What is the best fountain pen

Fountain pens are a great throwback to a previous time period and allow you to write in an antique style that cannot be created by newer ballpoint pens. Here is a guide for finding what the best fountain pen is for you:

• Top Brands

The top brands for fountain pens are Waterman, Parker, Monte Blanc, Pelikan, Visconti, and Lemy. Prices vary within these brands depending on the features and the style (antique or contemporary). Waterman and Parker are American brands that dominated the market for most of the later half of the 20^th century and have beautiful antique models that are highly sought after by collectors.

• The Nib

The nib is the arrowhead-shaped metal piece of the pen that dispenses ink at the end (through gravity and capillary action). The main metals used for nibs are gold, platinum, and stainless steel. Gold nibs are considered the finest because they don’t corrode, write smoothly, and look the most aesthetically pleasing. Platinum nib pens are usually cheaper but still perform similar to gold because of its fine metal. Stainless steel nibs still look sharp when kept clean but they have a rougher surface that can scrape paper.

• Size

It is better for beginners to use lighter fountain pens in order to get used they way they write. Heavier pens will allow you to do more artistically, but it is important to build up your hand strength before using a heavier pen. Barrel width should depend on the size of your hand. Get a pen with a narrow barrel if you have smaller hands. If you have bigger hands make sure to get a wide-barreled pen so you don’t tire out your hand.

• Ink

One of the great features of fountain pens is that you can refill the ink. This makes a fountain pen a great investment because you can keep the pen forever instead of throwing it away when the ink runs out (considering you don’t lose or break it). Fountain pens either refill pouring the ink manually into the barrel or inserting an ink cartridge. Although ink cartridges are much tidier, manual refill allows you to get an assortment of different colors from various inkbottles. You can also get a converter that attaches to the nib if your pen requires you to refill by ink cartridge only.