Fountain Pen "Hobby" Comfort Zone...?

[Jon Szanto]

As I think about it, my feelings toward my pens (and similar objects) is quite probably formed in line with my life's passion: music. I have amassed a very large collection of percussion (and other) instruments that I use in service of the art. Certainly I exercise caution with some of them, due to fragility, rarity and sheer irreplaceability. A valued pair of glockenspiel mallets, gifted to me by a mentor, date back to the 1920s and nothing I've found, including mallets made all the way up to today, give me a sound like those. I thought I had lost them once, for a period of about two years, until once I was on a gig and one of the other fellows said "are these yours?". I had loaned them, and I've not loaned them since.

Long story short: yes, I do think about which pens go into harm's way with me. I find the situation immensely aided by decent quality beater pens or a handful of Chinese ink-spreaders. I do not feel efete or dainty when I tend to keep most of my good pens in my studio at home; in fact, it makes sense since that is where I do most of my writing. I like to look at these writing instruments as friends and I treat them as well as they treat me. I don't think of it as precious, I just think I'm being respectful.

Addendum: Some of my favorite pens - to eye and for task - are 80, 90 years old. I am silently grateful to the original owners who took good care of them. Had they been treated in a cavailer manner I wouldn't have the enjoyment of use and ability to appreciate them to this day. All the more reason for me to care for them, as well.