One of the great attractions of fountain pens and the stationary hobby in general to me is the permanence; there is a stability that allows one to collect inks and pens and trust that they will continue to work together for many years to come. It is the opposite of the digital world, which has chosen a path of planned obsolescence and the piles of e-waste that result from that. The pens, teh ink, the paper will not be rebooted, or fail to work on "system 6.0". It is beautiful that they change only slowly.
i feel the same way, which is why it vexes me that relatively few inks are waterproof/lightfast, and the ones that are permanent in this way tend to have issues with spreading/feathering/clogging/etc. it feels like there’s always a trade off that clever ink manufacturers could have addressed more through research and actively refining their formulas over the years
A fountain pen is no more permanent than a felt tip pen, and most fountain pen inks you can buy will fade on the page much faster than the felt tip ink.
I am tending to think that fountain pens, inks and so on are not only an artistic expression that is reachable, but that there is a bit of rebellion against technology. Perhaps even an increasingly desperate one? Life is moving at such a fast throwaway pace. Sitting at a desk and writing brings back a simpler, more elegant, even meditative way of being in touch again. It’s “hands on” as opposed to short form data entry. From lists to letters, it’s so much more expressive than a keyboard. It reminds us we are human.
True! My appreciation for fountain pens was rekindled by a combination of reminiscence and a return to the more tactile nature that actually stimulates the brain.
Yes, I agree and that is what has drawn me to fountain pens! I work in electronics repair and it is so nice to turn off all the digital noise and do something totally analog! 😊
To many of us, fountain pens are ecstatic and create a nostalgic feeling. That is why some people still looking for those vintage fountain pens that seemingly would bring them back to olden times. Once in a while I would pick up my feather dip pen to write a note or so.
As a newcomer in using fountain pens, I used to think fountain pens are so outdated until I saw a fountain pen on sale at a bookstore here in the Philippines. Honestly, the last time I ever saw a fountain pen was in 2017 or 2018 and since then, I no longer saw such a pen on display. But my eagerness to try using a fountain pen never really waned. I never really thought that fountain pens would ever make a comeback-or perhaps, a great "revenge" against digital technology. I do have two Monami Olika fountain pens (from South Korea) and a Pilot Parallel fountain pen from Japan, but I am still planning to buy other fountain pens. Perhaps a Platinum Preppy or a Faber-Castell fountain pen would be a great addition to my stash of fountain pens. Actually, most Filipinos continued using fountain pens until the early 2010's but some remained devoted to fountain pens; some stores continued selling fountain pens even when very few people used those pens.😊
Thanks- an interesting topic! I don’t need fountain pens to evolve - the experience of using fountain pens is greater than the sum of the pen parts. There’s pleasure in exploring the countless combinations of good inks, neat pens and quality paper. I discovered fountain pens in 1995, and they still delight me. The surprising thing to me is how many young people have jumped in to what used to be a fairly obscure passion. Perhaps that exponential growth is a kind of revolution, and I think it bodes well for their future.
Paper will still be here decades from now. Documents will still need to be printed, there is a limit to what can be presented digitally - for legal purposes many documents will always have to be printed.
Love your videos, never, ever boring. I think most people would agree that fountain pens are fine as they are, which is a huge part of the appeal for me. I think when you first get into fountain pens (or any new interest or hobby)you play around with and explore all the different options. Then you find your favourites, and, I reckon, most of us prefer a good, reliable writing insrument that resembles a classic, no frills fountain pen, which, as you say, is fine (sublime,imo) just they way it is, and that is what will endure.
I think it would be major development if somehow the metallurgical skills of the past are revived, and what is now called vintage nibs becoming brand new again. That would the a major positive leap backward!
A nib that circulates or otherwise lubricates the ink, so that a pen can be left uncapped without drying out. It would allow people to use a fast-drying ink on paper without having to restart it in the pen. In that vein, the new Private Reserve Infinity inks are interesting advancements.
Let’s put ourselves into the greater societal context. Pens in general are a throwback to an earlier generation. Like I have met people that haven’t used a pen in 5 or more years. With that being said, fountain pens are a throwback to an even earlier generation. The way I see it, the growth in fountain pens is, in a way, a rejection of present technology in favour of something that is timeless. All the innovations in fountain pens ended 50 years ago. We are a small group of enthusiastic people who use fountain pens because we are not beholden to the complete digitizations of everything
Very insightful post. My appreciation for and interest in fountain pens started late in life. Something I regret not doing earlier. And ever since I’ve been building my collection of pens. The point I’m trying to make is that I hope the next generation will learn about and appreciate this amazing writing instrument.
Thanks for this. When you were first introducing the topic, my eyes rolled. Enjoy my pens and always am interested in seeing new ones, but it's nice to just get pleasure from these great writing instruments.
Having and using fountain pens from the early 1940s and up, they will will remain relevant if we use them. We must endeavor to familiarize the youngsters with cursive writing and to show them that they can express themselves with an ink of their choice. At a minimum, we need to enjoy these treasures that we own.
As long as it works, it is what it needs to be to be enjoyed. That was a great closing point. The basics will remain, but style innovation, or at least distinction, will be what changes.
I always appreciate this topic from one of my original pen brahs. The FP is probably a mature technology. Question is, how many will learn to appreciate it in the generations, just like how many will continue to appreciate physical books in this changing world, or poetry, or straight razors, or any number of things.
All good sense as usual. One noteworthy feed system is the felt type in the Pilot Varsity. The only "problem" w it is that glitter clogs it. The Eylo Puro has it too and others I don't know.
Stephen, your "I think fountain pens are fine as they are" statement and the notion they've "evolved" as much as is practical are deeply satisfying and stabilizing sentiments in these crazy days. Thank you. And, with all the variety available to us, it's not like the still point that is fountain pens is in any way a boring place to be!
I don't think this is where things will go, but I think it's where things should go. We're at the point where the interest in fountain pens has gone beyond their basic function and is more in the expressive and aesthetic parts of the pen. Therefore I think it would be good if there were more standardisation, so you can put whatever filling system or nib(maybe even feed) into the pen of your liking, instead of being stuck with whatever came with the pen. This would also make tomorrow's vintage pens repairable for longer into the future, because the list of different spare parts would be much shorter. If the pen, nib or filling system breaks, you can just grab another one and keep the parts going until they fail. Imagine, for example, having a filling system standard(perhaps with three sizes: pocket, normal, oversize) that standardises the barrel threads attaching the filling system to the barrel, the distance from the back of the barrel to the back of the grip section, the internal diameter of the barrel, the threading of the knob attaching to the back of the filling system and how an O-ring is attached to the grip section. You could then install any filling system into your pen you'd like, and if your pen breaks, the filling system could go into another pen that has a broken filling system. You can imagine the same thing with nib housings, feeds, feed nipples, maximum nib dimensions as they relate to minimum internal cap dimensions, O-ring dimensions and so on.
Amen! Completely agree with everything, particularly standardized filling systems. A world with only three sizes of converters that can be completely disassembled for cleaning? 😍These concepts would be positive steps for the right-to-repair movement.
Other related issues about the future of fountain pens could make interesting discussions: What will happen to prices given the entry of low-cost Chinese brands? Can Italian/German/US-owned companies keep their prices high much less raise them more? And since most pens have identical or virtually the same "working parts," what are the frontiers of materials for the cap and barrel? And what limits may test the ability for manufacturers (large and artisian) to continue to grow? For example, will more hobbyists enter than are leaving (i.e., have too many fountain pens already)?
I think you're on the right track here. Industrial techniques may very well drive prices down and quality up, so we don't have to spend $900 for a beautiful, fine writing instrument. Also, nib materials and their manufacturing methods may reduce the price and greatly improve the writing experience of future pens.
One of the disappointing things I first found about using fountain pens was that most inks aren't permanent. I think that might change. Some sort of polymerized ink that hardens into a durable plastic on paper. Polymeriaation has been applied to a lot of art materials of late, offering more flexibility and fine honing of paints (for instance) for desired qualities.
I am a victim of fountain pens, I initially bought a pen to try to improve my writing, a forlorn hope. Then I thought perhaps a higher quality pen, again deep disappointment, but then again I did enjoy using a fountain pen, and I liked the look of the pens I had, aah but then the fever started, poring over eBay looking for different styles, materials, nib types etc etc, I am now the owner of 300 or so. I know that seems a small collection but for a pensioner in the UK a substantial investment, and it was this that stopped the accumulation of the pens.
Hi Stephen. Thanks for this video. I agree with you in that the basics of how fountain pens work and their design is not so much a revolution these days but more of evolution and refinement. Aside from inks and paper one area that is always developing is material technology. We have had wood, metal, celluloid, plastic, carbon-fibre, stone, and the list goes on. Perhaps in the future someone will develop a material and design in which the nib and feed are one unit (distinct from inlaid nibs) and merge this into a writing instrument that digitizes handwriting. The possibilities are endless; however, at the end of the day what matters most is that we care enough to want to leave a mark (or legacy) to show that we existed and that we mattered. This leads to a discussion into the fundamental and, possibly, primordial need to survive. Have a great day and keep the videos coming!
It's very difficult to forecast innovations that haven't yet been invented. You're right, imo, in that most new innovations will simply be tweaks of the existing, but someone might invent or discover a whole new feed material, far better than ebonite and less expensive than plastic. Perhaps a new, metallic based ink that reacts to temperature and pressure like some barometers do ( akin to Admiral Robert FitzRoy's Storm Glass ). Or an ink that reacts to bases and acids like litmus or pH paper. Things could still be fun and I sincerely hope ( and do not believe ) that they'll disappear into the vapors of history.
Interesting that you released this today given the sad news about the Uniball acquisition of Lamy. I'm not a Lamy fan, however coming on and heels of the Pelikan deal, it bodes not well for quality and innovation.
