Fine Writing Fountain Pens

Fine Writing Fountain Pens FAQ

What’s the best nib material? Are gold nibs worth the extra?

There’s nothing at all wrong with steel nibs, and gold nibs aren’t inherently better. Gold is a more expensive material, and it’s probably fair to say that some manufacturers put a bit of extra effort into their gold nibs, but steel nibs can be every bit as good as gold, and usually are.

For a more detailed look at this, we have an article about nib materials.

What is Maki-e?

Maki-e is a Japanese technique often used for luxury pen barrels, where patterns or images are made up of gold flakes or powder, set into lacquer. Traditional maki-e is a painstaking technique, often taking many months to complete. There are also pens made using ‘modern maki-e’ techniques, where the picture is made up separately as one or more pieces, applied to the pen, then coated in lacquer - it’s much quicker to do, but gives a similar effect.

What is Raden?

Another Japanese technique with layers of lacquer, this time using tiny pieces of coloured shell to make up the pattern or picture.

Are expensive pens really worth the money?

That’s very subjective. If the question is just a matter of functionality, almost certainly not, but to many of us, a pen is far more than the basic functionality. It’s a piece of craftsmanship or even art. And only you can decide if it’s worth it for you to own that beautiful hand-crafted item.

In functional terms, most luxury items wouldn’t be ‘worth the money’, but there’s more to them than that, and a pen is a very personal thing. What better place for a bit of extra luxury and enjoyment than something that’s going to be in your hand every day?

How to I look after my luxury pen?

They don’t usually need much maintenance. As long as you’re careful to only use fountain pen ink in them, the only maintenance that’s usually needed is to give them a flush out with water every so often. And even that is probably not really necessary. Unless the manufacturer specifies things that can be used, it’s best to avoid any cleaning fluids, and alcohol can react badly with some fountain pen bodies, so it’s best to only clean with water and a soft microfibre cloth. Remember that hand sanitiser contains alcohol, so don’t handle your pens straight after using it.

If your pen isn’t going to be used for a while, it’s best to empty the ink out of it, and flush it through with some water - most will be fine left with ink in them for quite a while, but dried up ink can clog a pen’s feed, so flushing it will be safer.