ULTIMATE BEGINNER'S GUIDE TO FOUNTAIN PENS! ✒️

Fountain pens don’t have to be archaic or intimidating. In this video, we demystify these classic writing instruments and explain how they work, how to use one, and what you should do when you get your first fountain pen!

#fountainpens #platinum #preppy

▬▬ ✦ T I M E S T A M P S ✦ ▬▬

0:00 Intro
0:24 What is a Fountain Pen?
2:27 How to Use a Fountain Pen
6:26 Fountain Pen Dos and Don'ts
6:30 Do Use the Right Ink
7:09 Don’t Clean Your Pen with Harsh Chemicals
7:49 Do Pick the Right Nib Size
8:22 Do Pair Your Pen with the Good Paper
8:56 Do Store Your Pen Correctly
9:25 End of video

▬▬ ✦ P R O D U C T S ✦ ▬▬

▬▬ ✦ B L O G S ✦ ▬▬

▬▬ ✦ R E L A T E D V I D E O S ✦ ▬▬

▬▬ ✦ L I N K S ✦ ▬▬

▬▬ ✦ F A Q ✦ ▬▬

What is JetPens?
- We are an online stationery store. We carry unique, high-quality pens, paper, and art supplies from Japan and beyond.

Where can I buy the products?

Do you ship to my country?

How much does shipping cost and how long does it take?

What currency are your prices listed in? Can I see the prices in my country’s currency?
- Our prices are listed in US dollars. Our website currently does not have the option to use other currencies.

Do you have any offers, coupons, or promotions?

Where are you located?

[JetPens]

Do you use fountain pens? Let us know what you wish you knew when you started out in the comments!

[xeno_honey]

I went from being scared of fountain pens in January to already having 6 now😅 they're addicting, especially with all the inks you can get!

[pixelsbykris]

For people who may have been gifted a vintage fountain pen from a family member or friend, I'd like to add the most MODERN fountain pens use cartridges and/or converters.
Vintage fountain pens tend to have a lever-filling system where you lower the lever, dip the pen nib in the ink bottle, and then flip the lever up and wait a second or two. If your vintage fountain pen has been well-taken care of, then the interior "ink bladder" should still be intact. If you flip the lever down and hear a crunch, then your pen has NOT been taken care of, and the bladder has deteriorated to the point of needing replacement. If you're not confident about your ability to take care of that, then I recommend looking online for people who are.
Extra Fun Fact about vintage fountain pen nibs: Vintage flex nibs tend to be more flexible than modern flex nibs. In fact, most- if not all -modern flex nibs are less flexible than vintage ones.

[GuagoFruit]

I find the argument that it's cheaper to use bottled ink a bit disingenuous. Once you start buying ink bottles, it's scientifically impossible to stop at just one. Eventually you amass a massive collection of barely used inks, each bottle costing 15-20 uniball jetstreams!

[themisterchristie]

For a truly full fill with a twist converter or piston filler
1) stop turning the nob at around half full
2) take pen out of ink bottle and hold nib up
3) finish turning the nob the rest of the way drawing the ink in from the feed along with air
4) keeping the nib up turn the nob the other way to push the air out until you see ink coming from the nib or filler hole, you may see the odd bubble keep going until the ink stays.
5) insert pen back into the ink bottle and finish filling.

After that you should have a complete fill with virtually no air in the chamber.

[Vovvilina]

Re: comments about owning many bottles of fountain pen inks, if you don't like a color you've purchased or are worried it may have expired, please consider donating inks to your local art programs. Whether K-12, community college, or university, such supplies are highly valued. Or consider giving inks to local artists who will likely put them to good use -- expired inks can be used for far more than writing and drawing! 😊

[joanw]

Psa: if you are thinking you have to learn how to write differently with a fountain pen like I thought, don't worry! The only hard part for me was making sure I put the nib down at the right angle, but it didn't take me long to figure out. And you can use your normal writing style the same way as with gel pens. I have noticed though that my handwriting has changed some compared to when I take notes with a gel pen.

Also, there are cheap (like walmart cheap) papers that work with fountain pens. They just have to be smooth. Mead 5 star isn't bad for an EF nib.

[Drademdar]

I began using fountain pens about a year ago since ordinary ballpoint pens always hurt my wrist after half an A4 page. I got a couple of Lamy Safari first since I initially considered a fountain pen primarily to be a tool. But it didn't take long before the Pokémon phrase, "Gotta Catch' Em All!" struck me. Today I have twenty-nine different Lamy Safari and two Kaweco Perkeo, and I'm not done collecting. I may have a problem. 😆

When it comes to paper, I only use either Oxford or Cambridge notebooks. They are cheap, have good paper and come in large pads, which is the best choice for me as I can write between 5-6 A4 pages daily.

[shiniya]

in germany you start to learn how to write with a fountain pen often in elementary school. most here have at least one fountain pen most with cartridges, so the thought that some are intimidated by using them seems strange to me

[danielleanderson]

If you’re not a frequent writer—perhaps you suffer from a wrist injury like me—I suggest Platinum pens, which are known for staying wet longer due to the special caps they use. There are other brands that boast similar longevity, so do your research. Really, though, if you can make a point to write once a week your pens should be fine.

[AZEOforreal]

When I first bought my fountain pen and wrote a little bit, I instantly knew I fell in love!!!

[expectantlady]

If you think you have bad handwriting and there is no point in buying one I would still tell you to get one, have Dysgraphia which makes writing a pain severely impeding my progress in school, my mother (profile picture) bought me a fountain pen which really helped improve my handwriting. My current theory is that it forces you to write slower, improving your handwriting.

[marimcarden]

I've become such a Fountain Pen enthusiast! After 2 years of practicing and using them, I'm super addicted to the way they write :)

[matteblack]

When i was in high-school i built a fountain pen kit and its what i used my senior year, but that was a decade ago. Recently i rediscovered it, and was trying to figure out how to resurrect it. After watching this and your video on cleaning them, and also a bit of alcohol, its back from the dead

[noahpotter]

Watching this after impulse buying my first fountain pen, very helpful :)

[tinybirdnamedtoast]

i got my first fountain pen today and this helped me set it up! thank you!

[Tyer_K]

When I refill my fountain pen (which uses a piston converter), I usually twist the piston as fast as I possibly can to get more ink into the converter. It works super well and lasts for a longer time.

[PupsLeaps]

Thank you very much for this video! Ive recently got a couple fountain pens and ive been watching your fountain pen videos to learn how to properly take care of them and help them last long ^^
I really enjoyed the tips and advice, but the one i found most surprising was the kokuyo sarasara paper works well with fountain pens!! I had no idea!
Thank you for your hard work making this video ^-^

[sjofngeirdal]

Thank you I new about the cleaning but not about the inks differnce between pens so thanks

[sarphar]

Thank you so much for this! It really is going to help me ❤😊