My First Fountain Pen As A Adult

[SidandNancy]

Hello all

 

I'm fairly new to FPN, but wanted to tell you a little story about how I came to be an avid FP user. Like most people of my generation, I learned to write with a FP in primary school in the 1960's, once I had graduated from pencil. Being left handed this caused all manner of smudging problems, but unlike other "lefties" who twisted their wrist around to prevent smudging, I simply turned by book sideways, so instead of writing from left to right, I write vertically - and still do to this very day regardless of what I'm writing with. Alas, no longer have these FPs from my childhood, and once in secondary school, the FPs were replaced with biro's.

 

Fast forward to 1988, when I went to university as a "mature aged student" at the ripe old age of 26. This of course was pre lap-tops, and in my efforts to write down every word my lecturers said verbatim, I developed a strain injury in my left hand. The physiotherapist who treated my hand suggested I use a fountain pen so that I wouldn't need to put pressure on my hand when writing............and so began my love affair with FPs!

 

As a poor student, I wasn't exactly flushed with funds, so after much searching and testing, I found a pen that suited me perfectly; the German made Ero. I think I paid about $50 for it at the time, which was over half of my weekly government student payment. I wasn't aware of brands back then, all I knew was that I loved the look and feel of this lovely little pen. As an added bonus, it was a piston filler, so I would also save money by not having to buy cartridges.

 

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I would attend my lectures, then spent all weekends in the library transcribing into exercise books, my lecture notes and summaries of the cases we were required to read. I still have most of these exercise books today:

 

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I soon gained a reputation with other uni students as having the most comprehensive and complete set of notes, incorporating what was said in the lectures and summaries of all applicable cases and legislation. I can say with some small amount of pride, that these exercise books, written with my beautiful Ero, were handed down to maybe 20+ students in years below me over the next 5 years.

 

Once I joined the work force after completion of my university degrees, many of my work colleagues purchased Mont Blanc's and other such prestigious writing instruments, whilst I remained faithful to my little Ero. This FP has literally written millions of words and 22 years later my Ero is as lovely to write with as it was the day I purchased it - alas my penmanship has not fared as well

 

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The only downside to this little gem is that it's a pain to clean. Prior to taking the photos above, I had spent over 5 days rinsing and soaking it to get it ready for its "photo-shoot", but until I saw the photo of the close up of the nib, I didn't realise that there are remnants of the previous light blue ink still present - more rinsing and soaking required! This piston filler "container" for want of a better word, is now stained and a bit of the celluloid has chipped off here and there, but this just adds to the character and lived in look of a much loved pen. Just goes to show you don't need to spend a fortune to get a great writer that will last for decades!

 

So that is my tale of how I found my way back to the joys of the FP.

 

Cheers

 

Leah

Edited May 29, 2010 by SidandNancy

[Zeroblade]

It's great that such a humble, less well-known pen has actually helped you create a legacy in your time, what with the handing down of notes and all! Funny you mention ERO though, as I know a place that sells ERO fine nib units for like, 25 cents apiece? Maybe they're more popular than I assume!

And indeed, piston fillers can be pain to get completely clean, especially when they're over two decades old! Here's to another two decades of great writing performance for your pen

[liapuyat]

I have a blue Senator (also a German brand) that looks like the sibling of your red Ero. And yes, Ero nibs fit it. Yes, the ink window is also stained, but it is a wonderful writer.

[Enai]

Hi Leah, your ERO looks lovely, and that's a great story that you shared. About cleaning the pen, some inks are easier to clean out than others.

 

The furry babies in your avatar look cute, BTW.

[Ernst Bitterman]

Well, that's saved me posting a question about a blue version of the pen I got at an antique sale a couple of weeks ago (which I thought as I looked at it, "It's no antique, but it's certainly a pen worth $12"). It's nice to have a approximate date to put to it.

[Bo Bo Olson]

Schade....too bad...for a few seconds I thought I identified my mystery black and gold cracked ice, but yours has Ero written on it...

Mine is similar...but many were "similar" with small dome, and clip; Geha, Mercedes, Ero, "Clipper"*, and my mystery pen*, all using a clip at least similar to Pelikan.

 

* Glad I looked, the "Clipper", with a gold nib with the imprint of the "Clipper" Air Plane (or Constellation; called by us who worked on them in the AF, "The Connie", looks like it's slightly smaller brother of the cracked ice.)Clipper is imprinted with "gold" on the side and is fully stripped like a Pelikan but rose and black.

 

The second reason, I'm glad I looked, I got some gold colored Geha FK nibs today that did not fit my Geha 790, Pelikan/Esterbrook, Artus, mystery cracked ice**, and some other twist out nibbed pen.

 

It fits that "Clipper". Now to ink and write.

That Geha nib will have to go some, to beat the "Clipper" 14 K, slightly semi-flex nib.

 

Geha FK, is a good nib, it is slightly finer, has nice good normal + flexibility, but is not quite semi-flex.

 

It looks like I have to get a Geha School pen....one with a different nib of course.

Geha don't get into the only pen I have ... now that fits it...not because the gold nib that matches the pen is gold, because it's a bit more semi-flex.

 

** even had it fit my Mystery Cracked Ice, I'd not replaced the Grade 1, Flexible nib I discovered on it; by accident and after is sat around....Some day real soon, that pen is going to be repaired...real soon...as soon as I buy just a ......no, no, no.... :bonk:

[Kaweco]

Hello Leah

Thank you for your very nice message. ERO still exists. It is a very small factory in Ober- Ramstadt in the lovely Odenwald. (= Odin`s Wood, you know, Odin invented the old runic alphabeth). The trademark ERO is taken from the founder Ernst Rodenhäuser, who purchased production capacities from "Reform" in Nieder- Ramstadt, which closed their doors in 1956, the name "Reform" was sold to Mutschler. Look here:

http://www.muehltal-odenwald.de/geschich/nr/gewerbe/reform.html

Have fun with your ERO, it`s a nice part of history.

Thomas

[SidandNancy]

Hi Leah, your ERO looks lovely, and that's a great story that you shared. About cleaning the pen, some inks are easier to clean out than others.

 

The furry babies in your avatar look cute, BTW.

 

Thanks Enai. They are "my boys" - ragdoll cats. Johnny George Thoroughgood Rotten is the big boy half hanging out of the bed and Sidney James Vicious is the smaller, cross eyed one.

 

Hello Leah

Thank you for your very nice message. ERO still exists. It is a very small factory in Ober- Ramstadt in the lovely Odenwald. (= Odin`s Wood, you know, Odin invented the old runic alphabeth). The trademark ERO is taken from the founder Ernst Rodenhäuser, who purchased production capacities from "Reform" in Nieder- Ramstadt, which closed their doors in 1956, the name "Reform" was sold to Mutschler. Look here:

http://www.muehltal-...rbe/reform.html

Have fun with your ERO, it`s a nice part of history.

 

Thomas, you have provided me with the most information I've ever been able to find in relation to this wonderful pen. Thank you so very much!