Switched from a $6 ballpoint to a $25 fountain pen for my bujo

I was using a cheap Bic ballpoint for months but got tired of smudging my habit tracker every time. Picked up a Pilot Metropolitan with Noodler's ink after reading about it on r/fountainpens, and the difference in how smooth my spreads look is night and day. It writes way cleaner on my Leuchtturm pages, though I did learn the hard way to let it dry for 10 seconds before closing the book. Has anyone else made a switch like this and found it changed their whole journaling vibe?

2 comments

2 Comments

benflores1mo ago

That bit about waiting 10 seconds for the ink to dry REALLY hit home. I feel like nobody warns you about the drying time when you first upgrade from a ballpoint. But here's the thing people never talk about - the WEIGHT of the pen changes how you write. That Metropolitan has some heft to it, and it actually made me slow down my handwriting and be more deliberate with each letter. My spreads went from messy and rushed to actually having some style to them. The fountain pen turned journaling from a task into something I actually look forward to doing every night.

robinson.leo1mo ago

lol actually real talk the weight thing is kinda interesting because I think the Metropolitan's actually on the lighter side for a brass pen. Like I picked up a Kaweco Brass Sport once and that thing felt like a literal brick in my hand compared to the Metro. But yeah you're spot on about the whole deliberate writing thing. The feedback from a heavier pen just makes you slow down without thinking about it. Its like your hand naturally knows theres some mass there so it treats the motion differently.