Comment on Discussion Thread 🙂 Thursday 16 July 2026

• tombruzzo@aussie.zone ⁨1⁩ ⁨week⁩ ago

  I already get ink on my fingers from writing, I was wondering if a fountain pen would be worse. I didn’t even know left handed nibs would be a thing, shows how little I know about fountain pens

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  • Thornburywitch@aussie.zone ⁨1⁩ ⁨week⁩ ago

    There’s a reason why kids back in the day had to earn their ‘pen licence’ to use a fountain pen in class. And it wasn’t just because they had to be trustworthy enough not to poke out the eyes of the kid in the next seat.

    Actually writing with one is dead easy in copperplate or chancery hand, but standard round script is a lot harder with a fountain pen as that script is designed for biro usage. So it depends on what script you were taught as a kid for handwriting.

    The real problem with fountain pens is re-filling it. If it’s a cartridge refill, that’s fairly easy but the consumables aren’t as easy to find nowadays. If the refill protocol is from a bottle of ink, then things can get messy very fast as the bladder arrangement inside the pen that holds the ink ALWAYS leaks. Also finding suitable ink, as not all inks are suitable for writing nowadays. A lot of the bottles on sale at Daiso etc. are intended for art/craft/calligraphy, and are formulated differently. eg take longer to dry.

    The nibs are important too - the correct nib for the job makes using a fountain pen sooooo much easier. You’ll need a pen-wiper of some sort and a supply of blotting paper too.

    Best of luck! Fountain pens can be fun but are not really a substitute for a biro for everyday usage. Hard to transport in a pocket or bag too.

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    • mertn22@aussie.zone ⁨1⁩ ⁨week⁩ ago

      I remember school desks with ink wells set in them. Thatwas grade 1 or 2 or 3 and we didn’t get to use them. Only were allowed pencils.

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  • Seagoon_@aussie.zone ⁨1⁩ ⁨week⁩ ago

    here’s some great info on how to choose what you need for a good writing experience as written by a left handed fountain pen expert😊

    thepenarchive.com/…/best-fountain-pens-left-hande…

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  • Pilk@aussie.zone ⁨1⁩ ⁨week⁩ ago

    The one thing I know about fountain pens is there’s a whole culture about really cool inks and they can sell out in an instant. Kinda fun!

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    • Seagoon_@aussie.zone ⁨1⁩ ⁨week⁩ ago

      yup, less than a fortnight ago daiso brought back ink after 5 years, big shelf of it, I got two bottles, a week later it’s sold out everywhere again

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