Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash
In 1884, Lewis Waterman created the first modern fountain pen. He revolutionized the design by creating a more consistent ink flow and making the process of writing more compatible with daily life. Before then, people used dip pens, which were inconvenient on the go, as they required frequent dipping into an inkwell. The history of fountain pens runs deep, with historical figures like Anne Frank and Winston Churchill using them as their writing instruments. However, it seems like in almost every classroom and other settings, fountain pens are nowhere to be seen. Its place has been taken over by disposable options like gel and ballpoint pens.
The rise of ballpoint pens can be attributed to the company Bic. Bic changed the entire pen landscape with its ballpoint offerings. Their mass-produced Round-Stic and Cristal pens have proven the test of time with their reliability and affordability. This shift towards a practical pen that doesn’t require maintenance has made fountain pens extremely rare today..Strangely, though, fountain pen users still have a tight-knit community, whether on online forums or in person, through pen shows hosted around the globe, suggesting that they add more to the writing experience than the sleek look of their unique metal nibs.
Although fountain pens have phased out in America, they still hold a heavy place in the hearts of enthusiasts. Even while writing the draft for this article, I am using a Parker Challenger. Nowadays, fountain pens and their inks have been refined for the perfect, tailored writing experience.
One of the biggest factors that differentiates a fountain pen from another is the sheer amount of inks available. These pens are able to be filled with water-based inks of your choosing, while disposable pens you might buy at your local Target are lucky to even come in a variety of colors. Just thinking about blue, for example, there are over twenty different shades that offer a range from cerulean blue to navy blue to even blue with a red sheen (a shiny, contrasting effect).
While I do have to give credit to Bic pens for their smooth glide on the paper, fountain pens offer smoothness without the necessary pressure required for a ballpoint, and there is something deeply satisfying about writing with one. The lack of pressure can be useful when writing for long periods of time, when other pens would strain your hand.
While the first thing you might think of regarding fountain pens is the luxury brand Montblanc, fountain pens come in all different price ranges. For instance, an option for less than ten dollars is the Platinum Preppy, a solid writer with a great cap seal. While this relatively cheaper option may seem high compared to pens that you can pick up for less than a dollar, it is not disposable, meaning that if you like it, a purchase of an ink bottle will allow you to fill it for hundreds of pages to come. In being mostly non-disposable, not only are fountain pens better for the environment, but they can also serve along your side as your signature pen.
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