FOUNTAIN PENS FOR JOURNALING 

In the past, I have written about the joys and benefits of journaling, and today I would like to write about fountain pens, my favorite type of pen to use for journaling. I will give you a list of some of the finest fountain pens for journaling that money can buy...for less than it would take to fill up your car with gas. 

Fountain pen

Fountain Pens for Journaling: A Brief History

Fountain pens were the pen of choice before ballpoint pens became popular due to their versatility and ease of use after World War II. But fountain pens, which are more elegant and expressive than ballpoint pens, have made a come-back in recent decades. And pen collectors and enthusiasts around the world adore them. And I know people who really enjoy using fountain pens for therapeutic journaling.  But be careful, you may find it easy to become attached to your favorite fountain pen! 

Fountain pens harken back to a lost era and give me a feeling of nostalgia. My grandfather was a penmanship champion who won handwriting contests at West Virginia University and other locations throughout the mid-Atlantic states. As a child I was stunned by the beauty of his writing, and I only wish I could write half as well. Naturally, he wrote with a fountain pen, a Parker 51, I believe. 

Fountain Pens: Costs

Fountain pens come in a staggering array of styles and iterations costing a few dollars to several thousands. I will reveal my list of the best fountain pens you can purchase under $50.00, based on research I've done over the past few years. And, of course, I have my own experience to draw upon in evaluating these inexpensive but quality-built pens, which I just love to use fountain pens for journaling. 

You will need ink for your fountain pens, and it comes in bottles to be used along with converters that fit inside the pen, or you can use cartridges that you can easily change out or replace. Bottles of ink can cost as little as a few dollars or as much as $25.00 to $30.00 for premium inks, depending on the amount of ink and relative quality. A box of five cartridges might cost five to ten dollars. I can usually get 15-20 pages of writing out of a cartridge if I am using a medium nib or twice that if I am using a fine nib, which lays down a thinner line.

Fountain Pens for Journaling: Purposes and Uses

I use fountain pens for notetaking, sketching, doodling, and journaling. As I have said before in my articles on journaling, there are wonderful psychological and emotional benefits to journaling. Personally, I find journaling a relaxing, enjoyable, and enlightening way to spend my time, and I have advocated its use for many of my therapy clients. But you don’t have to be a psychotherapist to make it work for you.  Journal writing is a creative way for anyone to tap into their inner thoughts and feelings, to decrease stress, and build a mindful practice. 

Finding a pen that you love to use for journaling can inspire you to write and express your thoughts and feelings—and to enjoy the process. It’s like having a writing buddy that encourages you to put your ideas on paper, a muse or journaling partner who brings the best out of you and helps you to get to know yourself better! You can use your trusty and beautiful fountain pen to engage in one of the most helpful expressive writing exercises, writing in third person, a most therapeutic endeavor.  

I take a favorite fountain pen or two with me everywhere. And I always have a journal at my disposal. Even if I am going for a hike, I put a trusty fountain pen in a pen sleeve and tuck it into the pocket of my jeans. And I carry a small notebook made for fountain pens in my back pocket.

A fountain pen and notebook

Time to Journal with Your New Fountain Pen

After all, I want to be ready when inspiration strikes or if I get an idea too valuable to lose. I’ll stop in the middle of a hike and write a few lines of poetry or sit on a stump and sketch a beautiful dragonfly that I saw skimming over a mud puddle. Then when I get home later that evening, I’ll recall my nice, stress-reducing walk and add to my earlier writing or journaling by describing some of the interesting things I saw. If you have a beautiful new fountain pen, you’ll find it so much fun to get closer to nature and manage your stress, and to begin journaling, or to resume an artful practice you’ve left behind.

The nib of a fountain pen can easily provide you with a thicker or thinner line, simply by applying a different amount of pressure as you write. Plus, my fountain pens for journaling lend themselves beautifully to sketching. I use a medium nib for sketching and writing, but you can get a stub nib for drawing thicker lines, if you prefer to do more doodling and drawing. When I journal, I use simple little sketches and words to express myself and to create pages that are interesting or attractive to me. Fountain pens are great for making colorful flourishes and drawing symbols that may intrigue or amuse you. They excel at doing double-duty as a tool for wordsmiths and artists.

A Bunch of the Best Fountain Pens for Under $50

You can buy a good, reliable, fun-to-use fountain pen for about ten bucks, and you can purchase an excellent pen for twenty or twenty-five. A few of my favorite places to buy fountain pens are Pen Chalet, Pen Savings, and Amazon. If you’re like me, you want a sturdy, reliable pen that looks good and writes smoothly, feels balanced in your hand, starts up quickly (be sure and keep your pen capped when not in use) and can hold up to the rigors of everyday use. Yes, you can get all that and more for less than a “pineapple” (fifty-dollar note). Here are my favorites based on the above criteria and personal preference. 

  •      Lamy AL-Star (or the Lamy Safari)
  •      TWSBI Eco 
  •      Parker IM (or the Parker Urban)
  •      Shaeffer Intensity 
  •      Cross Classic Century 
  •      Scriveiner 
  •      Monteverde Ritma 
  •      Pilot Metropolitan

Several other good fountains pens in the same price range are Kaweco Sport, Pelikan Stola III, Diplomat Magnum, Platinum Preppy and Shaeffer Pop.  

I use many of the above fountain pens for journaling, but I don’t know if I can choose a favorite, but it would be hard to beat the Lamy AL-Star, TWSBI Eco, Shaeffer Intensity or Parker IM. Every time I use the IM, I am astonished at what a smooth writing pen it is and how balanced it feels in my hand, plus the joy I experience in writing with it. And the same goes for the Intensity. It is sleek and attractive, and one of the toughest pens I’ve ever seen. That’s why I own three of them. The Scriveiner is a British pen that looks terrific and is terrific, passing itself off as a luxurious fountain pen. The German-made Lamys are always delightful to own and use, with excellent nibs, and Pilot pens always make me happy. The Ritma is a rough, no-nonsense pen that bespeaks quality. Now as for Honorable Mentions, I would choose Pentel Tradio and Parker Jotter.

Fountain Pens for Journaling: Give It a Go! 

Check these preferred, but inexpensive fountain pens out online, choose one to your liking and give it a go! Start using a fountain pen for your journaling needs and see how you like it. But be careful, it’s easy to get hooked on fountain pens, those elegant and noble messengers from the past. Soon you’ll find yourself making excuses to sit down at your favorite desk or table so you can write in your trusty, feel-good journal. Okay, I will write an article on the best journals for your fountain pens next. Happy journaling!