My Fountain Pen Lover
The analog magic of writing by hand
In 1989 the Berlin Wall fell and I bought my first fountain pen, a blue-marbled Pelikan M200 with a gold-plated extra-fine nib with the words “W-GERMANY” etched around the base of its cap. This meant it had been manufactured when Soviet East Germany was still a thing, before the re-unification of Germany in 1990.
I had saved up $110, an outrageous fortune at the time for my freelance journalist self, and bought the pen at the old Golden Gate Pen company (RIP) on Union Square in San Francisco. I was 24, a foreign correspondent in Rome writing for Newsweek, the Associated Press, and the San Francisco Chronicle. This pen, which I hadn’t stopped thinking about since I’d found it while test-scribbling at the store that summer, was my Christmas present to myself.
I’ve always written by hand in my journals, using mechanical pencils and various fine point disposable pens. Back at the dawn of laptops, I found I was sensitive to the choice of writing instrument for certain kinds of writing. For short stories, I preferred to use my Olivetti typewriter; for journalism, my bulky laptop with XyWrite installed on it; and for journals, handwriting.
What would we write together, me and my Pelikan fountain pen?
Today, after nearly 35 years of regular use, this pen is still going strong and writes even smoother than when I first got it. We have likely written hundreds of thousands of words, including many tough first drafts for my upcoming memoir, The Muckraker’s Daughter: A Memoir of Love, Death, & Deadlines. My Pelikan set me on a path of fountain pen fandom, now manifested in a collection of more than 25 fountain pens of different colors, ink-filling mechanisms, and sizes. Even so, that first Pelikan remains my favorite.
November 7 was International Fountain Pen Day (November 9 was the anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall), all of which got me to thinking this week about why I love fountain pens so dearly. Their analog longevity is just one reason. I put together a little love list and I hope it will convince more of you writers to try a fountain pen and see if you find one that gives your words wings.
Top Five Reasons I Love Fountain Pens
Writing by hand. I am connected to the words that come out of my right hand in a deeper way than when I type with two hands on a keyboard. On the screen I can easily edit my sentences and paragraphs and that’s helpful for some kinds of writing. But when I want my little editor ADHD brain to sit quietly with its hands in its lap so I can write uninterrupted by logic, I write with a fountain pen. I write by hand when I am making lists, taking notes, journaling, and writing first drafts. Studies confirm that writing by hand improves memory, recall and retention.
Less plastic in the world. A single fountain pen can replace dozens, if not hundreds of single-use pens and last decades, if not a lifetime, with minimal care. Disposable pens are very difficult to recycle because of their many components and recycling companies generally won’t take them; it is estimated that over a billion of them end up in landfill or the environment each year. I recommend skipping the convenience of the plastic ink cartridges offered for many fountain pens and stick to refilling with ink from a bottle.
Joy. A well-crafted fountain pen is a thing of beauty and the right one for your hand makes you feel that your words have wings when you write. I love the different colors, styles, and output of all my fountain pens and I pick up the one that best suits my mood on any given task. I cherish the ability to change the color of my ink on a whim, flushing out the pen and drawing up something different when I need it. Sometimes I want a deep grounding green like the Pelikan Edelstein Aventurine or the vibrant pink of Pilot’s Iroshizuku tsutsuji, or the cerulean-red blue sheen of the Organics Studio Nitrogen ink I always use in my trusty old blue Pelikan.
Analog. I have so much writing that is already lost to the dead operating systems and floppy disks of the past (see XyWrite reference above) . If I didn’t print it out at the time and save it in a physical folder somewhere, I will never be able to read it again. When I see my shelves of Moleskin journals and stack of Leuchtturm1917 notebooks, I feel the accomplishment and nearness of all those words. I can visit them anytime, now or 30 years from now; my children and eventual grandchildren could visit them too if they wanted. I can revisit what I wrote about my favorite teacher when I was 10 or my best friend’s first French kiss at 12 or when I lost my virginity at 14 because I wrote it all down in journals that I still have. Digital writing has a tenuous lifespan that cannot compete with pen and paper.
