Fountain Pen Books

[Deb]

The best fountain pen books vary from expensive to very expensive. That isn't because the authors or publishers are cashing in, it's because books full of high-quality photographs, of necessity on expensive paper, are costly to produce. They are aimed at a small market and never receive the cost benefits of mass production as bestsellers do. The cheaper ones tend to be at the "entry-level."

As a result there are books that I recommend and others that I would suggest are less useful. That's not to say that they aren't interesting and entertaining but if money and shelf space are in short supply, concentrate on the other ones.

Some books are mainly American, some are mainly (or entirely) British. There is one on Japanese pens that I don't have. That's the one that got away! One of the books I do have makes an effort to be international but it's still quite light on the Far East. If you want more information on any of these books I have reviewed them all at greater length in my blog.



The one I want to mention today was one of the first that I bought. It's Collectable Fountain Pens by Juan Manuel Clark. This is a thick, small-format book. I think of it as entry-level but within that limitation it's a good production. The profuse photography is very good and each pen is given a brief description. There are pens in this book that you are unlikely to see anywhere else. It covers the main Western manufacturers quite well and mentions some Japanese pens. Though I would hardly regard it as a reference book – it's rather too lightweight for that – it has an index which enables a quick consultation.

The book is part of something called The Collectable Series. It has been around in an English-language version since 2002 and I can't tell whether it's still in print but second-hand copies are widely available. It cost £10 when new and is likely to cost a little more second-hand now. It's by no means an essential but it is an entertaining and informative little book.

More to follow - watch this space.