Fountain pen sales on the rise

Stephen Bayley for The Telegraph

Few things are more exciting than to hear a woman breathlessly say: “You have lovely handwriting.” But you are unlikely to hear this if you write with a cheap ballpoint and its viscous, blobby ink. For gratification of this sort, a fountain pen is required. And the written trail it must leave is, for best effect, a dense black water‑based ink.

I’m not surprised, they’re a lot of fun.

I’ve been collecting fountain pens off and on for several years and have amassed a small selection of pens that I really like. There’s something for everyone, from the cheap Chinese pens off Ebay to the pricier options from well known, established makers.

No matter what price range you feel comfortable in, you can’t go wrong with a fountain pen!