- the redesigned hooded 14k nib provided smoother writing and ink overflow was trapped under the hood instead of drying on the nib or blotting onto the paper;
- the smooth jet-like barrel was made of lucite, the same material used in the nose-cones of jet planes;
- ink was infused through a unique aeromatic filler system;
- the cap had a clutch system to hold it in place;
- the clip attached to a bushing inside the cap and was topped by a celluloid "jewel."
Maybe not "tech-wow" to the level of today's "google-ese, " at our fingertips, but I think the fountain pen genre is in many ways superior to today's communication technology which tends to create or amplify:
- reducing communication and language to tech-speak, slang, and emojis;
- enabling anonymous but cutting rudeness and often bullying;
- creating minute by minute distractions;
- contributing to shallow and fleeting thought;
- adding to stress.
Fountain pens on the other hand can be a unique addition to our communication tools by contributing to the physical act and ritual of writing, thus:
- leading to mindfulness and soothing through creative motion rather than thumb-taps;
- occupying more of our senses as we slow down;
- becoming a personal tool as the gold nib melds to your writing style, providing character to your words;
- providing an opportunity for true communication rather than disposable transmittals;
- offering an heirloom that can be handed down from generation to generation.
I love how this post manages to be both stark and streamlined in its form, but also deeply thoughtful and complex. In a way, you perform the very arguments you make. The metaphor plays itself out, which is quite fascinating.
ReplyDelete"Google-ese" is a great term, and your descriptions of it ring so true. I recently bought an inexpensive gadget that props my computer up so that I can read and type while standing, rather than sitting. In part I did this because I'm tired of all the sitting I do, and in part because it makes my computer time more economical. If I stand, I'm more focused on the task in front of me--working on an essay, writing comments to students, etc--and am less likely to seek "minute-by-minute distractions" or give in to the shallow and fleeting thoughts. What is next to my computer, on the desk and requires a chair? My notebook and fountain pen. When I need to work out a more complex idea, or give myself the *time* to think and use more of my senses, then I pick up that pen and listen to the nib move across the paper. My desire for the error-free page, the perfectly neat (and tiny!) letters gets disturbed by the fountain pen because inevitably, I write something and then change my mind, or realize I don't know where the thought needs to go. I have to scratch it out. Or I misspell a word, and the error glares back for all time. Unlike the computer that disguises these moments, that presents an idea as if it was the first thing that came to mind, the pen and notebook archive and pass down the mistakes and circuitous routes of thought. Maybe that's part of the pen's charm too?
Well, one thing I'll say in the pixel's favor: I get to read what you write now, more frequently and immediately at least. And others do too. I think that's quite a gift. But I also would not be opposed to letter writing here and there--we should do more of that too. Get out your magnifying glass because I have a very fine-point nib in my favorite Esterbrook.
This made me want a Parker 51, a pen I've never known about before! In all seriousness, I love what you say here about the quality of writing by hand. I always tell my students that writing by hand changes the way you write--it pulls your thoughts into order, and since you can't frenetically type every thought in your head but have to follow and focus on only the most vital ones, the prose tends to be stronger and pithier. Cheers to instruments--and people--who remain durable and vital amid the chaotic, ephemeral flurry of new technology. --Chelsey
ReplyDeleteGoogle-ese! I should point out that I was not able read this post for 7 days since an unknown internet pirate from Michigan learned my password and hijacked my Google account.
ReplyDeleteI fell in love with the Parker 51 the first time I saw it. The lines and feel spoke of class, fine engineering, and durability. Unfortunately, using a Parker 51 will not elevate my writing abilities and wordsmithing that I see above. Back to the Pilot G2 for me, better suited for my talents.
Thank you for your articulate connection of fountain pens and people - both have much to contribute to our social graces.
ReplyDeleteAs a recent graduate of SSST (Slow-ski School of Technology), I have been enjoying my IPhone and tablet. With GPS at the touch of an app, mobile deposits that don't require a drive to the bank, games and quizzes that keep my mind "sharp", shareable photos and texts, there is no denying the conveniences.
It's fun to have Google and Siri at my beck and call (they don't keep office hours), but they simply do not replace the feel or smell of an encyclopedia, or a dog-eared map that takes 5 minutes to return to its correct sequence of folds, or the fun and laughter of a game with a live person instead of a virtual one, or the excitement of discovering a handwritten card or letter in the mailbox!
Perhaps we are returning to the "caveman days", in which our anthropologic slice of time will only be recorded in archaic drawings, symbols and figures...in the form of viral videos, emojis, and memes. I hope not.
Each Christmas season, there becomes a hot item, the latest must-have. May this year be the year of the Parker 51 - lines of people waiting anxiously in hopes of getting one. Write on!