I have two of the first three fountain pens I owned. The Sheaffer Cartridge fountain pen was purchased in 1957 when I was in the 3rd grade, and the Parker 51 was a gift from my grandmother in 1959 when I started the 5th grade. They are both still in service and work Excellency. The Sheaffer Cartridge has had no maintenance. The Parker 51 has only had the sack replaced. Hopefully, modern pens will still work 40 years later in such great condition. I have a collection of about 120 pens about half modern and half vintage. All but a few of the pens are American made. I am looking to add some British modern and vintage pens to the collection. Handwriting letters is a great thrill for me. I miss the days when we used to write letters several times a week to family and friends. Fountain pen ink on a good paper writes such a nice letter. When I handwrite a letter today on 100% cotton engraved stationery or correspondence cards using a fountain pen many people will comment on it because they rarely receive something so nice today. Such correspondence used to be common place and still should be. Computers and design software has made stationery design easy and fun to accomplish. The excellent quality color inkjet printers also make the printing of stationery and correspondence cards easy and of top quality that used to take a four color press. I look forward to corresponding on numerous subjects for fountain pens and printing stationery to politics and government and other subjects. I have varied interests and like to correspond with people with many interests. I have a Ph.D. in history. Primary sources for historical research will be harder to find because of inexpensive long distance rates and e-mail. People do not put as much thought behind e-mail and they are not saved like handwritten or even typewritten letters. Journals kept on computer will not likely have the longevity of journals in a diary or journal book or even notebook paper tied together with ribbon or sewed. The days of dip pens and fountain pens and paper were the highlight of the primary source for historians. The letters of Adams, Jefferson, Washington, Lincoln and our early leaders are still around in almost perfect condition because they used 100% rag paper without any acid content and ink that would not fade over years. FDR, Truman, Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon, Ford, Carter, Reagan and Bush I might be the last our Presidents with excellent personal primary resources. We are lucky that Bush I still likes handwritten letters and so does Clinton to an extent, but Bush II does not. Reagan was excellent at hand written correspondence, but not of them kept records, journals and correspondence like FDR, Truman and Johnson. I look forward to your letters so we can help keep hand written correspondence on good paper alive and well.
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