If you look around your entourage, you will see the eternal gadget freak boasting about the latest cell phone or portable computer he just purchased. There's one in every office, and for all you know, it may even be you. It's always the same story, the little phone you bought isn't the smallest anymore and you end up looking like everybody else. As you strive to set your own style, a nice fountain pen is often the secret touch that will set you apart.

Style and History

People have been writing for thousand of years, painting on walls, scraping rocks and finally using ink and a quill to write things down on paper. The pen is one of the most useful objects ever invented, it's the corner stone of history, as it began with the invention of writing. The idea behind the fountain pen is pretty simple; to hold the ink inside the pen instead of dipping the quill in ink. The first mention of the fountain pen goes back to an arabic text from 969 AD.

One of the first fountain pens ever produced was the french Bion model dating back to 1702. The problem related to the invention of a good pen is highly technical because the reservoir tended to leak. The first mass produced pen was created by John Scheffer in 1819. Scheffer managed to resolve the question of the reservoir as he made one out of sheep gut that wouldn't leak as much. The rest is history with numerous inventions; from John Parker's piston refillable pen in 1832 to the Lewis Waterman pen of 1884 that was recognized as the first safe pen. A safe pen in those days meant that your hands, and your shirt, would remain clean.

A Fine Choice

The golden years of fountain pen where marked by the introduction of the Reynold's, the first ball point, invented by Lazlo Biro in 1945. This ball point was clean, cheap, easy to use, and didn't need to be constantly refilled. This brand new invention was a popular alternative, but the experience and class of writing with a fountain pen remained. The common pen slowly began to create itself a niche in luxury items, which collectors and high end individuals started to show interest for. This popularity is well understood because of the quality craftsmanship, the rare material and the unique style, which made those pens a one of a kind object to own and use.

Once you decide to trade your ballpoint for a fountain pen, you will find a vast choice of brands, colors and materials. A visit to a pen store or a well-known stationery shop should be your first stop. Finding the right fountain pen is often a question of feel and touch. Handling many pens will help choose the best one for your personal writing style, because some of them are massive while others are minuscule. You should also take into consideration the size of the tip. This is solely based on personal preference, as tips come from extra fine to a wide calligraphy tip.

Another aspect is the filling system, some of them come only with plastic refills, while some are made with a detachable piston re-filler. You should be aware that top of the line pens like Mont Blanc Meisterstck come only with a built-in piston system. This means that you cannot put in plastic fillers because they must be filled by dipping the tip in an ink bottle while pumping with the piston. The piston-only model may prove itself to be troublesome while traveling. A fountain pen should be emptied if you take the plane with it, pressure makes even the best pens leak.

Only the Best

Good quality ink is a must; Mont Blanc, Parker or Pelikan. Any of these reputed brands will do the job and won't clog your pen. It's always a good thing to clean the pen once every so often by filling it a few times with tap water, Perrier if you feel your pen only deserves the best treatment. A good pen store should be able to answer every question and service your every need.

For the average pen collector, Mont Blanc is a house name. The Mont Blanc company was created in Hamburg, Germany, in 1908. Even if Mont Blanc is in the French alp, the product is German. The Meisterstck was launched in 1924 and it was engraved in 1930 with the the traditional number 4810 , which is the height of the real Mont Blanc. The founding companies like Scheffer, Waterman and Parker still offer many prestigious top-of-the-line pens. Luxury items makers like Cartier, Dunhill, Dupont, and Louis Vuitton all offer an extensive range of quality foutain pens.

One of the most common questions concerning a fountain pen is the price. An average quality pen will cost you around $100, where a nice Mesterstck will go as high as $350 or $450. If money is not an issue, treat yourself to a special edition pen. Every company produces a collection devoted to a specific theme. Parker once manufactured a pen with a medallion made of the shell of a nuclear warhead. Mont Blanc is more oriented towards major figures in history like Alexander the Great, Mozart or Dostoyevsky. You should expect to pay over $1000 for those unique pens. But this is the price to pay to stand out in a crowd.

I hope you enjoy the pleasure of writing with a fountain pen. Although your calligraphy may not improve from it, the experience will add grace and style to your manuscripts.

By Luc Gougeon