Find your way through a plethora of choices with our Buyers Guide.

Fountain Pens

Fountain pens bring style to your writing, because the nib influences the way that the letters appear on paper. Because the ink is free flowing and powered by gravity, it is easier to write with a fountain pen for long periods, since you do not need to press down on the pen.  Fountain pens are also considered to be a combination of tradition and modern technology. On the downside, failing to handle them properly can result in messy ink spills (although I always carry a Pelikan Souveran in my jacket pocket and have yet to experience a spillage). Modern fountain pens require little maintenance beyond filling although a good clean now and again is helpful. Most pens nowadays come either with ink cartridges or a plunger type filling mechanism that makes filling easy and mess free.  

Rollerball Pens

Rollerballs have a free floating “ball” in place of a nib, and once again, since the ink is largely free flowing, they are easier to use for long periods. Lettering will be uniform, since the ball has the same profile on the paper regardless of the direction of travel.  Inks tend to be water or gel based, unlike the oil based inks used by ballpoints. Therefore the ink does tend to permeate the paper more and there are less pressure marks than is typically the case for a ballpoint.  They are less likely to leak than a fountain pen, but they do perhaps lack that classic style. Disadvantages include the fact that the ink can take longer to dry than a ballpoint and is thus more subject to smearing. If water based inks are used, they may soak through to the other side of the page. The rollerball is a good compromise between a ballpoint and a fountain pen however.

Ballpoint Pens

Ballpoint pens were invented by a Hungarian newspaper man by the name of Biro who was fed up with filling up fountain pens and annoyed by the fact that his fountain pen often tore the newspaper he was writing on (paper development has come on since then however). The pen consists of a chamber containing a very small ball (in place of a nib). Pressure on the ball allows the viscous (oily) ink to flow onto the paper. One of the first uses in the UK was by RAF aircrew, who found that they worked better than fountain pens at high altitude (today’s pressurised cabins largely remove this differential). Like rollerballs, ballpoints are virtually maintenance free and they are cheaper than other models. But we still prefer fountain pens !

Fountain Pen Nibs

If you are buying a fountain pen, your next decision will be which nib to buy – there are lots of choices. Most pens we stock come as standard with either a fine or medium nib, but in most cases these can easily be replaced. So what are the choices, and what benefit do you get from each ? In understanding what the various nibs do, let’s define “broad” as being the up and down movement of the pen on paper, and “narrow” as being the left to write movement.

Firstly, let’s consider sizes. Nibs come in a range from Extra Fine (EF) through to Double Broad (BB). Essentially, the size of the nib dictates the thickness of the writing. For everyday use, we’d recommend a fine or medium nib.

Nibs come in three basic shapes – round, stub and italic. A round nib has a virtually circular footprint so that your writing will look quite standard regardless of the way in which the nib is held or whether it is making broad or narrow strokes.

A stub nib is elongated to the sides, so that the thickness of the line it leaves on the paper is dictated by the way in which the pen is dictated by the direction of travel.  If held in the standard manner, a stub nib will leave a narrow line on its narrow stroke (left to write), and a thick line on its broad (up and down) stroke. Most of our pens follow this format.

An italic nib is basically a more elongated version of a stub nib and results in a much thicker broad stroke. If you imagine “olde English” writing styles, this is the effect that such a nib will produce.

There are a number of variations that you might come across when looking at nib choices, but being honest, the only one we sell in any numbers is the oblique nib. This is essentially the same as an italic nib but is cut with a pronounced slant when looking at the nib from the top. Left and right handed oblique nibs are available. Other variations include the calligraphy nib, which is essentially a wider italic nib and the ballpoint, which, like the ballpoint pen itself, has a round nib that makes the lettering standard regardless of how it is held.

If you have any further questions, don't hesitate to ask us !