Types and types of handles. Seven Fountain Pen Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

Despite the general computerization, the transition to electronic document management, the development of Internet services for the exchange of written messages and advances in technology in the field of fixing information, the good old pen does not give up its positions. It is impossible to imagine the life and work of many people without this simple and common writing instrument. No matter how fast technology develops, humanity will not give up “analogue” writing for a very long time. And with it will be the need for pens.

By the way, when we say “pen”, we mean a fountain pen, that is, a device in which ink from the built-in reservoir enters the writing unit. The traditional meaning of the word as a writing object to be dipped in ink is no longer used.

There are some interesting statistics. 92% of the world's inhabitants use pens. If we remember that recently the population of the Earth has exceeded 7 billion inhabitants, and each person buys 4-5 pens a year, it is not difficult to calculate the annual market volume - more than 30 billion pens sold per year.

Pens in all their diversity

There is a huge selection on the market today. Cheap options for those who just need to write, advanced designer pens, "demonstrators" of status and financial capabilities, collector's editions, pieces of precious metals as works of art... All these pens are completely different both in design and in functionality, but all of them can do one thing - leave traces on paper.

Let's see how they differ.

Types of handles by design

Despite the fact that mankind is constantly striving to improve writing instruments, there are not so many types of pens invented. It is logical that fountain pens were the first. They began to try to attach an ink container to a pen in the middle of the 19th century, but for the time being, the experiments ended unsuccessfully. The pens turned out to be unreliable and either did not write at all, or splashed out a lot of ink, leaving blots.

In 1884, insurance broker Lewis Edson Waterman corrected the situation. Having lost a lucrative contract due to a failed pen (at least, so the legend goes), he set out to develop a more advanced writing instrument. Waterman was the first to guess that for the uninterrupted supply of ink, it is necessary to organize the flow of air into the tank. To do this, he began to use two channels between the reservoir and the tip - the first "flowed" ink in one direction, the second - air in the opposite direction. Waterman's pen was primitive by modern standards, but for its time it was a huge breakthrough. It could actually be used. However, there were also enough shortcomings - a fountain pen worked only at normal atmospheric pressure, and, for example, it began to flow at a height.

modern fountain pen

Pretty soon it was proposed to replace the pen in the tip with a ball. The idea was patented back in 1888 by John Laud, but it was not possible to create a commercial mass model for a very long time. The Hungarian journalist Laszlo Biro is considered the father of the modern ballpoint pen.

The principle of operation of this type of pens is simple. The ink supply channel ends with a small metal ball. When writing, it rolls on the surface of the paper, wetted from the back with new ink. Such a simple scheme turned out to be the most reliable and efficient. Ballpoint pens were written even in conditions where fountain pens had already ceased, and besides, they were cheap and very practical.

Ball pen

In 1953 en:Rotring developed the capillary pen. It uses a special needle that, when pressed on the paper, opens a channel for ink supply. You can adjust the amount of ink by pressing. Capillary pens are rarely used for writing, but are indispensable in the drawing business. There are no thinner and more stable writing objects.

Today, the vast majority of pens are ballpoint pens. Feathers are extremely rare, mainly as elite and expensive products. It is more difficult to write with them, and this requires some skill, in addition, such pens are more expensive to operate. Capillary pens generally disappear as a class, primarily due to the fact that almost no one draws by hand now - in this area, computer technology was able to win.

capillary pen

Classification by type of ink

No one has proposed new types of pens for a long time, all researchers have switched to the development of ink. Experiments are mainly carried out with ballpoint pens, as the most common and popular.

Traditionally, ballpoint pens used (and still use) a special paste, which consists of resins, oils, dyes or pigments, and some other components. The peculiarity of the paste is low fluidity so that the ink does not leave the rod too quickly. Despite this, cheap and low-quality ballpoint pens flow with a bang, because the ink depends not only on the composition, but also on the quality of workmanship. The paste is very cheap and faded quite a bit when written, it is considered to have the least effect on the eyes, but it is also very unstable and fades quickly.

