The winter holidays for many people involve gift giving, which in turn, involves a great deal of stress. What to get? How much to spend? What brand, color, size, model? What is age appropriate? What can your giftee use at the office? What is practical, or what is perfectly whimsical? Ugh, and the person you would like to shop for collects what? Pens? Like fountain pens? Seriously? OMG, it just got much more complicated!! Have no fear, here’s a little help for you…..
First of all, relax, it will be just fine. I do confess that as a pen collector married to a pen collector, our version of gift giving is very simple – we shop at pen shows, at other vendor tables, make a list of who has what at which table, and then we take turns wheeling & dealing. For those of you who think that this might take the surprise and mystery away from the process, we don’t mind.
What if you are not comfortable purchasing a fountain pen? If you are a non-collecting spouse or partner, what are your other options? Over the years, my parents, for example, would have loved to have purchased a pen for me, but they had no idea what to buy, what to pay, or anything about the entire process of choosing a pen. Options, then? Lots of them!! For those of you with a close friend or family member who collects pens, you have lots of options!
INK!! All pen users need ink or refills! As long as the ink is safe for fountain pens (no India ink or calligraphy dip pen ink), you are safe. Choosing the color is the hardest part! Sneak a peek at the collector’s ink bottles to see if there is a color or brand that seems to dominate the choices. If you know that your giftee likes purple ink, for example, sneak a peek at his or her collection, and either buy another bottle, as a backup, or branch out to another brand in a similar color, but perhaps slightly lighter or darker. One of Brian’s favorite inks is Anderson Pens Robin’s Egg Blue. There are a number of similar other colors by different brands, that would also work well. His all-time Number 1 favorite ink color is the old version of Montblanc Bordeaux ink. The color and the exact bottle have been discontinued, or reissued, in a slightly bigger bottle, with a different name. If I come across a bottle of the older Bordeaux, you bet I’m going to grab that!! In fact, I ran across a bottle of Bordeaux in Columbus, and probably embarrassed myself by snagging it so quickly lol.
Calligraphy supplies are quite popular. Visconti, for example, makes a calligraphy gift set, with a pen body, TWO different nibs, a bottle of ink, and blotting papers, all in a pretty and practical box. Add a bow & you are done!! There are several different books available that show how to improve your handwriting, like this from Ziller, or from world-famous calligrapher Michael Sull. Pilot Parallel calligraphy pens are a nice idea as well – choose just one, or the set of all 4!
As crazy as the whole pen collecting thing might be to a non-pen person, here’s a tip….. Pen people actually like to USE their pens. Nice stationery or a new journal might be a good choice for a useful and elegant gift. Quo Vadis, Zequenz, and TWSBI all make nice journals. Something personalized, or with an image of a fountain pen is always appreciated, and notecards are perfect for dropping a quick line to someone. Fountain pen people love to write to each other!
What about storage? Your pen collector might appreciate a lovely soft leather binder style case or a smaller zipper case. Another popular choice is this thinner folio that fits well in a briefcase or messenger bag, without too much bulk. There are lots of choices to fit any budget.
Is your fountain pen person a DIY-er? How about repair supplies? Pen flush is a great idea, since what goes in, must come out at some point – in fountain pens this refers to the ink of course. Polishing supplies such as Micro-Mesh or Simichrome are always a practical choice. A lighted loupe will always be a welcome gift as well!
Ephemera, such as vintage ads are a really cool and colorful way to say I love you to a fountain pen addict. Some ads are large, some very small, many are very colorful, and would look great framed on the wall of an office. Magazine subscriptions are a great idea as well. The Pennant, part of the perks of membership in the Pen Collectors of America, is a wonderful magazine published 3x per year. Pen World, another magazine dedicated to fountain pens, is also a great idea, and is published 6 times a year. Books on the subject of fountain pens are also available – more than you could imagine. Topics range from very specific repair guides, to one main collecting brand, to books that address all sorts of pens from all brands, and many countries.
This holiday season, the pen collector in your life would be thrilled to know that you gave his or her hobby such thoughtful consideration. While most of us crave pens, they are tough to choose by a non-pen person. There are many elegant and practical accessories and add-ons, that won’t break that bank, but will still make the collector in your life very happy.
While you may not entirely understand the squeal and gasp that occurs when a bottle of Parker Penman Sapphire is unwrapped, just go with it. When receiving hobby-related gifts, it IS truly the thought that counts. We know you don’t completely understand us and our addiction to shiny pointy pretty things, but we do understand that you cared enough to venture into our world, if only for a little while.
Lisa & Brian