What happened to fountain pens?

[DrearyLane]

When I was at secondary school, all work had to be in fountain pens. Ink everywhere, collection of those tiny plastic balls from the cartridges were seen as a “win” and it was a pain to write quickly. Whether to use a classic Parker (which your parents thought was posh but actually harder to find a cartridge in an emergency for) or a stationary box special - still remember my lovely green jungle themed one.

in the past 30 years (The time span between me leaving school and DS starting secondary) they’ve gone.. completely. He doesn’t even recognise what one is.

When did the tide turn? (I’m very grateful it did)

Love my fountain pens! My writing is much neater and I have lots of different coloured inks to choose from. Cheers up my work day!
For all you lefties, you can get left handed pens here: www.anythinglefthanded.co.uk/left-handed-compact-cartridge-pen

DD is left handed. A fountain pen would smudge terribly. My handwriting is neater when I hold the pen more vertically, which impedes ink flow in a fountain pen.

Biros serve us both well enough.

I have always used one. DH bought me a beautiful Mont Blanc as a wedding present and I use it frequently.

Before that I had a Cross and a Pelucan that I bought myself.

AllProperTeaIsTheft · Yesterday 20:21

I've been a teacher for nearly 30 years and fountain pens were already pretty much a thing of the past when I started.

My gran suggested that I use one, when I was 9, as my joined up writing was not particularly legible and that wasn't helped by the standard of ballpoint pens; leaky, sticky ink etc. I took it to school and my teacher saw it and demanded to know why I thought I was special!

My handwriting improved tremendously.

My English teacher in high school also disliked me using it and confiscated it. My mother was rather displeased, so she returned it, but told me not to use it. My mother said I should use it for homework.

Mrs. Harris accused me of deliberately writing badly with a ballpoint pen, but eventually gave in on that point.

Does anyone remember learning to write in ink with one of those long blue fountain pens? I think they were school issued or something.

They were far too big for me though and made my writing messy, I remember having writing lessons because it was so bad!

I have a fountain pen that was given to me by my grandmother as I was entering what was then 4th yr senior, having done my options on GCSEs (I was in the first year to have done them!)
It's still going strong & is very precious to me. I love writing with it!

Those of you who like Kaweco. What ones do you favour and what nibs.
(No I don’t neeed another fountain pen but …)

I have 3 - one for work, one for home and one I got as a leaving present from a previous job. I have used one since secondary school (not an official requirement) as they are much faster than biros and nobody pinches them - still teaching colleagues not to borrow and wreck the nib though... Plus much less plastic use if you have a converter and can buy lovely bottles of ink, so sad the excellent ink and pen shop in York closed, that was my holiday treat;(

I love them and have 12 - all different coloured ink, and a few different nibs.