Why fountain pens?

[Cmmarshall]

So I have never used or had a desire to use a fountain pen. However, I see a lot of people here turning and saying they use them. I can't say I don't like them as I think they have an elegance about them that is eye catching.

So what is great about them and what is not so great?

 

[monophoto]

Less stress on the hand when using them
Almost infinite selection of ink colors and characteristics
Ballpoints are tacky - fountain pens are elegant and fun to use

 

[magier412]

I just love the connection between the paper and the nib...the flow of the ink onto the paper...and it's so much easier to write with a good flowing fountain pen. Many people with arthritis or carpal tunnel syndrome find it much more comfortable to write with a fountain pen.

For me, it slows me down and makes me think about what I'm writing and how...

 

[Joey-Nieves]

Well, my sister is an art teacher and she teaches calligraphy, she says that writing is a form of drawing, when using a fountain pen you are more aware of how you're writing and have more discipline. So, if your handwriting is like chicken scratch with a normal pen, then it may be legible with a fountain pen.
Also as stated before, the immense amount of colors and scents allow for a more secure document. There some tones of blue that when photocopied appear as black.

From a sales point of view, they are back in demand. Many people are requesting them, most professionals find them elegant, distinguished and overall create a better signature.

 

[mecompco]

I was in the same boat--they looked cool, but seemed like they might be a messy pain to use. Well, turns out I was wrong. Got a beautiful Atrax FP in the last PITH and I've not used anything else since. Probably my biggest problem w/ball points (even with the Schimdt refills, is that they won't reliably write on sticky notes--in my job, I use a LOT of stickies--the FP has no problem with them). Oh, and it is fun to write with.

Make yourself an Atrax, Jr. Gent, etc. and give it a try. If you find it's not for you, sell it or give it away (but I don't think you will).

 

[TonyL]

Disliked rollerballs, loved BPs.
Then preferred RBs, disliked FPs.
Now I love FPs, and practically use one as a carry-on.

I re-learned to write cursive...that had much do with it.

 

[Herb G]

I can't speak to making them yet, only using them.
When I was a kid, I found a fountain pen in a men's room.
I looked for the owner but never found him. So, I kept it.
I liked how it wrote & how it looked.

I took it to a pen shop to find ink for it & the guy behind the counter asked me if I knew what I had. I said Yeah, it's a fountain pen.
Turned out, it was some rare Montblanc pen. It was a red tortoise shell looking pen with a gold lace overlay on it.

He looked at it & told me the nib had to be replaced. I asked what that would cost, and he said it was free. Montblanc apparently replaced the nibs for free back then.
So, I had him do it. It cost me $4-$5 that day, because I bought a bottle of ink.

I believe it was stolen from me by someone.

I missed that pen, so a few years ago, I got a mid grade cheapy pen to replace it.
I bought a Monte Verde to replace it.
I can't afford a Montblanc these days.

 

[leehljp]

From my observation only: From the perspective of making and selling, connoisseurs of fine pens seem to have more disposable income and are willing to pay 4 figures ($1000 and up) for fine pens - fountain pens specifically.

Fountain pen users will rarely let someone else use their pen. As the nib wears with use, the tiny flat spot of wear on the point is unique to its owner, and another person can mess up that spot. Long time fountain pen users are protective of their pens.

Just some trivia.

 

[keithbyrd]

As others have said - easier to write, its fun, significant improvement in penmanship, variety, unique - always generates conversations and sometimes a sale!

 

[Rockytime]

At one time I used a fountain pen but with neuropathy in my hands I can no longer write cursive. I have trouble printing and need to draw my letters. I miss cursive. As a child I recall my father always using a Sheaffer fountain pen with green Skrip ink. I was never allowed to use his pen. He said I would mess up the nib. For high school graduation he gave me a beautiful Sheaffer pen and pencil set which I still have.

 

[Penultimate]

Greetings
Many years ago in college I studied and wrote in calligraphy. I used fountain pens and dip pens and really enjoyed it. While at my first job I got a Cross fountain pen and used it a lot. I switched jobs a couple times and stopped using the pen. Also, calculations in pencil and CAD reduced the need for any thing but the cheapest pen.

Then I started pen turning and got reacquainted with FPs. As many posters wrote the fountain pen reduces stress on the hand. I press really hard with a traditional pen but treat a FP more like a brush.

Sometimes our VP comes to me to use my pen to sign contracts from China. For some arcane reason China requires signatures with FPs.

Besides fountain pens are just cool.

 

[dexter0606]

Less stress on the hand when using them
Almost infinite selection of ink colors and characteristics
Ballpoints are tacky - fountain pens are elegant and fun to use

I have trouble believing that a rollerball has more paper to nib friction than a fountain pen???

 

[Cmmarshall]

Thanks for the replies! I have never used a FP so I can't speak to use. But as for beauty, they all have a certain elegance about them. I guess next time I place an order I will add a few into the mix. Then I can try one out for a while.

Thanks again!

 

[duncsuss]

I have trouble believing that a rollerball has more paper to nib friction than a fountain pen???

The difference is that rollerballs (and ballpoints) rely on the pressure of the tip against the paper to make the ball roll and bring ink from the refill to the writing surface.

Fountain pens do not -- the ink is pulled to the writing tip by capillary action through the feed and along the gap between the nib tines.

The result is that a fountain pen can write with significantly less pressure against the paper than rollerball or ballpoint.

 

[geffre]

Fountain pens provide a feel

The feel of a fountain pen when writing is not unlike turning. As I feel my way across a piece of wood with a really sharp tool, as the barrel takes shape and cuts clean, I feel a palpable sense of connection to the wood. I can tell where the wood is soft or gnarly. With a fountain pen against a piece of paper, I can feel the words take shape. If I try to write with too much passion, the pen slows me down. If I take to much time, the pen flows ink into pools on the paper.

I can make pens that write just fine, but if i take the time to craft a pen, the reward is much more than a tool, its a treasure. The same goes for using a fountain pen, if all you want is a tool, any old pen will do. But if you want a treasure, a fountain pen is the careful crafter's choice.

 

[ffloyd]

My wife gave me her discarded fountain pen, which I had reconditioned. It was better than a ball point, but still experienced leakage. Then, I built a JrGent II . This has turned out to be a wonderful writing experience. So much so, I purchased some interesting colored ink to write in my journal. Now writing is my preferred form of recording information. Even being left-handed has not detracted from the writing experience.

 

[Brian Chislett]

A friend of mine told me, he trusted his Doctor because he used a fountain pen. A fountain pen gets noticed and gives one status.