Due to a huge number of people having recently switch over from using a ballpoint or rollerball pen to using their first entry-level fountain pen we have noticed more and more people asking questions about how they are able to improve the performance of their new pen. One of the more commonly asked questions that we have noticed being asked is based around how you are able to make a fountain pen write thicker after purchasing it.
We would suspect that this is largely due to people having purchased a fountain pen without thinking about the nib size, nib type, and what they will actually be using their pen for. Although there are a few things that you may be able to do depending on the specific pen you are using and what you plan to do with the pen, you will almost always be better off by doing a little research prior to purchasing your pen to ensure that you are getting the nib size that you actually require in the first place.
Depending on the price point of your current fountain pen, you may actually have an easier time by just purchasing an entry-level fountain pen with a broad nib that will write thicker. Not only will this take less time but it can actually workout to be cheaper too while allowing you to write with a thicker font size than you currently can.
How Can I Make My Fountain Pen Thicker
Anyway, we have a number of suggestions below that may be able to help you get your fountain pen to write with a thicker font size than it currently is. Please keep in mind though, these options are not all available to all fountain pen models due to the way that specific types of fountain pen are built. On top of this, if your fountain pen is an entry-level model that we would suspect most of our readers are using who are looking for answers to a question like this then these may not be available.
Most of the entry-level fountain pen models on the market right now do tend to be of a more simplistic design with less features to help keep their price tag down. This is why we often recommend that our readers simply just repurchase an entry-level fountain pen with a broad nib if you are using a cheaper fountain pen model as it tends to be a cheaper and quicker fix.
Switch To A Flex Nib
So first up on our list of whats that you are able to get your fountain pen to write thicker is to opt to go with a flex nibbed fountain pen. Now, we know that some people really don’t like flex nibs on their fountain pens due to them tending to be a pain to get used to but they are one of the better options on the market.
A flex nib allows you to make your fountain pen nib writer in a thicker font simply by applying more pressure to the nib to flex its tines and allow more ink to the paper increasing your font size. On the flipside of this, some people really don’t like flex pen nibs but this tends to be heavy writers as it will often cause you to have a broader font most of the time.
Thankfully, there are a number of entry-level price point flex nib options on the market these days that you are able to add to your collection for cheap. This allows you to write with a fine or medium nib size the majority of the time and then press harder on your pen when required to switch it to writing thicker with a broad or even double-broad nib size font from the same pen.
Switch To A Broader Nib
Next up we have to pick up a replacement nib for your fountain pen that has a wider nib size rating than your current nib. This option will be model specific as not all fountain pens supports replacement nibs and some of the ones that do require a full front section replacement increasing the prices even further. That said though, the majority of intermediate to premium price point fountain pens from the better pen brands do usually offer replacement nibs at a fair price.
If your current pen is an entry-level fountain pen though, it will almost always be cheaper for you to just purchase a new entry-level broad nibbed pen. Depending on the pen brand and model, you may be able to find a double-broad option to get an even wider font size from your pen when writing too.
Please also keep in mind that replacement nibs that are made from gold or are gold plated will cost considerably more than a stainless steel nib. If you are not sure what nib size you want for your pen to writer broader, you can sometimes go to your local stationary store to try some out. You can also sometimes order a bundle of stainless steel nibs cheap to try out different sizes before ordering the same size in a gold or gold plated finish for long term use once you know what nib size you want.
Adjust The Tines On Your Nib
We would not recommend that you try this one your self on an expensive fountain pen as you may break the nib and cause it to leak ink. If you do want to adjust your tines to allow more ink to flow through the ink patch then there are tutorials on how you are able to do this for many popular fountain pen models on YouTube.
This will get your fountain pen to write thicker but it can also create issues with inconsistency with the pen when writing with it. This is due to you only being able to adjust the tines on the nib to allow more ink to the paper, the actual feed of your fountain pen remains unchanged meaning that the regular ink supply hits the tines on the nib and is not adjusted for the wider tines.
Some people to widen their tines slightly if they are slower writers as the feed has enough time to catch up and resupply the used ink. If you plan to be writing at a regular pace though, adjusting the tines on the nib is not recommended as it is only a temporary fix with a chance of you permanently breaking the nib of your pen and causing additional issues.
Conclusion
That brings our article on how you are able to get your fountain pen to write thicker than it currently does to an end. We know that there is not much actionable advice in the article but there is not much that we are able to say due to it being a difficult task to achieve, especially for free. There is a reason that fountain pens are sold with specific nib sizes as the whole pen is built around that level of ink supply being used at any given time to provide you with the font that the pen is designed to write at.
