Happy International Fountain Pen Day!
Happy International Fountain Pen Day! The first Friday in November is Fountain Pen Day, where we celebrate all the wonderful things that give our handwriting character and help us to slow down when we write. We sort of celebrate that everyday around here, but it's always nice when it's official. Ideas to celebrate:
I thought I would celebrate by sharing a little about my first fountain pen, which some of you know might already know about. It's actually quite germane, as it is what got the ball rolling to this whole adventure of Wonder Pens. Back when I was a teacher and Jon worked in banking, he was sent on a business trip to New York. At that time, we had been married a year or two and things were still fresh and dramatic and I was on my own with Super pretending like I couldn't survive for four days on my own (good grief). And so on his time off, he bought several souvenirs back from New York for me: a dress, some books, and some stationery. He got me some gel pens, some gel refills, some notebooks, and (gasp!) a fountain pen. I was immediately hooked, without a second's pause; something in me just knew this was something I was going to love. A click, a switch, a light turns on. I sometimes recognize this in customers because I myself was one of these people - people who love stationery and writing and writing tools, but haven't yet discovered the magic of a good fountain pen. But once they do... it's a deep rabbit hole. I knew it as soon as he brought it out, that my life was going to be changed. It sounds a bit crazy, but I just knew. I was not a dip my toe into the water kind of a stationery nut, I was an all-in-hallelujah-conversion kind of nut. After testing my pen out, my first thought was (first stationery hoarder warning) how am I going to get refills for this? Do I need to preserve its ink supply? What happens when I run out? How much ink is enough? Jon had brought back one pack of cartridges (ha! ha! ha! cartridges! one pack!) and obviously that wasn't going to cut it. Shortly after, I discovered bottled ink over the internet, and I was a complete goner. Sailor inks were some of my first and I remain faithful to them to this day, but along the way, I picked up J. Herbin, Noodler's, Rohrer and Klingner and a few more fountain pens, my first Lamy Safari (charcoal), my first Sailor (Pro Gear Slim). And on it went. I used fountain pens to get me through the drudgery of long nights of marking, my students used them as a special treat. I got a fancy pen case from Nock Co.'s predecessor, Alter Manufacturing, was made fun of my fellow teachers when I pulled my fancy fountain pens, I negotiated with Jon about orders from companies in the US and aboard, I tracked shipping notifications religiously from shipping companies that don't seem to understand what tracking means. It was all lovely. A few years down the line and Jon wanted to start a business, he of the entrepreneurial spirit. I loved my teaching job, but I'm always game for a new adventure, so off we went. We threw around a few ideas, including opening a fountain pen shop. I balked, thinking what basically everyone who hears about our business and who isn't already into fountain pens thinks: who's still buying pens? Jon, having had to foot the international bill for many of my pen purchases gave me his now classic look, a look I know very well having run a business with him for the last five years. In a great twist of irony, one of the many in my life, Jon, the budget-keeper of my myriad pen purchases, ended up convincing me to open up a pen shop, allowing me to purchase, essentially, as many pens as we had money for.** I'll take ten of these, and ten of these, and maybe a few of these as well, why not. And it was a crazy leap, but we made it, blindly and with all the optimism of two kids who have never run a business before. I say this all the time to everyone who asks about starting a business: if I had known about all the work, risks, costs, struggles, time, hustle, constant uncertainty, and effort it takes to run a small business, I would probably would've looked at Jon and laughed when he suggested it. That being said, I couldn't imagine any other life, and I also couldn't imagine life without all these people - customers, vendors, artists and creatives, friends in the industry, and of course our team, that I've met through this community of fountain pen users. And I guess this is what is sort of great about Fountain Pen Day, and all of the things people, bloggers, community builders, are doing - letting all us fountain pen nuts know that we're not crazy. Or maybe we're a little crazy, but we're not alone. There are a whole bunch of us crazies out there, and we can all celebrate together. Or maybe, because a lot of us are introverted souls or are far apart from each other, celebrate individually but united in spirit. And so! We're doing a giveaway here on the blog, which we haven't done in ages (sorry!). 
We're giving away an Aurora Duo Cart here on the blog. To enter, leave a comment. You can tell us about your first fountain pen, your favourite fountain pen, a fountain pen disaster, or just say hello. One entry per person. Contest closes Sunday, November 4th, 2018 at 11:59 pm EST. Open internationally. Winner will be announced shortly after. Please bear with me in patience and love.
