I get it, compared to your typical bolígrafo, fountain pens seem complicated. Nibs, inks, filling mechanisms, maintenance? It’s a lot to go through at once. So I’m going to make things as simple as possible.

What do you like about your current pen?

What I wish someone told me before I started this fountain pen journey was to think about what I liked about my current pen lineup. I was already a pretty big stationery fiend at the time. What I liked was variety in colors and thin/crisp lines. Before you go any further, think about what you consider to be a “good pen”.

Is it the boldness of the lettering?

Is it the thin lines that allow you to write smaller?

Is it because you have 100 different colors?

Is it the way it glides across the paper?

The way it feels in your hand?

Or do you need the ink to last a long time?

Are you an artist?

Do you like boldness or crispness in lines? Let’s start with Nib Size

There is no universal nib size. Each size is relative to each other within the company’s same line of pens. When you see a nib size listed, it is what the company considers that size, not a general picture. However, because of handwriting differences, there is a blanket statement that is valid in the fountain pen world — Asian pens write thinner than western pens.

That means a Fine nib from Pilot is going to be thinner than a Fine nib from Germany. Asian countries have thinner nibs to accommodate their writing systems (try writing complex kanji using a thick 1.0 nib in a small space!).

If you prefer big and thick lines, I would recommend starting at a Western Medium or Bold or an Asian Bold.

If you prefer gel pens that sell as “.5”, I recommend a western Fine or Asian Medium.

If you prefer gel pens that sell as “.4” or “.38”, I recommend an Asian Fine or Medium.

If you prefer hairline lines, get an Asian Extra Fine.

What pen do I recommend? I’m not going to name one specifically. Instead of looking at a specific model, browse a pen store and refine your search to the nib size. Find a pen you like and want to write with. More than a specific model, if you buy a pen because you want to use it, then you will probably be more apt to use it. You may already have a couple of pens in mind from other guides out there and I’m telling you to throw it out the window and get the pen that appeals the most to you. Most websites will have a writing sample of the pen in question. If not, then Goulet Pens has a very handy “Nib Nook” that will let you compare widths of the different pens out there.

Do you like variety in colors? Let’s talk about Ink

A huge variety in ink is part of the reason I fell in love with fountain pens. I’m going to talk about the special things that fountain pens can give you that you won’t find in a gel or ballpoint.

Shading

Shading refers to when the ink pools in one spot and creates a gradient effect to your handwriting. Not all inks will shade. If you want this aesthetic, look up shading inks.

Sheen

Sheen is when the ink color particles crystalize on the paper, creating a shimmering foil effect. Most of the time the sheen color is not the same as the original color, for instance, green and blue usually sheen red!

Shimmer

Shimmer is glitter. These inks will have a base color and gold or silver glitter added to them. If you love glitter gel pens, you’re going to love the shimmer inks!

Some inks will have a mixture of these properties. One of the most popular inks, J. Herbin’s Emeraude du Chivor, has a red sheen and gold glitter. There are so many inks out there your problem will probably end up being “how many should I get?” !

What if I need waterproof or lightfast?

Normal fountain pen ink is not waterproof. You will have to look up specific inks in order to find out if they are water resistant. They do exist! But you need to be aware that the pretty ink that you covet may not be waterproof or lightfast if it is not mentioned that it is specifically. However, if you dabble in art, you can use a waterbrush and make some beautiful works of ark using the same ink!

Samples are your friend

Before I wised up, I bought bottle after bottle after bottle of any ink I was interested in. Sometimes I’ve been disappointed that the model on the website didn’t match what I thought it would be. If you’re new, I would recommend buying samples of all the inks you’re interested in before investing in a bottle. Not only will you save money in the long run, a bummer sample is a way easier pill to swallow than a bummer bottle.

Do you like heavy pens or light pens?

Some fountain pens will be heavy and big in your hand. Others will be light as a feather. A unique qualifier in many listings is “weight”. If you want a good hefty pen, look for pens that weigh more than 35 grams. If you want a light pen, you want something less than 15 grams.

Do you need your ink to last a long time?

You will love a piston filler. Piston fillers basically “suck” the ink into the barrel and thanks to the designs of the pens, they will hold a lot of ink.

The most popular will be the TWSBI Eco. However, if the price tag is too much to chew, you will be comfortable trying out a Wing Sung 3008, which can be found at a fraction of the price. With the Wing Sung, you will sacrifice the ability to choose nib size, but it normally can be found for $3 on eBay (plus the month-long China shipping wait) or Amazon for $8-10.

There is also TWSBI’s new pen, GO, which uses a pump-action filling system and retails for $20.

Do you like the smooth glide across the paper?

You will want a smooth pen. Most people will say gold pens are smoother, and I’ve found that to be a misnomer. I have several steel pens that are smoother than their gold counterparts.

If you want a very fine line and smoothness, that will be difficult to find and/or expensive for customization. Since this is your first pen, I recommend getting a Western Medium or Bold to experience a smooth line. Typically Extra Fine and Fine will have “feedback”, which is basically the opposite sensation of smoothness. (Think about the way a pencil feels on paper to understand the concept of feedback).

Cartridges and Ink Bottles

Unlike ballpoints or gels, the ink is not included in the pen. You will have to purchase it separately. Most pen companies will include a cartridge of blue or black ink with their pens. Cartridges are self-contained vials of ink that you connect to your pen and use until it runs out, after which you throw away and replace it with a new one. The downside to cartridges is that each company has their own special cartridge. You can’t buy a Lamy cartridge and stick it into a Pilot pen. And not all of a company’s available inks will be in cartridges. If a company, like Noodler’s, specializes in only ink… well, you can’t get it in a convenient cartridge. If all you need is a basic blue or black or blue/black and don’t want much fuss, cartridges may be something you want to consider.

If you want ink bottles, you will also have to be sure you have a way of getting the ink into the pen. Most pens will use what is called a “converter”. This is going to be an extra expense and will add an additional $6-10 to the cost of your pen. Unless you’re buying something like a TWSBI Eco or Go, which will have the filling mechanism built into the pen. Some of the Chinese pens you can find on eBay (Jinhao, Hero, Wing Sung, PenBBS) will ship with converters. Ink bottles are the best value and will last a long time. There will be a huge variety in colors and special properties to choose from. It can be overwhelming! To wit, my only advice is “pick what you love, not what guide X says”. If you type the name of the ink into the search bar at Google you will typically find oodles of reviews that show off the ink in different situations. Part of falling in love with an ink is seeing it used masterfully. There are popular inks in the fountain pen world that get more fanfare than others, but I will say right now that one of my most favorite inks of all is not popular at all except in my heart.

Maintenance

First of all, you don’t need to take your pen apart to clean it every single time. Don’t let that intimidate you.

Second of all, you can use distilled water to clean out your pens so you don’t need to buy any special pen flush. You can even mix distilled water and ammonia to get something similar to those pen flushes. Distilled water + a drop of dishwashing soap is also effective. 99% of the time to clean my pens I just use distilled water. Unless the ink dries in them and they’ve been sitting in your desk for a month, you won’t need to be intense with your cleaning.

Third of all, if all you’re going to use is one color in the pen, you’re not going to need to clean out the pen each time you need to refill unless you absolutely want to.

So take those special pen cleaning tools out of your cart because you won’t need them until you need them, and if you don’t fall in love with fountain pens then you just wasted your money.