“Clutter in it’s highest and most organised form is called collecting…”
Ada Louise Huxtable
Fountain pen collecting is an odd hobby. Collecting as a pastime is not uncommon. Coins, stamps, baseball cards, art, teaspoons, autographs, fossils, the list is endless. Some collecting requires perseverance, endurance, strategy, risk and good fortune. Others just require purchasing power. Fountain pens are basically the later, with a smidge of the former. In 2026 the cost of gold, tariffs, and inflation have formed a perfect storm. The Japanese pen giants, Pilot, Sailor and Platignum, have recently announced 100% plus retail price increases. Other pen companies will likely follow this lead. The response of the fountain community has been #shopyourcloset2026. This simply means not stressing, just get out the pens and inks you already own and rediscover their joy. I wrote the draft of this blog with Sailor ProGear Cocktail Series pen and J Herbin Emerald de Chivor ink. Both have been in my collection for at least a decade. #usingratherthancollecting #letsmakelemonade
Pen Paint and Scalpel 