Setting aside filling systems, if someone asked me to identify the key difference between vintage pens of 75-100 years ago and modern pens currently on the market, I would have to say size. Extremely popular vintage pens such as the Parker 51 and the standard Parker Vacumatic Maxima, not to mention something like the Sheaffer Snorkel, appear tiny when compared against the majority of modern fountain pens. Even looking at pens from just 20 years ago (still considered “modern” in most circles), size has steadily increased. I have a set of Waterman Man 100 Patricians from the early 1990s, which were considered large pens at the time. and while they’re still not small, they compare to a standard Esterbrook Estie or Diplomat Aero.
I first noticed the oversized trend with the Edison Collier, which I considered huge when it was first announced several years ago but which today seems relatively modest. Pen companies haven’t slowed down. Before they went under, Delta and OMAS made oversized versions of their Dolcevita and Paragon fountain pens, respectively. Leonardo has released the Momento Zero Grande, a larger version of its already substantial Momento Zero. Esterbrook is killing it with the Estie “Oversized,” and apparently is selling so many that they have started to release special edition versions. These days, even the Montblanc 149 - once considered a “huge” pen - no longer seems that big at all.
What’s Driving the “Oversized” Trend?
I’ve heard a few different things in the course of years worth of conversations with both users and penmakers:
The fountain pen community is aging. While more young people are coming into the hobby, those who grew up using fountain pens - still the core audience - are moving into their 60s and 70s, and larger pens are more comfortable for those with conditions such as RSI (repetitive stress injury) or arthritis. (A recommendation for “a large pen for arthritic hands” is actually one of the most frequently received requests here at T.G.S.)
As fountain pens have become less utilitarian objects and more luxury accessories, the focus has shifted from the pen as a “daily writer” to the pen as a vehicle to showcase unique materials. Some companies have managed to navigate this shift remarkably well. For example, both Kanilea Pen Company and Leonardo Officina Italiana make fountain pens that are both gorgeous to look at and exceptionally comfortable to use. On the other hand, the past several years have seen an explosion of uber-expensive pens so large that they look like nightsticks, primarily made from rare celluloids. Personally, I have a hard time seeing how those pens can be used practically as everyday writers by anyone save those with extremely large hands.
Vintage pens were manufactured in factories as objects for mass consumption, as opposed to turned by hand on a lathe, as many pens are today. My understanding is that it can be more difficult and labor-intensive to hand-turn a smaller or more slender fountain pen, and it results in more wasted materials (which can be expensive). I’m not a penmaker, so I have no experience in this regard, but I’ve had multiple individuals mention this at shows over the years.
Sometimes it’s as simple as a shift in consumer preferences. Especially in the U.S., everything has upsized over time: cars, houses, watches, and, yes, pens. If larger pens sell, manufacturers will keep making them, especially if consumers equate “bigger” with “more expensive", and remain willing to pay top dollar for giant pens.
Considerations on Buying a Large Fountain Pen
If you’ve also noticed the shift towards larger pens, and are curious about trying one, keep a few things in mind. First, whether any pen will make a comfortable daily writer is less about pure length or diameter and more about shape and balance (i.e. weight distribution). For example, what makes the Leonardo Momento Zero Grande an extremely comfortable pen, despite its size, is the fact that the pen has a subtle hourglass shape with most of the girth towards the front. Slightly tapering the back end allows you to post the cap deeply, without throwing off the balance and back-weighting the pen too much. It helps that the cap is extremely light.
Second, while piston filling systems are seen by some as a sort of litmus test as to whether or not a pen is truly “high-end,” they can add weight. I would love to add a Pelikan M1000 to my collection, but the added weight from the filling system makes this a hard pen for me to use. On oversize pens, I tend to prefer cartridge-converter systems, though I will add that Leonardo’s has developed an extremely lightweight piston on the Momento Zero Grande.
Finally, if you’re thinking about purchasing an oversized fountain pen for the first time, consider visiting a pen shop in person or waiting until pen shows resume. (It’s currently hard to predict exactly when that will happen in light of current events, but I remain confident that this too shall pass.) If you can’t wait, be sure to purchase from a retailer who allows returns, and handle the pen to make sure you find the size comfortable before you ink it up.
Final Thoughts
I started thinking about these issues while watching the pens in my collection gradually get larger. While I can appreciate an oversized fountain pen, especially one made by a craftsman who enjoys the act of writing and how a pen should fit the hand for maximum comfort over long sessions, I would love to see more pens made in the size and shape of the classic Parker Vacumatic. Delta made a run of celluloid Fusion 82s in conjunction with Bryant Greer of Chatterly Luxuries several years ago, and those ended up just about perfect (though as you can see from the pictures, the pens were still larger than a vintage Vac). Conway Stewart’s excellent Model 100 is another vintage-inspired option, though difficult to find in the U.S. Waterman, with its flagship Expert and Carene models, seems to be losing ground. Don’t even get me started on the disappearance of the Parker Sonnet. Currently, Japanese companies are holding out, with Pilot, Sailor, and Platinum still sizing their flagship collections for the everyday user, though you can see the “big pen” trend working its way into their lineups with pens such as Pilot’s massive “Custom Urushi” and Sailor’s “King of Pen.”
At the end of the day, I appreciate variety, but I have some concern based on the trends I’m seeing that reasonably sized, practical fountain pens are losing ground to larger “show ponies.” Personally, I would like to see more vintage-inspired design, not only in terms of shape and materials but also in terms of size. Taking things too far in any one direction can only restrict the appeal of the hobby, which is good for no one and risks jeopardizing the progress we’ve made towards a broader pen community.
Disclaimer: The pens featured in this review are from my own personal collection.