After paste, oil ink was invented. They were due to the use of a narrow tip and a small ball. Traditional inks were not suitable for this design, so other less viscous inks were invented. These inks provide softer, cleaner writing with little to no pressure. They are much more practical - do not blur under water, do not fade over time, economical. However, the production of such ink is more difficult, so pens with them are more expensive than with traditional ink.

Rollerball pen

Next came the so-called rollers. These are ballpoint pens that have ink similar in composition to those used in fountain pens. These inks are based on water and are very practical to use: they dry more slowly, they write more clearly - although, of course, they are not very cheap and are quickly consumed.

Gel pens were the last to be invented and are considered the most promising. The special gel consistency of this ink allows for the least friction between ball, ink and nib. This leads to the fact that the quality of the letter increases, and the line left on the paper becomes softer and clearer. Gel inks are very practical: they are bright and noticeable, dry for a long time, but are resistant to light and water, and besides, this type of ink is very inexpensive. The only negative is the high consumption, which forces the cores to be changed frequently and increases the cost of writing.

Gel pens

In addition to inks, active developments are underway in the field of tank design. Of the latest achievements, we can note systems that are called "ink-reservoir" and "free-ink". The peculiarity of the first is a fibrous accumulator, similar in structure to the one used in felt-tip pens. Thanks to him, the ink is spent more economically, however, and the contrast of the letter from this falls. Freeink, on the other hand, is a direct ink supply system that flows with virtually no obstruction. From this, the lines become brighter and fatter, but the consumption increases. In both systems, there are special ink accumulators near the ball, which allow you to write with the tip up for some time. An ordinary ballpoint pen does not have this ability.

Prices and brands

The price range for pens is huge. A simple one can be bought for 1.5-2 rubles, and the cost of the most expensive rushes to heaven. Three price segments can be distinguished.

Cheap pens cost up to 10 rubles. These products can be found in any stationery store, newsstand, supermarket - they are sold everywhere. These are non-spring ballpoint pens with paste as ink. They write not too high quality, they flow with a bang, but they are economical. For those who have to write a lot, this is the best choice. The most popular products in this segment are the 927 and Corvina handles. These are not brands, but types of pens, they are produced in a mass of factories, most in China, but some in Russia and even Europe. These models are extremely popular, it is difficult to imagine a person who has never seen them. If you didn’t recognize them by name, then look at the photo and immediately remember. The cheapest segment also contains the simplest gel pens.

Handle type "927"

Handle type Corvina

Pens of the middle price category cost from 10 to 30 rubles. There are already gel products from well-known manufacturers, as well as pens with springs that can hide the writing part and do without caps. The choice in this segment is the largest, there are a lot of manufacturers. Schneider, Pentel, Staedtler, Faber-Castel, Erich Krause and Proff can be mentioned. Trying to somehow classify pens in this price group is useless - there are so many of them. Manufacturers not only do not seek to reduce the number of models, but on the contrary, they deliberately introduce new ones, trying to play on the interest in the new product.

Expensive pens cost from 30 rubles. And this segment can be further divided into three parts: moderately expensive, just expensive and very expensive.

The cost of moderately expensive does not go beyond 100 rubles. They are bought for domestic use by people who are not indifferent to the quality of writing objects. These include the top pens of the brands mentioned above, as well as Rotring, Senator and Lecce Pen. Here you can find ballpoint pens, gel pens, and even ink pens. This segment also includes affordable fountain pens.

In the sub-segment of just expensive pens, Parker is the leader. Such pens often act as gifts, can be used on "status" occasions, as well as by fans for regular writing. The latter happens quite rarely, after all, the cost of both the pen itself and consumables bites to it.

Pen Parker

Very expensive pens cost from 1000 rubles. This includes everything that did not fall into the previous segments for the price - designer pens, collectible, from precious metals. Such pens write only in exceptional cases, because it is a value or a piece of art.

Ink pens and pens have been used since the beginning of the written era. Despite problems such as ink smearing and writing utensils being unreliable, they were quite popular.