I've never thought of the question of what the future of fountain pens will be, in terms of "what new innovations will happen in their future?" but rather, "will fountain pens survive the future?" Short answer: if they haven't died out already, then yes, they'll survive. Do I think there will be any crazy new innovations? Most likely not. I'm not a creative person, but I mean, I feel like everything's been done already for fountain pens. It's a very mature market. And like you said, there's only so much you can change on a fountain pen before it isn't a pen anymore. I like them the way they are now, and they don't really need to be changed. Not to mention the community/consumer base is probably, I would guess, made up of people who don't want fountain pens to a) die out and b) rapidly advance. I think a lot of us value tradition in some way or another (I always like to see them as a way to connect ourselves to history). We like our pen(s) and paper(s). We like the reality of fountain pens.
I think this is very interesting and it makes sense to me! Maybe the evolution of fountain pens has nothing to do with the pen itself, but in its ability to have newer found accessibly to a younger generation? I certainly couldn’t have enjoyed these glorious pens at the price points that they had prior to the more affordable ones that are available now because I’m a teacher. This world has been opened up to me and I’m embracing it and encouraging others.. is that how these pens evolve?
I know someone who has a patent on a new type of filling system and is ready to shop it around. It's not exactly, as you say, revolutionary, but it's a bit more organic to the fountain pen. Anyway, it has yet to be built so it might be out at some point this year.
I think as you said there is so much you can do with the nib, feed, and filling system. I think the future of fountain pens, and perhaps all writing instruments may be in electronically capturing what you write on paper digitally into your electronic device as well. Montblanc came out with the "Augmented Paper" system which is an actual fountain pen that writes on paper, but with electronic sensors in the pen and on the paper to capture what you write digitally. With the use of blue tooth perhaps they can make the pen work on any paper/notepad/notebook. They you can write in your journal, and also have a backed up electronic file saved as well, that you can share in the cloud. I'd personally would enjoy a "smart fountain pen", with phone, camera, clock and everything else you could fit into a cap. Then I could toss my smart phone and have everything in my pen.
Another thought: How do we define a fountain pen? If a new nib design were created, would that be a fountain pen? I started thinking about technical pens. They are refillable. They have a hard (sometimes ruby) tipped nib. They work through capillary attraction. Superficially key aspects of a fountain pen. If we go by the definition that fountain pens can change a lot, then they are a good test case. Or maybe we want to limit the definition. I am not sure.
I am looking to companies like Gravitas and Schon DSGN to push the envelope with new materials, machining, and special coatings. I look to companies like Wancher and Nakaya that are keeping the oldest of handmade traditions and craft alive. Also refining the pen to a quality as perfect and reliable as any Pilot fountain pen.
I don't know where fountain pens are going. But what I am glad to see is the variety of sizes now available. It seems most vintage pens tend to be small and/or thin. I don't find them comfortable to hold . And it seems that in the last 10-20 years, many pens have come on the market that are fat. They fit my hand wonderfully. I am grateful for that. I use fountain pens 99% of the time. They give me comfort when writing. A nice thick pen just sits in my hand and glides across the page. It is one of my great pleasures in life. And if fat pens start to go away, that will be fine because I have more than enough to last the rest of my life.
That’s interesting, Stephen. I think what of the big changes that I have seen is the emergence of smaller players doing really interesting things things with cutting edge materials. I am thinking of Gravitas at their use of Ultem or Schon and their Monoc nib. It’s a market in which these smaller players can have a big impact. The traditional companies seem to be conservative. I saw today the news about Mitsubishi Pen Co’s acquisition of Lamy. I am not so down about that as there are a lot of smaller players doing more interesting things than Lamy.
The underlying issue is the future of writing using any kind of implement, be that a crayon, pen or pencil. For the past few years students, who had been working remotely, have been returning to the need to write and the quality of their script has been worrying. We are probably entering a phase where direct speech to text and other similar technologies will further reduce the need for an individual to actually write.
Actually... maybe I do not know ... I'm thinking about a possibility to have a dry ink received and then based on a concentration I will and the liquid... because one of the problem is the customs regarding ink/liquid bottles... also if I will receive some kind of dry dust and then ad the liquid based on a formula specified by the producer I will not have the problem that the bottles will leak
This is indeed a very interesting topic, Stephen. I'd agree that the "evolution" of writing instruments has been established; certainly, there are modifications, in terms of ink delivery, but as you assert, they are refinements; for me, it matters not how they are constructed (lathe-turned, 3D printed, carved, etc), rather, that they function efficiently; in an historical context, scribes have been used for millenia - sure, it's formulaic, but fundamentally it stands alone - as long as the written word (or drawn diagramatic) is fulfilled, then the promise - to convey - is accomplished. For many fountain pen users, the fact that there is a retrospective, simplistic, non-technological element in play, who would really need to have (their) written work digitized ? Surely, that is part & parcel of the charm, that is fountain pens. As to what may be en vogue - ink types, nibbage, feeds, et al, those are merely academic transitions; fundamentally, we see many such minor iterations - the bottom line being, it's still a pen; & yes, we can all be carried away on the stream of commercial enterprise; that is merely a distraction that amplifies the hobby - to make it ever more appealing. I would contend that once you venture down the 'rabbit hole' of fountain pens, the fundamental purpose is satisfied; now, whether you own one pen or a thousand, that principle remains extant; the rest is just window dressing, & as the commerical sponges we are, desire for the latest & greatest supercedes that basic functionality - it is (perhaps) moot. It doesn't matter whether you own an instrument that costs ten pounds or ten thousand pounds, as long as it writes efficiently, then what follows is satisfaction; aesthetics, in regard to materials employed, build quality - of course, they mitigate our final selection in what we may purchase - & personally why I'd never own a Visconti; the nibs do not, in my opinion stack up against their over-inflated cost (& that's a long-standing, debatable argument), but one can make such an assertion about any, one manufacturer's product - the discussion then becomes cyclical, because it bases itself on personal preference. For myself, I'd like to keep writing instruments as simple as possible - scribes are utilitarian, & as a fellow owner-user, my expectations are met, irrespective as to cost. Fascinating & intriguing post, my friend. I trust that you & Azizah are in fine form, Best, Andrew.
Sapphire nib tips were always the dream of early pen makers, as their wear resistance was well known to watchmakers. Because there is no way to bond gold or steel to sapphire using traditional techniques, makers "settled" for materials like palladium, osmium, and iridium. However, modern materials science offers a number of ways to bond metals to ceramic surfaces such as sapphire. Meanwhile, sapphire's properties should offer superior wetting, hardness, and smoothness when compared to metal nibs, as well as much lower cost.
Thank you for launching this discussion, Indeed you seeded the different way of answering the question: à pen is functionally simple with 3 components: nib, reservoir, ink or not. I do think that increasing the functions is a dead end, USB stick with pen is cool but not that useful... To think of it I would address the emotional side and separate it into 3: pens to write, pens to show, pens to discuss. As a futuristic view, we could also think about the pens which does not write : we all know a collection where some pieces/pens are pristine and the owner does not want to write/use them 😉 This fancy has already been addressed in the watch market with watches which does not give time... My thought
There are two kinds of people involved. Collectors and utilitarian users (similar to the watch hobby). Personally I don't collect... The 4 fountain pens I have are more than enough (I could probably get by with just one). The fountain pen business is driven to some extent by collectors who enjoy getting something new.
I loved this video. It’s a question I think about from time to time as well. There’s a difference between fountain pen trends (come and go) and the question about the future of this technology as such. The latter interests me. After some years of uncertainty about handwriting I think it is now clear that handwriting is here to stay, and as more than an arcane, luddite practice. What to write with? The wood-cased pencil is like the white shark you mention. Perfect in its own way. What about ink-based writing, a.k.a. pens? I agree that the technology has been optimised. We’ve solved the problems of leaking, unsteady feeds and too small ink reservoirs. The fountain pen is a feat of precision engineering (capillary action) combined with mass production. People forget fountain pens are the child of high modernity that solved the centuries-old problem of what to do with the ink reservoir. Competition for the fountain pen came when, again, precision engineering made it possible to switch from water-based to oil-based inks, with a ball-tip delivery system. That’s when the Gods started laughing. That technology is better and more practical than the water-based, capillary one. But writing with a movable tip is less comfortable and steady, less cultivated, than writing with a fixed nib, and writing with the flow of water is easier than writing with pasty oil. We’re in a permanent and unsolvable conflict now. Some thought we’d move away from inks and paper completely. As I said, this seems less and less likely. Some thought the gel pen would out-perform both the traditional ballpoint as well as the fountain pen. But gel inks are still too wasteful and the ball tip remains problematic. The fineliner or felt-tip pen, like the pencil, pull writing too far into the direction of drawing for the true writer. So where is this going? The interesting thing about the Lamy safari and the Pilot Varsity is that they show that a fountain pen can be every bit as practical as a ballpoint pen and still deliver the fountain pen’s unique qualities in terms of a superior writing experience. You can take them on field work without any problems but also use them in the tranquility of your study. There will always be a place for luxury, for nostalgia, for fads and gimmicks but the good, practical, reliable, long-lasting, personal, comfortable fountain pen, an extension of your body for the embodied act of writing, will be the main stage for the fountain pen’s future. Gold nibs will go more and more as a standard to achieve. They were only necessary when water-based inks were corrosive and stainless steel difficult to produce. Cartridges will stay. Maybe a next trend will be highly customised pens, but that’s in the trends department. Those fountain pens that embrace the fact that fountain pens are still the best thing we’ve got for handwriting will thrive. The fountain pen will be consigned to the trash heaps of history only when they invent a ballpoint pen with a fixed tip for water-based inks. Oh no, wait: that’s a fountain pen!
