Why Use A Fountain Pen?
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- čas přidán 8. 07. 2024
- Let's sit down and talk about why anyone would want to use a fountain pen in a digital age.
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I wish I could "heart" this video instead of merely "liking" it.
Barbara: I wish I could give this comment two thumbs up!
I second that. Such good points Dr. Brown.
Barbara, You would need a fountain pen with a heart nib :)
I enjoy fountain pens because:
1. Actually think about what I am writing instead of an impulse-based approach to communication. It helps me organize my thoughts and express them better. My attention is fixed on selecting the right words to use and then carefully executing the strokes to put it on paper. Quite a contrast to how we usually conduct our life.
2. It has taught me to value something I have traditionally treated as disposable objects. I had a distaste for handwriting as a child from learning how to type first. I thought, "what was the point?" However, upon purchasing my first fountain pen, I forced myself to write better (partially because the pen was expensive and I wanted to make the purchase worth it). My chicken scratch eventually became better and now I get the occasional complement for it.
3. My mother used fountain pens almost exclusively. Since her passing, I am reminded of her through using them which always makes me remember better days.
Da Flipps Thanks for sharing. I got into fountain pens through Frank Ching, the architect/sketcher. Then I started practicing Palmer style cursive again and realized how much I loved it. Now I’m 10 pens and 8 inks deep in this wonderful hobby. Each pen has such different characteristics, I wonder if typewriters are the same?
Same here friend though I've had to scale down my purchases recently. In three years of this hobby, I've emptied a total of 1 bottle of ink!
Reason 3 hit home. I use my dad's shaving bowl for the same reason...
Yes. Niel degrass tyson uses fountain pens (and reads hand written things) to "commune through time"
Your #3 reminded me of this.
@@ShotOfSelf reading the comments 4 years later, I wonder how many pens and inks you're up to now?
Looking at glass dip pens, right now, because many of them are absolutely gorgeous and can be picked up and used with any colour of ink with little messing.
It doesn't improve my handwriting per se, but because of the pleasure derived from using them, I do apply myself much more to write with intention and care, therefore, the result is a more elegant handwriting.
Damn straight.
The main purpose of a "nice" pen for me is to encourage my writing more. It does that job. And so indirectly my handwriting is improved by fountain pens :))
Excellent points, but there’s much more than just the pragmatics. When I listen to people who love fountain pens, it seems to me that they find the pens - in and of themselves- aesthetically satisfying. They’re a pleasure to hold, touch, use. We love how the pens work, the various filling mechanisms, how they feel in hand, the neat ways they dissemble, the individual marks they make. Many of us also love the accoutrements of coloured inks, neat bottles, and nice paper. I would describe it as fulfilling our human need for beauty, but whatever description we’re comfortable with - art, zen, or nostalgia- pens give us pleasure and joy. It sounds a bit goofy to explain that to a stranger or casual acquaintance, but that’s the real reason we’re into fountain pens.
I know this is an old comment, but I absolutely agree with your statement. FP's have a certain distinguishing appeal to them, that many many many things do not. I have had many hobby's in my life, as I like to try to experience as many things as I can to understand them. Fountain pens may be one of the ONLY hobby's that I have kept. I have a true interest in them for the reasons you described. One of my favorite things is not only the things you stated, but the inspiration they contain. I was actually so inspired by how great it was to use an FP that I started a journal, which has been one of the most satisfying and rewarding things I have done. They truly are something that is difficult to explain to those who don't understand it, but they are surely one of the coolest, most simple and enjoyable items to own, and it's just a pen. Who knew.
That was great. I use fountain pens because I enjoy writing with them.
Sue Anderson Sounds reasonable to me?
Me too. 😃
You tend to be more careful with your writing, to take a little more time to be a neater writer. I used to write letters to my Grandmother who lived in Germany. She is gone now but I would give anything to be able to write her a letter again. 😞
Should have had a warning at the start for those with a heart condition...lol. Like almost everyone here, I was taught to write from an early age. When I reached high school my writing deteriorated as a result of having to take notes so fast. When I left school and started work there was little call for handwriting. Everything was typed on computer. That was nearly 40 years ago. About 2 or 3 years ago I became interested in fountain pens. I found I had to re-learn the art of handwriting. Familiar story? There are times when fountain pens frustrate me but I still enjoy them. It is a very creative process and a satisfying one. On a similar theme, I am very interested in sound recording. Another area where the analogue has almost (but not quite) given way to digital. Yes, I have digital recording equipment but I prefer the sound of a tape recorder. Who would believe it?