Craftsmanship & Collecting. I know I have TOO MANY fountain pens, but there are worse vices. My collection ranges from a campy $5 Jinhao Shark pen, colorful $35 LAMY Safari (the preferred pen of Gonzo artist Ralph Steadman) and Kaweco Classic Sport, and a couple $65 Pilot Predas. Then there are my special, limited edition pens (costs ranged from $150 to $400), like a Conklin Mark Twain Crescent Filler in marbled green; a jade-colored Sailor Pro Gear Slim with a 14k gold nib; a blue-grey swirled Montegrappa, and three other Pelikans, including a gold-nibbed Pelikan M200 in marbled orange-red (my second favorite pen). One reason I’m enamored with Pelikans beyond how well they write and how good they feel in my hand is that they are one of the few fountain pens that have a large capacity ink reservoir, which means less frequent refilling. There are many artisan fountain pen manufacturers and family-run pen stores that I enjoy supporting in addition to the pleasure of adding something unique to my collection.
Fountain Pen Basics
All fountain pens have a cap, barrel (or body), a built-in ink reservoir or a converter (these pens also can take cartridges), feed, and nib. Different pens may have different ink filling mechanisms. The ink flows from the reservoir through the feed and out of the nib, which can be made of materials ranging from steel to gold. Nibs may come in Extra Fine, Fine, Medium, Broad, Flex or other sizes that produce corresponding line widths. Generally, the wider the nib, the more flexible it will be and the more ink it will lay on paper. A nib will wear to your particular writing style, so it feels even better with age.
Goulet Pen Company is a family-owned company in Virginia that has a great selection of pens and an excellent blog and YouTube series, including this Fountain Pen 101 with sections on the best pens for lefties and basics on pen cleaning and maintenance. I love that they send a mini Tootsie pop and a sticker with pen orders.
The biggest sin in fountain pen ownership is to leave a fountain pen sitting unused for months (or years) with ink inside of it. Ink will eventually dry up and can clog the pen’s feed, requiring multiple flushes or even repair by a professional. When a fountain pen falls into disuse, give it a cleaning and store it with dignity.
How to Find Your Lover Pen
The only way to know which fountain pen is right for you is to write with one. Unfortunately, many brick-and-mortar pen shops have closed. Some art supply stores have small selections of fountain pens, but to try a broad range of pens in person, search for “fountain pen store near me.” If you’re in New York City, check out the Fountain Pen Hospital down near the World Trade Center. In D.C., there’s Fahrney’s Pens. In Chicago, Atlas Stationers. You don’t need to spend hundreds of dollars. There are many excellent entry level pens that cost from $5-50 that you can order from an online pen company, like Goulet’s, Goldspot, or Pen Chalet. Be sure to read the reviews and call the company if you have any questions. Pen freaks love to talk about pens!
It just feels nice to fill a page in the real world with written words.
Love this piece! I have the same Pelikan M200, but it looks much smaller in my hand than yours does. Edelstein Aventurine and Iroshizuku Tsutsuji are two great inks! I see you have a Lamy AL Star (I prefer these to the Safari; same pen, but the anodized aluminum barrel is cooler to the touch and I like the satiny finish). Your Sailor Pro Gear Slim looks like the Shikiori Dragon Palace from their Fairy Tale series. I agree with all your points, especially the first: on the keyboard, I tend to write as a reader and can’t resist immediate revisions. Thank you so much for this post!
What a joy to read this piece. So true about writing things by hand. Whenever I was ran into writer's block on a major enterprise piece, I handwrote an outline and phrases. I had to jettison preferences for where I wrote stories, though, due to the demands of my work at AP. Forced to write at times on airport tarmacs, in hospital corridors during stakeouts for papal surgeries and even aboard helicopters where it's too noisy to think. But one of the best and fastest enterprise pieces I did on deadline I first handwrote, fast and furiously, sprawled on a bed in a hotel room in Sicily while producing a portrait of the town of Corleone. I didn't want to miss dinner! Great you have fountain pens in many hues to match your mood, Pia. Brava come sempre.