Pens seem to be going into the hands of more people, not bad for a medium that mostly died 50 years ago. The innovations I want to see are around pens, how we use them and what for; although newly minted parts for particularly fragile pens would be nice.
it surprises me that with all the advances in chemistry over the past 100 years, inks are still relatively simple and temperamental in their properties. why not inks with more complex color properties? inks that are both waterproof on paper but don’t quickly dry out in the nib when exposed to air? inks that sheen or sparkle without smearing or clogging the feed? if that one guy from noodlers could come up with some interesting (tho not always successful) advances in ink properties basically by himself in a garage in cape cod, why can’t a big company like pilot hire a few r&d chemical engineers to come up with something game changing in the challenging field of “colored liquid that sticks to paper when you rub it on there with a pointy stick”?
The experience of using a fountain pen is so rich and diverse, that there's no need for a change. BUT still, if you want to see change... check the revolutionary piston mechanism of the OTTO HUTT Series 09
Probably not much room for radical innovations, more refining, perfecting, or derivatives. Two things I would like to see but probably not possible… 1. A true multipen fountain pen, with the ability to effortlessly change between 3-4 inks in the same pen, like the red/blue/green/black ballpoints. 2. A multi-colored ink that acts like a multicolored pencil (ie more than just shading or sheen, but distinct colors in the same ink).
You should Add "lntroduction Music" for your every CZcams video. And you should show your whole collection of fountain pens and inks in your next video. Love from lndia.😊❤️
I would love to see fountain pen manufacturers Produce and heavily market (the marketing would be the biggest thing) a few very practical, affordable pens as everyday tools for everyday use by a wide demographic. Making them common use tools again. A pipe dream, I know. But I can dream.
I am still waiting for the development of a fountain pen, that will have multiple colored inks like the 4 colored clik ballpoint pens. I love fountain pens cause they only need refill, not recharge..LOL
I am awaiting the first company which will come up with no.12 nib in the form of one big metal part with a small adapter on the top for a cartridge with ink! Who needs barrel for a pen, when you can just have one big metal tube serving as a nib & barrel at the same time? 😀 Second part is the refinement you have talked about. Many companies come up with a complicated and expensive filling systems to max up the ink capacity. Jinhao 9019 comes with a huge converter which is cheap to produce and easy to replace - bang, done. You still can use standard international cartridge, but you are given something that has bigger capacity than most of the piston fillers at a fraction of their price.
The Pen, Inks, Colour and Paper keeps human creativity alive and connected to the past, live in the present and forging a path into our potential future by manifesting our ideas, thoughts and spirit into this worldly dimension. The handwritten manifestations with the pen in the analogue manner keeps our souls tethered to manual reality and slows us down to smell the coffee.
Interesting. My daily writer is a Swan Leverless from 1935. I don't think anyone today makes a pen with a rubber sac, but in most respects the Swan has all the working parts of any modern pen. I suppose a major difference is that you can buy a very usable pen, usually Chinese, for a very small amount of money, whereas my Swan was a major investment for its first owner.
Although the sense of the pen itself, its form, the styles, may not change much, there are infinite variation of technology which we can apply. The Writing Den, the style of your Writer Clothes, and all the peripherals. The thing about the pen is that it is its final form, the object, even if there are new versions, better versions, AI versions which reads your mind and burns the ink onto the paper beneath your eyes, and autocorrects, edits, and does everything for you: But it is not the pen, that unique frozen tech in time, which is a limb of your body, the analogue to reality. It is beautiful just the way it is.
I have been using a fountain pen since 1983 and I appreciate the increased interest since. I look at this hobby as my therapy-relaxation-entertainment-experience sessions. To me, this is an option which I purposely choose because of all it offers me personally. I think f.p. will remain a thing available- there are too many of us who demand our obsessions to allow this one to get away so easily.
Yes, I don't think much evolution will happen with fountain pens, but definitely more materials will be produced. I think there's actually more than could be done with inks. Since modern pens are more resistant to chemicals than vintage pens, there may be lots of different ink recipes in the future. Noodler's already has the "bulletproof" and freeze-proof inks, but maybe more steps into the unknown can be had.
In my opinion, fountain pens is all about the actual feel. At some point, digital writing will get that feel in your hands, possibly as well. But it will be a virtual reality. Fountain pens will still represent the physics of material transfer and decomposition, which will (most likely) not happen through virtual reality interactions between a digital writer and smart device hard (or even possibly, soft) surface. I believe that for a long time, those real physics will not be attainable from the digital endeavors. I note that I am an individual working on a computer 80~ per week, own 3 desktops, two laptops, two iPads, and some mobiles. And I really enjoy writing with fountain pens, not just to detoxify from my digital world, but - as said - because of the real feeling of physics they bring in my everyday life, plus - of course - the excellent writing experience they come up with! Cheers
I am a fairly recent purveyor of fountain pens. I have literally hundreds of ballpoint and rollerball pen variations of fountain pens that have been released. When I was working, using a fountain pen was not a viable alternative. Now, having retired, I have the ability to fill on the gap in my collection. I am glad that fountain pens have resurged. But I have been noticing that ballpoints have been fading away. Pity, really. As for ink, I have avoided shading and shimmer inks. Being left handed these ink tend to dry slowly and I smear the ink. Why would I have to change my handwriting style for an ink? Feeds using ebonite or resin is not a thing. Feeds from Jowo, Bock a.o. works just as well as ebonite. Resins is a revolution that is very enjoyable, moreso than shading, shimmer, smelly inks. 3D printed pens are very interesting. I just ordered one from Artcraft. Hopefully it will be as stimulating as resin pens.
Il use FP for decades in Stephen. Every Day, from very vintage ones to TWSBI or Conid. My Last Pen I waited one year for It, a knock off off the vintage Patrician. With modern cartridge filling system but an original Waterman Patrician nib from the1930s and ebonite feed. As perfect as can be. But as You say : fountain pens are perfect nowadays. Maybe some vintage nibs have some special qualities in my opinion.
Many comments bring up fears that handwriting is endangered. I don't fear the death of handwriting because current and future generations may still find utility and value in the act and in its results. I fear the death of paper--that's when fountain pens will truly lose their use. The real innovation to be done won't be what fountain pens and paper do to improve on the experience, but what they do to survive.
Your thoughts are very interesting. I am concerned with development in a pedagogical context. There is, in my opinion, a worrying trend that young people should no longer learn to write by hand, but rather should use digital media from the start.
Where fountain pens are going? I think they will end up in a Museum except the oldest version: the dip pen. My concern is more about the writing as it becomes more illegible in each student and professional people. I met a high level bank director with an orthography and writing quite unreadable.
I think fountain pens are fine as they are. What will be the deciding factor is whether people continue to be interested in and want to purchase pens and accessories. A lot of people leap into the hobby, buy a lot of pens, and then decide they have enough pens and just need to use the pens they have. I've pretty much reached that point. To grow the industry, you have to have new people coming in, constantly. It's like a Ponzi Scheme that way. I've noticed a lot of young people entering the hobby, but will their participation continue, or veer off into some other interests? I think there will always be those who love and write with their fountain pens, but will there be consumers; in the future; especially considering the economic uncertainty?
The recent announcement by Lamy re: buy-out to Mitsubishi explicitly emphasises the digital / digitising angle. Using a "pen interface" with IT definitely is a thing to be exploited more.
I think there is a surge in the interest for fountain pens which is so positive, and one that will be on the rise. We all need a break from the digital world which great as it is, does not satisfy the profoundly human need for the tactile world. Human "touch" in the visceral sense of the word is something we all need to not only survive but also sense we are alive and kicking. So long live fountain pens, for me an epitome of civilisation.
It doesn’t matter if fountain pens revolutionized or revolutionized The most important thing is that you can turn ink into expressive words while holding it If we stopped using the fountain pen for putting down words that’s the end of it
I think there has been a lot of innovation, but the results are all the other types of pens that we get nowadays. We don’t think of them as fountain pens, but anything where ink is drawn down from a reservoir to a writing point by capillary force is clearly a descendant of the fountain pen.
Thanks Stephen, some thought provoking ideas. I suggest that it isn't the future of fountain pens we should consider, but the future of handwriting. Handwriting was the technology that made human advances in science, art and many other disciplines that we value, and have helped us to develop as a species. Handwriting has been made obsolete by the printing press, typewriters, laptops and even mobile phones. All these technologies have enabled us to store knowledge, information and ideas for the reference of others, and the future. A distant ancestor might have picked up a pointed stick and scratched symbols in the wet sand for the same purpose. We can enjoy re living the experiences using our fountain pens, which need ink and paper to make the technology work. Perhaps we should go back to the stick in the sand? but no, fountain pens are lovely, and like your sharks, perhaps they don't need much improvement. But we do need to preserve the handwriting.
Sbrebrown, Lamy just finished their sale to uni Mitsubishi Pencil Co. today. Another one bites the dust. Sure Nathan will retire Noodler's in the future. Jinhao might buy out a reputable German or Japanese pen company given their sales volume.
I can actually see that happening. The quality of the Jinhao is getting better and they have come a long way. Buying a reputable established company could only improve that but would that keep the costs as low as they are now? Or would the expense cause a price jump that would cut into their sales? Better built inexpensive pens would not be bad for the pen community and introducing new folks to it to keep it alive.
