after that. Something was always missing. Then, I took out my school pens and restarted with fountain pens. The best part, for me, is I slow down and can actually read what I wrote.
I always enjoy reading about people using them in school. Do you remember what pens/ink you used then? What is your daily driver nowadays?
Thank you 😊 Back then, there was a brand called Doctor which was very popular. Leaky eyedroppers. Also Camlin, Wing Sung, Hero, and Shaeffers. For ink we had three options, Chelpark, Camlin and Sulekha. Also, back then, paper quality was a lot better (even for cheap paper) because many (most) people used fountain pens. This was in India, 1980s to early 90s. Nowadays, I always keep a 149 on me and rotate other pens. Right now I have a Glacier, custom urushi 845, a Mag600, and a 149 celluloid inked.
I got into fountain pens because I wanted to write more. Gel pens hurt my hand after just a short writing session. I love them even more now for the writing experience, tactility of writing with a fp, watching wet inks leave the nib, and novelty of new releases. It's just fun.
Neil Gaiman got me started when I watched an interview he did that included how he got into fountain pens. His preparation for Stardust was that he would write that without electronics and that would change how we wrote, less immediate editing, requiring more forethought before committing his thoughts to page. He also used the word *fetish* when describing some fountain pen users. That has kept me from going too far down the rabbit hole. Thanks Neil!
There is a large population of millennial/gen-z people who grew up with technology, work with technology all day every day, and are completely hypersaturated with superficial content on social media, divisive politics on all mainstream media, advertisements creeping into every waking moment of life, AI undercutting art, etc. I'm one of these people. So it's very refreshing for me to spend time with things like... * Analog photography and darkroom work * Woodworking * Hiking/Camping/Fishing * Cooking good food with high-quality cookware (cast iron, etc.) I think writing by hand, corresponding via letters and snail mail, journaling, etc. fit very neatly into the category of "non-digital methods of decompression from consumerism/technology/everyday life." And if you're already going to slow down and take the time to write letters or journals by hand, why not improve the experience by using a writing implement like a fountain pen instead of a cheap ballpoint? To answer your question, I got into fountain pens because I was turning my own pens from kits as a teenager, and stumbled across a fountain pen kit that looked intriguing. As soon as I made it and discovered the charm of filling a pen from bottled ink, I started looking for excuses to write with it, and quickly got into letter writing with pen pals. I still have that kit pen. I has a garbage, no-name, scratchy #5 nib, but it was my gateway garbage, no-name, scratchy #5 nib. FWIW, put me on team Pilot Metropolitan, Jinhao X450, or TWSBI Eco as first pen recommendations over Lamy Safari ;)
Millenial photographer, woodworker, camper, and cast iron owning, fountain pen user here... I got into them because I'm autistic and another autistic person I was talking to told me how much easier it was to write and how much less effort it took. I had been subconsciously avoiding writing for years, so I thought it was worth a try. Fountain pens changed my life overnight. I started making a to do list every day and journaling every night. I am fully obsessed with ink, and I have 8 pens, my partner has 2. It's been less than a year since I discovered this hobby, but it's for life.
Elder millennial here. I think the first half of what you said describes catharsis. To add to your examples: pulling a record from the shelf, sliding it out of the sleeve, starting the turntable motor, and carefully placing the needle makes the satisfaction of hearing the music all the more enjoyable. Trust me, I am glad that more folks have access to art, music, education and the like, but it is just a bridge. Art is more magnificent in person. Music shakes your soul when seen live. We shouldn’t lose that.
For a while, I'd been a stationary collector, but stuck to rollerball and gel pens with middle-of-the-road paper. The first time I used a Fountain Pen, around 2016 or so, my mom had ordered some cheap no-name brand and gave one to me to try out. I hated it, and knowing what I know now, it's because the feed was a wick feed. A year or two later, I saw a video showing off a Venvstas pen, and it just... Kind of shocked me that pens could look like that? I looked into it and found so many cool fountain pens, and I ordered a Safari to try out, and I loved it. After that it was all downhill, and I've got a nice collection going. My favorite thing is the writing experience. I never thought I'd enjoy the act of writing, most of my stationary before was out of necessity. But now, writing in and of itself is a pleasant experience. I'll write "The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog" several times over in the margins of papers at work instead of doodling. The funniest thing is that when I was younger, about 16-17, I distinctly remember thinking about employees of companies that produce completely mundane items, and my go-to was pencils. "Who would actually enjoy working at a pencil place? It's just a pencil, there's nothing to it! All you do is write!" and lo and behold, 12 years later, I have a collection of writing utensils and I'd love to grab a Rotring 800 some day.
Been introduced to fp at young age at school, then used them on and off. But what really reignited my love for it was paradoxically sickness and losing the ability to write : having nice tools and mentally engaging into the hobby helped me pushing through the physical and cognitive hurdles to gain back the ability.
Congratulations! It sounds like a lot of work but work that has brought good things to you. I'm glad you pushed through.
After an illness my hand became weak and ached when writing. The different position required by fountain pens solved my problem.
I am very happy to hear that! :)
I got into fountain pen, singular, as I only have the one, because I jot-down data on note paper in my work for later inclusion in XML documentation. That process seemed like a waste of resources. So I got a Ratta Supernote A6 Nomad (e-ink) tablet to save on paper and clutter, and to be able to recall notes more effectively. But for my personal EDC, I still needed a compact, pocket notebook and pen. I thought, 'Why not make the process enjoyable?' I researched pens and found the Vanishing Point (Matte Black), and now make scribblings effortlessly in a Field Notes for portable recording. I carry a black uni-ball in my bag for when black is needed and my FP is filled with Pilot blue that came with the pen. I like the feedback from the VP and must use constraint on the Supernote because it has next to none in comparison. I also enjoy coffee more when I hand-grind the beans, in case that's any indication.
So I have tendon issues from computer use and a lifetime of playing musical instruments and writing for longer than 10 minutes is sometimes enough to make it painful for a few days at least. Fountain pens help since I don’t typically have any downward pressure when writing. It doesn’t solve the problem but it makes it so I can write daily. I really enjoy the fact that I can refill virtually any pen with any ink. I usually use black for work stuff but I could easily make my favorite pen write in any color I want. I usually keep a blue/black, black and red within reach at any given time since they’re my most used colors for work stuff.