Ink components

The ink in the pen is about 50 percent dye. The black color comes from soot (a fine powder made from it). Several dyes are used to make blue ink, but the most common ones consist of triphenylmethane, a copper phthalocyanine. Black and blue inks often contain ferrous sulfate and tannic acids. These additives have been used since the Middle Ages to make it more stable.

Dyes and additives are mixed with the solvent. Often it is either propylene glycol. Synthetics are then added to help disperse the paint as well as adjust viscosity and surface tension.

Additives such as resins, preservatives and wetting agents are also used. They can be added to adjust the final properties of the ink.

October 14, 2010, 17:06

Scientists have found that One ballpoint pen can write, on average, 50,000 words. Now look closely at your ballpoint pen: at the tip of it is a small ball that transfers the ink paste from the can to paper. At first glance, everything seems to be very simple. But is it really so? In fact, it was not easy to develop a convenient ballpoint pen. In October 1888 John D. Loud from Massachusetts patented the "revolving nib fountain pen". He used a small ball with one side covered in ink. Over the next thirty years, the US Patent Office issued 350 patents for similar ballpoint pens, but none of them became a commodity. Referring to this historical fact, we can conclude that the ancestor of the idea of ​​a ballpoint pen was John D. Loud. However, not so long ago, Armenian archaeologists discovered a scroll dated 1166, which depicted a strange writing tool. They tried to recreate it with the help of the means that were indicated in the figure - a bamboo trunk, inside of which there is a hollow ball with a coloring liquid. When the experiment was completed, the researchers were surprised to find in their hands ... an ancient ballpoint pen. In the days of John D. Loud, the main obstacle was ink. Too liquid left blots on paper and stained the pocket. Too thick froze on the ball. Sometimes it was possible to create suitable controlled conditions, and then the ink acted as it should ... until the air temperature changed. The best that could be created was a ballpoint pen, which, as a rule, wrote at an air temperature of 70 0F (21 0C), but below 64 0F (18 0C) it clogged, and above 77 0F (25 0C) it leaked and left blots. Then this problem was taken Biro brothers(Biro). After World War I, 18 years old Ladislav Biro, demobilized from the Hungarian army, tried a number of activities. He studied medicine, art, was fond of hypnosis, but none of the professions interested him enough to become a specialty. He got into the newspaper business by accident. In 1935, Biro published a small local newspaper and often got angry with his fountain pen. The ink flowed from the pen onto the newspaper sheet, which soaked up the liquid like a sponge, and the end of the pen tore the paper in this place. In general, the result was not an inscription, but a purple swamp. Then Ladislav called his brother George, a chemist by profession, and the Biro brothers began to develop new fountain pens. After trying dozens of models, the brothers Ladislav and Georg, not knowing that 351 attempts had already been made before them, invented the ballpoint pen.
Ladislav Biro Once, while on vacation, while on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea, the brothers started talking about their invention with a certain elderly gentleman. They showed a beautiful writing pen, which he liked. It turned out that this gentleman was at that time the president of Argentina, Augusto Yusto. He invited the Biro brothers to build a ballpoint pen factory in his country. A few years later, World War II broke out and the brothers decided to leave Hungary. They remembered their old acquaintance and turned their eyes towards South America. Justo recognized them, and soon, with the help of the president, they were able to win the support of several investors. In 1943, a new factory opened in the city. It would seem that their life's work was doomed to success. But contrary to all expectations, there was a grand failure. The Biro brothers made the same mistake as all their predecessors - they relied on the force of gravity, under the influence of which the ink fell on the ball. This meant that the handle had to be held strictly vertically. But even then, the flow of ink was intermittent, and clots remained on the paper. Ladislav and Georg returned to the laboratory, and soon came up with a new design, capillary. Siphon pumping forced the ink to move towards the ball regardless of the position of the pen. A year later, the Biro brothers launched a new model for sale in Argentine stores. However, the handles sluggishly diverged. Eventually, the brothers ran out of money and production had to be halted. The brothers were helped by US Air Force pilots, who were often in Argentina during the war, they discovered for themselves that Argentinean pens can write from the bottom up at any height and do not need to be recharged frequently. The US State Department invited American manufacturers to make the same pens. American company "Eberhard Faber" decided to try to monopolize the market and paid $500,000 for the rights to manufacture ballpoint pens; thus the brothers made a profit for their invention for the first time. But one problem still remained: despite the hype started around the novelty, the handles did not work well. They either leaked, ruining a lot of important documents and excellent shirts, or the ink dried up in them. The sales volume began to slowly creep down. The price also followed the volume of sales - also down. Ballpoint pens, once considered a luxury item, began to sell for as little as nineteen cents. But once having bought a pen even for these pennies and having tried to write, the buyers swore at what the world was worth, and swore not to buy ballpoint pens for the rest of their lives. At that time in France there lived a well-known manufacturer of fountain pens and writing instruments, whose name was Marcel Bish(Bich). It was he who forced buyers to renounce such oaths. Marcel took a professional interest in ballpoint pens. At first he acted as an ordinary observer as their popularity soared, and then fell like a stone to the ground and crumbled to dust, then he decided that he could conquer the market if he could create a reliable ballpoint pen and reduce its cost - he liked the novelty, but resented it high price for such low quality. The Biro brothers sold Bish the rights to the invention, and he set to work. For two years, Marcel Biche bought up all the models of ballpoint pens that appeared on the market and meticulously tested them, revealing the positive and negative sides. In 1952, Bish achieved a triumph: a cheap hexagonal pen made of transparent plastic wrote softly, without dripping or drying out. Billions of pens, the style of which has hardly changed, have been sold, used, lost, taken apart, gone to nowhere, just thrown away. Thus, the ballpoint pen achieved the expected and well-deserved success in the French market, and then throughout the world. Having studied the international market, Bish realized that with his name he could not break through in America. Then he changed the spelling of the name so that it could be correctly and easily pronounced wherever his new pen would be sold, - Bik. But what models are offered by manufacturers of pens now:


