Cheap vs. Expensive Fountain Pens: What Are the Differences?

Let's distinguish cheap from expensive fountain pens and find out how they differ based on cost: https://gentl.mn/cheap-vs-expensive-f...

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00:00 Cheap vs. Expensive Fountain Pens Introduction

Fountain pens can range in cost from under $5 to almost $100,000 and higher. How does one determine a reasonable price point? And what determines the differences between cheap and expensive fountain pens?

01:51 The Nib

The nib is a vitally important part of any fountain pen. The nib conveys ink onto the paper through capillary action, by which a liquid is propelled through the interaction between surface tension and adhesion.

Overall, nib size has an obvious aesthetic impact, but flexibility also impacts your ability to have lines of varying width. And nibs will also impact how favorably and cleanly the ink is spread onto the paper.

06:22 The Feed

The feed connects the nib to the ink reservoir. This is what allows ink to flow freely through the nib when it’s in contact with paper, but prevents ink from spilling out when you’re not using the pen. Basically, the ink flows into these channels through the capillary action that we mentioned previously.

When ink is flowing onto the paper, air from outside the pen is allowed to flow upward along the feed, bringing ink down from Ink storage.

When it comes to feeds then, construction is ultimately more important than material. A well-made plastic feed will function well enough for most writers’ needs, but an Ebonite feed represents a noticeable step up in quality that will definitely improve your writing experience.

09:23 The Body

The body of the pen is essentially just a container that holds all the components that actually make the pen function. Obviously, the body considerably impacts the appeal and aesthetics of the pen itself, but it also impacts the functionality of writing when it comes to balance and weight of the pen.

14:00 The Filling Mechanism

There are multiple ways to get ink into a pen, many of which come down to preference and personal taste.

Ultimately then, the filling mechanism is most important as it pertains to your convenience. Investing in a more expensive system will usually make the process easier for you and will also spare you the unpleasant cleanup associated with cheap and leaky pens.

16:50 The Ink

In a nutshell, cheap inks are kept cheap by cutting corners. Pigmentation is low, leading to runny, bland, and semi-transparent colors; cheap ink is poorly manufactured, so it can be sticky or prone to smudge on the page; and cheap ink will dry hard inside the pen, potentially gumming up the works

Expensive inks, on the other hand, will flow easily and lay neatly on the page; have good color fastness and endurance so they won’t fade with time, and come in various unique and memorable colors. Some of our favorite colors include rusty brown, sky blue, and dark green.

18:05 Conclusion

Now that you’ve learned the differences between cheap and expensive fountain pens, you’ll have the knowledge to determine which price point is best for you.

18:37 Outfit Rundown