(Editor’s note: MJ Monaghan recently wrote on his blog about how his search for the perfect pen had led him to experiment with fountain pens. We asked him if he would like to share his story with our readers, and he was kind enough to oblige. We hope you enjoy.)

Office supplies have always drawn me close – whether it be the feel of paper in my hand, the strength of a hole punch, the trusty adhesive label, or the simple joy of a three-ring binder – because they remind me of old-fashioned hard work and accomplishment.

We all have favorite automobiles, stores, clothes, and yes – most of us probably have a preferred office supply. For me it requires no thought at all: I love pens; all kinds of pens.

I have dozens of different pens around the house. Ballpoint pens – extra fine point, fine point, medium point, and bold. Roller ball and gel pens abound in the desk drawers. And now, I’ve rediscovered my old love for fountain pens after a few decades of absence.

What’s with this strange obsession that I have? Well, I believe it started when I was a small child. My dad was one of those IBM’ers (as we called those who worked at IBM) who worked Saturdays, back when hardly anyone toiled at the workplace on a weekend. He would ask if any of the seven kids in our family wanted to join him, and I always did.

There I was, at a very early age – maybe seven or eight – sitting in an office chair, pulled up to “my” IBM Selectric typewriter. I was an office worker! I would pull out my 25# paper, locate a pen from the desk (of the unknown person to whom it actually belonged), and begin to write a “memo” to my imaginary coworkers. Something about the scarcity of pens at home, and the joy of being in an office, working, may be why I have this penchant for pens.

What makes a pen perfect? This probably differs according to the user, but here are my criteria:

How does the pen feel in the hand?

The weight should be distributed so that there isn’t too much weight to the front (by the paper), or to the back. In other words, make sure that you achieve the right center of gravity. I like a heftier pen. For me, it should have a little bit of weight to it. If it’s a capped pen, be sure to write with the cap on the pen to get a good feel for the true weight of the whole pen.

The feel also should be comfortable against your fingers when you’re writing. Test the pen out if you’re able, before making any purchase. My preference is toward a pen with a thicker diameter so that the pen fully fits the space between my fingers. Others may like a thinner pen, such as a Bic Stic. In terms of comfort, there’s a whole range of pens with ergonomic foams, gels, and “fatter” pens that have no foam or gel.

Does the ink smear in the process of writing?

A lot of you may be thinking that this is a non-issue. For the 9% of us in the population who are left-handed, this can be a serious problem. As the hand writes from left-to-right, the left hand drags across the ink, potentially smearing the ink. This is one reason why roller ball and gel ink pens have not worked well for me. Most right-handed people do not seem to have the ink-smear problem. In fact, most “righties” are pretty pleased with roller ball and gel pens in this regard.

How does the pen device move across the paper?

Really, I call this the “smoothness” of the pen. The ball in the ballpoint, the roller in the roller ball, or the nib on a fountain pen should move smoothly and effortlessly across the paper. If it doesn’t, the pen may not be right for you. For example: For some reason, the way I hold a roller ball in my left hand causes it to drag (or skip) across the page. This is why I rarely will try a new roller ball. Some ballpoint pens also have balls that don’t move well across the paper. And those of you who use fountain pens know that different nibs react differently for different users, depending on many variables such as pressure against the nib, and direction of pressure.

What is the overall rating of the pen?

Before making the decision to actually buy a pen, I will consider the criteria above and make a mental note of how I feel the pen did in those categories. Maybe it was perfect except that it had a minor drag as it wrote. In a sense, it’s kind of like having a “five star” system. If a pen is a “four out of five,” that’s probably going to be a good purchase. On the other hand, if it’s three stars or lower, there’s no point in buying it, because I’m not going to be happy.

I know many of you are hopelessly committed, in your search, as I am. Others may be saying, “This guy has lost his pen-loving mind.” Let me put it in perspective: When you watch the signing of a big bill in government, or the inking of a contract with a celebrity or sports figure, what do they zoom in on, and then keep for posterity? That’s right – the humble pen. See it’s not so strange now, is it?

