What are we looking for?
Recently, I had a few fascinating conversations with other fountain pen collectors about wishlists and plans for 2024. I am sensing a shift from the emotions of the pandemic, when many people first got into fountain pens, or substantially scaled up their acquisitions. It seems to me that quite a few fountain pen people these days are taking stock, and rethinking their approach to collecting. Some folks are selling, otherse are slowing down acquisitions or rethinking their favorite brands. I’ve been wondering if there’s a kind of communal impulse behind such trends - beyond the economic forces at play.
On my desk, the companions - Onoto Keats with a bird on it; Leonardo Momento Magico; Hobonichi day-free; Ink palette; candle.
What are we looking for? I am infinitely curious about what collecting reveals about the humans we are, what makes us feel deeply the way nothing else can. In this post, I discuss some broad categories of experience that lead us to collect writing instruments. I want to share my thinking with you, but I lay no claim to scientific objectivity or methods. These are my reflections.
Curiosity. Broad curiosity defines many collectors. We are curious about the categories of objects that fascinate us. For pen collectors, curiosity might manifest as wanting to try every nib grade offered by a certain manufacturer, or testing multiple shades of purple. Curiosity may compel people to investigate vintage makers, or to try a stacked nib, or to compare very cheap pens to very expensive pens. Curiosity, broadly construed, is a driver for many of us.
The hunt. A sibling of curiosity, I think, but there’s something uniquely specific to the hunt. Those who enjoy the process of hunting might seek out the rare exemplars, the out of production pens, the obscure special editions, the specific limited runs of a famous model, the one oddball color of a pen that is ubiquitous in other colors. Whatever shape it might take, the joy is in the pursuit itself — and while it’s great to finally find the object, the joy of possession cannot compare to the enjoyment of the hunt itself; and so the collector moves on the next quest.
Tinkering. Experimenting with nibs and filling systems, learning how to tune a nib, restoring old pens, and even experimenting with different organizational systems can be immensely satisfying for some of us. Yet others do not want to tinker at all.
Beauty. What can I say? Many of us are drawn to the exquisitely beautiful objects, and we want to be surrounded by them. Those who appreciate the many layers of beauty are targeted by companies who pay attention to every component of a product - the beautiful packaging, the advertising, the sensory experience, the naming, the small design details of a pen or a bottle of ink. The desire for beauty, just like curiosity and the urge to hunt, are ancient human impulses that have the power to deeply move us. I think a feeling of wonder might flow from some kind of a meeting between curiosity and beauty, a special quality that takes us beyond the experiences of everyday.
The Aurora Internazionale represents transcendent beauty for me. For others, it might be too ornate. Beauty is in the eye of the pen beholder :)
Sanctuary. This is such an important category for me, and one which is less discussed than the others. Sanctuary is the desire for a supportive environment, a cocoon, which will hold us and replenish our emotional resources when the outside is inhospitable. This is why tea and coffee (or other beverage of your choice) and stationery go so well together - they have the power to bring comfort, set a more deliberate pace, and to define an environment as safe and welcoming. This, for me, is why so many of us turned to the stationery hobby during the pandemic. I want to write more about this.
Sensory experience. Some of us love writing with fountain pens on a purely sensory level. Putting pen to paper engages the body-mind connection and can have a subtle but profound effect on our well-being. Fountain pens offer many sensory pleasures - the visual appeal of a pen in the hand, the organic warmth of celluloid, the smoothness or texture of finish, the contrasting feel of trim, the particular joy of an ink as it perfectly lubricates the nib… This will speak to some, but not to all.
Refined tools. Many makers want the best possible tool for the job. There’s something deeply satisfying about having excellent pens when one’s work is connected to writing. As an academic and an author, this is something I can relate to. That said, I’ve written with almost anything - pencil, Bic, laptop, phone, borrowed pen, colored pencil, marker on dry erase board. I wrote on a napkin, and on my own hand. I’ve memorized my own poetry lines as they came to me when I had nothing handy to write with. I can’t say that having fountain pens made a fundamental shift in the quality of my writing. My writing does not come from the pens or the keyboard, it comes from me. But it sure is nice to have a reliable laptop, a beautiful journal, and a bunch of pens and inks! I feel better when I have them.
Three of my favorite nibs, top to bottom: Aurora Internazionale Italic; Scribo 18k F; Omas 18k F - Dama size. All three are wonderful tools and provide a great sensory experience.
Status. I have to include this category because so many people talk about it - the fountain pen can be a status symbol. It does nothing for me. I’m not driven by status and have no understanding of how it works, but I am compelled to mention it, since it seems important to people.
Identity. Perhaps status can be counted as a part of this one :)) Identity is a large umbrella. For many of us, identity is communal, and so our fountain pens connect us to other people. This can take many shapes — for example writing with your grandfather’s Parker 51, wanting a Montblanc just like your favorite college professor used to have, exchanging ink samples with your pen group, buying a maker pen at a show because you loved talking to the maker, cherishing a sentimental stationery gift even if it is not exactly to your taste because it represents a relationship. There are also more individual approaches to identity-driven fountain pen habits - buying a pen to celebrate publishing a book would totally count!
Three pens representing various aspects of my identity. The Sailor Pro Gear Après Ski was a wedding anniversary gift from my spouse. The Scribo Feel A Riveder Le Stelle celebrates the publishing journey of my first fantasy book, The Four Profound Weaves. The Aurora Internazionale Arancio marks my promotion to full professor. Two Menagerie bear friends wanted to observe the proceedings.
Of course, we can be moved by many of those categories at once, but I think some lend themselves better to acquisition, while others to the process of using the pens. For me, acquisition itself can be stressful — I get the most out of the beauty and sensory joy of using my fountain pens and inks. I am also moved by my endless curiosity about both the objects and the people who love them. I love to learn things, and to systematize what I learned — but if you got this far, then you already know that. :))
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