The movie “Valkyrie” got me into fountain pens. The opening scene where Cruise is writing in his journal caught my eye and I went and bought a fine and medium Pilot Metropolitan.
I can bet on this..if you've started with a metropolitan ,then by now(a span of 8 months) you might be having atleast 30 fountain pens
Interesting how you bring up the "zen-ness" of cleaning your pens. As I was watching this, I was cleaning mine and filling it with some iron gall for a trip. Even though I am at a rush to get going on the trip, the 10 minutes I spend cleaning/filling the pen was a relaxing moment. It's a procedure that I really cherish!
Yes, what a great way to wind down!
How about I press lighter with a fountain pen than with a ballpoint, so a fountain pen produces less muscle stress.
This, B, yes, a thousand times this.
I remember having hard times taking notes in class cause wrist strain. Mostly my fault, but when I started using fountain pens. That went away and taking notes was more enjoyable.
I use/collect/restore fountain pens for much the same reason that I leave my Christmas tree up all year, BECAUSE IT'S MY LIFE AND I LIKE IT! Thank you for your thoughtful commentary Dr. Brown (even though I still miss the monks, lol). Cheers, Steve
Love this video. Hand writing is important for humans, but we seem to be a little bit distracted with new technologies... It is great to have the chance to do it this way. I think that writing this way set the right speed of thought for creativity. Hope my english is good enough.
Another great video!!! To me a fountain pen is a connection to the days of no technology, its primal, its elegant, its relaxing!!! Then add the plethora of beautiful colors and all this is taken to the next level.
About the relaxing aspect of fountain pens, I love to use them while listen to classical music or Gregorian chant. Sometimes, writing during the night, I turn off the lights and use a candle instead! Looks crazy? :-) Thanks for your video. I'll share it with others Brazilian fountain pen users on Facebook.
Your last comment is bank - every fountain pen enthusiast I have met whether in person or online has been super helpful and so nice - no question too dumb - it has really enriched my life. I use a fountain pen at work everyday - and the way using my pen to jot notes and list facts / figures creates a space for very intentional thought - as opposed to slapping out an email or updating a digital document that takes moments to do and sometimes a lot longer to regret! Thanks as always Dr. Brown! Love it!
"God forbid, Comic Sans"
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣👍👍👍👍👊👊👊👊
Assuming I can find a typewriter that does comic sans I plan on sending Mr. Brown a very stern letter about that.
“Meditative” and “Zen”. Couldn’t agree more.
Thanks Stephen. This is a thing that can’t be easily explained, but you’ve come very, very close. Impressive. Well done.
All good points. My favorite thing is just the slowing down to use them. I enjoying inking them, cleaning them, writing with them, and yes, browsing and buying them. Even just 👀 at them. Oh, and talking about them. And watching videos about them.
Love your videos. The personal connections we make are the best part of any hobby, especially fountain pens. Will be sure to use this video when people ask questions in the future.
Stephen, I really do enjoy these "talks", they stimulate my thinking. Also love the short answer.
One interesting point you brought up was about how writing improves the cognitive side, guess that is why in Europe they encourage children to use FP's when they go to school (that was my case).
Another reason I use them, is to actually improve my handwriting (even went and purchased an exercise book for this), plus its a great excuse to cycle through the ones I have:-)
Please keep these coming they are super enjoyable.
Writing from somewhere in the mountains of East Tennessee-yes there are fountain pen users here! Thanks for your insights.
Great video, Dr Brown! I use them because ballpoints gave me major writers' cramp all my life, possibly as I'm a lefty, but there it is. Imagine my delight when my handwriting actually DID improve when I bought my first fountain pen (Parker Vector), just a little at first, but the lack of downward pressure when writing allows me to concentrate on neatness and now I pride myself on writing as well as possible, and have a nice collection of pens and ink to enjoy as a hobby... and no more cramp, ever.
I'm not sure it's because you're a lefty--ballpoints have always given me cramps to use over time, and I'm right-handed. It might maybe make it worse, I suppose, but it happens to right-handed people anyway. Using rollerballs, however, I didn't get the cramp. Rollerballs won't let me pick my own ink, though. :)
I like the short answer. 😊
I have been a subscriber to your channel for a few years & I think I like your short answer the best, but I agree with all the other stuff you said too. I have learned a lot about pens from your commentaries & reviews & those other characters that appear every now & again including a crustacean. More than once I've made pen purchasing decisions based on your reviews. I think that has actually saved me some money here & there. I think using fountain pens is similar to listening to vinyl records or using a slide rule. Yes, it's a retro way of doing things, but "What the hell!"
