And this aced the cheap paper test, which I was surprised at, I’d have thought such a ‘wet’ expensive niche ink would have feathered like crazy, but it was the best. The Pilot Kakuno Fountain Pen is often recommended for beginners but can be appreciated by anyone. This is a demonstrator fountain pen, meaning that it has a translucent body that allows you to see the filling system and monitor ink levels. Despite having a plastic body, most people find it to be well-balanced and well-made, with sufficient weight and a slightly tapered barrel for grip. There is no pen clip but the cap is faceted to prevent the pen from rolling off flat surfaces. Not a major problem for the majority of fountain pen users, but it is important issue for artists who need to use water-based media with ink, and artists who need truly archival lightsafe pieces for sale. In my case it’s both of those, but also working outside I can get drenched by rain/leaks and don’t want everything in my sketchbook to start running everywhere (it has happened!). While it’s hard to select one material as the best for fountain pens, Chris does point out that specialty pen materials and finishes, like a lacquered body, wil fetch higher prices. “Lacquered pens are among the most expensive. They're hand painted and require many layers to produce.” Other features that will add to the price of a fountain pen are gold or platinum plating, often seen on the body or cap of the pen.

Fountain Pens | WHSmith

The barrel of a fountain pen is often made out of metal (usually brass) but may be constructed of plastic, wood, or other materials. The choice of barrel material comes down to aesthetics and ergonomics. A metal pen offers a weighty feel, but can become tiring to hold for extended writing sessions. A plastic pen is lighter and may be easier to grip for longer periods of time. Other options, like the Faber-Castell E-Motion Fountain Pen with a pear wood barrel, offer the opportunity to make a style statement with your writing instrument. This is a pigmented ink so it’s water-resistant, but it won’t clog your pen and isn’t impossible to clean. It’s a nice writer and a practical everyday ink that remains fun to use.Now given this long journey, I wish I could say ‘use THIS ink!’ and be done with it, at least for myself. But as always, it’s a matter of compromise. A pre-filled fountain pen is a simple and convenient way to explore this type of writing instrument. Many students start with this type of disposable fountain pen, rather than starting with the challenge of learning to appropriately fill the pen with ink. One of the most popular options for students is the Pilot Varsity Fountain Pen.

Black Fountain Pen - Etsy UK Black Fountain Pen - Etsy UK

This isn’t usually visible when you just write in pure ink, but when you wash with water before the ink is dry you get a colour tint so to speak. I’ve indicated what these inks seem to lean towards – some are more neutral but mostly they have a cool or warmer shade to them. Examples I have no idea why R&K Dokumentus looks so red on this? I put R&K initially down for a more blueish tinge but red it is! Real World Examples So we have some special pigment inks with tiny (nano) particles of carbon that are all those things. But there are many types, price ranges and fancy bottles even within that. And there are ‘hybrid inks’ like Noodler’s which are a sort of special paper-reactive dye. I didn’t test because a) it’s American and hard to get here b) not always waterproof, depends on the paper c) not a nano-particle ink and d) I have had a bad experience with Noodler’s pens, so why should I spend more on their inks?And then you have the day-to-day inks that people might not think of as being the best, but people use for years on end and keep buying, so they have to be at least mentioned… Pretty expensive, used to be cheaper, can be more of a clog risk, can scan to a red shade, or is that my scanner? Searching for the smoothest-writing fountain pen is a lifelong journey for some people. Chris Elfering, the founder of Lochby, a store that supplies journals and accessories specifically for fountain pens, says that the features most important to people shopping for fountain pens are the writing experience and materials. “For [the] writing experience, it's usually about how smooth the nib is and how heavy or balanced the pen is," he says. In regards to materials, he adds that certain items command a higher price—“for example, gold nibs over steel and arco celluloid bodies over acrylic.” Protecting the nib of a fountain pen is important since it’s essential for smooth writing action. While most fountain pens have a cap for protection, a retractable fountain pen—like this option from the Pilot Vanishing Point Collection—houses the nib inside the barrel of the pen when not in use. This makes the pen more portable and even airplane-safe.

Fountain Pens - Luxury Fountain Pen Collection by Cross® Fountain Pens - Luxury Fountain Pen Collection by Cross®

The material of the fountain pen barrel and its nib will have a big impact on the feel and functionality of the pen. In fact, Chris says that the nib “has the most impact over writing performance.” He explains that the finish will determine how smooth it writes, noting that “gold nibs are softer and bouncier compared to steel nibs.” A fountain pen with a gold nib is often considered one of the smoothest writing fountain pens, but it should be noted that a stainless steel nib is very long-lasting when compared to the softer metal of gold, which can bend or wear more easily. The Pilot Metropolitan Fountain Pen, our top overall choice, has a stainless steel nib that is widely known for being reliable in ink output and durability. Also surprisingly did really badly on the Shitty Paper Test. As much feathering as Sketchink. Uh-oh. Firstly a few basic bits about fountain pens: although they use ink, unless it’s a very special pen they cannot use standard India or Chinese inks as the particles of shellac or carbon are too large and will clog the pen. Most fountain pen inks are dyes which avoid these problems as dyes are liquid chemicals rather than particles suspended in a liquid…but those are not lightfast (they fade in sunlight), nor waterproof or permanent. You may think that cleaning a fountain pen will be a regular ritual, but the fact of the matter is that if you use the right fountain pen, you don't have to clean it often, according to Chris. He suggests cleaning it perhaps on a monthly basis and adds that he often only cleans his fountain pen when switching ink colors. And then the Noodler’s Heart of Darkness has many, many fans online who love the inks price, durability, and “bulletproof” nature.A fountain pen with a medium nib is a versatile choice for journaling, signatures, drawing, or any other task where you want to put personality to paper. The Scriveiner Fountain Pen is a popular choice, thanks to its enameled brass body and medium nib gilded with 18K gold. The wash came out a strange sort of red but only on the copier paper, not sure why. In my practical experience, it washes similarly to Sketchink but darker. The fountain pen is a stylish writing implement found on business desks or in personal journals. Unlike your standard ballpoint pen, it requires more finesse to use and refill, but it produces a polished look for signatures, formal correspondence, or sending elegant invitations. It’s also popular for use in journaling or art. Oh and EDIT: e) Noodler’s is run by a alt-right-winger who put the literal ‘Jews With Horns’ anti-semite trope on their ink bottles and has done it twice?– so that’s a massive NOPE from me. Boycott Noodlers, don’t buy their products).