In the spirit of the holiday card season, I have decided to post the following conversation with a friend – over Facebook – regarding the merits of fine writing instruments. We focused on the fountain pen. The designer and illustrator of the Bow Tie Guy drawing is A and I am B.
A-I've got an idea! Does the Bow Tie Guy use a fountain pen? Not the pricey "everybody knows the name" fancy ones, or the dime store special ones, but a real "use it every day", real man type of fountain pen. And yes, I do use them myself! I have a 1930's Sheaffer that writes like a dream!
B-I use them also. I instantly thought Montblanc when you said "everybody knows the name". I stopped using them at the office the first month since a colleague is a notorious pen pilferer. I personally default to a Lamy Safari (the steel nib allows me to loan it out without fret). I also enjoy its masculine and durable design. I could see Teddy Roosevelt signing bills with this. Also it's fairly inexpensive to replace. The 1930's Sheaffer is something to which I aspire. My one unique pen, which I inherited from my father, is an old Cartier fountain pen (I dare not use it often). As the resident expert on fine writing implements, what do you recommend a Rotring, Cross, or maybe a Conklin like Mark Twain?
A-Montblanc was exactly what I was thinking!! Kind of like the Rolex of the pen world: Overpriced and writes ok, but lots of marketing. I've never had a problem with a pen pilferer. That Lamy looks very cool. My everyday pen is an Aurora Ipsilon. It’s a great writer and Italian. I'm going to have to look into maybe getting a Lamy. I recommend a vintage Parker vacumatic.
B-I had not even seen a vacumatic. What a great looking pen!
I hope this inspires you to sign those seasonal cards with the right pen.
BTG
Thanks for this recommendation. I've always love the fountain pen. They are so elegant to write with and to put it in your pocket. And I love the sound it makes when you write on a fine paper.
ReplyDeleteI am in total agreement on the Lamy Safari and I recently purchased a Lamy L15 Joy Calligraphy Pen for writing out my Holiday Cards. I found a great site, BoardRoomProducts.com, which carries a complete line of Fine Writing Instruments by Lamy. If anyone is interested in finding a quality online store that carries Fine Writing Instruments and Unique Office Supplies at discounted prices - check out http;//www.boardroomproducts.com.
ReplyDelete