Recently, I have been taking a deep dive into the surprisingly flourishing global subculture of fountain pens. I was introduced to fountain pens at school and in 1980 settled on a Targa by Sheaffer in Brushed Stainless Steel with a steel nib (model 1001) powered by Parker Quink black ink. I have been writing with this combination ever since.
It is only recently I have discovered fountain pens have revived with an absolute cornucopia of pen, ink and paper choices out there. Another new realisation: one can actually own more than one “good pen” (biros, rollerballs, felt tips etc don’t count).
With these realisations in hand, I launched out and ordered a Wancher Japan Red fountain pen from Japan. This is built on a Sailor Professional Gear base. Sailor, I have learned, is a top end Japanese pen brand with an interesting history. The company was founded in 1911 in Japan by the engineer Kyugoro Sakata who was inspired by an English fountain pen shown to him by a visiting sailor.
I inked up my new arrival today with a matching red ink – one of a set of sample inks I ordered online. The pen is an absolute pleasure to write with. It’s actually better than my now ancient Sheaffer Targa.
It’s always a risk buying online without seeing or testing – even if a product has a really good reputation – so that’s a relief!
My next purchase will be a relatively cheap pen that apparently works well with shimmer and sheen inks which can potentially clog pens. TWSBI – a Taiwanese brand – is often cited in the fountain pen community as up to the job. At the same time, I will buy a small collection of sheen and shimmer inks and use them just with this dedicated pen. The particular model I have my eye on has a cap and piston knob that glow in the dark. It has to be done!
Reviews of the Japan blue
Review on the fountain pen network Note: the Red version has a 21k gold nib.
This post was composed on a keyboard.
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