Fountain Pens

Fountain Pens at Write Here

Fountain Pens are simply the best writing instruments, offering an unmatched variety of writing experience. At Write Here, we offer a wide choice, all from brands in which we have confidence. The combination of a good fountain pen and the right ink will let you express yourself in a stylish and individual way.

Materials

Fountain pens are made of anything from inexpensive, everyday materials to luxurious resins, celluloids, woods and metals. Limited Editions can cost thousands of pounds, and are works of art, sculpted or decorated with exquisite beauty. The choice of material can affect weight, balance and “feel” of the pen. Whatever the material, a fountain pen will deliver writing please.

The Nib

There is a lot more to a fountain pen nib than meets the eye. Its basic job is to deliver a steady flow of ink from the reservior to the page using a balance of gravity and capillary action. But most manufacturers also offer a range of widths – fine, medium or broad at least, with the possibility of stubs and italics. Beyond that there are music nibs, flexible nibs, and many more – if you’re willing to pay!

The material the nib is made of makes a big difference – steel, gold, titanium, palladium. It’s not so much the bit touching the paper, which for most quality pens is the tipping material or “iridium”, but the way the tines (the spilt bits behind the tip) move. There are few hard and fast rules, but generally steel nibs are more rigid, gold nibs softer and, depending on what it is alloyed with and how it is tempered, more flexible.

Filling System

There are lots of different ways to fill a fountain pen. Cartridges are clean and convenient, but you may need to get the correct ones for your pen. A converter will fit in place of a cartridge so bottled ink can be used. Piston fillers have a built-in filling system and will use only bottled in. Vacuum or Plunger fillers also use only bottled ink. With an eyedropper, the barrel of the pen is filled with ink.

Ink

And then, of course, there is the ink. More colours than you can imagine! And for the cognoscenti, variations in wetness, lubrication, drying time and more.