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Top 5: Reasons to Use a Fountain Pen
Top 5: Reasons to Use a Fountain Pen
For most of us our experience of fountain pens goes back to school days, with ink stained hands and smudged writing.
At Pen Heaven we suspect most of us have since gravitated towards a ballpoint pen, and haven’t looked back. But in response to the digital age, there has been a trend towards the traditional craft of handwriting and the fountain pen.
‘Now that handwriting is a choice, not a chore, and there is a premium on the unique rather than the infinitely reproducible, people are beginning to discover, or rediscover, the thrill of pen and ink.’ - Daisy Goodwin, Sunday Times 02/11/2014
We explore the 5 big reasons why you should put down your BIC biro pen, and consider a fountain pen.
1. It’s a Lifestyle Statement
With fountain pens no longer seen as a standard writing tool for everyday use, it has been elevated to accessory status. With email and text becoming the primary communication tool, a fountain pen is an honest statement that you want to write in the old way…in a considered manner. In the workplace it is a sign to your colleagues you are serious about what you are doing. Presidents don’t sign a treaty with a Bic pen, they use a fountain pen. 
2. The ‘Good Old Days’
They’re called the good old days for a reason, the pace of life was slower and the stresses of the digital world did not exist (email stress is a real condition). Taking the time to write a letter using a fountain pen is a relaxing and tactile process, the antithesis of email and text. Feel the sense of history as you fill a converter from a bottle of ink, or sign your name in pen and ink. 
3. Years of Pleasure
How many ballpoint pens have you broken or lost? For many of us, our ballpen is a disposable item that we throw away over and over again. On the other hand, a fountain pen can last for decades if looked after well (and will improve with age). Ink cartridges are also cheaper, and come in such a wonderful array of colours.
4. A Luxurious and Expressive Writing Experience
‘To write with a fountain pen on creamy paper is one of life’s great sensual pleasures’ – Daisy Goodwin, Sunday Times.
Ink from a fountain pen glides effortlessly over the surface of the page, meaning glorious strokes and less pressure on the paper. You can also achieve a more unique writing style by adapting your choice of nib, hold, and angle of the pen (solid gold nibs actually adapt to your writing style). 
5. Improves Handwriting
But does a fountain pen improve your handwriting?
We recently asked various teachers what they thought, and their answers were overwhelmingly positive.
- Mr Curtis, an English teacher, felt a fountain actually made him write slowly and more clearly.
- Ms Webb used to teach in a private school where fountain pens were mandatory, and she now works with students from low income families.
"I cannot say how far this is due to a different economic background and education system, but there was definitely a higher quality of handwriting in the private school and I do wonder whether the equipment was a factor. The school equipment aimed at poor students is generally of a poor quality and tends to break easily, and I am sure this has an impact on student’s attitudes to their work."
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Comments
For me using a fountain pen to communicate is personal. It is an expression of affection. I use it to say:
Hi friend,
I care,
You're special to me,
I Like you a lot,
Dearest loved one.
I want the recipient to stop what they're doing, go get a cup of coffee, sit back, read and feel.
Let out a sigh, smile, and say "life is good", someone cares..
I enjoyed writing it and I want them to enjoy reading it.
Last, for the moment, but not least, the right pen makes my hand feel good. Hmmm and as you can tell I could go on
To me, a fountain pen is a statement in my school. I'm 13, so I catch a lot of shrapnel, even more than an adult. People scorn me for not recognizing BIC pens, but I have a long and tragic history we need not go into. My Lamy 2000 (Banged up from the previous user on eBay) Is my EDC pen. I daresay it is also my most valuable pen. So valuable, that I attached a tracker chip onto the inside of the meaty clip. It catches far less attention than my TWSBI pens or my Pilots. I adore using fountain pens because whenever someone sees it unholstered, they know I mean business. I've built a reputation for being very protective of my PRECIOUS PRECIOUS PENS. But it suits me well and I have no complaints. However, unlike some other stories, I used to be a lefty, then trained myself to be a dual-wielding, fully ambidextrous writer. I have, in fact, tried to write up a paper with hands on both sides. My teacher asked me why I was writing crosshatch.
