You’d think that with the wealth of technology we have at our fingertips nowadays that something as simple as a pen and paper would be practically obsolete. And fountain pens? A relic of the past surely?
Apparently not.
According to the BBC today sales of fountain pens are rising, and Amazon say that sales so far this year are four times that of the same period in 2010. That’s a crazy rise isn’t it? What’s causing this amazing fountain pen resurgence? Are we all sick of gadgets and hankering after the past?
The power of the pen
I do wonder if I have been partly responsible for the trend, as I have bought about six fountain pens in the last few months. Everyone in Belle’s class is required to write with a fountain pen, and Belle unfortunately hasn’t quite got the hang of pressing gently and evenly, resulting in a costly number of snapped nibs.
It would seem though that Belle’s school are in a minority, and that most schools no longer insist on children using fountain pens. In fact, one headmaster at a school in Stockport even went so far apparently as to ban GCSE pupils from using fountain pens, as he was worried it would affect their exam performance.
Despite getting through them quicker than Bee gets through crates of Angel Delight, Belle loves using a fountain pen. She happily spends time sat up in bed practising her best handwriting, and her choice of pen seems to give her a sense of importance, that makes her take her work just a little bit more seriously. Her pen gives her gravitas, just as lawyers and doctors using fountain pens inspire an air of authority and confidence.
Is this the power of the pen in action?
What do you think? Do you have a special place in your heart for fountain pens or is this possibly the dullest post you’ve read all week?
Photo credit – Linda Cronin
I used to love fountain pens (well, cartridge pens when we were at school). But being a leftie I could never get one to actually work well enough to have nice writing – couldn’t use a left handed pen, and right handed nibs just gave me a scrawl. Can’t say my writing’s any better with a biro, but that’s because I’m no longer marked on it and am confident enough just to write how it comes out!
The great advantage of a fountain pen is that, once having learned how to hold it properly, that it’s almost effortless in use. A Biro or a felt tip needs much more pressure than a fountain pen; used correctly, you just never get writers’ cramp with a fountain pen.
I have a fountain pen I was given as a present last Christmas – a LAMY. I really love it, although the ink’s not flowing so smoothly now. I think I need to soak the nib in warm water, or find another remedy. I keep it at my desk for all writing while I’m sitting there.
Lamy’s used to be my favourite fountain pens…..I may have to go and buy one now!
Being a left handed dyslexia, normal pens can not cope. My Parker feels like home and makes writing a pleasure. And the smell! Heaven!!! X
Dyslexic*
I think fountain pens are gorgeous. I like how they flow so easily on the paper, though I admit I do tend to make a mess out of things when using it, haha. My fiancé gave me a lovely quill/fountain pen for my birthday last year, but it’s still in its box. I’m too worried I’ll ruin it!
I love a fountain pen. A few years ago when stuck for a gift for my other half I splashed out on a gorgeous one for him. He loves it too
I haven’t used a fountain pen since primary school, back in the mid-Seventies, but I remember it well…the bottle of ink on the desk, squeezing the sides of the pen cartridge to draw up the ink, the blotting paper, carefully copying the italic writing from the blackboard. Sounds like something from Dickens doesn’t it? I’m a leftie too and I’m sure it was the effort not to smudge the ink with my hand as I wrote across the page that caused me to write forever more with a “cack-handed”, upside-down curve to my hand.
Fond memories. I might just have to go and buy one now!
I have two – one was a wedding present, mother-of-pearl and beautiful (and leaky), the other was a leaving present and is scratchy. So I use biros. Every new job I start with the intention of using my lovely pens but always end up with a chewed Bic in my hand. Maybe part of the reason I don’t use them is because I like to chew pens, hmm…
I’m a big fountain pen fan and have a little collection. The make even my handwriting look nice, so what’s not to like?
I stick to roller ball pens these days,mush easier on becoming arthriticcy hands, but loved a cartridge pen at school
I’ve been using fountain pens since age 7. I used one throughout high-school but stopped using one in college because I couldn’t find any ink! I finally discovered online shopping and bought ink bottles and multiple new pens. Now I only use a fountain pens.