Hello people. My name is Andrea and I love fountain pens.
I especially collect Sheaffer's and Pelikan, but I do have minor interests in Aurora (particularly the post war models until the 70s) and post war american pens like P51 and the Skylines.
I started collecting a few years ago, but only recently I decided to focus on the above categories. And the process wasn't exactly straightforward, let's say...
I always enjoy to talk about the hobby and I am always in search for new informations or different views.
Hopefully this place will grow and I'll be part of it.
Did the Italian public use fountain pens long after the War? In the USA the Sixties were a turning point.
Well, I'd put the ballpoint revolution in the 60s here as well. I think you were required to use a fountain pen in school for some time (until late 60s possibly, I remember in the 70s at school having tables with a small hole in a corner and wondering what was it for...) but except school, the ballpoint quickly replaced the fountain pens.
Other Eu countries, like France, required the fountain pen at school for more years, until at least the 80s. In France, the selection for school fountain pens, even in supermarket, it's still higher than in Italy today.
I truly wish they would bring back penmanship class in the schools here, but with as financially strapped as the schools are, it's unlikely to ever happen again.
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Tu ne cede malis sed contra audentior ito ~Yield not to misfortunes, but advance all the more boldly against them
I'd like to see that even as an elective arts class.
That would be a great idea Mike! The only trouble is now, music and art are areas schools are cutting back on. This is especially true in the private/charter school environment.
Frank
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"When, in the course of writing events, it becomes self-evident that all pens are not created equal" (Federalist Frank)
We sell quality, known brands at reasonable prices!!