Thinking of getting into fountain pens? Here are 5 things you need to know before you do!
1. They can be refilled
Fountain pens have many ways to refill them with ink–there are cartridges which come pre-filled with ink so they're super easy to use, converters that you can fill with your own ink, and some pens even have a built-in piston system that lets you draw ink right into the pen's ink chamber!
We recommend starting with a cartridge filling system because it's easy to understand, and all you need to do is make sure you get one that's compatible with your pen! To find out what cartridge will work for you, look up the pen's brand and model on our website and find the cartridge name in the product description.
2. Fountain pens are extremely customizable
There are an infinite amount of bodies and colors–there are caps that pop off, screw off, post, and don't post, and so many trim options, including silver, gold, bronze, and even onyx. For bodies, fun limited edition colors come out all the time, and there are even fun shapes within the world of fountain pen bodies!
What you choose is entirely up to you and what you like, however here are some recommendations we have that may make your life a bit easier! To prevent pens from drying out we recommend a tightly fitting cap that can post on the back of a pen, and a shape that won't roll off a desk too easily–lots of people break their nibs this way!
3. There is so much line width variation
Nibs, which is what the metal piece the ink flows through is called, come in a bunch of line widths. The most common sizes are extra fine, fine, medium, and broad, but there are also stub nibs, calligraphy nibs, and even some crazy ones such as the Naginata nib line.
The line width is usually indicated on the nib itself, like on these Pelikan M600 pens.
You can actually swap nibs on a lot of pens! A lot of brands sell singles of their nibs so that you can interchange the nib in your pen, allowing for a whole new writing experience without buying a new body.
If you're not sure what nib size is for you, we recommend a fine nib if you have smaller writing, or a medium nib if you like bolder text.
4. They require a bit of maintenance
It's probably less than you're imagining! Fountain pens need to be cleaned once in a while, especially if you switch inks a lot, and general maintenance includes storing them nib up and not going too long between writing with them.
5. Fountain pens can almost always be rejuvenated
They are not as fragile as you think, and 90% of the time, a good soak and clean will take care of most of your pen problems. If the nib of your pen gets damaged, there are even nib meisters out there that can help repair it!
