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| P2P Magazine | Autumn 2015
01732 759725
FOUNTAIN PENS
Disposable fountain pens
Price: £2-3
Pentel Stylo
Not strictly a fountain pen, the Pentel
Stylo has a fibre tip with a support on
either side; one is slightly shorter than
the other, giving you a firm feel on one
side and a more flexible response on the
other. The pen makes a slightly scratchy
sound when writing and feels distinctly
different to a normal fountain pen. It has
a white plastic barrel and is priced to
appeal to parents and school buyers.
Zebra Fuente
The Fuente is the only Zebra Pen
fountain pen available in the UK. It was
launched in 2013 and is offered with a
choice of black or blue ink. Despite its
budget status, the Fuente is pleasant to
write with thanks to a smooth nib and
‘non-scratch tip’. Another benefit, from
the perspective of someone who writes
left-handed, is quick drying ink.
Price: £3-4
Fountain Pentel
The Fountain Pentel has a unique design
with a black barrel and a coloured,
marbled finish. It boasts the same
double-sided ‘delta’-shaped plastic nib
as the Pentel Stylo and has the same
scratchy writing experience. Both the
Fountain Pentel and the Stylo are
available in black, red and blue.
Different strokes
Demand for fountain pens has seen
steady growth over the past few
years.While much of this has been
in premium fountain pens, cheap,
everyday fountain pens also have their
adherents.
Disposable fountain pens are a
convenient, affordable choice for
those who prefer the flow and feel of
a fountain pen, but who don’t want to
spend much or who don’t like refilling.
Much of the demand for cheap
fountain pens comes from the education
sector, as schoolchildren are encouraged
to practice their handwriting. Jonathan
Skyrme, general manager of BIC UK, said
that BIC had seen significant demand for
its disposable fountain pens throughout
May, which he attributes to the student
market.
Wendy Vickery, marketing manager
for Pentel, highlights renewed
interest from those who enjoy using
fountain pens for calligraphy and italic
handwriting.
Premium fountain pens are popular in
the business gift sector, but office buyers
prefer a more affordable option, and a
number of disposable pens are now listed
in commercial catalogues.
The appeal of ink
So, what is it about fountain pens that
people like? For many, it is simply the
way they feel.With easy flowing ink,
fountain pens are some of the smoothest
writing instruments and make writing
feel effortless – as long as the nib and
paper are good quality.
Frank Groß, managing director of
Schneider, says that this is a particular
benefit for people with specific
conditions.
“When writing with a fountain
pen, very little pressure is needed. For
certain people, such as those affected
by arthritis in the fingers, fountain pens
are the only acceptable and convenient
writing instrument. The fountain pen
also supports a natural writing position
and feels great in the hand. In our
case all of the grip profiles are shaped
ergonomically and therefore define the
correct grip for fatigue-free writing,” he
said.
Fountain pens offer a unique
writing experience and perhaps this
is something we value more as our
reliance on technology and electronic
screens grows.
Stuart Baker, marketing manager of
Pilot Pen UK, believes that nostalgia is
a big part of what attracts people to
fountain pens. However, when it comes
to disposable fountain pens, he argues
that convenience is the key selling
point. “The Pilot V-Pen is very popular
because it is so much more convenient
and reliable than traditional refillable
fountain pens, but at the same time it
has a very long write-out distance,” he
said.
Disposable fountain pens typically
come in black, blue and red, but some
brands, such as Pilot, offer a range of
ink colours, including violet, green and
orange.
Pen To Paper
tested a number
of fountain pens to see how cheap
disposable models compare to more
expensive refillable versions.
Tayla Ansell tests a selection of disposable fountain pens
continued...
