Sometimes a simple curiosity turns into a hobby before you even realize it. Looking back, that’s exactly what happened with me and fountain pens.
I first became interested in fountain pens because of the people I followed on Instagram. I kept seeing them share photos of their pens, inks, and handwriting, and I couldn’t quite understand the obsession. What really caught my attention, though, wasn’t the pens themselves.
It was the inks.
There seemed to be an endless variety of colors available, far beyond the standard black, blue, and red that come with regular ballpoint pens. Deep greens, dusty purples, rich browns, and shimmering blues. It opened up a whole new world I didn’t know existed.
Of course, I was curious.
I decided to start with a beginner-friendly fountain pen, the Pilot Kakūno. Along with it, I picked up a set of three Diamine inks. At that moment, I had a perfectly reasonable plan. Since I had only one fountain pen, I would ink it with one color, use the entire bottle, and then move on to the next ink.
Sounds sensible, right?
Well, that plan lasted about as long as it takes for ink to dry on paper.
The moment I saw those other bottles sitting there, I couldn’t stop thinking about them. Waiting until I finished one bottle before trying another suddenly felt impossible. So I bought two more fountain pens. Then a few more bottles of ink found their way into my cart. And then a few more after that.
What started as curiosity quickly became a full-blown hobby.
Today, I own 11 fountain pens and 9 bottles of ink. To some people, that might sound excessive. To fountain pen enthusiasts, that’s probably just the beginning.
And honestly? They’re all pretty inexpensive pens. I’m not quite ready to invest in the more expensive ones yet. Maybe I’m being cautious, or maybe I’m just not sure I can justify spending that much on a pen when the $20 ones already make me happy.
But I’ve been eyeing the Pilot Vanishing Point.
There’s something about it… the retractable nib, the sleek design, the fact that it’s just different from everything else in my collection. I’ve been thinking about getting one as a gift to myself once I reach a personal goal I’ve set. Kind of like a reward, you know? It’s something to mark the moment.
What I love most about fountain pens isn’t just the writing experience, although that’s certainly part of it. It’s the ability to match a pen and ink to my mood, the joy of seeing different colors come alive on paper, and the small ritual of cleaning and inking a pen. In a world where so much of our communication happens through keyboards and screens, fountain pens make writing feel personal again.
And honestly, I’m not sure which surprised me more: discovering fountain pens or discovering how quickly one pen can turn into eleven.
If you’re fountain pen-curious and wondering whether you should buy that first pen, just be warned: you may start with one Pilot Kakūno, but there’s a good chance it won’t be your last.
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