Written in Ink Elegant, Ornate and Adaptable to Each Individual Hand, Nothing Beats Writing with a Fountain Pen, Says Flora Watkins

Written in ink Elegant, ornate and adaptable to each individual hand, nothing beats writing with a fountain pen, says Flora Watkins Illustration by Ollie Maxwell 58 Country Life, March 21, 2018 www.countrylife.co.uk MONG the obituaries of a former British manufacturers, including Onoto, ‘That’s the same stuff that Spitfire cockpit Conservative Minister a few Conway Stewart and Yard-O-Led, as windows were made from, because it’s years ago, there was one delight- well as refurbished vintage pens, through very tough.’ He recommends considering ful snippet. A line in The Daily her website. a refurbished 51, not least because there’s ATelegraph described how, when she Spiralling London rents meant that a vast selection available, with prices rang- received the letter from Mrs Thatcher Miss Cerdeirina gave up her shop in the ing from about £175 to more than £1,500. appointing her to the Lords, Lady Blatch Burlington Arcade last year, but she offers Once they’ve gained their ‘pen licence’ in initially believed it to be a hoax, because a free service to customers, meeting them Year 3, all the girls at Old Vicarage School the letter was signed in Biro and she had by appointment in central London, because in Richmond-upon-Thames are expected to been ‘brought up to believe that nobody ‘you have to feel the pen and write with it’. write in fountain pen, but there’s no need who matters uses a Biro’. ‘You can buy most things on Amazon and for parents to spend huge amounts of Fountain pens are owned by the sort of return it if you don’t like it, but, with foun- money. According to headmistress Gill people who would always write invitations tain pens, it’s important to hold the pen and Linthwaite, most girls use one of three, all in ink and never, ever refer to them as try the nibs. All of us have preferences— of which can be bought for under £20: the ‘invites’. They’ll use their fountain pen some like a heavy pen, some prefer a thin Parker Vector, Pelikan or Lamy junior mod- to sign cheques and to write down dates in one,’ she explains. els, which come with a triangular grip to a leather organiser, rather than tapping help little fingers. Cheap fountain pens, she it into their phone. cautions, tend to be ‘quite scratchy, and you One might expect technology—and, My two fingers don’t get that lovely ink flow’. before it, the ballpoint pen—to have ren- Writing with a fountain pen is important, dered fountain pens obsolete, to the status on a typewriter have Mrs Linthwaite believes, because ‘it teaches of curios, sought out only by collectors, yet children to take pride in their work’. When they’re enjoying a renaissance, with sales never‘ connected with we speak, the girls are practising for rising and not just among the generation my brain. My hand on a handwriting competition, but it isn’t just old enough to remember the vestiges about neatness. ‘Because you can’t pause of china ink pots and ink monitors. a pen does. A fountain your pen at any point on the paper, it tends ‘Handwriting will always trump predict- to stimulate a flow of ideas.’ ive text or email,’ proclaims Robin Field, pen of course Many a writer would concur. As Graham chairman of Yard-O-Led, which produces Greene put it: ‘My two fingers on a type- exquisite, engraved sterling-silver fountain writer have never connected with my brain. pens (as well as propelling pencils and Using a fountain pen shows attention to My hand on a pen does. A fountain pen, of rollerballs) at its factory in the jewellery detail, believes Alastair Adams ’of Bespoke course.’ At home in Edinburgh, Alexander quarter of Birmingham. British Pens, which manufactures Conway McCall Smith also finds that employing ‘Just as with a vintage car or mechanical Stewart pens and sells a selection of other a fountain pen helps aid the writing process. watch, there’s a special joy and pride in high-end brands. ‘To write properly with ‘I’ve just started to write the 19th volume owning a beautiful handmade instrument,’ a fountain pen, you can’t rush it, so it does of The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency,’ explains Mr Field, who has recently started help you deliberate over the words you’re he divulges. ‘I opened up a fresh Smythson to see interest from younger customers. writing,’ he expands, whether that’s a sig- notebook and wrote the first few pages on ‘There appears to be a conscious choice nature on a contract, a thank-you letter that with a fountain pen, which I will now among millennials to express themselves after a dinner party or a love note. ‘A good go and type.’ through seeking out true craftsmanship fountain pen is something that many people Mr McCall Smith uses longhand in his over mass-produced items.’ aspire to now. In the throwaway world that notebooks—without practice, handwriting, Fountain pens have come a long way we live in, having something you use every he feels, ‘becomes a bit “crabbit”, a lovely since the Romanian inventor Petrache day and have a personal attachment to is Scots word, meaning ill-tempered, con- Poenaru received a patent from the French enjoying a renaissance.’ trary’—but confesses to using a Montblanc government in 1827 for a pen with a barrel Mr Adams favours the silver Shakespeare rollerball for ease when signing books. made from a large swan quill. Sixty years pen (£399) from the company’s own (Purists will surely forgive him, on learning later, in New York City, an insurance broker recently launched brand the Stratford Pen that he’s just had to sign 2,000 flyleaves for called Lewis Waterman—who went on Company, which develops a ‘wonderful his American publisher.) to found the company that bears his patina’ with use. One of the great joys of a quality fountain name—obtained a patent for a pen with its About three-quarters of fountain-pen pen is that it can be as individual as its own ink supply. Replenishing the ink con- sales at Bespoke British Pens and Penfriend owner. Choose your colour, material, tinued to be a messy business and the are to men. This, thinks Simon Gray of fittings and the nib, be it fine, medium design required several more iterations. mail-order repairs service Battersea Pen or italic. Miss Cerdeirina even has a man Memories of inky fingers and smudged Home (01992 578885; www.penhome.co.uk), who can grind a nib to the customer’s indi- exercise books meant that the fountain pen is because men have a limited range of per- vidual satisfaction. fell out of favour for decades. However, sonal effects open to them. ‘In the old days, Then, of course, there’s the ink. Today, the modern heritage pens that discerning men had a special lighter, a watch, a pen and there are hundreds of hues to choose from, customers seek out today are a far cry from cufflinks. The lighters have largely gone, so with sparkling and even scented inks avail- the scratchy implements of the older gen- one is now restricted to watches, cufflinks able (01284 771454; www.thewritingdesk. eration’s schooldays. and pens,’ he explains. co.uk). ‘Some people will choose a particu- Writing with the perfect fountain Mr Gray uses a vintage Parker 51, lar colour and use it as their “brand”,’ says pen should feel ‘like heaven’, enthuses esteemed by many as the dernier cri when Mr Adams. For Mr McCall Smith, however, Amaya Cerdeirina of Penfriend. She sells it comes to pen design. ‘The caps and bar- there is only one colour: ‘Rather like Henry fine pens made by a number of boutique rels are made of Lucite,’ he enthuses. Ford, I think black ink is hard to beat.’ ➢ www.countrylife.co.uk Country Life, March 21, 2018 59 Put pen to paper: five fabulous fountain pens Viceroy Grand Large and bold, with a wonderfully weighty feel tempered by intricate Victorian engraving on its silver shaft. Yard-O-Led, from £895 (0121–369 0510; www.yard-o-led.co.uk) Parker 51 Should James Bond have deviated from a British brand, this is the one he’d have slipped inside the breast pocket of his Savile Row lounge suit. Vintage only, from about £175—there’s a good selection at Penfriend (020– 3907 6807; www.penfriend.co.uk) or Vintage Fountain Pens (01964 532297; www.vintagefountainpens.co.uk) The Doctor’s Pen Made of sterling silver, known for its antibacterial properties, the cap is adorned with the Rod of Asclepius. Even the most florid of signatures at the bottom of a prescription will look better thanks to this pen. Stratford Pen Company, from £430 (0333 006 4646; www.bespokebritishpens.co.uk) Churchill Solid and impressive, with plenty of presence; a fitting homage to the great man. Available in lots of different colours, but the classic black with gold fitting feels suitably Churchillian. Conway Stewart, from £449 (0333 006 4646; www.bespokebritishpens.co.uk) Magna Classic Vermeil Encased in 23-carat gold-plated silver and based on the shape and dimensions of the Onoto Magna, launched in 1937, this is, in the opinion of many aficionados, the best fountain pen ever made. Onoto, £1,995 (01603 811165; www.onoto.com) 60 Country Life, March 21, 2018 www.countrylife.co.uk.

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