One of my hobbies is collecting fountain pens. Yes, fountain pens still exist, and while their heyday has come and gone, the hobby is still alive and well. There are several reasons why I love to use and collect fountain pens.
Unlike most hobbies, fountain pens don’t have to be a $10,000 hobby, especially in the United States. A basic Lamy Safari fountain pen can be purchased for under $30. The best part is that the Lamy Safari fountain pen is a cartridge/converter pen so that you can use a cartridge (one included), or for $6, you can get a converter and open yourself to a vast world of inks.
Fountain pens use a water-based ink that can be changed on a whim. There are millions of colors of inks that I can use with my fountain pen collection and a converter. There are basic red, blue, and black inks, but if I feel adventurous, which I often do, I can use a dark burgundy or green. Some of the best qualities of ink are sheen or shimmer. Sheen is a color of ink that changes colors as I write. For example, Diamine Blue Velvet is a blue ink with a velvet undertone that shines through as the ink dries on the page. Shimmer inks like Diamine Shimmering Seas have flaks of glitter or similar substances in the ink. It gives my handwriting a fun touch of personality. Unlike rollerball, felt, or calligraphy inks, fountain pen inks are water-based, so they can’t typically get wet and take longer to dry. That said, getting water-resistant or quick-drying fountain pen inks is possible.
The Lamy Safari fountain pen is an excellent example of a beginner’s fountain pen, and I said above that fountain pens don’t have to be a $10,000 hobby, but they can be. So many fountain pens cost the same cost as a used car. The Namiki Emperor Maki-e Goldfish fountain pen is an example of a $16,000 pen, but this is more of a work of art than a go-to fountain pen. While these pens are few and far between, it’s easy to get into the hundreds of dollars range.
Fountain pens are classic style sophistication and are so easy to write with. The nib glides on the page as if it were glass. The first thing to learn about fountain pens is not to press down. Let the pen do the work, and the ink will flow from the nib onto the page. I find it so enjoyable to write with a fountain pen. I know that I have been a massive supporter of an all-digital writing method, but when I struggle to get words onto the screen or when a screen is inappropriate, I love using my fountain pens and a good notebook. One slick time saver I use is the camera app on iOS to select even my chicken scratchy handwritten text and copy and paste it into my word processor or notes app. So I can still use my fountain pens in my mostly all-digital life.
These are just a few reasons I love using and collecting fountain pens. Have you tried a fountain pen? Do you have any weird collections? I would love to hear about your experiences. Feel free to comment below.