The 1920 to 1940's are referred to as the Golden Era of the fountain pen, at least as referenced to the use of fountain pens in North America. This was the time when fountain pen companies that included Waterman, Conklin, Wahl Eversharpe, Sheaffer and Parker produced a range of pens in materials and designs. Many of those same materials and design, today, have considerable appeal. There were other companies during this time the produced pens, but after the stock market crash of 1929 and the Great Depression that followed a number of pen companies did not survive this this Golden Era.
From the 1940s and 1950s the ball point pen was around, the first round the ball point pens were expensive, leaked and had problems with smooth ink flow. But by the 60s the ball point pen replaced the fountain pen as the pen most commonly used. Fountain pens became pens for occasional use.
The next emergence of the fountain pen was as more of an exclusive writing instrument as opposed as a pen for the masses. Some companies, such as Montblanc, illustrate the use of marketing and product definition to establish the fountain pen as a pen of choice. The quality pen is seen as a statement of one's style.
Essentially Pens is a web site about the fountain pen, from the purchasing experience in stores of note (Great Stores), to the companies that make the pens and their philosophy and approach (Companies), and of course, to the ink (Ink) used to create the writing experience.
In the many years of using and "collecting" fountain pens, I have exchanged correspondence with other pen users. Recently, a pen enthusiasts wrote me to say that he choose a fountain pen to write with out of consideration... consideration of the person who would be receiving the note. Nice perspective.
The links to the left will tke you to pages on my various pen sites that provide information about pens, pen stores, pen ink some specifc reviews of inks I have had the opportunity to provide and some of my thoughts or views about pens.
Hope you find the information interesting and helpful.