Edit: If your comment doesn't appear right away, don't worry! All comments need to be approved as the blog seems to attract a lot of spam. We will surely do a thorough check of the comments periodically through the weekend and before the end of the contest. *Not fountain pen related, but I mean what is celebration without good food? **To sell to other people.
- Clean out some pens that need it, and ink up some up fresh
- Head to a cafe with a fountain pen and journal or letters, and spend some time writing
- Give away a pen or two to people you know who do a lot of writing
- Give a kid in your life a Preppy or a Petit1 (who knows the road they could get started on!)
- Treat yourself to a favourite meal*
We're giving away an Aurora Duo Cart here on the blog. To enter, leave a comment. You can tell us about your first fountain pen, your favourite fountain pen, a fountain pen disaster, or just say hello. One entry per person. Contest closes Sunday, November 4th, 2018 at 11:59 pm EST. Open internationally. Winner will be announced shortly after. Please bear with me in patience and love.
Related Posts
Some of My Favourite Desk Tools
Some of us are working from home more than usual. While the fountain pen...
Currently Inked
I’ve mostly been using the shop tester pens, but after seven weeks of it...
On the Desk
These days have been looking a bit different from what they usually look...
Comments
Salome said:
My first fountain pen experience was in architecture school when a friend of mine pulled a beautiful white kaweco from her leather bag and it was love at first sight! Not a big fan of the brand because i never got my hands on a true EF kaweco but ghe fountain pen love never ended!
Robert Ramsay said:
Really enjoyed the meet-up last week and the snacks. :-)
My first pen as an adult (I used them in middle school, then sat in front of a computer for 15 years) was a Lamy AL-Star, which I still use. But my favourite, currently, is my little Franklin Christoph 45 ghost with a broad stub nib. My favourite work pen is the Waterman Carène I recently splurged on, such a solid and reliable pen.
Mike Lipowski said:
Pen of Wonder
Pen of light
how I’d love a
new pen tonight!
Jeff flynn said:
Happy Fountain one day!!!!
Michelle Y said:
“I’ll take ten of these….” Ha! Getting to buy for the shop must be one of the most wonderful parts of the small business ownership! The first time I got tuned into fountain pens was admiring the one my highschool art teacher, Mrs Huebener always had with her . She would wave it around when when was trying to make a point or very artfully write comments/critiques of our work. She was a calligrapher so we learned a lot more about Roman Caps and italics than most other Gr. 9 students. Mrs H. was pretty fierce, and the first day of any of her classes, she would give us the speech, that “If anyone thinks this is going to be some ‘Mickey Mouse’ class, you should leave now.” She meant business and we were all better for it!
Michael Lampard said:
I got my first fountain pen when I was a teenager. It was a Parker Sonnet which I won in a writing competition. When the supplied cartridge ran dry I put it away somewhere, and I have never been able to find it since. One day I will go through my parents house and find it.
Sandy said:
My first pen was a Pilot Metro and I really enjoyed it but when I came across a Lamy Safari display in a shop and absentmindedly picked one up when I was waiting at the register, that’s when I had the feeling that it was THE ONE and there was no going back!
Bree-Ann Estensen said:
My first fountain pen was a turquoise TWSBI Eco from Wonderpens. I love it. To compliment my pretty pen I paired it with J. Herbin 1670 Emerald of Chivor. I haven’t gotten any more pens yet, but I look forward to building and adding to my collection.
Ana said:
Happy International Fountain Pen Day to you, too! I got my first fountain pen as a gift from one of my best friends, and the rest is history…
Ruth said:
I got a Kamy Safari but find the nib scratchy and it skips.
I got a TWSBI Eco and I am enjoying this pen. My first pen was a Preppy.
I wished that there was a store similar to yours in my area, someday.
Adrianne said:
Aside from a starter calligraphy set in grade school, my very first big girl fountain pen came from you! I got a TWSBI ECO which sealed the deal for me and fountain pens. The flowy, inky lovelyness as you swipe the nib across the page just did it for me.
Betty Manning said:
I have used straight pens and ink to aide in improving student’s formation of letter (printing and writing). I have gifted them with fountain pens as they improved. I, myself, love pen and ink and I give that credit to my grade five teacher, Mrs. Huston, of Winnipeg.
Nicole Hoye said:
My first fountain pen was a rather nice Faber Castell a friend recommended on a sort of deal site. After that I made a visit to Wonder Pens with a pal and got a TSWBI Eco and a Pilot Metropolitan and it’s all gone downhill (uphill?) for my collection from there. The best part is having friends who, when they see you’re into fountain pens, raining down vials of ink samples on you! The best.