and even pens with a voice recorder, a clock and a camera:

No. 1. Write with a fountain pen with strong pressure. Perhaps the most remarkable quality of a fountain pen is that it does not require pressure when writing - it can literally write under the weight of its own weight. And yet, people who are accustomed to using ballpoint pens often continue to put pressure on the writing knot when switching to fountain pens. Excessive pressure may cause the pen tips to separate and ruin the pen. Do not attempt to write on a dry fountain pen by pressing down on the pen or tapping it on a hard surface as you risk damaging it. It is better to hold it under running water - the pen will “come to life”.

Tip: just relax and enjoy writing without pressure and without the consequences of numb fingers from fatigue.

No. 2. A fairly common mistake is to carry a pen along with other metal objects: keys, key chains, a folding knife, etc. The body of your pen can get scratched, whether it is made of plastic, metal with a lacquered or anodized surface.

Tip: Always carry the pen separately from these items: in another pocket, in a pencil case, or place the pen in a pouch or case.

#3: Use special calligraphy ink in your fountain pen, labeled as India Ink, Lawer's Ink, Pigmented Ink, etc. This ink is designed for doodle pens. Some of these inks are formulated specifically for use in fountain pens, but most are not. Calligraphy ink contains shellac, a resin that, when dry, completely blocks the ink channels in your pen. This ink dissolves only with alcohol, which can also ruin your writing instrument.

When a fountain pen needs to be refilled with waterproof ink, for example, for sketching in the “ink + watercolor” technique, pigmented ink is usually used - special for fountain pens, for example, Platinum Carbon Ink. Remember that when using such ink, the pen must be washed more often.

Tip: When buying ink, make sure it's the right type for fountain pens.

