I can’t believe that I’m claiming fountain pen peace this early on in 2021. I’ve started using fountain pens very early on in my stationery journey, starting with the beginner-friendly Pilot Kakuno that frequents my Hobonichi Techo. As my eyes open more to amazing writing tools and accessories in the stationery community, I come to learn and appreciate fountain pen more as a collector’s hobby. There are trial and errors in the process, but over the years, my fountain pen collection grew to 14 strong (with a few bought and sold in between.)

It wasn’t until 2020 that I started venturing into more expensive fountain pens (what’s expensive? It’s all relative…after all). I used to buy fountain pens in the $30 – $60 range, such as Pilot Prera, TWSBI Eco, and Lamy Safari. However, I was attracted by the elegant and vintage looks of a Sailor Pro Gear and Platinum’s cigar shaped barrels. There’s also the allure of a *gold nib*, as opposed to steel nibs used in cheaper fountain pens.
In 2020, I definitely upgrade to the $100 – $200 range pieces in the fountain pen world. Does this come with the maturity of myself turning 30 years old? Or am I looking for solace from stress in high quality stationery during the pandemic? Nevertheless, I treated myself to a TWSBI Diamond 580 in Rose Gold for my birthday in April. One month later, I got married and my husband got me a Sailor Pro Gear Slim in the Shikiori series as a wedding gift (after some deliberate nudging)!
Since then, I decided that I’m brave enough to start seeking out other cool fountain pens outside of my TWSBI comfort zone (you might notice I have plenty of TWSBI Eco fountain pens)
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