Hello there,

My pen name is Penbridge and I am from the UK.

I graduated from university a year ago and after years of using inexpensive, plastic fountain pens, I feel the time is right to invest my hard earned money in a more sophisticated writing instrument.

Don't get me wrong, I love my cheapie fountain pens but I have always dreamed of having a more unique and stylish pen.

I remember the very first fountain pen I owned. I was seven years old and was just entering junior school where I would learn 'joined up' handwriting. I went with my dad to WH Smiths and purchased a red and yellow plastic fountain pen with a few ink cartridges. Twelve years down the line and I am still using a WH Smith fountain pen (not the same one, I lost that abroad). I love the multicoloured cartridges WH Smith sell, particularly the turquoise ones. The WH Smith pen I own at the moment is a very good pen! It writes quite smoothly and it only cost £4!

I never really realised that there was a whole world beyond the WH Smith pen until I read the Secret History by Donna Tartt. One of the characters in the novel made a reference to Mont Blanc. I knew that Cartier made fountain pens however pen collecting, or different makes of pens, was not something I had ever considered.

Ever since then I have had my heart set on owning a Mont Blanc. Now, however, I have changed my mind and I am hell bent on buying a Yard O Led Victorian Fountain Pen. Has anyone ever owned one before? Can someone point me in the direction of a review or give me a list of the pros and cons? I would like some information about the sizes as well please.

Ooh - I am also a fan of the Omas pens that were made for the millenium (although I wont be able to afford those until I get a proper grown-up job...)

Looking forward to chatting to you all on this network!

PB

Hi there, welcome to FPN, there's tons of stuff the learn here.

hell o and welcome to FPN

Kurt

welcome.
you probably should not miss the wes pen festival in london... this week.. you will find some inspiration to start the collection. i can not wait to be there in spite that i migh spend some money on some pens.... i have been last year an is an awesome way to spend the day...

Welcome Penbridge.

The Secret History is one helluva book. I love it dearly and wait for some genius to make a movie from it.

Surprisingly, I do not remember the reference to Montblanc, but I will forgive all of the study group their sins. They were so very entertaining.

A nice Parker 51 or 45 and I am sure things would have turned out better.

SERIOUSLY...FOR ALL FPNers WHO HAVE NOT READ THE SECRET HISTORY...DO SO. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!!

what's it about?

Kurt

Welcome to FPN from Canada.

Hello and welcome!

It's about a small group of classics students at an elite college in the US who murder one of their group. A thoroughly good read. Probably one of the best books I have read in the past ten years or a so. Another writer tried to emulate it with a book called 'Special Topics in Calamity Physics' but it is just not as good. Read it, you wont regret it!

Thanks for all the welcome messages!