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Important Points To Consider When Purchasing A Fountain Pen

  • February 15, 2022
  • 4 min read
Important Points To Consider When Purchasing A Fountain Pen

Stationary is an important part of the essentials of an office space. For most purposes, ordinary ballpoint pens are sufficient. Fountain pens are a niche option that is not used by many.

In comparison to ballpoint and rollerball pens, fountain pens have a number of advantages. Because the ink flows directly from the nib of the pen, no pressure is necessary to write. This eliminates the possibility of hand and wrist pain. Fountain pens are also easier to write with because they don’t skip or leave ink blobs. Because nibs allow for differences in line thickness and shading, fountain pens may even improve a person’s handwriting and add a flourish to it.

Fountain pens also give an aura of professionalism in an office, which is why fountain pens are the stationary of choice for official positions in many corporate spaces.

This article will discuss the process of finding a good fountain pen for your business needs.

The Key Points To Consider

Fountain pens differ from others in that they often become very personal to the user. It is therefore important to find one that matches an individual as closely as possible. Where it is easy to change ballpoint pens on a dime and use many at a time, a good fountain pen can be a lifelong writing tool.

Size

A fountain pen is a very personal instrument that should fit the hand perfectly. Generally, a large hand will require a larger fountain pen. The fountain pen should never be too short, and it may be uncomfortable to write with if it is held incorrectly or if the pen is too wide.

In all honesty, there is no clear-cut answer, and the best course is to experiment with different ones. Try different shapes as well as different widths and lengths to find a match.

Weight

For fountain pens, the weight might be a plus if their purpose is merely for signatures. However, if it is intended for use to write letters that are several pages long, then something that is not too heavy is recommended. This will prevent the writing hand from tiring out too quickly.

The Mechanism of Filling

To write with a fountain pen, ink is required. Writing ink is typically found in a small cartridge inside the fountain pen. These ink cartridges are essentially small, disposable plastic tubes that hold ink and are widely available. Ink cartridges are widely available, but finding a wide variety of colors can be a bit more difficult. Some brands also design their pens to only be compatible with proprietary cartridges. They limit ink options and increase costs in the long run.

A solution many people use is a converter, which is essentially another plastic tube with a little mechanism that allows for the manual addition of ink to it, thereby opening up the entire range of inks on the market. Using a converter also costs a lot less, is more environmentally friendly, and is an overall more sensible option.

Nib

When considering the nib of a fountain pen, there are two important things to consider: the material and the tip itself.

First of all, the nib material is essential. The softer and more flexible the nib material is, in general, the better. While steel nibs are smooth and inexpensive, higher-end fountain pens typically have gold or even palladium nibs. Of course, gold and palladium tips are far more expensive than steel or other metal nibs.

Secondly, the size of the nib itself is important. In most cases, the larger the nib, the nicer it is to write with it. As a result, the nibs on the most expensive fountain pens are typically larger than those on less expensive fountain pens. The tip of the nib, which is what is actually the writing point, is even more important than the nib size. Nowadays, extra-fine, fine, medium, broad, and very broad nibs are available. On the market, these sizes are identified by labels. There are typically F, EF, M, B, and BB.

The Best Brands to Patronize

There are many brands that offer a wide variety of fountain pens on the market. Finding pens in every price range, for every size, weight, and nib preference is not difficult. But there are two brands that stand out from all others in quality. These are Parker pen and cross fountain pen. Both of these companies have centuries of experience making high-quality pens, having been founded in the 1800s. For market-leading, world-renowned fountain pens, Parker pen and Cross Fountain Pens are unrivaled.

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