Why do we still use fountain pens

[henrico]

What is it about FP's anyhow that keeps us wanting them in this day and age of high technology. Fountain pens are old technology. Most people have never used one and all that's really required in terms of everyday use is a ball pen. Does a FP provide a sort of connection to the past? Is it like gun nuts shooting muzzle loaders? When I write a letter to someone, I usually debate whether I should use pen and paper or a word processor. It depends who the recipient will be for me as I seem to be more emotionally inclined when I have a pen in hand. There is some magic in seeing the ink flow onto the paper. I also have to be careful with my thoughts, must make sure that what I put down is what I really want to say and it must come out the way I visualized or else I have a bit of a mess.

 

What is your feeling about this. Much of the discussions on this site is about collecting pens but how much are your pens in use other than the fact you may mostly use your pens to keep a personal diary leaving you as both the writer and recipient.

 

Henrico

[JJBlanche]

Fountain pens, by and large, provide a much nicer writing experience when compared to a ballpoint. When I say that, I mean there is less effort involved in getting the pen to write, they generally fit the hand better, and there are a plethora of inks available to suit individual tastes. Of course, the pens themselves are much nicer as well, both in overall quality and aesthetics.

 

The move to ballpoints was motivated, in large part, by cost. Simply put, most people do not care enough about a basic writing instrument to invest more than a few dollars.

 

Similar logic applies to watches, but to an even greater extent. Basic quartz watches, the cheapest of the cheap, will always keep much better time when compared to any mechanical watch (provided, of course, that the batteries are good). Indeed, a Timex will keep better time when compared to a 100K Patek. People buy these goods -- luxury goods -- because they know craftsmanship, inspiration, and soul went into them. In this disposable era, there still remains a subset of the population that will sacrifice some degree of practicality for longevity and overall quality.

Edited September 21, 2008 by JJBlanche

[Paddler]

I use fountain pens all the time. Sometimes a ball pen is more appropriate, like marking freezer bags and signing credit cards and credit card chits.

 

I use the fountain pen because:

 

1. It is easier on the hand than a ball point. It is not discernibly easier than a rollerball or a gel pen, however.

 

2. It is a completely mature technology. The bugs have been worked out of it. An FP is completely reliable and functional.

 

3. It is refillable at my whim. Its writing characteristics are changeable at my whim. Its ink color is changeable at my whim.

 

Paddler

 

[RHutch]

As I entered my forties I've discovered that we were sold a bad bill of goods, everything new isn't necessarily better. First I discovered DE safety razors, fine shaving soaps and creams and badger brushes, shaving became a wonderful experience, something that I actually look forward to every morning and the shaves were never better. The next thing I discovered were straight razors the shaves are got even better. Now I've discovered fountain pens, and have found that I actually can write with out the pain that would befall may hand after a paragraph, I now can write pages comfortably.

 

Looking back I can see that all these things were given up in the name of convenience, straight razors required honing, sharpening and some skill. DE shaving with creams and brushes are slower than the modern can of shaving goo and multi-blade razors. Fountain pens required bottles of ink, filling and poor inks smudged and such. Unfortunately for convenience's sake we threw the baby out with the bath water and forgot what really was important, enjoying the experience. We did these things to save time and what did we do with that time? We squander it on less important things, like spending more time at work.

 

This is not to say that everything new is bad either. My favorite day now is a wonderful shave using one of my Dovo Straight razors or a vintage Gillette (the ones Mfg'd in England are my favorites) a nice lather of George F. Trumper's West Indian Limes or Coconut on my silvertip badger brush, while listening to classical music playing through my iPod Touch in the JBL dock, finishing up with George F. Trumper's West Indian Limes Aftershave and skin food. After the shave, sitting down and writing in my journal with a wonderful fountain pen. It almost takes me back to another time, so I guess it does give me some connection to our past.

Edited September 21, 2008 by RHutch

[JJBlanche]

Are straight razors hard to master? I've always had my eye on them.

[Shangas]

Why not?

[HDoug]

I ask myself why I like fountain pens every now and then and the answers still aren't all that clear. I think I like setting myself apart from others -- a form of self-alienation perhaps. Then as any alienated person might do, I glory in my alienation. Maybe.

 

The other thing is that while fountain pens require more attention than other writing instruments, they are very rewarding of that attention. I feel a bit sad for those who may not know what it's like to write with a perfectly tuned and adjusted fountain pen with the exactly right kind of ink on a smooth sheet of high quality paper.

 

And I'm much more a user of fountain pens than a collector of them. I write much every day with one -- office notes, journals, letters and postcards.

 

Interesting question -- thanks for asking. I'll be following along to read other responses with great interest!

