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:
  • 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*
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.

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November 02, 2018 — wonderpens

Comments

J. Perry Arnott

J. Perry Arnott said:

When I started school, in the early 1950s, we had to use dip pens – fountain pens were for older kids. I had a cousin’s pen (she being a teacher) which had the “gills” under the nib of a fountain pen. So I could write three or four times as long as the other kids. The specific thing about that pen was that the nib was of higher quality and I enjoyed writing more than they did. That led to a fountain pen when I could have one and it led to my very first “expensive” purchase with my own earned money in 1962. I still have my Parker 61 (the backwards-filling capillary model) though I haven’t dared use it in years. Do you suppose it could still be cleaned and used? My Mont Blanc Meisterstück is still in use and my hands and clothes are still ink-stained by that leaky POS 34 years later. On the other hand, I’ve been amazed and pleased by how good and how enjoyable is my first Lamy Safari (my wife bought it for me from you guys last Christmas). So I’m not without a pen – but I’d still love to use my Parker.

Daniel Topal

Daniel Topal said:

My very first fountain pen was a Pilot Petit1, and I absolutely loved using it. The only downside was that cartridges were hard to come by for the pen. It took at least a year before I realized that there were other fountain pens that I could by that would be easier to get ink for. Then it was all downhill from there XD

Susan H.

Susan H. said:

My first fountain pen was an elegant vintage Waterman that is like a piece of jewellery., and is filled with an eye-dropper. A great aunt gave it to me, and I use it still, amongst many others in my stash. You just can’t have enough pens.

cjazzlee

cjazzlee said:

Hello~
My first fountain pen as an adult was passed on to me by my mother-in-law when my father-in-law passed away. It was a Sheaffer Connaisseur, and it was his “fancy signing” pen. I cleaned it out, found the right kind of cartridges online, and voila, the first broad strokes of shaded ink opened this wide, lovely door that I stepped through with eagerness, and have not looked back since! Thanks for your story and for hosting this contest.

Anna

Anna said:

Got my first fountain pen in 2012, the Lamy Safari in charcoal black. It was probably my best Amazon purchase. It opened the world of fountain pens and fine japenese stationary.

Chi-Linh D

Chi-Linh D said:

My first fountain pen was a Kaweco Skyline Sport purchased at your store when it was in Leslieville.

I’ve since spiraled out, getting into vintage pens from Canada – I really love the old Toronto Sheaffers!

I still love that sport though and use it as my EDC.

You guys aren’t located 5 mins from my place anymore but I feel like it’s a bit more fun to trek across parts of the city to go to your Dundas store now! (Plus it is slightly nicer on the wallet! Lol)

Thanks for having the giveaway!

Cali

Cali said:

Once I get grade 8 I spilled an entire bottle of Parker quink black on the classroom floor. I shamefully cleaned it up, but then my teacher caught the girl that was always bullying me texting about it so he made her help me.

Looking back I feel bad for the guy, but it was a pretty funny incident.

Micah

Micah said:

I just got introduced to fountain pens a little over two years ago and my friends enthusiasm for it got my hand hooked ever since!

Tejashree Kulkarni

Tejashree Kulkarni said:

What a fun read your story is! I still remember my first fountain pen like it happened yesterday. I was in 3rd grade (1997-98) and my first FP was a Camlin Mini (Indian brand). The moment I started writing with it, I knew I had fallen in love with it. And today the love for fountain pens has just grown even more.

Christopher Munstermann

Christopher Munstermann said:

My first fountain pen was a Lamy Vista that got miraculously left in my office, and no one claimed as their own. It was converted, with some kind of red ink, and the sketchiest nib I’ve seen on a Lamy yet, an F, but it was hanging onto the feed by the miracles of electrostatic forces alone it was so janky. When it ran out of ink, I took it in to my local shop, got a new nib and a bottle of Diamine 150 Regency Blue, and from there the floodgates opened. 10 pens and like 20+ inks later, here we are.

Thank you very much for the opportunity to win this pen, and for the amazing service and products I’ve ordered from you over the year. Super excited to get into my Techo Weeks planner and get 2019 set up!

Much Love ?

Laura

Laura said:

I’ve always loved all kinds of writing implements. My first real fountain pen was a two dollar Hero from ebay. Then I discovered some online stores that sold primarily fountain pens. Now I have quite a collection of both new and vintage pens.