No. 4. More experienced users often make this mistake: not caring for a fountain pen. Fountain pen care is quite simple: the pen must be periodically washed with water at room temperature. Sometimes it is enough to hold the stylus under running water. If an ink-filled pen has been left unused for a long time and the ink in it has dried up, place the writing knot in a glass of water for a while. If you are using a converter, it is enough to draw water into the pen and empty it, repeating this several times until the water becomes clear. By the way, with the constant use of the converter, the pen requires less maintenance - the piston ink intake system automatically flushes the pen.

*The Goulet Pen Company blog also recommends a douche as a handy tool for washing the writing unit of the pen. As they say, everyone has their own rituals, choose the one that you like best.

If you use ink of the same color, you can wash the pen once a month. If you change ink, then wash it before each new refill.

No. 5. This is not a mistake, but rather a death sentence for your fountain pen: rinse it with alcohol or acetone. Acetone dissolves plastic, and alcohol is quite aggressive to both external and internal parts of the handle.

Tip: Use water to clean your fountain pen - it's enough to do the job.

No. 6. This mistake can be fatal for your pen: dropping a fountain pen when there is no cap on it. According to the law of the sandwich, it will fall pen down. If the surface is hard, it will bend, and as a rule, after that the pen can no longer be restored. In premium pens, a nib replacement repair can cost the cost of a whole pen. You'll have more luck if you own a Lamy pen or a couple of other brands whose nibs can be changed on your own.

Tip: when you've finished writing, immediately put the cap on the pen.

Today you can find a lot of stylish and status gifts, which are also convenient things in everyday life. One of them is the Parker automatic fountain pen with an ink cartridge. The first pen of this type, which looked like a quill, appeared around 600 AD. in Seville (Spain). The metal version was patented at the beginning of the century before last. Gradually, the use of goose feathers decreased significantly due to the improvement in the quality of steel analogues.

What is a fountain pen

The pen-pen, first of all, is a stylish accessory with which you can emphasize the image of a successful person. Quality products from well-known brands are expensive, and not everyone can afford to buy them. The products consist of a body, a pen and an ink capsule. The cases of the first fountain pens were made of ebonite, after which celluloid became widespread. Body parts of modern products are made of plastic, brass, stainless steel

How does it work

Pens with automatic ink supply have become very popular. Unlike ball joints, they should not be pressed hard. The writing unit of modern products consists of a feeder-pen block, a reservoir and a body with a cap. The ink flow rate is controlled by the width of the channel or, more correctly, by its cross-sectional area. The ink goes to the bottom of the channel and is fed to the metal tip. The pressure difference is compensated by the air entering the ink tank - for this there is a special hole in the pen.

How to use

Before buying, the question arises, is it convenient to write with a fountain pen? Out of habit, it may seem that it is not, but if you understand how to properly hold such a device, then you will no longer have any difficulties with writing: whether it is a non-refillable or reusable product, you will not need to put much pressure on it. This pen glides over the paper with ease, so you can write without interruption for much longer.

Using a fountain pen is very simple - the peculiarity lies in the fact that the ink supply to the tip is carried out according to the capillary principle. In this case, the pen type can be open, semi-closed, closed, disposable plastic. A certain amount of ink is transferred to its tip, the excess of which goes back. Feather pens require special care, because. they must be rinsed with water and refilled as ink is consumed. Manufacturers offer special replacement cartridges for easy refilling.

The best fountain pens

In the modern market, you can find nib pens made of a variety of materials, with different sizes of the writing unit, and the volume of the reservoir. There are pens in an inexpensive metal case made of steel, items made of precious metals. Under some well-known brands, expensive items from collection series with an iridium tip are sold. For lovers of everything natural, there are wooden handles. If you are looking for a gift, then a gold nib pen is a great choice. Pens with a cartridge-converter filling system are widely used. There are also products from:

• pipette filling system;
• pre-installed piston screw converter;
• pre-installed piston slide converter;
• with snorkel;
• cartridgeless-converterless.