Rodylyn said:
Let’s give this entry a shot! My first jump into fountain pens was actually by way of getting back into letter writing, InCoWriMo and pen pals; I subscribed to a stationery box, and my first FP was the elusive lavender Lamy Safari. So I’ve been down the rabbit hole for nearly 3 years, and have no intention of climbing out. Scriptus is Christmas to me :)
Shubhranshu said:
First Fountain Pen was a plastic Platignum which were the recommended starter FP in school .. graduation from pencil to FP … Saw some other kids with Parker 45s and 51s. those were a universe better .. bought one 51 in the next term .. such a long time ago .. still gives a thrill!
Andrew Mulnix said:
My first fountain pen was a black Jinhao X750 with Noodlers Black ink.
Devin Mens said:
Saying hi for the giveaway. My first fountain pen was a Parker sonnet with a steel nib off of amazon.
Marko Markolovic said:
My first fountain pen was the Lamy Vista. I wrote with it everyday and really enjoyed using it but I realized there were more. So now a year later I can’t count the number of pens I’ve bought and used. The Aurora Duo-cart was the one that got away. Thanks for the poor.
Steve said:
I got a Lamy from Germany as a present from my sister when she visited there. Found out it’s not really mean for me and my writing style. Ended up getting a Parker after a recommendation from staff at Wonderpens. Hope this one fits the bill too!
Jill said:
My first fountain pen was a gift when I was a teenager and was given to me because I loved handwriting. I used it all the time and even had a few paid calligraphy jobs. Children, jobs etc and now I’m back to writing in my journal. I have a couple of fountain pens but would love a beautiful one to add to my collection.
Stephanie P said:
My first fountain pen was a Kaweco Sport, about 2 years ago. I love that little pen and still use it all the time. I never thought I’d grow so attached to a pen when I first started out! Thanks to your shop for being such a great resource over the years. Cheers!
Alexander Mackenzie said:
I consider myself a beginner, but I can totally relate to the quick obsession with ink! I fell in love with the aesthetic of fountain pens and fine stationery… never looking back. Currently studying abroad in Scotland and using my trusty pilot metropolitan, perfect as an on the go travel pen on the train. Using the beautiful G. Lalo Verge de France paper to write letters home to family and friends in Canada
Happy International fountain pen day from Scotland!
Zack said:
My favourite pen has got to be the TWSBI ECO. Happy fountain pen day!
P. Durrani said:
I had fountain pens as a teenager (I went through the British system) – but there were the cartridge kind and I was good at inking my index and forefinger as I wrote. As an adult, I ordered my first full-fledged fountain pen from you guys this summer and I love it. The heavy feel makes my fingers itch to use it and it is my soul expose pen – the one I use to writer personal reflections…
I suspect I’ll eventually need a grocery pen, Christmas card pen, and random notes pen…but for now my solitary Pilot Metropolitan is keeping the cockles of my heart warm :)
Corrie said:
Can I say that I cannot seem to fill my fountain pens without getting ink on myself? Still need to work on that skill.
Chris Buechler said:
My first fountain pen was a Sheaffer Calligraphy 3 set. I still have them over a decade later! Of course I have other finer pens, but they still have a place in my desk. :)
Richard said:
My favourite pen is my TWSBI Eco EF. Even though I have fancier pens, better looking pens, and pens that write smoother, I still love my Eco the most. It’s the pen that lives in my pants pocket, it’s the pen that I did all my writing with in grad school, it’s the pen I will carry every day until I die or it dies.
Adam said:
My first fountain pen purchase was also related to my first fountain pen disaster. I purchased a TSWBI from your website and it is still one of my favourites.
I took it to a trivia night and all my friends commented on it. One friend asked to see it and twisted the ink release a little. There were a few comments about why I would spend the money when BIC pens were cheap and readily available. I told them it was a great purchase and better than a BIC. I got my pen back and then it leaked all over the sheet when I went to write my next answer.
These days, I get compliments on my handwriting sometimes to the point of disbelief.
Tenisha Dezreen said:
My first fountain pen was a Lamy Al-star, which seems a little unimpressive now, but it still holds a special place in my heart.
Ivan C said:
Hello! always loved my first experience with my first Lamy… then make the Conklin and the TWISBI. love them all!
Doug phillips said:
Great story. I started with Fountain pens when my grade 7 teacher started using them. I lost interest in University but now I am back enjoying fountain pens.
