Member-only story
International Fountain Pen Day! Thoughts on Fountain Pens in 2022
A photo essay. Yes, this is a thing
Fountain pens are a connection to our literary past. The look and feel of a shiny metal nib on paper is one of a kind. The capillary action of the ink flowing from the reservoir to the trough it carves in the paper is pure joy.
Actually, writing by hand is a connection to our past these days. I say this as I hammer away at my keyboard like an angry woodpecker. But in those times when I need to slow down and admire the act of putting ink on paper, a fountain pen is my weapon of choice.
And since today is International Fountain Pen Day, we should celebrate this niche hobby.
My foray into fountain pen culture didn’t come naturally. Several years ago I was visiting a client who had worked in a paper mill for years. He had a thing for notebooks and paper, and gave me a notebook as a gift one day. He also told me he only used fountain pens, which at the time I thought to be old-timey and quite steampunk.
It was one of those kernels of an idea that germinates over time. It took root and sprouted, and I found myself intrigued by the idea. Not knowing where to begin, I searched the internet, and found a place to start.
