"My two fingers on a typewriter have never connected with my brain. My hand on a pen does. A fountain pen, of course. Ball-point pens are only good for filling out forms on a plane."

-- Graham Greene

On The Fly believes there are six reasons why every modern gentleman should own a fountain pen. Here are a few of our favorites:

1. They are beautiful, timeless expressions of style. They hearken back to a time when 'high-maintenance' wasn't a derogatory term.
2. Fountain pens are an endangered species that's slowly disappearing from the modern landscape but, no matter how you see it, a Bic (or a smart phone) will never be use to sign a peace treaty.
3. You control your penmanship. Unlike ballpoints, rollerballs, or digital signatures, fountain pens let you to manipulate the stream of ink on paper, so you to express your personal style with subtle manipulations of line weight and quality.
4. You'll know how to use one when the pressure is on (think seven figure deal, closing on a house, or signing a receipt at On The Fly).
5. Never underestimate the value of handwritten correspondence. Thank you notes, personal invitations, and love letters have changed the tide of history.
6. January 23rd is National Handwriting Day. Are you prepared?

The Tip of the Spear

The point, or nib, is the defining feature of a fountain pen, and requires a great deal of skill to manufacture. Historically, fountain pens used gold points~they~re beautiful, and gold resists corrosive effects that were often a feature of early inks. Solid gold points are, however, nonexistent~pure 24 karat gold is too malleable to function as a point. Instead, gold is alloyed with other metals, which results in points that are 14-18 karat gold.

A note on terminology: most people refer to the entire metal section below the pen~s barrel as the nib. Others call this the point, reserving the word nib to describe the small, hard bead of metal affixed to the very end of the point (i.e. the part that actually touches paper when writing).

Returning to what is sometimes called the nib: it~s a small piece of very hard metal, sometimes pure iridium, usually an alloy of iridium, ruthenium, and other metals. It must be able to withstand the constant friction brought about by writing (physical friction, not the figurative friction that results from your words).

Other features of the point include the slit that runs about halfway up, and the breather hole. The latter are often artfully shaped, but their existence is functional: they relieve stress, so the aforementioned slit doesn~t grow into a longer crack.

Feed Me

The feed sits right under the point. It regulates the outward flow of ink and the inward flow of air that occurs simultaneously. It lets enough ink out to yield smooth writing but not so much that the pen starts to leak.

Materials & Construction

Plastic is frequently, and justifiably, used for pens: it~s light, durable, and has great aesthetic potential. That said, manufacturers almost always use more specific names to describe the different kinds of plastic they use. Lucite/acrylic is tough, light, can be shaped easily, and can appear in a variety of of colorings. Celluloid is a rarer plastic that~s a bit softer than lucite. There are trade-offs to consider in evaluating the hardness of a pen. Firmer plastics are more scratch-resistant, though stresses introduced in the manufacturing process can cause them to crack over time. Softer plastics scratch more easily, but they~re less prone to cracking.

Silver pens, especially those with brushed or satin finishes, often develop a wonderful patina over time. It~s analogous to the process that happens with brown leather shoes, which develop an antiqued look after years of polish and wear.

Pens can also be made from more exotic materials. A case in point: the Homo Sapiens pens from Visconti, which are the first pens to ever be forged from volcanic lava.

Heaviness doesn~t necessarily signify better construction. After all, you don~t want the act of writing to tire your hand~so look for a pen that~s comfortably light. In addition, larger pens often hold the same amount of ink as their smaller relations, so be wary of choosing a big pen with the assumption that you~ll refill less often.

A Word on Usage

People who write with their left hands will probably need a more considered approach to fountain pens~the dispensed ink takes time to dry, and there~s a decent chance that your hand will smudge that beautiful script you~ve just put down. However, many left handed people use fountain pens after a bit of practice. Of course, southpaws who write in languages like Mandarin, Hebrew or Arabic need not fret about these complications.

No matter what hand you write with (and no matter what direction), some slow-drying inks require the services of a blotter. As the name implies, these small cards are used to absorb excess ink to reduce the chance of smudging. With care, they can be used with one~s hands alone; alternatively, they can be attached to a rocker blotter, which is used to rock the blotting card over the fresh ink.

And about that ink: make sure it is specifically labeled for use with fountain pens. Other varieties will have the wrong viscosity, and using them could damage your pen.