I use a Manuscript calligraphy or Rotring art pens...are these considered Fountain pens ??.. 4:02 ... they come with that cartridge that is refillable, as you demonstrate..
I'm dyspraxic so I've always had difficulty writing. I've since found that fountain pens are actually a lot easier for me to write with and I don't get hand cramps which was always a problem for me.
This times a thousand. Remember the little timed blue book exams where your hand just about fell off? I think some of it is mental too; knowing the nib is sensitive to pressure somehow primes the hand to subconsciously relax, I suppose just as one might be delicate with a champagne glass or a child's hand while otherwise distracted.
This makes a lot of sense! I’m glad that you found something that works for you! But if u don’t mind me asking, what does this condition entail? I’ve had a couple fountain pens in the past but they were always so flimsy and broke like 24/7 and unfortunately I don’t have the money to buy a good one right now
I've always wanted one since high school, a Mont Blanc specifically just because I kept seeing them advertised in Vogue. Now as an adult, I'm content with my tiny affordable collection of Pilot Kakuno fountain pens.
Remember if you're new to fountain pens and had a bad experience, almost always it's because you grabbed random incompatible paper or too fine of a nib on plain paper.
Or the nib had bad QA. Personally I like Kaweco, I have several Sports and an Original and still considering getting a Supra. But their QA is...not good. To the point where I'm just not comfortable recommending them as entry level pens anymore. For that I almost always go for Lamy or Pilot. (Or even the Jinhao shark, makes a good kid's first fountain pen.)
@@josh1216 I wouldn't even recommend Lamy tbh, twsbi are better value and quality. The shark is excellent, reliable and easy to use, also cute as heck.
I really appreciate that the Jetpens site lets me filter fountain pens by grip diameter, because it feels like all fountain pens have massive grips, and I prefer delicate thin grips. Jetpens helped me find my Pilot Cavalier fountain pen, with just the right balance of weight and thickness. ❤
I'm a leftie from Germany. Where I live, you're required to use a fountain pen from Year 2 to 4 at elementary school. Because my Pelikan pen with an L nib was just the most comfortable pen for me to write with longterm, it stayed with me throughout my whole school and a good portion of my uni life. (I did go through four nibs because I dropped it occasionally, though.) However, I only really got into fountain pens as I joined the planner community and I learned alot more about them, too. Today, I'm a fan of fine and extra fine nibs whereas I was perfectly okay with my L (similar to M) nib at the time. I prefer how my handwriting looks with finer pens, and unlike Connie, I hold my hand so ink *would* smear if it didn't dry fast enough. (Pelikan's Prussian Blue ink does, which was all I ever used during my school days, but now I want ALL the inks! 🤣)
I actually got my first fountain pen just yesterday :D It’s a Pilot Varsity Fountain Pen. It writes really smoothly so that it doesn’t make me feel like I have to press down hard. I also just like the design.
@Wise Acres As a matter of fact, I‘ve found plenty of new inks, and most of them are neither blue nor black. Also, adult world documents are hardly ever handwritten in this time and age, so it doesn’t matter what ink colours (plural) I use in my personal writing. After all, my notebooks and journals are unlikely to ever become world documents. They’re just for my own perusal, and I prefer them to be something nice for me to look at.
As an older person, I remember ink wells in classroom desks. They weren’t for decoration. We started writing, printing actually, with pencils but moved on to dip pens with fairly unforgiving nibs as I recall. Sooner or later most kids had basic fountain pens. Depending on how you held the pen, most kids had ink stains on their index or middle finger when the school day was over. To this day, I love fountain pens and use them for writing and drawing. A broad nib pen is a great drawing tool and lots of artists use them.
That’s fascinating!! Your words painted such an image of a bustling classroom with students with ink stains. I am picturing wooden desks, and people paying more attention to their handwriting…and taking better care of all the materials.
I mistakenly though fountain pens weren't as smooth as ballpoint or gel pens. I mean, how could it be? They're literal balls that roll around. But then I tried one. It's even smoother somehow!
@@gauravtributes5023It depends! Cartridges are easy and often what fountain pens are designed to take. However, you miss out on the sheer variety of inks that are available. If you're planning to stick with one color and don't write a ton, cartridges are certainly a valid way to go. Bulk inks are also less expensive in the long run if you write a lot like stationery nerds are prone to.
I still can't get enough of Connie's handwriting! Staring at 4:42 😆 Pretty much all the reasons as stated. I'll add one more: we use FPs as an excuse to write even more! 😇
this fr! a lot of my friends hate writing and seem confused when i eagerly write page after page, sometimes even more than necessary. I just love the feeling of putting my thoughts and ideas to paper and my fountain pen makes that experience much more enjoyable
Yeah, I've tried keeping a consistent journal over the years, but I was only able to finally do it because of fountain pens. They're just so satisfying to write with. And if you're a bit of a high roller like me, they're a bit like functional jewelry.
If you’re into writing at all (or just want it to be more comfortable), once you realize ink can be more than just a solid boring color, there’s no going back.
I got into it because a friend mentioned they were on sale, and at that point I just wanted to try all kinds of fountain pens. Five years later and the only reason why my fountain pens are not in daily rotation with me this *quarter* is because the notebook I'm using for work doesn't take FP ink well. xD I absolutely love the colour and shading of my inks, and the feel of pen gliding on paper is something that really makes me happy.
Thank so much for your video!! I've been using fountain pens since I was 7 years old. I am now seventy. My father gave me in 1973 the fountain pen that my grandmother had given him in 1949. A Parker 51. I still use it. There is no writing tool better than a vintage and fully functional fountain pen. Nothing against good quality ball points though, but fountain pens are something else!
My dad also gave me my first fountain pen, way back 2012. It’s been more than 10 years now and I’m still using it. I’ve filled lots of journals with that one pen. It’s just a simple Lamy Safari with a 1.1 italic nib. I’ve had other pens, even the same Lamy Safari model in a limited edition macaron blue, yet my first Lamy still writes best. Even when I fitted my new Lamy with the same 1.1 italic nib, it just doesn’t write as smoothly and comfortably as my first Lamy. I guess quality fountain pens are like wine, they get better with time.
I got tired of throwing away so many used up ballpoints in grad school when the volume of notes I was taking went overboard. I’d tried to learn calligraphy (badly) as a kid with one of those cheap starter sets you can buy at art stores so I’d had a bad experience, but this time around I did a lot of research beforehand and was blown away once I wasn’t making mistakes like using the wrong nib and paper combo or pressing too hard. I write almost exclusively with FP now except for when I need to write on cheap copy paper. For that I’ve got some sarasa dry pens.
I get a special joy out of writing with a fountain pen in cursive when there's that perfect match of ink to nib that lets you write quickly and legibly with almost no force, it's all flow. The graceful swoops of cursive are pure joy with a fountain pen ☺
Fountain pens were a rite of passage growing up. We used pencils until 4th grade when we had to use a fountain, except for math. We weren’t allowed to use ballpoint pens until 5th grade. I still have the Esterbrook pen I got 57 years ago. I love fountain pens, and can’t think of not using them at all.
A friend once challenged me to use a fountain pen, betting that I couldn't get it to write on the first try. I don't use fountain pens often, but it's obvious you just line up the bottom of the nib with the paper and that's it. Wrote on the first try and apparently it was an unbelievable feat. Point is: some people definitely deliberately overcomplicate how a fountain pen works for no good reason.
I'm a fountain-pen lover from Vetnam because it's a beloved tradition that even elementary students must write purple-inked fountain pens, but after graduating elementary school fewer and fewer students keep writing in these pens while most changed pens into ballpoint one, and fewer and fewer use purple while more and more change into blue or red, etc.
I enjoyed this, but I'd add: *5. Liquid ink is more enjoyable to write with.* Unlike the pasty ink in ballpoints or the gel ink in gel pens, fountain pens use liquid ink. Liquid inks give the writer more control and more possibilities for expression -- kind of like the difference between using a crayon and using a watercolor brush. Feeling a nib lay down a smooth line of liquid ink is a completely different, and more enjoyable, experience compared to pushing a tarry ink into the paper's surface.
