The woman who owned the stationery shop was much, much nicer when indulging my nostalgia. A fountain pen likes a gentler approach, finesse over brute force. A fountain pen is an impractical choice, whether you’re spending less than $30 or over a grand. In deference to common sense, I’ll confess that there are places to use a fountain pen and places not to use a fountain pen. The working man’s fountain pen.