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Fountain
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Pen Notes > Back When to NowWhy all the attention to pens, ink, paper, etc.? Well, I really don’t want to bore you with a long story here, but I can’t remember a time when I didn’t enjoy having a writing instrument in my hand. And fountain pens? Give me a nice (fountain) pen and some good paper, and I’m like the proverbial clam – real happy. I guess all this can be traced back to my grade school days. I can clearly remember how I enjoyed learning to write, carefully tracing over each letter, then trying to reproduce the movement on my own. Remember those big, yellow elementary pencils? They were just a part of the teaching technique in my school days, but later, when those skinny little ballpoints were the vogue and I was writing long documents, I’d remember how comfortable it was to write with those larger diameter pencils. Matter of fact, this memory prompted me to buy at least one set of writing instruments – the Lamy 2000. Actually, when I was learning to write we were in transition from the dominance and popularity of dip and fountain pens, to the trusty ballpoint – enter the Bic. It may be difficult to believe now, but the ballpoint came to us from the military, shortly after World War II, and had a substantial impact not only on what people wrote with but handwriting too. The pencil retained its traditional role, but the ballpoint all but put the fountain pen into the history books. The ballpoint was a big thing! I’m still not convinced they were a blessing as you’ll see in my articles on penmanship. I didn’t begin to use a fountain pen until later, in high school, when I bought one of those “student” pens. Most of my memories of that stem from the usual problems with ink spills and the “filling mess.” I was good at that and my Mother wasn’t enthused. The experience stimulated an interest with me though, one that would fully emerge a few years later. My appreciation for writing never waivered, but like many people I relied on the convenience of the pencil and ballpoint for a considerable time. My persistent interest in writing led into what was termed “the resurgence of calligraphy” and, of course, along with it, the dip pens and inks. Soon I found this interest extended to the history of writing, instruments used to write, making inks, paper, and, later, collecting fountain pens. As I recall now, my renewed interest in fountain pens was generated more as an effort to escape the trusty dip pen for calligraphy than anything else, and led to my first purchase of a Pelikan Graphos set. As some things seem to go, these interests ultimately grew into a full avocation. When I began collecting pens in the mid-1960s there weren’t many pen collectors out there so it was much different than it is today. I could go to an estate auction and buy a box full of “old pens” for as little as a dollar, never more than $5. Frequently I’d find anywhere from 5-10 fountain pens thrown in the box, along with a mix of pencils, ballpoints, an ink well now and then, and even pen stands. Those days are gone, of course, but I still find an occasional sale where the antique dealers and other collectors don’t bid up the prices. Rare, but it does happen. I’ve never been as much into the history and details of collecting as I have actually using the pens. Given the criteria on eBay in recent years, my contemporary pens may not be worth much because the majority is used. Which bring me to the question: Why buy a fountain pen then let it sit unused in some display? Sorry, but I don’t get it! I use my pens. As far as collecting goes, in the vintage pens I focus on Sheaffer Snorkels and Parker 51s, but have a few Waterman too. In the contemporary pens, I have a good representation of Waterman, Pelikan, Parker, Aurora, Visconti, and Mont Blanc dating from the late-1960s. I have examples from other manufacturers too, but very selectively. The pen I choose to use on a given day is undoubtedly based on my mood or a whim of the moment, but there’s always that little something inside that tells me exactly which one. Sometimes the choice is based on the nib, for example, if I’m in the mood to use an italic or specially cut Spencerian nib. Today I have the option of picking a roller ball or gel pen to compliment the fountain pen too. I find myself using gel pens more because they provide an ink flow and feel that’s so much closer to that of the fountain pen, but I’m still hooked on the fountain pen. Of the contemporaries makers, I believe Waterman offers the best overall quality, but Aurora and Pelikan are close and offer great pens too. Visconti is assuredly not as well appreciated as they should be, and Mont Blanc is very much over rated, but very big with collectors. MB is huge in the so-called limited edition arena. My intent is to add to this portion of the site as possible, hopefully arriving at articles that will be of special interest or provide some important information. If you’re interest in fountain pens is new, please review the articles under this section. I think you might find them informative and useful before you jump in. In case you were wondering, yes, I use the computer and wordprocessor these days, but I write with a pen first. Writing it out by hand allows me to organize and structure thoughts from the idea tree and outline, so it’s a real help for me. Could be too it’s just a old habit I developed before computers were available. Good Luck and enjoy, Bob
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