My hand-eye coordination is terrible so I could never write legibly with a ballpoint or biro as a child- my Dad got me a fountain pen to try and because I didn’t have to use as much pressure I could actually write a lot better with one, and I’ve never looked back! Plus I love the aesthetics of using one.
Going back to fountain pens was one of the best investments I did for the environment and for myself. The sensation of the nib gliding on the paper, the flow of ink giving visual beauty to the paper is second to none. I cannot do now without them, their use has become a daily ritual, and with the most recent addition of a Sailor Naginata Togi, oh, I feel so grateful.
@@sillysod33 The pen that has become my workhorse for writing on any kind of paper except the one used for photocopying is the Sailor 1911 large and cigar shaped. It has a Naginata Togi nib that writes as in a dream and my everyday ink is the Leonardo black.
I am a newbie to fountain pens because I was intimidated by them too. So I took the leap and bought the Platinum Preppy fine nib just in case I didn't like it. OMGosh!! I have never written with a pen that was so smooth and effortless! So I'm getting the feel of it down and yes, I am hooked now. I've added fountain pens progressive in price to my wish list on JetPens. My next hurdle is filling a piston style pen.
I’m a lefty and I have used uni ball signos for years when i was a student. When i graduated and had enough money to buy a fountain pen out of curiosity, I was pleasantly surprised that Fountain Pens with as thin of a point as .25 and .38 exist (one of the reasons why i didn’t explore FPs was because I thought nibs as thin as that didn’t exist). Anyway, i started my FP journey in 2021 and honestly, i have never been more thankful for making the change. No more buying refills. Less mistakes are made since writing with FPs trains and disciplines you for each stroke. And! One thing i noticed is, in all my years of trying to perfect my handwriting, my number one problem is writing in a straight line on a blank notebook/paper. Icb all i needed was to write with FPs to practice and almost perfect writing on blank papers. FPs are costly, but they’re a good investment if it disciplines you and lets you lessen your waste.
I love the experience of writing with a fountain pen, and I love the ink varieties, so much nicer than "ballpoint blue" and "gelpoint black." It seems so much more formal somehow. As for losing one, I'd be somewhat upset if I lost one of my Pilot Metropolitans, but my one and only Pilot E95S does NOT leave the house so I always know it's gotta be somewhere nearby.
The closest I’ve come to a fountain pen was the artist dip pens. They are not ideal for everyday writing. I got into fountain pens because I liked the idea that I can just refill them from ink bottles instead of throwing away a plastic refill.
I got into it after seeing some special custom inks online. I'm an artist, so i'm used to working with ink and nibs. When I started bullet journaling, I tried to use special paper or digital methods, but using my favorite pen was, by far, the thing that had me using it the most. My current EDC is a Kaweco Sport in Pearl with Dominant Industry's Sunset. The outer pen is a translucent milky blue with purple specks that turn kind of coppery in the light. The ink is one that I fell in love with right away- purple that goes to both pink and blue, with a gold shimmer. I've got some vintage pilots as well, plus the Traveler's Company brass as a fountain pen and a rollerball. To anyone looking to get I to inks but wants something more like a firm modern rollerball, I recommend the latter.
Left-handed fountain pen user here! I love fountain pens because they are long lasting and I love how customizable they are. Also, I love love love the beautiful fountain pen inks. It makes writing so much more enjoyable!
I have an obsession with color matching and getting items in colors that remind me of my fav fictional characters-- for example I got chartres blue and bourgogne platinum century 3776 with diamines majestic blue and sailor manyo ume ink respectively in honor of my fav chars from my all time fave novel lol
I love how fountain pens give such a versatile, highly customizable and elegant writing experience. Not to mention they harken back to ye olde days when science and exploration were in their hayday, and therefore there was epic journalling of all kinds of cool discoveries, experiences and mysteries 😄. When I write with my fountain pen it makes me want to write neatly, and it makes me feel like what I write down is worthwhile (compared to a ballpoint or gelpen scribble that's like 'Eh, I need to know this now but I can just forget about it in a couple of days'). It also somehow gives me a self-esteem boost, makes me feel more elegant and a tiny bit like Atrus from Myst 😆. I love how they flow over paper and how the ink comes out to form lovely lines full of colour that is your choosing. Much love all around for fountain pens 🥰🥰🥰.
Used to EDC a fountain pen. The main problem I encounter is what paper I write on is mostly beyond my control so its always cheap thin paper or glossy paper or fraying recycled paper. Using fountain pens on official documents is really cool and fancy looking but its the paper that lets you down.
After a really bad experience with a cheap fountain pen I got from a large store, I was skeptical about giving them another try. Thankfully, I did and my Lamy Safari EF is now one of the main pens I use. I especially enjoy how customizable fountain pens are, even at entry level. Having an ink that matches the pen makes me smile when I write. It's also really cool to be able to connect with people around the world who use fountain pens.
Gels and ballpoints are easy targets for hand cramps though. Try rollerballs, they're what I recently switched to using. Liquid ink, doesn't leak no matter what orientation I put them in and gets to writing instantly when I pick it up
I think what we need as a video is a mythbuster type of thing about common myths non-FP users know about them that hinder them from trying it out. The first one that I hear most often was that it explodes ink everywhere, that the nib gets ruined very easily or it can rip up paper and is very scratchy and finnicky to write with (which is ridiculous and the exact opposite), and that fountain pens are only the expensive kind. (And you can definitely sneak in some entry level Petits and Perkeos in this section.) Would be cool if you have some staffers hear about the myth and see their reaction and get some opinions.
I can react right now. _Cheap_ fountain pens are all of those things. Modern fountain pens are usually tipped with polished bits of iridium, which is the same stuff used in spark plugs. They only spray ink everywhere if you flick them or set them in contact with something that wicks moisture. They're also only super expensive if you're buying Montblanc pens with 24k gold nibs or whatever. Or if you buy a bunch of pens to experiment 😅. They're definitely more delicate than ballpoint pens. I can crank down on most of my pens, but doing that with a fountain pen would wreck it.
I refilled my Jinhao fountain pen after a few years of putting it down "for good" and now my pointer finger tip looks bruised but only in black and white instead of black and blue. 😂
I like using the same pen for years. It has been my companion for a long time now. Recently I almost lost it and before I could find it I was totally afraid like I was losing a very great part of myself. I like things like that becoming a part of myself and staying with me for a long time.
I really enjoy the color choices and the minimal presssure. I used to press sooo hard writing. Years ago i worked in shipping and recieving and was always filling out shipping forms labels that required many many copies. so I used to write alot I forgot how to write in cursive but my print is very neat and clear. I would have a million stickers for neatness if i were still in grade school damn it. 😁
I've always struggled tremendously with my handwriting. Slowing down enough to write legibly is almost painful for me (I suspect this is because of my ADHD). However, fountain pens glide so smoothly and the slower you write, the cooler the ink looks! Getting to control where and how much the ink pools is super satisfying, which makes slowing down less taxing and helps a lot with my handwriting.
I got into fountain pens from this channel, actually! I watched the video of Stephanie going through her fountain pen collection, and I couldn't stop thinking about all of her pretty pens. I bought my first two fountain pens from JetPens, as well as some ink, shortly after. I'm hooked!
Calligraphy in high school got me started. For some years, I had too many fountain pens and did not take care of them very well. Now I only have a couple (TWSBI and Pilot petit) and I rotate them through the week taking school notes (makes me slow down and think about what I'm writing) and working on lists and my planner. I think having to apply consideration to these activities has been realllly helpful the last couple years (and JetPens delivering all through the lockdown was a blessing and thank you so very much)
Ooh, calligraphy also got me at least aware that fountain pens existed and that, at some point, I wanted to own one of my own! Sadly, it took over 15 years for that to happen...
