6 tests to try with your fountain pen

You think you know your fountain pen. Try these six tests and you might change your mind

You know which fountain pen you own. You know its nib, you know what ink is inside it, and you could probably pick it out from a crowd. But there is a slightly harder question: do you really know how your fountain pen writes?

Because a fountain pen hides far more than what appears on its spec sheet. Tilt it a few degrees, change the paper, adjust the way you hold it or write with virtually no pressure, and the result can feel completely different.

So today, we are not simply going to talk about fountain pens. We are going to put them to the test.

We have prepared six small experiments you can try at home to discover how the nib, feed, ink and even your own hand behave. You do not need any experience or special equipment: a fountain pen, some paper, ink and a few minutes are all you need.

Pick up your pen. Let’s begin.

TEST 01. Find your nib’s sweet spot

We will start with something you probably do every day without even noticing: finding the perfect writing angle.

Try this: write your name three times. The first time, write as you normally would. The second, hold the pen at a slightly lower angle. The third, position it a little more upright. Then write it again while gently rotating the nib slightly to one side and then the other.

Notice anything? In one position, the nib may glide with almost no resistance, while in another you may feel more feedback, hear a different sound or even notice a slight change in the consistency of the line.

You have just been looking for what is known as the sweet spot: the position where the nib’s contact surface meets the paper most effectively.

Make it even more interesting by comparing: an Aurora Optima, a Lamy 2000 and a Platinum 3776 Century. Three different approaches to nib design and three opportunities to discover just how much the writing experience can change.

Your mission: find the point where your fountain pen seems to disappear and only the line remains.

TEST 02. Ink CSI: discover what is hiding inside a colour

You see blue ink. End of story. Or is it?

Some inks are made from several different dyes, and you can make them visible with a surprisingly simple experiment.

Try this: place a small drop of water-soluble ink onto a strip of filter paper. Dip only the bottom edge of the paper into a small amount of water, keeping the ink drop above the water level, and watch what happens.

The water will begin to travel upwards through capillary action and may gradually separate the different components of the ink. What looked like a single colour can reveal blues, purples, greens or completely unexpected shades.

If you have several inked fountain pens, compare the inks you use in a Pelikan M200, a Pilot Custom 823 and a Faber-Castell Ambition. You are not comparing the pens themselves, but something equally important to their personality: the ink you choose to make them write with.

Important: carry out the chromatography using a separate drop of ink and stick to conventional water-soluble inks. Pigmented or water-resistant inks may behave differently.

TEST 03. Your paper might be misleading you

Before saying “this pen writes too broad” or “this ink behaves terribly”, try this test.

Write exactly the same sentence on three different types of paper: a sheet of printer paper, a standard notebook and paper specifically designed for fountain pens.

Now compare the results. Look at the edges of the letters. See how long the ink takes to dry. Turn the paper over. Even pay attention to the colour.

Porosity and surface treatment determine how the paper absorbs ink. A highly absorbent paper can make the line appear broader and create tiny branches around the edges, known as feathering, while a less absorbent paper keeps the ink more concentrated on the surface.

To make the experiment even more revealing, try three very different personalities: an Esterbrook Estie, a Pelikan M200 and a Scribo Feel. Keep the paper consistent within each comparison and observe how the result changes.

Plot twist: maybe that ink you were not convinced by did not need a different pen. It needed different paper.

TEST 04. Posted or unposted: your hand has an opinion

This sounds trivial until you actually try it.

Write for a few minutes with your fountain pen exactly as you normally use it. Then, if the model is designed to allow it safely, post the cap onto the back of the pen and write again. Or do the process the other way around.

Do not just think in terms of “heavier” or “lighter”. Ask yourself where you feel the weight. Does the pen pull backwards? Does it rest more naturally in your hand? Do you grip it less tightly? Does fatigue begin to appear after a few minutes?

Ergonomics depend on weight, diameter and, above all, how the mass is distributed along the writing instrument.

This is particularly interesting to compare with a Lamy 2000, a Graf von Faber-Castell Classic and an Esterbrook JR. Do not try to decide which one is “better”. Try to discover which one understands your hand best.

And be warned: this test may completely change what you think a comfortable fountain pen should feel like.

TEST 05. The Flow Stress Test: can your pen keep up with you?

Now we are going to push it a little harder.

Draw connected figure eights for around twenty seconds without lifting the nib from the paper. Then write two or three lines continuously at your natural pace. Do not rush and, above all, do not apply more pressure.

Watch the ink. Does it maintain the same intensity from beginning to end? Do lighter areas appear? Does the line break?

While you write, the feed has to transport ink towards the nib while simultaneously allowing air to enter the reservoir. It all happens thanks to a very precise balance based, among other phenomena, on capillary action.

To explore different filling and feeding systems, you can try the test with a Pilot Custom 823, a Pelikan M200 and an Esterbrook Estie Piston.

If you notice interruptions, do not blame the pen just yet: ink, paper, cleanliness and nib position are all part of the equation too.

TEST 06. The Pressure Challenge: write while doing almost nothing

This is probably the simplest test of all. And it may be the one that changes the way you write the most.

Write a sentence as you normally would. Then repeat it while consciously relaxing your fingers. Write it a third time, trying to let almost nothing more than the fountain pen’s own weight maintain contact with the paper.

Does it still write?

It should. A properly adjusted fountain pen does not require you to press the nib against the page to release ink. Ink reaches the tip through capillary action.

You can try it with three very different models: a Lamy Safari, a Pelikan M200 and an Esterbrook Estie. The aim is not to compare which one glides more smoothly, but to discover how much pressure you are adding to the equation.

Do not try to spread the tines or achieve line variation by applying force. Many nibs are not designed to flex, and excessive pressure can damage them.

The final challenge: try writing a full page while maintaining that relaxed-hand feeling.

So… do you know your fountain pen better now?

Six tests. The same fountain pen.

And yet, after trying them, you have probably discovered things that never appeared in its technical specifications.

Maybe you have found the exact angle at which your nib comes alive. Perhaps you have discovered that your favourite ink is hiding several different colours. Maybe the problem was never the pen, but the paper. Or perhaps you have just realised that you have spent years writing with far more pressure than necessary.

That is precisely what makes a fountain pen so fascinating. It is not enough to know what material it is made from, which nib it uses or which filling system it has. You have to write with it, observe it and learn how it responds.

Because the better you understand what is happening between your hand, the nib, the ink and the paper, the more interesting something as seemingly simple as writing a word becomes.

Now there is only one question left: which test are you going to try first?

Do you have any questions? Would you like a personalised recommendation? If you need any help, contact us and we will be happy to help.