Top 5 fountain pen MYTHS that I used to believe

Summary

Carrie (PensandT) jokes that she used to be way too gullible about fountain pen “myths,” then walks through five things she believed early in the hobby that later turned out to be false (or exaggerated).

Top fountain pen myths debunked

1. “Gold nibs are always smoother/better.” She emphasizes that tuning matters more than nib material. A gold nib can still be dry or toothy, and steel nibs can be just as good. She also says she prefers glassy, wet writers—except for one small caveat: her Platinum 3776 fine nib.

2. “Fountain pens need constant upkeep.” Carrie previously believed you had to fully clean/disassemble frequently and that pens would dry out quickly if unused. She says that’s mostly wrong: most pens just need occasional flushing. She’s also left pens untouched for months and got them working again with minimal coaxing.

3. “Borrowing someone’s pen ruins the nib because the nib adapts to the writer.” She strongly debunks this: the nib doesn’t “learn”; the writer adapts. The main real risk is that a brand-new user might press too hard and splay tines—but she encourages lending/borrowing freely and notes she’s done it over a hundred times.

4. “You must use the same ink brand as your pen.” Carrie explains she used to think pen manufacturers’ ink was inherently safer for pens. For modern pens, she says inks from different brands are generally fine. She mentions only a few edge cases where inks can cause issues, such as staining or rare behavior like gumming in certain heavily sheening inks.

5. “A good pen has to be expensive.” She calls this “bull poopy,” arguing that price doesn’t equal quality—cheap pens can be great and expensive ones can be disappointing. She cites mixed experiences across pricey brands and notes some favorites that are relatively affordable (like Kaweco Sports and Pilot Varsity).

Honorable mention joke

• “Flying equals fountain pen death.” Carrie mocks the idea that pens would explode mid-flight. She says it’s largely a non-issue, and suggests practical tips like minimizing air gaps and keeping pens nib-up during takeoff/landing. She also mentions alternatives such as vacuum-filled pens.

How she ends it

Carrie signs off by journaling with her TWSBI Diamond 580ALR and Pilot Iroshizuku Kon-peki, praising her favorite related Iroshizuku ink flavor: tsukushi-yo. The video ends with the usual like/subscribe/Patreon prompts.

Notable personalities

• Carrie (PensandT)