 

Doug

[MYU]

Nostalgia. Bucking the trend. Being different. And...

 

 

 

 

... enjoying the art of writing with a fine instrument! Once you understand how to really write with a fountain pen, it changes everything... ballpoints seem like Dixie cups.

[RHutch]

No not really, many have gone right to the straight razor, I think going form the DE to the Straight makes the learning curve quicker. Shaving with the razor is all about keeping the right angle, which is also important with a DE to get a good shave.

 

Honing a basic razor is also not difficult, you just need a few hones (which could be used to tame bad nibs too). If you don't want to hone yourself there are others than hone as a service.

 

There are videos on you-tube that are pretty good tutorials on both DE shaving (Mantic videos are the best) and also on straight shaving.

 

The only thing I'm missing is my porter to help me dress and put on my boots

Edited September 21, 2008 by RHutch

[Shangas]

Why do people still use fountain pens? Why are they still made? Why is it that watchmakers such as Tissot, Patek-Philippe and Rolex still make mechanical pocket watches? Why is it that blotting-paper, inkwells, dip-pens and bottled ink are still around?

 

It's because there's a market for this stuff and because people enjoy using them because...

 

1. They're eccentric history-nutters like me.

2. They like the connection with the past.

3. They look at these things as being things of beauty, elegance and of practicality (to a certain extent).

4. They are items of (in some cases) heirloom quality, and people want to have something which they can keep forever, and pass onto friends or younger relatives later on in life (I know I would like to).

[Pippin60]

I use fountain pens because their a pleasure to write with. I admire the mechanical artistry behind them and I DO use it for more than writing in a diary. I use one every day at work taking notes marking up various artifacts etc. I use it as others would use a ball point. The only times i do not use a fountain pen is when carbon paper is in use. I have permanent inks for banking etc...

[jkrewalk]

I use a fountain pen because:

 

It is more like painting than writing - the nib glides along the paper.

 

We live in a world where everything is disposable and a fountain pen attaches us to a time when things were quality made to last.

 

I have different nibs that make my handwriting distinctive (i.e stub italic).

 

You can use all different colors of ink.

 

But most of all - The are beautiful and fun!

 

 

[PAKMAN]

The antiques market has thrived over the years for much the same reasons that vintage Fountain Pens are still popular. People like solid well made stuff, they like to own objects with a history, they remember the kinder simpler times and want to have things that remind them of those times. Then there are folks that see them as status symbols and carry them to show and not really to use. Then there are folks that discover how wonderful it is to write with a fountain pen and can't believe they waited so long to own one!

[fpfanatic5]

I use fountain pens because...

 

1. The way that they write.

The fluid flow of water-based ink from a fountain pen and the smooth writing experience set it very far apart from all ball-point, gels, and rollerballs, in my book. I have yet to find a (non-fountain pen) writing instrument which writes as nicely as a decent fountain pen. I also enjoy the fact that my hand and wrist aren't fatigued when using a fountain pen.

 

2. They're different

You don't see many people writing with fountain pens these days. I first got into them because I one of my teachers used them and I thought they were cool, since I'd never seen them before. You also have a choice of a bazillion different kinds of inks.

 

3. They're personal

You don't throw away a fountain pen (except for a disposable one, of course). They can last for an entire lifetime, and more. It's something that can accompany you through your entire life. A Bic can't do this. Also, I am writing at the moment with a pen that was my great-grandmother's. I also have some pens from my grandparents and one from my aunt. I think it's really nice to be able to write with the same pens that they did, and have something of theirs to remember them by.

 

I use fountain pens for all of my writing besides math, seriously. Since I started using FPs, I have started writing things that I used to type, just as an excuse to use them. For me, they make writing (especially notetaking) much less torturous and more enjoyable.

[vermillionpart4]

The upgrade towards ballpoint involved a lot of trade-offs. The biggest advantage of ballpoints are convenience. You don't have to worry about them drying out or getting prissy on you because if they do then you chuck 'em. Lose 'em and who cares? IMO FPs are less convenient, generaly more expensive but provide a better writing experience. For me, the line is better (no clumps), the color selection is better, the ink is more permanent (thank you Nathan) and the writing is smoother. Gel and rollerball pens are getting better but they still don't quite stack up to a good FP (IMO...).

 

It's teh same reason I use CDs and some people use vinyl in this age of digital music. MP3s are more convenient but they've hacked off lots of data so the sound quality isn't as good. Lugging around a stack of cds if i want variety is obnoxious but i'm willing to put up with it.

[RevAaron]

Because it's fun.

