I love fountain pens! I love the way it feels to write with them, especially when you have nice paper to go along with it, too. I love refilling them with different inks and the process of cleaning them out. A physical pen on paper is one of my favorite ways to write, and even though my collection isn't super extensive or full of expensive pens, I'm happy with it.

Pilot Kakuno

The Kakuno was my first ever fountain pen! I got it for myself while searching for a birthday gift for my friend who had asked for nice stationery. (I ended up getting her a Kaweco Perkeo!) I haven’t used it in a while, simply because I never bought a Pilot converter or new ink cartridges that would fit it. Even so, it has a special place in my heart for being the pen that started my love of fountain pens.

Lamy Safari

My Lamy is my ultimate go-to pen. I carry it around with me practically everywhere. Throughout my senior year of high school, I kept it clipped to a pocket inside my backpack, and now it stays clipped on the side of my favorite tote bag. I love the clip on the side of the cap, I love that it’s made of the same plastic as Lego, I love the little window where you can see if you’re running low on ink. I really truly love this pen.

TWSBI Eco

The TWSBI Eco was my darling for a while, and I still treasure it dearly. It represents the most I’ve ever personally spent on a pen for myself. I’m a little bit obsessed with its clear barrel and built-in filling mechanism, and I spent a good deal of time agonizing over whether or not I wanted to buy it for myself. I ended up getting a black pen, as opposed to the pink I like for all of my other pens, because I wanted it to look good with whatever ink I put in it.

Kaweco Perkeo

I didn’t really intend to buy a Kaweco Perkeo. At a local art shop, I was messing around with it before putting it back. As I did, I got the ink cartridge it came with stuck inside the cap, and, not wanting to leave that to whoever came after me, I got it for myself. I was able to get the cartridge out at home, so I’m glad I did. It has a wider nib than I usually buy— the lines are really thick and kind of wet, and it’s great. The nib is also so pretty, and it’a a great shape to hold.

Platinum Procyon

This is my nicest pen. It was a graduation gift from one of my uncles, and I still sometimes feel nervous using it. I know there are plenty more expensive fountain pens out there, but it’s just so gorgeous. Look at the koi fish on the sides! Besides, all of my other pens were ~20 dollar gifts to myself, so can you blame me for wanting to be careful?

Jinhao Shark

The Shark is my newest addition, and I love how quality it is for being such an inexpensive pen. And it’s so cute! It’s a shark! The reason I got it, actually, is that I was getting one as a gift for my friend who likes sea creatures, and decided to throw another one into the order. The nib is slightly finer than most of my other pens, which makes it great to bring to my Japanese class.