Jenny

Jenny said:

I’ve always been a stationery and art supply hoarder, but I was first introduced to fountain pens by one of my closest friends about four years ago. And it changed my world and learned to develop my own unique calligraphy/writing style. Now I am slowly building up on ink bottles and fountain pen collection! Thanks for reminding me to freshen up my ink. Happy fountain pen day! :)

S.G. Froud

S.G. Froud said:

My first fountain pen was when I was 9 or 10 and was a Shaeffer. I remember how much I adored it – I took it to school to write notes and would practice my lettering.

Geoffroy

Geoffroy said:

Got my first fountain pen in college, can’t remeber the brand but it changed my life. Few months ago, a friend gave me a bunch of old calligraphy tools, in it there was a nice élysé fountain pen. I fell back in love with fointain pen. It took me a few months to find your store but now I’m hooked again not only to pen and ink but to paper and other imports! Thanks!

Heather

Heather said:

My first pen was a Schaeffer silver cap, purple body.

Lara

Lara said:

Hello! I remember when I first discovered Wonder Pens on Instagram. I signed up for the newsletter and it’s the only weekly email I get that makes me say “ooh I wonder what they’ll have to show us this week”. I watched from afar as at the time I was living in AB, then BC, now back in my home province of SK. I finally got to visit the shop in person not too long ago, when I helped my partner pick out his first fountain pen. He said to me the other day that he still loves it and needs ink for it. So I told him to get it from Wonder Pens of course! I still have a Wonder Pens button and all the postcards that get sent with my orders. It’s the personal touch and the vast knowledge of pens that make me a loyal customer. I don’t even care if I win this giveaway, I just want to tell you how great I think you all are!! Happy Fountain Pen Day!!

Karina

Karina said:

Hi Wonderpens! My first fountain pen was lovingly gifted to me on Mother’s Day this year by my daughter and my ex-husband because they knew how much I love journaling/writing. It was a retro pop Pilot Metropolitan in turquoise with a stub nib. Since then, I’ve been slowly making my way to collecting all the Pilot Metropolitan fountain pens and have bought a few through your shop. Love every single one of them! :)

Dave

Dave said:

My first and current fountain pen is a Waterman. Was given it as a gift 15 years ago. Picked it up for pretty well the first time last year and have been using it every day since.

Michael B

Michael B said:

I saw my first fountain pen back in the 80’s a colleague of mine by the name of Sam had gold vintage parker fountain pen he used constantly. It inspired my first purchase of a Cross fountain pen and I was hooked. The exquisite way it brought your words to life as it skated across the paper was magical. It inspired you to continue spewing your thoughts onto paper to share or enjoy alone. I have purchased many fountain pens over the years (30 to 40) varying in price. As I put one away and bring another out it starts another journey of thoughts captured in ink. Something so simple that brings so much pleasure. How can a roller ball compete? Bring your thoughts to life…… write a letter instead of an email or text. Let Wonder Pens be your GPS to a writing experience. The Wonder team team is simply a cut above.

Dan

Dan said:

Hi,
Thanks for another great Scriptus weekend!
My first fountain pen was something unpleasant from an art supply store. Later I managed to modify it into something resembling an architect grind and love it to this day. However, I soon learned that this blind success world never be replicated and I now leave the nib grinding to the professionals.

Joyce Koh

Joyce Koh said:

Thanks for sharing your beautiful story! Happy fountain pen day! :)

amanda

amanda said:

ah my very first fountain pen: a mont blanc meisterstuck from my parents when i graduated from grad school! i forgot about it for about 10 years and then inked it and, without hesitation, it wrote like a dream once again! <3

Sanghoon

Sanghoon said:

Hi guys!

My first fountain pen was a Lamy Al-Star! It’s gotten some dinks and scratches over the years, but I still bring it with me wherever I go anywhere with my notepad.
I’d love to try an Aurora!

Aaron

Aaron said:

My first pen was a parker that I used to write my homework in the 8th grade. Teacher told me she could read all of my writing for the first time. Been writing with one ever since. Parker 51 is my current favorite.

Anne

Anne said:

My sister gave me a Mont Blanc fountain pen last winter to encourage my artistic side. Thoughts now flow far more readily from pen to paper. Miss your Carlaw store, when in Toronto each month I’d always treat myself to a little something.

James

James said:

First of all thank you for the giveaway.

