Fountain Pens
Despite living in a technological age, fountain pens remain an elegant, classy gift to give and receive.If you’re shopping for a fountain pen, particularly as a gift, there are several things you should keep in mind.
Different nibs and different fountain pens are suited to different handwriting. If they are someone with a heavy hand and big, broad letters penned deep into the paper, you will want to consider a sturdier, larger, iridium nib on their gift. If, on the other hand, they are someone with small, delicate handwriting a smaller nib will suit them well.
Different fountain pens have different specialties. If you’ve decided to buy someone a fountain pen, you’ll want to identify what that person is most likely to use the pen for. Are they someone constantly scribbling down lists and memos at work, or in their hectic life? Are they someone who keeps an intimate, detailed, paper journal of their life? Someone who still pens and mails letters to others? Or will it be a decorate gift, perched on their desk aside their tablet PC? If the pen is destined for someone who will use it a lot to write with, you’ll want to consider a nib that is both wetter and broader.
For the journaller, a calligraphy styled fountainpen will give their journals an extra dose of creativity, all the while delivering a delicate, distinct handwriting. If you’re buying the fountainpen as a gift for someone who scribbles off hasty notes, you may want to consider purchasing a pen with a fine nib, reducing the chances of inking their page, and letting them write quickly. You’ll want an even thinner nib on the fountain pen if you are planning to give it as a gift to someone who will use it to draw, or sketch. Drawing requires a higher level of detail and stability, which extra thin fountain pen nibs can give.
You’ll want to decide on a type of nib. Nibs for fountain pens are available in gold, silver, steel, titanium, and several other materials. Gold nibs are generally considered to be the best, based on several factors. While most of the cheaper, “beginner” pens come with steel nibs, more expensive models tend to use gold. While most tips contain the same substance, the material which the nib is made of impacts its flexibility, and how it will write. Gold is generally considered to be the most flexible of the nib options, writing more smoothly. If the person for whom you are purchasing the fountain pen is a beginner, you might want to get them a steel nib. If they are someone past the beginner stage, however, you’ll want to find something with a gold nib.
If you’re planning to get the person a fountain pen kit or a bottle of fountain pen ink with their gift, so they can try it out right away, consider again who you are buying it for and what they will use the pen for. If you’re buying it for someone who will use it for signatures, it’s a safe bet to stick with blue ink. If, however, the pen is for an adventurous, creative friend, you might want to consider some of the more unique and fun colours available.
When shopping for a pen, you’ll find pens in all different budgets and of all different types. Your focus and guide in shopping should be the person’s handwriting, what they will use the pen for, and their personality.