More fountain pen myths

Because apparently, I'm just that annoyed at the pen community right now.

• Ebonite feeds are superior.
  No. This myth is the result of fountain pen users knowing nothing about how feeds work. Here's a materials science engineer who designed plastic feeds explaining how to get the same performance from plastic feeds as the ebonite feeds.
  TL;DR — The effectiveness of capillary action relies on the physical properties of the channel's surface, not the chemical make up of the surface. Ebonite feeds are machined, leaving a rougher surface than injection molded plastic, thus providing more capillary action. However, modern plastic feeds rough up the feed channels to achieve the same effect.

• Bigger nibs are more comfortable.
  No. The ergonomics of writing comfort has more to do with the grip girth, barrel weight, and pen balance than a pen's nib size. Long, thick grip sections provide more writing comfort than a short, narrow grip. Lighter materials, like plastics/resins/ebonite/carbon fiber/makrolon are more comfortable to use than heavier materials like brass or steel. This is why the Lamy 2000 is a lot of people's workhorse pens. It combines light weight material (makrolon) with a long, thick grip section (no step down) that can accommodate any grip style. Vintage Parker 51 combined the same principles and is considered one of the most enduring workhorse pens ever designed. As you can see, both pens have tiny nibs.

• Big pens use more material that's why they're more expensive.
  The material cost to the pen manufacturer is pennies on the dollar for sizing up the pen. However, big pens are considered more luxurious, which is what allows the manufacturers to get away with charging exorbitant prices. A steel-nibbed Pelikan M400 is about 20% larger than a steel-nibbed Pelikan M200, but costs 2x (twice) as much. The money is not going into material costs; it's going into the luxury branding.

• Expensive pens last longer.
  Somewhat true, but often not. Brand and model more than price determines how long a pen can last. While there is a general trend of pen makers spending more time making sure their expensive pens pass muster, there are plenty of companies that also focus on making their cheap pens last a long time. Pilot, Platinum, Kaweco, Lamy are well known brands for having very tough, very resilient sub-$30 fountain pens that work and work well for a long, long time. (Pilot Metro, Platinum Plaisir, Kaweco Sport, Lamy Safari are the classic sub-$30 beat-'em-up pens.)

• Fountain pens need more babying than other pens.
  Straight up lies. Do you click your ballpoints back when you've finished writing? Do you cap your rollerballs when you don't need them? Do you wipe the build up goop when using gel pens? That's the level of care you need to put into your fountain pen. Cap when not in use. Fill when ink runs dry. Wipe if ink is creeping.

• Fountain pen needs frequent maintenance to stay in working order.
  Again, no. My $3 fountain pen that I didn't bother washing out for years wrote just fine. No build up. No sticking converters. But I do use my pen every day, so the ink is constantly flowing. But if you are a rare user of the pen, there have been reports of people putting away their Platinum Preppy then picked it up a year later and it wrote like new without any maintenance. That's not to say there aren't a lot of finicky fountain pens, but the low end fountain pens are just as hassle free as your disposable ballpoints.

• Broader nibs are smoother than fine nibs.
  Sort of true. Again, when all else is equal, this is the case. But brand and polish feature much more into the nib smoothness than just tipping width alone. Sailor is well known for having a feedback-y nib, while Pilot is buttery smooth (to the point of being too slick for many). A Pilot F nib is often smoother than a Sailor M nib. If you like the feeling of fountain pens gliding over the paper, get a Pilot pen. If you want to be able to feel the paper's feedback (aka that pencil-to-paper feeling), get a Sailor.

• Smoother is better.
  Actually, it depends on your personal preference. A lot of fountain pen newbies make the mistake of chasing after a smooth nib only to realize $1000 later into their collection that they prefer the feeling of feedback. A lot of newbies mistake feedback for "scratchy". Scratchy is when the nib catches on the fibers of the paper. Feedback is when there is a minute feeling of friction. A lot of times, the nib can reach a state of "too smooth", where the ink gushes out when putting pen to paper and the nib slides uncontrollably over the page. It is actually possible to have too much of a good thing.

• Fountain pens are all about status.
  This is mostly due to the hobbyists skewing the perception of the fountain pen using population. For example, students who don't live in the U.S. use fountain pens for homework and exams. Writers and academics often have one favorite fountain pen that they keep using day in and day out without feeling the urge to buy more. A lot of environmentally conscious people actively choose to avoid disposable pens to reduce their plastic waste. There are plenty of utilitarian reasons to use a fountain pen as your main writing utensil.