UK Edition
Fountain pens are back in fashion as millennials in search of a digital detox turn to handwriting
Fountain pens are back in fashion as millennials turn to handwriting in an attempt to escape the digital age, according to market insiders.
The fountain pen is enjoying a fresh renaissance with sales of the classic writing instrument rising, a trend which experts are crediting to youngsters wanting to find an “antidote” to their increasingly digital lives.
Wendy Vickery, marketing director at stationary company Pentel UK, said young people are increasingly "keen to put down their smartphones and pick up a pen to write letters, notes and messages to loved ones, friends and colleagues."
She added: “Writing has become an escape for the younger generation from their digital lives.”
Director of The Online Pen Company Joe Kershaw said: "Trends such as bullet journaling or modern calligraphy tap into that offline need for wellness and mental space that many millennials feel. It’s a nice relaxing escape from the screen and digital life to put pen to paper."
The sales of Pentel fountain pens to independent retailers have increased by six percent year-on-year and luxury pen retailer Pen Heaven said they had seen fountain pen sales over a six month period increase by 26 percent compared to the previous year, and a further 48 percent increase the year before that.
For many people fountain pens bring a feeling of nostalgia from days at school, endlessly smudging ink across notepads.
They in turn morphed into a luxury item, being gifted as graduation presents and good luck on your first day at work tokens.
And whilst they have had to battle against the rise of the Bic ballpoint, industry insiders have suggested that picking up the classic fountain pen is “the antithesis of text and email”.
“We have seen a significant increase in fountain pen sales over the past two years, outstripping growth in any other writing type we sell,” said David Cole, director of Pen Heaven.
“The increased interest in the fountain pen is an antidote to our reliance on technology. Out of all the writing instruments, it has the closest connection to a time gone by when the pace of life was slower. Taking a bit more care to use a fountain pen is a calming process, offering a tactile experience that is the antithesis of text and email.”
In 2016 the fountain pen had the largest market share of the luxury pen market in the world, holding 38 percent.
According to market research company Technavio, the luxury pen market is expected to expand by a further five percent up to 2021.
Owner of online fountain pen retailer, The Writing Desk, Mark Roberts added: “Writing with a fountain pen I feel has become an antidote to the digital life that many people and especially youngsters are now in and it’s popularity has absolutely strengthened over the years.
“More so than ever people like the personal touch that comes with writing with a fountain pen, rather than via electronic means. And that’s probably helping the comeback of writing, rather than typing.”
This trend may come as a reassuring revelation after only last month it was reported that children are now struggling to hold pens as a result of excessive use of iPads and other electronic devices.
Paediatric doctors, handwriting experts and orthopaedic therapists warned that although youngsters can swipe a screen, they no longer have the hand strength and agility to learn to write correctly when they start school.
The classic fountain pen is still however seen as an essential for some. Dragons' Den regular Peter Jones is thought to favour a Yard-O-Led Viceroy, which sells for about £500.
And Nick Hewer, Lord Sugar's adviser in the BBC series The Apprentice, is often seen with his Lamy pen in hand as he takes notes on the misadventures of candidates.