Fountain Pen Design

1.1 Welcome to Fountain Pen Design

Now available as an eBook!

The contents of this website can now be purchased for $25
as a downloadable PDF from fountainpendesign.com
A free preview sample can be downloaded by clicking here.

… a collection of stories about my adventures developing a fountain pen in the late seventies

It was in the middle of the year 1978 when a fountain pen design model landed on my desk in my laboratory.  Actually, they were two models of the same pen, each made from a solid piece of painted Perspex and wires.  One showed the pen as it would look with the cap on and the other one without a cap, appearance models we call it in the trade.  Needless to say, the parts could not be separated and had no function, not even the clip.

It took almost three years for the “penwright” (me, the ingeneer) to not only fill the pen’s interior with the parts of the pen and make it write but also, to circumnavigate the barriers (shape) the designer (shaper) had placed on the path of manifestation.  Of course not intentionally but by naif ignorance. At your leisure, I recommend your lecture of the book about the Lorelei sitting on a rock in the middle of the fast-flowing River Rhine.  She had been totally oblivious that her appearance and singing distracted the skippers, and they collided with the many rocks.  Just like that.

There is a reason for this spelling of ingeneer

Before I rattle on, in the sidebar (right) the second item from the top is the Google translator.  I tried the German translation, and it turned out quite readable.  Therefore, if reading English causes any trouble, try it.

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Let’s begin the journey.  What is so special about Fountain Pens?  As you keep on reading along, you will discover, it’s a miracle that they work at all. Building something on such aloof grounds was a big hurdle to jump for an ingeneer who likes rising from a solid foundation. Did it work out?  Have a read, and you will find out.  (It sure did; who wants to write about something which didn’t?)

Now, about this site:  No stress!  You won’t find long tables of test results but information, you will find helpful for understanding fountain pens’ function.  Each topic unravels similarly.  After introducing you to some general information, I continue with providing enough scientific background so that you can follow my explanations on the technical and quality details, of form and function, as well as the production of the components pertaining to this topic.  Finally, a chapter will be rounded off, with a bit of discussion.

A good starting step for a novice would be from this page: Components of a Fountain Pen (PS: coloured bold, italic text indicates a link to a place on this site if not mentioned otherwise, Wikipedia, quite often.)

Otherwise, go wild and click on any title in the Table of Contents ⇒⇒

How does magic enter into the design of a pen?  I love my work, am passionate about it, and I highly care about the user of my product. And for now, it is my wish that you get much pleasure from reading and discovering.

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Amadeus W.
Ingeneer

29 July 2014

PS: May I tempt you to a regular visit?  Even though you are/might be a follower of this site, you may not be aware of the fact that the ‘automatic announcing’ is only triggered by new blogs but not by a new or changed article (page).

You wonder how this site came to exist? Click on How this Site was initiated.

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Your participation helps to improve this site and make it grow.  The easiest way to support me is through writing to me via my Contact Page.  For sure, my enthusiasm increases proportionally with your level of interest.

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