Why I Use Fountain Pens

Would a good enough answer be that it makes me feel like everything I write is much more profound than it actually is?

I have always been interested in pens, colored markers, stationary, journals, etc. Fountain pens are a sort of logical progression from an office supply obsession. There's something charmingly old-fashioned about them.

For many, it makes them feel like their handwriting is better. I'm not so sure if that is true, but I know that I make an extra effort to have handwriting worthy of such an elegant writing utensil. And here is where you call me a nerd, if you haven't already.

Luckily, my fiancé shares my strange attachment to office supplies, so that makes it okay, right? He likes to do a lot more research into pens, cleaning, upkeep, etc than I do. There's a huge fountain pen community, and although I am not nearly as involved as I could be. The man researches, and I reap the inky benefits.

I write with a Lamy Safari, which is cheap, reliable, and modern-looking. I enjoy that the nibs are interchangeable, so my writing can go from fine to bold to calligraphy within seconds. Since the ink is refillable, you can change colors in the same pen with relative ease. If you use pens as much as I do, refillable ink and a reliable pen becomes a cost effective option. You can buy ink samples to get lots of colors without having to pay full price on an ink that you may not use often.

I write down all of my posts before blogging in a notebook (my current one is a Rhodia-more on this at a later date). Well, I write out everything in a notebook first, including planning for my wedding invitations, any creative writing activities that I am pursuing, and anything else I find interesting. I do this for two reasons. One, I really like paper, and if I use it, I get to buy more. Yay! Two, and the more important reason, I write while I do other things, as I am in constant busy mode. A notebook always needs to be at hand, in case I think of a topic I want to pursue while I'm doing the laundry or I create in my crazy brain a sentence that bares remembering while exercising. It annoys me to no end when I come up with ideas in the shower, and have to wait until I am clean and dry to write it down.

There is some strange psychological magic going on with a fountain pen. It's like a thinking cap or a quiet spot, it makes me feel more efficient and creative. Sometimes, art forms because of the tools used. Or that could be my imagination. Either way, fountain pens make me happy.

Here are a two resources if you would like to learn more about fountain pens:
 http://www.inknouveau.com/
http://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/