Stephen, I gotta say, “Two thumbs up!” Thank you for the candid explanation of why we use fountain pens. I’m coming up on one year since I’ve been using them and I’m hooked. Thanks again for the explanation.
Thank you Sir. I am from India, its very sad that most of us in India forgotten fp. Thank God, he created people like you.
As far as I know, Indians hardly type at all, except in office works. 90% of writing everything is done by pen and paper by individuals. As far as I can guess, Fountain pen market are not doing bad because students are told to start writing with fountain pens after their pencil days...
Cathartic is the word you were searching for when you go through the “ritual” of maintaining your pen.
Kind Sir, thank you for a wonderful video. I was shocked when my wife told me our nephew and niece have not been taught how to write script in their school. They are now going 7th grade and 5th grade, respectively. The hand/eye/motor skills are being lost. BTW, I like to organize thoughts using a blank sheet of paper and my pen (using a color of my choice). I wish you continued success.
Loved this video. Ppl at my office were astonished when I decided to use a cheap fountain pen I got. I’ve been using the same bottle of ink for over a year! Also, I draw. I fountain pen is one of the best tools to draw with. A lot of artists use them. It’s a great way to get line variation. I am glad you said that writing helps the brain. I don’t know how else to explain these things.
I loved this Stephen.. using my fountain pens at home and at work running a company does make me more productive, organized and creative--as you point out. There is not enough beauty in life and my pens add that.. the less expensive as well as the more fancy. In Boulder, Colorado I have often used the sustainability point.. I am so happy that I discovered this world.. it is not a hobby for me, it really is more my lifestyle.. I'll make some people who think of this as a waste of time nuts here by writing that I am also moving to using a straight razor.. for many of the same reasons.. Thanks Stephen.. I am so pleased to be connected with you in this way.. very best regards and Thanks!
Frank from Boulder, Colorado
@Frank Bruno - I totally agree - fountain pens are a lifestyle choice, kind of like slow food. Sometimes rushing is necessary - but when it isn't, then appreciate that it isn't. Use a fountain pen.
Thank you, been sitting on the fence as a mechanical pencil enthusiast, about to take the step into ink now!!
For the past four or five years, I was under the impression that you were located in England!
One more good reason for me to migrate to lovely Canada. Enjoy your videos a lot Sir!
Using a fountain pen is like using a film camera instead of a digital camera or phone for pictures - it is a very deliberate act. As a user of both, I appreciate the slow speed and care involved in their use, the degree to which the brain is both engaged and freed through their use. It's the whole concept of going slow to go fast.
Although I agree with your overall assertion that using a fountain pen will not turn you into a calligrapher, there are certain fountain pens with with I write better. I'm not quite sure why that is, but it is the direction in which my interest in fountain pens is taking me.
Because I love it! Effortless writing is priceless. It really helps me organize my thoughts and using ink is cheaper! And in the end, again, I love them!!
To me fountain pens are a living part of history. I know the history isn't that old compared to say styluses (in the Mesopotamian way of understanding a stylus) - but still, they make me feel like I am keeping a piece of history alive. Perhaps that's also why I am slowly becoming interested in vintage pens... Thanks for the thought-provoking and community-minded video.
The joy! The grace of flow! Choice of inks! The community. Their BEAUTY! Just look at the celluloids and especially the Arcos. Even the vintage Montblanc celluloid greens. In a minor way, the nibs. The ability to utilize obliques and etc. And lastly, a fountain pen is personal! You are laying ink to paper and someone is going to read your writing and actually enjoy your communication unlike typing a dismal email.
After 30 years of FP appreciation, I can say that there is an unspoken magic when writing with a fountain pen that takes us back to a time when connecting with others is important! The unfolding of a nice piece of stationary, perhaps with a nice scent of perfume or cologne, and even sand that was used to dry the ink.
What is not to like! It makes us take life slower and in a more appreciative way. "Take your time"... is an excellent statement Stephan!
There is nothing quite like receiving a handwritten note from someone you love. They can be read, reread, and held to the heart. Can't do that with an email. It doesn't mean the same thing.