I would be very sad if fountain pens industry would suffer a big down, because we lose faith in it evolving. On a personal level, I think the best way to nurture and keep my interest in a hobby, be it fountain pens or books, is not to go crazy and try to get everything that exists and all styles and all technologies in one go, and even less to go straight to the holy grail pen, like buying a Montblanc on day one. The human nature sees the median of the experience, and what is above is seen as good or great, what is below as not so good. To go slowly allows to appreciate relatively cheap but well made pens (read here: Chinese pens) and only gradually going up. I like to think about it as a path traced in the world of pens, for some time I look to try different types of sheening inks, or to compare different papers (is Clairefontaine better than Rhodia?). Now I am wondering about how much better are good nibs, especially, are softer nibs more agreeable to operate? (Yes, nearly everyone is saying, but the ink lines on the paper tend to be less sharp than it is with a rigid steel nib). I read about the children of ultra-rich parents who commit suicide, apparently out of too much boredom. But to remain on the positive side: the plethora of super-flex nibs made us all painfully aware of the problematic arrival of sufficient ink flow to feed these gluttonous nibs. That may be the next step in fountain pens, the feed??
Good video Stephen ! Fountain pens are not like other gadgets which we use, like mobile/tablet/laptop. Fountain pens do get into our true personal life which even the closest living relations cannot break into. That's why we keep them in shirt pocket - close to the heart. - Just my thoughts
The failure of the Parker Ingenuity (I think it was called?) to revolutionise the fountain pen world is testament to the fact there is a permanency to the use and appreciation for fountain pens
Writing instruments as a whole have become redundant in the digital age - this is a fact. That, of course, does not mean that they have become 'dead'. Unnecessary does not mean dead. Many things we still use are, strictly speaking, unnecessary in the modern age, for example mechanical watches - or even quartz ones nowadays. given the development of smart watches. But I don't think watches will disappear anytime soon. Microwave ovens didn't kill off gas powered ovens. People are still buying CDs and even vinyl records despite the MP3 download technology. The jury is still out on whether electric cars are viable as reliable long term vehicles; liquid fuel powered cars may be with us for a lot longer than we think. Fountain pens have, for a number of decades now, become primarily objects of luxury, while the cheapest ones are produced mainly for the student market. Modern offices are largely paper-free, and perhaps you will only need to write during a meeting, and even in these situations you can simply take your laptop and type on them. So buying a fountain pen, especially an expensive one, is an intensely personal choice, and one that reflects who you are. This is the future of fountain pens - they speak about the owner and the values that he or she holds dear. I went to school in the 1970s and '80s, and at that time using fountain pens was compulsory in many schools, at least in the UK, where I live, so I have fountain pens since the age of 7 or 8. I have used ballpoints but hated them when writing more than a few lines, and rollerballs and felt tips never felt as natural as fountain pens. For me the fountain pen will always be the most natural writing instrument that exists and far superior to others.
For me, pens are For me, pens are either there neither evolutionary or revolutionary. With all the new pens on the market, I am drawn back to resuscitating and saving the pens of old. One of my current favorite pens is a Parker 61 flighter with an extra fine nib.
Technically, pens will continue to evolve slowly: graphene inks, new alloys, non-clogging shimmer and sparkling inks, etc. Style will change to keep up with fashion and trends. The real question is, is the variety of fountain pens and inks sustainable? Or, will the market reduce to the basic selection of thirty years ago. NB, over Christmas, I visited a US city of 200,000 people - which I know extremely well - and could not find a bottle of ink that wasn't for calligraphy, nor could I find any 3.4mm cartridges.
Thank you for a fine perspective presentation, Professor. The function of pens -- to write -- surely will continue to dictate the basics of fountain pens. I think your final point, about materials and systems of manufacture will be where we see most innovation. I suspect that No 12 or No 20 nibs, if ever we see them, will go the way of the megatherium, unless they prove to deliver a vastly superior line on the paper. I am far more interested/concerned about the practice of writing on good paper with great pens, with the fear that one day, we enthusiasts actually will have to craft our own paper and ink. At my age, I'm not likely to see that, but what about my progeny to whom i wish to bequeath my Yard-O-Led and my Pelikan? Plus all the other pens they're going to have to figure out where to put? At least cursive is making a comeback . . . .
Things change rapidly (sort of) at first then stabilize. As you somewhat point out, there is nothing inherently wrong with this. Pencils were unchanged for centuries, until mechanical pencils arose, but wood pencils are still with us. The last big change for pencils was the development of polymer lead which enabled very fine pointed mechanical pencils. That was back in the '60s. And everything continues fine. Artists still use essentially the same kind of brushes that were used by the great masters in Europe. Brushes are not obsolete, thought there are new tools available (my grand-daughter learned graphics on a computer, but she has moved into painting on canvas for her best stuff--old school but still works) Even ballpoints have plateaued.. new changes are incremental, but don't but change the nature of the product much all. There is no real need for any major changes in fountain pen technology. They do the job they are good at. But, like traditional watches, new versions will always keep coming because style and fashion changes. That's fine too.
Additional thought: ink technology is a continuing thing for fountain pens, because modern chemistry has enabled big changes (most of the change for ballpoints has also been in the ink, not the device). Permanent pigment inks have become more practical because modern technology has enabled the pigment particles to be made so small that they virtually never come out of solution in normal use. [ink in general, whether fountain pen, ball point or printer has become a major area of development (closely guarded by manufacturers). Color, stability, consistency and permanence are changing at a rapid rate.]
I think the best revolution that has yet to come is... a widespread adoption of fountainpens because they produce less waste than disposable ones; how? we, users, could use them in public and show them to our friends/colleagues as often as possible.
Hmmm. You definitely gave rise to a matter that will take some thought. As I see it fountains are not something that is a need. It is a hobby which I have ebbed and flowed in.
The data predicts that the fountain pen market will grow at an annual rate of of 5-10% until at least 2030. It is a very mature market with relatively low potential for breakout innovation. Dominate players such as Montblanc and Pilot command an outsized market share and will continue to do so especially as they are able to capitalize on the growing interest in high end/luxury sales. The recent boom of craft makers will likely see some attrition and there will likely be more consolidation in mid market players as exemplified by the recent acquisitions of Pelikan and Lamy. Demand at all price points will increasingly be driven by the quest for artistic expression and an alternative to digital aspects of our lives. As has been suggested the declining demand for paper products will continue to affect writing culture but there may be sufficient demand from niche users that given enough consolidation supplies of good paper may be assured. Retailers that can effectively sell through multiple channels; online, physical store, and pen shows are best positioned to thrive.
It doesn’t matter if fountain pens revolutionized or evolved The most important thing is that you can turn ink into expressive words while holding it If we stopped using the fountain pen for putting down words that’s the end of it
Před 4 měsíci
I think the future will bring more independent makers producing at a quality that rivals the big companies. The big companies are starting to price themselves out of the market, for example Pilots crazy price increases. A Lamy 2000 is over double the cost new than when I bought mine 10 years ago. These companies aren't really innovating anymore and independent makers are catching up to their product. Why get a nakaya when I can get an urushi Mr Cypress that has the same platinum nib for much cheaper but comparable quality.
I just saw where Lamy is bringing out an electronic pen and paper, which I am not interested, but maybe trying to get the younger generation interested in a different way.
The future is AI design and optimization of pens and paper, see what is being done with AI designed jet engines, MIND-BLOWING. Next point, many young people are fascinated seeing my handwritten and illustrated journals, the fields are full of new users if we mentor them.
Worried about digitized writing mixed with AI. I could be framed with a machine generated manifesto. Hopefully noodlers makes an anti AI ink before it’s too late.
You can reinvent the wheel all you want - it will still be the wheel. And that is fine. There is something to be said about simplicity, That being said, I do something more than a plain joe/jane black at times. My personal favor body is the OMAS Blue Royal material. Classy, business like, and more than just part of the black pen club. Despite being something of a wonder back in the day, today, I feel it will tickle very few. Maybe I am right, maybe I am wrong on that. I find pens have become flamboyant to an extent. It's nice when then things come out and shake things up, but sometimes it get too much. Where do fps go from here, well hopefully they will stick around. There has been the continue interest, especially during and after the pandemic, but what I hope does not happen is when inevitably will happen, and that is when something become very popular, we start to see the more audacious stuff.
Interesting contemplations...but please spare me from an electronic filling system! I enjoy the anachronistic, analog pleasure of fountain pens at least in part as an escape from our heavily digitized lives!
I'll tell you what they have to improve, PRICES! Fountain pens have become unreasonably expensive in every way, I've seen a Lamy 2k for 400 euros! These things could be found for 100 euros 5 years ago.
Wait...there are people who still like Marco Pierre White? Speaking of digitized writing, I bought a Montblanc Augmented Paper set for my wife (on ebay at a great discount) and it's FANTASTIC, but sadly doesn't work with a fountain pen.
4:!0 the filling system of the "Gravitas Special edition from Kyuseido" is really innovative to me, a mix of a japanese-eydropper that can attach to a piston to have the best of both worlds with maximum ink capacity
What the World really needs is an AI pen that climbs into your pocket when you call its name - and tells you what to write - when you have no idea where to start. It would help if it could cook dinner for you as well. Heck, where's my flying drone pen? ;)
One of the great attractions of fountain pens and the stationary hobby in general to me is the permanence; there is a stability that allows one to collect inks and pens and trust that they will continue to work together for many years to come. It is the opposite of the digital world, which has chosen a path of planned obsolescence and the piles of e-waste that result from that. The pens, teh ink, the paper will not be rebooted, or fail to work on "system 6.0". It is beautiful that they change only slowly.
i feel the same way, which is why it vexes me that relatively few inks are waterproof/lightfast, and the ones that are permanent in this way tend to have issues with spreading/feathering/clogging/etc. it feels like there’s always a trade off that clever ink manufacturers could have addressed more through research and actively refining their formulas over the years
@@meshzzizkYes, shading, sparkles, razz! Pizazz! Could we please just have more waterproof colors?
A fountain pen is no more permanent than a felt tip pen, and most fountain pen inks you can buy will fade on the page much faster than the felt tip ink.
