Where I Started
I reached a certain age, after writing probably millions of words, when I learned from my now grown-up son that I had the pen thing all wrong. I never tried a fountain pen – I thought they were too scratchy and hard to control. I had used ballpoints since elementary school, but I never liked them much. Felt tip pens, Sharpies were the best. You don’t have to push too hard to make a bold statement, but maybe too bold for everyday. No need to shout. I still use a bold Sharpie to make my digital signature so it scans well, but something else has to be used for writing. Rollerballs came along and they were just about perfect, but the paper had to be on a pad. The thickness of one sheet of paper hard onto the desk just didn’t feel right.
Fountain Pens and Me
Please look up at the picture at the top of the post. Back in the day, the 20th century when I was growing up, Cross pens were an iconic Made in USA brand proudly making chrome, silver and gold pens and pen and pencil sets. Graduation gifts to encourage a lifetime of writing. No longer. They have moved their production to China. So Cross is off the list. If you want to try a relatively inexpensive fountain pen, let’s try one from Japan. The pen pictured above is the Pilot Kakuno. It’s made for children – if you look closely at the picture, you can see the smiley face on the nib. Pick one up for $10 or so in your choice of colors and nib sizes. Only thing that’s not good for me is no pocket clip, so the Kakuno mostly gets used at home.
Next up is the Pilot Metropolitan. These are definitely suitable for adults and are often included in lists of the best affordable fountain pens.