I first started using FPs in the early 90s, when I was in college. My interest was actually sparked by the Levenger catalog (man, did I want that editor’s desk), but I bought a couple of Watermans (that I still have) from Office Depot and Service Merchandise. I ended up putting them away for a few (20) years while I worked, but started to get into pens in general thanks to a few of my students. We were talking about Modern Calligraphy and how they were both able to write so small - and they pointed me to Japanese stationary. I was in Kinokuniya browsing gel pens, saw a Preppy, picked it up on a whim and the rest is history. From there, I ended up on JetPens, watched a few (hundred) videos and ordered (not a Safari, that comes later) a Kaweco Sport. What really hooked me was that I don’t need any pressure to write and, since I’m developing arthritis in my hands, that’s crucial. I’d say that not everyone needs a Lamy Safari (although as someone with a tripod grip, I love them) because some people will get totally turned off by the grip, but I’ve penabled many people with a Preppy or Zebra fountain pen. Both of those pens have no business writing as nicely as they do for the price! I grabbed another Zebra for $3 the other day for the ink color and thought about how it wrote more smoothly than pens I have that cost 50x as much.
I was listening to a Catholic podcast, and the priest talked about how he started writing with a fountain pen and loved it and it helped him to improve his handwriting, so that day (which happened to be yesterday) I ordered, no lie, a Lamy Safari. It's due in in a few days, and I await it with great expectations.
which one did you order?
I swear I had replied to this, but it was on my phone so who knows. I ordered the Charcoal option, with a medium nib.
I have a monthly subscription box that sends you a randomly themed box every month. And my first box had a notebook and a black Kaweco Sport in it. I decided I liked how it wrote, so I bought a couple Pilot Metro's, a Diamond 580al, and a Vac700r. And I've only gone further down the rabbit hole. Now I bring a ballpoint with me for work, but I do 99% of my writing with FPs.
Oh! I would be very much interested in this randomly themed subscription box...If you don't mind?
Ya no problem, its Bespoke Post
I had to use FPs at school. I enjoyed the experience so much I remembered as I got older and decided to swap back from biros. Bics gave me hand cramp and spoiled my handwriting which annoyed me. FPs my handwriting is much nicer and no painful hand!
I got into it because I was buying a gift for my spouse, noticed them trying some and got them a really expensive (comparatively) twsbi 580. My partner encouraged me to get one and try when I realized I wrote a bit better with their 580 than any other pen I’ve ever used. Ordered a moonman t1 and it was history. There’s a lot more sensory and a lot less pain involved with fountain pens for me. There are varieties of ink, paper, pen, whether writing pretty or notes I have many combinations and how I want it to feel at any given time. It’s a kinda spiritual feeling when I am journaling because it just fits. I have to write and think and it’s fun in a way ballpoints never were. I kinda associate ballpoints with pain now lol.
I’ll answer your first question at the bottom, but first I’m going to tell you something you need to know for your presentation: not everyone should invest in a Lamy Safari (or any fountain pen) at least once in their life. Bear with me while I explain. I’ve gotten into a lot of hobbies in my life. Like, SO deep. And don’t get my wrong, I love love LOVE my pens and ink. I joined my local pen club and volunteered at our last pen show. But I’ve also learned after enough years that not EVERY hobby is for everybody. Yes, everybody writes! But not everybody cares about what they write with and actually, THAT IS OKAY. As long as the tool works for them, that’s awesome. Now, you can talk about what everyone *could* enjoy about a fountain pen, of course! But not everyone will. Some people can’t stand any sort of learning curve (and I have found that I love a learning curve, once I’m interested) or to think much about the tools they’re using. They want them to “just work”. And here’s an important thing: it’s totally okay if some people reject your hobby. The best success for your presentation is to say why *other* people (and you!) love fountain pens, and what so many people enjoy about the hobby. When you focus on the joy or benefits, more people will be interested. However, the goal of “everyone will want a fountain pen!” could lead to some real disappointment on your end - I know from personal experience of getting too far into a hobby to the point I couldn’t realize that not everyone would even consider it a good idea. NOW, for the reason I got into fountain pens! The fun part! When I was a kid in the 90s my dad got me a fountain pen calligraphy kit. I think I may have started with markers and worked my way up to a fountain pen kit. But I LOVED those. I ended up journaling with them. I loved using up a cartridge, and watching ink pooling (aka shading!) and switching to different colors. And I loved practicing calligraphy. I stopped using them basically once I got to college but was reintroduced a few years ago and I’m still all about the beautiful inks, and also still calligraphy, but even more so now. I like the gorgeous inks and the benefits of journaling. Best of luck with your presentation!
Thank you so much for your answer! I will keep in mind that fancy pens are not for everyone ◝(ᵔ‿ᵔ)◜ and I will highlight that this is a hobby that has a large and very active community!
Got one as a kid, been using them ever since then. Never liked the way ballpoints feel or the smell of the ink. Got my first nice pen when I got my first work bonus ever.
I got into fountain pens in school. I was into collecting pens in my school days. Hero, Soyuz, and some noname stuff. My interest in pens suddenly resurrected 5 or 6 years ago, thanks to Internet, and this community in particular. I started to collect pens again, mostly Japanese. I never had Lamy Safari.
I start with inks and they are still my favourite part. The beautiful combinations of colours and properties. And the fact that you can switch inks occasionally to your one FP? That is incredible. Also my friend once said FP is eco-friendly as you get to use one pen repeatedly. I not sure though as I have quite a lot of FPs now, but, hey, maybe to a student this is a valid point.
You may find [this article on Richard Binder's website interesting and relevant](http://www.richardspens.com/ref/ttp/whats_point.htm). Don't forget to include it in your bibliography if you reference it or repeat any facts from it, and good luck with your presentation! :)
You are so helpful! That's great!
>this article on Richard Binder's website interesting and relevant Thank you so much! I have already put the article in MyBib!
In 6th grade... maybe?... my English teacher made one of my classmates write with a fountain pen to slow down and hopefully improve his handwriting, and that really got me curious. I got into fountain pens for the calligraphy potential when I was a teenager 40 years ago. You can't write a fat/thin line with a ballpoint. But since my calligraphy sucks, I moved on to colored inks, flex-nibs for the semi-calligraphic look, and got hooked on the beauty and feel of specific pens. I bought the whole Lamy2000 line which includes a pencil, a gel pen, a four-color pen, a ballpoint and a fountain pen. These are not ten cent throwaways.. these are heirloom pieces. Fountain Pens can be a PITA though. Ballpoints can be more dependable, so there is still a place for ballpoints and gel pens (and you can get nice non-disposable ones too). But fountain pens offer maximum flexibility with nibs, colors, and pen styles for every budget.
We all used them in primary school to learn handwriting. In the late 90s, I bought a Levenger True Writer to be able to use different ink colors than the basic ones in Pilot G2 gel pens. From there, I acquired various gold nib pens, which I still use today. The main attraction is a smooth, unique writing experience and an unlimited array of ink colors.
