Here’s One Indulgent Way to Stand Out at Work

So you finally picked up your first fountain pen—perhaps a classic 18-karat-gold-nibbed Montblanc Meisterstück 149 you’ve spied in a display window or an urushi-lacquered Nakaya Portable Writer from Japan that you’ve been coveting online. Well, here’s some bad news for your American Express card balance: That was merely the first step. Now you need to fill your luxury writing instrument with equally luxurious ink.

You could buy a bottle of blue or black—often, a dust-covered container of Parker Quink can be found for less than $10 on a bottom shelf at Staples. But if you were going to stick to such boring colors, you’d still be using a cheap Bic from the office supply closet. No, you’ve gone down a different road. You’ve become part of a rich history, using the same tools your great-grandparents wrote with before there were ballpoints. You’re a fountain pen person, and you’ve got a rainbow of ink colors at your command, including turquoise, pine, chocolate, and, depending on exactly how enthusiastic you are, coral.