Fountain Pen Day!

[Wandering Man]

Today, November 3rd, is Fountain Pen Day!  This is a world wide holiday instigated in 2012 by folks who enjoy writing with real ink on real paper with a real pen.

So, set down your keyboard for a while today and pick up a pen that will inspire you to write.

Here's a sample of my collection:



From Top to Bottom: 2016 Pelikan M600, 2015 Platinum Preppy, 1993 Parker Duofold, 2015 Platinum 3776 Century, 1929 Wahl Eversharp, 2015 Wahl Eversharp, 2015 Mont Blanc Solitare Classique, 1941 Waterman's Nurses Pen, 1987 Platinum 3776, and 1990 Waterman Laureat.

The 1929 Wahl Eversharp desk pen once belonged to my grandfather, who won the pen in the 1929 Iowa Southeastern District Fruit Sweepstakes.

[riverbee]

lol, i didn't know there was a fountain pen day!

nice collection wm! 

i do like fountain pens, always have and i do collect them as well, nice collection!

i also have a few my grandmother and ggrandmother gave me and one that my mother had designed and turned by a woodworker. it's pretty cool, have yet to use it!

[Wandering Man]

lol, i didn't know there was a fountain pen day!

Yeah, Macy's hasn't announced a parade for fountain pens, yet.  And I've never had a boss willing to give me the day off to celebrate.  It's a pretty quiet holiday.  I guess that's because all of fountain pen geeks would rather be inside writing instead of out drinking champagne or shooting fireworks.

[riverbee]

.................

well heck wm, i write with fountain pens and drink champagne and shoot off fireworks! .............
not many appreciate writing with a fountain pen! i still use them when i send cards, christmas cards.........and especially when i sign legal documents!.........
i open a desk drawer, some in original boxes, most not, pick one out, draw up the ink or pop a cartridge or colored cartridge in and write/sign away.
some of mine are the type with no cartridge capability but i still keep and use them!

a professor friend of mine from the university of minnesota, we share 3 things in common........fountain pens, fishing and blue jays......he does blue jay research for the u of m, and has done research for and introduced me to dr. marla spivak.  the first time i went to his office at the u of m, he had a rather large cup full of fountain pens. he wanted to talk fishing, and i wanted to know about his pen collection and also when were we going to meet dr. spivak..........

sort of a funny story:  i worked for a very successful attorney with a reputation for arrogance; very arrogant.( i didn't care for the arrogance, but he was straightforward, and an honest attorney and hard working. he trusted me. i trusted him.)  anyway, he used nothing but fountain pens. one day when meeting with him prior to a court appearance and an opposing attorney to work out a deal with a client, he neglected to cap the pen. left the cap on the end of a very expensive mont blanc fountain pen and placed it in the breast pocket of his expensive tailored suit coat. i tried to whisper to him he had done so. he sorta blew me off.  the fountain pen leaked, and leaked all over the inside of his expensive tailored suit coat, onto his crisp white tailored shirt, his tie and best of all...........his hands.......bright black/blue ink. well , that does not come off very well.....and the judge was ready...
so he didn't have time to get the ink washed off......... about blew a gasket.........oh well, i tried to tell him.

so the proceeding/plea agreement went on, but the judge got a comment off ......something about " i will accept the plea agreement. and counselor, i don't want to know why your hands and your tailored pressed white shirt are black and blue"...........

he gave me the pen, i still have it.   

[Wandering Man]

Very cool, Riverbee.  Smart of you to booby-trap the pen so he'd give it away.   

I need to hang around the courthouse looking for arrogant lawyers with Mont Blancs.

[riverbee]

.......

booby trap the pen!...........

"I need to hang around the courthouse looking for arrogant lawyers with Mont Blancs."

......

[Les]

I thought I was the only one that loved fountain pens!

[neillsayers]

I haven't used one since I was a child in parochial school. Actually they were the type that used cartridges for refill. Not sure that counts. I do remember they led to better penmanship and thats what the nuns were going for. You have my interest piqued-think I'll pick one up soon and see if I remember how to operate it.

[riverbee]

" I'll pick one up soon and see if I remember how to operate it. "

..................

neil, just remember to put the cap back on if you stick it in your shirt pocket..............

[neillsayers]

RB,

You gave me a giggle memory. Our little uniforms were navy blue slacks and white shirts. Half the kids, mostly the boys, had blue stains in their pockets.

[Wandering Man]

Maybe I should offer classes.

[Wandering Man]

I haven't used one since I was a child in parochial school. Actually they were the type that used cartridges for refill. Not sure that counts. I do remember they led to better penmanship and thats what the nuns were going for. You have my interest piqued-think I'll pick one up soon and see if I remember how to operate it.

Did your old pen look like this?

https://www.ebay.com/itm/SHEAFFER-Fountain-Pen-SCHOOL-TRANSPARENT-Polished-Chrome-Cap-304-nib-Vintage/372111605175?hash=item56a3947db7:g:CrwAAOSwEUtZkJx6

[neillsayers]

Looks similar

[riverbee]

you guys are too funny!!!!

wm, that is an oldy! i have one or two of these!!!(uh okay, maybe more, different colors)........had to really laugh about the photos though cuz i am scrolling through the pics of the pen and there were two pix of 'rattail cactus' at the end?.............

[Wandering Man]

you guys are too funny!!!!

wm, that is an oldy! i have one or two of these!!!(uh okay, maybe more, different colors)........had to really laugh about the photos though cuz i am scrolling through the pics of the pen and there were two pix of 'rattail cactus' at the end?.............

Maybe the cactus is why they are asking for $25.

[riverbee]

yah wm........ scrolling through the pix on ebay and two cactus pictures at the tail end, scrolled back and what the???........too funny!

selling cactus plants with fountain pens!.............

[Wandering Man]

Found just the pen for you, Neillsayers:

http://robbreport.com/gear/gadgets/david-oscarson-russian-imperial-pen-collection-2757514/

Maybe you could get a discount if you buy one of each color!

[neillsayers]

WM,

Gotta have it! I'll be buying extra lotto tickets!

[efmesch]

Fond memories
Talking about fountain pens inspired me to dig into my desk drawer and find the Parker fountain pen I used when I wrote to and courted my wife well over fifty years ago.  We lived in different cities and maintained contact through the mail--until we were married and no longer needed the written word to share our words. 
Truth be told, when I do, on occasion, have to write to her these days, it's a lot easier and more legible for me to type  it up and print it out.

But than again, the world has changed so radically in so many ways----who needs to write---you're only a cell phone call, an SMS or a Whats-App away.  Today, when we lose sight of each other in the super market,  it's a quick call that relocates our positions and gets us back together.

[riverbee]

that's pretty cool ef! and the ink?
i just opened one of my desk drawers looking for ink, not cartridges, they don't dry up, but i do have plenty of them and in different colors......

i had 5 bottles of stashed ink in the very back of a drawer,  2 sheaffer skrip (one is a goner) waterman, private reserve, and two other sheaffer ink bottles.  i had forgotten about them!