The Write Touch

What could delight a geek more on a nice afternoon stroll than finding a cool paper store? The elegant hostess Gracie is a white West Highland terrier who greets all with affection and soft serious licks.
This is the kind of upscale store where people come to have their wedding invitations made, and you will see the usual Crane cards, fancy wrapping paper, and other such things. What’s that along the side… why, a fountain pen case, nice! These can’t be big sellers, but there is indeed a nice selection, but there is nothing for you if you think $ 20 is a high price to pay for a pen, and I don’t think there was even anything that low. I am well-​stocked and only window-​shopped.
Something many environmentally-​minded people might consider is having a pen that can be refilled instead of thrown away. Ball point pen ink is made from petroleum, whereas fp ink is water-​based. Fountain pens also just feel better in the hand, like a tiny paintbrush, with the flow of the ink and shape of the nib letting you be more expressive.
I did not see any vintage pens here, but that is more of a fixer-​upper/​collector situation than a retail one. For these, I hunt farmer’s markets and antique stores, but they are increasingly harder to find. I always have extra admiration for a person when I see a fountain pen peeking out of his or her pocket. Vintage pens are often made from biodegradable material such as rubber or metal.
Yes, you can still get ink, even vintage ink, just not in most big box office supply stores.
I forgot to look for ink here, but seeing as I have a lush supply of bottles, I suspect I have a lifetime supply and am always happy to refill my friends’ pens.