The Write Revival: Fountain pens are Gen Z's newest obsession

There’s something to be said about the romance of writing with a fountain pen. The uncapping, filling up the tank, the oh-sosatisfying scratch of the pen on paper. It’s a writer’s tool. A reason why most famous authors have a fountain pen of choice.

Ernest Hemingway was partial towards his Montegrappa, Arthur Conan Doyle was a Parker Duofold Classic man, Haruki Murakami likes his Sailor and Stephen King wrote in the back of his novel Dreamcatcher : “One final note, this book was written with the world’s finest word processor, a Waterman cartridge fountain pen.”

Closer home, writer Amitav Ghosh told BBC that he ordered his handmade pen from Fosfor, a Pune-based artisanal brand run by Manoj Deshmukh. Author Graham Greene said: “My two fingers on a typewriter have never connected with my brain. My hand on a pen does. A fountain pen, of course. Ball-point pens are only good for filling out forms on a plane.”


In our search for a connect and for analogue pleasures, the fountain pen is being rediscovered again.

I. THE COMEBACK
Fresh off pen shows in Kolkata and Chennai, MP Kandan of Thiruvallur-based Ranga Pens, a 57-year-old handmade pen company founded by his father MS Pandurangan, is convinced that the fountain pen is having a moment. Ranga Pens start at ₹5,000, ship globally, and Kandan confirms an uptick in all geographies. “During Covid, people finally had the time to slow down and explore writing again. In the South, the culture never went away, but now we’re seeing a strong uptake in north Indian metros too,” he says.

Vivek Saurabh, head of design and product development, William Penn, Bengaluru, that acquired Sheaffer, says that people are making conscious efforts to move away from digital. “In a world where everything has become digital, what we choose to do offline starts to define our personality. For some it’s reading or shifting to a mechanical watch. Writing by hand isn’t about just replacing digital, it’s about reclaiming something more intentional and personal,” he says.

II. THE GENERATIONAL EFFECT
The resurgence of the fountain pen is no longer just a nostalgic trend. According to an LP Information report, in 2024, the global fountain pen market was valued at $1.04 billion approximately and is projected to reach $1.29 billion by 2034.

Nitesh Jain, co-founder, Makoba, which stocks Montblanc, Namiki, Pilot, Montegrappa, Pelikan and Sailor among many others, says that Gen Z is driving the change. For this demographic, fountain pens are part of the ‘analogue bag’ trend, a curated kit of tactile tools (journals, film cameras, pens) used to combat screen overstimulation.

“In the last six months, we’ve seen a clear shift. Gen Z, especially those between 18 and 30, are driving demand. Journalling and social media have played a big role,” he says.

Vivek notes that it serves a different purpose for everyone. For older users, it’s about slowing down and younger adopters see it as being individualistic. “They weren’t forced to use fountain pens, so they choose them to stand out. What starts as curiosity often turns into a deeper engagement,” he adds.

III. THE COMMUNITY CONNECT
The fountain pen revival is also being fuelled by community as by craft. There are online forums, offline meetups and a growing tribe on Instagram and YouTube that fuels curiosity. Pen shows and local meet-ups turn a solitary act into a shared culture. Kandan says that in all their years of existence, they have never relied on marketing. It’s community that drives them. The recently concluded Kolkata Pen Mahotsav apparently had more than 10,000 visitors.

IV. IT’S SUSTAINABLE
Each Ranga pen takes up to four hours to make, Kandan shares, as they cut pen threads by hand chasing — a technique followed only in Japan now. Hence, these pens will never be treated as disposable. Conscious consumption is one of the driving factors, Vivek says. “A well-made fountain pen is not a use-and-throw object — it’s something that stays with you. From choosing nibs and inks to the writing experience itself, it becomes a personalised accessory. Over time, people don’t just use fountain pens; they form a relationship with them.” The variety in ink also has made it covetable as it’s more personalised.