Have I found that perfect pen? No, not yet. But there have been a few that have met most of my high standards. I won’t go into the brands or types – it’s such a personal preference. Right now, I’m experimenting a lot with fountain pens and have set aside my ballpoints. I’m enjoying the ride with the “ink and nib,” but rest assured I will continue the quest until I find the ONE – the Holy Grail of pens.

Glenn’s pens is a website which started out as a source of information for people looking for fountain pen stores and which of these stores he regarded as a great pen store.

Since its humble beginnings providing reviews on pen stores it has exploded into a unique resource with store reviews from Glenn and other fountain pen enthusiasts from all over the world.

Not only does the site have a wealth of information in relation to pen stores but also fountain pen ink as well as the actual pen companies themselves.

Glenn has kindly allowed me to conduct an interview with him to find out more about the man behind www.glennspenns.com

1. Glenn It’s clear that your love affair with fountain pens has been a long one, can you remember when and why it started?

When I was in school in Winnipeg, Manitoba, I was in the last year where students had to use an ink pen at elementary school. In fact, the year I went into the grade where we graduated from pencil to pen was the year the school took out the ink bottles and dip pens and we all had to go out and buy a Sheaffer cartridge pen. Later when I worked at the Hudson’s Bay Company in Edmonton, over the lunch hour and during major sales events, the office staff was assigned to work in one of the sales departments. I picked the pen department! From there is has been what seems to be non-stop acquisition.

2. Your site has the great statement ‘Your pen, an expression of you’ and suggests that there are very few occasions when you do not use a fountain pen but there must be times. When is this likely?

The very odd time I have to use a ballpoint – with some forms made out of paper that is not conducive to a fountain pen, and to address some shipping envelopes where ball point ink is the safest way to ensure what is written will be on the shipping label as the package makes it way through the postal/courier system.

3. Can you tell us how many pens you own?

I think not that many compared to some collectors, but about 150 pens.

4. Are there any of these that you view as an investment and would not use?

No, absolutely not. I acquire a pen to use it. Even the pens that can’t be replaced, and are considered quite expensive in my books ($1000) are used on a rotating basis.

5. Do you have an out and out favourite? You mention that you are always drawn back to Watermans so I assume it is one of these.

I have a number of Waterman pens that I use on a regular basis, and my OMAS pens seem to be the pen cases I carry in by briefcase on a regular basis. I have a couple of Visconti pens that always seem to be on my desk at home ready for use.

6. You seem to have a leaning towards the Italian pen manufacturers, is this solely because of your love of all things Mediterranean as disclosed on one of your sites or is there another reason?
I like the Italian lines like Stipula, OMAS, Aurora and Montegrappa because they make fairly good pens, and they produce pens with classic looks. They each have models that would not appeal to me, but some of their main production lines are real classics.

7. What do you think of the flourishing market in fountain pens from China? It does make fountain pens more accessible and that must be good.

I have somewhat mixed feels over pens produced in China. I bought a couple and found the nibs to be rough and basically unusable. Also, the finishing on some of the lines that I have acquired are below the standard to what I find with Waterman or OMAS, Visconti or Montegrappa. On the other hand, I have bought some of the Laban Mento’s (I have six of them) and their nibs are smooth and the pen of reasonable construction.

8. Many schools are moving away from using fountain pens for other instruments, including one school I read about who are supplying iPads to their pupils. How would you encourage greater use of fountain pens?

I almost think the pen is a thing of the past when it comes to students in the school system. I wrote about this in one of my columns. My nephew was visiting to attend a wedding. When it can to signing a car, he had big block printing rather than a style of writing. When I talked to him about his lack of ability to actually write, he explained that students hardly pick up a pen anymore in school. They have PCs, they take notes on the PC, prepare papers etc.

This coupled with the loss of social manners – sending a card to say thanks for a gift, or sending a card period all lead to a loss of the need to actually write.

On the card thing, ask someone who have had an event in their life (death of family or friend, wedding or anniversary). They tell me they never realized the difference getting a written card meant over the e-mail until they got a card for something important in their life.

I think that is what will drive people to actually write. When they want to communicate their personal feelings to someone.

