Passionate about fountain pens

February 7, 2016, Sunday
Peter Tan, mail@petertan.com

A few months ago, I wrote about discovering the fountain pen that my father gave to me when I was in primary school. It is my most cherished possession. Unfortunately, I never took the trouble to look after it with care. The years of neglect and abuse have damaged it beyond repair.

That unexpected find renewed my interest in cursive handwriting once again. The flair in looping the letters, dotting the i’s and crossing the t’s is therapeutic to say the least. Studies have shown that writing by hand makes learning more effective, improves memory and stimulates creativity.

While browsing for a replacement in eBay, I found out that there are many variations in nib, refill system and barrel materials. The options for nibs alone are staggering. They come in different metals with an assorted tip shape and size, and flexibility. The prices are also wide-ranging – starting from a few ringgit to tens of thousands of ringgit.

The search led me to affordable yet quality makes, namely Pilot, Platinum and Sailor. These are the big three in writing instruments in Japan. Until then, I never knew the ‘Land of the Rising Sun’ had a long and illustrious history in fountain pen manufacturing that began in the early 20th century. These pens are reasonably priced and are good value for money.

I settled for the most expensive that I could afford, which is the Platinum #3776 Century Bourgogne. The #3776 Century range has particularly good reviews in fountain pen forums. The four digits in the name denote the height of Mount Fuji, the tallest mountain in Japan. I had seen the picturesque snow-capped peak from afar when I was in Tokyo many years ago and the name of this pen brought back memories of that mesmerising experience.

Since it was sold for 30-per cent lower in an online store in Japan, I got a friend to buy it for me from there and bring it when he came here on a working trip. The moment I laid eyes on the burgundy-coloured barrel with gold-plated trims, I fell in love with it. The 14k gold nib was smooth and made writing a pleasure.

The resin barrel was glossy smooth. Maintaining it in its pristine condition could be tricky. I was determined not to allow the same neglect to befall this pen. Not using it would keep it in its original condition but that would defeat the purpose of getting the pen as I had intended to use it to improve my handwriting as much as possible.

There are the common but expensive leather and faux leather cases, some which cost more than the pen itself. And then I came across the pen kimono. This is basically a long slender pouch made from kimono fabric, which usually comes with the more expensive and exclusive handcrafted Japanese-made fountain pens.

I showed my friend Jocelyn an image of it. She makes beautiful cloth bags and handmade bows, and bakes some of the most mouth-watering cookies. We have known each other from our blogging days more than 10 years ago. I asked if she could make a similar pen kimono for me. By the next day, she showed me some photos of what she had made.

The deep red of the pen stood out against the bold-patterned blue Swedish fabric that she chose. She had asked if I was fussy about the fabric. I told her I was not as the main purpose was to keep the pen in good shape. To date, it remains a precious accessory in protecting the pen from scratches and wear and tear of being indiscriminately left around on my messy work desk.

In the evenings, when there is some time to spare, I would take the pen out to practise my handwriting. The feeling of writing with the hand is different from tapping on the keyboard.

I have to be conscious of the spacing, angle and size of each letter, making sure that they are properly formed and legible. If anything, it is a good way to improve my fine motor skills.

I have since gone on to acquire a few more fountain pens. The cheapest in my collection is a China-made Jinhao X450 which I won for approximately RM5 from an auction on eBay. It performs just like a fountain should for its price range, which I would say is quite a bargain.

My other favourites are the beginner-friendly Pilot Kakuno and the Lamy Al-Star. Both give clear crisp lines with smooth ink flows.

Each pen has its own characteristics. I find that my handwriting is different with each pen, partly due to the way I hold it and partly due to the flexibility and width of the nibs. I tend to go for the bigger pens which are easier to grip, and broader nibs to match my large writings.

I have stopped buying recently as there are only so many I can use. As it is, I seldom have time to practise my handwriting as much as I would like to.

Perhaps it is time to get Jocelyn to make a few more pen kimonos for the other pens as well. They need all the protection they can get, seeing how most of them are scattered all over my work desk.

Rujukan: theborneopost