I am tending to think that fountain pens, inks and so on are not only an artistic expression that is reachable, but that there is a bit of rebellion against technology. Perhaps even an increasingly desperate one? Life is moving at such a fast throwaway pace. Sitting at a desk and writing brings back a simpler, more elegant, even meditative way of being in touch again. It’s “hands on” as opposed to short form data entry. From lists to letters, it’s so much more expressive than a keyboard. It reminds us we are human.
True! My appreciation for fountain pens was rekindled by a combination of reminiscence and a return to the more tactile nature that actually stimulates the brain.
Yes, I agree and that is what has drawn me to fountain pens! I work in electronics repair and it is so nice to turn off all the digital noise and do something totally analog! 😊
Excellent points.
To many of us, fountain pens are ecstatic and create a nostalgic feeling. That is why some people still looking for those vintage fountain pens that seemingly would bring them back to olden times. Once in a while I would pick up my feather dip pen to write a note or so.
As a newcomer in using fountain pens, I used to think fountain pens are so outdated until I saw a fountain pen on sale at a bookstore here in the Philippines. Honestly, the last time I ever saw a fountain pen was in 2017 or 2018 and since then, I no longer saw such a pen on display. But my eagerness to try using a fountain pen never really waned. I never really thought that fountain pens would ever make a comeback-or perhaps, a great "revenge" against digital technology. I do have two Monami Olika fountain pens (from South Korea) and a Pilot Parallel fountain pen from Japan, but I am still planning to buy other fountain pens. Perhaps a Platinum Preppy or a Faber-Castell fountain pen would be a great addition to my stash of fountain pens. Actually, most Filipinos continued using fountain pens until the early 2010's but some remained devoted to fountain pens; some stores continued selling fountain pens even when very few people used those pens.😊
Thanks- an interesting topic! I don’t need fountain pens to evolve - the experience of using fountain pens is greater than the sum of the pen parts. There’s pleasure in exploring the countless combinations of good inks, neat pens and quality paper. I discovered fountain pens in 1995, and they still delight me. The surprising thing to me is how many young people have jumped in to what used to be a fairly obscure passion. Perhaps that exponential growth is a kind of revolution, and I think it bodes well for their future.
Possibly a more relevant question is the future of paper.
why? what do you mean?
Um, what you just wrote. Digital is a tidal wave. Pens/paper may go the way of the abacus.@@warblerab2955
Or even the future of writing?
Paper will still be here decades from now. Documents will still need to be printed, there is a limit to what can be presented digitally - for legal purposes many documents will always have to be printed.
@@Oldnose63 These days you hardly ever NEED to write, but you will always need to know HOW to write.
Love your videos, never, ever boring. I think most people would agree that fountain pens are fine as they are, which is a huge part of the appeal for me. I think when you first get into fountain pens (or any new interest or hobby)you play around with and explore all the different options. Then you find your favourites, and, I reckon, most of us prefer a good, reliable writing insrument that resembles a classic, no frills fountain pen, which, as you say, is fine (sublime,imo) just they way it is, and that is what will endure.
I think it would be major development if somehow the metallurgical skills of the past are revived, and what is now called vintage nibs becoming brand new again. That would the a major positive leap backward!
A nib that circulates or otherwise lubricates the ink, so that a pen can be left uncapped without drying out. It would allow people to use a fast-drying ink on paper without having to restart it in the pen. In that vein, the new Private Reserve Infinity inks are interesting advancements.
Let’s put ourselves into the greater societal context. Pens in general are a throwback to an earlier generation. Like I have met people that haven’t used a pen in 5 or more years. With that being said, fountain pens are a throwback to an even earlier generation. The way I see it, the growth in fountain pens is, in a way, a rejection of present technology in favour of something that is timeless. All the innovations in fountain pens ended 50 years ago. We are a small group of enthusiastic people who use fountain pens because we are not beholden to the complete digitizations of everything
I cannot agree more with you, Stephen.
We can change its colour, the size, the material, but a fountain pen is a fountain pen.
Very insightful post. My appreciation for and interest in fountain pens started late in life. Something I regret not doing earlier. And ever since I’ve been building my collection of pens. The point I’m trying to make is that I hope the next generation will learn about and appreciate this amazing writing instrument.
Thanks for this. When you were first introducing the topic, my eyes rolled. Enjoy my pens and always am interested in seeing new ones, but it's nice to just get pleasure from these great writing instruments.
Having and using fountain pens from the early 1940s and up, they will will remain relevant if we use them. We must endeavor to familiarize the youngsters with cursive writing and to show them that they can express themselves with an ink of their choice. At a minimum, we need to enjoy these treasures that we own.
As long as it works, it is what it needs to be to be enjoyed. That was a great closing point. The basics will remain, but style innovation, or at least distinction, will be what changes.
I always appreciate this topic from one of my original pen brahs. The FP is probably a mature technology. Question is, how many will learn to appreciate it in the generations, just like how many will continue to appreciate physical books in this changing world, or poetry, or straight razors, or any number of things.
All good sense as usual. One noteworthy feed system is the felt type in the Pilot Varsity. The only "problem" w it is that glitter clogs it. The Eylo Puro has it too and others I don't know.
Stephen, your "I think fountain pens are fine as they are" statement and the notion they've "evolved" as much as is practical are deeply satisfying and stabilizing sentiments in these crazy days. Thank you.
And, with all the variety available to us, it's not like the still point that is fountain pens is in any way a boring place to be!
Thank you Stephen, always a great start to my Wednesday mornings. Could we have some thoughts on modern flex pens please? 🤔
I love this video…and yes, this video was very useful and would love to enter into your mind palace.
I don't think this is where things will go, but I think it's where things should go. We're at the point where the interest in fountain pens has gone beyond their basic function and is more in the expressive and aesthetic parts of the pen. Therefore I think it would be good if there were more standardisation, so you can put whatever filling system or nib(maybe even feed) into the pen of your liking, instead of being stuck with whatever came with the pen. This would also make tomorrow's vintage pens repairable for longer into the future, because the list of different spare parts would be much shorter. If the pen, nib or filling system breaks, you can just grab another one and keep the parts going until they fail.
Imagine, for example, having a filling system standard(perhaps with three sizes: pocket, normal, oversize) that standardises the barrel threads attaching the filling system to the barrel, the distance from the back of the barrel to the back of the grip section, the internal diameter of the barrel, the threading of the knob attaching to the back of the filling system and how an O-ring is attached to the grip section. You could then install any filling system into your pen you'd like, and if your pen breaks, the filling system could go into another pen that has a broken filling system. You can imagine the same thing with nib housings, feeds, feed nipples, maximum nib dimensions as they relate to minimum internal cap dimensions, O-ring dimensions and so on.
Amen! Completely agree with everything, particularly standardized filling systems. A world with only three sizes of converters that can be completely disassembled for cleaning? 😍These concepts would be positive steps for the right-to-repair movement.
The real question should be “Why are people asking YOU
‘ about the future of fountain pens?
I completely agree!!
Another new development: the Arrowflex. This is the flex nib that hit the limit of the ink surface tension limits.
Other related issues about the future of fountain pens could make interesting discussions: What will happen to prices given the entry of low-cost Chinese brands? Can Italian/German/US-owned companies keep their prices high much less raise them more? And since most pens have identical or virtually the same "working parts," what are the frontiers of materials for the cap and barrel? And what limits may test the ability for manufacturers (large and artisian) to continue to grow? For example, will more hobbyists enter than are leaving (i.e., have too many fountain pens already)?
I think you're on the right track here. Industrial techniques may very well drive prices down and quality up, so we don't have to spend $900 for a beautiful, fine writing instrument. Also, nib materials and their manufacturing methods may reduce the price and greatly improve the writing experience of future pens.
One of the disappointing things I first found about using fountain pens was that most inks aren't permanent. I think that might change. Some sort of polymerized ink that hardens into a durable plastic on paper. Polymeriaation has been applied to a lot of art materials of late, offering more flexibility and fine honing of paints (for instance) for desired qualities.
I am a victim of fountain pens, I initially bought a pen to try to improve my writing, a forlorn hope. Then I thought perhaps a higher quality pen, again deep disappointment, but then again I did enjoy using a fountain pen, and I liked the look of the pens I had, aah but then the fever started, poring over eBay looking for different styles, materials, nib types etc etc, I am now the owner of 300 or so. I know that seems a small collection but for a pensioner in the UK a substantial investment, and it was this that stopped the accumulation of the pens.
Hi Stephen. Thanks for this video. I agree with you in that the basics of how fountain pens work and their design is not so much a revolution these days but more of evolution and refinement. Aside from inks and paper one area that is always developing is material technology. We have had wood, metal, celluloid, plastic, carbon-fibre, stone, and the list goes on. Perhaps in the future someone will develop a material and design in which the nib and feed are one unit (distinct from inlaid nibs) and merge this into a writing instrument that digitizes handwriting. The possibilities are endless; however, at the end of the day what matters most is that we care enough to want to leave a mark (or legacy) to show that we existed and that we mattered. This leads to a discussion into the fundamental and, possibly, primordial need to survive. Have a great day and keep the videos coming!
It's very difficult to forecast innovations that haven't yet been invented. You're right, imo, in that most new innovations will simply be tweaks of the existing, but someone might invent or discover a whole new feed material, far better than ebonite and less expensive than plastic.
Perhaps a new, metallic based ink that reacts to temperature and pressure like some barometers do ( akin to Admiral Robert FitzRoy's Storm Glass ). Or an ink that reacts to bases and acids like litmus or pH paper.
Things could still be fun and I sincerely hope ( and do not believe ) that they'll disappear into the vapors of history.
Interesting that you released this today given the sad news about the Uniball acquisition of Lamy. I'm not a Lamy fan, however coming on and heels of the Pelikan deal, it bodes not well for quality and innovation.