A.D. said:
I am so happy in this crazy rabbit hole. It’s deep, but with so many turns and side alleys, I don’t feel the need to come up for air—well, maybe to walk to the post office to pick up a delivery of pens and ink, but that’s about it.
Dayna Lee said:
I love that I found Wonderpens and I love your story. I grew up with a father who was a stationery nut and did beautiful calligraphy that fascinated me. I worked at Staples for 14 years and dabbled with fountain pens but the ones they sold were pretty lame, to be honest. I don’t remember now how I got back into them but once I discovered Wonderpens and better pens and bottled ink I never looked back. I often bemoan the fact that I don’t live closer, but I’m sure my husband is happy we don’t! I’ve mostly stuck to pens in the Lamy or TWSBI range due to finance but one day, some day I will own a Sailor Pro Gear Slim. I’m glad there are others out there that understand the addictive nature of all things inky. ?
Ivan C said:
My First fountain pen was a Lamy, TWISBI was second, then came the Conklin and finally a Monteverde. Love them all! Specially the Conklin witch i use for taking notes in class
Stephanie said:
Every year for the last two, I’ve dropped by the store to pick up a new pen—kinda of my way of celebrating Fountain Pen day. My very first pen was a Montblanc that I inherited from my uncle. He showed me how to fill a converter and to this day I’m reminded of smile and eagerness of sharing his hobby which eventually became mine.
Megan Monson said:
Hello!
my first fountain pen i received was a Lamy Joy for my thirteenth birthday, 10 years ago!
Its still in my wood pen case. :)
David Gargaro said:
Thank you for being such a great promoter of all things fountain pen related. I’ve only discovered them as something I love 3-4 years ago, and I try to make it to your store when I can. I was fortunate to make it out to Scriptus and to your booth on Sunday, although I did not have the time that day to browse as patiently as I would like to find the right “next” pen. I enjoy reading your blog and newsletter, and being inspired by how much you care about pens and stationery and everything else.
Susan said:
So interesting to hear what started it all. Next time, I’d like to hear how you came up with such a great name. Happy Fountain Pen Day to all!
Frances Tenn said:
Great blog post.. I got my first fountain pen in 2013 for my travelers note book and the “hobbie” is still going strong ?
Mark Junk said:
My favorite fountain pen is my Pelikan M200 Smokey Quartz. I love the way it writes perfectly in every situation.
Cris Kourelias said:
I recently returned to using fountain pens, as they were the norm in elementary and high school in the 50’s. I enjoy writing with them. So far, I like the TWSBI brand…have a couple…and they write smooth and without skipping, even if not picked up for a long time.
Julie said:
My very first fountain pen was one that I picked up on a whim from Muji. Little did I know the path it would start me down.
Rosie said:
I just started learning about fountain pens this year -in April and now own about 10! I find that I need different nib sizes for my mood – I like to write bigger in my journal, smaller at work – and love to match pen colours to ink. Using a fountain pen, is far more personal and emotional and visceral than I imagined. Love it, and can’t imagine I’ll ever be without one now. Thanks!!
Tracy said:
I bought a fountain pen as a souvenir on a trip to Vancouver this year, and I’ve since fallen down that rabbit hole!
Kimiko Carlson said:
A sunny hello from western Canada! Would love to win the prize. Eh!
Robert Meeks said:
Hello! I’m pretty new to the fountain pen world; my first was a Lamy Alstar, a gift from my brother, and my second just purchased this year is a TWSBI Eco Mini that I can’t praise enough. Happy Fountain Pen Day!
Rebecca said:
Hi. I’ve never been to your store in person but have made many purchases online. Love your blog and store!
ElaineB said:
I have been using fountain pens since I was a kid, more years ago than I want to admit. My father still used his trusty Parker 51 when I was little (though I wasn’t allowed to use it), and it was just natural for me to pick up my own Sheaffer school pen when I had some birthday money to spend. My father passed away a few months ago—an unexpected death from leukemia. I have his Parker 51 now, in need of repair. I’m saving up to get it worked on. I still tear up thinking about how much life this pen has witnessed and how my father’s hand held it and used it for so many years.
Mary said:
My first fountain pen was the Lamy Vista, but it wasn’t until the TWSBI Eco that I really fell in love with the hobby!
Denise said:
I picked up my first fountain pen in University. I wrote all my notes by hand and was instantly hooked with the smoothness of a fountain pen. The original pen came to a dramatic end of life, falling victim to my organic chemistry frustrations. I’ve since amassed a tidy collection of pens, and keep the ruined original as a reminder to put my pen down before I loose my temper ;)