My beautiful wife Leah always hand writes me cards. Whether anniversary, birthday, or "no reason" cards. I love seeing her handwritting in a card meant for me! It is a deep treasure. Just to know that here hand was "there"!
Thanks Stephen! As ALWAYS! You are superb and your subject matter is just where it needs to be.
I believe in writing instead of typing or texting because writing leaves your mark of distinction behind; gives the reader a sample of your personal style. Texting or typing is an anonymous mark. No one knows for sure if you really texted or typed and they won’t have a personal piece of your inner style for posterity .
I have been using fountain pens since I was 8 years old. We were taught cursive writing with them in Catholic school. I got away from them a little bit in high school and college, but since then I use them almost exclusively. And I’m a lefty! (Not a problem) Thanks for another great video.
I enjoy each and every one of your videos. You just took some of the words from my introvert mouth :) My dad says using a fountain pen at this time is "backdated"; but to say the truth fountain pens never fail to amaze me, up till now not a single day has passed when I haven't written my bullet journal with my fountain pens. And I do agree that some of the fountain pen brands are quite expensive in India. And I am very excited about the TWSBI Go.
Suman -- they may be "backdated" but they are definitely worthwhile, enjoyable and, in my opinion, preferable! Yes, they kind of amaze me too.
Haven't tried the TWSBI Go, but I VERY much like their Diamond 580!! TWSBI makes a fine product for a very reasonable price!
Randy R Yeah. I love my TWSBI Eco T a lot
Extremely well thought out. Thanks again.
Great video. On point. I consider myself to be an Analog man stuck in a Digital world and I am very happy to cling to analog things. You are correct, it is zen like and relaxing to write with a fountain pen. I went to the SF pen show 2022 over the weekend and what a wonderful group of people.
There is nothing that compares to a distanced message like being in my room with a piece of 100% cotton watermarked paper, a bottle of ink, and a dip pen. Then spending the next two hours slowly writing my genuine words across the page to a valued reciever on the other end. The quiet scratching of the nib on the paper, the feel of the nib as it moves and bends, then folding the paper, wax stamping the envelope with the quiet light of the candle flickering across it as I address it with a fountain pen. No text or email no matter how nice the font or how many emojis or stickers or other things will understand.
Beautiful vlog, Beautiful message as usual, Thank you, Stephen
As always, another brilliant video full of madness and fountain knowledge! Thank you so much, I couldn't agree more with what you say, I love your videos man!
I think it's great what you are doing. You can buy excellent pens in every price range, and they are great for improving ones hand writing and make writing in long hand fun. I recently purchased one for a nephew and was pleased to hear that he uses it. I thought he might stick it in a desk and forget about it. But he uses it for all of his note taking and during exams.
Really enjoy all of your videos. They have helped me a lot in my fountain pen journey. Thank you.
I agree with the zen like moments . I really like cleaning my pens and a lot of people think it’s weird but with some of my mental health issues it is gold for me.
I know this was from a few years ago, but thanks for this. I am new to fountain pens (6 months or so) . I love them. I think there is nothing quite like the experience behind the fountain pen. I will forever be a fan!
Thank you, glad this was helpful!
Thank you, Stephen.
I swear you write a thank you before he even uploads the video! :) nice positivity
Why I use Fountain Pens? Others have expressed reasons quite well and I add my own two-cents.
1. “Hey why not?” - Todd Rundgren
2. Avoiding the “Ephemeral nature of electronic data”. - Nathan Tardif
3. “Thought organization”. - Stephen Brown
4. “Quality of information; Leisure time to digest it; Action based on the interaction of the former two”. - Dr. Faber in Fahrenheit 451
5. “The shortest means to record your thoughts on a physical medium is pen and paper”. - G. Siragusa. (Think about it).
Thank you for you for sharing your insights! I hope you and Azizah enjoy your new home base!
I love to write by hand on paper. This helps a lot to get organized, I can not do this digitally. And it makes me very happy to write with an ink pen because they are beautiful and soft. I started using the same environmental issue and now I have 5, 2 of which I inherited from my grandparents so I also have a great affection for them.
I really impressed from you sir toward fountainpen i am using it from 10 years and i am 20
I always get the side eye when I use my fountain pen in meetings or when customers see me write.🙄
Often they condescendingly ask why I use it.
My answer is simple; I don't like ballpoints. 💯
Faces unscrew and silence becomes deafening. 🤯 😄🐛
All wonderful points! Thank you for sharing this video.
