# The Way of the Fountain Pen **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [May 8, 2013, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-way-of-the-fountain-pen/657842 "2013-05-08T20:56:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Mathematics](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f6c823/32.png) [@Mathematics](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mathematics)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2013, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-way-of-the-fountain-pen/657842/1 "2013-05-08T20:56:42Z")
Do you guys like to use fountain pens for writing? I do, and here are some of the reasons: - It’s better for the environment because you aren’t constantly throwing away pens/refills. That is assuming you use bottles and not cartridges. - It’s cheaper. (Assuming you don’t go out and buy a $500 Mont Blanc and 70 inks.) - Better ink colors. - It strains the hand a lot less. - You become an instant sex icon the moment someone sees you with a cool pen. OK, so now that we’re all on board, let’s discuss pens. My favorite pen of the moment is my Noodler’s Konrad. It’s gorgeous, cheap, and writes well. I like to use Noodler’s X-feather in it because I often have to write on terrible paper at university. What about you guys? Any pens in the mail? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2013, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-way-of-the-fountain-pen/657842/2 "2013-05-08T21:50:53Z")
I’ve used fountain pens for years but they are a messy PITA to carry around with you. They’re for desk work only. (Pilot gels for everything else.) ---
**Author:** ![Pasta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ecccb3/32.png) [@Pasta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pasta)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2013, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-way-of-the-fountain-pen/657842/3 "2013-05-08T21:55:51Z")
I can be picky about pens in terms of weight, balance, friction, and line thickness, but fountain pens never did it for me. The messiness is a major turn-off for me. The side reasons you mention don’t motivate me to overcome the messiness – - Environment: my pen usage is a negligible part of my environmental impact. - Cost: my pen usage is a negligible part of my budget. - Colors: I have minimal color needs. Blue, black, and red. Occasionally green. I haven’t felt limited here. - Hand strain: This is where I think I might not have given fountain pens a fair shot yet. I do find some hand strain with other pens, and I haven’t used a fountain pen for long enough to tell if it would be any better for me in this category. - Sex icon: I must be using pens all wrong! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Mathematics](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f6c823/32.png) [@Mathematics](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mathematics)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2013, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-way-of-the-fountain-pen/657842/4 "2013-05-08T21:56:02Z")
Really? Why do you consider them a bother to carry around? I’ve never had a pen leak ink or anything naughty like that. [edit] Pasta, you might want to try a cheap Platinum Preppy fountain pen with cartridges. There should be no mess. And it absolutely glides across paper. I’m serious, after using fountain pens for a few years, now when I try to use a ballpoint to write, I feel like I’m carving into a stone tablet. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2013, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-way-of-the-fountain-pen/657842/5 "2013-05-08T22:28:05Z")
I carried my Levenger Mediterranean fountain pen all the time, up until the last month or so. For now, I’m using a Parker Jotter, since it was my favourite pen when I was a kid. ---
**Author:** ![Mathematics](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f6c823/32.png) [@Mathematics](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mathematics)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2013, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-way-of-the-fountain-pen/657842/6 "2013-05-08T23:32:28Z")
Nice, I think you have good taste. What sort of inks do you like to use? Black? Colored? I’ve found that almost everyone I’ve ever seen use a fountain pen in real life uses black, which is weird to me. ---
**Author:** ![Rachellelogram](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rachellelogram/32/8689_2.png) [@Rachellelogram](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rachellelogram)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2013, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-way-of-the-fountain-pen/657842/7 "2013-05-09T00:14:57Z")
> [@Mathematics](#): > > - You become an instant sex icon the moment someone sees you with a cool pen. So, you mean to say the pen is… nah, too easy. I’ve found that a quill and ink bottle have done more to enhance my attractiveness to the opposite sex than a fountain pen, by the way. And by more, I mean nothing. ---
**Author:** ![Mathematics](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f6c823/32.png) [@Mathematics](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mathematics)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2013, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-way-of-the-fountain-pen/657842/8 "2013-05-09T00:44:34Z")
That’s pretty funny, but y’know, some people do still use dip pens. Mostly for calligraphy. That is way too hardcore for me. ---
**Author:** ![minionkat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f05b48/32.png) [@minionkat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/minionkat)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2013, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-way-of-the-fountain-pen/657842/9 "2013-05-09T00:49:15Z")
I have a green enamel and gold Waterman pen that I received as a gift when I was an exchange student. I love it. I can’t get the ink erasers here in Canada though. I keep meaning to have a friend send me some. I also received the matching ball point and mechanical pencil. They look cool, but I almost never use them. I keep them all together in a little leather case. I feel very grown up when I use it. Which is strange because I have had it for 18 years. ---
**Author:** ![Mathematics](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f6c823/32.png) [@Mathematics](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mathematics)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2013, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-way-of-the-fountain-pen/657842/10 "2013-05-09T02:08:48Z")
Interesting, I don’t really know much about ink erasers. I pretty much use Noodler’s ‘bulletproof’ inks, so they can’t be erased, I’d assume. Do you have to use special ink for those? ---