Fountain pen with cartridge

On sale you can find a large number of branded elite nib pens, but the modern market offers a choice of relatively inexpensive products with an ink cartridge. A good purchase would be a Parker Sonnet pen pen, which has a piston filling mechanism. You can use ink cartridges for refilling. The Sonnet series combines originality and tradition. The uniqueness lies in the classic forms:

• model name: Parker Sonnet F528;
• price: 12199 rubles;
• characteristics: materials - brass, stainless steel, 23K gold plated, finish - matte lacquer, color - black / gold;
• pluses: high quality, thoughtful design;
• cons: it's expensive.

The writing unit of the Parallel Pen model has a unique design. Compared to a conventional flat pen, its tip consists of two metal plates. This classic type fixture is great for calligraphy and lettering:

• model name: Pilot Parallel Pen FP3-24-SS;
• price: 680 rubles;
• characteristics: cartridges included - 6, line thickness - 2.4 mm;
• pluses: quality, design;
• cons: no.

With piston converter

In Moscow, St. Petersburg and other cities of the country, you can find dozens of models of fountain pens with a piston mechanism. Some of them for ease of carrying and storage are sold together with a case or cover. The color of the case is different, so that each buyer can choose an option for himself in accordance with personal preferences and tastes. The converter at the piston pen-pen can be screw and slider, the difference between them lies in the method of refilling. A good buy would be:

• model name: Parker Duofold F77;
• price: 36300 rubles;
• characteristics: size - F, color - black;
• pluses: excellent design, style, quality;
• cons: high cost.

Check out another product with pre-installed piston converter and metal pen. Such a purchase is perfect as a present:

• model name: Parker Urban Premium Vacumatic;
• price: 4590 rubles;
• characteristics: F206, 0.88 mm, body color - silver;
• pluses: acceptable cost, optimal quality;
• cons: no.

Cartridgeless-converterless pens

The body of such products acts as a reservoir for ink. In this format, in most cases, disposable nib pens with a polyethylene body are produced. The advantage of such products lies in the largest amount of ink that can fit inside the case. As for the disadvantage, it includes a high risk of spilling ink in case of damage to the seals or the housing. One of the products in this category:

• model name: Parker IM CORE;
• price: 2440 rubles;
• characteristics: size - F321, color - white;
• pluses: acceptable cost, volume;
• cons: high risk of spillage.

You can order suitable products with delivery by mail in any specialized online store. For example, a good purchase with a capacious capacity is:

• model name: Parker Urban Core;
• price: 3240 rubles;
• characteristics: size - F309, color - dark blue;
• pluses: good volume;
• cons: high risk of spillage.

Open pen

Open feather products have gained considerable popularity. It is characterized by a completely open surface of the metal tip. The latter is often engraved. An expensive and beautiful gift for any celebration can be:

• model name: Waterman S0920710;
• price: 7900 rubles;
• characteristics: size - F, material - stainless steel, color - black;
• pluses: gold-plated finish, epoxy resin;
• cons: it's expensive.

The advantage of an open nib is that it is more difficult for them to get their fingers dirty, because the ink in them is more resistant to drying. In addition, it has increased rigidity and strength. Another product category:

• model name: KIT Accessories F001101;
• price: 6000 rubles;
• characteristics: material - silver (925), brass, steel nib, size - M, color - black, silver, filling systems - cartridge;
• pluses: excellent design, good quality;
• cons: high cost.

Closed pen

After learning how to write correctly with a fountain pen and familiarizing yourself with several options, take a closer look at the product with a closed pen. This option differs in that almost the entire surface of the pen, in addition to the writing tip, is covered by the body. It is believed that with the help of such pens you can write more smoothly, because. the distance from the tip to the attachment point is minimal. One of the inexpensive options:

• model name: Parker Vector Standart F01;
• price: 980 rubles;
• characteristics: color - red, nib - stainless steel, nib thickness - F (thin), body - molded plastic;
• pluses: low cost, good design;
• cons: no.

Take a closer look at the product with a removable cap. It can be not only a good gift, but also a convenient everyday accessory necessary for work:

• model name: Ancora classic-blue-fp;
• price: 35000 rubles;
• characteristics: color - blue, golden, size - M, finish - gilding, material - acrylic resin, 925 sterling silver, 18K gold pen, cartridge-converter system;
• pros: durability, build quality, luxury option;
• cons: very expensive.