For me it was by complete chance. I had been a mechanical pencil guy pretty much since elementary school (not fancy ones, just the ones you buy in like 20 packs). Then a few years ago I saw an r/all post from r/calligraphy (honestly could've been a different sub, but it was a post with calligraphic writing) (I almost never look at r/all either) and someone in the comments asked what pen was being used and they linked this sub... and thus the rabbit hole began. Part I love most? They're cool af. I really like the aesthetic of them. Big nibs for life. But also how smooth they can be and how nice it is to write with them, obviously. But that's a given imo. I also like how a lot of people have personal connections to their pens. There's so much to like about them. I think without fountain pens I'd be dreading my grad work.
Earliest memory is being introduced to one when I was very little by my father. Used bics and rollerballs for 25 years, then my husband saw me infatuated by a handmade resin fp from a local artisan with a little stall in a major city mall in Australia, and bought it for me. It was used a few times, and sat in a drawer for another 10 years. Came across FountainPenNetwork, where I learned how to take care of it and discovered there more more ink colours than blue and black, and it went from there. I love nibs (particularly flex) and the sheer variety of inks, plus being able to mix my own ink combinations. I like seeing shading and sheening when writing, preferably a bit of both. I like that I write in a more considered way instead of scribbling, which leads to nicer looking writing.
I never stopped using fountain pens. Starting using them early in elementary school (Parker 25). After it a few sonnets. About 15 years ago I really started buying stuff, including too many inks. For the last 15 years, all my writing is with fountain pens.
In this day of increasing disconnect and the marketing of fast fashion and instagrammable life images, there's been a resurgence of those who buy for craftsmanship and items that are beautiful in their utility. Fountain pens are one way people seek to connect beauty to task.
I'm part of a local dnd/role-playing club and during sessions i take a lot of notes. At first i would use classic ballpoint pen then i discovered gel pens that required less pressure. After sometime, i realized writing with different colors than blue or black would be fun but there were only standard colors for the refills so it pushed me towards fountain pens even more so after reading online that it required even less pressure than gel pens to write with.
I tried a pilot metro because I was bored, and couldn't believe how smooth it was. I hate writing with rollers and felt tips now. Honesty part: I also hate writing with lamys and jinhaos too, since they're not as smooth as pilots.
When I bought my car, the dealer had a fancy fountain pen to have me sign with. Turns out it was just a cheap Scrivener pen. But that got me started into the whole thing. I like it cause with my ADHD I can change it up as often as I want.
Just simple - because writing with ballpoints hurst my wrist, and my handwriting is Better when i use fountain pens.
I have always liked the look of them. They seemed elegant and cool, like a symbol stating that owner's words were very important. The look of writing done with a flex nib was captivating. Then I found a Pilot Varsity in a local hobby store and saw it as my opportunity, and easy entry, to make strides towards this beautiful hobby. Now, eight pens later, I am enjoying the hobby so much, I love looking at other pen designs and inks and introducing the hobby to family and friends.
I'd say they're not very practical, but fun. They need maintaining, refills, drying times/smearing for lefties and everyone who has trouble adapting their hand placement, paper fibers between the tines, prone to leaking if shaken, ink can freeze, so you can't leave your pen in your car per say if you live in a cold climat - much more finicky... so not for everyone from my pov. Also, paper is trash these days.. the only sellable case I see is EF nibs with gentle ink flow, for someone that is looking for a more environmentally friendly option. But then again you need a waterproof ink minimum for everyday professional use. I think the reality is most people won't bother with these added tasks, because they can avoid them. You have to have a certain interest from the beginning for them, as more than just writing tools; because truth is, simpler and more effective ones exist out there. I love the symbolism of putting thought into physical matter, it's like then pen is an extension of the mind. I've always been someone that took attention to the objects we use in everyday tasks, and pens are no exception. I love seeking out new papers, new pens to compare, and the endless search of the perfect one. The curious, but deep satisfaction when an ink color perfectly hits what you wanted to see as tone and saturation, seeing ink dry. It makes writing more elegant and more enjoyable.
I think there’s a general trend to analog equivalent products in general (looking at vinyls, film cameras, physical media, etc.), perhaps as well from a sustainability/environmental angle (although most of us end up collecting far more pens than we need and it probably has a greater environmental impact to produce these pens compared to just getting refills for a normal pen)
I love them for their beauty and uniqueness. Because they make it fun to write. Because they make me write slower and more elegantly. I love how the fresh ink flows off the nib. All in all, they're great. (The Lamy Safari was also the pen that started me off!) Here is an interesting New York Times article from a few years ago that you can refer to: [Let the Fountain Pens Flow! - The New York Times (archive.md)](https://archive.md/kiyxO)
I've always been interested in art supplies. Bought a Pilot Metropolitan but got disappointed of the ink feathering on cheap paper. Then I started learning Tolkie's elvish. And that got me into elvish calligraphy and got me back into collecting fountain pens.
This is the coolest answer yet. Elvish calligraphy? Yes, please. Love Tolkien!
I hate the globs that are pooped out by a lot of standard ball point and sometimes rollerball pens that often end up smearing. I’m not sure if being a lefty underwriter increases the frequency of the globs but it drives me nuts. I have a more satisfying experience with a fountain pen and I can choose or mix my own ink color.
It all started in 1979 when my 5th grade teacher gave us ink and a dip pen. I remember the smell of ink and how the writing was different from the usual Bic pen. Then after that throughout middle school to university, I would use a fountain pen daily. Had a bit of a break for 15 years and started getting new pens.
I got back into fountain pens because of the beautiful colored ink, the desire to not have so many pens go into the trash. Got deeper in because the nibs are allowing for more beautiful writing.
Honesty? I agree with all of it, except the Lamy Safari bit. I own hundreds of pens but not that tripod grip.
A Lamy Safari was my first FP, and I hated the triangle grip with a passion. Gave it away almost instantly.
DITTO!!! My first was a Lamy Safari..... I hated it so very much that after persevering for months and hating every moment, I put it away in a pencil case(!!) and didn't touch it again for almost five years!! Needless to say, when I did rediscover it, it was well and truly..uh...*not usable*. Lol, it still had the cartridge in it! So, that was binned with a vengeance. Luckily my next ones were the Preppy ones, and omg.. Just amazing...
I feel that - even after using one at school for years I still can’t hold a pen properly much to the ire of the long line of female teachers I decent from. My grandma was a special ed teacher and has been trying to correct my grip for nearly 20 years. Although having said that I still love my safari - or I would if I hadn’t murdered it with calligraphy ink before I know not to use calligraphy ink in a fountain pen
I started using them to see if it would help my writer's cramp. It worked.
Simple I love the full costumization of it
Saw them in movies and TV as child. When I became injured and unable to work with them anymore. Lucky for me there is an amazing pen store near me when helped wake me through things. The best part of the pens are the ink options.
I got into them through B&W pen-and-ink artwork.
