In the era of computers and smartphones, it may seem like there is no need for something as quaint as fountain pens. Who really uses fountain pens these days anyway? Many people would argue that there is no need for a fountain pen, or even the types of things you would use one for, like letters.
While it would be a stretch to call them a necessity, there are nevertheless still people out there who use fountain pens. Admittedly, these people all fall into a niche of some sort, but that’s what happens when you’re talking about things used mostly for personal reasons.
In this article, we’ll discuss what types of people still use fountain pens today, as well as why they may continue to use them even though we live in the digital age where such things are seemingly obsolete.
Table of Contents
The Rich and the Famous
It may come as a surprise to some, but there are quite a few rich or famous (or both) people out there who use fountain pens. Some notable examples are Emma Watson and Johnny Depp. Usually, these people are using fountain pens as a status symbol of sorts. Here is the fountain pen Emma Watson uses:
- The metallic body made from high-quality materials gives this first-class fountain pen a special feel and elegance.
After all, of all the different pens out there, fountain pens are often considered the most luxurious, partly due to them being expensive as well. And as we all know, people with wealth and influence often like to be perceived as people of import. Something as small as a fountain pen can do that, in some cases.
On top of that, while you could use almost any type of pen to accomplish the things you can do with a fountain pen, none of those utensils do it quite as well.
Social Media Influencers
A lot of social media influencers try to emulate what they feel are signs of a luxurious lifestyle. So believe it or not, you can actually find a lot of people on social media brandishing a fountain pen to all of their followers.
Fountain pens, being somewhat esoteric at this point, are often viewed as items that denote one’s value. After all, most people wouldn’t bother owning a fountain pen if they had other needs that needed to be met. It’s the “luxury” pen, giving people who own it a sense of prestige in some cases.
While one could admit that these social media influencers probably don’t use the fountain pens in the way they were intended to be used, they are still a niche group of people who are occasionally invested in them.
Fountain Pen Collectors
Much like baseball cards, there are people out there who love to collect fountain pens. Naturally, these are people who would still use a fountain pen as well. Sure, they may not use some of their most prized ones, since most collectors don’t, but they likely still have fountain pens they actually use.
Then again, perhaps collecting an item is still a way to “use” it? Maybe not for its intended purpose, but if you ask us, as long as you are using the item in the way that you desire, we’d say that said item is still being used.
One way or another, fountain pen collectors definitely make up a large portion of the people that are still using fountain pens in this day and age.
People have paid millions of dollars for rare fountain pens. Check out our article about the most expensive Montblanc pens.
The Pen Enthusiast
It may strike you as odd to hear that some people are passionate enough about pens to be called enthusiasts, but there are passionate people for just about everything in this world, even pens. These types of people just really love pens.
Maybe they just like owning them. Perhaps they love to write with them. And others just like the feeling that pens give them. Either way, these are the types of people who almost certainly own at least one fountain pen.
If you have surmised thus far that most of the people who use fountain pens do so simply because they like them, you would be correct. There’s no real reason to use a fountain pen, other than enjoying it personally.
People Who Write for Fun
Most people don’t view the mere act of writing as something that can be described as “fun” but there are some people out there who find the whole process relaxing. There is definitely something unique to be enjoyed about writing with pen and paper compared to typing on a tablet or computer.
It’s not always about fun and games though. Some people write for personal reasons (like novelists) and they sometimes use fountain pens as well, because it gives them a much different feeling during the process. It’s a lot like people who want to read hard copies of books even though they don’t have to!
People Who Are Practicing Their Handwriting
It should come as no surprise, but a lot of people have bad handwriting these days since we live in the digital age where physical penmanship is not something that people have to use very often. That being said, fountain pens are often used by people who want to practice their handwriting.
That said, such people are still pretty niche because there aren’t too many reasons to even really care about one’s handwriting in this day and age. Still, the self-conscious among us may invest in fountain pens because they want to practice in style and make their signatures look respectable.
Summary
Fountain pens are definitely not something that anyone actually needs. They are things that people own because they want to, though there is nothing wrong with that sort of justification. Between people who like writing with pen and paper and people who just like to look at them, all is understandable.
After all, there are plenty of things that people own just because they like them, and those items are rarely actually useful as far as day-to-day life is concerned. Fountain pens fit into that niche for sure, but surprisingly, a lot of people are still interested in acquiring them.