November 2011
What does the "pen person" appreciate in terms of a gift?
From time to time I get e-mails from individuals asking about my thoughts on the type of gifts for a "pen person". With Christmas approaching there are many gifts to buy, but of course, gifts are given at anytime of the year. What woudl a pen person appreciate in terms of a gift?
Anything that is choosen when care, and given as a token of appreciation or friendship.
Pictured to the right, some of the pens on display at Mora Stylo in Paris.
In September 2011 Karen and I visited the very nice pen store, Plume & Bille when we were in Paris.
Just after we arrived, a gentleman came into the store and Brigitte Courson, the Store Owner, excused herself to help him with a selection.
I found it interesting to watch the process Brigitte went through in helping the gentleman select what would be the right pen. She asked more questions than giving her opinion. And the selection kept narrowing down to two different pens.
Near the end of the process he turned to me and asked me what I thought of the two pens he was considering.
I too asked as few questions and he concluded the roller ball by Dunhill would be a great choice. He explained if was a gift for a person he works with, who has helped him, and he wanted the gift to be perfect.
That is a goal that many of us have when selecting a pen as gift.
I hope the person who received the pen values it pen as much as the time and thought that went into the selection of the pen.
I am often asked my opinion about what type of pen to give as a gift. My advice to others is typically to ask some questions, and then to give an opinion when specific brands are referenced as to which ones I have found to be of a better quality.
In terms of the question: Is this a good fountain pen to give as a gift? I typically ask if the person already uses a fountain pen, or is this a new aspet in writiing.
Those who use fountain pens are very specific about what they like and dislike in pens. Those that do not use a fountain pen, either have never had the desire to want to, or they may have wanted one, but never had the change to use a good one.
If you know the person has a fountain pen they use frequently, and a ball point or roller ball pen is available in the series, there is another option. I can always use a ball point pen, but often do not buy one when selecting a fountain pen.
But there are a range of other items that most users of pens would enjoy.
Pelikan Highlight Pen
This is a fountain pen, but it is used for highlighting. When Patrick of Pen in Paris showed me this, well I was impressed.
Since returning to Vancouver, any meeting in which I have used this pen, has typically had a moment where people come over to see the bright, bold pen.
The body is he 205 size, it is transparent body in bright yellow. You can see the inner piston mechanism and the ink supply. The clip and rings are silver tone, and the stainless steel nib comes in a bold "BB" thickness. Great for highlighting and writing.
The ink is a special bright yellow. It can not be used in other pens, although you can use other ink in the pen itself.
Even if the person uses a ball point or roller ball, this could be just the fountain pen they would use!
Pen Roll
Anyone who has more than a couple of pens, needs a pen case, and the pen roll is a great way to carry up to six pens safely.
The roll pictured to the the right is by Ashton. I purchased my at World Lux. I have rolls in both brown and black leather. Other than an oversized OMAS 360 Magnum, all the pens I have fit in the case quite nicely.
The leather is of a good quality and the strap secures the pens. You can drop this and your pens are safe.
Pen Cases
Individual pen cases are another consideration. When you spend a couple of hundred dollars on a pen, there is simply no way it will be just thrown into a brief case. It needs a good leather case. Numerous styles.
The major brands make their own line of cases.
What I look for is flexibility in terms of size of pen. The pen cases with individual compartments should be of enough width that a good-sized-fountain will fit.
The open style is the safest.
The other type of pen case is one that can be used for storing pens. They basically look like a leather binder and they come in a variety of sizes. The insides can have leather elastic straps that are used to hold the pens in place.
So this is a consideration for someone who has more than a couple of pens and needs a place to store them.
As you can see from the picture above, you can't have enough Pelikan fountain pens!
Ink
No one who uses a fountain pen can ever have enough ink. Now there is cheap ink and good ink.
Giving a bottle of Iroskuzuki ink is like giving a bottle of French Champagne. This is expensive, but it is wonderful ink. It comes in a elegant bottle that looks great on a desk, and is flat enough that it fits in a briefcase. Good quality ink and a good rank of colours.
Paper & Cards
Of course the reason someone owns a pen is to write. So good paper or note cards are the perfect consideration.
Last year I started using note paper and note cards from Crane. The quality of the paper is outstanding. It makes writing a personal note an enjoyable experience for the person writing the note, as well as the person who receives it.
A gift of note paper or cards is not just something for home. Most office supplies these days have a good percentage of re-cycled paper. Nothing again using paper to re-cycle, but the paper tends to be not suitable for writing with a fountain pen.
Jam Jar to Ink Well
Okay, here is a long shot, if you happen to be in the South of France, and you are wondering if you can pick up something for the pen person, the series of jam and condiments in jars that look like something else may be the think.
Moulin du Calanquet, of Saint-Remy de Provence manufactures the products. They are available in a variety of small shops that sell olive oils, condiments etc through the South of France. The jams, olive oil, condiments etc all come in interesting shaped jars. Olive oil for example comes in a large Channel No 5 bottle. Jams came in the jars pictured above. I saw only an ink well! We loved the jam. Now it is an interesting ink well on my desk!
Pen Magazines
Back in 2009 when I wrote about gifts for people who use pens there were a number of different magazines to consider. Now there are basically two: Pen World and Penna. My wife always asks why I subscribe to the magazines as they are primarily ads. Well that in part is why. People who use fountain pens like to read about what is new in terms of different lines. They have some particles also. Pen World and Penna are very different magazines. Penna is Italian, with English translations of the articles. It is available as on on-line edition, or a physical copy that can be sent to your house. Both are expensive, with Penna being the most for those in North America.
Books on Pens
Books on pens are another item to consider. Most books are organized by company brand, or era of pen production. Anyone who has any interest in vintage pens will typically find the books very interesting.
Many chain book stores are hit and miss in terms of pen books. From time to time they carry one of two titles. Some of the major retail on-line pen stores sell the better known titles.
Desk Accessories
Desk accessories are another consideration. I have a couple of these and enjoy having them on my desk. I also use it from time to time. They can come in handy for blotting your signature after you sign a letter so that the ink does not smear when the next piece of paper is placed on top, or a hand draws across the wet ink.
Buying blotting paper to go with the blotter is more of a challenge!
There are some ideas.