My fist fountain pen was a pilot metropolitan in fine but I really fell in love with them with my second pen. A gift from my dad, a papermate. An older vintage pen, I loved the look of it and the perfectly smooth medium nib.

JP

JP said:

My first foray into this came about after reading “this is off topic, but…” threads singing the praises of fountain pens (which I had no idea were still in use!) with the Hobonichi Techo (which I was using surprisingly faithfully). I mean, sure, my gel pens were doing just fine, but I HAD to find out what people were raving about. And then I got a Lami Safari (Petrol), and then an Al-Star, and then…

David Murphy

David Murphy said:

It’s crazy how fast I moved from 1 fountain pen (OK, 2, a Metropolitan and a Preppy) to about 80 that I own now! It surely is infectious.

Pauline

Pauline said:

What a wonderful blog! I’ve been writing all my life, but I’m definitely new to the world of fountain pens. I’ve been feeling my way and I haven’t held the “one for me” yet.

I walked into your store by Carlaw not too long ago and I heard your story. It’s beautiful. If we were all so brave to venture into the world of small business.

Susie Gourlay

Susie Gourlay said:

My first fountain pen was a Faber Castell Basic. It’s got a beautiful black casing with mother of pearl in it. I have found I really love anything Pilot makes and have gravitated towards red or purple inks. Happy Fountain Pen day!!

Melodie

Melodie said:

Trying to pick a favourite fountain pen is like trying to pick a favourite child…
So my first fountain pen was twenty coughcough years ago when I was 11. I abandoned it as a leaky cheapie. I tried again several years ago but it was the Lamy Al-star Pacific with a 1.1 nib I bought from Wonder Pens that hooked me into this deep hole of full-on nuttiness. And I wouldn’t have I any other way ?

Julia Martyniuk

Julia Martyniuk said:

My first pen was the twisbi mini and it still remains my favorite! Fountain pens are the best way to write and trully make you appreciate penmanship.

Amrit

Amrit said:

My first fountain pen was the pilot metropolitan. But my favourite fountain pen is my trusty Lamy Al-Star!

Jessica

Jessica said:

My first fountain pen was the lamy cp1. I wanted a reliable every day pen I could use at work. At first I was quite intimidated by the thicker barrel fountain pens and wanted a nice slim sleek pen. I used the cp1 every day at work and have grown my collection of pens. I get comments on my notes and pens and have found they are great conversion topics also finding other coworkers who have the same interest in fountain pens

Sirada

Sirada said:

I was gifted a fountain before, but my real first pen that I bought for myself is the Lamy Safari Charcoal in broad. In fact, I bought that pen from your shop at Carlaw. Since then, I have gone back to your shop again and again.

Josh P

Josh P said:

I’ve been collecting pens now for a few years, but my first one I purchased many many years ago. A now-discontinued Parker Student (I believe that’s the model) that I picked up at Staples in the mid 00’s. Used it all through middle/high school!

Now here I am over a decade later and five years deep into university, having just acquired a vintage Parker 51 to add to my collection. It’s still going strong after 74 years! A true historical piece, and a gem to write with. Most of my notes get taken with a TWSBI Diamond 580 ALR I purchased from WonderPens in fact.

It’s great to watch the pen community grow and thrive, putting some interest back into the art of writing, and it’s thanks to dedicated folks like the WonderPens team that we have great places to bring us together!

Many thanks to Jon Liz and the entire team, and much happy writing to everyone here!

John Sampson

John Sampson said:

My first and much loved fountain pen was the TWSBI diamond 580. It was given to me as a gift and I’ve been hooked on fountain pens ever since!

Andrew C

Andrew C said:

I got my first fountain pen at the age of 9 years old in the late 1980’s. It was a cheap plastic Reynolds that I still have to this day. This was the pen that got me hooked on writing with fountain pens and 30 some odd years later I have quite a few more in my collection.

J.C. Lam

J.C. Lam said:

I’m using my first fountain pen at school and my students want to know if it is an antique. It is a burgundy coloured Schaffer I picked up in university. Was probably a good deal at the time and it made me feel more confident than I actually was back then with my academic work. It creates a conversation now with students who spend lots of time on their devices and for a moment it bridges a generational and technological divide.