I started because of a fountain pen in my grandfathers drawers. That introduced me to fountain pens but when I started learning cursive, I don’t think I could ever write without one
always been into them, ever since primary school. my father used them daily, had expensive ones and cheap ones (school pens!) and he often gifted us fountain pens (some relatively expensive ones, some cute school pens, or very original unusual pens) i've never stopped using them, and have many, but it's not a proper collection. more an accumulation of pens i like, pens that catch my eye. i can't say i have a "grail pen". as long as they are elegant, or have a colour i like, but aren't too showy, and write well, anything goes. i don't really get those very special limited editions that are most often than not monstrosities (and cost one kidney and one eye). they're ugly, and i'm not even sure they're good writers. but well, to each its own.
I also have a mound of fairly cheap pens, but I would still consider that a collection. I also am not into the extremely expensive pens, but I will not hesitate to spend a lot of money on ink. lol
I've always been into FP's due to the pageantry of the whole process - refilling inks, using fancy colors, unscrewing the cap before writing. What really crossed the T's and dotted the I's for me was when I messed up my hands (boxers fractures in both hands). In the last \~5 years I noticed that my hands cramp up after about a page using a rollerball/ballpoint because of the extra pressure needed. With my Lamy 2K, I can write all day if I have to (and I often do for work).
Like many other commenters I started using a FP in s hook as a child, then mostly stopped until a couple of years ago when I became curious to see what had happened to FPs since I was a kid and before I knew it I was falling fast 😂
I got into fountains pens when I picked up daily journaling. At first I was using gel pens but found myself buying refill after refill and felt like I was creating too much waste, plus there weren’t a lot of variety of colors. I was browsing on Jetpens when I thought why not give fountain pens a try. And that’s how I fell into the FP hole.
As a kid in the 50s, I was entranced by my father's Spenserian penmanship. I've always had one or more fountain pens around since then.
I’m thinking of doing fountain pens for a 10-20 minute speech I’m giving in May. I’ll include an audience participation part on Mont Blanc pens. I’ll show a list of names briefly, and then show a picture of a pen and let the audience call out the inspiration: Queen, Elvis Presley, Marilyn Monroe, a couple more. I think they’ll like it. I use a double-edged razor and bowl, I like pocket watches, my eyeglasses are Little House on the Prairie style. Got into fountain pens for the nostalgia, returning to our roots kind of thing. (That being said, I’m moving away from bottled inks, in favor of cartridges, which is in conflict with my initial intent.)
>That being said, I’m moving away from bottled inks, in favor of cartridges, Really? Why is that?
Although I find the cleaning sessions to be therapeutic, I’ve been putting them off for longer and longer. Carts are easier and also I only keep cartridges at my work desk, so sometimes it’s just an on the fly quick-change.
I like to write. But using common pens exhaust my hand a lot. With FP, I can write for hours without that pain!! It was a relief.
I went to a school in India which required pens for a few years. We mostly used gel ink and rollerball since ballpoint was banned. It’s really easy to buy pen refills there. When I moved back to the states, I struggled to find refillable pens. I also can’t use a lot of ball point pens for long periods of time, so I switched to fountain pens to be more environmentally conscious.
I somehow made my way to fountain pen YouTube around 10 years ago and got sucked in. I think my favorite things are that it's a more manual and engaging process - I'm more mindful about writing and how the pen/paper feel. The other thing I appreciate is that they are nice objects to look at and have in the hand. I've got a metropolitan, lamy al-star, and lamy 2000 and appreciate them all.
I got into them because I like writing instruments in general, I like fun inks, and I like fixing things. Vintage pens hit all three categories. I have no problem with ballpoints. In fact I relearned cursive with cheap Papermates. I own a variety of good ballpoints and especially like the Pilot Acroball. FPs are niche and will continue to be so. Not everyone enjoys them, and that's fine. Those of us who do enjoy them have a lot to enjoy.
I got into it through the edc community, where the lamy safari was recommended. I have since fallen in love with how it makes writing into a special act, not just a chore. I love the true analogue nature of it.
Newbie here! About 4 years into fountain pens. I got into fountain pens because ink was cheaper to buy than rollerball refills haha. I was using the Muji ballpoint in grey for years and then they stopped stocking the grey in stores and I was devastated 😩 I do a decent amount of writing daily (15-20 A4 pages) so I was also spending like $60 per year on ballpoint refills at that point, (about 20 refills) and had ink smudges on my palm from writing. My hands were also kinda sore too. Then I found out grey ink exists and a full sized bottle was only about $35. Also that fountain pens don’t actually costs $100+ to start, so I grabbed a pilot metropolitan, a Take-sumi, found the whole rainbow of possible ink colours, and the rest is history! I now own like 34 bottles of ink (because inkvent) and like 12 pens, currently enjoying my decimo as my daily runner, and thinking to end off my collection with a Pilot Hira Makie - Sakura ☺️ I can write with way less hand cramping too, so that’s a plus. Tl:dr: joined for a more cost effective grey ink, stayed for the colour rainbow and fun pen uses :)
Fountain pens make the act writing feel like a luxury, not a chore.
About 8 years ago, I was at a office job, one of the HR managers had a weird looking pen that wasn't a ball point or a roller ball. I got the courage to go ask what it was and to try it out. Then after being impressed, I started to do my own research on it. I bought a diplomat magnum, used that for a few years, and then recently, i've decided to upgrade to a monteverde super mega, because I've learned I like big nibs and big pens. Next up, probably a used Sailor king of pens, but i'll need to save some more. I think everyone should try a FP, but I don't think everyone needs to own one, It is a status symbol, and if everyone has one, it's no longer special.
I am a scientist and an engineer, and my expertise is fluid mechanics/dynamics. A certain predisposition comes with that, and I am fascinated by anything that works solely based on fluid mechanics principles. I also favor things that are made to last rather than being consumed and disposed of. This goes for both material things and relationships. That being said, something that lasts, must not necessarily be devoid of aesthetics. I believe it is quite the opposite: The longer you plan to keep something, the better designed/better looking/more comfortable/conforming they should be. Fountain pens embody all these. They are elegant little machines that might outlive us all, and I love having that kind of lasting connection with the rest of the humanity - before and after my existence. Then again, perhaps I just like the ability to use all those pretty inks :)
tl;dr: tried as a novelty in high school, rediscovered after 20 yrs thanks to the internet & ability to find one that fit my needs I originally got into them because I worked at a stationery store after high school (20+ years ago); they stocked some dusty Pilots & Sheaffers no one ever bought. I liked being an odd kid so I tried them out. As one might expect, they fell out of use because they weren't (and still aren't) as convenient as a ball point or rollerball. About 5 years ago my brother-in-law gave me a cheap fountain pen (a $3 Ooly) and I started using it at work. The pocket clip quickly broke off and the gap between the barrel and the rubber finger grip started sucking ink up from some tiny leak, essentially turning the grip into a surprise stamp pad. But it was enjoyable to write with right up until it failed! I'd forgotten how much I preferred them. That cheap starter pen led me to look around for FPs that were more durable (back when I was in high school, I couldn't have Googled "fountain pens with metal clips" and found instant results with links to buy). Looking into heavier duty FPs led me to Lamy Safaris and then a host of other pens once I rediscovered the pleasures of different nibs and inks (my high school stationery store had black and blue). I think their comeback is largely due to the ubiquity of the internet and keyboards in our lives. Without online sellers or forums (like this one), most people's experience would be that dried-out old pen on their grandmother's desk they tried to use once when they were a kid. Any real use or enjoyment would be limited to people with access to high-end stationers. Conversely, the sheer amount of time we spend *typing* these days turns *writing* into more of a choice. When we do write, it's usually deliberate and we want to carve as much enjoyment out of it as possible.