As a teen who likes to write stories i use pens instead of computers otherwise i get distracted haha
Thank you for telling about the pleasure of fountain pens. When I write, the world slows down. I'm at peace and introspective. The touch of the pen to paper really is a zen kind of experience, and there is a quiet joy in being an incognito member of the fountain pen community.
I've liked fountain pens since I discovered several vintage lever fill pens in my parents' barn, left by the previous owner. Wish I could say that I still have them, but going to college, they were lost, and I, being strongly displeased with the el cheapo Sheaffer fountain pens I could get after, I grew away from them for many years. I had a stroke, which got me back to wanting a pen that was comfortable for me to write with, and I could not easily drop. Thank goodness for the internet! (There are still virtually no fountain pens available near me for sale in the stores...) I found a dimestore lever fill Arnold, amazingly in great condition, but it is a little smaller than I was looking for. I ended up getting a Jinhao 159. They were in my price range. Getting it, I found the pen I needed. It's got a "primary size crayon in the hands of a very small toddler" vibe, do it is easier for me to hold on to (stroke impacted my writing hand), it writes very well, easily as nice as the vintage pens I had.
That being said, I also did calligraphy before the stroke, and my handwriting had suffered from the furious note taking in college, and the intervening years, then the stroke. I had to basically retrain myself to write legibly. At first I used ballpoint pens. They gave me some serious hand cramps. When I got the fountain pens, that went away. Plus, my handwriting is almost back to normal for me. Why use a fountain pen? Why use any other types of pens? I like them, they HAVE helped my handwriting (I used primarily fountain calligraphy pens), and I like the variety of inks and pens and paper. Going to a major "big box" bookstore, the clerk tried to sell me an ereader. I have a similar answer that I gave him. "Why? I like the smell of paper."
"My two fingers on a typewriter have never connected with my brain. My hand on a pen does. A fountain pen, of course. Ball-point pens are only good for filling out forms on a plane."
Graham Greene
I couldn’t have said it better myself. I love my new pens but I so love the for and restoration of old pen. I keep planning on selling a few but never seem to get to that part. Great video
Thanks Stephen, another excellent video and wholeheartedly agree with everything you said.
Hi Stephen. Welcome to Canada. I live in Toronto and my son went to university in Oshawa. I love your reviews. Keep up the good work.
I eagerly await the announcement of the first annual Frog Balls, Tennessee Fountain Pen SuperShow. 😎✍🏻
James: Where in Tennessee will that be held? I live north of Nashville and would love to meet up
with other pen lovers.
@@HJKelley47 Just a joke, I'm afraid, but you might want to consider attending the Little Rock pen show next winter. Just about all the shows for this year have been canceled.
I don't use as much pressure with a fountain thus eliminating hand fatigue. I also like the fact you don't have to illicit pressure with a fountain pen. Ball points are a bit different as they require a pressure to make them work. Either way I love using fountain pens very smooth and reliable.
First and foremost thank you, Stephen, for your talk.
I love fountain pens primarily because I like old-fashioned things in general and fountain pens are kind of a representative of antique or retro stuff. Also, I think that because fountain pens are time-consuming, they work like a haven in this efficiency-prioritised world, if this makes sense, much like the "zen" side of dealing with fountain pens you talked about.
Great reasons, plus: smooth writing, fantastic nib gliding, infinite colors, beautiful nib to enjoy watching while writing and the writing experience itself is amazing
I like the "ecological" reason and the "enjoying ritual".
I really like that a quality pen is made to last. My daily driver is a Sheaffer Triumph Sovereign from the 40s, that've personally owned for more than 20 years.
such a practical, simple and soothing way to put things into perspective. Love from India!!!
As soon as he said "What the Hell!" I was like, Ok this guy definitely earned a like
Thank you very much, sbrebrown!
You're a bright and intelligent person. You have great things to say, and you speak well.
These are great videos. You have a voice and subtleties to explore that you pick up on.
You bear a larger weight when free thinking, especially with the audience you have, and I think you do a great job with a beautiful passion, not just for pens, but for writing and its unprecedented importance.
And no one else has the audience you do with the ability to communicate as well as you do. I think it's special, and it's wonderful to see an individual voice this as efficaciously as you do.
Sincerely,
RV
Let's not overdo it!
