If you love fountain pens, the chances are you own…
8 reasons why fountain pens are making a comeback
With the advent of ballpoint pens and rollerball pens, many people were tempted by the convenience of these new options and therefore moved away from using fountain pens. After all, ballpoints and rollerballs don’t tend to leak like old fountain pens did, and cheaper versions were and are disposable meaning there’s no need to carry refills or separate ink of any kind.
However, fountain pens are now making a big comeback, with even those who haven’t used one before being tempted by them. Why is this? We take a look at the main reasons for this switch below.
- Fountain pens are comparatively eco-friendly, especially if you refill them with bottled ink instead of using disposable plastic cartridges. With good care and maintenance, a quality fountain pen can last a lifetime, and inks usually come in glass bottles which can either be refilled or recycled after use.
- Fountain pens are also an excellent economical option, thanks to their eco-friendly aspects — you keep the same pen for years and occasionally have to buy some bottled ink to use in it. While a disposable ballpoint or rollerball might seem cheap to buy at the time, they won’t last you long — a fountain pen is a solid, value-for-money choice for the long term.
- Fountain pens can be successfully used with minimal pressure, meaning they are an excellent choice for those who need to do a lot of writing. They are a great option for journaling, essay-writing, letter-writing and more. Due to the lack of pressure required they’re also ideal for those who suffer with hand cramping or fatigue when writing by hand.
- Fountain pens are highly customisable and there is a wide choice of pens, nibs and inks available. Whether you want a super-fine nib from Japan, an italic nib for calligraphy, or a broad nib for a bolder script, you can swap and change to your heart’s content. Regarding inks, if your pen has a converter, you can choose from hundreds of bottled inks in an incredible spectrum of colours and shades. If you use ink cartridges, there is still a wide choice, but nowhere near as many as bottled.
- Writing with a fountain pen can make your handwriting look a lot neater than it would with a ballpoint of rollerball pen.
- Being seen to use a fountain pen in work is often respected.
- Using a fountain pen can be an interesting conversation starter.
- Modern fountain pens don’t leak like the fountain pens of the past did, making them safe to transport without fear!
So, as you can see above, there are many reasons for people to switch back to fountain pens or give them a go for the first time. But where do you begin if you’re a novice? Ask those in the know, or start with a basic, standard fountain pen and then work out what you like and don’t like from there.
Enjoy your fountain pen journey! Got a question about fountain pens, or one fountain pen in particular? Get in touch today.
At school we had to use dip pens, being left handed I found that the only way to use the pen was with the nib upside down. My very early school years, my teacher would slap the back of my hand with a ruler if she caught me writing with my left hand. For some time, she held my right hand and guided it across the page writing short sentences. In the end, I was writing the letters backwards. At age 12, my grandfather gave me my first fountain pen. He ground the nib so that it could be used with my left hand. About thirty years ago, I started writing poetry, and purchased a new fountain pen. To my delight, the nib suited my left handed writing. I have several fountain pens and all are can be used with my left hand; I believe the points are now centre and not sloped for the right hand. I do a lot of café writing and have had many conversations with people who noticed me using a fountain pen. One lady, being left handed herself, told me of her difficulty with fountain pens. I let her use one of mine; she wrote a short sentence and was thrilled with the result.