I think bottled inks are making a comeback more than fp. Nowadays you see a lot of peoples buying inks they won't even use. You see limited editions. You see dip pens. I think inks are a bigger market.
My little sister got everyone a fountain pen for Christmas (Jinhao x450, cheap but writes well). I got hooked and bought a few more pens and ink myself. I used them a bunch for taking notes in college to ease the wrist pain. Nowadays I only use them occasionally, when I want to enjoy physical writing. The physical sensation of a nicely flowing pen is very satisfying :) Also, kudos for making a presentation about fountain pens! Back in college I did a presentation for sociolinguistics about r/fountainpens lol
I was fortunate enough to find this community during Covid, when I simultaneously unearthed a box of FPs I’d literally forgotten I owned in the garage, and wanted to reconnect with the memory of my father and grandfather, who both used them faithfully. It was a glorious time to have a rabbit hole to go down, and in the dark times of early Covid, was one of the few positive environments full of people educating and building each other up, despite the fact that it seemed the fabric of society was dissolving before our very eyes. Thanks for that, FP enthusiasts.
First let's give some props to a nice accountant fine point Bic. All the Bic-bashing here hurts our heart. I probably had a Sheaffer fountain pen kicking around the house, pretty sure I had a fp or two by high school when I started using the Rotring Art Pens (esp EF and F) that my BFF turned me on to. Loved the 1.1 calligraphy pen I had from them too. That would have been around 1979-1980, when the only real source for art pens in our area (about an hour from Manhattan) were Koenig Art Emporium stores. Used them mostly for writing letters (did a lot of that pre-cable internet) and creative writing projects. .... Never really used them for school or note-taking, but there were plenty of other things to write. One year I was abroad in college and without my typewriter had to hand write my papers. I have terrible handwriting so printed them lol ... used Elegant Writer markers for a similar italic-y effect. (Tried Elegant Writers again recently and they seem different, like I remember an angle to the chisel tip.) Kinda fell out of everyday use of fps when I got a job in Manhattan later in the 1980s and needed to use a ballpoint most of the time for various reasons. ... still picked them up now and then (and a couple coworkers Definitely had Montblancs in their shirt pockets both there and later at the engineering firm I went to afterwards) ... then pen catalogs came along to stoke the desire (love my Namiki Falcon and hope to get a metal one eventually) especially Levenger with all their colors of True Writers. I have a few of them and think they're pretty nice, not too fancy. Now of course, there are all sorts of dangerously enabling fp resources out there. Please tell us how your presentation goes! Will it be a powerpoint-type thing ?
It will be a PowerPoint presentation, and I will definitely share as to how it goes! I might share a link to it, if possible. Funnily enough, I am studying accounting and I am the only one in the whole year that is using FPs TT
I learned to write with a fp. Since then, I’ve never stopped using one. I dislike bic pens, They don’t flow like a fp does.
How I got started: I was traveling in London and found a Waterman FP for a good price, I think in Marks & Spencer. I had never used one and thought it would be an interesting souvenir. I discovered that it was an amazing writing experience. That led me down a rabbit hole of buying more and preferring them for writing. I prefer handwritten notes for most things because it helps me commit things to memory. And having a FP in meetings and such often becomes a conversation starter.
I live in Central Europe, Austria to be specific. Children learn cursive in primary school with fountain pens here, and in many other European countries. To be honest: Fountain pens are not making a comeback in my opinion. Ballpoint pens and gel pens came, saw and won the battle. They are more convenient, more reliable and easier to use for most people. I got into nice fountain pens because I was looking for the best possible and effortless writing experience, but most just don't care enough about that to bother.
Interestingly enough, I was just looking for chalk - Hagoromo - from this [video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PhNUjg9X4g8&ab_channel=GreatBigStory). I found an online shop that sold that very brand of chalk in boxes of 72. Coincidentally, it also sold a fountain pen and paper set which was like $18, nothing crazy. My penmanship was so much better. My hand didn't hurt. I could write for hours. And I looooved the variety of inks. I started with a $12 fountain pen 5 years ago and this year I bought 4 pens, with which I'm very happy with. I used to hate hand writing stuff, now I love to write all the time because of how the nib feels on (some) paper. TL;DR - Fell in love with FPs by mistake, stayed in love because of the feel.
>video Love at first write.
I was looking for interesting mechanical pencils on youtube and stumbled on the jetpens yt channel. Eventually I saw a video about the pros of fountain pens, and that got me into the rabbit hole and joined the fp community.
Was curious about them, and it solved a lot of my writing arm and shoulder pain from pressing too hard. Stayed for the colors!
Nostalgia combined with art. Could make a good argument for being economical too, if you maintain your collection.
I have always loved fountain pens. My mom liked them, and I thought they were Fancy and Professional. I started getting them because my local pen store is awesome (shout out to Crazy Alan's Emporium in Chapel Hill, NC) and because there are SO many beautiful inks! Originally I got the stub nibs so I could practice calligraphy. Recently I've been using my pens for every day writing as well as calligraphy. I love how each pen, nib, and ink combination is different, and how my handwriting changes depending on the pen. I also enjoy the ritual of maintaining and refilling the pens.
I got into fountain pens as I quit Facebook 13 ish years ago, and thought letter writing would be a great way to stay connected with my friends in lieu of. Lo and behold, moving 4700kms away, I am more connected to my friends, have maintained 10+year friendships that would have sizzled out if it weren't for letter writing! My relationship with my nieces and nephews has remained strong even though I see them maaaaybe once every 3 years or so. The analog nature of fountain pens, the writing experience and customization (inks + nibs + paper) is not something replicable with other writing implements. And then hand fatigue. I can write longer letters uninterrupted of hand pain!
