I was writing my teaching report an hour earlier, while wondering what else would I type for an entry tonight. Then the answer was right at my fingertips - my own pen.
Well, I love this particular fountain pen so much. Come to think of it... I am the only one I know of who used a fountain pen in school, heck, anywhere I've been. I use my fountain pen for writing and drawing doodles in boring meetings. I tried using fountain pens to mark students' books but the red ink in the market is unsatisfactory for the job. I am using Scheaffer's black ink - which is much better than Parker's (which is watery, feels cheated).
This particular fountain pen is actually ancient, made from China - HERO 329. The tip is yellowish, and I guess it is of some copper alloy, very different from new fountain pens today, which are tipped with harder metals. So my pen tip is actually smoother, heck - the best fountain pen I have right now. I also have some Parkers, Shaeffers, Allan d'Louis etc but this cheaply made fountain pen is still the best, with consistant ink flow and smooth writing.
The best and most interesting thing about this pen is.... it was STOLEN. And I forgot from whom because the deed was done a long long time ago (7 years ago, I think). I even admit to my students about the origin of the fountain pen (because, they also never seen anyone else using fountain pens). I think fountain pens oozes class. Too bad they are now so out of use, or just extravagantly priced. Most can see fountain pens in use during the signing of official documents ONLY. *sigh*
Are you fond of any particular piece of stationery?
p.s. - tomorrow after school I might visit some older Chinese-owned grocery shops and ask if they do have the same fountain pen I do. This pen was never sold in supermarkets in the first place, and is now considered an antique. I want to find a spare. Good things must come in two.
Ramblings by
12 comments:
I had this particular Faber Castell mechanical pencil which takes 1.0mm width leads.
Had it since I was 16 but lost it when I was in a rush going from one class to another during my final year in Uni.
I was very very upset about the loss. Never found a pencil that good ever again.
Ooooooo, true!! I got this engineer mechanical pencil (also deftly stolen) and it was the best EVER! Expensive mechanical pencil do worth the money I think.
I stopped using the pencil because it was finally too rusty to use. :(
I am usually quite absent minded, and frankly if any stationary has lasted with me for more than a year, its a miracle. I avoid buying expensive pens like Parker an so on, mainly coz I'm afraid I'll lose them.
Newyaz, we did buy fountain tip pens in school, coz our school had this weird rule that no ball pens were allowed.
I guess they still sell Hero pens in India, doubt its an antique there yet!!
Vyazz; you still have HERO's there? Wow. Cannot find them here anymore...
Parkers are not really expensive, just an average pen for an average joe. It's just mind blowing to see VERY expensive fountain pens at the malls. Why do they need a pen out of solid silver or gold? It can only be used for a few moments everyday...
Cannot find any HEROs.... aiye. :(
I love fountain pens and writing in ink. I have been given loads of fountain pens over the years, some quite expensive, and I've always found the cheapest write the best. You know, the ones you buy in plastic packets at the supermarket. Weird. I love notebooks as well. Leatherbound unlined paper so you can draw or write in them. A leatherbound notebook and a fountain pen with good quality black ink and I'm in heaven.
Inky; Good to know another fountain pen user! Oooo I know those leather bound books, they are expensive indeed, with thick papers, nice to write on - especially with fountain pens!
I don't write in public though. I keep the ideas until I am in front of the computer.
I love fountain pens, and yes I believe they should still be available. Vzazz is correct, in our school too we had to use ink pens, and we had the tradition of filling the pen on Sunday night! Ah what memories.
:) I particualry liked a green fountain pen I had. However, later students preferred ball point pens. I like the micro tip ones, the fine nibbed ones. I especially liked the fountain pens because they were so fine nibbed.
So much so, that when I went back home a couple of years ago, I picked up two pens and brought them with me, along with the blue ink bottle. :) It sits on my bookshelf now. I had to do the green version since it reminded me of my childhood.
SSQuo; is it compulsory to use a fountain pen in school? We can only use pens when reaching 13 yrs old.
I got my 1st taste of fountain pens at the age of 15, and it was my father's.
Well we HAD to use what we called an 'ink pen' - that was our first foray into the world of pens. So you could use a short nibbed one (like a fountain pen) or those long nibbed ones (which I didnt like much). It was always difficult to have the hand so far away from the page.
I tote a Moleskine in a leather cover around with me all the time, and there's a pen loop for almost any of the fountain pens I have.
I write with them almost exclusively and love them. I enjoyed your thoughts on Fountain Pens.
Even if I do have a Sterling Silver pen I rather like. :-)
Ooooo another fountain pen lover!! May the Fountain be With You. :)
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