I have an almost obsessive relation to writing instruments. I often switch from one pen to another just for the pleasure of it. I try out new ones. I have far too many pens—I don’t know what to do with all of them! And yet, as soon as I see a new one, I start craving it. I cannot keep myself from buying them. . . . In the end, I always return to fine fountain pens. The essential thing is that they can produce that soft, smooth writing I absolutely require. (Roland Barthes, The Grain of the Voice, p. 178)
I can definitely identify with this (to the point where I have to ration my visits to websites like Cult Pens). The smoothness of a good fountain pen is an important factor in making writing effortless.
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