Not long ago I composed a post why I should never use fountain pens. I’d get curious, read about them, then think naw, that’s not for me. Yet as wonderful as my Uniball Vision Elite pens are, somehow I kept thinking “is this all there is?” I kept wondering about them, since I’ve heard they are the smoothest luxurious writing experience a person could have. I’d read a bit more. . . turn away again and again.
I didn’t even finish that anti-fountain pen post before I succumbed and bought a cheap one. One reason I thought FP’s wouldn’t satisfy me was because I love glitter ink. Surely such high brow prestigious pens don’t accommodate glitter ink. I was wrong. Reading a review on Amazon, someone noted that this particular pen worked well with their shimmer ink. That was the clincher for me. A few searches later . . . what the heck, this model was so cheap, on sale and a coupon. It was so inexpensive, and came with several cartridges and a converter. I had to at least try it.
Before the shimmer ink arrived, I was already hooked. Within a week I got a set that was on sale so I could try different nibs. It came with 5. That’s part of the fountain pen intrigue. All these fun nibs that exist.
Some issues still bother me, and I’m trying to sort it out. One can’t really try these pens out before buying. This is so wrong to me, as someone who has always tried all the sample pens in office supply or stationary stores. I would roll my eyes at those expensive designer pens that cost $30 or more. How on earth could one buy a pen not having any idea how it writes? That’s insanity. I got the first fountain pen for a whopping $11, but how does one spend $100, or even hundreds, without being able to feel it first? That still seems so wrong.
I’ve found a lot of information online, mainly on Reddit. I finally understand that it’s very easy to ruin a pen by applying too much pressure to it, so one can’t really have a tester model on display. Still. I read things on how to figure out what kind of pen you want. Suggestions are, do you want a light pen or a hefty one? How the heck would I know? I can’t try anything and have no experience contrasting light or heavier pens, especially since fountains write very differently than other types of pens.
What materials would you like? Again, how would I know?
I already invested much more than intended because I craved to experience different nibs. Then I hear if you don’t really like how a nib performs, you can just spend more money on a nib-meister to fine-tune the pen to your liking. Fine “tune” is not the correct terminology. “Tuning” a pen is actually a thing, and separate, I believe. Ok, so do you buy a pen for how it feels in your hand, and have a custom grind nib completely separate? First I thought ok, you have to figure out what nib you want, then figure out what pens come with that option even available. But wait, do some buy a pen not even caring what nib it comes with because they are going to get a custom one elsewhere?
In my ideal pen world, everything would be interchangeable. You decide what pen body you like, and buy it. What fits your hand and grip comfort. Find a nib size, style, springiness that speaks to your soul. Switch, mix and match until you achieve your dream pen. Retailers don’t make money that way, though, so it will never happen. Most things are proprietary and only fit that brand. At least you can get ink separately. Still, some specialty inks perform better with certain cartridges, feeds, nibs . . . so it’s all a game trying to figure out what will work. But then you tell me after all the research I’d still have to buy something expensive and have no idea if I’d actually like it? Oh yes, that’s where you get your nib-meister. Sure, having someone customize your pen for you specifically does sound fun. But do you realize how pricey it gets?
Even if you resist getting a medium quality pen for a couple hundred dollars, there are lots of little things that can add up. Syringes or eyedroppers to re-fill cartridges. Trays, cloths and cleaning supplies you don’t mind getting stained with ink. Oh yes, ink remover, if nothing else, to clean your hands.
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