A teacher said that a calligraphy pen would improve my writing (which was unreadable) and gave me also some practices tips to do so. A calligraphy pen made my shaky writing much more readable (the nib made my writing more smooth). I also redesigned my handwriting letters (that is extremely hard! It took years to do that) and now it is based on paleographic letters from around the 8th to 13th century: just take a book on paleography to look how they wrote in those days, it is a good inspiration for your hand writing.
I bought a pink Pilot Prera with a medium sized nib a couple months ago and haven't been able to put it down since. They're fun to draw with, easy to write with. I'm ordering a converter so I can use more fun inks because a lot of them are really pretty.
Teachers in our school recommend the fountain pens when we finally move from our pencils to pens. It does improve hand writing, and it feels extremely good when you can hear the paper make slight rough sound.
I'd forgotten how beautiful the Pelikan M400 tortoise shell pens are. My favorite fountain pens now are TWSBI ECOs. I don't even use my Pelikan M800, any longer, because the ECO works so well for me, and it's so inexpensive that if it gets lost, damaged, or stolen, I won't be heartbroken, I'll just get another. Writes smoothly, cheap, beautiful, piston-filler, and available in a variety of colors!
I’m a lefty getting back into fountain pens after about 20 years since my last foray. I had a couple Schaefers back then, can’t recall the models. Recently picked up a Waterman Allure and have been enjoying the process. I have a converter and bottle of Pilot purple ink writing shipped soonish. I come in from a 10-11 o’clock angle to the writing line, so I definitely use a blotter sheet under my hand. I find it helps me slow down and be more deliberate with my writing, which I consider a plus.
Fountain pens are like watches to me; there are so many to choose from to the point where it's totally impossible to have only one favorite. Some pens are way beyond my bank account, but some are not. Less not forget the inks and the ink bottles. Ink bottles that look like perfume bottles with those elegant shapes.
Most ball point or rollerball pens require some pressure to write, you need enough friction to make the ball turn and feed ink. Fountain pens use capillary action instead, and don't require friction, meaning they can write with less, or even no pressure. For me this means it's much more comfortable to write.
I write with my pen leaned down, and that usually disrupts the ink flow of gel or ball pens. That's why I started using fountain pens, the fluidity and the elegant strokes are perfect for me.
Why I like fountain pens was a combination at first, and has evolved over the years. First was the novelty in a time they were looking like they were going extinct (1983.) Then because my first good one was a 1950s Esterbrook J, there's the many nib options not generally available from even brands today (who else has ever had 33 nib options?🤔) Became kind of an obsession. Then I had a stroke and other types of pens are now painful to write with. Still a collector, but they're my only real option today. Chromashading inks, shimmer inks, sheen and shading? Don't really get noticed by anyone outside of fountain pen users, so I only use those for me. I could use a "boring old ink" for almost everyone else. 😁 There's a reason most still sold are basic colors. Black, blue-black and blue are still best sellers. 😉
In my country it is mandatory to write with a fountain pen since elementary schools...but here, unfortunately nobody draw attention to manufacture good quality stationary items that are affordable yet functional for students...
my 2nd fountain pen and current fountain pen is the lamy safari, it is really good for smooth writing and not killing my wrist, and also using fountain pens is just satisfying, as if ur words flow with ur thoughts. BEST thing though, with ballpoint pens righting fast makes those hollow strokes with only 2 thin lines, but with fountain pens, i can writes as fast as i want. ideal for notes. if you are like “but i wanna erase my notes if i make mistakes!” cross them out, notes should be quick, not perfect
Fountain pens are an additive tool to your workflow. Unless you work in calligraphy or typographic design, fountain pens shouldn't be the primary writing tool. Like others have mentioned, its shortcomings include: -Messy (turns into a literal hose on airplanes) -Ink is slow to dry on paper -Ink dries out fast in the barrel -Ink isn't waterproof -Expensive, both the pen and ink -Needs premium paper to prevent ghost/bleedthrough (writing showing on other side of the page) -Takes time to adjust to There are reasons behind why it was replaced by so many other different types of pens. With that said, I highly encourage everyone to try fountain pens at least once. Just remember to get heavier paper. I recommend at least 80gsm. 100gsm and above are even better.
I have a few different reasons. For one, I like that I can buy one pen and use it for years and years. I also like being able to decide to write in a different color if I want to. I also just like the look and feel of writing with a fountain pen.
the philosophy of one familiar high quality tool being superior to any number of disposable ones has never disappointed me. applied to writing and drawing utensils this has inexorably lead to a small array of purpose specific fountain pens for me in the last 3 years and I haven't had a crummy plastic disposable pen in my workspace since. just the comfort and luxury of using a good fountain pen has made my work flow more palatable and less oppressive by a surprising amount. sometimes the little things in life end up mattering more than you could ever figure.
I recommend TWSBI for anybody that wants to get into fountain pens. There's tons of cheap pens, but spend an extra 10 bucks or so and get a really good, reliable pen.
I use cheap fountain pen and nonspecial ink for my journal that has rough textured papers. I never thought much of FPs coz they look like deluxe pens i dont have money for and yeah the maintainance. But the ease i have in writing extremely long journal entries made it my go to pen coz my wrist isnt strained at all. (FPs are very expensive where im at and i can only buy the fragile plastic knock offs w/ ink that is not friendly to 70gsm papers nor for regular use)
I agree with all the reasons mentioned in the video. I have also a sentimental reason: when I first learned to write at elementary school we used fountain pens, Pelikan and Aurora being the brands of choice. Using a f.p. now gives me a reassuring sense of continuity
smoothest writing. Also, less pressure is needed. If a fountain pen is inked, (and the nib/feed ink flow is correct) as long as the nib is in contact with the paper, it will write. Depending on the nib, you can get line variation when writing. (Not as big of concern today as in the past: Depending on the nib you can make triplicate and quadruplet carbon copies) A rainbow of ink colors and shades, including blues, greens, and reds that are not hard on the eyes when used for more than a line or three. ///SOME/// of the inks are more permanent than a ballpoint. You can also get scented, sheening, sparkling, florescent, only visible under a UV light, and color changing inks. Generally speaking, a fountain pen can last decades (centuries?) longer than a ball point because of the materials used to make it. Refills for ball points and rollerball pens come and go. Ink cartridges (if used) stick around, and can be refilled using a syringe. You can also replace the cartridge with a converter, allowing the use of any bottled fountain pen ink. For pens that don't use a cartridge or converter (lever fill, aerometric fill, eye dropper (BTW: some, but not all cartridge-converter pens can also be eye dropper filled), vacuum fill, and piston fill) bottled ink is unlikely to ever go off the market. Fountain Pens have "class". Fountain Pens can feel better in hand during long writing sessions than a ball point/rollerball or a Pencil. These are the primary Why's I use fountain pens pretty much exclusively.
they look absolutely amazing, noone else in my class uses those, they are smoothest thing ever, i used them first 5 years ago, highly customizable, long lasting and just better than other pens in every way
Nice video. I still have the Parker 45 I used for law school over 40 years ago. I still use various fountain pens, usually Parker 45s and 51s for extensive writing; they require no pressure and make it easy to get thoughts down on paper or take notes.
I started to use fountain pen 🖋 in 2017, my first was Pilot Petit 1 mini, I got in Jetpens, and since that I am in love for them. This year I got my girst Sailor, I like fine pen, and I am left hand like Connie. I use my fountain pens every day in my journal. Each pen has different ink, so I can do variations. Thank you Jetpens to showed me how amazing fountain pens can be🥰🥰🥰
パイロットの万年筆はいいですよね！パイロットの色彩雫は山栗（yama-guri）でも黄色のフラッシュが現れますよ！インク熟成を行うとよりフラッシュが起こりやすくなります！ Pilot fountain pens are great! The yellow flash will appear even with the yama-guri for the pilot's color drop! Ink aging makes flash more likely!
I love my fountain pens so much. They write so smoothly and I can put any colored ink in them. I can also share my ink with other fountain pen friends.