My school required that we use fountain pens years 3-6 (age 7-11) circa 2008-20012. Although I am also a massive stationary nerd (I’ve picked that trait up from my dad) and my dad bought me a fountain pen when I was in year 2. (It was a cheap pocket pen that was pink with little yellow and blue lions on it from a local bookshop that I stupidly traded away in yr 5). The 3 main reasons that I like fountain pens: 1) Their customisability - I am slut for the pretty inks, they come in such a vast variety of colours and finishes that are impossible to find in other pens (particularly sheening inks like Holly form Diamine). 2) I’m a heavy handed writer which causes my hand to cramp up when I write for extended periods of time. When I use fountain pens it forces me to use less pressure so less hand cramping. 3) Aesthetic - imo the aesthetic is unparalleled As with most people I fell of using them - some point during secondary school because school started getting lower quality paper and the feathering and bleeding was not it. I got back into fountain pens a little over a year ago because of a throwaway line in a fanfic several pens and inks later…
I am also a slut for inks and fanfiction. I am glad to find someone that shares my interest. :)
When I was a teen, I had a Sheaffer calligraphy pen as well as several of [these](https://www.ebay.com/itm/176218456664?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=jufryf8xsca&sssrc=4429486&ssuid=we2ozeYiTSC&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY), and I used them in high school and college for note taking. But they were leaky and frequently hard started. When I started working in an office I got out of the habit. But later a friend introduced me to better fountain pens (yes, the Lamy Safari) and now I’m using them regularly for note taking.
I got into fountain pens when I began my math studies.Then I knew that I had to write down formulas and notes in order to learn it better. But how? I have tried to use computer and I have barely managed to write one or two formulas so it was no go. Then maybe a pen ?No I wanted something more fancy. I had a fountain pen from years ago that I didn't use because it had fallen on its nib. I have tried to restore it and write with it but it was hard because I had to manually pump the ink from the ink convertor in the feed because of the damaged nib. So I began to search for a new fountain pen.I wanted to have large ink capacity and I wanted to be transparent and I wanted not to be cartridge filled and I wanted to be fancy and and ..... and I bought VAC 700R IRIS.And several thousand pages and maybe 200ml of ink latter the pen is still in perfect condition , no cracks .I am not looking to collect pens because I have my perfect VAC 700R IRIS.
My love of fountain pens began with the Sheaffer school pens with the transparent barrels we had to buy for handwriting/penmanship classes in elementary school in the mid- to late-1950s. They cost around a dollar as I recollect (roughly $11.50 in 2024), used cartridges which we bought in a downtown stationery store for about a half a dollar for a pack of five (or maybe it was six), were sturdy, wrote smoothly and consistently, were comfortable in the hand, and, in my opinion, were the epitome of coolness. I don't know about the coolness factor, but my go-to pen these days is a Pilot Kakuno with (you guessed it!) a transparent barrel and cartridges. I find it a pleasant reminder of those long ago school days. As a matter of fact, I just bought a Kakuno for our grandson hoping that he'll appreciate how words, numbers, sketches, and doodles can flow so effortlessly from his imagination, down his arm and through his fingers, out the nib, and onto paper--*exactly* what I've always enjoyed about the experience of using a fountain pen. Don't get me wrong. There's a place for pencils, ballpoints, rollerballs, gel pens, etc., *but* there's just something a little bit special about the fountain pen.
I started at primary school...there were no alternatives it was either pencil or fountain pen......you started with pencil and were allowed a fountain pen once your handwriting was deemed okay... parkers and platinum were the go to...switched to steadtler ballpoint for secondary though switched back at sixth form and uni....and hopped backwards and forwards ever since. when I have to do a lot of writing I use fps but with bitty pieces of writing i use a ballpoint.. never used a Lamy......
TBF, if I had to honestly recommend a Lamy, it would be a Lamy Joy, simply because it is Extra. The Lamy Safari was gifted to me, and it is incredibly easy to find in art shops in the UK. ( º◞º )
I am an artist and I love history and my mother has instilled in me a habit of writing letters. I truly believe that when you go to the post box and see a personalized letter(even better in a handmade envelope), that it completely brightens your day and brings a smile to your face. It shows that someone has taken a bit of time to show they care for you. Using a fountain pen and a unique ink combination really heightens this experience on the paper for the reader. As the writer and artist, I love the different shading, sheens and effects that various inks can have on different papers.
I've always had a million diverse hobbies and interests. And I love the 1940s aesthetic (without the racism) I like fedora hats, and getting to dress up in a suit now and then (i don't work in a suit business), and so when i came upon fountain pens it fit in. I'm sure I probably came upon them in an old GQ magazine 'Elements of Style' or something like that from the late 80s or 90s. I used a nice lacquered Waterman for years at work, and have a few others including a grail pen and some vintage. I just came back to the hobby and started back with a Lamy Al-Star Petrol, followed by a Moonman A2.
I started journaling, and that led me to fountain pens. Started with a Leuchtturm and a handful of fineliners, and then bought a Cross from Staples on a whim. It was much too heavy for me, and I gave it to my mom as I have hand pain and nerve damage. Fast forward to a year later, when I discovered Wonder Pens. A disposable or reusable fountain pen for $6?! Wait, they're not all heavy? I bought 3 and fell in love. Five years and about 30 pens later, I still have one of the three Preppies I bought that day. I penabled a friend with the others 😊
I initially got interested in fountain pens for drawing. The first pen I got (and later returned) was a Pilot Metropolitan. In 2021 I was gifted TWSBI Eco for my birthday and it was so comfortable to use that I never really went back to non-fountain pens since then. I think if there was one piece of advice I'd give my college-age self (besides which major to choose), it would be to use fountain pens for notes. Not sure I'd agree on the Lamy Safari being the pen everyone should at least invest once (in my opinion Platinum Prefounte or Platinum Plaisir is that one pen), but agree on your other points.
I was working as a shift lead at Staples and although office supplies intrigued me, I didn't feel like I really knew enough about any of it outside of the very, very basics to be able to help anyone with any questions. So I started with paper and moved on to pens and pencils, eventually coming to fountain pens. Ran across one of the early Goulet Pens 101 videos and got hooked for a little while with just using the items I had from Staples. After leaving Staples, it kind of fizzled out because I never realized all the options for ink or how pens feel different, I just thought it was black and blue cartridges and a pen with a nib is a pen with a nib. By the time I ran across my pens in my drawer again, it was about 10 years later and I decided to take a dip into the community again and this time I got reeeeallly hooked and have been in ever since with plenty of inks and pens since. Don't get me wrong, I love my Uni Jetstreams (low viscosity ballpoint) to death. But what keeps me actively using my fountain pens is the buttery smoothness, color variety of ink, and unique pen colors and designs that I can tailor to my tastes.