Encourage people to write? I send hand written cards to thank people for dinner events, on their birthday, to say thanks etc. I know from the feedback I get, receiving a hand-written card makes a difference.

9. A good quality ink is a necessity but you do not seem to favour one type or brand in particular, any particular reason for this?

Waterman.

I try so many inks, and their popularity with me comes and goes. But if I have a precious celluloid pen, I will only use Waterman Blue or Waterman Blue Black in the pen.  Consistently, Waterman has good flow, regardless of the brand, and it is a relatively safe ink in terms of staining.

10. Does the quality of the paper matter for you?

Absolutely. At my office I order a speciality paper and use it for making my own personal business notes paper. For my personal writings or my travel journal I tend to use Clairefontaine paper/books.

11. In one blog post, you state that it all comes down to the nib” and then talk about your nib box.  Would you tell us more about this?

Ah, my nib box. I enjoy pens where the nib section simply screws out of the pen, and I can change the nib myself – as opposed to heat sealed units that have to be sent back to the factory service centre.

Often I may have to buy a pen with a medium nib, and then later I place an order for a Stub nib. Do this a few times and you end up with a collection of nib sections for various pens (Waterman, Pelikan, Dupont etc.) So I have a box that was originally made to hold cufflinks (lots of small felt-lined sections) and in each of the sections I have spare nib sections for my pens. When I find the Broad nib for the Edson too big, when I have an Oblique, Stub or Medium and I can slot in for use.

12. For anybody buying their first serious pen, what would say are main things to consider?

Set yourself a price point. You should feel comfortable with the amount you pay for pen. When you try out a pen, try some below and just above the price point you start with. You can make your mind up whether the particular pen is worth going higher or not. You may also be surprised that there can be good options at lower prices than you first imaged.

Try the pen. If a store does not want you to dip a pen in ink to try it out, simply leave. That is not a real pen store.

Hold the pen, and write something out on paper. Don’t just draw a line or two on a small scratch pad. As you write a sentence what to see how you are holding the pen. A good sales person will be able to give you advice if the pen is too small or large for your hand. If the pen does not sit at an angle to the paper, then it will never be a smooth glide across the paper when you write.

Think about how you want to use the pen. Do you want to try different inks in terms of colour etc. Make sure you have a pen with a convertor. If it is your only pen, and you will be using it away from a desk/office set up, then a piston pen will mean you could run out of ink and have no way of filling up. A pen with cartridges may be a good option.

Feel the various parts of the pen. Is the clip firmly attached to the cap? What is the screwing mechanism of the cap to the body? Plastic onto plastic? Metal into metal?

Can you post the cap onto the pen body? If the pen is round, without a cap posted the chance of it rolling off the desk onto the floor is relatively high. When you post the cap, is it secure?

13. Thanks Glenn I really appreciate you taking the time to participate in this interview.

If you already own a fountain pen or are thinking of buying one check out Glenn’s pens at www.glennspens .com

When the Manchester Evening News recently mentioned an expense claim by a certain MP that included a pricey ink pen, we got curious. What other pen-related claims had been uncovered in the expense reports of MPs?

Turns out, there have been a few.

Gerald Kaufman, MP for Gorton, claimed £225 for a Viceroy Barley rollerball pen, according to the Evening News.

Iris Robinson, MP for Strangford, claimed £306 for a Montblanc and a bottle of ink (but wasn’t reimbursed), according to the BBC. We aren’t sure what kind of Montblanc.

Andrew Slaughter, MP for Ealing, Acton and Shepherd’s Bush, claimed £90 for a fountain pen nib, according to the Telegraph. No details on what kind of nib, or for which pen.

Tim Yeo, MP for South Suffolk, claimed £135 for repair of a fountain pen that was “one of a pair of fountain pens I have had since I entered parliament – and I always use it to sign letters,” according to the Telegraph. Again, no details on the kind of pen.

Well, at least the UK’s most influential people are setting an example by using pens and paper for their business. That’s good…right?

By the way, in the context of the above expense claims, this one just seemed downright hilarious:

Claire Curtis-Thomas, MP for Formby, claimed 45p for a ballpoint pen, according to the Formby Times.