I'm not overdoing it. My comment is accurate, valid, and comprehensive. My statement is reflective of Mr. SBRE Brown's work and effort to be communicative, encouraging, and to advocate not only writing instruments, but the importance of handwriting so addressed in this video. His work is not something to depreciate, nor do I believe my comment to be less than reliable.
I have younger family members of new generations who take up writing and creativity especially when I put a fountain pen in their hands. They gain enthusiasm for the activity, an added joy in learning, and a volition to explore what they can know beyond what their school teaches them.
SBRE Brown's encouragement to pick up not only writing, but to do so with the use of a fountain pens is congruent with my own experience and the uniqueness it brings to persons of all ages.
Sometimes all it takes is a pencil or a ballpoint to realize the importance of handwriting, but I have far more often observed how efficaciously a fountain pen acknowledges that importance better than anything.
It's alright to get serious sometimes, and in this context, I know the praise I afford is true, especially in acknowledgement of this video SBRE Brown felt was important and took the time to make.
Cold and icy up there. When my Chicago weather gets frigid I think of you Canadians and I don't feel so frosty. Welcome to North America ! Good review.
I recently became interested in fountain pen because one of my friends had one and my friend let me draw a line with it and write with it and I was hooked I still need to get one for myself
Wonderful video here! Thank you.
I stumbled onto one of your other videos and here I am again! So I guess it's becoming a thing! With the advent of your website I have begun my newfound passion of writing with fountain pens! I too have considered my penmanship so poor that I thought it best to type my personal notes, etc. So impersonal, right? I would always apologize for typing my thank you notes. So now I have found out about fountain pens, and you are right, a whole new world has opened up to me -- overnight! Thank you for debunking all of the other myths out there about fountain pens!
Things written by fountain pen are much more permanent than those that are written by other writing instruments or even by printers because the ink from a fountain pen goes inside the paper. If you write something by a ballpoint pen, type it, and then write it by a fountain pen a few years later you would find that the things written by ballpoint pens or printers are fading away but the one that was written by a fountain pen are not fading, some times even become more prominent. Probably this is the reason many agreements between countries are still signed by a fountain pen.
I use fountain pens for this reasons:
• It relaxes me
• I find writing with a quality nib and feed very pleasant and light to the touch
• I can use every ink i have in every pen i have
• The high end fountain pens i own are collectibles or limited productions, which gain or at least hold value
• Fountain pens are fucking awesome
There is Graphite on the roof Mr. Dyatlov
My reasons:
The feeling of the nib writing, the ink flowinf under my nib Is calming and magical.
Ink is pretty. So many diverse different colors. So many beautiful combinations.
So many cool nibs, feels nice to ink pens up
That's it. Yes an ipad is superior in every way but price, but it doesn't feel as amazing to write with (rubber on glass) and the colors don't shade or shimmer or sheen or look gorgeous. And feel as nice
Another observation: a friend of mine who is a high school teacher was proctoring the SATs, and there is the honesty paragraph at the bottom of the page in which the student has to certify that he is indeed the person represented herein, and he has to write it out in his own hand in cursive script. The problem is that the requirement is that it be done in cursive, and the students were unable to do so. So my friend told them to print out the words, and then to connect each letter with a short line to the preceding one and that would be cursive script. Fast forward a few years, and they no longer have to write out the honesty paragraph, because the test administrators realize that they’re incapable of doing so. All they needed to do was sign their names to the bottom. Problem: none of the students were capable of affixing their own signature. They don’t know how to sign their names! This is what Senator Moynihan referred to as “the dumbing down of American education.“
Just the simple act of unscrewing the cap slows you down. This could be considered a burden, but too me its the beginning of doing something intentionally, mindfully. I've never been to Frogballs Tennessee. Are there any good fountain pen stores there??!
I love fountain pens, but thinking about your comments (which I totally agree with), one reason why I use fountain pens is so that I can express myself by using different coloured inks (not just "office" red, blue and black).
Very true! I like your sharing and comment
For me, the short answer is: Fountain pens make me happy. I like the way they look. I like the way they feel. I enjoy the process of picking out which ink to go with a particular pen. I even enjoy tinkering with my pens, although that sometimes results in breaking my pens. Fountain pens have a lot of character that ball points lack. Why do some people prefer a stick shift over an automatic, a straight razor over a cartridge razor, vinyl over CD or MP3? It probably makes them happy. They might not even be able to articulate exactly why, and that's OK.
