Thursday, August 5, 2010

The Fountain Pen




Lewis Waterman patented the first workable fountain pen in 1884. However, writing instruments designed to carry their own supply of ink had existed for over one hundred years before Waterman's patent. John Scheffer received a British patent in 1819 for his half quill, the half-metal pen that he tried to put into mass manufacture. And John Jacob Parker patented the first self-filling fountain pen in 1831. However, early fountain pen models were plagued by ink spills and other failures that left them impractical.

Writing instrument-Styli used in the 13 th century

On June 1 st 1969, my mother presented me with my first fountain pen – a beautiful Parker! Her father gave her a beautiful piece while she was in high school. She took care of it and passed it on to me. It thrilled me going to school sporting the pen and begin writing with an ink-filled pen. I ostensibly displayed it in my shirt breast pocket. But when I reached home after school on that fateful day, the pen was gone and only the cap remained stuck in my pocket. How and what came about, I could not explain. And my mother blasted the sheer carelessness. She was distraught and furious. I then wondered why she must fume and curse me for losing a pen, though I felt remorse and guilt inside. It took growing-up and many years of life to fathom the depth and value of a seemingly trivial instrument as the fountain pen, and her pain in my losing it.


Fountain pens were akin to a signature. It told about the person. The longer a fountain pen stayed with a person, the closer it bonded. People of the past seldom offered their fountain pen to another to use or even to pen signature. It was possessed and cared like one's child. And I recall that it was impolite to ask or borrow it from its owner.

When my grandfather used to leave home, he had just a few things to carry or take with him. His glasses, his watch, his money purse, and his fountain pen beside his grandfather's umbrella.
 Laptops, calculators, Blackberry, mobile phones, designer sunglasses, wallets stacked with credit cards, and( maybe) a ballpoint pen have now replaced the spartan things people of the past had on their person.

Fountain pens have had their death knell chimed many years ago. Ball pens and digital writing gadgets disposed of after a single use has completely eliminated the stately fountain pen of yore.

The Parkers. Schefers, Swans, the Watermans, Mont Blanc, and everyone have found to their economic advantage that disposable pens are what would thrive today in place of the ink-filled fountain pens.
Commercial possibilities and commonsense have changed peoples tastes, but it is Man who has lost his signature hold on an instrument that could in time, in the past identify its owner because the fountain pen carried his soul along with the ink.






9 comments:

Insignia said...

Excellent. I liked this post a lot. I do end up thinking about fountain pens. How we took care of it, the effort that went in filling it with ink regularly.

The ink bottle, the capillary, the golden nib..The pleasure I miss now.

My teachers would gift a Hero pen for the student who stood first in class during final exams while in school. It was a dream to own a Hero pen and was treasured. I managed to get a Hero pen every year and how much I was proud of them...

thanks for this post, wonderful reminisces.

A New Beginning said...

yes youre right Anil, fountain pen has a class of its own....its just amazing and gives up a sense of great self esteem when we hold it to sign.
My father has a very old and unique one..its a beauty...but he refuses to share it...now I know why!!!:)
Great post thanks for sharing!!

The Holy Lama said...

An age relived in the post. The fountain pen is the best writing instrument. None of the new age gel pens, ball points or microtips can match its class.

deeps said...

classic piece.. but i have never been a fan of ink n nib n all....though they have a grace...

and i agree with what you said back there, a lot of our action is determined by those around us

RGB said...

I had almost forgotten the existence of fountain pens (though, how could I?)! Ball-point pens have conveniently replaced them, though nothing compares to the beauty of fountain pens and the royalty in just owning or holding it! Writing on a piece of paper has itself become sort of 'obsolete' because of all the gadgets we have handy, except perhaps for filling up forms, teaching kids, signing papers etc. Thanks for bringing back the memories.

sujata sengupta said...

I am still a regular with the fountain pen. The whole exercise of filling it regularly with camel ink is almost therpeutic for me. My daughter uses it too. Its the best instrument for handwriting practise as well.

scarlet pimpernel said...

Nice post,I remember my first hero pen only too well.

Balachandran V said...

Dey, How come I missed this post? I cringed when I read that you lost that pen! Idiot! Stupid fellow! I could give you one sharp smack right on your head for that!

anilkurup59 said...

Dey , certain omissions and commissions of us will haunt us into later life. This is one such.