Write On! – Are Fountain Pens Expensive?

Are fountain pens expensive? We get a version of this question quite frequently, not necessarily concerning our pens, but definitely when someone is comparison shopping or beginning to expand their collection. There is a perception that fountain pens are inherently much more expensive than other writing instruments; though this perception has been changing over the last decade as more and more value fountain pens have entered the market. The fountain pen industry and the marketplace built around it isn't very straightforward when it comes to distribution and sales, let alone how the pricing works. There are a lot of variables that go into the final price of a pen, and the fountain pen marketplace has only gotten more "murky" over the last decade as it's grown exponentially. There isn't one answer to the question, "are fountain pens expensive", rather there are several answers and many depend solely on the customer. Let's get into the factors that might impact the price of the fountain pen to get an idea of how companies price their pens.

A large portion of the companies producing fountain pens utilize a distribution system to sell their pens. The make the pens, but in most cases, they don't have a "direct-to-customer" outlet of selling the pens. Nor do they want to have to manage relationships with thousands of brick-and-mortar and online retailers. However, the manufacturers DO set the pricing on their items before the item goes into and through this distribution system. Like many tiered distribution systems, every tier along the way needs to get its "cut" of the final price, and that does impact the final price of the pen. Because of this system, there isn't a lot of wiggle room for the final seller in terms of the price they present to the customer. In years past, thriving "grey markets" with heavily marked down fountain pens popped up online, though they have become less popular as more budget friendly brands have entered the marketplace. The distribution model has set some precedent on pricing across the market that many newer brands simply adopt because it's the "norm".

Manufacturers who choose to sell directly to the customer or sell directly to the retailers, have more wiggle room in regards to their pricing models. However, many of those manufacturers are impacted by the volume they can produce. Their pricing model takes into account more handwork during the production or finishing process, inability to use mass production models to reduce cost, or other factors that impact the final price of the pen. Though these manufacturers may be able to keep pricing down some by selling direct to customer or direct to retailers, the size of their company and scope of manufacturing require a higher price point for them to survive.

Another aspect that impacts the fountain pen marketplace goes back to the 1960s when pen companies were able to mass produce ballpoint technology that could have made fountain pens obsolete. Rather than simply stop manufacturing fountain pens altogether, most companies that continued to make fountain pens, began marketing them as luxury items, college graduation gifts, or corporate gifts. This shift in marketing reshaped the fountain pen landscape and continues to be felt even today. Though some manufacturers continued to have entry level fountain pens, by the 1990s most people viewed pens as disposable items. Even a $12 fountain pen was considered a luxury item, let alone a $300 fountain pen. This mindset was further solidified as more and more written communication was moved to digital means, and even disposable pens that were $2 or $3 were seen as a luxury. The industry as it stands now is relatively "set" in terms of being viewed as a fringe luxury item in most countries, especially in the United States, and that means pricing models that may be artificially inflated.

But what really goes into the final price of the fountain pen that SHOULD impact the price? Let's talk about that and see how that impacts the question "are fountain pens expensive" or more appropriately "what makes fountain pens more expensive than other pens".

Materials and the manufacturing process have a big impact on the final price of the pen. Injection molded plastics that are mass produced by the thousands SHOULD be relatively inexpensive. Pens like the Lamy Safari, Kaweco Sport, and TWSBI Eco are all manufactured in this fashion. They're also relatively inexpensive when compared to other pens from those brands that have more intricate designs or assembly processes. However, there are many pens that are injection molded in mass quantities and still sell for over $100 due to reasons we'll address below. The material the pen is made from can be another impact to the end price of a pen. Nonstandard materials like aluminum, brass, copper, bronze, and other metals as well as industrial thermoplastics CAN increase the price of an otherwise inexpensive pen design. The Lamy Al-star has a formed aluminum body and cap and is fairly inexpensive when compared to many aluminum fountain pens on the market, but it's double the price of the Lamy Safari, the pen it shares an overall design with. Machining a pen from either plastic or metal almost always increases the overall price of the pen. Even with machines that can run lights out, the cost of this type of manufacturing is simply more expensive than a more automated, mass produced means of production. Finally, premium materials like titanium, zirconium, custom acrylics, proprietary plastics, and precious metals further increase the final price because they are vastly more expensive, require specialized manufacturing processes, and often require in-depth hand finishing techniques from trained professionals.

The material and design of the nib will impact the end price of the pen. An injection molded pen with a steel nib and plastic feed can sell for $30 from a company that sells the same ben with a gold nib for over $150 dollars simply because the nib material is dramatically different. Likewise, companies that manufacture their own nibs or even have nibs contract made to their specifications will charge a premium based on their use of proprietary nibs. In recent years, nib manufacturers have also began introducing nibs that have special design features for flexibility and other functions, whether these changes and adaptations are more expensive for the manufacturer, they consider these nibs more of a premium and price them accordingly. Finally, hand customized or ground nibs straight from the manufacturer will also increase the price of the pen, sometimes this can be a small increase, but if the customization is intricate or from a particular artist or nibmeister it can be a significant increase in the final price of the pen.

Other impacts to the final price of the pen include the filling mechanism, design and aesthetics, overall pen and nib size (small, standard, large, and jumbo), and aesthetics. The final price "impact" that we'll cover is brand reputation. The fountain pen industry is not immune to price structures based on name alone. Brands like Montblanc, Montegrappa, Nakaya, and Graf von Faber-Castell, just to name a few, rely on their brand along with exceptional design and craftsmanship to regularly sell pens priced over $1,000 and some priced over $10,000. Some of that price comes from the handwork, materials, and artistry put into those pens, but some of it also comes from the name and brand associated with it. There is a perception of luxury and an idea of "value" ascribed to those pens that even their most mass-produced versions demand a premium price.

This is just the tip of the proverbial iceberg when it comes to the fountain pen industry and how pens are priced, and we still haven't answered the question, "are fountain pens expensive". As we stated above, there isn't one answer to this question. When we get asked this question in the shop, we frequently ask the person who is inquiring, "what do you consider expensive" or "what's your budget". While fountain pens aren't as cheap as disposable rollerball pens, there are plenty of entry level fountain pens that are worth every penny in their price point. We've mentioned some of them above. There are absolutely expensive fountain pens, but there are many affordable fountain pens.

There is one final thing that sets many pens apart from the others and makes the difference in the final price; the warranty. Lifetime warranties on fountain pens are a thing of the past. While almost every brand had pens with lifetime warranties in the heyday of fountain pens, that's not the case now. Most fountain pens don't carry a warranty at all, some of the more expensive fountain pens come with limited warranties for manufacturer defect only and have an end-date. Very few companies provide lifetime warranties on their pens, and when they do there are often hoops to jump through to make a warranty claim. A lifetime warranty and lifetime service commitment can make up for a large increase in price. If you can get your pen repaired or serviced for free or very cheap, that's a massive savings in the long run. Lifetime warranties on parts and defects is a huge difference maker if you're using your pen all the time.

At the end of the day, only you can answer the better question of "are fountain pens expensive to me". A fountain pen doesn't have to be expensive if you're budgeting for one. A fountain pen can be very inexpensive in the long run if you use it for years and years and replace all of the disposable pens you'd need to buy over that time. Even considering the least expensive, non-disposable fountain pens, they're still "luxury" items. They're never going to be as inexpensive as a disposable pen. However, if you're looking for the type of writing experience provided by a fountain pen, there are options for every budget and every lifestyle. Only you can decide if the price is worth paying or not.