On a more practical note, I have tendinitis, and a fountain pen causes a lot less pain and fatigue than a ball-point, or even a gel pen. This is also why I avoid heavy pens. You don't have to press down. The nib just glides over the paper, and capillary action takes care of the rest.
On a completely different note, I'd like to wish you a belated welcome to Canada!
Tech veteran here...been a programmer for 15 years.
I own 2 parkers and 3 Lamy's.
Strangely I use all of them in a week for different purposes....with different colors.
Thank you. This is so very nice to watch this video.
The visual, the tactical, the auditory are all part of why I use fountain pens. But, even more important to me, it's the pleasure I feel from the memories that come when I "slow down" and write.
I use them because they run out of ink--- and that forces me to slow down and reflect on what is being written. Thanks for the video!
Mark: Interesting. I hadn't thought of that one. I like it. Have you noted how so many commenters really enjoy the "slowing down and thinking" part of this! Big grin.
Stephen, of possible interest: teaching a 300 level university class, I mentioned that I always write with a fountain pen, and one of the students asked: “what’s that?” O tempore, o mores.
Excellent Video Sir!!
I use a fountain pen to draw and sketch. Don’t really write with them. Very satisfying.
I bought a Shaeffer Grand Connoisseur 25 years ago.... hardly ever used it. Until about three months ago. And now I love writing with it. Since then I acquired some more pens, inks, some good paper, and have filled three A4-notebooks. With poems, ramblings, pages full of names of days and month, capital letters... Every evening I have to write a few pages. It makes me forget the stress of my entirely digital working day, it frees my mind and allows me to think about the things that are important to me personally.
I am a lefty, my handwriting is not beautiful or even nice, but that does not matter. It has improved considerable in readability and consistency, albeit at a reduction in speed.
Here, in the Netherlands there, is a pen show every year in October, as far as I know. I am looking forward to go there, and to hear all the stories about how people got into collecting and using fountain pens.
What do you recommend as the best EDC piston fountain pen?
I love your videos , i've been using fountain pens for 20 + years and your reviews are the best. Big fan of your work . Greetings from CDMX (that's Mexico City now .) . question for a next video : Do you mix inks and what are the best colors you get when doing it ?
I used to be a digital evangelist at the NFB, even created the Centre for Digital Arts at Concordia. Then I had a reversal of sorts and gave up on digital art and creation. Now that I'm getting back in the saddle, so to speak, I find I've lost my taste for digital and embraced traditional mediums (though mechanical keyboards are also now a hobby, oddly). It's ironic that the people who mock fountain pens also don't consider digital art to be 'real.' Just realised how awful I am at using a flex nib. Might have warned me about the practice. ;-)
Link to article on child development and writing?
Nice video. I recently discovered the Scribzee system by Oxford whereby one can use a fountain pen to write on a notebook with marks in the corners so that it can be quickly aligned with a mobile phone and stored and shared.
Had no idea you were in the Shwa. Grew up in Brooklin and lived in Oshawa for a bit. Now live in Korea. Australian guy recommended I watch your videos when I just got into FPs. Small world.
I liked this video, it gives you a logical, meditated explanation of the reasons to like fountain pens and handwriting, in a world that seems to thoughtlessly run away from the personal touch this art confers.
I work at a boutique, sometimes the customer has to signature something or fill out a gift certificate, when I hand them my fountain pen to write with...you should see the look on their face....”perplexed” every time, I kid you not.
I moved from NY where there were plenty of FP fans, and now live in a small community
in Tenn. where there is a handful of folks who write with FPs. Apart from my doctor,
and a couple of professional folks, I am "all alone." (LOL). There is a pen store in
Nashville, which is approximately 50 miles away. However, since I buy 99.9% of my
pens online, I've only been there once. I have found that if you do not have costly
pens in your collection, FP users can be a bit "snooty", for they are use to purchasing
pens from $500-$2,000+., which leaves a person like myself not part of that crowd.
Since moving to this community I have gotten three folks to convert to using FPs,
suggesting pens which they were able to afford. With 275 pens in my small collection,
I still do not own an authentic Lamy Safari??????? Learned much about this hobby
from Stephen, and I want to thank him for teaching me how to tweak nibs, for it
has made a world of difference in my writing experience. I've learned to take a #6 Jinhao
and turn it into a very smooth writer (not a gold nib, but a nib with minimal to no feedback).
wonderful video Dr Brown
Great video. I hope this helps our lovely hobby to become more and more popular.