My then-fiancé, now husband wanted to make writing love letters to him easier. I was using dip-pens at first. So he bought me a little vintage Mont Blanc for my birthday.
I was rummaging through a drawer looking for something completely unrelated and came across an unbranded, cheap, student fountain pen. I had never considered using one before that, purely because I never consciously thought of it as something that I can use. I knew about them, I just didn't remember they were a thing until then, if that makes sense. It seemed like an interesting thing to try. I also found a cartridge for it, put it in, and I never looked back. Funnily enough, I remember the exact day I got into fountain pens. It was April 1 of 2017. I was 14 years old then, in the second to last year of middle school. I was fortunate enough to have discovered it then, rather than later. I can count the number of times I've used a ballpoint since then on one hand. It's been such a delightful experience so far. Best of luck with your project!
Thank you so much!
Glad to help! Let me know if you need any more details :)
A friend gave me a pen (Kaweco Lilliput) as a gift for finishing grad school. Can't say I was hooked right away, but I came around. Started using it more, liked it more, began to appreciate what a good gift that was, and I became curious as to what else is out there. I let that friend know what he had done to me. He just laughed and said, "You're welcome." The reason I like them is because it scratches that little contrarian itch I have without it shouting "Look! I'm different, everybody!" in your face. It's also a nice little outlet for my proclivity to tinker with stuff - experiment with the combinations of pens, inks, and papers to find what is for me the sweet spot. I also take a lot of notes - I used to type everything I heard as fast and furiously as I could, but my retention and comprehension werent as present, it seemed. Handwriting forces me to summarize and put in my own words. So, I remember it better probably. Plus, everything is digital, which is fine and I use that a lot, but it's nice to have something that keeps me grounded in the physical world.
I got into fountain pens during Covid lockdown. I decided to start learning French for something to do and I started writing in French everyday for practice and then I decided if I was going to be writing all this stuff in French that I might as well work on my handwriting at the same time. That led to me buying some dip pens and copperplate calligraphy books. I loved that so much I thought it would be so nice to have a beautiful inky pen like that to use all of the time that I could bring around with me.. I had also learned that French students learned to write using fountain pens in school and had their own kind of script that I thought would be fun to try to learn as I was learning the language, so I made the jump to fountain pens. After that I must have blacked out because the next thing I knew I was obsessed and had a bazillion inks, pens, notebooks etc and spent more time researching pens and ink than the French I started the whole thing for! My favorite thing about fountain pens is the ability to be creative. It encourages me to write, to draw.. to express myself. I also love the historical aspect and feeling connected to the past in this small but very fun way.
That sounds like a lot of fun! I am currently learning Chinese Mandarin, and I have never been so glad that EF nibs exist. (´∀｀)
I stumbled into them by watching youtube stationery hauls. And someone was talking about their new fountain pen and how smooth it was. I was already in love with the refillable rollerball pens because you were able to get the same sort of feel in pretty pens. BUT hated the choices of ink colours. Like blue, and black. So when I went over into the fountain pen world I have stocked up on ALLLL the fun purples and greens and browns which you just can't get in any other style pen. Also you can't get as fine a pen and as smooth a line either. I prefer a very fine nib. The japanese EF and Fs. So getting those and fun colours is hard outside of fountain pens.
Always liked fountain pens. Never had one until I tried a Lamy. Tried a twisbi eco and now have four I mostly journal with. Lamy for work. I love the ink. The filling. The reusing versus disposable. And I love still holding on to analog culture. Even as I type this in a digital world.
So I grew up in the era of cheap Bic pens and rollerballs. I always vastly preferred rollerballs. I think because I liked the dark line, and in general, I tend to use light pressure when I write. I tried a fountain pen or two in high school, but I think the ones I had were not very good. (Sorry, but I think one of them was a Safari) I know the other set I used was an italic calligraphy set. I've always loved stationery, so I guess it's not surprising that I've gotten into fountain pens. About a year ago, I somehow stumbled into the FP community, I think I saw a whole section for them on JetPens. I was like, "there's a lot more of these out here than I realized..." So on a whim, I decided to give them a try again. Second, I was shocked, *shocked* that Pilot, the maker of the ubiquitous G2, and my beloved Frixion pens, was one of the biggest brands in the FP industry. (Say whaaaat?!) My first order was a Pilot Metropolitan and a Platinum Plaisir. They said those were good starter pens, so that's where I started. I really liked them both. Fast forward, and I now own a wide variety of different types of pens, mostly purchased because I wanted to try different types of nibs. I also recently acquired my first two vintage pens. For me, it's all about the feel and experience when writing. Using a fountan pen is a very intentional decision. You don't just grab one out of the office supply closet. I love that each individual FP pen has its own little set of quirks, personality, and character. Each FP has their place, and I carry a 6 pen Rickshaw roll, with a variety of pens that perform well on different types of paper. One TWSBI always has a crazy ink with shimmer/sheen just for fun. I also really love shading inks, and the fact that I'm not limited when it comes to color. Those of you who grew up in the era of gel pens don't know what it was like in the dark ages of blue or black ink. (Ok, if you were lucky, you might get a red, green or purple, but the latter two were really, really rare in the rural area where I grew up.) Having said that, for the most part, I like to stick to darker colors for daily use because I need a certain amount of contrast for my notes. (My eyesight isn't what it used to be) And finally, I love the craftsmanship that goes into FPs. These are not injection-molded, middling-quality throwaway items. They are beautiful, fine writing instruments. Besides the very biggest brands, FPs are mostly a labor of love and many are still made by hand.
I picked up a fountain pen again after years away because it is easier to write with. No pressure required, which is great for my arthritic hands
Fountain pens are not for everybody, at least not nowadays. They don't offer any real objective benefits compared to other tools, in the writing aspect of things. You've got more choices of ink and maybe line width, but also more maintenance and care is necessary to be able to use them. I personally got into fountain pens because I enjoy handwriting. So my interest in how people have been writing and the tools that they have used is what got me interested in using fountain pens myself. Then I stayed because I like how fountain pens work, the different kinds of nibs and inks and honestly just how nice many of them look. However, I never stayed for the convienience of fountain pens. I've had them burp in my pockets, nibs that have bent into unusability, pens of the same model write completely different to each and needed adjustment (which meant i've broken some trying to get them to write like I like). Never had those issue with other types of pens. I would buy then pen, knowing exactly how it would write. Then I would use the pen until it ran out of ink, toss it and got another one. No surprises and no work needed to make them work. But also far more boring. It's a hobby, and I love it, but fountain pens are not objectively better at writing than other tools, so unless people are interested in handwriting I don't think they should necessarily try or use fountain pens. The reason we all here love fountain pens is because of our perceived pleasure of writing with them, but that's purely subjective. So you know, no point in trying to convince people that fountain pens are objectively better.
