Scripting the future of fountain pens

Gen Z and even later millennials have shown a preference for typing to writing. The future of the ink pen depends now on collectors, gift shoppers and revivalists who have been speaking up with some regularity every decade these last few decades. (Representational image: Daniel Haaf via Unsplash)

Kiran Nayak, a law student in Bengaluru, has never written with an ink pen. “I barely take notes with a ball pen, forget an ink pen,” he messaged on Instagram, his preferred way to ‘talk’ to friends and followers. At 21, Nayak belongs to Gen Z (born in late '90s through early 2000s), a generation which doesn’t seem to see value in writing notes on paper when a laptop would do.

Even the later millennials, like Akhila Rao (28), who remembers writing with an ink pen for a short while, see little point in writing with a pen. “When I was in high school, I decided it was a fun and exciting thing to do. I didn’t stick with it for long, about a month or so, but it got too messy,” Rao said. The pen and the ink bottle are now officially missing.

With scenarios like these, and so many millennials and Gen Zs not keen on ink pens, the question that comes to mind is, who exactly is willing to bet on the future of ink pens?

I directed the question to Nikhil Ranjan, founder and managing director of Bengaluru-based William Penn, a multi-brand retailer and distributer of writing instruments and accessories. His company, founded in 2002 (making it a Gen Z!), acquired Sheaffer, a 110-year-old American brand known for its premium fountain pens, this year; making it the second acquisition for William Penn, having acquired the British brand Lapis Bard in 2016.

“We are bullish about fountain pens,” he said in an email interview.

Nikhil Ranjan, founder and managing director of Bengaluru-based William Penn.

William Penn began as a stationery store, filling a need for customers looking for fine writing instruments. The progression into luxury and fine writing instruments was led by market demand. “We expanded our footprint and partnered with prestigious brands such as Montblanc, Cross, Sheaffer, Pelikan and Sailor, for distribution,” he said.

Having worked with Sheaffer for the last 19 years, “we built this brand in India so we are emotionally attached to it”, Ranjan said that when they got the opportunity to buy the brand, it all came together. William Penn acquired the brand from A.T. Cross Company, the transaction comprising its complete portfolio. Ranjan said, “We now have the ability to control our own fortunes as a brand owner vis-à-vis a brand distributor. We get to define the future of the brand and innovate. We can also make the most of the global platform to help get more young adults interested in writing with a fountain pen. And that’s something we are very passionate about.”

At William Penn, there is a niche category of luxury writing instruments for collectors, a small but important cohort, who know everything about luxury writing instruments.

The second category of fountain pens is aimed at people who look at the writing instrument as a good gifting option. Many manufacturers reserve the most detailing for these ‘higher value’ instruments.

The third category is just for those who have never written with a fountain pen. “We have a whole generation that is looking at fountain pens with interest and wonder because they have never written with a fountain pen,” Ranjan said. “When they discover the superior writing experience a fountain pen offers, they get hooked onto it!”

Even if they don’t, Gen Z Nayak believes he would use a fountain pen at least occasionally, for writing prose or poetry. “Or for journalling, if I ever get to use a fountain pen.”

Stories of resurgence of fountain pens have regularly cropped up in every recent decade. Needless to say, Ranjan is optimistic. He cites the example of Lamy, a German brand - of the Lamy pens sold through William Penn, fountain pens make up 70-75 percent of sales. The data from other brands corroborates the same trend.

Since the onset of Covid-19, people around the globe have taken up writing as a therapeutic activity - some with physical pen and paper.

Ranjan says that with growing awareness about sustainability, fountain pens will have a clear advantage. People are moving away from inexpensive, ‘use and throw’ ballpoint pens.

But if there’s an elevator pitch for Gen Z to use fountain pens, what would it be? Ranjan said his would be: ‘Come fall in love with writing.’

Even in this pixelated world, it will take more than a keyboard to kill the old-fashioned charm of putting your thoughts down on paper. Drawing ink into the pen from an ink bottle, wiping the nib and then pressing it down on a plain white paper and writing with a firm hand – that’s a Zen-like experience. The magic begins even before thoughts pour out. Still, for the new generations, using a fountain pen is going to be an acquired skill.