V. THE STYLE FACTOR
Corporate grooming and personal style consultant Yatan Ahluwalia says that a fountain pen works stylistically too. “It’s a small but powerful accessory that always makes a strong style statement and says a lot about the person carrying it. It has its own unique identity.” His advice is to go for two fountain pens: one for day-to-day use and the other, more formal to ink important contracts with.

Celebrity stylist Rishi Raj adds, “I’ve often found that the people who carry fountain pens aren’t trying to make a statement, and that’s exactly why it becomes one. In a world where everything is fast, disposable and digital, choosing a fountain pen feels almost like choosing to slow down. That choice in itself is stylish. It reminds me of how a brooch or a pocket square works, not essential, not loud, but deeply personal.”

For men especially, who don’t always have too many avenues for subtle self-expression, a pen can become that marker of taste.

How to style a pen

• Have one ‘serious’ pen, usually black or metallic, and another, which is a more playful one for everyday use
• For formal settings, keep it sleek and minimal
  
• For workdays, a matte or textured pen feels more relaxed
  
• Material matters. Metal feels sharp and authoritative, while resin or handcrafted finishes are more expressive
  
• The colour can either quietly blend in or become that one unexpected highlight in a neutral look
  
  — RISHI RAJ, celebrity stylist
  
  PICKING A PEN 101
  
  • It’s personal: A good fountain pen is not an object but an experience
  • Weight matters: Some prefer the heft of metal, while others like lighter resin or ebonite. This directly affects writing sessions
  • Nib notes: Different nibs (fine, medium, material) create completely different experiences
  • The purpose: Understand why you’re going for it — daily writing, occasional use, special occasions. Your use-case will guide you
  • The budget: ₹2,000-₹3,000 is a good starting point. Cheaper options may not deliver a smooth enough experience to hook you
  • Start slow: Start with reliable entry brands like Lamy, Pilot or Monteverde before exploring high-end or niche options
  • Ink well: Experimenting with inks is part of what keeps users engaged
  • Get into the ecosystem: Pair your pen and ink with a good quality notebook to enhance the overall experience
• For workdays, a matte or textured pen feels more relaxed
  Material matters. Metal feels sharp and authoritative, while resin or handcrafted finishes are more expressive
  The colour can either quietly blend in or become that one unexpected highlight in a neutral look
  
  — RISHI RAJ, celebrity stylist
  
  PICKING A PEN 101
  
  • It’s personal: A good fountain pen is not an object but an experience
  • Weight matters: Some prefer the heft of metal, while others like lighter resin or ebonite. This directly affects writing sessions
  • Nib notes: Different nibs (fine, medium, material) create completely different experiences
  • The purpose: Understand why you’re going for it — daily writing, occasional use, special occasions. Your use-case will guide you
  • The budget: ₹2,000-₹3,000 is a good starting point. Cheaper options may not deliver a smooth enough experience to hook you
  • Start slow: Start with reliable entry brands like Lamy, Pilot or Monteverde before exploring high-end or niche options
  • Ink well: Experimenting with inks is part of what keeps users engaged
  • Get into the ecosystem: Pair your pen and ink with a good quality notebook to enhance the overall experience
• Material matters. Metal feels sharp and authoritative, while resin or handcrafted finishes are more expressive
• The colour can either quietly blend in or become that one unexpected highlight in a neutral look

— RISHI RAJ, celebrity stylist

PICKING A PEN 101

• It’s personal: A good fountain pen is not an object but an experience
• Weight matters: Some prefer the heft of metal, while others like lighter resin or ebonite. This directly affects writing sessions
• Nib notes: Different nibs (fine, medium, material) create completely different experiences
• The purpose: Understand why you’re going for it — daily writing, occasional use, special occasions. Your use-case will guide you
• The budget: ₹2,000-₹3,000 is a good starting point. Cheaper options may not deliver a smooth enough experience to hook you
• Start slow: Start with reliable entry brands like Lamy, Pilot or Monteverde before exploring high-end or niche options
• Ink well: Experimenting with inks is part of what keeps users engaged
• Get into the ecosystem: Pair your pen and ink with a good quality notebook to enhance the overall experience