If you’ve seen any other examples of MPs claiming pen or pen-related expenses, let us know.

Platinum Pen Co. of Japan put out a news release today that its popular Preppy fountain pen is going to be sold “overseas.”

We’re not exactly sure what that means yet, since the Preppy has actually been available outside of Japan for a couple of years now, but we sent a request to Platinum for a list of countries where the pen is going to be sold.

If you aren’t familiar with the Preppy, it’s a nifty little inexpensive (usually about £2 to £3), but refillable fountain pen that comes in seven colours from black to pink. The pens are made of recycled polycarbonate and have stainless steel nibs available in medium and fine points.

The Pen Addict and OfficeSupplyGeek both have reviewed the Preppy, and both declared that the fountain pen gives a fine writing experience.

The pen is similar to the Pilot V4 and Petit1, except that the V4 is a disposable, and the consensus among bloggers and fountain pen users seems to be that the Preppy writes a cleaner line than the Petit1.

(However, the V4 can be refilled, if you are careful. Just wrap a towel around the nib and pull. It will pop out. Then, you can refill the ink chamber and snap the nib back into place. Be careful not to overfill the chamber, or ink will spray out when you push in the nib.)

You can see some photos of Preppy writing here, courtesy of churl, from the Fountain Pen Network.

Platinum makes refills cartridges for the fountain pen, but some owners have reported success converting them to “eyedropper” refills by first sealing the nib threads with silicone grease. Seth, at Good Pens, provides a step-by-step tutorial for making the conversion (nod to The Pen Addict for point to that link).

We’re rather fond of the V4 here – and it’s part of the product range we carry – but we’re curious to see where the Preppy is distributed and how it does.

Have any of you used either the V4 or the Preppy, or both? What did you think?

Here’s an interesting follow-up to yesterday’s post about the demise of handwriting: A Kentucky newspaper has a story about a teacher at Lafayette High School who, dismayed at the lack of cursive handwriting skills in his students, put them up to a penmanship contest – and rewarded the winners with fountain pens.

Teacher Roger Guffey told the Lexington Herald-Leader that the students knew how to write in cursive, but never used it because they printed all the notes they took in class and all their answers on their tests. Plus, of course, they’re more accustomed to texting and using their computer keyboards.

According to the paper:

With that thought in mind, Guffey had his students practice writing the alphabet in cursive, then move on to writing words and entire sentences in script. In the final competition, they had to write Hamlet’s famous soliloquy and the preamble to the Declaration of Independence in cursive, and do it with virtually no mistakes.

“It kind of forced them to stay on task and improve their concentration skills, which is something freshmen in general struggle with,” he said. “It also helps them learn fine motor control. They’re really starting to see how beautiful handwriting can be.”

Runners-up got blue ribbons, but the top writers got fountain pens. Wouldn’t you know it, the article doesn’t say what kind of pen.

Update: The experts over at the Fountain Pen Network quickly identified the pens from a photo in the newspaper as the Sheaffer Calligraphy Pen. Thanks, guys.

There’s an interesting line about fountain pens in the movie Duplicity. Conniving CEO Dick Garsik (played by Paul Giamatti) is reading a handwritten draft of a memo by a rival company head. The memo bears bad news and the flustered Garsik stops at one point, turns aside to his employees, and says:

“I mean, who the hell writes with a fountain pen anymore? How fricking pretentious is that?”

He’s being a little harsh, for sure, but the line raises some good questions. Do people still use fountain pens regularly, as they did several years ago when the pens were enjoying a resurgence in popularity? Or, has that time passed? And, if so, has there been a resulting slowing of sales?

American pen artisan Richard Merritt certainly thought so last year.

He had planned to start an online venture called TheFountainPenStore.com to sell a range of fountain pens, inks and accessories. But after examining the market, he concluded that it would not be viable because the fountain pen market was shrinking.

He wrote on his pen blog:

While the market for “new” fountain pens is declining rapidly, the used, collectible vintage and antique fountain pen market is much stronger.  Well, it is still declining, but not nearly as fast as the market for new fountain pens.  It’s all logical – technology will continue to strangle several “analog” niches and markets. It has to be expected.