I was introduced to fountain pen through my teacher who had one with very thin nib that could write only in a special orientation and a pump style converter that that was daunting to refill and spilled ink if held the wrong way. I didn't find fountain pens convenient until I discovered wide nibbed ones with piston style converter. I can spend hours writing and refilling the cartridges. Looking to buy a pen case to store my new fountain pen 🖋️ collection
I currently have a collection of five Parker fountain pens (and growing), all in high rotation and made of metal so I won't be throwing them away anytime soon. I love the smooth writing, especially since my handwriting suffered due to extensive computer usage during my Ph.D. studies. I use them to practice my handwriting with no plans to return to ballpoint or gel pens.
For me, fountain pens were always the top experience when it came to pens. My father was a pen collector and I could spend hours going through his collection when I was younger. He presented me with a Parker to start.
They are customizable, and They make the writing/sketching process such a delight!!!!! And also intimidating IYKYK when they ask you to borrow your pen….
Just to elaborate on your point about long lasting. My grandfather handed me a pen he used for over 60 years. Nothing fancy but to me it is priceless. Not to mention one of my fondest and treasured memories of my late grandfather is filling ink in fountain pens. Also, I dont know if this is a fact or not but atleast my family said to improve handwriting one must write with fountain pens.
I like fountainpens because my hands are used to write with minimal pressure. I already liked signpens before but I find it wasteful to discard lots of barrels or tubes. Then, I got to know about fountain pens, I was using already callography pens from Speedball, that is why I understand how it works and I like it. In 2016, I bought my first pair of fountain pens. They are still with me now, I'm using them for my everyday notes. I bought several more pens later and experimented with them. I ground one riridium nib to become a bit sharp that I can write hairlines when it is 90° relative to paper and very thick when at least 25° relative to paper. It works like a pencil, with variable width that I can use depending on the emphasis I am doing on my writing.
I dunno what in other countries, but in my country everyone have to use a fountain pen when we the first learn to write. We have to use the pen for 5 years, that’s mean from Grade 1 - 5. Back in time, I still remember the ink on my fingers,on clothes for not careful. It is hard to wash away but that how I learn to write.
When I was in school in the seventies an ink pen, Cartridge or fountain was compulsory, they were the days when proper handwriting was taught, I still have many fountain pens today. My favourite pen is a Lamy studio with italic fine nib
You forgot one thing to mention. Fountan pens talks about your personality.....It shows that you value simple things in your life. also it is a status symbol. I have my fountan pen with me from last 9 years !
I discovered fountain pens because there was one on flash sale on the front page of Amazon. Realized that they solve a lot of the things I didn't like about having to write with cheap ballpoints or pencils. Especially the writing pressure and hand cramping. Plus there's just something enchanting about watching the ink itself lay down and dry while you write. I'm only just now discovering interesting inks too, after spending the first year or two using cartridges or a single lonely bottle of Noodler's Aircorps Blue-Black.
I'd have loved to use fountain pens when I was in school (since it uses less force so it could potentially allow me to write more and faster even without my hands hurting as much), however I'm left handed and having stains on my wrist and smudging the ink all over my paper is a no for me
I'm a teacher and use ALOT of red pens to correct work, and so I wanted to be more sustainable and lessen my garbage, so I started out with a very simple cheap fountain pen and graduated to TWBI. It can get messy sometimes, but definitely worth the change.
don't forget about a variety of nib shapes. It's not just thick or thin, it can also be flat or flexible. The unique experience ballpoint pens can't give.
I’ve been using fountain pens for 10 years now. I may be the only modern FP user who started using them because he saw a picture of an envelope from the fifties, written in burgundy ink, with lots of shading! I just liked the look of it. I was born in the twilight years of fountain pens. I enjoyed watching my parents write with them, but, by the time I started school ballpoints had taken their place. I like the ink choices, the way they write, and I enjoy fiddling with them (cleaning, filling, etc.). They’re not everyone’s cup of tea, but I sure enjoy them. Quick note: I doubt simply switching to a fountain pen will improve your handwriting. However, because of their smoothness and lack need for pressure, they make it easier to improve your handwriting, so most people do.
I would liken using fountain pens to cooking your own food, with your own family recipes. Yes, you can go to McD*****'s and it would be easier, but the difference in quality, variety, and overall experience is incomparable. And regarding longevity, I still use my Great-Aunt Pearl's 1929 Parker Desk Set pen (among two other pens). Oh, and I hardly ever have "blue fingers".
fountain pens totally saved my hands back when studying in dentistry school. one of my profs wanted every student to take down notes and her presentations were so long that by the end of the class i'm the only person whose hand wasn't tired.
Idk nothing about fountain pens except they make me think of the 1800’s and they look difficult to write with but I love a fine tip pen that writes smooth so maybe I’ll give one a try and see how I like it
Love using fountain pens, been using them since I started high school at 12. I'm also left handed but just use a finer nib and it won't smudge. I can't write well with roller balls, it makes my writing look messy. When I write with my fountain pen, i take the time to enjoy writing with it, I focus on writing neater too.
I find fountain pens fun to write with as I write cursive. It may not be the case, but when printing I would think that constantly lifting the pen up there's extra ink left on the paper; plus it's not as fast. Thanks for intro, I will take out my FPs and give your inks a try.
aside from these 4 things a fountain pen also makes you addicted towards writing before while i used to write with a gel pen i never liked writing with it i always couldnt figure out wich gel pen i want to use but now i have a fountain pen and lifes better already
Left handed fountain pen user. I smear and smudge less with fountain pens because I can write with them at a lower angle than ballpoint. I do the same with drafting pencils.
There is a con to using fountain pens. They're addicting! I have a ridiculous number of fountain pens and I still want more! I got my husband and brother addicted to them, too!
So true, LoL. We make this point that is something very durable which lasts forever, that is environmental-friendly, and so on, but then we can't have just one nice, perfect pen, we keep buying more.
I used to have terrible handwriting..One of my High school teacher suggested me to use fountain pen..Which really helped me to improve my handwriting .. then onward I am using fountain only.. now I have 5 -6 good quality pens varying from extra fine to medium nib size ..
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Happy (early) Fountain Pen Day everyone! Let us know what your favorite fountain pen is in the comments!
Parker, for sure.
Parker
I use a Manuscript calligraphy or Rotring art pens...are these considered Fountain pens ??..
4:02 ... they come with that cartridge that is refillable, as you demonstrate..
Parker
@@IdaKiss Parker's pens are not good anymore. At least their inks are good.
I'm dyspraxic so I've always had difficulty writing. I've since found that fountain pens are actually a lot easier for me to write with and I don't get hand cramps which was always a problem for me.
This times a thousand. Remember the little timed blue book exams where your hand just about fell off? I think some of it is mental too; knowing the nib is sensitive to pressure somehow primes the hand to subconsciously relax, I suppose just as one might be delicate with a champagne glass or a child's hand while otherwise distracted.
This makes a lot of sense! I’m glad that you found something that works for you! But if u don’t mind me asking, what does this condition entail? I’ve had a couple fountain pens in the past but they were always so flimsy and broke like 24/7 and unfortunately I don’t have the money to buy a good one right now
Oh Really I feel so bad for you😞😞😞😞
Same here!! Plus, my handwriting was already leaning more towards cursive, which is more comfortable to do with a fountain pen.
I have dysgraphia, so writing with ball-point pens feels like a novice maneuvering on an ice rink. Lamy Al-Stars are my favorites.
I've always wanted one since high school, a Mont Blanc specifically just because I kept seeing them advertised in Vogue. Now as an adult, I'm content with my tiny affordable collection of Pilot Kakuno fountain pens.
Remember if you're new to fountain pens and had a bad experience, almost always it's because you grabbed random incompatible paper or too fine of a nib on plain paper.
