I write with a fountain pen and have done, fairly consistently, since I started secondary school and was expected to use ink as a matter of course. Until now, I haven't really thought about why. I always assumed it was partly received from my father who also writes with them, partly due to my slightly wilfully eccentric personality (I was never any good at football hence I didn't fit in brilliantly at school. As a result, I've always enjoyed being a bit different).
There is more to it than that though. Firstly, a fountain pen makes my spidery handwriting look elegant. It's still virtually illegible but that's another matter!
Secondly, a good pen does improve my handwriting. Although not strictly limited to fountain pens, the point stands. Looking back over old notes, I can instantly tell which were written with a good pen and which weren't. Generally speaking though, a fountain pen yields better results still. I think possibly it's because the nib is so visibly delicate it prevents me from pressing too hard.
Initially I used cartridges of ink but over the last 8 years or so I have switched to bottled ink. I must admit, I enjoy the novelty and ceremony of filling my pen from a bottle.
Finally; a good pen is (in my opinion) a thing of beauty. It gives me genuine pleasure to write with. Writing is something we all do most days and is usually a functional process. Writing with a nice pen makes an otherwise mundane activity a pleasure and generally makes my day a little bit better. I have this philosophy for a lot of things. It's one of the reasons I still use a brush and hard soap to shave (that and the soap smells nicer than most canned stuff). Making otherwise mundane tasks slightly more pleasurable puts a smile on my face.
I admit, I also like it when people compliment me on my pens (it happens more than you think). It's a similar feeling to being complimented on my tie or cufflinks. I would hope that, in a professional context, my choice of pen would show that I'm someone who appreciates detail and doing things well but I fear this might be me over-thinking things.
Currently I have three fountain pens and one good rollerball pen. My first "proper" fountain pen was a Sheaffer prelude. I was given that when I was about 12. It's light yet robust and easy to work with. There were only two drawbacks; the nib was a bit thick for my handwriting and there were indentations on the grip which were supposed to assist in holding it correctly but in my case could make it uncomfortable to hold for long periods. I now mainly use it for annotating documents and taking notes. Sheaffer does a good line in vividly colourful inks so annotations stand out and it's immediately clear what is meant for more general viewing. The inks are also quite thin meaning that the original text is usually fairly clearly visible underneath.
My main pen is a Cross townsend medallist. It was a gift when I was about 15. This is a wonderfully heavy and well balanced pen which, for me, makes it easy to control and means I always know where it is on the page. It gives a lovely clean line and isn't prone to blotting. The weight means it can also comfortably write on surfaces that would otherwise be far from ideal (useful when you suffer from eczema and the creams can leave a thin film on the paper). The grip fits perfectly into my hand and is comfortable to use even over long periods.
More recently (a few months ago) my dad gave me a refurbished Parker 51. He collects them and is adamant that they are some of the best nibs produced. While I'm not sure I agree wholeheartedly with this, it is fantastic. It's the lightest of all my pens and is the one I have defaulted to carrying around with me. The lightness makes it ideal for scribbling down quick notes and the ink flows smoothly even if the top is left off for a while. It also doesn't look particularly expensive so I'm more comfortable using it overtly in public. I also rather like the fact that it can only be filled from a bottle (the others can be used with bottles or cartridges). Strictly from a cosmetic point of view, I'm not a huge fan of the internal nib but I can forgive it that!
I also have a Mont Blanc Meisterstük ballpen. This was a gift when I was at uni and I was spending a lot of time in Lab. Even a few drops of fluid can render a page written in fountain pen illegible so a ball pen is the only sensible option. It is also a joy to write with and, despite being the heaviest of the lot, is comfortable to write with over a long period.
Recetly my girlfriend has picked up my enthusiasm for fountain pens so for her birthday last year I got her one. This one was a Waterman (no idea what the model was) purchased because it was very light yet well built and robust. It has a brilliant nib which feels smooth on the paper and lets the ink flow freely. Crucially, it's also pink!
Hopefully this ramble about pens hasn't been too geeky. If you write with one, I would be interested to hear if you share my views and any other you may have on them. If you don't, well pardon my nerdiness!
JR
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