I GREW UP IN CARACAS, VENEZUELA. THROUGHOUT MY CHILDHOOD I WAS NOT ALLOWED TO WRITE FORMALLY WITH ANYTHING BUT A FOUNTAIN PEN. IN MY CASE, AN ESTERBROOK. BUT I LOOKED FORWARD TO THE DAY I'D HAVE A PARKER OR A SHAEFFER, WHICH WERE FOR "GROWN UPS".
THERE WERE PROBLEMS. THE WORST THING THAT COULD HAPPEN WAS FOR THE PEN TO LEAK ALL OVER YOUR NOTEBOOK, SO INK BLOTTERS WERE VERY MUCH AT HAND. IT WAS EVEN WORSE IF THE PEN LEAKED WHILE IN YOUR POCKET!
SO, WHEN BALL POINTS APPEARED, IT WAS A TOTAL PARADIGM SHIFT (BUT WE SOON FOUND OUT THEY ALSO LEAKED).
I ALREADY HAD A COLLECTION OF FOUNTAIN PENS, MOSTLY GIFTS OR INHERITED FROM MY PARENTS. BUT ONE DAY, AT AN ANTIQUES STREET FAIR, I FOUND THE PEN I HAD BEEN DREAMING OFF: A WATERMAN, CASED IN A SWIRLING STERLING SILVER DESIGN, WITH A GOLD NIB, AND DATED SEPT. 25, 1905, THE KIND THAT IS FILLED WITH A DROPPER.
IN FACT, IT IS THE FIRST MODEL ON THE WATERMAN PAGE I FOUND ON INTERNET:
The Filigree pattern was in use from 1905 to c. 1923, and is most commonly found on eyedropper-fillers -- though it was also used on coin-fillers, pump-fillers, safeties, and older lever-fillers. The design is Art Nouveau, and may be described as a trefoil vine pattern.
FAST FORWARD TO A COUPLE OF DAYS AGO. EVER SINCE I FOUND A CZECH PERFUME BOTTLE WITH BOTH AN E&JB PAPER LABEL AND ACID STAMP, I BECAME QUITE INTERESTED IN THEIR PRODUCTS. AND A SEARCH PRODUCED THE PEN HOLDER.
WHAT STRUCK ME IMMEDIATELY WAS THE SIMILARITY BETWEEN ITS OPEN SCROLL WORK AND MY PEN'S. 3" HIGH; 5/8" ACROSS TOP OPENING; 2.75" BASE. IT IS MARKED AT THE CENTER OF THE RECESSED BOTTOM: "E&JB SILVERPLATE" (NEW YORK, 1890-1930).
A PITY THAT THE FOUNTAIN PEN INDUSTRY IS BEING DESTROYED BY THE DIGITAL AGE. KIDS ARE NOT EVEN BEING TAUGHT TO WRITE CURSIVE!