I totally agree with your article. I used to write with a parket ballpoint pen, but once I bought my firts fountain pen, I felt that my wrist hurts less and i can write for longer periods of time. I dont put that much pressure with my hand on the paper. Of course we have emails, but nothing can replace a pen and a paper. Nothing else gives you this feeling.
THanks for this article. I "discovered" writing w/ fountain pens about 6 months ago. I've been typing or printing virtually everything all my adult life, since my handwriting was illegible to all but me. The fountain pen forced me to go slow, and I had actually forgotten how to make some letters in cursive. I printed out some of the tutorials on the web, and re-taught myself the magic of the cursive stroke. I love it. I'm not a pen snob but I learned a great deal about nibs, ink, and the mechanics of the fountain pen. I now own maybe a dozen from cheap (Cross, Jinhao etc.) to some expensive ones by the known suspect makers. Thanks! George
I started using fountain pens at the age of seven and never went back. At school people were also using fountain pens, as a lot of Europeans have used fountain pens during the year. To us it was normal to write with fountain pens and vulgar to use a ballpoint pen.
I can use both hands with any pen and also my feet. Does that make me special? :). Not really. In Europe you are considered ordinairy, when using any type of pen.
For me using a fountain pen to communicate is personal. It is an expression of affection. I use it to say:
Hi friend,
I care,
You're special to me,
I Like you a lot,
Dearest loved one.
I want the recipient to stop what they're doing, go get a cup of coffee, sit back, read and feel.
Let out a sigh, smile, and say "life is good", someone cares..
I enjoyed writing it and I want them to enjoy reading it.
Last, for the moment, but not least, the right pen makes my hand feel good. Hmmm and as you can tell I could go on
To me, a fountain pen is a statement in my school. I'm 13, so I catch a lot of shrapnel, even more than an adult. People scorn me for not recognizing BIC pens, but I have a long and tragic history we need not go into. My Lamy 2000 (Banged up from the previous user on eBay) Is my EDC pen. I daresay it is also my most valuable pen. So valuable, that I attached a tracker chip onto the inside of the meaty clip. It catches far less attention than my TWSBI pens or my Pilots. I adore using fountain pens because whenever someone sees it unholstered, they know I mean business. I've built a reputation for being very protective of my PRECIOUS PRECIOUS PENS. But it suits me well and I have no complaints. However, unlike some other stories, I used to be a lefty, then trained myself to be a dual-wielding, fully ambidextrous writer. I have, in fact, tried to write up a paper with hands on both sides. My teacher asked me why I was writing crosshatch.
I totally agree with your article. I used to write with a parket ballpoint pen, but once I bought my firts fountain pen, I felt that my wrist hurts less and i can write for longer periods of time. I dont put that much pressure with my hand on the paper. Of course we have emails, but nothing can replace a pen and a paper. Nothing else gives you this feeling.
THanks for this article. I "discovered" writing w/ fountain pens about 6 months ago. I've been typing or printing virtually everything all my adult life, since my handwriting was illegible to all but me. The fountain pen forced me to go slow, and I had actually forgotten how to make some letters in cursive. I printed out some of the tutorials on the web, and re-taught myself the magic of the cursive stroke. I love it. I'm not a pen snob but I learned a great deal about nibs, ink, and the mechanics of the fountain pen. I now own maybe a dozen from cheap (Cross, Jinhao etc.) to some expensive ones by the known suspect makers. Thanks! George
I started using fountain pens at the age of seven and never went back. At school people were also using fountain pens, as a lot of Europeans have used fountain pens during the year. To us it was normal to write with fountain pens and vulgar to use a ballpoint pen.
I can use both hands with any pen and also my feet. Does that make me special? :). Not really. In Europe you are considered ordinairy, when using any type of pen.