I have done some rigorous testing over the last few months.  I’ve even penetrated the market and “owned” the online side of the industry for a while with certain targeted BIG keywords.  After much measuring and testing, my personal experience and tests show that yes, the interest in fountain pens is shrinking fast. The offline market is also declining, but this varies drastically depending on location – where New York and Europe have more demand and still do well in high business traffic areas.

As one bit of evidence, he provided a graph from Google Trends showing a steady decline in online searches for the terms “fountain pen” and “fountain pens.” He was right, and that downward trend has continued into this year, as you can see from this screen capture.

Global sales figures of fountain pens are hard to come by (without spending several hundred pounds to buy a commercial market analysis), and the fountain pen makers we contacted didn’t respond.

But we did find two small tidbits of information that seem interesting.

The Writing Instrument Manufacturers Association is, as executive director David Baker explained to us, primarily a regulatory and safety organisation for pen makers in the US. However, while the group doesn’t get involved in marketing, it does hire Technometrica to compile annual statistics on pens produced.

According to those figures, the number of fountain pens shipped in 1998 was 12 million. That number rose to 17 million by 2004 and hovered near there through 2007, the most recent year for which statistics are available.

That would seem to indicate that – at least as recently as two years ago – fountain pen sales were fairly healthy and stable in the US. It would stand to reason that fewer fountain pens are sold in the US than in the UK and Europe because the pens are not standard in schools there, and their use is less likely to be habit.

Meanwhile, the Writing Equipment Society in the UK reported earlier this year that data from Terrapeak show that sales figures of vintage fountain pens on eBay have been holding steady for the last two years. According to the report, buyers spent an average of £2,000 a week on vintage pens between 2007 and 2009.

Of course, that does not shed light on what is happening in the new fountain pen market, either in the UK or globally, but it does indicate that there is still a segment of the population willing to spend significant amounts of money on fountain pens.

As always on fountain pen matters, we consulted the enthusiasts at the Fountain Pen Network – which boasts nearly 28,000 registered members – for their thoughts.

Yachtsilverswan had this to say:

I am not part of the industry, just a consumer and a fan. But it seems that over the past ten or twenty years, the fountain pen industry has refocused and redefined itself as an upscale luxury product, rather than as a common utilitarian tool.

More limited editions at higher prices are being released across broad themes to appeal to special interests. Sterling silver, 18k gold, and platinum are used more often as the core construction of pen, rather then just as adornments. Pens are becoming fashion accessories, rather than just tools. Montblanc has introduced bejeweled pen lines like the Boheme, the Etoile de Montblanc, the Garbo, the Dietrich, and the Bergman to appeal to women to broaden its market beyond the classic masculine Meisterstuck lines, and to accentuate the pen as a high end functional fashion accessory, very much like a wristwatch.

Luxury pen makers like David Oscarson and Montblanc are doing well, while lower end pen companies like Cross are closing or shifting all manufacturing to China.

Of course, those who currently collect vintage pens and can afford the more high-end pens described above are probably older, affluent buyers who consciously choose fountain pens over standard writing pens.

As they age, they are likely to be replaced in the marketplace by younger buyers with no interest in or knowledge of fountain pens and who buy standard pens just because that’s what they’ve always used. Even if they could afford to, it’s unlikely they would choose to spend money on expensive fountain pens.

We were speaking recently to handwriting expert Dr. Rosemary Sassoon. She told us she presented her grandson with one of her own fountain pens, an iconic Parker.

“He didn’t even know what to do with it,” she said. “He’d never seen one.”

So, how about it? Is the end in sight for the fountain pen market, new or used? Let the discussion begin.

In the right hands, fountain pens produce some beautiful lettering, so it stands to reason that giving your child a fountain pen might be the right way to neaten the little one’s Ps and Qs.

And it very well might. Then again, you might end up spending money on an expensive pen for naught.

There seem to be two schools of thought on the use of fountain pens to improve children’s handwriting. One holds that it might make some small improvement, but isn’t the main contributing factor. The other posits that use of a fountain pen instills handwriting discipline that leads to neatness.

