Fountain Pens were invented back in 1827 by John Jacob Parker but have only recently become popular again over the last couple of years due to television programmes featuring them and being shared on social media sites and blogs dedicated to vintage items.
That got me thinking, why do some writers still prefer fountain pens over modern ballpoint pens?
For me personally, I remember learning to write with a fountain pen in primary school in the late sixties early seventies and if I'm honest, it usually ended up with my hands stained blue and my pages smudged, but there was just something about filling my own pen and creating stories from it that I loved.
Fountain pens work by using a small reservoir or cartridge that is filled with ink. The pen nib sits on top of this and as you write, the ink is drawn up through the nib onto the paper. This means that there is no need to keep dipping your pen in an inkwell like in earlier times, which can be messy and inconvenient. For an adult, this is a pretty simple task, but as children, well, we found this a little more challenging
The smell of fountain pen ink is also a distinctive one and for some, like me, it is a very nostalgic smell. I know that whenever I catch a whiff of it, it takes me right back to my childhood desk and all of the stories I used to write as well as practising my cursive writing skills.
Some say it is that the ink from a fountain pen flows more smoothly, making writing easier and more enjoyable. I think there is truth in this, I am a huge Waterman Pen fan and am currently writing with the Waterman Hemisphere Matte Black GT Fountain Pen that I recently picked up for less than $200 from The Melbourne Pen Depot and I just love the way this writes, it actually gives me so much joy to write with it.
I know many left-handed writers particularly like writing with fountain pens because there is no smudging or blurring on the paper when they use them. In addition, some people say that they feel like their handwriting looks better when they use a fountain pen. I believe this too, I find that when writing with a fountain pen, I take extra care and put more thought into what I want to write before I begin, and I think this produces better results for me.
Another reason fountain pen users tend to be neater writers than those who use ballpoint pens is probably due to the fact that when using a fountain pen, you have to be more aware of where your hand is at all times and make sure it's not in the way of the paper as this could cause spots or blots on your writing which are very hard to erase without smudging your work even further.
Other benefits of using fountain pens include the fact that they don't use ink cartridges or ballpoint refills. Instead, you have to refill your fountain pen with a bottle of ink which is fairly inexpensive and will last you ages as long as you take care of it properly. You can also get different colours and thicknesses of inks depending on what kind of look you're going for in your handwriting so there are lots more options available here than when using ordinary pens!
Many famous documents have been signed with fountain pens in the past such as important documents and even world-changing treaties, so writing with a fountain pen shows that you are someone who can appreciate history and culture. Even today, world leaders still use beautiful fountain pens when signing laws into place.
There are many great brands of fountain pens such as Mont Blanc, Parker, Visconti, Pelikan, Lamy and many more and they come is such cool textures and colours so that everyone can find their own style that suits their personality and writing style.
Pen collecting has become very popular in recent years and people are always on the lookout for rare and unique fountain pens. Some collectors even spend thousands of dollars on a single pen! and have collections with many thousands of dollars
So there you have it, some reasons why some people still prefer to write with fountain pens over ballpoint pens. Fountain pens, in my humble opinion, just provide a more luxurious writing experience that many people find hard to resist !
