The ultimate test: fountain pen or ballpoint pen – which is better?

Fountain pen or biro – there can be only one! Are ballpoint pens the better writing instruments, or is a fountain pen the superior choice for writing?

Anyone who writes by hand frequently and at length will face this question when choosing a pen. It should not place too much strain on the wrist, yet it must also deliver impeccable handwriting. Which does this better?

We are putting them to the ultimate test, looking at the advantages fountain pens have over biros and, conversely, where ballpoint pens come out ahead. Business, university or leisure – which one will ultimately prevail?

Always close to hand and reliably at your service: in business, performance matters

Who absolutely needs a good pen? Businesspeople, managers and professionals. They keep a pen with them at all times, because signatures may be required around any corner and in any meeting room. And when that moment comes… yes, which pen is actually drawn?

As a rule, it is the ballpoint pen. It is practical, does not scratch, clips neatly onto any jacket and, above all, is document-proof – essential for legally valid signatures.

Winner: ballpoint pen

Score: 1–0 to the biros

Long-lasting and easy on the hand: frequent writers prefer a relaxed grip

Signatures are not novels – and anyone who enjoys writing at length expects different qualities from a pen than a manager does:

• At university, when a lecturer speaks for 90 minutes and says things that may matter in the exam and therefore need to be noted down quickly.
• At home, when in the evening we write a diary or compose a handwritten letter to a good friend.
• Or in everyday working life, when the latest ideas from the boss should be diligently noted down in a meeting in order to shine when the next promotion round comes along.

At such moments it quickly becomes clear that ballpoint pens are not always ideal and that fountain pens have definite advantages. Unlike a biro, no pressure is required for the ink to flow onto the paper through the nib. This eases the strain on the hand and allows for completely relaxed writing, even over longer periods.

Winner: fountain pen

Score: 1–1

Balanced and light: only the words should carry weight

As with everything in life, it is all a question of the right combination and the right balance. Outer appearance and inner qualities matter equally – with the people around us just as much as with our favourite pen.

What matters in a pen is durability, good balance so that it sits comfortably in the hand, and an optimum weight that should not be too heavy. Materials such as metal or wood clearly have the advantage over plastic, as they are more sustainable and more resistant to breakage – something especially important around the threads. They also provide excellent balance while writing.

The selection of both ballpoint pens and fountain pens is so vast that everyone can find the right writing instrument in either category. Anything other than a draw here would be disingenuous.

Winner: none

Score: 1.5–1.5

A student favourite: fountain pen or ballpoint pen for university?

At university, things often have to move quickly – as noted above. If you look around a lecture theatre, most students rely on ballpoint pens to take notes during the lecture.

Why is that? Three simple reasons:

• Biros do not scratch.
• Biros are often required in exams.
• Biros are available everywhere as promotional giveaways – which is kind to a student budget.

Even so, quite a few students are also happy to use fountain pens for their notes – partly because they are used to them from school, and partly because fountain pen ink can be erased easily.

Still, in lecture theatres the ballpoint pen clearly has the edge.

Winner: ballpoint pen

Score: 2.5–1.5 to the biros

Writing is an art – and for that, true artists are needed

More and more writing is done on computers these days – and one might get the impression that pens are gradually disappearing.

Fortunately, that is not the case, but yes, there is a change taking place in the way we write. Handwritten texts are suddenly seen as elegant, and handwritten letters have become an expression of particular appreciation from sender to recipient.

For such moments, reaching for a fountain pen feels entirely fitting. Fountain pens positively breathe writing history; even the ancient Romans once wrote with a kind of fountain pen.

So if you enjoy writing and regard it as an art, there is no getting around an elegant fountain pen.

Winner: fountain pen

Score: 2.5–2.5

Stay fully up to date with our newsletter

And as a thank you, receive a 5% discount voucher for your order

So you do not run dry in the exam: always carry enough ink

What are the worst nightmare scenarios in a university exam?

• The questions do not match the answers you prepared in the slightest.
• You mixed up two exam dates and prepared for the wrong one.
• The ink runs out.

Let us talk about point three. Making sure you have enough ink with you is not especially difficult. With a ballpoint pen, you are on the safe side if you bring one or two spare refills. But it is just as simple with a fountain pen: simply pack a full set of cartridges for a cartridge fountain pen or – better still – use a converter, which can be refilled with ink as needed.

In many exams, by the way, using a document-proof pen is required – which is why many people choose a ballpoint pen. But there is also document-proof ink for fountain pens.

Winner: fountain pen

Score: 3.5–2.5 to the fountain pens

Affordable, but not cheap: which pen offers the better price-performance ratio?

That leaves the big question of price. Even though there are both cheap ballpoint pens and reasonably priced fountain pens in the end, and everything depends on personal preferences – from a pack of 100 plastic biros for under 20 euros to the diamond-studded most expensive fountain pen in the world at 2.4 million euros – there is still a slight tendency in favour of the ballpoint pen.

Our premium ballpoint pens with metal barrels and quality ballpoint refills made in Germany are available from under 15 euros – an outstanding price-performance ratio.

Winner: ballpoint pen

Score: 3.5–3.5

Conclusion

Fountain pen AND biro – quite simply, there needs to be room for both! The better pen is, for each of us, the one that best suits our own needs and preferences:

• Ballpoint pens are practical, affordable and a faithful companion both in daily business life and at university.
• Fountain pens are ideal for frequent writers, are kinder to the wrist and are a true symbol of the art of writing.

So let us be honest: anyone who truly loves writing simply needs both – in a practical set!