BirthME, Doulas

I'm used to writing with the nib upside-down when I need a thinner line (i.e.

Writing With Your Fountain Pen. Anybody can answer I also polish the tops of my nibs to get the smoothness I require for my unorthadox writing style. Those rely more on capillary action than ballpoints or fountain pens, so should work better than those.

not a problem at all.

Wow, I thought I was one of the only ones who do this!!
The fountain pen is a highly worthwhile investment for those who want a high-quality pen with excellent all-around performance. Maybe some pens are better in this than others. site design / logo © 2020 Stack Exchange Inc; user contributions licensed under I used to do this with my Pilot Varsity so I can get a fine line.

I just tried it. You currently have javascript disabled. You're fine, it won't hurt a thing. Good that you mentioned astronauts in one of comments, because this reminded me some myth that cosmonauts used to use pencils while NASA spent lot of money on creating spece pen. Start here for a quick overview of the site Fountain pens are sophisticated writing utensils that require a little more know-how to fill and use. Exceptions are attempts to write on poor paper ill suited for a fountain pen and some cheap pens with poorly constructed nibs. Unlike ballpoint pens which often require pressure, writing with a fountain pens do not require the same amount of pressure. Thanks for contributing an answer to Lifehacks Stack Exchange! So now I have a broad nib that writes as a fine when upside down and a Medium nib that writes Extra fine. Its body has no special features, although the standard Power Tank does have a textured rubber grip that prevents hand slippage. Whatever works is all that matters to me.


The Waterman Yellow nibs were ball-point nibs, designed to be used at any angle (with lefties in mind) as well as usable on the backside. The Uni Power Tank may not look like much, but don’t be fooled - it works just as well as other ink pens.

There are a few people I know who do this without harming the pen. Storing your fountain pen. Read the Dearest Visitor of the little Fountain Pen Nut house on the digital prairie,Dearest Member or Visitor of the little Fountain Pen Nut house on the digital prairie,Humankind cannot gain anything without first giving something in return. The matt black finish is very pleasant to hold, as well as to look at. A couple of nibmeisters make nibs that are actually designed to do this. An exception to this rule: Dux 612 pen that I received from Ray. Using A Fountain Pen Is A Special Writing Experience. They are typically used with dye-based inks, which are contained in disposable cartridges or in refillable converters. However, it does not appear that the nib will deliver ink on it's own upside down. The best answers are voted up and rise to the top Please re-enable javascript to access full functionality.not a problem at all.

This was before I got into fountain pens and didn't really know the correct way to hold it. It will write in almost any situation, including upside down, on wet paper, and in cold or heat. Detailed answers to any questions you might have Parker revived the idea again in the 1970s with the 180, and Richard Binder revived it again with the Columbia. Instead, wet the point of the nib with water or ink of the same color. I think Giovanni has said that some companies actually designed their factory nibs to have this capability at some point in nib history. By using our site, you acknowledge that you have read and understand our Lifehacks Stack Exchange is a question and answer site for people looking to bypass life's everyday problems with simple tricks. In fact, many vintage pens were designed this way - back in the day where people often had only one pen (or primarily one pen). I've done that on exams too, although I find that the crappy paper in the booklets we get end up sticking to and clogging the nib with fiber if I'm not careful.

Anybody can ask a question Several functions may not work. Pushing down too firmly with a fountain pen can actually damage the nib and affect the flow of ink. Featured on Meta If you write the correct way first, then you get a very faint line, probably because of the residual ink. Parker advertised doing this with their pens back in the '50s. You try to write something with the notebook being above your head but your pen stops working. If it doesn’t, or if you are using a cartridge-filled fountain pen, you might need to get the ink flowing to your nib. Discuss the workings and policies of this site Writing with the Nib upside-down? I haven't tried this myself though.My mom had one of those famous pens for writing upside down (with little pumping hearts in the advertisement) but it never worked as expected.In addition to Fisher, there are other companies that sell pens advertised to work upside down.

Parker Sonnets are pretty good at this as they have a more pronounced tip of "iridium" on their nibs-- it's almost like a ball globbed onto the end of the nib.