It has come to this: my obsession with fountain pens requires its own page.
I don’t know when it began. From a very early age, I was fascinated with stationery, particularly office supplies. As a child, I learned calligraphy, so I must have owned my first fountain pen then. It didn’t turn into a full-blown obsession until 2003, and I’m still not sure why.
Despite all this, I am not snooty about writing instruments; I appreciate any pen that provides a compelling tactile experience. I love to talk pens with anyone, so ask me anything.
My Collection (in order of daily use)
Stipula Ventidue(away for repair)- Special Edition Pelikan Souverän Ruby Red M320
- Namiki Vanishing Point, 2008 LE purple
- Lamy 2000 with a Binderized nib
- “Flighter” Parker 25
- Recife Baby Press Constellation, sparkly purple
- Pelikan Classic M205, white
- Lamy Studio, LE violet
- Pelikan Souverän M400, tortoiseshell-white
- Lamy AL-Star, L29 dark purple
- Visconti Van Gogh Midi, musk green
- Sheaffer Prelude, luminous purple with nickel-plate trim
- Noodler’s Nib Creaper [sic], orange-green
- Waterman Carène, royal violet
- Faber-Castell Ambition Birnbaum and matching mechanical pencil
- Retro 51 Tornado, indigo
- Lamy Logo, brushed steel
- Waterman Philéas, red
- Sensa Meridian, silver
- Rotring Core, blue
- Monteverde Olympia, blue
- Jules, the most beautiful pen I have ever seen (Just kidding! I would never buy such an expensive pen, although I do look at it longingly from time to time.)
Useful Links
- Anderson Pens
- Fountain Pen Geeks & FPGeeks Forum
- The Fountain Pen Network Forum
- From the Pen Cup
- Glenn’s Pens
- Goulet Pens’ Ink Samples
- Ink Nouveau
- Pen Collectors of America
- Pendemonium: storefront and reviews (the ink facts are particularly illuminating)
- Rhodia Drive: a blog dedicated to my favourite notebooks and other analog treats
- Penspotters: Rick Conner’s “field guide to fountain pens”
- Pen Fetish Crafters on Ravelry: the intersection of two of my loves, knitting and pens
Inexpensive Fountain Pen Favorites
- Lamy Safari: recommended for beginners, both right- and left-handed
- Pelikan Future: cartridge only, steel nib
- Pilot Petit1: mini-sized, refillable, and only $5
- Pilot Varsity: disposable, fine and medium nibs, variety of colors (purple is my favorite)
Awesome (and Alphabetized) Ink
- Diamine Blue-Black: [view my ink test]
- Diamine Imperial Purple: vibrant violet
- Diamine Monaco Red: blood-red with a brown tinge
- Diamine Woodland Green: slightly darker than medium
- Levenger Amethyst: the prototypical amethyst purple
- Noodler’s Air Corp Blue-Black: more of a teal-black, thick and wet
- Noodler’s Black Swan in Australian Roses: [view my ink test]
- Noodler’s Cayenne: [view my ink test]
- Noodler’s FPN Dumas Tulipe Noire: [view my ink test]
- Noodler’s La Reine Mauve: a serious dark purple, not to be trifled with
- Noodler’s Red-Black [view my ink test]
- Private Reserve Avocado: medium brownish green
- Private Reserve Burgundy Mist: syrah, really
- Private Reserve Ebony Purple: just as it sounds, lush and dark
- Private Reserve Tanzanite: deep bluish purple
- Rotring Ultramarine: bluish purple, brighter than PR Tanzanite
- Pelikan Blue-Black: blacker than blue
- Visconti Black: velvet and fast-drying
- Waterman Blue-Black: bluer than black
See Glenn’s Pens for lots more.
Non-Fountain Goodness
- Fisher Space Pen: the ballpoint that writes upside-down and through butter
- Uni-ball Signo 207: my favorite gel pen, now that the Papermate Gel-Writer is extinct
- Pilot G-2 0.7mm: another good gel alternative
- Rhodia notebooks: simply the best notebooks for fountain pen ink
- Oberon Design journals: gorgeous hand-made leather journals
- Quiver Pen Holders