**Author:** ![tellyworth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/977dab/32.png) [@tellyworth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tellyworth)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2013, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-way-of-the-fountain-pen/657842/11 "2013-05-09T03:58:27Z")
I use fountain pens. Primarily because of comfort - I quickly get cramped and fatigued with a ballpoint, but I can write for extended periods with a fountain pen with no pain. I also like Noodler’s bulletproof inks. ---
**Author:** ![Mathematics](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f6c823/32.png) [@Mathematics](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mathematics)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2013, 4:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-way-of-the-fountain-pen/657842/12 "2013-05-09T04:39:12Z")
I definitely agree. Do you like Noodler’s pens? I quite enjoy them, although they take a bit of tinkering to get working properly. ---
**Author:** ![RandMcnally](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b782af/32.png) [@RandMcnally](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RandMcnally)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2013, 4:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-way-of-the-fountain-pen/657842/13 "2013-05-09T04:59:12Z")
My handwriting is so horrid that a nice pen would be wasted on me. Plus, I write really small. Zebra 301 pen is my favorite pen ever. ---
**Author:** ![AaronX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/7bcc69/32.png) [@AaronX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AaronX)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2013, 8:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-way-of-the-fountain-pen/657842/14 "2013-05-09T08:45:43Z")
I find fountain pens smooth, but the ink bleeds through paper, takes too long to dry, and isn’t waterproof. Also, I don’t think they’re more environmentally friendly than ballpoints, because the watery fountain pen ink is used much faster than the ballpoint’s. ---
**Author:** ![Mathematics](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f6c823/32.png) [@Mathematics](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mathematics)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2013, 8:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-way-of-the-fountain-pen/657842/15 "2013-05-09T08:57:23Z")
I’ll check out the Zebra 301. I do occasionally use other types of pens, but I don’t know much about them. > [@AaronX](#): > > I find fountain pens smooth, but the ink bleeds through paper, takes too long to dry, and isn’t waterproof. Also, I don’t think they’re more environmentally friendly than ballpoints, because the watery fountain pen ink is used much faster than the ballpoint’s. Interesting points. I have some counter-points, though. 😉 One, not all fountain pen ink bleeds through paper. That would be annoying indeed! In general, a more saturated ink will tend to bleed more. Also, a broader nib will cause bleeding through. I definitely do not write with pens and inks that bleed through paper, however. Not all inks take a long time to dry, either. Again, more saturated inks take longer to dry generally. Noodler’s Baystate Blue tends to be dry before I can manage to swipe my finger over it even if I’m trying to smudge it. (Unless I lay down an unreasonably thick line which wouldn’t happen in normal writing.) A less saturated ink such as an Aurora ink should take even less time. About the environment - I was referring to the plastic component. I think the throw-away nature of other types of pens probably has a far greater effect on the environment than the waste from producing a bottle of ink. One bottle of ink can last me months of daily, intensive writing. No waste is being thrown away in that time. Of course, if you’re constantly throwing away plastic cartridges of ink, then I agree that it is not environmentally friendly. ---
**Author:** ![gracer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8e7dd6/32.png) [@gracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gracer)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2013, 9:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-way-of-the-fountain-pen/657842/16 "2013-05-09T09:44:32Z")
I use an ink well and calligraphy pen. I like making the effort for birthday cards. I look up a nice swirly capital letter and try to copy it, which tends to work really well. It’s much easier than you’d think, it just automatically looks impressive. I don’t use any other pens at all, we’re paperfree apart from cards. I have three calligraphy pens, and two should be fountain pens, but I find that the ink doesn’t run through smoothly so I dip instead. Can anyone suggest a good calligraphy fountain pen? ---
**Author:** ![AaronX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/7bcc69/32.png) [@AaronX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AaronX)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2013, 10:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-way-of-the-fountain-pen/657842/17 "2013-05-09T10:07:14Z")
Huh, there are fast drying fountain pens? Looks like I don’t know enough about them. I’ve only used fountain pens from Platignum, Parker and the Pelikan Level, which has a huge ink tank. My only calligraphy pen is the Pilot Parallel Pen. Not sure if it’s good, but it is special. ---
**Author:** ![gracer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8e7dd6/32.png) [@gracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gracer)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2013, 10:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-way-of-the-fountain-pen/657842/18 "2013-05-09T10:19:36Z")
> [@AaronX](#): > > My only calligraphy pen is the Pilot Parallel Pen. Not sure if it’s good, but it is special. Oh wow, I looked up a youtube review and it looks great! Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![AaronX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/7bcc69/32.png) [@AaronX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AaronX)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2013, 10:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-way-of-the-fountain-pen/657842/19 "2013-05-09T10:47:42Z")
I’m not sure which video you saw, did it say you can mix colors as well? Something like [Calligraphy - Parallel Pens - YouTube](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BDV5aKWncqM) ---
**Author:** ![gracer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8e7dd6/32.png) [@gracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gracer)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2013, 11:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-way-of-the-fountain-pen/657842/20 "2013-05-09T11:46:38Z")
It did, yes, and very cool! Way less mess than fiddling with ink wells. I was wondering if it feels nice and smooth? I don’t like scratchy… [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-way-of-the-fountain-pen/657842.md?page=2)