Fountain Pen Mistakes All Beginners Make & How To Avoid Them - Gentleman's Gazette
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Published 2018-08-10
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00:00 Introduction
7 Beginner Fountain Pen Mistakes
01:02 1. Not using a fountain pen at all.
Even if you own it, you may just have it in your desk drawer and it never sees the light of day. In my opinion, a huge advantage of a fountain pen is your signature. Not only does it make it look more sophisticated but it's actually much harder to fake because the lines vary in thickness depending on the pressure you put on to the nib. Of course, it's easy to forget about handwriting in a digital world, you can take notes with your phone, you can use Google home assistant or Alexa but at the same time, it has been proven that writing down things by hand especially if you take notes, enhances your memory and you learn faster.
01:56 2. Using the wrong paper.
Most regular paper is rather thin and sometimes flimsy and when you use a fountain pen, you encounter something called bleeding. Basically, it's just ink bleeding into the paper leaving a very undefined line that doesn't look as nice as if you write with the same fountain pen on a thicker paper that absorbs the ink better. So instead, go with a slightly thicker cardstock or go with fountain pen paper which hardly costs more at all but it's specifically made for fountain pen ink.
02:53 3. Pushing too hard on the nib.
If you have a regular ballpoint pen or a rollerball, you can really push hard, even push holes into your paper. Now with a fountain pen, you can also add pressure, and the more pressure you add, the wider your pen stroke gets. That can be really nice for a signature or you want to get a calligraphy effect when you write. Now with nibs, you have to pay a little more attention because they're split in the middle so the ink can get to the paper and if you push too hard, you may damage or break the nib, and then you'll have to exchange it.
03:45 4. Using the wrong ink.
If you have a fountain pen, you should always go with a specific fountain pen ink. Why? Basically, they have a different chemical composition that is best for fountain pens because if you get something that is too thick and it dries too quickly, it will clog up your fountain pen and you'll have to constantly clean it.
05:14 5. Not cleaning your pen when it has dried on the inside.
Generally, if you keep writing a pen and you use high-quality fountain pen ink, chances are you hardly ever maybe never have to clean your fountain pen, over time, however, there may be dust or something gets clogged up and then it's time to clean your pen. So how do you do it? Basically, there are two ways. One, the simple way is to simply drop your entire pen in water. The second and best way to clean a fountain pen is to use an ultrasonic cleanser.
07:23 6. Dropping a fountain pen on the nib.
I know you don't drop your pens intentionally but unlike with a ballpoint pen if it falls right on the tip of the nib it may break or it may deform and then it's time to have the nib replaced.
08:07 7. Not keeping the nib up when you travel.
Especially if you're on a plane, the cabin pressure changes over time and if your nib faces down or if it's horizontal, chances are ink is pushed outside of the pen and either you get a stain on your jacket or the next time you open your pen, all your fingers are going to be full of ink.
So overall, you have to pay a little more attention to a fountain pen and you have to be a little more deliberate than with a ballpoint pen or a rollerball. On the other hand, a fountain pen enhances your handwriting and the look of it in a way no rollerball a ballpoint can compete with.
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All Comments (21)
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Thank you for this video. I love to write with a fountain pen.
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I should be sleeping i dont even have a fountain pen what am i doing here
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When it’s 2 in the morning and you have discovered a weird fascination with fountain pens for no apparent reason
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In Germany we learn how to use fountain pens in primary school. We weren't even allowed to write with other kind of pens until ninth grade (for various reasons).
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I really hope fountain pens get more attention these days in particular. They're a far more sustainable option compared to disposable, unrecyclable pens that mix plastic parts with metal.
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"shorter is always better" - This made me feel a lot better. Thanks.
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Feathering... not bleeding... when the ink spreads on the paper its called feathering... when the ink goes through the paper its called bleed through...
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Fountain pens are actually pretty environmentally friendly as well since things like ink bottles are actually reusable since they are often high quality glass. My environmental science teacher was the reason I got one.
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I remember one of my teachers saying children should write with fountain pens relatively early, because it would help them have nice and tidy handwriting. There definitely is something to it.
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Nobody really mentions my favorite thing about fountain pens. The friction. The friction has a far better feel than a ball point.
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Fun fact: when I was in elementary school (early 1980s Germany), we were actually forbidden from using ball pens in school. We had the choice between pencil and fountain pen (well, fountain pens with cartidges mostly). That may be why I've always enjoyed using fountain pens a lot more than ball pens. I learned writing with one, so it's the most natural way for me to write down stuff by hand. Ball pens were not allowed until secondary school.
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I have been writing with fountain pens since I was a boy. You would be surprised at how people react to receiving a hand written note or letter especially when written with a fountain pen. I like to write thank you notes for a number of different occasions. First is when ever I’ve been invited to dinner at a persons home or any gathering really. When I get home is the best time to write a thank you note while the evening is still fresh in my mind. People appreciate that I didn’t simply say thank you but actually took the time to hand write a note and mail it to them. This way several days pass before they get my note and they are reminded of the evening in question. Second is any time I receive a gift wether it be my birthday or an anniversary or whatever. People enjoy the thoughtfulness that goes into writing a personal thank you acknowledging the time effort and expense that went into the gift they gave me. As a side note each year on my birthday I give a gift to someone else. This is a tradition I learned from my father and grandfather. It reminds me to be humble and not everything is about me lol even on my birthday lol Try it on your next birthday, you don’t have to make a big deal out of it and make it a different person each year. You’ll be surprised at the persons reaction and you just might inspire them to incorporate this tradition into their life as well. Cheers
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Thanks! I’m 72 and been writing with a FP since I was 6..love my FPS....and all my different colors of inks..such fun!
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"Most ppl never come in contact with a fountain pen unless you actively persude them" might be true in America but here in Europe and especially Germany they are actively used in school
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Yes, a common mistake the "all beginners make" is ruin their $500 fountain pen nib. Got that beginners? Don't ruin your $500 fountain pen nib.
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Him: Have you ever wondered why people write with a fountain pen rather than with a ballpoint pen? Me, nodding and pointing at the screen: Aesthetic.
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I bought a fountain pen today. I would have just taken the cartridge that came with it, or a classic color of ink like black or blue. Your advice to get like your "personal color" led me to ask the guy for his catalog of colors. I spent a good 5-10 minutes looking at the colors before settling on a Faber Castell Moss Green ink. I'm so much happier with it because of that!
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A few observations: "The more pressure you add, the wider you stroke gets." This is ONLY true of flex nibs, increasing pressure on a stiff nib will not result in a wider line, it will likely result in a sprung nib. In the video, he takes a beautiful Montblanc 149 with an 18K gold nib and wipes the surface of the nib against the edge of the ink bottle. This is a surefire way to scratch a nib, as glass is harder than gold. Soaking an entire pen is water is not a good idea for many pens, particularly those with internal metal components that can corrode.
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When I was at school in the early 70's (United Kingdom) we were not allowed to use anything but fountain pens with the exception of engineering drawing and art classes. To this day I use nothing else. One little tip that's helped me over the years is when you're not using your pen, store it 'nib-down' so it doesn't dry out. I have seven pens here on my desk in a small drinking glass stored this way and they all work first time every time however long they've been there. Excellent video by the way.
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I remember going to a German school in Australia and in year 2 this one kid had Perfect old English handwriting that would put adults to shame his writing was always consistent 😂
