Fountain Pens
"Handwriting usually reveals a personality and character in each of us" Erica Cain
A fountain pen is a nib pen which uses ink cartridges or a convertor for filling with bottled ink. Some pens are designed with an integrated piston filling system, for example the Lamy 2000 fountain pen, which takes the ink from the bottle straight into the body of the pen. This enables you to get a lot more ink into the pen than you would with a cartridge or convertor. These pens however will not take cartridges. It is also important to note that a lot of mini size fountain pens such as the Sheaffer Agio Compact will only take ink cartridges.
A fountain pen is a writing instrument which requires little or no pressure to write with providing the user with the most smooth and comfortable writing experience. Ideally the fountain pen nib should glide across the paper using the ink as a lubricant. A lot of people use fountain pens as their primary writing instrument over ballpoint and rollerball pens because of the comfortable writing experience. Aesthetics, history and heritage all play a big part in the use and collectability of the fountain pen.
Caring For Your Fountain Pen
It is always important to remember to clean your fountain pen nib from time to time to avoid it clogging up with dried ink. The best way is to simply run it under cold/warm water or leave it overnight in a cup of water (nib section only). If you only use black ink in your pen then this is more important as black ink tends to dry in the nib more quickly. Also always replace the cap on your fountain pen when you are not using it. This stops the ink from drying up, protects the nib and avoids any unnecessary cleaning. Remembering to do this should keep your nib in tip top condition.