With plastic pen

Some popularity has gained products with a pen made of plastic. For everyday use, at the beginning of this century, disposable pens of this type began to be produced. Later, Parker developed products with replaceable ink cartridges, designer barrels, and an integrated plastic pen. If we take into account the structure of the supply system, then products in this category are closer to felt-tip pens. One of the popular items:

• model name: Pentel JL30;
• price: 1000 rubles;
• characteristics: type - disposable, plastic nib, non-slip body;
• pluses: acceptable cost, good quality;
• cons: hard to find in stores.

Another great and stylish option from the same manufacturer. Using it, you can achieve soft and clear writing:

• model name: Pentel Tradio Stylo;
• price: 790 rubles;
• characteristics: ink color - black, letter length - 1200 m, weight - 9.9 g, plastic pen, feed system - capillary;
• pluses: design, acceptable cost;
• cons: no.

Gift box

A pen in the form of a feather, complete with a gift box, can be a good gift for any occasion. Especially such a present could please your boss or work colleague. In addition, a pen pen is a good alternative to a rollerball. Check out the characteristics of the gift set from the company "Waterman", which consists of a pen pen, a case and a set of ink:

• model name: Waterman W1978716;
• price: 13600 rubles;
• characteristics: material - jewelry brass, nib - stainless steel with engraving, size - F, color - black, silver, filling system - converter;
• pluses: excellent finish, rich set;

W1978713 is another gift set from the French Waterman brand. In the kit, compared to the previous one, there is no ink set, but the cap is decorated with an interesting engraving:

• model name: Waterman W1978713;
• price: 13700 rubles;
• characteristics: material - brass, nib - steel with engraving, size - M, color - blue, silver, filling system - cartridge-converter;
• pluses: good design, decoration;
• cons: it's expensive.

Automatic fountain pen

Products with an automatic mechanism are convenient and practical, but in most cases they are expensive. To save money, look for a suitable purchase in large stores, because. they often organize sales and promotions. During their holding, as a rule, quite good discounts are offered. Automatic product with a plastic case (17x6.3x3 mm):

• model name: Pilot Capless 18K;
• price: 18815 rubles;
• characteristics: body made of metal / plastic, color - blue, pen - gold 18K, ink - blue, writing line thickness - 0.5 mm;
• pros: luxurious, good build quality;
• cons: it's expensive.

Check out the parameters of another Pilot brand product. There is a built-in piston mechanism designed for refilling from a bottle:

• model name: Pilot Capless 14K;
• price: 18815 rubles;
• characteristics: plastic-coated metal body, gold-plated button and clip, color - black, writing line thickness - 0.5 mm;
• pluses: finishing, design, assembly;
• cons: high cost.

cheap fountain pens

It is not necessary to spend tens of thousands of rubles on the purchase of products for everyday use. Modern manufacturers offer dozens of budget solutions. One of them is the Sheaffer VFM pen. Relatively thin, but graceful case with gently rounded contours is very comfortable to hold. It is made of metal, which is covered with a matte silver lacquer. The grip section is made of glossy plastic, while the nib is made of polished steel. Product details:

• model name: Sheaffer VFM F;
• price: 1130 rubles;
• characteristics: materials - metal, steel, plastic, color - silver, size - F, filling system - cartridge;
• pluses: design, eye-pleasing shade, low cost;
• cons: no.

The next option is refilled using ink cartridges or from a bottle using a converter. The cost is one of the most affordable:

• model name: Parker Jotter F61;
• price: 1210 rubles;
• characteristics: material - stainless steel, nib thickness - M, finish - chrome;
• pluses: it is cheap, good assembly;
• cons: no.

