Alex Chen
Fountain Pen Collector · Calligrapher · Ink Reviewer
12 Years Collecting
Calligrapher
San Francisco, CA
How I Got Obsessed
It started with a $12 Pilot Metropolitan in 2012. I bought it on a whim because I hated how disposable ballpoints felt. Three weeks later I had six pens. Three months later I had forty. I never really stopped.
Twelve years in, I have owned and tested over 200 fountain pens from $3 Platinum Preppys to $800 Nakaya hand-turned urushi pieces. I have filled them with probably 150 different inks, tested them on every paper I could find, and spent more hours than I care to admit discussing nib geometry on fountain pen forums.
I also do calligraphy, which gives me a different perspective from most reviewers. I care deeply about line variation, flex, and how a nib responds under pressure. That shapes everything I write here.
How I Review
I write with every pen I review, usually for at least a week across multiple papers and inks. I do not accept free products in exchange for positive reviews. If a pen has problems, I say so. If an ink clogs nibs, you will read about it.
I am especially blunt about value. A $200 pen that does not outperform a $30 pen is a $200 disappointment, and I will tell you that directly.
Why Nib Guide
Most fountain pen content online is either beginner-hostile jargon or suspiciously enthusiastic reviews that never mention a single flaw. I wanted something in between, genuinely useful, honest, and accessible whether you are on your first pen or your two-hundredth.
How We Research
- Every pen and ink reviewed is personally tested, not spec-sheet reviewed
- No sponsored content or paid placements
- Affiliate relationships disclosed on every page
- Prices and availability checked before publication
- Reader questions and corrections taken seriously and addressed