I've never thought of the question of what the future of fountain pens will be, in terms of "what new innovations will happen in their future?" but rather, "will fountain pens survive the future?" Short answer: if they haven't died out already, then yes, they'll survive. Do I think there will be any crazy new innovations? Most likely not. I'm not a creative person, but I mean, I feel like everything's been done already for fountain pens. It's a very mature market. And like you said, there's only so much you can change on a fountain pen before it isn't a pen anymore. I like them the way they are now, and they don't really need to be changed. Not to mention the community/consumer base is probably, I would guess, made up of people who don't want fountain pens to a) die out and b) rapidly advance. I think a lot of us value tradition in some way or another (I always like to see them as a way to connect ourselves to history). We like our pen(s) and paper(s). We like the reality of fountain pens.
also surprised that adjustable nib width a la the pilot justice hasn’t been developed into something standard and cheaper to build into nib units
Hi I have a Omas 360 and the ink pump is not fitting well - can u help to fix this
I think this is very interesting and it makes sense to me! Maybe the evolution of fountain pens has nothing to do with the pen itself, but in its ability to have newer found accessibly to a younger generation? I certainly couldn’t have enjoyed these glorious pens at the price points that they had prior to the more affordable ones that are available now because I’m a teacher. This world has been opened up to me and I’m embracing it and encouraging others.. is that how these pens evolve?
I know someone who has a patent on a new type of filling system and is ready to shop it around. It's not exactly, as you say, revolutionary, but it's a bit more organic to the fountain pen. Anyway, it has yet to be built so it might be out at some point this year.
I think as you said there is so much you can do with the nib, feed, and filling system. I think the future of fountain pens, and perhaps all writing instruments may be in electronically capturing what you write on paper digitally into your electronic device as well. Montblanc came out with the "Augmented Paper" system which is an actual fountain pen that writes on paper, but with electronic sensors in the pen and on the paper to capture what you write digitally. With the use of blue tooth perhaps they can make the pen work on any paper/notepad/notebook. They you can write in your journal, and also have a backed up electronic file saved as well, that you can share in the cloud. I'd personally would enjoy a "smart fountain pen", with phone, camera, clock and everything else you could fit into a cap. Then I could toss my smart phone and have everything in my pen.
Cross had a similar system in the late 90s. It didn't sell well and ultimately faded away. I still have one in storage somewhere.
@@grayrabbit2211 So do I.
Another thought: How do we define a fountain pen? If a new nib design were created, would that be a fountain pen?
I started thinking about technical pens. They are refillable. They have a hard (sometimes ruby) tipped nib. They work through capillary attraction. Superficially key aspects of a fountain pen. If we go by the definition that fountain pens can change a lot, then they are a good test case.
Or maybe we want to limit the definition.
I am not sure.
I am looking to companies like Gravitas and Schon DSGN to push the envelope with new materials, machining, and special coatings. I look to companies like Wancher and Nakaya that are keeping the oldest of handmade traditions and craft alive. Also refining the pen to a quality as perfect and reliable as any Pilot fountain pen.
I don't know where fountain pens are going. But what I am glad to see is the variety of sizes now available. It seems most vintage pens tend to be small and/or thin. I don't find them comfortable to hold . And it seems that in the last 10-20 years, many pens have come on the market that are fat. They fit my hand wonderfully. I am grateful for that. I use fountain pens 99% of the time. They give me comfort when writing. A nice thick pen just sits in my hand and glides across the page. It is one of my great pleasures in life. And if fat pens start to go away, that will be fine because I have more than enough to last the rest of my life.
That’s interesting, Stephen. I think what of the big changes that I have seen is the emergence of smaller players doing really interesting things things with cutting edge materials. I am thinking of Gravitas at their use of Ultem or Schon and their Monoc nib. It’s a market in which these smaller players can have a big impact. The traditional companies seem to be conservative. I saw today the news about Mitsubishi Pen Co’s acquisition of Lamy. I am not so down about that as there are a lot of smaller players doing more interesting things than Lamy.
The underlying issue is the future of writing using any kind of implement, be that a crayon, pen or pencil. For the past few years students, who had been working remotely, have been returning to the need to write and the quality of their script has been worrying. We are probably entering a phase where direct speech to text and other similar technologies will further reduce the need for an individual to actually write.
Actually... maybe I do not know ... I'm thinking about a possibility to have a dry ink received and then based on a concentration I will and the liquid... because one of the problem is the customs regarding ink/liquid bottles... also if I will receive some kind of dry dust and then ad the liquid based on a formula specified by the producer I will not have the problem that the bottles will leak
This is indeed a very interesting topic, Stephen. I'd agree that the "evolution" of writing instruments has been established; certainly, there are modifications, in terms of ink delivery, but as you assert, they are refinements; for me, it matters not how they are constructed (lathe-turned, 3D printed, carved, etc), rather, that they function efficiently; in an historical context, scribes have been used for millenia - sure, it's formulaic, but fundamentally it stands alone - as long as the written word (or drawn diagramatic) is fulfilled, then the promise - to convey - is accomplished. For many fountain pen users, the fact that there is a retrospective, simplistic, non-technological element in play, who would really need to have (their) written work digitized ? Surely, that is part & parcel of the charm, that is fountain pens.
As to what may be en vogue - ink types, nibbage, feeds, et al, those are merely academic transitions; fundamentally, we see many such minor iterations - the bottom line being, it's still a pen; & yes, we can all be carried away on the stream of commercial enterprise; that is merely a distraction that amplifies the hobby - to make it ever more appealing. I would contend that once you venture down the 'rabbit hole' of fountain pens, the fundamental purpose is satisfied; now, whether you own one pen or a thousand, that principle remains extant; the rest is just window dressing, & as the commerical sponges we are, desire for the latest & greatest supercedes that basic functionality - it is (perhaps) moot. It doesn't matter whether you own an instrument that costs ten pounds or ten thousand pounds, as long as it writes efficiently, then what follows is satisfaction; aesthetics, in regard to materials employed, build quality - of course, they mitigate our final selection in what we may purchase - & personally why I'd never own a Visconti; the nibs do not, in my opinion stack up against their over-inflated cost (& that's a long-standing, debatable argument), but one can make such an assertion about any, one manufacturer's product - the discussion then becomes cyclical, because it bases itself on personal preference. For myself, I'd like to keep writing instruments as simple as possible - scribes are utilitarian, & as a fellow owner-user, my expectations are met, irrespective as to cost.
Fascinating & intriguing post, my friend. I trust that you & Azizah are in fine form,
Best,
Andrew.
Sapphire nib tips were always the dream of early pen makers, as their wear resistance was well known to watchmakers. Because there is no way to bond gold or steel to sapphire using traditional techniques, makers "settled" for materials like palladium, osmium, and iridium. However, modern materials science offers a number of ways to bond metals to ceramic surfaces such as sapphire. Meanwhile, sapphire's properties should offer superior wetting, hardness, and smoothness when compared to metal nibs, as well as much lower cost.
Thank you for launching this discussion, Indeed you seeded the different way of answering the question: à pen is functionally simple with 3 components: nib, reservoir, ink or not.
I do think that increasing the functions is a dead end, USB stick with pen is cool but not that useful...
To think of it I would address the emotional side and separate it into 3: pens to write, pens to show, pens to discuss.
As a futuristic view, we could also think about the pens which does not write : we all know a collection where some pieces/pens are pristine and the owner does not want to write/use them 😉
This fancy has already been addressed in the watch market with watches which does not give time...
My thought
There are two kinds of people involved. Collectors and utilitarian users (similar to the watch hobby). Personally I don't collect... The 4 fountain pens I have are more than enough (I could probably get by with just one). The fountain pen business is driven to some extent by collectors who enjoy getting something new.
I loved this video. It’s a question I think about from time to time as well. There’s a difference between fountain pen trends (come and go) and the question about the future of this technology as such. The latter interests me. After some years of uncertainty about handwriting I think it is now clear that handwriting is here to stay, and as more than an arcane, luddite practice. What to write with? The wood-cased pencil is like the white shark you mention. Perfect in its own way. What about ink-based writing, a.k.a. pens? I agree that the technology has been optimised. We’ve solved the problems of leaking, unsteady feeds and too small ink reservoirs. The fountain pen is a feat of precision engineering (capillary action) combined with mass production. People forget fountain pens are the child of high modernity that solved the centuries-old problem of what to do with the ink reservoir. Competition for the fountain pen came when, again, precision engineering made it possible to switch from water-based to oil-based inks, with a ball-tip delivery system. That’s when the Gods started laughing. That technology is better and more practical than the water-based, capillary one. But writing with a movable tip is less comfortable and steady, less cultivated, than writing with a fixed nib, and writing with the flow of water is easier than writing with pasty oil. We’re in a permanent and unsolvable conflict now. Some thought we’d move away from inks and paper completely. As I said, this seems less and less likely. Some thought the gel pen would out-perform both the traditional ballpoint as well as the fountain pen. But gel inks are still too wasteful and the ball tip remains problematic. The fineliner or felt-tip pen, like the pencil, pull writing too far into the direction of drawing for the true writer. So where is this going? The interesting thing about the Lamy safari and the Pilot Varsity is that they show that a fountain pen can be every bit as practical as a ballpoint pen and still deliver the fountain pen’s unique qualities in terms of a superior writing experience. You can take them on field work without any problems but also use them in the tranquility of your study. There will always be a place for luxury, for nostalgia, for fads and gimmicks but the good, practical, reliable, long-lasting, personal, comfortable fountain pen, an extension of your body for the embodied act of writing, will be the main stage for the fountain pen’s future. Gold nibs will go more and more as a standard to achieve. They were only necessary when water-based inks were corrosive and stainless steel difficult to produce. Cartridges will stay. Maybe a next trend will be highly customised pens, but that’s in the trends department. Those fountain pens that embrace the fact that fountain pens are still the best thing we’ve got for handwriting will thrive. The fountain pen will be consigned to the trash heaps of history only when they invent a ballpoint pen with a fixed tip for water-based inks. Oh no, wait: that’s a fountain pen!