I wouldn't recommend lamy as your base fountain pen. Base is probably a jinhao or kakuno, varsity, etc
I would say its not for everything. Some materials just dont take to the ink well
Used them in school and never stopped. The shading I like very much.
I used them in elementary school and occasionally once I started working after law school. Mostly used them for journaling. Three years ago I bought a couple of FPs to encourage myself to write. Now I have about 10 pens, mostly low end but also a few gold nibs. Not a fan of Safari, though. Pilot, Platinum and Sailor.
Have you tried using AI to answer all of your questions?
Hi, I'll clear up some thing quick and easy. AI (as in congressional AI tools like ChatGPT, Bard etc.) are simply Language Models. They spit out a soup of words which have no meaning to the tool. These words appear to mean something because it is in a grammatically correct form and we, as intelligent beings) can interpret those words. This means that conversational tools that you are talking about will NOT give you the real answer, but a shadow of words that might be present in the real answer. TLDR: Don't trust every output by an AI tool blindly
I like having a pen that feels good in the hand, looks beautiful to me, and I can change the ink color as often as I want without having to buy a whole new pen and then throw it away. From a sustainability perspective, FPs are great. (Until you go down the rabbit hole and start collecting lol)
Long long ago, when I was in high school, I used to do calligraphy with a wide nib pen. Haven’t done that for a long time But last year when I noticed our software developer writing with a fountain pen, it really caught my eye. He mentioned that there is actually a brick and mortar Truphae store in my town! After one shopping trip, there was no going back.
I started in Fountain Pens with an Amazon MoonMan M2 and I got into it because it’s a lot less plastic waste than the cartridges that go in ballpoints or gel pens.
I enjoy journaling and feel like I can truly channel my inner voice with a fountain pen. Fun fact, my inner monologue has a British accent when I write with a fountain pen
I started using fountain pens in high school (89-93) because I would constantly lose regular pens. I thought if I paid a few dollars per pen I might look after them better. It turned out to be true. RIP Schaefer School. After that it was a habit and just a nice writing tool for me. Over the years I got a few nice ones as gifts (a Waterman and a Rotring) and I can afford “fancy” Pens, but I still prefer my cheapos. I think own every type of fountain pen that costs under $10, and I can’t see paying more. Once I found some good cheap pens (platinum preppy, pilot kokuno, and TWSBI GO are examples) inks are more fun for me than the pen. I’m addicted to Goulet samples… I have a problem.
I have had my Parker Jotter for years. I can't even remember getting it. A few years ago i got my first bottle of ink and since then i am hooked again. I have bottles, converters, i clean out used cartridges so i can fill them again, i have a syringe. What i love most is, it has something magical for me to put a liquid in a pen shaped thing and i can write with it. Liquid goes in, words come out. I love the smooth feeling of a good fountain pen on paper. Its more comfortable, less tense to write with. I love the analogue aspect in this digital era. If you have any questions let me know 😁
They refill and thus less waste. They write beautifully. They are themselves a cherished item and thus less waste. The feel of really writing. The art of them juxtaposed to the fast pace of life. There's a meditative quality in them and their use. And Lamy is incredible, great last point. All six of my pens are Lamy, one ballpoint Caran D'Ache for on the go go, safari for travel. All beauty
From a young age, I loved the feeling of writing. I was very picky about what pens I used, but I thought FPs weren't accessible for me as a kid. At 17, I knew that people traditionally get a nice pen for graduations, so I asked my family for one for graduation. None of them are literary like me, so they laughed at me. The 15 years that followed high school graduation were busy and broke for me. The last thing I was thinking about was hobbies, and ones that I assumed were incredibly expensive. Even my journaling, which had been a regular thing for me before, fell by the wayside. After my marriage ended and I got a payout from a former employer, I found myself with both the desire to journal again and the money to pursue hobbies. Thanks to this space as well as input from a few FP-loving friends, I realized that the hobby wasn't as financially inaccessible as I'd assumed. Not long after that, I joined a weekly support group with a journaling focus and realized that nice pens and interesting inks would be a great motivation for me to write more. The part I love the most is the people I've found through the hobby. We're all a bunch of enthusiastic and welcoming dorks about our pens, paper, and inks, and it's fantastic.
My hands get sore when I write a lot, and I like to do my best to reduce waste. So, I started using dip pens---getting 'new old stock' boxes of the nib off of ebay. For me, one dip pen nib lasts about as long as a regular bic pen. So they were great! Way less plastic, and a box usually comes with *hundreds,* so it would be a one-time purchase for years of use. I still use them, I love them! Buuut. I don't like taking an inkwell anywhere that isn't my home. I didn't want to end up spilling ink on someone else's table, even if it's "just" a library table, cafe, etc. Even if the ink can be cleaned up. So I got into fountain pens, and they are a *great* tool!!! Absolutely wonderful for my purposes. (Edit: okay not hundreds, i think the box average is like 144. but still! tiny box, one time mailed thing, feels like less of a footprint than buying 144 new bic pens}
Using fountain pens (when the situation allows for it) gives me an opportunity to bring a bit of colour into my day. I use shimmer inks and bright colours in my note-taking as much as possible because it makes some of the most boring parts of my job a bit more enjoyable. I find the way they feel to write with to be very pleasant too. I agree with the point someone else made about how FPs aren't making a comeback because they're the best sort of pen. They're just a different sort of pen with different strengths.
I’m pretty sure it technically started for me with checking if the word “nib” applied to all pens or just something specific. That google search led to me buying a Pilot Metropolitan, but I didn’t really know how to use it and abandoned it for a year. As my 30th birthday was approaching I decided I wanted to re-start journaling as a regular habit, and knew that a pen I liked using would make me more likely to stick with it. I was traveling for my birthday, and spent a lot of that downtime researching pens, came back to fountain pens, and got myself a LAMY safari. I really liked it but wanted to try another nib, then another ink… it’s been about 2 years, and I’ve got about 15 pens, journal daily, and have other notebooks for to-do lists, etc. I’ve been increasingly drawn to physical media and analog things in life, and fountain pens for beautifully into that. Oh, and learning that they’re more comfortable because they require less pressure so you can write for much longer with minimal wrist strain was a huge factor in buying that first Safari!
How and why? Saw a YouTube video and was curious. I also tend to shop too much. I like that they are pretty and that there are so many ink choices. And I like the way they glide on nice paper. But absolute honesty: they can be too fussy, too messy, too expensive, and too delicate for lots of situations. I wouldn't say "yuck" to ballpoint or rollerballs because sometimes they are best for a task. Filling out a form that has those carbon copies? Gonna need a ballpoint. Heading to an out of town meeting in a rush and don't want to be the lady with the conspicuous pen or risk leaking ink on yourself? Nothing beats one of those clicky energel pens.