What brings on this question, you ask? Well, I'm sitting here considering yet another of my afflictions: fountain pens. Yes, those old-fashioned writing instruments that no one uses any more.

Except that people do use them!

I re-discovered the joys of writing with a fountain pen about a year ago. My interest was kindled by the fact that the most indestructible writing inks are available only in a bottle - from a company called Noodler's Ink. This stuff is so fraud-resistant that the only way to obliterate it is to literally dissolve the paper from under the ink.

Thinking that would be great for check-writing, I unearthed the fountain pen I'd been given as a gift a couple of decades ago. Now I had another weapon in my tool chest against identity thieves! But a funny thing happened: I discovered that writing with a fountain pen is, in and of itself, a wonderful experience.

A fountain pen lays down ink with NO pressure required - less even than the best rollerball. That means that, instead of a chore, writing becomes effortless and non-tiring. If you write a lot, a fountain pen will be a godsend to you aching hand muscles! The fountain pen is also more expressive; the ink also has "shading", which means that each different stroke produces differences in saturation or width. The "look" of a fountain pen's work is unmistakable.

As if that wasn't enough, fountain pen inks are available in hundreds of different colors - just the different shades of blue which are available is staggering! Blacks? You'd be surprised at how different a simple black can be from maker to maker - and there are still browns, greens, reds, purples, oranges...well, you get the picture.

You have a wide choice in pens, too. Of course there are the great vintage pens, but there are also dozens of manufacturers of new fountain pens from all over the world from which to choose. Prices range from $2.99 to multiple thousands of dollars, with most falling between $50 and $300.

Intrigued? Your first stop should be the Fountain Pen Network discussion forums, where you can learn all you need to know. From there, go explore dealers like iSellPens (my favorite place to get real bargains), Pendemonium (sellers of my favorite color of ink, Noodler's Legal Lapis - be sure to check out their color charts), and Swisher Pens. There are lots of others, but these will get you started.

Hey, a fountain pen even makes my chicken-scratching look good!

-=[ Grant ]=-