Upon learning it was Fountain Pen Day on first Friday of November from a fellow blogger, it was important to find and buy something subject related. My local town does not aspire to many art supply shops. Apart from a WHSmith, there are two more choices. Certainly, from these sources, there are no great choices regarding inks or fountain pens.

So I waited until arriving home and looked on eBay, etc. Wanted to get a couple of ‘Let’s see what happens’ pens. Vintage, not modern. Due to being a pensioner on a very limited budget nowadays it was wise to go for something cheap and experimental. Not restored, expensive and unique due to rarity. The thing is. I do have a fair few fountain pens already. Mostly vintage. However. People are very aware of the value of vintage pens now. Especially fountain pens. Buying vintage ‘unlooked at’s’ that have been found in the bottom of a family member’s drawer? You either get a real bargain find or renovation is very much needed. And sometimes big style.

The thing is that I have never properly broken down the parts of a fountain pen and restored/renovated to full working glory. I imagine that renovation may result in the culmination of great straight forward successes or frustrating unlooked for problems. Or the lack of finding original bits required. Results that can bring either a big smile or a heavy frown. I usually put a pen that is beyond the scope of simple fixing in a drawer with an ‘Oh well!’ response. I may turn a nib to alleviate ink leakage or gently polish a scratchy nib. One day I may revisit a poor find. But usually they are of a common make, plenty of them for sale and easily obtained elsewhere.

Fingers crossed on these two when they arrive. These are the eBay images. A French Creeks ‘n’ Creeks and an unknown. The unknown is a bit of a puzzle as yet. Pens? I am usually happy if they are simply nice writers and prove efficient. I don’t worry about great aesthetics. That’s just added quirky value.

Please tap on below images to enlarge.