Pens Parker

The legendary Parker company was founded in the USA in 1892. In its 125-year history, it has become one of the most famous pen manufacturers. During its existence, its engineers have offered the market a large number of improvements. The appearance of the products sold actually determined the development of the entire industry of writing instruments in the last century. Inexpensive purchase from Parker:

• model name: Parker Vector Fo3;
• price: 1350 rubles;
• characteristics: material - stainless steel, thickness of the writing unit - F (thin), filling - ink cartridges;
• pluses: low cost, good quality;
• cons: no.

The body and cap of the following product are made of brass. The surface is covered with blue lacquer, which has a beautiful metallic sheen, details:

• model name: Parker Inflection Marine Blue M;
• price: 8200 rubles;
• characteristics: material - brass, finish - blue lacquer, gold 23K, there is a case made of hard leather;
• pluses: design, finishing;
• cons: high cost.

Lamy

The history of the company's products begins in the 30s of the last century. During this period of time, Lamy has gone from a small company that specialized in the production of components to an international company. Products keep up with the times, they use new solutions and spectacular design. A pen with a bright yellow body and a clip that is plated with yellow gold:

• model name: Lamy Lx F;
• price: 4710 rubles;
• characteristics: materials - anodized aluminum, glossy black steel, color - bright yellow, there is a decorative engraving;
• pluses: modern design, build quality;
• cons: not the most affordable cost.

The following product is a nib pen from the Lamy 2000 collection, which was dedicated to the 50th anniversary of this brand. Cap, clip and brushed body made of galvanized steel:

• model name: Lamy 2000 F;
• price: 45000 rubles;
• characteristics: material - steel, 14K gold nib, covered with platinum, filling system - piston;
• pluses: capacious tank, excellent design, luxury;
• cons: it's expensive.

Waterman

Another world famous brand that is in great demand among people of different categories is Waterman. It is noteworthy that in the collections it is easy to find writing accessories for any wallet. This is the answer to the question of how much a Waterman fountain pen costs. One of them is a product filled with ink cartridges and ink from a bottle using a converter:

• model name: Waterman S0963290;
• price: 16700 rubles;
• characteristics: materials - jewelry brass, stainless steel, size - F, color - black, silver, filling system - cartridge-converter;
• pros: satin lacquer finish, ruthenium finish, style;
• cons: high cost.

Another stylish option with a sophisticated design and comfortable body will appeal to men. The cartridge is included, more about the product:

• model name: Waterman S0951840;
• price: 11900 rubles;
• characteristics: materials - jewelry brass, stainless steel, size - F, color - black, finish - lacquer, palladium coating, filling system - cartridge-converter;
• pros: great style, luxurious option;
• cons: high cost.

Pierre Cardin

The market is filled with a lot of offers, for example, you can buy a product with a metal body and a dropper case, with gold plating, colorful and spectacular finishes, etc. If you're interested in purchasing an inexpensive, gift-wrapped option, take a look at the PC6300FP. Good build quality, excellent finish, cartridge-envelope type refills. More details below:

• model name: Pierre Cardin PC6300FP;
• price: 2250 rubles;
• characteristics: materials - brass, steel, color - green, size - M;
• pluses: acceptable cost, stylish packaging;
• cons: no.

Those who are looking for products with a more refined case should look at the Pierre Cardin PC5009FP-B10. Gift box included:

• model name: Pierre Cardin PC5009FP-B10;
• price: 4790 rubles;
• characteristics: materials - brass, steel, size - M, color - black, silver, finish - lacquer and chrome;
• pluses: assembly, design, finishing;
• cons: more expensive than analogue.

How to choose a fountain pen

First, pay attention to the design, shape and color scheme. These parameters do not affect the letter, but are of no small importance for the owner. Choose a pen that looks good and fits comfortably in your hand. If the size of the product is too small or large, then this will lead to rapid hand fatigue. Other recommendations:

• Pen features. This metal nib makes a big difference in how you write. How it will be up to you to decide: rigid or flexible, machined or straight, narrow or wide.
• Tip size. The main types are "M", "B", "F" - medium, wide and thin. The preferred option is basically the last size.
• Type of filling mechanism. Many modern fountain pens use ink cartridges that are replaced with new ones after use. They are comfortable and simple.

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