# Fountainpen users, how do you do it? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 6, 2006, 10:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fountainpen-users-how-do-you-do-it/343217 "2006-02-06T10:00:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2006, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fountainpen-users-how-do-you-do-it/343217/21 "2006-02-07T21:35:03Z")
> [@Phatlewt](#): > > All through college and high school I used a fountain pen for notetaking. I would buy a cheap $2 Shaeffer (with the clear barrel so I could see the ink level) and ink catridges in blue-black, only blue-black. Black ink seemed to dry faster on the nib; blue was just too… blue. Unfortunately, Sheaffer no longer makes the cheap fountain pens. I started using them when I was in middle school, or possibly even in grade school, and I have a sentimental fondness for them. I have several, and they’re fairly easy to find on eBay, but I am saddened at the thought that I can’t wander down to the store and pick up a cheap new fountain pen. ---
**Author:** ![Hello\_Again](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/85e7bf/32.png) [@Hello\_Again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hello_Again)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2006, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fountainpen-users-how-do-you-do-it/343217/22 "2006-02-07T21:48:42Z")
Gosh that is sad (that is my post, I was accidentally logged in as Phatlewt, sorry). Now I’m going to have to stock up! Do you remember what that model was called? I was just going to offer another suggestion. Turn the pen over (upsidedown, flat side to the paper) and try writing with the back of the nib. If I understand you, your problem is that you angle your hand foward and back as you right, causing the nib to lose contact with the paper. By starting upside down, you’ll press _more_ of the nib to paper when you angle. When I first started writing with an FP I wasn’t sure of the “right way” to do it – no one ever showed me – and was writing upside down for a while. It works fine, actually, but eventually I started rotating the pen to its side, so that the nib would wear down at an angle and give me sexy pseudo-calligraphy. Nothing like a pen that’s broke in _just so_. ---
**Author:** ![Maastricht](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a88e57/32.png) [@Maastricht](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maastricht)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2006, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fountainpen-users-how-do-you-do-it/343217/23 "2006-02-07T22:12:57Z")
> [@Hello Again](#): > > Now I’m going to have to stock up! Do you remember what that model was called? No sorry. The saleslady said it was the only FP that had that mechanism, so it should be easy to find. ---
**Author:** ![Hello\_Again](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/85e7bf/32.png) [@Hello\_Again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hello_Again)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2006, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fountainpen-users-how-do-you-do-it/343217/24 "2006-02-07T22:18:11Z")
> [@Maastricht](#): > > No sorry. The saleslady said it was the only FP that had that mechanism, so it should be easy to find. Sorry, I was actually asking **Lynn Bodoni** about our fondly remembered discontinued el cheapo $2 Sheaffer pen. 🙂 I’d like to get a few but without the model name ebay is somewhat difficult. Once I switched to blue-black, and started capping my pen during long lulls in writing/doodling in short lulls, I no longer had any ink problems. I still say you should try writing upside down, and using blue ink. 🙂 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fountainpen-users-how-do-you-do-it/343217.md?page=1)