“I was thinking of getting you a
fountain pen for a wedding present, but then I realized you already had one.”
That’s the scene in The Sound of
Music with the very regal and fabulous Baroness Schraeder played by Eleanor
Parker that reminds me of why the fountain pen is an icon.
It’s rare to spot a fountain pen
in one’s desks these modern days, but it continues to be an icon of a writing
instrument among those old-school pen and paper writers.
A close friend of mine still
writes handwritten letters with a fountain pen on parchment paper in the age of
computers and Facebook messenger.
A fountain pen comes in many
different varieties such as capped or retractrable, fine or thick nibs,
pocket-sized or the regular length. Basically and by definition, a fountain pen
is a writing instrument with a reservoir or cartridge from which the ink flows
continuously to the nib.
The list of masters who use the
fountain pen in writing their works are Neil Gaiman, Simone de Beavoir, Stephen
King, Dylan Thomas and Claire Messud.
Never have I expected to actually
own a fountain pen because the ones I usually see are the posh ones which must
cost a small fortune already. But thanks to my crazy friends A and M, I have a
simple but meaningful fountain pen with my name engraved on it. It came as a
surprise and these are the times when I feel so grateful to have thoughtful
friends who know me so well.
I’ve used the pen mostly for
signing cheques and policies as well as bank transactions. I received a box of
refill cartridges with it and I’ve already consumed half of the cartridges. I
like the cartridge system to minimize having to frequently dip into ink and
also avoid any mess I might cause because honestly, my desk is far from very
neat. Though I’m anticipating that I have to look for replacements pretty soon because
I live and work far from town and the local and only bookstore might not carry
it here LOL. Let’s just say fountain pens are not very popular in this city and
only a handful of people actually use it.
But they do make very beautiful and thoughtful Christmas (or even wedding) gifts.
So what do you think of the
fountain pen? Would you consider acquiring one or are you going to stick to a
good sign pen for your signature? Share your thoughts with me by leaving me a
comment. Cheers!