Nylon alloys for nibs may be interesting?
Pens seem to be going into the hands of more people, not bad for a medium that mostly died 50 years ago. The innovations I want to see are around pens, how we use them and what for; although newly minted parts for particularly fragile pens would be nice.
it surprises me that with all the advances in chemistry over the past 100 years, inks are still relatively simple and temperamental in their properties.
why not inks with more complex color properties? inks that are both waterproof on paper but don’t quickly dry out in the nib when exposed to
air? inks that sheen or sparkle without smearing or clogging the feed? if that one guy from noodlers could come up with some interesting (tho not always successful) advances in ink properties basically by himself in a garage in cape cod, why can’t a big company like pilot hire a few r&d chemical engineers to come up with something game changing in the challenging field of “colored liquid that sticks to paper when you rub it on there with a pointy stick”?
The experience of using a fountain pen is so rich and diverse, that there's no need for a change. BUT still, if you want to see change... check the revolutionary piston mechanism of the OTTO HUTT Series 09
Probably not much room for radical innovations, more refining, perfecting, or derivatives.
Two things I would like to see but probably not possible… 1. A true multipen fountain pen, with the ability to effortlessly change between 3-4 inks in the same pen, like the red/blue/green/black ballpoints. 2. A multi-colored ink that acts like a multicolored pencil (ie more than just shading or sheen, but distinct colors in the same ink).
You should Add "lntroduction Music" for your every CZcams video.
And you should show your whole collection of fountain pens and inks in your next video.
Love from lndia.😊❤️
I would love to see fountain pen manufacturers Produce and heavily market (the marketing would be the biggest thing) a few very practical, affordable pens as everyday tools for everyday use by a wide demographic. Making them common use tools again. A pipe dream, I know. But I can dream.
I am still waiting for the development of a fountain pen, that will have multiple colored inks like the 4 colored clik ballpoint pens.
I love fountain pens cause they only need refill, not recharge..LOL
I am awaiting the first company which will come up with no.12 nib in the form of one big metal part with a small adapter on the top for a cartridge with ink! Who needs barrel for a pen, when you can just have one big metal tube serving as a nib & barrel at the same time? 😀
Second part is the refinement you have talked about. Many companies come up with a complicated and expensive filling systems to max up the ink capacity. Jinhao 9019 comes with a huge converter which is cheap to produce and easy to replace - bang, done. You still can use standard international cartridge, but you are given something that has bigger capacity than most of the piston fillers at a fraction of their price.
The Pen, Inks, Colour and Paper keeps human creativity alive and connected to the past, live in the present and forging a path into our potential future by manifesting our ideas, thoughts and spirit into this worldly dimension. The handwritten manifestations with the pen in the analogue manner keeps our souls tethered to manual reality and slows us down to smell the coffee.
Interesting. My daily writer is a Swan Leverless from 1935. I don't think anyone today makes a pen with a rubber sac, but in most respects the Swan has all the working parts of any modern pen. I suppose a major difference is that you can buy a very usable pen, usually Chinese, for a very small amount of money, whereas my Swan was a major investment for its first owner.
The process that goes on behind the pen. In other words, the driver of the pen. New hands, fonts.
I don't need fountain pens to evolve. I like them as they are. I see them as a connection to the past rather than a bridge to the future.
Although the sense of the pen itself, its form, the styles, may not change much, there are infinite variation of technology which we can apply. The Writing Den, the style of your Writer Clothes, and all the peripherals. The thing about the pen is that it is its final form, the object, even if there are new versions, better versions, AI versions which reads your mind and burns the ink onto the paper beneath your eyes, and autocorrects, edits, and does everything for you: But it is not the pen, that unique frozen tech in time, which is a limb of your body, the analogue to reality. It is beautiful just the way it is.
I have been using a fountain pen since 1983 and I appreciate the increased interest since. I look at this hobby as my therapy-relaxation-entertainment-experience sessions. To me, this is an option which I purposely choose because of all it offers me personally. I think f.p. will remain a thing available- there are too many of us who demand our obsessions to allow this one to get away so easily.
Yes, I don't think much evolution will happen with fountain pens, but definitely more materials will be produced. I think there's actually more than could be done with inks. Since modern pens are more resistant to chemicals than vintage pens, there may be lots of different ink recipes in the future. Noodler's already has the "bulletproof" and freeze-proof inks, but maybe more steps into the unknown can be had.
In my opinion, fountain pens is all about the actual feel. At some point, digital writing will get that feel in your hands, possibly as well. But it will be a virtual reality. Fountain pens will still represent the physics of material transfer and decomposition, which will (most likely) not happen through virtual reality interactions between a digital writer and smart device hard (or even possibly, soft) surface. I believe that for a long time, those real physics will not be attainable from the digital endeavors. I note that I am an individual working on a computer 80~ per week, own 3 desktops, two laptops, two iPads, and some mobiles. And I really enjoy writing with fountain pens, not just to detoxify from my digital world, but - as said - because of the real feeling of physics they bring in my everyday life, plus - of course - the excellent writing experience they come up with! Cheers
I am a fairly recent purveyor of fountain pens. I have literally hundreds of ballpoint and rollerball pen variations of fountain pens that have been released. When I was working, using a fountain pen was not a viable alternative. Now, having retired, I have the ability to fill on the gap in my collection. I am glad that fountain pens have resurged. But I have been noticing that ballpoints have been fading away. Pity, really.
As for ink, I have avoided shading and shimmer inks. Being left handed these ink tend to dry slowly and I smear the ink. Why would I have to change my handwriting style for an ink?
Feeds using ebonite or resin is not a thing. Feeds from Jowo, Bock a.o. works just as well as ebonite.
Resins is a revolution that is very enjoyable, moreso than shading, shimmer, smelly inks.
3D printed pens are very interesting. I just ordered one from Artcraft. Hopefully it will be as stimulating as resin pens.
Il use FP for decades in Stephen. Every Day, from very vintage ones to TWSBI or Conid. My Last Pen I waited one year for It, a knock off off the vintage Patrician. With modern cartridge filling system but an original Waterman Patrician nib from the1930s and ebonite feed. As perfect as can be. But as You say : fountain pens are perfect nowadays. Maybe some vintage nibs have some special qualities in my opinion.
Many comments bring up fears that handwriting is endangered. I don't fear the death of handwriting because current and future generations may still find utility and value in the act and in its results. I fear the death of paper--that's when fountain pens will truly lose their use. The real innovation to be done won't be what fountain pens and paper do to improve on the experience, but what they do to survive.
"A nib is a nib."
And that, is where we must agree to disagree. The nib is the part that connects you to the paper... it's the soul of the pen...
Your thoughts are very interesting. I am concerned with development in a pedagogical context. There is, in my opinion, a worrying trend that young people should no longer learn to write by hand, but rather should use digital media from the start.
Where fountain pens are going? I think they will end up in a Museum except the oldest version: the dip pen. My concern is more about the writing as it becomes more illegible in each student and professional people. I met a high level bank director with an orthography and writing quite unreadable.
I think fountain pens are fine as they are. What will be the deciding factor is whether people continue to be interested in and want to purchase pens and accessories. A lot of people leap into the hobby, buy a lot of pens, and then decide they have enough pens and just need to use the pens they have. I've pretty much reached that point. To grow the industry, you have to have new people coming in, constantly. It's like a Ponzi Scheme that way. I've noticed a lot of young people entering the hobby, but will their participation continue, or veer off into some other interests? I think there will always be those who love and write with their fountain pens, but will there be consumers; in the future; especially considering the economic uncertainty?
The recent announcement by Lamy re: buy-out to Mitsubishi explicitly emphasises the digital / digitising angle. Using a "pen interface" with IT definitely is a thing to be exploited more.
I think there is a surge in the interest for fountain pens which is so positive, and one that will be on the rise. We all need a break from the digital world which great as it is, does not satisfy the profoundly human need for the tactile world. Human "touch" in the visceral sense of the word is something we all need to not only survive but also sense we are alive and kicking. So long live fountain pens, for me an epitome of civilisation.
It doesn’t matter if fountain pens revolutionized or revolutionized The most important thing is that you can turn ink into expressive words while holding it If we stopped using the fountain pen for putting down words that’s the end of it
I think there has been a lot of innovation, but the results are all the other types of pens that we get nowadays. We don’t think of them as fountain pens, but anything where ink is drawn down from a reservoir to a writing point by capillary force is clearly a descendant of the fountain pen.
Thanks Stephen, some thought provoking ideas.
I suggest that it isn't the future of fountain pens we should consider, but the future of handwriting. Handwriting was the technology that made human advances in science, art and many other disciplines that we value, and have helped us to develop as a species. Handwriting has been made obsolete by the printing press, typewriters, laptops and even mobile phones. All these technologies have enabled us to store knowledge, information and ideas for the reference of others, and the future. A distant ancestor might have picked up a pointed stick and scratched symbols in the wet sand for the same purpose. We can enjoy re living the experiences using our fountain pens, which need ink and paper to make the technology work. Perhaps we should go back to the stick in the sand? but no, fountain pens are lovely, and like your sharks, perhaps they don't need much improvement. But we do need to preserve the handwriting.
Sbrebrown, Lamy just finished their sale to uni Mitsubishi Pencil Co. today. Another one bites the dust. Sure Nathan will retire Noodler's in the future. Jinhao might buy out a reputable German or Japanese pen company given their sales volume.
I can actually see that happening. The quality of the Jinhao is getting better and they have come a long way. Buying a reputable established company could only improve that but would that keep the costs as low as they are now? Or would the expense cause a price jump that would cut into their sales? Better built inexpensive pens would not be bad for the pen community and introducing new folks to it to keep it alive.