 

I'm a computer nerd. I've no aversion to technological progress, or to adopting the newest gadgets. Computers are something I do for work and outside of it. But, I don't feel like I'm working with my hands, and I miss that- using and working on fountain pens fills that. For me, it provides a sensual experience that has been largely missing in my life. Hell, if it wasn't for fountain pens I wouldn't ever write much in the first place, no on paper- outside my use of fountain pens, I generally avoid anything being put on paper. I don't print things off, I don't prefer paper forms, etc. But I do love taking the time to write, whether a letter written slowly and with much thought or note in a class or meeting. Just a sensation I can't get elsewhere.

[PAKMAN]

I agree with RevAaron! Before fountain pens I would never write something down. If I needed a to-do list, I typed it on the computer, I worked crosswords electronically, I only emailed never wrote letters. Since Fountain pens I write out my to-do lists, I write letters, I write notes to my wife, I work the crosswords by hand, I keep a journal. Writing with a ink stick was a horrible experience to be avoided at all costs! Now with a fine writing instrument I am constantly looking for a reason to write something down!

[Shangas]

The fountain pen, and its grandfather, the dip-pen, make writing a fun experience. I'm sure I'm not the only one who wrote out a few lines of script on a pad of paper and stared, mesmerised, at the glistening, still-wet ink on the page, shining in the light from one's desk-lamp. Or to hear the soft scriffling, scratchy sound of a nib as it moves over the page.

 

You don't get that with a ballpoint pen. A ballpoint pen is boring as a housebrick. They're the same, they do only one thing and...*yawn*...that's it.

 

Fountain pens do many things. They have a wide variety of nibs that one can use for any kind of writing. Music, script, calligraphy, drawing, illustrations, you name it. Also, fountain pens have a HISTORY to them. All the greatest books in history were written with fountain pens or dip-pens. Charles Dickens, Mark Twain, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, JRR Tolkien.

 

Writing was an art and something to be enjoyed back then. And handwriting is individual, and nothing is more individual than handwriting with a fountain pen. These days, writers use a computer, or a ballpoint pen if they write at all. There's no individuality in that. Booooor-ing!

[dcwaites]

1) Character

Writing with a liquid ink pen will give your writing much more character than with a ball point or rollerball. Depending on your nib (and there are so many to choose from ) you can get variation in stroke and shading that is impossible with a ball pointed pen.

 

2) Comfort

You need so much less effort to write with an ink pen. Consequently, if you have a tendency towards RSI or arthritis, using an ink pen can minimise or even eliminate any pain.

 

3) Neatness

I find that with certain nibs, my handwriting is much neater and more legible than I can achieve with a ball pointed pen.

 

Terms

When I say ink pen, I include both fountain pens and dip pens for handwriting (not calligraphy).

Fountain pens can be found in a range of sizes and weights to suit your personal preference, as well as a range of nibs. A good (not necessarily expensive) fountain pen can last generations.

A good dip pen, like a Brandauer Scribbler or a J Pen with a reservoir can let you write for at least half a page before re-dipping, giving you the convenience of a fountain pen, along with the extra character and lightness that you can only get with a dip pen.

 

When I say ball pointed pen, I include ball points, gel pens and rollerball pens.

 

 

[Kelvandor]

After reading through a bunch of the replies to this question, I thought I might add my 2-cents...

 

 

Speaking as a craftsman, I think people write with fountain pens now-a-days because it turns writing into a craft and not just a task...

 

As a craftsman, I know the feelings of pride and accomplishment that comes from making something by hand, even if whatever it is I've made can be had in a store somewhere. But the joy I get out of working in that craft isn't just from seeing the end product. There is a satisfaction in having the right tools; fine tools that are well designed to do a job. Tools that need care and attention, and sometimes some preparation or tweaking, to do their job well. There is also the pride in knowing not just how to use the tool, but what tool to use for a specific result; how that tool works with source material...

 

 

In my mind, using a fountain pen is the same sort of thing. A fountain pen becomes a fine tool used to craft words (or pictures, if one is so inclined) on to paper. The joy comes not just from writing, but from knowing how to take care of the pen, knowing what ink it works with and what inks it doesn't, knowing how it works on certain papers compared to others, knowing what pen to use to get a certain 'look' to the writing...

 

So, even if it's just you that sees the end result, the time and effort put into crafting the writing shows through.

 

It's said that a Master Craftsman or a Master Artisan puts his/her soul into the objects they create. With as much of themselves as they have to invest in knowing their art or craft, I'd say that's not far from the truth. When you have to invest more of yourself just to put words onto paper, sometimes more than just what the words convey can be seen.

 

 

Then again, I could just be crazy...

 

 

-Kel