6 (More) Reasons Why You Should Write With a Fountain Pen
You all really, REALLY liked the “8 Reasons Why You Should Write With A Fountain Pen” article. Since publishing, it’s been viewed nearly 60,000 times and continues to be one of my top posts. Reading through the comments, there were a ton of other reasons that you, the readers, stated why you use a fountain pen. I’ve picked six more and broken them down in the post below. Make sure to let me know if there’s anything that gets you writing that hasn’t been mentioned!
Less Hand Fatigue
Hand fatigue can be killer, especially when writing or drawing for long periods of time. It’s made even worse with arthritis or other physical problems that we may encounter. How does writing with a fountain pen help your hands? Well, you don’t have to press the nib into the page. By gripping the pen lightly, and writing only with a light touch you can give your hands some relief. The ink flows onto the page much more easily. You can leave that white-knuckle writing experience behind!
Pen in photo: Nakaya Neo Standard in Kuro Tamenuri – $650 on nibs.com.
Teaches You Responsibility
Would you rather spend $100 on a hundred pens that you’re likely to lose, or $100 on one pen that you care about? It’s a tough argument, and spending a bunch of money on a single pen isn’t for everyone. Think about it though, pens are hanging out in every junk drawer, car glove box, and eventually even the garbage. By buying a nice pen, you can teach yourself to hold onto things. I often refer to a famous quote by Mitch Hedburg: “I bought a seven-dollar pen because I always lose pens and I got sick of not caring.”
Pen in photo: Pilot Vanishing Point – $135.51 on Amazon.
Inspiration To Write
Have writer’s block? It’s a very real thing. There’s no guarantee that a new pen is the key to unlocking the door between you and a NY Times best-selling book, but it can help. New stuff inspires us to do a variety of things. Don’t feel like going for a run? Pick up a new pair of shoes. Not in the mood to write? Snag a new pen. At the very least, you’ll want to fill it up and write just to test it out!
Pen in photo: Lamy Lx Graphite – $49.99 on Amazon.
Consistent Writing Experience (always the same nib)
Admittedly, I was on the fence about this reasoning until last week. I bought a cheap pack of 45 gel pens that were in a bunch of cool colors. Each pen wrote to a differing degree of terrible. I’ve spent the last four years surrounding myself with great stationery, and sometimes you forget how bad a pen can be. One of the best parts about a fountain pen is the consistent experience. If you have a buttery smooth nib, it’s going to stay that way. Like how a pen feels in your hand? Keep reusing it over and over because you know what to expect.
Pen in photo: Nakaya Neo Standard in Kuro Tamenuri – $650 on nibs.com
Handwritten Notes Help You Learn and Remember Better
Yes, it really does. It’s pretty fascinating why. To TL;DR it for you, instead of typing every single word out verbatim, the act of handwriting forces your brain to cull down to only the necessary words, while using critical thinking. The extra effort of recording notes by hand helps cement it in your memory, and while it’s slower than typing, it accelerates learning. Here’s a link to the fascinating study. Instead of zooming through notes, slow down and only write down what’s necessary.
Pen in photo: Lamy 2000 – $124.95 on Amazon.
Community
This is a big one. The online fountain pen community is one of the most positive ones out there. Between the various forums, blogs, slack chats, facebook groups, subreddits, and social media accounts there’s a lot going on. I’ve met plenty of people through it, got a job, made friends, and have had an enjoyable time. When I was struggling to find inspiration to blog, I cited community as one of the main reasons that kept me in it. It’s cool to know that there are other people out there who love the same thing as you. Not involved in any of them? I’d highly suggest checking out the links above and hitting up the nearest pen show!
Pen in photo: Lamy Vista – $20.09 on Amazon.
There you have it. Six more reasons why you should write with fountain pens. Is there anything that I missed? Make sure you tell me why YOU write with a fountain pen in the comments below!
*Disclaimer: This post features Amazon Affiliate Links. The site may receive a small commission on goods you purchase through the links. All prices reflect purchase price at time of publishing.
edjelley.com - Fountain Pen, Ink, and Stationery Reviews 
Your Lamy LX caption links to the Al Star. No one is getting an LX under $30.
Bill, thanks for the heads up. I corrected the link and the price.
I’m an educator and appreciated the journal link to the study on note-taking. Many thanks!
Glad you liked it! I found it really interesting to see the hard evidence that backs up writing by hand.
In Germany school children are required to write with a fountain pen. All the notebooks are sold with blotters, of course. I have owned expensive ball points, could not learn to like them. The look of my writing looks much better with a fountain pen.
Very true. Even with a cheap pen in a notebook from the dollar store, my handwriting looks 10 times better than with a ballpoint or rollerball on any other paper. The difference is the smooth nib makes the writing process effortless.
Excellent article about an item that many people think is something from the past. Few months ago I decide to going to my past experience when I used in the school.
When I start, on the market of fountain pen are many options I spend many night’s hours looking for a good one. I did, now I remember how well you feel when you have an instrument from the past make me feel young again.
Great list, thanks for sharing! I do love my fountain pens, and have been enjoying spreading pens around to my family for gifts.
You made me realize something I had not thought of before. I used to lose pens (ballpoints and rollerballs) all the time. After reading the bit on responsibility i realized that since I have been using fountian pens, pens I actually care about, I don’t remember losing one. I think it was because its just bic or uniball, who cares attitude. I do truly enjoy writing with fountain pens that I didn’t with other pen types.
One more reason…yama budo.
The myth that fountain pens are more expensive is no longer true. Modern FP as cheap as few dollars is now equivalent in cost with ball point. Besides, FP are re-usable by simply topping up ink in cartridges & its sustainable which is environmental friendly. Unlike ball point, felt pen & roller pen whose refills are disposable & polluting our environment. For these reasons we shall all be trained to use fountain pens.
Writing with Fountain pen is not only therapeutic but make one creative too. As writing tool when using FP is supposed to be effortless. Thus, FP users need not be distracted and can concentrate on the tasks and subject matters. In a way, it makes users more creative and effective in handling the tasks. These are the main reasons I continue to use FP since 1972 when I was in Primary 4!
I totally agree with your points – in particular regarding whether you retain knowledge better through writing as compared to typing into a computer. I prefer to write my notes and find that I do remember them better as a result. And where I once used to get really bad callouses on my hands from notes writing with a standard pen, I definitely find that using a fountain pen eases the pressure that I exert and make it so much easier to write fast and for a longer period of time.
I just got my first fountain pen at the beginning of the month via the iPenStore subscription box. I am so in love!!!! As a writer, I find great inspiration in writing by hand. The fountain pen has only enhanced that.
Thanks for the awesome information.great list !!!!
Just before retiring I bought my first fountain pen since high school days and the Sheaffer Student. After that I started noticing old pens in flea markets, etc. At that time the market wasn’t what it is today and you could buy a handful for a few dollars. I started tinkering and soon became a genuine gear-head. I love restoring old pens and “hacking” newer models to make them my own.
One of the reasons I write with a fountain pen (typically one as old or older than I am) is it inevitably catches someone’s eye and starts comments and conversations, especially when people find out the pen I’m using is 70 or more years old. In our Bic culture they can’t imagine such a thing. I’ve actually acquired some nice pens from people who have a pen or pens that a relative left and is sitting in a drawer somewhere. Also there’s always someone who needs a pen and of course I have one in my pocket. It’s surprising how many don’t know how to use a fountain pen, so I show them and they are always amazed at how it writes.
Fortunately it seems the interest in and market for fountain pens is very healthy and I’m glad to play a part. Thanks for helping keep my passion alive and well.
Dobbie
Thank you for sharing your story!