I wish they covered papers more in detail in this video cuz paper quality is everything
Or the nib had bad QA. Personally I like Kaweco, I have several Sports and an Original and still considering getting a Supra. But their QA is...not good. To the point where I'm just not comfortable recommending them as entry level pens anymore. For that I almost always go for Lamy or Pilot. (Or even the Jinhao shark, makes a good kid's first fountain pen.)
@@josh1216 I wouldn't even recommend Lamy tbh, twsbi are better value and quality. The shark is excellent, reliable and easy to use, also cute as heck.
@@floptimus And the Shark is so easy to convert to an eyedropper as well.
Yes, a crow-quill tip on onion skin paper is an exploration of tears and scratch throughs.
I really appreciate that the Jetpens site lets me filter fountain pens by grip diameter, because it feels like all fountain pens have massive grips, and I prefer delicate thin grips. Jetpens helped me find my Pilot Cavalier fountain pen, with just the right balance of weight and thickness. ❤
I didn’t know this! Very cool.
I'm a leftie from Germany. Where I live, you're required to use a fountain pen from Year 2 to 4 at elementary school. Because my Pelikan pen with an L nib was just the most comfortable pen for me to write with longterm, it stayed with me throughout my whole school and a good portion of my uni life. (I did go through four nibs because I dropped it occasionally, though.) However, I only really got into fountain pens as I joined the planner community and I learned alot more about them, too. Today, I'm a fan of fine and extra fine nibs whereas I was perfectly okay with my L (similar to M) nib at the time. I prefer how my handwriting looks with finer pens, and unlike Connie, I hold my hand so ink *would* smear if it didn't dry fast enough. (Pelikan's Prussian Blue ink does, which was all I ever used during my school days, but now I want ALL the inks! 🤣)
I actually got my first fountain pen just yesterday :D It’s a Pilot Varsity Fountain Pen. It writes really smoothly so that it doesn’t make me feel like I have to press down hard. I also just like the design.
@Wise Acres As a matter of fact, I‘ve found plenty of new inks, and most of them are neither blue nor black. Also, adult world documents are hardly ever handwritten in this time and age, so it doesn’t matter what ink colours (plural) I use in my personal writing. After all, my notebooks and journals are unlikely to ever become world documents. They’re just for my own perusal, and I prefer them to be something nice for me to look at.
Same here but in austria😂
By the way Hallöchen
Ah, Pelikan. Good memories.
As an older person, I remember ink wells in classroom desks. They weren’t for decoration. We started writing, printing actually, with pencils but moved on to dip pens with fairly unforgiving nibs as I recall. Sooner or later most kids had basic fountain pens. Depending on how you held the pen, most kids had ink stains on their index or middle finger when the school day was over. To this day, I love fountain pens and use them for writing and drawing. A broad nib pen is a great drawing tool and lots of artists use them.
That’s fascinating!! Your words painted such an image of a bustling classroom with students with ink stains. I am picturing wooden desks, and people paying more attention to their handwriting…and taking better care of all the materials.
I mistakenly though fountain pens weren't as smooth as ballpoint or gel pens. I mean, how could it be? They're literal balls that roll around. But then I tried one. It's even smoother somehow!
Yes. That's because the tip of the nib is rounded and polished. Balls tend to be textured to grip the paper.
It's because of the water based ink. Rollerballs like Uniball Air are even smoother.
Are Cartridges better than bottle inks for fountain pens ?
@@gauravtributes5023It depends! Cartridges are easy and often what fountain pens are designed to take. However, you miss out on the sheer variety of inks that are available. If you're planning to stick with one color and don't write a ton, cartridges are certainly a valid way to go. Bulk inks are also less expensive in the long run if you write a lot like stationery nerds are prone to.
@@totally_not_a_bot Got it, thanks. I am just starting to use it, so wanted to get an idea.
I still can't get enough of Connie's handwriting! Staring at 4:42 😆
Pretty much all the reasons as stated. I'll add one more: we use FPs as an excuse to write even more! 😇
this fr! a lot of my friends hate writing and seem confused when i eagerly write page after page, sometimes even more than necessary. I just love the feeling of putting my thoughts and ideas to paper and my fountain pen makes that experience much more enjoyable
@@phryg2035 Precisely!!!! It's the experience and joy of it... the Why!!! :D
Yeah, I've tried keeping a consistent journal over the years, but I was only able to finally do it because of fountain pens. They're just so satisfying to write with. And if you're a bit of a high roller like me, they're a bit like functional jewelry.
If you’re into writing at all (or just want it to be more comfortable), once you realize ink can be more than just a solid boring color, there’s no going back.
Shouldn't that be " There's(just) no going black?" 😁
@@johnsanabria3279 lol nice
uncommonly for me, i fell in love with fountain pens only after i started writing with black ink.
I got into it because a friend mentioned they were on sale, and at that point I just wanted to try all kinds of fountain pens. Five years later and the only reason why my fountain pens are not in daily rotation with me this *quarter* is because the notebook I'm using for work doesn't take FP ink well. xD I absolutely love the colour and shading of my inks, and the feel of pen gliding on paper is something that really makes me happy.
For me, it's about the tactile experience, but also the sheer variety of ink colors and types. I love having so many options at my fingertips!
Thank so much for your video!! I've been using fountain pens since I was 7 years old. I am now seventy. My father gave me in 1973 the fountain pen that my grandmother had given him in 1949. A Parker 51. I still use it. There is no writing tool better than a vintage and fully functional fountain pen. Nothing against good quality ball points though, but fountain pens are something else!
My dad also gave me my first fountain pen, way back 2012. It’s been more than 10 years now and I’m still using it. I’ve filled lots of journals with that one pen.
It’s just a simple Lamy Safari with a 1.1 italic nib. I’ve had other pens, even the same Lamy Safari model in a limited edition macaron blue, yet my first Lamy still writes best. Even when I fitted my new Lamy with the same 1.1 italic nib, it just doesn’t write as smoothly and comfortably as my first Lamy.
I guess quality fountain pens are like wine, they get better with time.
I started using fountain pens because of hand pain and never looked back. My favorite part is all The ink choices.
I got tired of throwing away so many used up ballpoints in grad school when the volume of notes I was taking went overboard. I’d tried to learn calligraphy (badly) as a kid with one of those cheap starter sets you can buy at art stores so I’d had a bad experience, but this time around I did a lot of research beforehand and was blown away once I wasn’t making mistakes like using the wrong nib and paper combo or pressing too hard. I write almost exclusively with FP now except for when I need to write on cheap copy paper. For that I’ve got some sarasa dry pens.
I get a special joy out of writing with a fountain pen in cursive when there's that perfect match of ink to nib that lets you write quickly and legibly with almost no force, it's all flow. The graceful swoops of cursive are pure joy with a fountain pen ☺
Fountain pens were a rite of passage growing up. We used pencils until 4th grade when we had to use a fountain, except for math. We weren’t allowed to use ballpoint pens until 5th grade. I still have the Esterbrook pen I got 57 years ago. I love fountain pens, and can’t think of not using them at all.
Many parts of mainland Europe require fountain pen use during primary school too.
A friend once challenged me to use a fountain pen, betting that I couldn't get it to write on the first try. I don't use fountain pens often, but it's obvious you just line up the bottom of the nib with the paper and that's it. Wrote on the first try and apparently it was an unbelievable feat.
Point is: some people definitely deliberately overcomplicate how a fountain pen works for no good reason.
It's probably because most people at least in the US have no clue what a fountain pen is or how it works
Yup. and don't push hard.
I'm a fountain-pen lover from Vetnam because it's a beloved tradition that even elementary students must write purple-inked fountain pens, but after graduating elementary school fewer and fewer students keep writing in these pens while most changed pens into ballpoint one, and fewer and fewer use purple while more and more change into blue or red, etc.
I enjoyed this, but I'd add:
*5. Liquid ink is more enjoyable to write with.* Unlike the pasty ink in ballpoints or the gel ink in gel pens, fountain pens use liquid ink. Liquid inks give the writer more control and more possibilities for expression -- kind of like the difference between using a crayon and using a watercolor brush. Feeling a nib lay down a smooth line of liquid ink is a completely different, and more enjoyable, experience compared to pushing a tarry ink into the paper's surface.
