8 Reasons to Use a Fountain Pen

Six years ago, when I matriculated into Grove City College, I took all my notes by hand with a blue Pentel 0.5mm twist-erase mechanical pencil. I wrote in small sloppy print, but it was legible. I soon found that taking notes that way was not enjoyable and it was a pain to go back and reread my notes. So I did what any self-respecting millennial would do – I began taking notes on my computer for three years. However, spring semester senior year I went back to taking notes by hand for a very important reason: the Christmas before the semester started I asked for a fountain pen and ink because I had been convinced that handwriting my notes was better for my retention. I chose to write with a fountain pen mainly for two reasons, it looked cool and I found the rich saturated color of the ink very appealing. I am now in my third year of seminary and continue to use a fountain pen for all my note taking – tens of hours every week and hundreds of hours every year. Below are eight reasons why I continue to use a fountain pen and encourage others to consider using one as well.