I hope that Mistubishi does Lamy right. I might have to buy another 2k sooner than I thought that I would.
I would be very sad if fountain pens industry would suffer a big down, because we lose faith in it evolving.
On a personal level, I think the best way to nurture and keep my interest in a hobby, be it fountain pens or books, is not to go crazy and try to get everything that exists and all styles and all technologies in one go, and even less to go straight to the holy grail pen, like buying a Montblanc on day one. The human nature sees the median of the experience, and what is above is seen as good or great, what is below as not so good. To go slowly allows to appreciate relatively cheap but well made pens (read here: Chinese pens) and only gradually going up. I like to think about it as a path traced in the world of pens, for some time I look to try different types of sheening inks, or to compare different papers (is Clairefontaine better than Rhodia?). Now I am wondering about how much better are good nibs, especially, are softer nibs more agreeable to operate? (Yes, nearly everyone is saying, but the ink lines on the paper tend to be less sharp than it is with a rigid steel nib).
I read about the children of ultra-rich parents who commit suicide, apparently out of too much boredom.
But to remain on the positive side: the plethora of super-flex nibs made us all painfully aware of the problematic arrival of sufficient ink flow to feed these gluttonous nibs. That may be the next step in fountain pens, the feed??
Good video Stephen !
Fountain pens are not like other gadgets which we use, like mobile/tablet/laptop. Fountain pens do get into our true personal life which even the closest living relations cannot break into. That's why we keep them in shirt pocket - close to the heart.
- Just my thoughts
Agree completely. Let FPs be what they are. The great white shark has been around for many many years just as it is now. Nice video. Thanks a lot.
Mitsubishi Pencil acquisition of LAMY. . .😬. . .???
The failure of the Parker Ingenuity (I think it was called?) to revolutionise the fountain pen world is testament to the fact there is a permanency to the use and appreciation for fountain pens
Writing instruments as a whole have become redundant in the digital age - this is a fact. That, of course, does not mean that they have become 'dead'. Unnecessary does not mean dead. Many things we still use are, strictly speaking, unnecessary in the modern age, for example mechanical watches - or even quartz ones nowadays. given the development of smart watches. But I don't think watches will disappear anytime soon. Microwave ovens didn't kill off gas powered ovens. People are still buying CDs and even vinyl records despite the MP3 download technology. The jury is still out on whether electric cars are viable as reliable long term vehicles; liquid fuel powered cars may be with us for a lot longer than we think.
Fountain pens have, for a number of decades now, become primarily objects of luxury, while the cheapest ones are produced mainly for the student market. Modern offices are largely paper-free, and perhaps you will only need to write during a meeting, and even in these situations you can simply take your laptop and type on them. So buying a fountain pen, especially an expensive one, is an intensely personal choice, and one that reflects who you are. This is the future of fountain pens - they speak about the owner and the values that he or she holds dear. I went to school in the 1970s and '80s, and at that time using fountain pens was compulsory in many schools, at least in the UK, where I live, so I have fountain pens since the age of 7 or 8. I have used ballpoints but hated them when writing more than a few lines, and rollerballs and felt tips never felt as natural as fountain pens. For me the fountain pen will always be the most natural writing instrument that exists and far superior to others.
For me, pens are For me, pens are either there neither evolutionary or revolutionary. With all the new pens on the market, I am drawn back to resuscitating and saving the pens of old. One of my current favorite pens is a Parker 61 flighter with an extra fine nib.
Technically, pens will continue to evolve slowly: graphene inks, new alloys, non-clogging shimmer and sparkling inks, etc. Style will change to keep up with fashion and trends. The real question is, is the variety of fountain pens and inks sustainable? Or, will the market reduce to the basic selection of thirty years ago. NB, over Christmas, I visited a US city of 200,000 people - which I know extremely well - and could not find a bottle of ink that wasn't for calligraphy, nor could I find any 3.4mm cartridges.
Thank you for a fine perspective presentation, Professor. The function of pens -- to write -- surely will continue to dictate the basics of fountain pens. I think your final point, about materials and systems of manufacture will be where we see most innovation. I suspect that No 12 or No 20 nibs, if ever we see them, will go the way of the megatherium, unless they prove to deliver a vastly superior line on the paper. I am far more interested/concerned about the practice of writing on good paper with great pens, with the fear that one day, we enthusiasts actually will have to craft our own paper and ink. At my age, I'm not likely to see that, but what about my progeny to whom i wish to bequeath my Yard-O-Led and my Pelikan? Plus all the other pens they're going to have to figure out where to put? At least cursive is making a comeback . . . .
Things change rapidly (sort of) at first then stabilize. As you somewhat point out, there is nothing inherently wrong with this.
Pencils were unchanged for centuries, until mechanical pencils arose, but wood pencils are still with us. The last big change for pencils was the development of polymer lead which enabled very fine pointed mechanical pencils. That was back in the '60s. And everything continues fine.
Artists still use essentially the same kind of brushes that were used by the great masters in Europe. Brushes are not obsolete, thought there are new tools available (my grand-daughter learned graphics on a computer, but she has moved into painting on canvas for her best stuff--old school but still works)
Even ballpoints have plateaued.. new changes are incremental, but don't but change the nature of the product much all.
There is no real need for any major changes in fountain pen technology. They do the job they are good at. But, like traditional watches, new versions will always keep coming because style and fashion changes. That's fine too.
Additional thought: ink technology is a continuing thing for fountain pens, because modern chemistry has enabled big changes (most of the change for ballpoints has also been in the ink, not the device). Permanent pigment inks have become more practical because modern technology has enabled the pigment particles to be made so small that they virtually never come out of solution in normal use.
[ink in general, whether fountain pen, ball point or printer has become a major area of development (closely guarded by manufacturers). Color, stability, consistency and permanence are changing at a rapid rate.]
I think the best revolution that has yet to come is... a widespread adoption of fountainpens because they produce less waste than disposable ones; how? we, users, could use them in public and show them to our friends/colleagues as often as possible.
Hmmm. You definitely gave rise to a matter that will take some thought. As I see it fountains are not something that is a need. It is a hobby which I have ebbed and flowed in.
The data predicts that the fountain pen market will grow at an annual rate of of 5-10% until at least 2030. It is a very mature market with relatively low potential for breakout innovation. Dominate players such as Montblanc and Pilot command an outsized market share and will continue to do so especially as they are able to capitalize on the growing interest in high end/luxury sales. The recent boom of craft makers will likely see some attrition and there will likely be more consolidation in mid market players as exemplified by the recent acquisitions of Pelikan and Lamy. Demand at all price points will increasingly be driven by the quest for artistic expression and an alternative to digital aspects of our lives. As has been suggested the declining demand for paper products will continue to affect writing culture but there may be sufficient demand from niche users that given enough consolidation supplies of good paper may be assured. Retailers that can effectively sell through multiple channels; online, physical store, and pen shows are best positioned to thrive.
It doesn’t matter if fountain pens revolutionized or evolved The most important thing is that you can turn ink into expressive words while holding it If we stopped using the fountain pen for putting down words that’s the end of it
I think the future will bring more independent makers producing at a quality that rivals the big companies. The big companies are starting to price themselves out of the market, for example Pilots crazy price increases. A Lamy 2000 is over double the cost new than when I bought mine 10 years ago. These companies aren't really innovating anymore and independent makers are catching up to their product. Why get a nakaya when I can get an urushi Mr Cypress that has the same platinum nib for much cheaper but comparable quality.
I just saw where Lamy is bringing out an electronic pen and paper, which I am not interested, but maybe trying to get the younger generation interested in a different way.
The future is AI design and optimization of pens and paper, see what is being done with AI designed jet engines, MIND-BLOWING. Next point, many young people are fascinated seeing my handwritten and illustrated journals, the fields are full of new users if we mentor them.
Worried about digitized writing mixed with AI. I could be framed with a machine generated manifesto. Hopefully noodlers makes an anti AI ink before it’s too late.
You can reinvent the wheel all you want - it will still be the wheel. And that is fine. There is something to be said about simplicity, That being said, I do something more than a plain joe/jane black at times. My personal favor body is the OMAS Blue Royal material. Classy, business like, and more than just part of the black pen club. Despite being something of a wonder back in the day, today, I feel it will tickle very few. Maybe I am right, maybe I am wrong on that. I find pens have become flamboyant to an extent. It's nice when then things come out and shake things up, but sometimes it get too much.
Where do fps go from here, well hopefully they will stick around. There has been the continue interest, especially during and after the pandemic, but what I hope does not happen is when inevitably will happen, and that is when something become very popular, we start to see the more audacious stuff.
Interesting contemplations...but please spare me from an electronic filling system! I enjoy the anachronistic, analog pleasure of fountain pens at least in part as an escape from our heavily digitized lives!
I'll tell you what they have to improve, PRICES! Fountain pens have become unreasonably expensive in every way, I've seen a Lamy 2k for 400 euros! These things could be found for 100 euros 5 years ago.
Wait...there are people who still like Marco Pierre White?
Speaking of digitized writing, I bought a Montblanc Augmented Paper set for my wife (on ebay at a great discount) and it's FANTASTIC, but sadly doesn't work with a fountain pen.
4:!0 the filling system of the "Gravitas Special edition from Kyuseido" is really innovative to me, a mix of a japanese-eydropper that can attach to a piston to have the best of both worlds with maximum ink capacity
What the World really needs is an AI pen that climbs into your pocket when you call its name - and tells you what to write - when you have no idea where to start.
It would help if it could cook dinner for you as well.
Heck, where's my flying drone pen?
;)
Not a plug-in pen -- rechargeable battery! By a USB-C cable, please.
adjustable nibs. you heard it here first...