the bird on fire

By Shelby Armor

Pilot Metropolitan with Refillable Cartridges

I’ve always been a lover of pens. I choose my pens carefully based on the type of pen, the thickness of the pen, the smoothness, the type of ink, etc. And I’ve recently fallen in love with an entirely new yet old kind of pen: fountain pens.

Both of my parents used fountain pens  when they were young, and it’s still used in Europe today. But in America we’ve let it die out. We now settle for more efficient roller-balls and ballpoint pens that may last longer but ultimately provide a horrible writing experience. The ink doesn’t flow as consistently. And to many, this doesn’t matter, perhaps that’s why we rely so much on ballpoint pens. But fountain pens have such an elegant vibe to them. Their perfect way that the ink flows from the pen, the sleek look, and the overall effectiveness make the fountain pen ultimately superior.

The ink just seems to flow from the pen. It’s something that I appreciate most from fountain pens. When writing, you get such a smooth line. It’s really the most lovely part of the pen. In addition, fountain pens just LOOK so amazing. They have an elegant and sleek look to them that is ultimately unattainable with other pens. From the spiffy exterior, to the beautiful metal nibs, there’s just nothing to not love. And fountain pens are just very effective as well. When buying one pen, there are two options. You can either get an ink well or cartridges. I personally use cartridges, as that is the more modern and efficient form. When using cartridges, you simply have to unscrew the pen to replace the cartridge every two weeks or so.

Many people argue that fountain pens are not cost effective, but I tend to disagree. My personal favorite pen is the Pilot Metropolitan Fountain Pen. (https://www.amazon.com/Pilot-Metropolitan-Collection-Fountain-91111/dp/B00KRPFD96/ref=ice_ac_b_dpb?s=office-products&ie=UTF8&qid=1517543300&sr=1-4&keywords=pilot+metropolitan+fountain+pen) The price ($15) may seem slightly unreasonable for a pen, but consider the lifespan of the pen. The pen comes with a cartridge already, and the cartridges can be replaced for years. You would go through SO MANY ballpoint pens by that time. Considering that a pack of 12 cartridges is $4.79, that’ll last you for six months.

Pilot Varsity “Disposable” Fountain Pens

My ultimate verdict is that fountain pens are dying out when they really shouldn’t be. They are a beautiful writing utensil that is underappreciated.

Editor: Peter Kadel