Enthusiast
If you’ve met me, you may know that I’m a bit of an enthusiast. There are certainly broad categories of things I am excited about, like crafts and good food. There are also specific products, places, and experiences that I could wax poetic about for hours.
In this series, I’ll be exploring some specific things that I feel passionately about. First up, is the fountain pen.
My fascination with fountain pens certainly began in my childhood, as my father often used a Pilot Varsity disposable when writing or working. The flow of the ink, the peculiar-looking nib, it all intrigued me. As an adult, a fountain pen has often been my writing implement of choice - probably because I mistakenly believe it turns my scrawling chicken scratch into something legible, or at least vaguely “artistic” looking.
But this is not an ode to The Fountain Pen. This is an ode to one very particular fountain pen, the Pilot Petit1 Mini Fountain Pen.
I have very strong feelings about office supplies which has led me to do a lot of purchasing from JetPens.com over the years, as regular office supply stores rarely have the vast and diverse inventory that I’m looking for. It was through this website that I first bought a Petit1 Mini many years ago. With a purchase price of $3.30, I didn’t have high expectations and was just hoping for a more portable fountain pen, but from the very first use, it was love.
There are several wonderful features of the Petit1 Mini, but perhaps the best is its accessible price point. I love a “cheap thrill” and these certainly fit in that category. They are also REFILLABLE! For a mere $1.90 you can purchase a 3 pack of replacement cartridges (and if you are REALLY a pen geek - full respect - you can even remove the cartridge altogether and retrofit the pen to be filled with any bottled ink of your choosing.)
Don’t be dissuaded by the word “mini,” the cap fits very securely on the end of the pen, extending it to a comfortable writing length. I do recognize that folks with larger hands may not find this style to be as comfortable as a standard pen, but for me, it’s a perfect fit. (While writing this post, I actually got curious and looked up the dimensions of the Petit1 in comparison to the Varsity and found that the Petit1 clocks in at 5.2” when posted while the Varsity is 5.8” posted and 4.5” if used without the cap.)
More anecdotally, I’ve found the design (and perhaps the ink) is almost impervious to drying out. I often come across a pen that’s long lain dormant and I’m able to pick it up and write with it as if I’d used it yesterday. I will routinely misplace pens for months (and sometimes years!) and they are always ready for action when they resurface.
A quick search in my office produced no less than six Petit1 Minis in a variety of colors. Speaking of colors…did I mention that it’s available in a rainbow of colors?!? From the traditional black, blue, and blue-black to vibrant green and hot pink, it’s a pen that’s as fun as it is practical.
I should add that I’ve purchased and been gifted many beautiful fountain pens over the years at a variety of price points, but, if I’m being completely honest, these are the ones I always reach for.
Has six+ paragraphs of profuse praise for this pen convinced you to give it a try, or just that I care way too much about office supplies?