We think there’s some merit to the idea that fountain pens can help children write more neatly, but do not see it as the sole solution.

Dyas Lawson, who has written the definitive guide to handwriting on the Paperpenalia.com site, puts it this way:

A fountain pen may make your writing look a bit better, but if your writing looks as if frenzied chickens got loose on the page, chances are this won’t be enough. Most likely, you’ll need to retrain your arm and hand.

We posed the question to the fountain pen enthusiasts at the Fountain Pen Network and got some thoughtful, interesting replies.

MJSchuelke, from Munich, wrote:

Keep in mind…that fountain pens are still common in schools in several European countries, e.g., France and Germany…And while I can’t speak for others, I remember that my own handwriting became much more fluent and legible when I switched from pencil to fountain pen, about 1/2 year into school.

OtterNZ, a university student from New Zealand, said:

Growing up in the 90′s I was never taught proper cursive, only print. For print a ball point was fine, but I’m trying to teach myself cursive so I needed something that could write easily at a low angle. So yes, they are useful for teaching proper handwriting. Also, I’m a university student, so I do large amounts of writing. I find that with a fountain pen I can write for longer before I get any cramping, than I would with a ball point.

There was agreement among the fountain pen users that, while fountain pens make for a more comfortable writing experience due to the low writing angle, they could be too messy for younger children because of the potential for ink spills.

We also talked to Dr. Rosemary Sassoon, one of the UK’s top experts on handwriting.

She said finding the right pen does make a difference in a person’s handwriting, but what constitutes the “right pen” is a very individual matter. Thus, while fountain pens may be good for some children, they aren’t necessarily the proper choice for all.

“I can’t give you a blanket, ‘Yes,’” she said.

Dr. Sassoon said it is important to good handwriting to allow the child to pick the instrument. That can be difficult these days since so many pens are packaged, leaving buyers with no way to test the feel and writing ability of the pen before making a purchase. But, when possible, kids should try them to find the ones they like.

“I do think choice is a very good thing,” Sassoon said.

However, some teachers insist that fountain pens improve are the proper tools to children’s handwriting. You may have heard recently about a school in Scotland – featured on The One Show on BBC1 – that requires children in Primary 6 and 7 to use fountain pens.

The Mary Erskine and Stewart’s Melville Junior School starts students off in P4 with a “fresh start” writing programme in which students use pencils while they re-learn basic letter formation. After two years of that, students take up fountain pens as their required writing instruments and continue training in cursive writing.

The school reports:

When children are initially introduced to the fountain pen, the speed of their writing slows considerably as their focus is on care and attention to detail. As they become comfortable with the tool, their writing speed increases without marked deterioration in style and usually within half a term, they are writing faster than they were. Fountain pens allow the ink to flow smoothly from the nib and, although we acknowledge with the children that they will not use a fountain pen on all occasions, after two years of focus on the instrument they have the skill to use as and when needed for the rest of their lives.

Earlier this year, headmaster Bryan Lewis wrote a piece in the Edinburgh Evening News explaining the school’s position. In it, he claimed that the simple use of a fountain pen affects other aspects of students’ lives.

Although there is no direct link between using a fountain pen and examination results, there is a significant benefit to the children’s self-respect.

When writing with a fountain pen, pupils have to concentrate and take their time. With practise they become proficient and they realise they have created something beautiful in itself, which encourages them to ensure the content reflects the quality of the writing.

And…

Children who are proud of the standards they set for themselves are far more likely to achieve academic success and for that reason, excellent handwriting, just like excellent manners and a commitment to hard work, is a crucial component of the education we provide.

It seems a bit of a stretch to think that the simple use of a fountain pen will in some way turn children into super-achievers, but there certainly is nothing wrong with trying to teach them to write correctly and take pride in their work.

If you do decide to buy your child a fountain pen, we suggest starting with something inexpensive. The experts at the Fountain Pen Network recommend both the Pelikan Pelikano Junior and the Lamy ABC for young writers.

As usual, readers, we want to hear what you think. Do fountain pens improve children’s handwriting?