Do You Write With a Fountain Pen?

I suspect that I am in a very small minority of people who write almost exclusively with a fountain pen. Certain paper and card means I sometimes have to use a ballpoint pen but, given the choice, I will always choose a fountain pen.

I use either a Conway Stewart fountain pen (my good pen) or a Lamy fountain pen (my everyday pen). Unfortunately, Conway Stewart went out of business some time ago, however, Bespoke British Pens bought what stock existed and still make, in effect, Conway Stewart pens. I bought my Lamy fountain pen from a shop near where I worked in London many, many years ago. I bought my Conway Stewart more recently from Andy's Pens (http://www.andys-pens.co.uk/) who stock a range suitable for nearly every budget.

With a fountain pen I can I watch the ink glisten on the paper before drying. I consider writing with a fountain pen is writing with a soul; I find writing with a ballpoint soulless.

As I have mentioned on this forum before, I was once told, "There are two things in life you do not lend: your fountain pen and your wife. In that order."

  • Totally agree about watching the ink shine when it's still wet!

  • Thanks for that. I’ll check them out. The short courses I’ve found are residential, they’re all free, food and accommodation included and I’ve been before and it’s a lovely place but I like to learn from home as well so thanks for the recommendations and the link to the online course. 

  • I recommend Fowler's and Hart's; both are very readable and very helpful when it comes to writing.

    A while ago I took the Grammar at Work online course (http://www.grammaratwork.co.uk/welcome/GAW/#login) to refresh my grammar knowledge.

  • Writing has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. I write poetry as well but mostly, I just write! Lol! But yeah, I’ve also started to learn from it, from my different writing styles, i.e. scruffy or super neat etc and I’m finally going to learn about grammar and stuff. I couldn’t learn it at school, they went too quick for me, but finally I’m going to be going on a series of short courses to learn more, including some short writing courses as well.

    I love all things writing Writing hand Heart

  • We have quite a lot in common when it comes to writing!

  • Same! In fact, because I’m a prolific writer, I write as a way of helping me process stuff, I now look at what my handwriting is like to give me clues as to how I’m feeling. If it’s really neat I’m on the good side, if it’s scruffy, I’m on the not so good side. But from the state of my writing, I can usually figure out what’s going on for me.

  • No. I used to use art pens, such as Rotrings. I now use either a very fine fibre tip pen or the new type of ball point that uses ink, again very fine. 

  • My writing deteriorates in relation to increased stress and low mood. The more relaxed I feel and the better my mood the neater my writing.

  • I get as great deal of pleasure if I have the time,writing with a fountain pen.

    I can have extremely neat writing which needs an italic nib, and when I make the effort others remark on how beautiful it is. However, my normal writing with a biro is nearly illegible especially when rushed.  In fact even with a fountain pen I need the time, I cannot write neatly at all when rushed, something which caused problems with school exams.

    Ink these days is far more than the one shilling a bottle (5p) it was when I was at school, and the variety of colours is more restricted. And to bring it to its best it needs some parchment type paper. I am a bit of a perfectionist!

  • I mostly use the computer to type rather than write, but when I need to write, fountain pens are so much more comfortable than ballpoints, and they work a lot better as well (you don't have to prime them by drawing loops on a spare piece of paper). I have a fountain pen with turquoise ink that I'm quite fond of.

  • Same here. Fond memories. 

  • p.s. my colour is also blue Blush

  • My mum bought me my first fountain pen just before I was due to start senior school. At the time I stood out as the only person using a fountain pen but I am now glad she bought me the pen.

  • I love my silver Lamy Al-star, once about 9 years ago I was walking in WHsmith between shelves, surrounded of new fresh books aromat and stopped by pens display, and memories come from my childhood, when I have a present from my mum a fountain pen, and only now I'm trying to decode what kind intention  was in that unusual for 7 year old boy present, thank you to my mom, I'm using it daily, for sketching, for notebook, for delivery signed

  • Using a fountain pen when I was at school (many years ago) was problem because I am left-handed and the ink used to take some time to dry. As a result of this, I had to change how I held the pen. Nowadays the ink dries very quickly and being left-handed is not such a problem when it comes to using a fountain pen.

  • Glad you like the question. And another person who finds other types of pens soulless!

  • It is good to know that you also think ballpoint pens are soulless. If I tell anyone that in person I am met with a shake of the head.

    I do not use different coloured inks as my writing style is better suited to blue (I cannot recall the shade I am currently using and it is not on the bottle) and I do not like ging through the process of flushing out pens before changing colours.

  • I wasn't a big fan of fountain pens, but I did try it out for a while. In the end, I preferred biros :)

  • Fabulous question caretwo and I’m loving the results of the poll. I too find writing with anything other than a fountain pen, soulless, and as a prolific writer, I have a deep love for all things related to writing and stationary. My sister shares this love as well and as far as we know, she’s not autistic, but then again, I can see my love of stationary does go deeper than hers and she doesn’t always write with a fountain pen but she is fabulous at calligraphy writing with fountain pens. Maybe she’s just a bit aitistic ;) 

    Super great question though and it has made me see that I’m maybe not getting anywhere with my writing of late, since I came back to the U.K., because I haven’t been writing with my fountain pen!!!

    Thank you caretwo Pray tone3 This has been interesting, fun and helpful and thank you for the link to Andy’s pens ~ I think it’s time I got me a new pen Heart eyes

    I’d happily loan the husband out though Laughing if I had one, I’m all in to sharing, so long as it’s not the pen! Lol! 

  • I get VERY excited about Fountain Pens!

    I have five of them and they all have different size nibs. I never write anything important, (like a card or a letter or a poem or a journal) with a ballpoint pen as I feel they are soulless too!  I write with a fountain pen as often as I can (often even my shopping list too,) and I have different coloured inks: purple, green and turquoise. 

    I strongly suspect I have a stationery fetish too. 

    Relaxed