Fountain Pens: Ballpoints and Rollerblades

Here’s why:

1. A fountain pen looks degrees more dignified than its replaceable little siblings.  There’s nothing quite like the thrill of signing your hottest contracts with one.  Of course, it can also be used as an every day office supply, which leads us to the following point…
2. The nib of the pen allows ink to glide across the page with minimal to no pressure. It affords you a lighter grip, which makes it less tiring to write for longer periods of time. Some people may even choose to use their fountain pen as a regular writing tool.
3. The nib makes the pen more user-friendly. Gold nibs, which are more flexible than steel nibs, are able to “learn” the way you write. For example, because gold is malleable, it can bend according to the curve of your Q’s or to the slant of your R’s. This contributes to the personal feel of the fountain pen.
4. It’s personal. While you’d typically chuck your ballpoint and rollerblade pen after the ink runs out, you’d never have to throw away your fountain pen. Once you invest in one, it’s yours to keep for life. Simply refill the ink, which can be a satisfying procedure in itself.
5. There are more colors to choose from. Noodler’s Ink is a great place to browse a vast variety of brands and colors. With just one fountain pen, you can experiment with countless shades.
6. Many people use fountain pens because they enjoy the antiquated quality. After all, they’re the closest to dip pens and quills. There’s a certain charm in a fountain pen’s old-fashioned feel.

Trying a fountain pen for the first time and not willing to commit to the real deal yet? Get a beginner’s taste with the Pilot Varsity Disposable Fountain Pen. At only $3.00, it will help you to decide whether or not you want to graduate to more authentic ones. More of a pencil kind of guy?  A Time to Get covers you here.

Once you have decided to commit to a top quality fountain pen, we suggest considering the following:

Namiki Vanishing Point Black Carbonesque ($110)

Waterman Harmonie Fountain Pen ($100)

Epoch P 363 Granite-Silver by Pelikan ($198)

And for the ink? Aurora does the classic blue and black the best.

Aurora Fountain Black Ink (converter may be required) ($12)

Aurora Ink Cartridges (make sure cartridges are compatible with your pen) ($4.25)