Firstly, decide what type of pens you want to collect or if you prefer to collect a variety of pens.Next, read up and do your research on the pens. It helps to learn a bit of history on them. This makes your hobby a whole lot easier.  When you are done reading up on the fountain pens, go hunting for them!

You can try at any antique stores or stationery stores. Sometimes, your grandparents or parents may own a few fountain pens, which may hold great value, as they are antiques.Once you start purchasing or collecting these pens, make sure you keep them safe and clean.Do not expose the pens to sunlight and keep them in a box or container.

Types of pens worth collecting

There are two types of pens, which people often collect. They are modern pens and historic pens.

Modern pens

Fountain pen: These pens use water-based liquid ink and the ink is delivered via a nib. A fountain pen reservoir can be filled with ink or it can be replaced.

Ballpoint pen: Used for everyday writing, the ballpoint pen has replaced the fountain pen. Oil-based ink is used and the pen dispenses the ink by rolling a small hard sphere made of tungsten, brass or steel.

Roller ball pen: This is similar to a ballpoint pen and dispenses gel ink.

Marker: Also known as a felt-tip pen, the tips of markers are made from fibrous materials. Large markers are used for writing on whiteboards while smaller ones are used by children for colouring or crafts. Highlighters are fat and wide markers used to mark text on books or documents. 

Crowquill pen: The flexible metal point of this pen enables it to create a variety of lines, textures and tones.

Historic pens

Quill: This pen is made from a feather of a large bird, most often a goose. Quills are dipped in ink and they were used to write on parchment during medieval times.

Dip pen: This pen usually consists of a metal nib with capillary channels. These pens have no ink reservoirs and they must repeatedly be recharged with ink.

Reed pen: These pens are made from either reed or bamboo with a slit in a narrow tip.

Ink brush: Used in calligraphy, the body of the brush can be made from bamboo, glass, silver, gold and sandalwood while the head of the brush can be made from hair or feathers from animals such as rabbits, deer, chickens, ducks or goats.

(By Sarah Kellapatha)