I just recently bought my first fountain pen, a Monte Verde, mostly on a whim based on a childhood experience.

My family doctor growing up always used a fountain pen and had great penmanship. It took me years to understand what was meant by the derogatory reference to "doctor's writing" since my life experience had taught doctor's possessed elegant penmanship.

Now, almost three decades later, I received for Christmas a give card for Office Depot during our office Xmas party. Thinking I can find some new electronic gadget that I can't live without, I venture in and by accident end up perusing the pen selection.

To be quite honest, I hadn't seen a fountain pen since taking calligraphy lessons in fourth or fifth grade as part of an exercise in Medieval European history.

I've been practicing now for two weeks, my shoulder and back ache, but my lettering has become almost recognizable as something akin to the written English language.

I will place the blame for such sorry writing squarely on my shoulders, but reserve a portion of said blame for an evil professor at Texas Tech whose orations were next to supersonic and took no time out for slow writers. I had the evil one for two classes, my writing style and that of my distressed compatriots became one of flying ink slapped down at break-neck speed to retain as much of the knowledge offered to us as possible.

It is comically ironic that in such a computer-chip dependent society as ours, that now I can take time to learn how to write clearly all over again.

As I have looked over some of the posts during tonight's bout of sinus and allergy enduced insomnia, I have already picked up some pointers and I am hopeful that someday I can pen a letter of significant quality to not be waiting for the recepient to phone with questions of what I wanted "shipped" to my office.

Welcome to FPN and to the world of fountain pens. Warning: major addiction ahead!

OMG! A doctor with great penmanship!!!! ELIZABETH! IT's the big one!

Welcome Jeff!

-Bruce

Welcome aboard! I'll second the warning about this place fueling/feeding/enhancing/causing a FP & ink addiction, but it's great fun! See you around!

Welcome aboard!

Hi,

Welcome!!

Dillon