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I’ve recently rediscovered the joy of fountain pens. I remember my mother always using one, dipping it into a bottle of blue ink for refills, and telling me that writing with such a pen would improve one’s handwriting. For a while I tried to write with a Sheaffer calligraphy pen she got me, but I could never figure out how to hold it so it didn't scratch the page. Giving up, I defaulted to the ubiquitous ballpoint. Ballpoints were the pens of the age, and I didn’t think any more about my writing utensils for several decades.
A few years ago, however, I ran across a podcast called The Pen Addict, and I started listening, intrigued by its discussions of pens and ink and paper. That podcast, along with other stationery-related podcasts and Facebook groups, inspired me to give fountain pens another try.
I’d never especially liked ballpoint pens, and after years of using them, my handwriting had become cramped and messy. Because I didn’t like my pens, I hadn’t enjoyed writing by hand for years, usually choosing instead to type on my computer, simply because I didn’t like the feel of ballpoint pens.
Trying fountain pens again, though, was a revelation. I started with a Pilot Metropolitan, since that was one people recommended for those just getting started with fountain pens. I loved it. Here was a pen that flowed with my hand, not against it. The ink spread on the page as if it wanted to be there, as if it were meant to be on paper. Writing by hand suddenly ceased being a struggle and became instead a pleasurable, natural activity.
Since then, I’ve been experimenting with a number of different fountain pens—a Platinum Plaisure, Platinum Preppies, TWSBI Eco, Lamy Safari, and several others. I’ve also been experimenting with different inks, and I’ve loved discovering that there are so many, in so many various shades, from dark purples to rich greens to brilliant reds. All of my newly-discovered pens and inks have various characteristics and strengths, but they share one thing—they’re so much better than ballpoints. They flow. They don’t require a struggle to write. In short, they're lovely things.
Now, I look forward to journaling in the morning, and I’ve come to see the process of writing by hand as a kind of meditation. I’ve even started writing letters by hand, something I’d gotten away from over the last several decades. I’m enjoying all of this writing, almost as if it were a brand new activity. And, in a way, it is.
Research has shown that writing by hand aids and facilitates memory. We learn and retain information more effectively when it’s processed through handwriting than we do by typing. I can attest to this, and I’ve found that fountain pens give me a reason and inspiration to write by hand. Such writing is a meditative process, one that’s become a valuable part of my daily life.
If you don’t like writing by hand, perhaps it’s time to give a fountain pen a try. They’re not scary, and they’re not necessarily expensive. They’re a holdover from the past, yes, but they’re experiencing a revival, and you can find many sites online that sell a variety of pens and inks. Indulge your curiosity. You might just find yourself enjoying writing by hand again.
