10 More Things You Need to Know About Fountain Pens

This is the second article in the Things You Need to Know About the Fountain Pen Hobby series.

Read the first: What You Need to Know Before Getting into the Fountain Pen Hobby

1. The official Fountain Pen Day happens on the first Friday of November

Fountain Pen Day was established in 2012. Initially, their goal was to spread the word about Fountain Pen Day. During the first year, there were 49 vendors who participated and around 600 members who celebrated it. Over the next few years, the numbers increased exponentially and eventually fulfilling their goal of Fountain Pen Day.

Taking place on the first Friday in November each year, Fountain Pen Day is celebrated by enthusiasts worldwide as a time to embrace, promote, and share the use of fountain pens.

Fountain Pen Day

This year (2019), it will be held on November 1st.

2. Fountain pens aren’t great for everything

I love fountain pens and I would absolutely use one as long as it fits the situation.

Fountain pens won’t work well on glossy paper because the ink can easily be erased with water. They aren’t going to look legible on cheap paper as well because they will most likely feather and blot.

I always carry at least one fountain pen with me but I also carry backup non-fountain pens around. If you despise ballpoints (I do, too), there are a lot of good alternatives such as gel pens or rollerballs. The closest you could get to a fountain pen would probably be rollerballs (Retro 51 is a good brand).

3. Disposable (or disposable-looking) fountain pens are real fountain pens

I carry a Platinum Preppy with me at all times as a backup fountain pen. You know, just in case someone wants to experience using a fountain pen.

Because of the way it looks, some ask if it’s a “real fountain pen”. I understand where they’re coming from. If you don’t have any fountain pen knowledge, you’d imagine fountain pens looking like Parker pens and wouldn’t expect it to look like a regular gel pen. In fact, when I first purchased my Pilot Varsity (a disposable) nearly 10 years ago, I also asked the same question – “is this a real fountain pen?”

John from Fountain Pen Love formally defines a fountain pen as:

[A fountain pen is] a nib-tipped writing instrument that has a refillable internal reservoir of liquid ink that flows out of the pen via capillary action

What is a Fountain Pen? (via Fountain Pen Love)

4. Lefties can use fountain pens

Fountain pens are oddly shaped but yes lefties can write with fountain pens. You will have to make minor adjustments to the way you write, so you won’t end up smearing the ink across the page. You can read tips for left-handed fountain pen users on the Goulet Pens blog.

Read: Best Fountain Pens for Beginners in 2019

5. You don’t need to buy bottles of ink

Fountain pen ink bottles come in various quantities. You can get as little as 10ml (like the Herbin inks) or as plenty as 100ml (Noodler’s Inks). With everything right now mostly digitized, we use pen and paper less and don’t really need that much ink. Not all brands have 10ml ink bottles so your options will be limited to bottles 30ml and above (30ml is still quite a lot even if you write frequently). Bottles of inks are an investment and also a sort of long-term commitment.

If you are still dipping your toes in the fountain pen hobby, fear not. A lot of fountain pen retailers sell ink samples. They are typically sold in plastic vials and can hold up to 5ml of ink. Purchase ink samples first then if you are sold on a particular ink, then you can buy a whole bottle!

6. Most fountain pen inks are not waterproof

Coming from the ballpoint and gel pen world? Welcome to the hobby but I regret to inform you that there are only a few fountain pen inks that are waterproof. And unfortunately, the waterproof ones are plain and flat colors (usually neutral colors).

I also had a difficult time reconciling with that fact. I have gotten used to gel pens or drawing pens (waterproof ones to be exact) because I could highlight over them. But over time, my love for fountain pen inks just took over and waterproof inks didn’t appeal to me anymore.

7. Your pens can leak during a flight

If you have a half-filled fountain pen or if you don’t store your pen nib size up, there is a chance for your fountain pen to leak. This is because of the change of air pressure and altitude change especially as the plane ascends. Brian Goulet has a video about that so here’s a video if you want further explanation.

Rule of thumb when flying with fountain pens:

• Don’t write with your pen during take off (pressure changes drastically during this time)
• Get a full fill
• Store your pens nib size up, if pen has ink
• Or empty your fountain pen and just bring ink samples
• For extra care, store pens in a ziploc (sometimes, some pens act up. Case in point, Lamy Safari inked with Platinum Carbon Black pictured below)

8. You don’t have to write in cursive with a fountain pen

There is quite a number of fountain pen users who write in cursive. Some probably use cursive because that’s what they’ve been accustomed to. Perhaps some are more comfortable with it. Because of the fountain pen’s smooth and continuous ink flow, it is quite possible that we are more inclined to write in script/cursive (or at least connect each letter).

However the case, there is also a number of fountain pen enthusiasts who prefer to write in block print. Writing in cursive is a preference, not a standard. All that matters is that you hold your fountain pen properly – at a 45 degree angle and use light strokes.

9. Your handwriting will not magically improve when you use a fountain pen

Don’t expect your handwriting to improve overnight when using a fountain pen. The fountain pen is a beautiful writing instrument but it is what it is – a tool. At the end of the day, it’s about how you use it.

If you want to improve your handwriting, you must practice regularly with your fountain pen.

10. It’s addicting. Really. Welcome to the hobby!

Be careful. That is all.