My hand-eye coordination is terrible so I could never write legibly with a ballpoint or biro as a child- my Dad got me a fountain pen to try and because I didn’t have to use as much pressure I could actually write a lot better with one, and I’ve never looked back! Plus I love the aesthetics of using one.
🥰 I recycled the same Oui yogurt jar for my watercolor and fountain pen cleaning and rinses.
I do that, except I use an old Grey Poupon jar lmao
Going back to fountain pens was one of the best investments I did for the environment and for myself. The sensation of the nib gliding on the paper, the flow of ink giving visual beauty to the paper is second to none. I cannot do now without them, their use has become a daily ritual, and with the most recent addition of a Sailor Naginata Togi, oh, I feel so grateful.
Is that an ink? Which pen do you use it with? I love what you wrote above, so true. 👏🏻
@@sillysod33 The pen that has become my workhorse for writing on any kind of paper except the one used for photocopying is the Sailor 1911 large and cigar shaped. It has a Naginata Togi nib that writes as in a dream and my everyday ink is the Leonardo black.
@@sillysod33 Iroshizuku inks are also excellent and gentle on any pen.
I am a newbie to fountain pens because I was intimidated by them too. So I took the leap and bought the Platinum Preppy fine nib just in case I didn't like it. OMGosh!! I have never written with a pen that was so smooth and effortless! So I'm getting the feel of it down and yes, I am hooked now. I've added fountain pens progressive in price to my wish list on JetPens. My next hurdle is filling a piston style pen.
I’m a lefty and I have used uni ball signos for years when i was a student. When i graduated and had enough money to buy a fountain pen out of curiosity, I was pleasantly surprised that Fountain Pens with as thin of a point as .25 and .38 exist (one of the reasons why i didn’t explore FPs was because I thought nibs as thin as that didn’t exist).
Anyway, i started my FP journey in 2021 and honestly, i have never been more thankful for making the change. No more buying refills. Less mistakes are made since writing with FPs trains and disciplines you for each stroke.
And! One thing i noticed is, in all my years of trying to perfect my handwriting, my number one problem is writing in a straight line on a blank notebook/paper.
Icb all i needed was to write with FPs to practice and almost perfect writing on blank papers.
FPs are costly, but they’re a good investment if it disciplines you and lets you lessen your waste.
I love the experience of writing with a fountain pen, and I love the ink varieties, so much nicer than "ballpoint blue" and "gelpoint black." It seems so much more formal somehow. As for losing one, I'd be somewhat upset if I lost one of my Pilot Metropolitans, but my one and only Pilot E95S does NOT leave the house so I always know it's gotta be somewhere nearby.
The closest I’ve come to a fountain pen was the artist dip pens. They are not ideal for everyday writing. I got into fountain pens because I liked the idea that I can just refill them from ink bottles instead of throwing away a plastic refill.
I got into it after seeing some special custom inks online. I'm an artist, so i'm used to working with ink and nibs. When I started bullet journaling, I tried to use special paper or digital methods, but using my favorite pen was, by far, the thing that had me using it the most. My current EDC is a Kaweco Sport in Pearl with Dominant Industry's Sunset. The outer pen is a translucent milky blue with purple specks that turn kind of coppery in the light. The ink is one that I fell in love with right away- purple that goes to both pink and blue, with a gold shimmer.
I've got some vintage pilots as well, plus the Traveler's Company brass as a fountain pen and a rollerball. To anyone looking to get I to inks but wants something more like a firm modern rollerball, I recommend the latter.
Left-handed fountain pen user here! I love fountain pens because they are long lasting and I love how customizable they are. Also, I love love love the beautiful fountain pen inks. It makes writing so much more enjoyable!
They write so darn good, especially on Clairefontaine paper! They are elegant.
I have an obsession with color matching and getting items in colors that remind me of my fav fictional characters-- for example I got chartres blue and bourgogne platinum century 3776 with diamines majestic blue and sailor manyo ume ink respectively in honor of my fav chars from my all time fave novel lol
I love how fountain pens give such a versatile, highly customizable and elegant writing experience. Not to mention they harken back to ye olde days when science and exploration were in their hayday, and therefore there was epic journalling of all kinds of cool discoveries, experiences and mysteries 😄. When I write with my fountain pen it makes me want to write neatly, and it makes me feel like what I write down is worthwhile (compared to a ballpoint or gelpen scribble that's like 'Eh, I need to know this now but I can just forget about it in a couple of days'). It also somehow gives me a self-esteem boost, makes me feel more elegant and a tiny bit like Atrus from Myst 😆. I love how they flow over paper and how the ink comes out to form lovely lines full of colour that is your choosing. Much love all around for fountain pens 🥰🥰🥰.
Because they’re cool and there are so many wonderful inks to choose from!
Used to EDC a fountain pen. The main problem I encounter is what paper I write on is mostly beyond my control so its always cheap thin paper or glossy paper or fraying recycled paper. Using fountain pens on official documents is really cool and fancy looking but its the paper that lets you down.
After a really bad experience with a cheap fountain pen I got from a large store, I was skeptical about giving them another try. Thankfully, I did and my Lamy Safari EF is now one of the main pens I use. I especially enjoy how customizable fountain pens are, even at entry level. Having an ink that matches the pen makes me smile when I write.
It's also really cool to be able to connect with people around the world who use fountain pens.
Gels and ballpoints are easy targets for hand cramps though. Try rollerballs, they're what I recently switched to using. Liquid ink, doesn't leak no matter what orientation I put them in and gets to writing instantly when I pick it up
I think what we need as a video is a mythbuster type of thing about common myths non-FP users know about them that hinder them from trying it out. The first one that I hear most often was that it explodes ink everywhere, that the nib gets ruined very easily or it can rip up paper and is very scratchy and finnicky to write with (which is ridiculous and the exact opposite), and that fountain pens are only the expensive kind. (And you can definitely sneak in some entry level Petits and Perkeos in this section.) Would be cool if you have some staffers hear about the myth and see their reaction and get some opinions.
I can react right now. _Cheap_ fountain pens are all of those things. Modern fountain pens are usually tipped with polished bits of iridium, which is the same stuff used in spark plugs. They only spray ink everywhere if you flick them or set them in contact with something that wicks moisture. They're also only super expensive if you're buying Montblanc pens with 24k gold nibs or whatever. Or if you buy a bunch of pens to experiment 😅. They're definitely more delicate than ballpoint pens. I can crank down on most of my pens, but doing that with a fountain pen would wreck it.
I refilled my Jinhao fountain pen after a few years of putting it down "for good" and now my pointer finger tip looks bruised but only in black and white instead of black and blue. 😂
I like using the same pen for years. It has been my companion for a long time now. Recently I almost lost it and before I could find it I was totally afraid like I was losing a very great part of myself. I like things like that becoming a part of myself and staying with me for a long time.
the entire process of placing the removing the cartridge, back, the cap and cleaning the nib all are so satisfying to me.
I really enjoy the color choices and the minimal presssure. I used to press sooo hard writing. Years ago i worked in shipping and recieving and was always filling out shipping forms labels that required many many copies. so I used to write alot I forgot how to write in cursive but my print is very neat and clear. I would have a million stickers for neatness if i were still in grade school damn it. 😁
I've always struggled tremendously with my handwriting. Slowing down enough to write legibly is almost painful for me (I suspect this is because of my ADHD). However, fountain pens glide so smoothly and the slower you write, the cooler the ink looks! Getting to control where and how much the ink pools is super satisfying, which makes slowing down less taxing and helps a lot with my handwriting.
I got into fountain pens from this channel, actually! I watched the video of Stephanie going through her fountain pen collection, and I couldn't stop thinking about all of her pretty pens. I bought my first two fountain pens from JetPens, as well as some ink, shortly after. I'm hooked!
