For those of you who have known me since eighth grade, you knew this was coming. Some people collect cards, and others collect snowglobes. For me, it’s the eloquent fountain pen. Now, I’m about 70% sure an image of Thomas Jefferson writing the constitution popped into your head. (And you are correct; he used a Boston safety pen to write it) However, this instrument is not a relic, it’s just as relevant today as it was 200 years ago.

This here is a diagram of how a fountain pen works. Have you ever had a pen explode in your bag, dousing everything in black or red? This is the same concept, except it’s controlled, and it will not douse your bag(most likely). in most pens, there is an ink reservoir. Some are known as bladder converters, while others are a piston.

Personally, I am in the realm of thought that pistons are superior. They are easier to fill. This “feeds” into the feed(see what I did there?) and distributes the ink in a controlled fashion to the nib. Because of this, less pressure is needed to remove the ink from the pen, so long writing sessions become easy-peasy lemon-squeezy, helping to knock out whatever you may need to write.

Another important aspect of the build of the pen is the country in which is it manufactured. Some pens, like Lamy, Pelikan, and MontBlanc are german which means their nibs will write broader, or thicker. On the other hand, Japanese pens, like Pilot, Platinum, and Sailor have finer lines. Personally, I use extra-fine nibs, even on Japanese pens. I love that crisp, thin line that showcases your handwriting. If you prefer a thicker line or want to fully showcase the properties of your ink, using a larger nib or a German pen may be the way to go. So now you know how the pen works. This is where the fun part begins.

The absolute best part of using fountain pens is ink. Remember in middle school, when everyone would have giant packs of Papermate flair pens because there were so many colors? Fountain pen ink comes in thousands of colors. If you want to see for yourself, check out https://www.mountainofink.com/, where there are reviews for nearly every ink on the planet. Inks can have also sorts of properties. Whether they have glitter, change color, or have really good shading, there is something for everyone. One brand, Noodler’s, has a line of bulletproof ink. Even an ink removing laser developed by MIT can’t remove it. (Yep, they tried!) Some simply have an amazing history behind them.

Tyrian Purple, for example, is one that really piqued my interest. For those of you who don’t know, Roman senators had purple robes because they were a status symbol. The dye used for them was harvested off the Phoenician coast and was extremely expensive. This ink is a recreation of that specific color. Even more interesting is that this dye doesn’t fade. Instead, it gets brighter as time goes on.

This ink, called Dark Matter, has an even more interesting story. The owner of this brand ended up getting his hands on a bottle of ink from Los Alamos, which was where the Manhattan Project took place. I own this bottle, and the color itself is really nice. While it is black, it writes like a very dark green, which adds a bit of flair to my words.

If you have learned more than you ever wanted to know about fountain pens and wish to leave, this is your chance. However, on the slim possibility you want to get involved in this hobby, I have some great suggestions for you to start with.  The two pens I showcased earlier, the pilot metropolitan and the Lamy Safari are both dubbed the best starter pens. Personally, I prefer the nib on the pilot, but as said earlier, it all comes down to preference.

If you like the idea of the pen but don’t want to deal with the hassle of ink, try a cartridge. It’s like a disposable converter with minimal mess. However, if you want to dive right in, I highly recommend Noodler’s Dark matter for black ink, and Pilot Iroshizuko in shin-kai for blue ink. While not my favorite, Pilot Iroshizuko in kon-peki is also a fan favorite. If you want a little spice to your writing, J. Herbin’s Emerald of Chivor is a fan favorite with both color-changing and glitter properties.

For those of you out there who like to write, this may be one of the best decisions you ever make. It was for me, trust me. If you have any questions, go to these sites:

JetPens: https://www.jetpens.com/blog/the-beginners-guide-to-fountain-pens/pt/927

GouletPens: https://www.gouletpens.com/pages/fountain-pen-101

Write On!

Asha Rajagopal