Why Do You Use A Fountain Pen?

[bmillicent]

When I was a youngster in primary school, we were graded not only on academic subjects such as history and science, but also on motor skill classes such as physical education, handwriting, arts and crafts. Excelling at mental pursuits, I struggled with anything physical. Colouring inside the lines was a challenge, as was consistent handwriting and I sometimes suffered physical pain in my attempts at both. My first year of high school included a typewriting class which reduced me to tears and tanked my 4.0.

 

Over the years, my writing and typing has markedly improved. I can actually outperform other people. Introduced to fountain pens my 3rd year of high school, handwriting took on a new lustre. Being slower and more deliberate was advantageous in the early days. Sometimes it was even fun I graduated high school and did not see another fountain pen user for over ten years. Discovering a brick and mortar pen store, I became enamoured of pens and ink. Suddenly, I was like a kid in a candy store - I was hooked.

 

That's my story and I'm sticking to it

[lapostol]

I started using fountain pens when I was 11 years old after, my mom gave me her old school pen, and used them throughout school and college. At some point I took a break from fountain pens for some years, mainly because the 2-3 good writers that I had, cheap school pens, were so battered up that I felt they would break if I used them. Then fountain pens come back in my life when I got tendonitis in my right wrist, and the only comfortable way I can write is with a fountain pen or a very soft pencil (otherwise it hurts). I’ve been using them ever since.

[bemon]

As for "other", I just enjoy the writing experience. I like watching ink go on wet and watching it dry. I also like the variety of colours available in fountain pen ink.

[Corona688]

"Tired of donating money to bic/papermate" resonates with me. Since coming here I've learned that every pen I've hated was made by them and their sub-companies.

 

Being able to experiment with color, and fill them with whatever I want, is also nice.

 

I suppose I inherited the fountain pen habit from my father, a man of many hobbies.

Edited August 20, 2018 by Corona688

[16m3mx]

I use fountain pens simply because I enjoy using them, I feel pleasure to look at the lovely shapes, materials, nib sizes, inks, to the hole experience around them.

 

Cheers,

 

 

Luis A.

[Steveg58]

I like the feel of the pens and the look of the resulting writing.

[Lamyliz]

Another reason I use a fountain pen is because it's better for the environment than disposable pens (especially with bottled ink)

[Lamyliz]

Edit - duplicate post

Edited August 29, 2018 by Lamyliz

[pajaro]

I used pencils , then dip pens in grade school. Then ballpoints until graduating from the University of West Florida. Then I went into the USAF and bought a Parker 51 set just like my dad's. Still have it and still use it daily, along with some of a couple of hundred other pens. I have to say it's the way I have almost always done it. A classic fallacy, or so they say in business. At 69 I'm too deep into it to strike out in some new direction, like some other island of information.

Edited August 29, 2018 by pajaro

[Houston]

I prefer to write by hand, when writing for pleasure, or for contemplation/reflection, or for the purpose of communicating with someone I love. I use fountain pens because doing so is both more pleasurable -- in that a good pen becomes a part of the sensate experience of writing, and, at times, can even border on the sensual -- and concentrates my attention. It just *feels* better.

[vicpen123]

For two reasons.

 

First, because I can. It should be everyman's dream to do what he likes. I happen to like writing with a fountain pen and have for over 50 years. So with my fountain pens, I can live my dream.

 

Second, I recently had to write a lot (for me) including notes, figures and tables. Used my SS Sonnet with M nib. Because I don't write much and spend my time mainly admiring my pens, I had nearly forgotten how sweet it is to write for extended periods with a smooth, free flowing fountain pen, even on crappy cheap lined paper. Plus I got paid well for it. Double the pleasure.

 

I had also nearly forgotten how nice a pen is the Sonnet. I have four and have never had a problem with any. Aussie luck?

[Antenociticus]

It has a lot to do with the simple pleasure of the colour sliding gently onto the page, the aesthetics of the shaded or saturated line.

 

And my handwriting looks better.

 

I've been keeping notebooks – full of observations, ideas, bits of journal, passages from stuff I'm reading, sketches, collage, shopping lists – since forever. They're the product. Pens and ink are the tools. They'd be (bleep) if I used ballpoints.

[Honeybadgers]

For me, I just enjoy little daily rituals. I'm not OCD, I just enjoy when I get to do something that takes a lot of little steps, like making tea or filling, cleaning, and uncapping a pen to use.

 

Also, my handwriting is dramatically improved when I lower my writing angle well below what a ballpoint even permits

[pajaro]

Writing verse with a fountain pen just feels better.

[Aminah]

i much prefer the feel and sound of very smooth paper... when i use a notebook with rougher paper... I notice it... in my minds eye I see the nib picking up microscopic fibers of the paper... the sound reminds me with every stroke... I find myself constantly looking at the nib to make certain it is clean. I don't like a shave that isn't smooth and apparently I like my paper the same way. Rhodia and Clairefontaine seem to solve things. Now, regarding a "singing" nib? I have never heard or heard of that before this post... but it would make me crazy for sure!

[dogpoet]

The traditional answer to this sort of question is:

"Why not?"

[JayKay3000]

The traditional answer to this sort of question is:

"Why not?"

 

Indeed

[Drone]

Did someone actually say that? Were they old enough to know what POSH stands for?

 

POSH = Polyolefin Oligomeric Saturated Hydrocarbon

[praxim]

Because when I open the pen case on my desk, only fountain pens are there, so what do you expect me to do?

[BaronWulfraed]

Because when I open the pen case on my desk, only fountain pens are there, so what do you expect me to do?

Pull out a pen-knife, (bleep) your finger, and write in blood!

 

Though to fit the thread: Because they don't require the pressure of ball-points to write (in truth, I don't think I've voluntarily used a ball-point since the early 70s... My prime ink instruments were Sheaffer fountain pens, Executive Flair [need to find that pen to see if those Cross Selectip felt refills really will fit it], and roller-balls using liquid ink [currently an old Levenger unit that takes international FP cartridges, used only for the duplicating checks in my checkbook, about 2 times a year])