Calligraphy in high school got me started. For some years, I had too many fountain pens and did not take care of them very well. Now I only have a couple (TWSBI and Pilot petit) and I rotate them through the week taking school notes (makes me slow down and think about what I'm writing) and working on lists and my planner. I think having to apply consideration to these activities has been realllly helpful the last couple years (and JetPens delivering all through the lockdown was a blessing and thank you so very much)
Ooh, calligraphy also got me at least aware that fountain pens existed and that, at some point, I wanted to own one of my own! Sadly, it took over 15 years for that to happen...
A teacher said that a calligraphy pen would improve my writing (which was unreadable) and gave me also some practices tips to do so. A calligraphy pen made my shaky writing much more readable (the nib made my writing more smooth). I also redesigned my handwriting letters (that is extremely hard! It took years to do that) and now it is based on paleographic letters from around the 8th to 13th century: just take a book on paleography to look how they wrote in those days, it is a good inspiration for your hand writing.
I bought a pink Pilot Prera with a medium sized nib a couple months ago and haven't been able to put it down since. They're fun to draw with, easy to write with. I'm ordering a converter so I can use more fun inks because a lot of them are really pretty.
Teachers in our school recommend the fountain pens when we finally move from our pencils to pens.
It does improve hand writing, and it feels extremely good when you can hear the paper make slight rough sound.
I'd forgotten how beautiful the Pelikan M400 tortoise shell pens are. My favorite fountain pens now are TWSBI ECOs. I don't even use my Pelikan M800, any longer, because the ECO works so well for me, and it's so inexpensive that if it gets lost, damaged, or stolen, I won't be heartbroken, I'll just get another. Writes smoothly, cheap, beautiful, piston-filler, and available in a variety of colors!
I’m a lefty getting back into fountain pens after about 20 years since my last foray. I had a couple Schaefers back then, can’t recall the models. Recently picked up a Waterman Allure and have been enjoying the process. I have a converter and bottle of Pilot purple ink writing shipped soonish. I come in from a 10-11 o’clock angle to the writing line, so I definitely use a blotter sheet under my hand. I find it helps me slow down and be more deliberate with my writing, which I consider a plus.
I love having fountain pens as a drawing and painting medium in addition to writing.
Fountain pens are like watches to me; there are so many to choose from to the point where it's totally impossible to have only one favorite. Some pens are way beyond my bank account, but some are not. Less not forget the inks and the ink bottles. Ink bottles that look like perfume bottles with those elegant shapes.
Most ball point or rollerball pens require some pressure to write, you need enough friction to make the ball turn and feed ink. Fountain pens use capillary action instead, and don't require friction, meaning they can write with less, or even no pressure. For me this means it's much more comfortable to write.
I write with my pen leaned down, and that usually disrupts the ink flow of gel or ball pens. That's why I started using fountain pens, the fluidity and the elegant strokes are perfect for me.
Why I like fountain pens was a combination at first, and has evolved over the years. First was the novelty in a time they were looking like they were going extinct (1983.) Then because my first good one was a 1950s Esterbrook J, there's the many nib options not generally available from even brands today (who else has ever had 33 nib options?🤔)
Became kind of an obsession. Then I had a stroke and other types of pens are now painful to write with. Still a collector, but they're my only real option today.
Chromashading inks, shimmer inks, sheen and shading? Don't really get noticed by anyone outside of fountain pen users, so I only use those for me. I could use a "boring old ink" for almost everyone else. 😁 There's a reason most still sold are basic colors. Black, blue-black and blue are still best sellers. 😉
In my country it is mandatory to write with a fountain pen since elementary schools...but here, unfortunately nobody draw attention to manufacture good quality stationary items that are affordable yet functional for students...
I enjoy fountain pens because it forces me to slow down when writing in which case my hand writing becomes that much more neat
so many inks, so many nib sizes, the feeling of nib on the paper, I could go on for hours :D they last for ages and are pretttttyyyyy
my 2nd fountain pen and current fountain pen is the lamy safari, it is really good for smooth writing and not killing my wrist, and also using fountain pens is just satisfying, as if ur words flow with ur thoughts. BEST thing though, with ballpoint pens righting fast makes those hollow strokes with only 2 thin lines, but with fountain pens, i can writes as fast as i want. ideal for notes. if you are like “but i wanna erase my notes if i make mistakes!” cross them out, notes should be quick, not perfect
Fountain pens are an additive tool to your workflow. Unless you work in calligraphy or typographic design, fountain pens shouldn't be the primary writing tool. Like others have mentioned, its shortcomings include:
-Messy (turns into a literal hose on airplanes)
-Ink is slow to dry on paper
-Ink dries out fast in the barrel
-Ink isn't waterproof
-Expensive, both the pen and ink
-Needs premium paper to prevent ghost/bleedthrough (writing showing on other side of the page)
-Takes time to adjust to
There are reasons behind why it was replaced by so many other different types of pens. With that said, I highly encourage everyone to try fountain pens at least once. Just remember to get heavier paper. I recommend at least 80gsm. 100gsm and above are even better.
I have a few different reasons. For one, I like that I can buy one pen and use it for years and years. I also like being able to decide to write in a different color if I want to. I also just like the look and feel of writing with a fountain pen.
In Germany they are mandatory in Primary school. People start using ballpoint pens later. So they are very common here.
I used one in primary school, back in the ‘50s.
the philosophy of one familiar high quality tool being superior to any number of disposable ones has never disappointed me. applied to writing and drawing utensils this has inexorably lead to a small array of purpose specific fountain pens for me in the last 3 years and I haven't had a crummy plastic disposable pen in my workspace since. just the comfort and luxury of using a good fountain pen has made my work flow more palatable and less oppressive by a surprising amount. sometimes the little things in life end up mattering more than you could ever figure.
I recommend TWSBI for anybody that wants to get into fountain pens. There's tons of cheap pens, but spend an extra 10 bucks or so and get a really good, reliable pen.
I use cheap fountain pen and nonspecial ink for my journal that has rough textured papers. I never thought much of FPs coz they look like deluxe pens i dont have money for and yeah the maintainance. But the ease i have in writing extremely long journal entries made it my go to pen coz my wrist isnt strained at all. (FPs are very expensive where im at and i can only buy the fragile plastic knock offs w/ ink that is not friendly to 70gsm papers nor for regular use)
I agree with all the reasons mentioned in the video. I have also a sentimental reason: when I first learned to write at elementary school we used fountain pens, Pelikan and Aurora being the brands of choice. Using a f.p. now gives me a reassuring sense of continuity
smoothest writing. Also, less pressure is needed. If a fountain pen is inked, (and the nib/feed ink flow is correct) as long as the nib is in contact with the paper, it will write.
Depending on the nib, you can get line variation when writing. (Not as big of concern today as in the past: Depending on the nib you can make triplicate and quadruplet carbon copies)
A rainbow of ink colors and shades, including blues, greens, and reds that are not hard on the eyes when used for more than a line or three.
///SOME/// of the inks are more permanent than a ballpoint. You can also get scented, sheening, sparkling, florescent, only visible under a UV light, and color changing inks.
Generally speaking, a fountain pen can last decades (centuries?) longer than a ball point because of the materials used to make it.
Refills for ball points and rollerball pens come and go. Ink cartridges (if used) stick around, and can be refilled using a syringe. You can also replace the cartridge with a converter, allowing the use of any bottled fountain pen ink.
For pens that don't use a cartridge or converter (lever fill, aerometric fill, eye dropper (BTW: some, but not all cartridge-converter pens can also be eye dropper filled), vacuum fill, and piston fill) bottled ink is unlikely to ever go off the market.
Fountain Pens have "class".
Fountain Pens can feel better in hand during long writing sessions than a ball point/rollerball or a Pencil.
