Some Tools of the Trade

In this digital age, we all do much more writing with a keyboard than with pen and paper. It’s possible to know and correspond with people for years without having any idea what your friends or associates’ handwriting looks like—something that would have been inconceivable even a couple of decades ago.

Writing is a different experience than typing. It feels different to your hands, it looks different to the eye, it requires different posture and a different set of behaviors. Some authors say they can’t write on paper. Some say they can’t write on a keyboard. It’s an individual choice, but if you’re feeling stuck with one, you may want to give the other a try. You may be surprised by what comes out.

I have a particular fondness for fountain pens, for their sleek appearance and the smooth way the ink flows out of them. I own three of them, at present, representing a wider range of cost and function than you might expect.

For everyday use, I have a Lamy Safari Vista Fountain Pen. Defying the convention that fountain pens are a formal, stuffy indulgence, the Lamy Safari is inexpensive and sturdy plastic, and comes in many bright colors and, as mine is, clear. Not only is it casual, whimsical and fun to look at, but it also makes it easy to see at a glance how much ink you have left.

Rotring’s 600 Series are the military tanks of fountain pens. Made of chrome-plated brass that sits heavily in your hand, they are eight-sided to prevent them from rolling off the table and crushing your toes. No… seriously, they’re not quite that heavy, but they do feel pleasantly indestructible. And they still write very smoothly and cleanly. They’re discontinued, from what I’ve read, and might be difficult to find, but they’re definitely worth a search.

Finally, my third recommendation is the kind of higher-end pen that most people think of when they think of fountain pens, but it still manages a fun twist on the classic: Pilot/Namiki’s Vanishing Point Fountain Pen has a retractable point, combining the smooth elegance of a fountain pen with the convenience of a ballpoint. It writes beautifully, though it does feel a little more fragile than the others, and it’s better suited to some types of paper than others.

You don’t need a fountain pen to write your next masterpiece, but don’t forget that hand writing is a skill like any other, and the old skills still have their place. Sitting down with a beautiful blank journal and a well-crafted instrument can create a different frame of mind, and those changes might reflect in your writing. Something to keep in mind the next time you’re feeling stuck, or just needing a break from the keys.