There is currently a topic going around on the internet that relates to answering eight questions about fountain pens. I saw this appear on youtube, among other things, and found it interesting to contribute to this myself. Feel free to search for yourself under the hashtag #eightpenquestions. I’m adding some links at the bottom of this post that points to some youtubers answering these questions. I also want to give fellow bloggers the opportunity to answer these questions themselves. Feel free to copy and answer the questions and keep me informed (link to your post). I’m adding a link to your Eight Pen Questions at the bottom of this post, first come first served. I’m really curious!
I would like to inform you that I have not yet looked at any of my fellow fountain pen enthusiasts’ answers, so I can, without having been influenced, give an honest and personal answer to these eight questions. I give these answers at a time when I have more than 4 years of experience as a fountain pen enthusiast. I am sure that my experiences and opinions will change in the coming years. Anyway, it’s nice to answer these questions now in 2024.
So here we go…
1. When and how did your Fountain Pen Journey begin?
Actually, the best way to do this is to refer to my About me page. Since my childhood and throughout my school years, I have always been an avid user of fountain pens. Not that it was a hobby back then, but I certainly considered the fountain pen to be my favorite writing instrument at the time. As a lefty, it may not be easy to appreciate the fountain pen because it is necessary to pay constant attention for not smudging the ink. But along the way I learned to deal with this and eventually fall for the intrinsic pleasure of using a fountain pen. Every fountain pen, every ink and every paper has its own characteristics and the continuous search for the ideal combination is what eventually brought me to collecting fountain pens.
2. Favorite inks in the beginning? What are your go-to inks now?
To be honest, ink wasn’t what kept me awake at the start of my fountain pen hobby. Ink was just needed to write, nothing more, nothing less. My focus was entirely on the fountain pen. I found it strange that there were people who focused almost exclusively on ink. Ok, I admit, this is short-sighted. Eventually, gradually, I started to appreciate ink. I started using cartridges, just to keep it simple.
This was followed by my first fumbling with ink bottles and cartridges. With my total inexperience, I limited myself to 3 bottles of Pelikan 4001: royal blue, dark green and brilliant black. Then I noticed that it was really a vibe to match the ink with the color of the fountain pen. And we were off… With varying degrees of success, a search for the perfect matching ink. As you can see, my interest in ink has gradually started to grow.
The ink that attracts me the most at the moment? I prefer shading ink. These inks create a certain kind op shade and are very nice, especially since most of the nibs I have are mediums. I also have some shimmering (eg. Jacques Herbin 1670 Emerald of Chivor) and sheening inks (eg. Diamine Ancient Copper). My favorite ink at the moment: Diamine Ancient Copper.
3. How have your ink and pen tastes changed over time?
There isn’t really a constant when it comes to the choice of fountain pens. I go purely by feeling. I do notice that since 2024 I am more looking for pens with a special nib or special construction such as a fude nib, inlaid nib, hooded nib, flex nib, oblique … I love the nibs that have a certain amount of flex to go crazy with line width. Also for me, because I do a lot of sketching, a nib must support reverse writing.
As far as ink is concerned, I don’t have much experience at the moment and it’s more trial and error. Since 2024 I have been in possession of permanent ink, mainly for use in watercolor sketches. This permanent ink is more risky than the traditional fountain pen ink.
4. Are there inks & pens that you have yet to try but would like to?
As far as fountain pens are concerned, I’ve come a long way. I remember that during my childhood years I was only familiar with Parker and Waterman. Lamy, TWSBI, Kaweco… was not yet out of the question. For example, I have never tested (and would like to) a Visconti or Conway Stewart pen. I also have a lot to discover when it comes to vintage fountain pens. There is also a lot to experience in the field of ink. I was recently amazed by a fluorescent red/pink ink of which I no longer remember the brand. But as a fountain pen (and ink) lover, we are certainly not at the end of our rope yet.
5. What is your Holy Grail Pen?
First, what is to be considered as a Holy Grail Pen? I think this pen should be a pen that is really perfect in many different aspects: the look, value for money, writing performance and last but not least something special.
The closest to what I think is my Holy Grail Pen at the moment is my Montblanc 149. But the shoe pinches a bit with the value for money. To me, it feels like I’ve paid too much when I only look at the intrinsic value of it. Anyway, a feeling and a judgment can evolve over time, so time brings counsel. Don’t get me wrong: I’m very proud of my Montblanc 149, a sublime pen with an excellent writing performance.
Obtaining a Holy Grail Pen is probably never over, isn’t it a continuous search for pens where superlatives are too short? Maybe a lifelong search for something because we can’t be satisfied with what we already have? I’ll probably come across more pens that belong to the category of Holy Grail Pens for me. I hope to find them in the heap of unused pens that are still somewhere in my closet…for sure to be continued.
6. How many pens do you currently own?
My Notion database shows me that I actually own 111 fountain pens. I know it’s a lot. Of the fountain pens I own, about 40 are still unused, have not been taken out of the box. The reason is that I do a kind of review of every pen I own. I try to do this carefully, which is why this takes a while. On my blog site I have been trying to do a review of every fountain I have used for a few months now. Also the way how I review fountain pens has evolved and is stil evolving.
Believe it or not, I still have a wish list despite the large amount of pens I already own. This is proof that I am still involved in the fountain pen world.
7. Do you have a limit on pens (or inks) in your collection? Is it a number? Is it a feeling? When do you know that you have reached your maximum?
I have one limitation and that is the amount of money I want to spend to invest in pens. When I had just bought my Montblanc 149, I had a moment of satisfaction. But this moment has passed quickly. I buy my pens purely by feeling and the new pens that appear on the market as well as the vintage pens still charm me. I’m not sure if I want to spend that much money on a new pen as I did with my Montblanc 149.
The focus will mainly be on value for money and the added value for my collection. So it’s going to be really picky investing and not letting myself be fooled.
8. Consequently, what would you do if another pen/ink came along?
I’ve actually come to a point where a new pen or new ink has to have something special. I think that in the long run as far as fountain pens are concerned, I tend to invest more in special editions or limited editions. There also has to be a story behind them so that they are really an added value in my collection. It’s nice when people look at your collection that you can tell them a story and maybe also get them excited about this fantastic hobby.
List of some Youtubers and their answers to 8 questions about fountain pens:
List of fellow bloggers and their answers to 8 questions about fountain pens:
Peacock pens 
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