A Guide To Help You Select The Best Fountain Pen, Just Right For You.
Have you used a fountain pen before?
Which brand of fountain pen did you use? If so, what characteristics were most appealing?
Open or enclosed nib?
Open nib - traditional pen design, entire nib is exposed. This type of nib often feels more flexible than other nibs but it can also dry up faster if the cap is left off for for any length of time.
Enclosec nib - only the tip of the nib is exposed. This nib style is more resistant to drying up quickly.
There are other nib designs, such as the Sheaffer "inset" nibs used on the Valor. Most of these are variations of an open nib.
What size pen should I choose?
The right pen should "fit" in your hand. Don't set out with you rmind made up that you prefer a small, medium or large pen. Try them out. You may surprised at which pen feels best in your hand and for your writiing style.
What nib should I choose?
The most widely used nib is a medium nib. The nib size refers to the width of the writing line. The second most commonly used nib is a fine nib. For the majority of people, either of these nibs will work well.
As a rule, the broader the nib, the more forgiving it is. Broad nibs let out more ink and write with a thicker line making for a smoother writing experience. On the down side, the thicker flow of ink take up much more space on the page so you need a lot more paper than with smaller nib sizes.
A broad nib can be irritating for smaller writers as it can tend to use more ink and takes up more room on the paper.
A fine nib tends to produce a sharper, clearer line, but can often feel sharp or scratchy.
Note also that broader nibs feel smoother and will work on more types of paper than fine or medium nibs.
Extra fine or extra broad nibs should be tested as they have particular ways of writing and are not for the majority of fountain pen users.
What about other nib styles?
The term "style" is used to describe the shape of the nib, the commonest being regular, italic and oblique.
Italic nibs are shaped rather like a chisel - broad and flat. Not surprisingly they produce italic writing.
They come in different widths and as an approximation, the broader line of the italic nib is about the same as the next size up in a regular nib. In other words, a medium italic writes about the same width as a regular broad.
Italic nibs are more difficult to write with until you get used to them and for this reason they may not make a good choice for an everyday pen.
Oblique nibs have their tip cut at an angle instead of square. This means that the pen must be turned slightly to ensure that the nib contacts the paper properly. This suits some handwriting better and also most oblique nibs produce a script similar to an italic nib.
Oblique nibs come with the oblique angle to the left or to the right. The RIGHT oblique is more suited to left-handed writers.
What type of filler?
With modern pens, the replaceable ink cartridge is most common. Cartridge/converter filler pens allow the use of bottled ink if you prefeer not to use cartridges.
Earlier pens use a variety of systems to fill, some more convenient than others.
Does my choice of paper affect the choice of pen?
As a general rule, broad nibs are better with different types pf paper.
Rough paper surfaces, hand-made papers, and parchment are not the best suited for use with a fountain pen. They tend to scratch and tear easily.
Absorbent paper can be difficult to use with a fountain pen.
Smooth writing paper works with any type of nib.
What about the flexible nib?
Flexible nibs were common in early fountain pens until the 1940's whenfixed nibs were introduced.
The flexible nature of the nib allows you to vary the width and "wetness" of the writing line by varying your pressure on the nib. This can produce very interesting and attractive handwriting, but you have to acquire the skill to use a flexible nib effectively.
A flexible nib is not for a novice fountain pen user. The flexible nib takes time and practice to perfect.