These are the primary Why's I use fountain pens pretty much exclusively.
they look absolutely amazing, noone else in my class uses those, they are smoothest thing ever, i used them first 5 years ago, highly customizable, long lasting and just better than other pens in every way
Nice video. I still have the Parker 45 I used for law school over 40 years ago. I still use various fountain pens, usually Parker 45s and 51s for extensive writing; they require no pressure and make it easy to get thoughts down on paper or take notes.
I started to use fountain pen 🖋 in 2017, my first was Pilot Petit 1 mini, I got in Jetpens, and since that I am in love for them. This year I got my girst Sailor, I like fine pen, and I am left hand like Connie. I use my fountain pens every day in my journal. Each pen has different ink, so I can do variations. Thank you Jetpens to showed me how amazing fountain pens can be🥰🥰🥰
パイロットの万年筆はいいですよね！パイロットの色彩雫は山栗（yama-guri）でも黄色のフラッシュが現れますよ！インク熟成を行うとよりフラッシュが起こりやすくなります！
Pilot fountain pens are great! The yellow flash will appear even with the yama-guri for the pilot's color drop! Ink aging makes flash more likely!
I love my fountain pens so much. They write so smoothly and I can put any colored ink in them. I can also share my ink with other fountain pen friends.
I was introduced to fountain pen through my teacher who had one with very thin nib that could write only in a special orientation and a pump style converter that that was daunting to refill and spilled ink if held the wrong way. I didn't find fountain pens convenient until I discovered wide nibbed ones with piston style converter. I can spend hours writing and refilling the cartridges. Looking to buy a pen case to store my new fountain pen 🖋️ collection
I currently have a collection of five Parker fountain pens (and growing), all in high rotation and made of metal so I won't be throwing them away anytime soon. I love the smooth writing, especially since my handwriting suffered due to extensive computer usage during my Ph.D. studies. I use them to practice my handwriting with no plans to return to ballpoint or gel pens.
For me, fountain pens were always the top experience when it came to pens. My father was a pen collector and I could spend hours going through his collection when I was younger. He presented me with a Parker to start.
They are customizable, and They make the writing/sketching process such a delight!!!!! And also intimidating IYKYK when they ask you to borrow your pen….
Just to elaborate on your point about long lasting. My grandfather handed me a pen he used for over 60 years. Nothing fancy but to me it is priceless. Not to mention one of my fondest and treasured memories of my late grandfather is filling ink in fountain pens.
Also, I dont know if this is a fact or not but atleast my family said to improve handwriting one must write with fountain pens.
I like fountainpens because my hands are used to write with minimal pressure. I already liked signpens before but I find it wasteful to discard lots of barrels or tubes.
Then, I got to know about fountain pens, I was using already callography pens from Speedball, that is why I understand how it works and I like it.
In 2016, I bought my first pair of fountain pens. They are still with me now, I'm using them for my everyday notes. I bought several more pens later and experimented with them. I ground one riridium nib to become a bit sharp that I can write hairlines when it is 90° relative to paper and very thick when at least 25° relative to paper. It works like a pencil, with variable width that I can use depending on the emphasis I am doing on my writing.
I dunno what in other countries, but in my country everyone have to use a fountain pen when we the first learn to write. We have to use the pen for 5 years, that’s mean from Grade 1 - 5. Back in time, I still remember the ink on my fingers,on clothes for not careful. It is hard to wash away but that how I learn to write.
I really love to use fountain pen and now I use the Sheaffer Intensity Fountain pen Black Carbon.
When I was in school in the seventies an ink pen, Cartridge or fountain was compulsory, they were the days when proper handwriting was taught, I still have many fountain pens today.
My favourite pen is a Lamy studio with italic fine nib
For those beginning, I highly recommend the Lamy Safari. Good size, ergonomic, economically priced, and with an excellent smooth nib.
You forgot one thing to mention.
Fountan pens talks about your personality.....It shows that you value simple things in your life. also it is a status symbol. I have my fountan pen with me from last 9 years !
I discovered fountain pens because there was one on flash sale on the front page of Amazon.
Realized that they solve a lot of the things I didn't like about having to write with cheap ballpoints or pencils. Especially the writing pressure and hand cramping.
Plus there's just something enchanting about watching the ink itself lay down and dry while you write.
I'm only just now discovering interesting inks too, after spending the first year or two using cartridges or a single lonely bottle of Noodler's Aircorps Blue-Black.
I'd have loved to use fountain pens when I was in school (since it uses less force so it could potentially allow me to write more and faster even without my hands hurting as much), however I'm left handed and having stains on my wrist and smudging the ink all over my paper is a no for me
I'm a teacher and use ALOT of red pens to correct work, and so I wanted to be more sustainable and lessen my garbage, so I started out with a very simple cheap fountain pen and graduated to TWBI. It can get messy sometimes, but definitely worth the change.
As a doctor writing to many prescriptions can be satisfying while writing with fountain pain
Fountain pens are the mechanical keyboards of handwriting
don't forget about a variety of nib shapes. It's not just thick or thin, it can also be flat or flexible. The unique experience ballpoint pens can't give.
I’ve been using fountain pens for 10 years now. I may be the only modern FP user who started using them because he saw a picture of an envelope from the fifties, written in burgundy ink, with lots of shading! I just liked the look of it. I was born in the twilight years of fountain pens. I enjoyed watching my parents write with them, but, by the time I started school ballpoints had taken their place. I like the ink choices, the way they write, and I enjoy fiddling with them (cleaning, filling, etc.). They’re not everyone’s cup of tea, but I sure enjoy them. Quick note: I doubt simply switching to a fountain pen will improve your handwriting. However, because of their smoothness and lack need for pressure, they make it easier to improve your handwriting, so most people do.
I’m sort of new to fountain pens but so far have been loving them !
I would liken using fountain pens to cooking your own food, with your own family recipes. Yes, you can go to McD*****'s and it would be easier, but the difference in quality, variety, and overall experience is incomparable. And regarding longevity, I still use my Great-Aunt Pearl's 1929 Parker Desk Set pen (among two other pens). Oh, and I hardly ever have "blue fingers".
fountain pens totally saved my hands back when studying in dentistry school. one of my profs wanted every student to take down notes and her presentations were so long that by the end of the class i'm the only person whose hand wasn't tired.
Idk nothing about fountain pens except they make me think of the 1800’s and they look difficult to write with but I love a fine tip pen that writes smooth so maybe I’ll give one a try and see how I like it
I use an old plastic fountain pen for my lineart, it's low quality and the cap is broken but it still works
I absolutely love my fountain pen collection!
Unrelated, can we get Kate's beef stew recipe??? Some of us read what you write!
Love using fountain pens, been using them since I started high school at 12. I'm also left handed but just use a finer nib and it won't smudge. I can't write well with roller balls, it makes my writing look messy. When I write with my fountain pen, i take the time to enjoy writing with it, I focus on writing neater too.
I find fountain pens fun to write with as I write cursive. It may not be the case, but when printing I would think that constantly lifting the pen up there's extra ink left on the paper; plus it's not as fast. Thanks for intro, I will take out my FPs and give your inks a try.
aside from these 4 things a fountain pen also makes you addicted towards writing before
while i used to write with a gel pen i never liked writing with it i always couldnt figure out wich gel pen i want to use but now i have a fountain pen and lifes better already
Left handed fountain pen user.
I smear and smudge less with fountain pens because I can write with them at a lower angle than ballpoint. I do the same with drafting pencils.
There is a con to using fountain pens. They're addicting! I have a ridiculous number of fountain pens and I still want more! I got my husband and brother addicted to them, too!
So true, LoL. We make this point that is something very durable which lasts forever, that is environmental-friendly, and so on, but then we can't have just one nice, perfect pen, we keep buying more.
I love to use my fountain pens everyday. I favor Parker Sonnet, which I like very much.
I used to have terrible handwriting..One of my High school teacher suggested me to use fountain pen..Which really helped me to improve my handwriting .. then onward I am using fountain only.. now I have 5 -6 good quality pens varying from extra fine to medium nib size ..