I am far from suggesting that everyone should be an old-fashioned fruitcake like myself, but if there’s one Old Technology I think everyone should use, it’s the fountain pen.
The basic ballpoint – be it clicky or Cristal – is ubiquitous. More than 100 billion of the latter had been sold by late 2006, most of which will now be in landfills around the globe. If you get a free goody bag from an event or business, you can pretty much guarantee that there will be at least one ballpoint in there. At some point – when the ink runs out, or dries out, or you begin to feel oppressed by the sheer number of these things cluttering up your desk or other surfaces – it goes to the dump.
Millions if not billions of these cheap disposable pens are churned out each year, and millions if not billions of them go to the landfill each year, packed in with the trashy polyester clothing and the masses of disposable nappies, all merrily leaching their toxic guck for decades if not centuries to come.
The fountain pen, by contrast, is refillable, repairable, and, if properly cared for, will last for decades of use.
And what refills! Never mind the boring blue/black/red selection that forms the bulk of ballpoint offerings. Fountain pen inks come in an immense spectrum of shades – and that’s before you get into specialty inks that shimmer or are scented or glow in the dark.
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The pens themselves are no less varied. None of this pink and purple “for Her” nonsense. Fountain pens come in every colour and material and design you can think of (and a few you probably never would, like the one covered in paintings of Homer Simpson in the style of Andy Warhol. No, I am not making this up).
Whether your personal style is understated, glitzy, organic, Brutalist (please get help), or bombastic, there’s a fountain pen to suit. Who am I kidding? There are probably dozens if not not hundreds to suit.
Fountain pens also come in a huge range of shapes and sizes, just like hands do. There are big pens and little pens, fat pens and thin pens – oh, and did I mention the range of nibs? Extra fine, fine, medium, bold, stub (in a range of widths), flex, fude… the options are seemingly endless.
Contrary to popular belief, fountain pens work for an enormous cross-section of society. There are countries where children learn to write with a fountain pen first, using ballpoints only once they are older. So age is no barrier.
At the other end of the age spectrum, wide-bodied pens are helpful for those who find the tight grip necessary for a slender pen painful due to arthritis or similar issues. I’ve also heard they can be helpful for carpal tunnel sufferers.
The secret of the fountain pen’s hand-friendliness – chubbiness aside – is in the ink. Being much less viscous than ballpoint ink, it flows smoothly onto the page – no pressure is necessary.
This also makes the fountain pen suitable for left-handers, as counter-intuitive as that may seem. Ballpoint ink is thick and sticky, and it takes some time to dry. Fountain pen ink, being thinner, dries faster. (Exact times vary from ink to ink, nib to nib, and paper to paper.) I must admit, however, that I do tend to keep to Fine or Extra Fine nibs when writing with my left hand.
So the fountain pen is better for you, better for the environment, and pretty well infinitely customizable.
But what are the downsides?
Value can be a downside if you are prone to losing or damaging your possessions. If you lose a ballpoint, it is not a great loss, unless you are in an extremely precarious state financially. A fountain pen is more of a loss, even if you are using one of the very affordable mass-produced fountain pens made for the uncounted millions of Chinese fountain pen users. If you’ve splashed out on a three-figure objet d’art inlaid with Swarovski crystals or exquisitely enamelled, the loss is consequently greater (at least from a financial perspective).
Fountain pens also require a bit more care than disposable pens. Cleaning and refilling, perhaps the occasional dab of silicone grease. It’s not onerous, but it does need to be done.
There can also be an issue with some papers absorbing fountain pen ink so greedily that the words get feathery. But it’s not like you need to use only specialty papers. I drafted this blog post in a standard school-issue spiralbound 8B8 exercise book, and the writing is lovely and crisp.
You also need to be a bit more careful in how you handle your pen. Dropping a pen on the floor can be a messy experience, and if you habitually jiggle or shake your pen…don’t. Break yourself of the habit, or failing that, retrain as a cocktail mixer, where you can shake things that appreciate it. (Don’t even think about pen spinning.) There are also precautions to be taken when flying – although I have to admit that though I carefully seal my pens in ziploc bags when flying, I’ve never had one leak into its cap, let alone the bag. (Others have.)
There is of course also the need to maintain self control, without which the delectability of sundry pens and inks will inevitably wreak havoc on your bank balance. On the other hand, it can become a hobby where browsing and reading (or watching) reviews and window-shopping are an enjoyment even when only occasionally enlivened by an actual purchase.
If you are convinced that fountain pens could be worth a try, check out Inkt‘s sale (if in NZ) – they are, alas, closing down, and Everything Must Go. (Sale ends 15/3/25.) I’ve also had good experiences buying from PenClassics, TradeMe, and even on one occasion Etsy. If you live somewhere rather more populated – or less expensive to post to – than New Zealand, the world is your oyster. Pens, inks, a change of nib…
I’ve been using fountain pens for over fifteen years now – for work, for letters, for journals, for shopping lists, for taking minutes… With occasional exceptions (shoulda used a dab of silicone grease) it’s been a pleasure.
Go forth and enjoy! There’s a world of pens and inks and friendly helpful pen enthusiasts out there, and this is an Old Technology that can be a benefit to everyone and their planet.