Lovely article over at The Art of Manliness:

Despite the introduction of the ballpoint pen in the early 1900s, fountain pens maintained their dominance as the go-to writing instrument up until the mid-point of the century. It was not until the 1960s, when the ballpoint pen’s reliability increased, and its price decreased, that fountain pen sales began their long and steady decline in the United States. While they’re still widely used by students in private schools in England and the rest of Europe, in America the fountain pen is largely seen as more of a collector’s item, a status symbol, or the focus of a twee hobby. However, thanks to the internet’s ability to connect enthusiasts, the fountain pen has seen something of a resurgence in the U.S. Today you can find countless forums and blogs dedicated to the virtues of this classic writing instrument.

If you enjoy the world of pens and would like to know more about it, there are plenty of great websites on the subject. Besides the ones mentioned towards the end of this article, I strongly recommend Brad Dowdy’s excellent site, The Pen Addict, as well as its accompanying podcast on Relay FM.