A Short Primer on Fountain Pens
A Guide for the Beginner
Nowadays if big box office supply stores carry fountain pens at all, the pens are most likely of the cartridge filling variety. Fountain pens that fill from bottled ink can be found easily online, and often are found in specialty pen shops, art supply stores, and independent stationary stores. While online retail may not be the preferred method for purchasing fountain pens, it is often the only method available in some areas of the world.
Fountain Pen Ink
Only use ink specifically formulated for fountain pens to fill them. India Ink, watercolor paints, and Jane Austin’s favorite ink recipe will clog or damage fountain pens. There are a variety of inks to choose from several manufacturers. Parker Quink, Pelikan, and Waterman inks are readily available in most office supply stores. Aurora, Diamine, J. Herbin, Montblanc, Noodler’s, Private Reserve, and Visconti also make quality inks. Inks by Noodler’s and Private Reserve are known for their bright, rich colors. J. Herbin inks also cover a broad palette of colors.
Ink is available in two forms: cartridge or bottle. The form to use will be determined by the pen itself. Most modern pens can use either a cartridge inserted into the pen, or a piston converter to suck up bottled ink. Some pens contain built-in pistons or plungers and can only be used with bottled inks.
Ink Cartridges
Inserting a small, plastic, cylindrical cartridge into the pen is a common ink choice for many modern fountain pens and users. The pen has plenty of ink for writing until the cartridge runs dry. Cartridges are bought in packs of five or more in a single color. Cartridges are easily carried in a briefcase, purse or knapsack to ensure an ever-present supply of ink. While most pens will take different manufacturers' cartridges, it is important to know the type a given pen may need. A few pens may require a manufacturer’s proprietary ink cartridge.
Bottled Ink
Pens that suck up ink, either through plunging or turning a piston mechanism, must use bottled ink. These pens store the ink inside the barrel of the pen, and generally hold more ink than a pen using a cartridge or piston converter. Bottled ink usually comes in a glass container, although some manufacturers’ use plastic containers.
The term "cartridge/converter" or c/c means that a pen's ink can be supplied by a cartridge or via a piston converter. The converter is necessary to draw or suck ink from a bottle. A converter does not hold as much ink as a cartridge or as a regular piston or plunger type pen. Several videos can be found on YouTube providing examples on how to fill a pen from a bottle.
Scented Inks
Scented inks are safe for fountain pen use. According to an article on retailer Pendemonium’s website, however, perfumed inks are not safe because oil is used to make those inks. J. Herbin makes a few scented bottled inks. Montblanc makes scented ink that can be found in cartridge or bottled form.
Entry Level Fountain Pens
Choosing a fountain pen is a very personal endeavor involving issues of size, weight, and other aesthetics. Any pen, however, is ultimately only as good as the point, or the nib, used for writing. In his article "What’s the Point?" pen expert Richard Binder suggests how a pen should feel when writing: “its nib glides over the paper with virtually no downward force.”
Some examples of entry level fountain pens under $50 that take ink cartridges are Lamy Safari, Rotring Core, and the Waterman Phileas. Each of those pens also will take a piston converter, which may or may not be supplied with the pen. If the pen does not come with one, converters can be purchased for a few dollars. While there are universal converters available, sometimes a pen needs a special sized converter. When in doubt, read the manual that came with the pen if it's available, or ask a pen expert for guidance.
Piston filler fountain pens tend to cost more than cartridge/converter pens. The Pelikan 150 or 200 are examples of affordable and extremely reliable pens ($50 - $90 in cost). The Stipula Vedo costs around $100. A Lamy 2000 costs around $130.
Fountain Pen Care Tips
- Fountain pens do not usually leak unless there’s a problem with the pen. Ink can, however, drip into the cap, especially with vintage pens, so it helps to pocket, store or travel with the pen’s nib pointing upwards.
- Flying with fountain pens is safe, although it’s recommended to fill the pen up completely for the flight.
- Leave the cap on the pen when not in use so that the ink does not dry up and clog the feed. The feed is the part the nib sits on top of, and it “feeds” the ink to the nib.
- Ink Nix is a great product to remove ink from your fingers when soap and water don't remove it all.
- Take care with the nib. A pen is obviously useless without it. Don’t use the nib to pry open a can of beer. Use the pen only for the purpose for which it was intended and it will last a very long time.
Sources to learn about fountain pens:
Fountain Pens: Papermate, Pelikan, Stipula
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