Fountain Pen Confessional

Fountain Pen Confessional

“I’ve got another confession to make”

But am I your fool? Well, I don’t know what Dave Grohl was singing about in this song, but I wouldn’t imagine it was fountain pens.

Regardless, I have some fountain pen sins that I want to confess and it all started last Saturday, when I woke up mega early (like.. 6am?!). I was laying there wide awake, tossing and turning, as though I was some widget and I was winding up my lie-in-o-meter, which I had clearly forgotten to crank the night before.

My efforts were feeble. Cortisone had rushed into my system and I had been handed my sentence of not being allowed a lie in. I was now a rebel: a weekend outlaw.

I got out of bed and wondered what I was going to do during these wild-west hours; this no-man’s land of a weekend while my better half slept in.

I decided I was going to write.

So I brewed a tea, sat down at my desk, pulled the blinds up (hissing as the Sun shone through), and got my pens and paper out. I opened the window and lit a candle beside me. A rush of fresh spring air illuminated the room, as did the flame and vanilla scent beside me from the candle. I was ready.

Or so I thought.

As highlighted, I had gone rogue, and I needed to create some mischief. I looked at the two pens I had inked up and felt something was missing. So, I did what any good rulebreaker would do: breaking rules.

I inked up another pen.

For over half a year, I’ve stuck to my self-imposed rule: Two pens: Two weeks - no more, no less.

It keeps me from overindulging; from mindlessly inking up pens and letting them sit forgotten, while also ensuring each pen gets a turn in the spotlight.

So I am now carrying around three pens.. Does that make me a fool, Dave?

This week marks the start of another fortnightly cycle, and today I confess my sins and detail the three pens I’ve got in my arsenal for the next 14 days.

The Wingsung 699: My Flight-Ready Rebel

Specifications:

• Filling System: Vacuum filler (depending on the model)
• Nib: Fine
• Price Range: $30-40 USD
• Ink: KWZ Newkey Brown

I love this pen. Truth be told, I think I might actually prefer it to my Pilot 823 (not withstanding that the plunger is broken).

The filling system works perfectly, the nib is incredibly juicy and provides a gorgeous amount of feedback. For longer writing sessions, I find this pen to be a bit slimmer (and lighter) than the 823, which is what makes me prefer it.

Having done some eBay-fu, I notice that a lot of the models now just offer a regular piston (as opposed to vacuum).. If you do a bit of searching, you can come up with the goods however.

There are also a few different colours, which of course further differentiates it from the Pilot (in a good way). I’ve had my eye on the blue and gold for a while, but I’m also partial to the full demo.

I picked this pen because I am going to Prague this week and I wanted something that would be safe during the flight. From London it’s only a 2 hour journey so realistically it should be fine.. But any excuse, eh?

I have this inked with KWZ Newkey Brown to celebrate Newcastle FC winning the EFL trophy on Sunday. The rich brown complements the demonstrator body beautifully, and the ink flows consistently—never too wet or too dry.

Who This Pen Is For: Writers who want the Pilot 823 experience without the price tag, or those who prefer a slightly slimmer grip section for extended writing sessions.

Howay the lads!

The Jinhao 1200: A Dragon-Scaled Outlaw

Specifications:

• Filling System: Standard international cartridge/converter
• Nib: Medium (with dragon etching)
• Price Range: $10-15 USD
• Ink: Diamine Red Dragon

This is the second pen I ever bought. When I was first bitten by the pen bug, I went down a rabbit hole of watching SBREBrown videos, and one of the very first reviews I watched was of this pen.

I was gobsmacked that A) it existed and B) that I could buy it relatively cheaply from eBay. I had to have it.

This pen is so heavy you could probably use it as a baseball bat, but a lot of this weight comes from the cap and therefore when it comes to writing, it isn’t tedious.

I used this pen exclusively for annotating essays back when I was a student; I think it’s only ever been inked up with Diamine Red Dragon. The combination is almost too on-the-nose, but I can’t bring myself to fill it with anything else.

When I write with it, I feel as if it’s leaving a fire-y trail on the page.. burning all of my mistakes!

The 1200, though it appears to have dragon scales, is really smooth to the touch as there’s a top layer that doesn’t make the pen feel bumpy. I would quite like if it was textured, honestly.

On the nib is an etching of a dragon, which is doubly cool. I have searched for this pen in recent times and I am yet to find another listing of the 1200 that has the same nib design.

Who This Pen Is For: Those who appreciate a bit of drama in their writing instruments and don’t mind a heavier pen. Perfect for making bold statements on the page (and on your desk).

The Pilot Myu: The Silent Rule-Breaker

Specifications:

• Filling System: Proprietary cartridge/converter
• Nib: Integrated fine
• Production: 1970s vintage (stamped H980)
• Price: $200-400 (I think)
• Ink: Pilot Iroshizuku Shin-kai

A pen, I feel, almost needs no introduction.

The sleek silver Concorde-esque design of this pen is a night and day difference from the Jinhao above. It’s more of a silent ninja than a flying serpent. Indeed, the Pilot Iroshizuku Shin-kai ink that I have in it is also a contrast to the fresh arterial blood red of Red Dragon.

I have an inkling that the nib on this is ever so slightly misaligned. But it’s so slight that it feels more like a feature than a bug as this gives me the most wonderful feedback. If you orient it the wrong way, you might feel a bit of scratchiness, but on cross strokes I get a gorgeous architect style line

Who This Pen Is For: Minimalists, design enthusiasts, and those who appreciate the marriage of form and function. Also perfect for the fountain pen user who wants a conversation starter that isn’t overtly flashy.

Breaking Rules, Finding Balance

So there you have it. Each of these pens, in its own way, is a bit of a rule breaker - whether it’s a budget alternative to a grail pen, a heavy dragon scaled beast, or a sleek vintage marvel.

What about you? Have you ever broken your own fountain pen rules? Or better yet, what’s the most contrasting set of pens you’ve ever had inked at once?