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Comment by samzhao | Hacker News Reader

Wow! Thank you very much for replying! And you actually explained the science behind it for me! The only impression I have with fountain pens is that they are not so convenient as you can easily get your hands dirty. It is also not a good idea to carry a bottle of ink around in school environment. I think that's why I don't see many people (if there is any) using fountain pens in school anymore.

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I carry a fountain pen and a bottle of ink around with me (and some toilet paper to wipe the pen after filling). I've refilled on the bus, in other people's houses, in lectures and tutorials, all without making any more mess than sometimes some ink on my hands (but I don't mind if people think I'm an artist). Only once (eight years ago, almost to the day) did I have an accident, flooding my bag with ink just before an exam (the lid of my bottle of ink was not on properly).

Edit: And as for the pens themselves, I've used a mere four pretty basic Parker fountain pens during the last twenty years, two of which are still in service. Of the other two, one was broken by a classmate in high school messing around, and the other by me dropping it nib-down onto the floor.

Haha! Interesting story! I would definitely be amazed if I were to use a pen for 20 years.

Fountain pens aren't as messy as you may think.

I usually fill at home and carry 2-3 pens if I'm going to a conference or something where I may write a lot. However, if I do need to fill on the go, I carry ink vials instead of bottles (the smaller vials don't need a big, clear space to be used for refilling) and a couple of wipes. Dip the pen, suck up ink, wipe the section, done. I usually don't even get any on my fingers, and if I were really worried about it I'd carry ink nix or amodex to wash it off before it stained.

Stains! Refilling needs skills, lol.

Nowadays we have ink cartridges instead of ink bottles which are thankfully much less prone to ink explosions. Ink cartridges do tend to cost quite a bit in the long run, but I think it's a good trade off, especially if you have an awesome pen. (I like Lamy)

Some manufactures even offer life time warranty!

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