Why Are Fountain Pen Sales Rising?

For many, fountain pens bring back memories of school days full of inky fingers, smudged exercise books and piles of blotting paper.

But for others, a fat Montblanc or a silver-plated Parker is a treasured item. Prominently displayed, they are associated with long, sinuous lines of cursive script.

Sales figures are on the up. Parker, which has manufactured fountain pens since 1888, claims a worldwide "resurgence" in the past five years, and rival Lamy says turnover increased by more than 5 percent in 2011. Online retailer Amazon says sales so far this year have doubled compared with the same period in 2011.