There are a lot of reasons I write with fountain pens: My hands don't hurt as much, even after writing letters that are way too long. They’re beautiful and tactile, and let me play with lines. And then there's the ink colors, their bottles like gemstones on my desk, that make writing personal and complex.
Fountain pens don't have to be fussy — sure, it takes a little more effort than the Bic in your junk drawer, but the extra effort is worth it. Plus, it's really not that much! Don't let it scare you away. Take my hand. Let's get you a fountain pen. Your first step is to set out your budget. It makes sense, if you've never used a fountain pen, to purchase a cheaper one to get a feel for things. There are a number of fountain pens that cost a few bucks — very little investment. But my advice, if you are looking for a nice pen, is to invest in something in the $10-$30 range. By no means do you have to spend a lot of money to get a great pen, but this range is where I've found some of my favorites. There’s also a great secondhand market for pens on both Reddit, Instagram, in-person pen shows, and in private communities; it’s rare that I’ll buy a new pen these days, because so much is available secondhand.
Once your budget is set, there are a few more things to consider: aesthetics, feel, and nib.
Aesthetics
Maybe this is controversial, but aesthetics are one of the most important things to me. I want a pen that's so gorgeous, or sleek, or so bright that it makes me feel something. Fountain pens come in all different shapes, sizes, colors, and patterns.
Having a pen that writes well is the most important thing of all, but I don't want a pen that doesn't also visually appeal to me, so that's where I often start. From there, I think about the sort of nib and ink to pair with it. Looking for bright, varied colors? Try Kaweco. A modern, sleek design? Look at TWSBI pens. Classic design? Try Pilot. Unique form? LAMY.
Nibs and feels
Once you find a brand that appeals to your aesthetic, if that's important to you, you're going to want to consider how a pen feels to write with — its size and weight in your hand — and decide on a nib size. If you can't go to a pen shop to try out pens, you can make some good assumptions about a pen depending on its materials.
Plastic pens, including resin, will be more lightweight than a metal pen. There are exceptions to this rule — like extra large plastic pens, like the TWSBI brand, but in general it's a pretty good way to determine weight. Pen weight is sort of "customizable," too; to give a pen more heft and to distribute weight, write with a fountain pen cap "posted" to the end. For heavier pens (and pens that don't post), I end up laying the cap on my desk.
Once you've got a brand, shape, and material in mind, consider the nib size. Most fountain pens will come in these sizes: extra fine, fine, medium, or broad. (There are more sizes and grinds, but these are the standard basics.) These will vary depending on brand, but I wouldn't worry too much about that. You'll choose your nib size depending on your handwriting, or how thick of a line you'll want to create. Generally, people that write really small will prefer extra fine or fine nibs — then sizing up from there. However, there are other reasons to go more broad: These will lay out more ink on the page, allowing you to see more of the ink's properties and shading.
Nibs will feel different on the page, too, depending on brand, nib size, and material. Gold nibs are priciest, and they often write the smoothest. But steel nibs are lovely, too, but can provide more feedback while writing, meaning you can really feel the nib moving on the page.
OK, one more thing about nibs: They can write wet or dry. How do you know if you're a wet or dry person? Do you like ink to flow generously from your pen? Don't mind waiting for a page to dry? Look into wetter nibs. Drier nibs seem to release less ink onto the page, making finer lines. These are particularly nice if you're looking for a speedier dry time. The ink, too, is important, and will change the experience of a nib — but don't worry too much about that yet!
But what pen should I get?
Just want to get started? I'd recommend a TWSBI pen, particularly the TWSBI Eco. It writes well, comes in a lot of different colors, and is the perfect pen to learn about how fountain pens work. Most TWSBI pens are demonstrators, meaning the body is largely clear, so you can see the ink inside. It's lovely to look at, but I also think it's a neat way to see what's going on in your pen — how the filling mechanism works and how much ink you're using. Plus, TWSBI provides tools for taking apart its pens: a wrench that unscrews a piece if you want to really get to know its insides. But don't worry! That's not necessary. You don't have to take it apart if you don't want to.
With a TWSBI pen, you'll need to purchase a bottle of ink — not a cartridge. Cartridges are really easy, but there isn't nearly the amount of ink variety as with using bottled ink, and that's half the experience.
But if you want something you can immediately use cartridges with, I’d recommend a Pilot Kakuno. There also come in a bunch of different colors (including one with Pikachu on it!) and will cost $10-$15. These come with a cartridge or two, so you don’t have to even buy anything else if you want to just play around with a fountain pen without buying anything else.
Before I go
Thank you for reading, and also for ignoring the fact that I haven’t made an update in more than a year. The whole time I’ve been missing I’ve still been enjoying fountain pens — quite a lot, actually. I write so much at work that I don’t always feel like writing for myself, but it’s something I truly enjoy and I’d like to keep this going! (For those who don’t know, I’m a reporter at a video game and entertainment website called Polygon, part of Vox Media.)
I’d been meaning to write a really basic, almost quick-start guide for getting into fountain pens, and I hope this has been helpful. Please feel free to reach out with any comments, questions, or suggestions. It’s been really cool to hear from folks who are also interested in fountain pens and inks.
I mentioned in the last post about a publishing schedule, and I’m definitely not ready to commit to anything right now. When will the next post be? It’s a surprise!
You can email me at: carpenternewsletter@gmail.com if you’d like to say hello! Otherwise, I’m on Twitter @sweetpotatoes.