There are a plethora of helpful websites and communities across the web to stay up to date on fountain pen news, share your personal experiences, ask questions and seek troubleshooting help. I would like to suggest those websites that have been (and still are) indispensable for my fountain pen journey, so that others may benefit. There are many, many more—but these should get you started.
Fountain Pen Network
FountainPenNetwork.com is a web community for all things fountain pens. It features friendly community discussions, brand-specific sub-forums and a marketplace for used fountain pens. At the time of writing, over 110,000 members are registered and responsible for more than 330,000 topics with total posts in excess of 4,000,000.
The Goulet Pen Company on YouTube
Brian and Rachel Goulet’s US-based online store started selling fountain pens and accessories in 2009. In 2013, the company’s YouTube channel began picking up speed and gaining traction. To date, almost 300 episodes of Brian’s weekly Q&A series have been published, answering questions about pens, inks and paper. In addition, the Goulets host pen-themed talk shows with their staff and post helpful guide videos on frequently asked questions and special-interest topics.
Mountain of Ink
If you’re looking for some new ink, one of the almost 1500 reviews on Mountainofink.com should be able to help you out. Kelli is always hard at work acquiring, testing, photographing and uploading pictures of any ink imaginable. Categorised by property, colour or brand, finding and comparing new inks to what you already have is quick and easy—although the decision which one(s) to ultimately buy might not be.
/r/fountainpens on Reddit
Reddit has a subreddit for everything—including fountain pens. The main draw of this one is certainly the community aspect: posting images of your new pen or ink is quick and easy, as is getting mostly positive reactions from other users who share in your excitement. Of course, questions and cries for help can be posted there, too, and more often than not, someone can help you out.