CsfPhotoEdits

CsfPhotoEdits said:

Thanks for the sweet giveaway! My very first fountain pen came just over 2 years ago its a Monteverde Regatta Sport, I loved the black nib and magnetic cap and fell in love right away. It is still the pen I carry with me most often, looking forward to adding more lovely pens to the collection soon!

Ji C.

Ji C. said:

I got my first fountain pen in grade school. I grew up in a Jewish neighbourhood and being the only Asian in school, I didn’t have many friends. One day, this girl named Dalia brought a couple fountain pens to school. It was from those calligraphy sets that taught you how to use the pens and whatnot. I was amazed! I’ve never seen such beautiful colours and the writing style was so different. I’m not sure why, but she gave me one of her pens and a bunch of ink refills. I’m honestly not doing any justice to how utterly mind blown I was when she, a classmate who wasn’t a friend, gave me something that, in my mind, was as precious as a jewel. I still remember her face when I asked her if I could truly have it. Her smile is forever etched in my mind and this contest brought back this amazing memory I have of a girl named Dalia. Thank you!

Zaiyouna

Zaiyouna said:

My first fountain pen was my grandfathers (someone that I never met and one of the only possessions my mom had from her dad when she left her country of birth ). It was a parker 51 and I was devastated the day that it fell onto the floor nib first. I was 13 when this happened and still 30 years later remember how terrible I felt

April

April said:

My first fountain pen was a purple pilot metropolitan, purchased about two years ago. I’ve been a stationary geek for many years so adding to my pen collection hasn’t been difficult…to say the least :-)

Luis

Luis said:

I started in 2007 with a Parker Duofold, a present from my mother in 2004 for my graduate in university, I wait 3 years because I didn’t know nothing about this world and still know nothing. Actually I have 6 but the Parker is still my favorite

Carmen C

Carmen C said:

I’m pretty new to the fountain pen scene and came across your shop when a friend mentioned they wanted to get a Hobonichi. Love the shop and the staff — they’re all so knowledgeable and I’m really glad there’s a shop like Wonder Pens around in the city. Keep up the great work! :)

Jane Rajah

Jane Rajah said:

My first experience with fountain pens was as a little girl climbing on to my fathers desk chair and reaching for his fathers gold tipped fountain pen. I marveled at how beautiful the pen was and it just felt so natural to write with something so beautiful. My dad inherited this pen being the eldest in his family and unfortunately my it was my sister was who had the rights to this pen. My sister died in 2016 and I have searched high and low for this part of my heritage you can say. This pen is yet to be found. I know when I find this pen it will be like the very first time I held it as a little girl in wonder of what I could discover.

Clo

Clo said:

I started journalling last year to help reduce stress and straighten out my brain. I have always loved buying/collecting notebooks, but it wasn’t until I was writing daily that I fancied having a “special” pen to write with too. I ended up buying a Pilot Metro in Retro Pop Turquoise specifically for writing in my journal with. That didn’t last long, because I’m now 7 pens deep. They’re all inked up and in rotation! My favorite is the TWSBI ECO (I have 3 in different widths, and I don’t know how I’m going to cope with all the different colors that they’ve announced recently!)

Thank you for hosting this giveaway, and thank you for always being a perfect experience to buy pens from. When I got into this hobby, I thought that I was going to have to stomach shipping and customs from US or EU everytime, but you’ve made everything so much easier and more convenient! Here’s to many more years.

Elsa

Elsa said:

My first fountain pen was a Lamy Safari. It’s been a decades long slippery slope!

Kathleen Cullen

Kathleen Cullen said:

Hi!
I love fountain pens. I started using them in high school. I hate ball-point pens, because they smear all over the fourth & fifth fingers of my left hand. Now, a fast drying ink and a fine nib are my best friends for work!

Josiane

Josiane said:

Thanks for sharing your origin story! I had gathered bits and pieces of it through the past few years of reading your blog, but it’s fun to have the whole story. :)
Besides the cheap, plastic-y sorry excuse for a fountain pen I had when I was about 10 years old, the first real fountain pen I bought was a gift for the man who became my husband: he’s a writer, and I thought a fountain pen would suit him well. It’s only after several more years of longing that I finally indulged in one for myself, a Lamy Al-Star, that I got from you guys – shortly before falling for dip pens… and I’m still going down that rabbit hole, looking forward to getting maybe a couple more fountain pens, and to experimenting with more kinds of dip pens and nibs. So much fun!

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