What You Need to Know Before Getting Into The Fountain Pen Hobby

You don’t need to know everything about fountain pens but there are things that you need to know before purchasing your first fountain pen. They’re not just “fancy-looking” pens but they have several characteristics (and quirks) that differentiate them from rollerball pens or a ballpoint pens.

If you’re still deciding on getting a fountain pen but know only a little bit about them, this list would be a great start. I will list down a few things that you need to know so that you will be able to manage your expectations with fountain pens and have a pleasant experience when you do try your first fountain pen.

Fountain Pens Will Not Give Your Handwriting A Calligraphic Effect

Before I truly got into the fountain pen hobby (circa 2013), I thought that writing with fountain pens would add a calligraphic to my handwriting. I was really disappointed when I wrote with my first fountain pen (Pilot Varsity) because I felt that it was a rollerball guised as a fountain pen. Little did I know, the calligraphy effect is not what makes a fountain pen what it is but the way the ink flows out of the pen. To get that line variation (calligraphy-ish effect), you would need to get a different nib (a stub or a flex) like the Noodler’s Ahab.

Paper Quality Matters

I hate to admit it – but the first 2 times that I tried fountain pens, I did not have a pleasant writing experience. I thought I had purchased low quality fountain pen ink because it was bleeding through the paper. It turns out that the paper that I was using was not fountain pen ink friendly. If you’re already using a Rhodia or a Leuchtturm, you’re in luck – these notebooks are great for fountain pen inks. A few other brands that you should keep in mind are: Tomoe River, Hobonichi, Clairefontaine.

If you’re curious as to what makes paper “fountain pen ink friendly”, check out Brian Goulet’s video on that.

You Need to Buy The Ink Separately

Unlike ballpoint pens, ink does not come with fountain pens. This is one of the things that sets the fountain pens apart from other types of pens. Fountain pen inks are typically sold in bottles but are also sold in cartridges. Fountain pen inks have also become the reason why my fountain pen collection started to grow (I wanted to use every single ink that I own).

Buy Fountain Pen Ink ONLY

When you buy your first fountain pen ink, make sure that it’s made for fountain pens! Yes, there is a difference! Fountain pen inks are dye-based inks (water+color). Any other type of ink will clog the fountain pen and will not be easy to clean. Most fountain pen inks are labeled as “fountain pen inks” so it’s easy to spot.

IMPORTANT: Do not put calligraphy ink in your fountain pen because it will ruin your pen!

You Will Need To Clean Your Pens Once in a While

To prevent your fountain pen from clogging, you will need to clean your pen once in a while. It sounds like work but cleaning is pretty simple since inks are also water-based. All you need to do is rinse your fountain pen with water.

Hot tip: Use a bulb syringe/nasal aspirator for fast cleaning

Important: Do not use alcohol or acetone to clean your pen. You will ruin your pen!

You Will Get Inky Fingers

This is one thing that’s pretty inevitable when handling fountain pens. We get inky fingers especially when we’re filling pens and cleaning pens. Sometimes, we can get ink on our fingers if the pen leaks onto the cap of the pen and ink gets on the grip of the pen (leaking typically happens when the pen has been shaken a lot – like in bags).

Learn from the Community

If you have any questions about fountain pens, you can always reach out to the fountain pen community. Don’t be afraid to ask around because the fountain pen community is always ready to help and welcome a fellow pen geek.

My go-to resources: GouletPens.com, JetPens.com

In summary…

• Fountain Pens Will Not Give Your Handwriting A Calligraphic Effect
• Paper Quality Matters
• You Need to Buy The Ink Separately
• Buy Fountain Pen Ink ONLY
• You Will Need To Clean Your Pens Once in a While
• You Will Get Inky Fingers
• Learn from the Community

Ready to get your first fountain pen? Check this out: Best Fountain Pens for Beginners.