10 Best Fountain Pens in the Philippines 2026 | Parker, Faber-Castell, and More

A plastic or resin body is a great option for beginners, especially if you are not yet ready to shell out more for a high-end pen. It is lightweight and affordable, perfect for testing out the grip and adjusting to the feel of a fountain pen in your hand. Plastic pens are also more colorful and available in a wide range of designs. 

While they are less durable than metal ones, some brands do have shockproof models. These ones are less prone to cracking or breaking when you drop them, but they do come with a higher price tag as well. 

On the other hand, if you already have a bit of experience with fountain pens, you might prefer metal ones. Metal pens are much sturdier and can last you a long time, sometimes even a lifetime or two! They usually come in neutral or muted colors, which lends a classy look that you can easily take from casual to formal situations.

Metal pens do tend to be on the heavy side. They can put a strain on your hand if you write for a long period of time, especially if you're not used to it. Despite that, you'll find that it feels solid and nicely balanced in the hand and will give you the luxurious feeling associated with fountain pens.

From its name, a round nib is characterized by a rounded tip. This creates uniform lines regardless of which direction you write in. Think of it as like using a regular pen. This is great if you want a pen that you can use for all sorts of writing tasks, whether you are taking down notes or signing your name. 

An italic nib, also known as a stub or calligraphy nib, has a flat and broad tip. This enables you to create varying widths in your lines while writing. This is ideal if you practice calligraphy, as you are able to showcase different penmanship styles with just one pen. However, keep in mind not to flex the nib too hard as it could break.

Flex and fude nibs are both styles that offer different line widths, although through different mechanisms. Flex nibs create thin and thick lines depending on the pressure applied. In this way, they are similar to calligraphy nibs, although their tip is more pointed. 

Fude nibs, on the other hand, create line variations through changes in angles while in use. The tip is long and curves at an upward angle. Because of the different strokes possible with a fude nib, it is typically used for drawing. 

An ink cartridge is a disposable pod already filled with ink. It is straightforward and simple, as you just insert it into the barrel of the pen, and you’re done! This prevents any ink spills and messes, as you do not need to titrate ink. It is also more compact because you can easily bring a few with you for backup.

However, ink cartridges are not universal. This means you would have to purchase a model that is specific to your fountain pen. It also tends to hold less ink, so you would need to buy more cartridges to avoid running out of ink quickly.

A converter, also known as an inkwell, is a small barrel that allows you to suck in the ink from the ink bottle by dipping the pen in and drawing it out. It makes use of different mechanisms to do this, such as the piston or twist, squeeze and push-button types.   

This is a more economical method seeing as you don’t have to continuously purchase cartridges. It can also hold more ink compared to cartridges. In this regard, it is also more environmentally friendly. The downside is that you would need to buy an ink bottle. Ink transfers also tend to get messy and inconvenient to do on the go because ink bottles tend to be bulky.

Although this method isn't quite as common as the first two, there are some brands that do use it. This system is pretty simple and relatively mess-free-you unscrew the body of the pen to be able to receive the ink, then use an eyedropper to transfer ink from the bottle to the body of the pen.