230,000 Dollar Fountain Pens!? Really?
When they hear that someone is ready to spend $40,000 on a fountain pen, many people are likely to give a surprised expression. However, Patrick Pinkston, founder of Renaissance Pen Co., claims that the price, which may seem excessive for what appears to be “only” a writing instrument, is actually a reflection of the fact that these pens are also considered to be unique works of art. This is despite the fact that the pens appear to be “only” writing instruments.
Extremely Pricy Pens Can Be Considered Works Of Art
The strategy that Fisher, Michel Perchin, and other industry leaders have adopted of making their products accessible in limited editions is another factor that contributes to the high price that fountain pens may garner. This trend originally appeared in the early 1990s and resulted in the establishment of a new market for expensive things. According to the president of the Fountain Pen Hospital, Terry Wiederlight, this trend caused pens to become increasingly comparable to jewels.
There is a significant variety of prices available for fountain pens. There is a Fisher pen on the market that costs $15 and is capable of writing in reverse. The Modernista Diamonds pen from Caran D’Ache, on the other hand, would set the prospective purchaser back a whopping $230,000 due to the inclusion of over 5,000 individual diamonds. The fact of the matter is that people who are passionate about fountain pens are anxious to flaunt, appreciate, or just collect the excellent writing tools that have been particularly developed.
Where The Passion Started?
Lewis Waterman, an insurance salesman, is credited with being the first person to patent a fountain pen in 1884. This is despite the fact that pens that had their own ink reservoir were previously available earlier. Because the ink from the pen he was using leaked over the paper, he was unable to seal a significant deal and this served as the impetus for him to get things done. Because of Waterman’s hard work, the company went from being a straightforward hand-made enterprise situated in a cigar shop to one that now generates yearly revenue of 350,000! After the passing of his uncle in 1901, his nephew Frank D. Waterman established the business in other countries.
How do Fountain Pens Work?
Earlier attempts to patent their creation before Waterman, such as John Jacob Parker’s in 1831 and John Scheffer’s in 1809, either failed or posed other problems that prevented these products from taking off, for example, the self-filling pen of John Jacob Parker in 1831 and the quill-and-metal pen of John Scheffer in 1809. Because the internal supply of ink in a fountain pen is so important, several pen designers and innovators going all the way back to the early 19th century have experimented with different reservoir designs in an effort to find the one that works best. The self-filling design was one that emerged during this time period. It resulted in the creation of several patents, including the Button Filler patented by the Parker Pen Company in 1905, the Lever Filler patented by Walter Sheaffer in 1908, and the Matchstick Filler patented by the Weidlich Company in 1910.
In addition, George Safford Parker was an important role in the evolution of fountain pens. Parker was a school teacher at the time, but he supplemented his income by working as a distributor of John Holland fountain pens. Because he was unhappy with the quality of the pens he was selling to students, he decided to fix the ones that were broken. This led to his learning how fountain pens are manufactured, which ultimately persuaded him that he could produce pens of a superior quality. In partnership with W.E. Parker and Company, the Parker Pen Company was founded and is currently celebrating its 110th year. Palmer in February of 1892, with the assistance of many Parker patents, one of which was titled “The Lucky Curve.” This invention took advantage of capillary attraction, which completely drained ink from the pen’s feed tube. This prevented the liquid from expanding and reaching the tip, which ensured that the user’s hand would not get stained with ink when the cap was removed.
Fountain Pens Of Today
Since the turn of the 20th century, fountain pens have evolved into much more than simply writing implements. The ability to own a pen came to be viewed as a clear mark of distinction since its owners were considered to be members of an educated class. At the time, these owners were the only people who were acknowledged for their ability to read and write.
In the 1950s, disposable ink cartridges for fountain pens were introduced and quickly became a commercial success. This was primarily due to the ease with which the cartridges could be inserted into the pens and the design of the cartridges, which virtually eliminated the possibility of any spillage. Later on, ballpoint pens were invented, and ultimately they came to replace fountain pens as the most popular kind of writing utensil. Despite the prevalence of other writing implements, fountain pens continue to be highly sought after by collectors.
The Fountain Pen Hospital in New York is home to all of the most prestigious fountain pen brands available anywhere in the globe. In addition to the high-quality writing tool, Fountain Pen Hospital provides a variety of writing accessories such as desk sets, leather pen cases, pen displays, and more. The dealer carries a variety of well-known brands, including Graf von Faber-Castell of Germany, Cartier of Italy, Aurora of Italy, Rotring of Switzerland, Sheaffer of the United States, Michel Perchin of France, Waterman, and Parker of the United States.