The Acquisition of a Fountain Pen follows Logistical Victory

My trip to DC went flawlessly and say this in breathless awe. All my trains were on time. No problem with the hotel reservation or the taxis or the shipments of stuff I needed for the conference I was going to.

The bonus logistical round began on Wednesday morning. I decided not to head directly to the office. I decided instead to walk to Tribeca and go the Fountain Pen Hospital. This plan to go to the Fountain Pen Hospital was super vital in a non-life threatening way.

Here's the crux of the main challenge: The store is not open on the weekends. It is not open evenings.  It is open 7:30-5:30 pm Monday through Friday. Basically, if you don’t work in a five block radius, you have to make a special trip there. And because I’m not a retiree, this required deft time management.

The whole idea of going to the Fountain Pen Hospital began when I heard Neil Gamin on the Tim Ferris podcast talking about his fascination with fountain pens. He mentioned this store, which has been around for 150 years, or something that is the equivalent of BC in Manhattan. 

I used to fountain pen in college. I even have a Mont Blanc fountain pen somewhere that my grandparents got me for my college graduation. I never really used it, mainly because I harbored a deathly fear of forgetting it on the stained countertop of some all-night coffee shop in West Philadelphia.

Maybe I shouldn't have been so concerned. There's a backstory here that I'm not going to get into, but my car was broken into one time, and in the car was my graduation Mount Blanc and also a shitty old microwave oven. The thieves elected to make off with the microwave and left the Mont Blanc. I'm not sure if that is a comment on fountain pens or on thieves who break into Toyota Tercels. If you have thoughts, let me know.

In any event, I loved the Fountain Pen Hospital as much as I thought I would. The sales guy I encountered might have been the kindest, most patient fountain pen nerd on the planet. All dressed up in a three piece suit and an impeccable bow tie, he helped me locate the most beautiful fountain pen. I also got a bunch of pretty ink and he gave me a lecture on how to properly care for my new acquisition.

M205 Pelikan Fountain Pen purchased at Fountain Pen Hospital

We also discussed my wayward Mont Blanc. The sales guy said that back in the olden days, Mont Blanc would make their pens to scratch across the page. He said people in the olden days liked that sound and feeling. That’s why they chose to use a fountain pen. 

I knew exactly what he was talking about. Maybe that's another reason I didn't use the pen much, I wasn't a fan of all the scratching. I also didn’t particularly like my college years being referred to as ’the olden days.’ 

Now I have to go to the typewriter store that just opened up on the end of our block. 

PhotoCredit: Angel Columbus