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:
- 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*
Comments
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 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. 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 said:
My first pen was a Schaeffer silver cap, purple body.
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 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 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 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 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 said:
Thanks for sharing your beautiful story! Happy fountain pen day! :)
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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 said:
My first fountain pen was the pilot metropolitan. But my favourite fountain pen is my trusty Lamy Al-Star!
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 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 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 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 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 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 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. 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 said:
My first fountain pen was a Lamy Safari. It’s been a decades long slippery slope!
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 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!