Fountain Pens (Crowood Collectors')

As a collector of fountain pens for nearly thirty years, I own numerous books on fountains pens, the history, collecting, repair, etc. I must say, there has yet to be written the definitive tome on fountain pens. Peter Twydle's book takes a giant leap in the right direction. Well written with many handsome depictions of fountain pens and old print ads, many historical references, a reliance on vintage manuals, the author also shares the knowledge handed down from his father, Arthur Twydle, a fountain pen historian, to whom the book is dedicated. In fact, the book is a bit of a gift to his late father, a long-time pensmith (selling, restoring, collecting) and founder of (the first?) pen museum. There is a heartfelt biography in the appendix, recounting his father's life.The link between the author (himself a pensmith) and his father is quite warm and humanizing. That alone makes this book different, and more engaging, from the rest.Some of the book’s highlights come via Arthur Twydle, the father, who was opinionated and unequivocal in matters concerning pens. The best fountain pen, according to Arthur, is the Pelikan M800 Souveran (generally agree but also have very high regard for several Japanese brands, Namiki/Pilot and Nakaya, in particular); Montblanc has long shown excellence in branding but has an inferior filling system that makes their writing instruments prone to leak — they’ve known this and refuse to address it (I discovered this nearly thirty years ago); we are living in a disposable world, so pens are no longer made to last — if you're shelling out good money on a fountain pen, the first rule, says Arthur: it should work. And the company should stand behind it. Common sense . . . not so common.The book includes a glossary, many lovely line drawings and diagrams depicting the inner working of pens and filling systems. The real breath of fresh air comes with the sharing of opinions, long-held impressions of specific companies and the industry, and how it's all changed. There is a short section on how to navigate on eBay, how to buy at auction, how to value your pen collection, how to care for your pens, and suggestions on how to build your collection.One sore point for me, was that the author, in describing Montblanc, refers to the company logo as "a star." I understand that it is commonly referenced, incorrectly, as a star, but the white mark atop a Montblanc pen is meant to replicate the snow-capped mountain, Mont Blanc, for which the pen is named, just as the "4810" engraving on the nib references the height of the mountain in meters.Nevertheless, glad I have this book. Have already read it cover-to-cover. And will again.

Although this book was first published in 2009, there has been no book that is more up-to-date and informative as this one. By means of diagrams and photographs, Twydle explains all the parts of a fountain pen, clearly and comprehensively. He is clearly knowledgeable and has been a pen collector for a long time. He has a good description of the major manufacturers and their history. Some of the models he included are relatively modern, such as Pelikan's 'Caelum' and Waterman's 'Serenity'. Those who have collected pens for longer than these will enjoy some of the old advertisements such as that of Sheaffer's to experience some nostalgia. Most importantly, for the novice, Twydle shares his experience in a section on how to build your pen collection.

This is a perfect book for someone who collects these pens

Well written, great photos and filled with more details than I expected. Shipping took awhile, but given that it came from England - not bad. "A Must" for anyone with an interest in fountain pens. Kozmo18

Twydle's short book provides enough detail for a beginner. It is not a definitive book but gives the highlights of important pen manufacturers, explains the basic mechanics of fountain pens, some of their history and some interesting photos. One picture is even a bit racy, showing that even pens can be made exciting. I would have liked to see a bit more about the instruments surrounding antique pens, such as ink wells, blotters, etc. This book is worth the money if you are just starting out.

This is an excellent book if you are interested in getting started in collecting vintage fountain pens. Covers history of all major brands and gives excellent tips on how to start collecting pens. Book is well illustrated too. Highly recommend this book if you have any interest in starting a collection of fountain pens.

I'm relatively new to fountain pens and this book really brought me up to speed with all of its information! If you love to use a fountain pen, then I would highly recommend getting this book! It covers just about all of the brands and gives you a quick history of that brand. Has beautiful pictures of fountain pens from yesterday and today! You will be surprised at what this man's father had to say about Montblanc!

I found myself flipping through ads and reading past marketing information. The only thing i got from this book is; according to the author, the Pelikan m800 is the perfect pen,i wish he went into detail and compared it to other pens like Visconti, Omas, Pilot , etc. I bought this used but I don't feel i got my money's worth I might as well done the research myself.

This book "Fountain Pens", originally published in 2009, is written by one of the UK's most respected names in the field, as was his father before him who was the source of much of his accumulated knowledge. Gaining experience within Parker's UK factory, mother, father and son spent much of their working lives with that Company. Arthur, the father had created his own Fountain Pen Museum that was later passed to his son and gained knowledge across a far broader spectrum of brands.Fully up-to-date when written but less now, the contents are still completely relevant and valuable. The book is not just naked historical information but shows how the pens developed and includes valuable information about how various models and designs actually work. The book is illustrated beginning to end with photographs, many from the Museum's exhibits, and illustrations. There are listings of some of the major brands, mostly European and American but others from the Orient, and some of the models they produced but it is far from comprehensive; that is not a criticism as there are hundreds of now defunct brands from Europe alone and probably at least as many from the USA!Also offered is advice about care and maintenance, something that many users clearly either never understood or practised as is often demonstrated whenever a used model is purchased other than from a specialist retailer who may restore them, for example via live auctions, or eBay and similar sites; they may be unusable as ink dried-out over many years, possibly decades, clogs or corrodes working parts that may need to be replaced - it is a surprisingly common experience. Cleaning and repairing them is a task best left to the experts although an experienced user may be able to resolve the simpler problems.With a lifetime's worth of knowledge available to its author, the book includes only a small proportion but there is plenty here for those with an interest. Once all but forgotten other than by a few, fountain pens are seeing a strong resurgence in popularity and the number of users is steadily rising as is the number of specialist dealers. Collectors, even in the UK alone, probably number into the tens of thousands. The book is not just for the collector but could inform and educate a much broader audience.

Although this book was first published in 2009, there has been no book that is more up-to-date and informative as this one. By means of diagrams and photographs, Twydle explains all the parts of a fountain pen, clearly and comprehensively. He is clearly knowledgeable and has been a pen collector for a long time. He has a good description of the major manufacturers and their history. Some of the models he included are relatively modern, such as Pelikan's 'Caelum' and Waterman's 'Serenity'. Those who have collected pens for longer than these will enjoy some of the old advertisements such as that of Sheaffer's to experience some nostalgia. Most importantly, for the novice, Twydle shares his experience in a section on how to build your pen collection.

This is a beautifully illustrated book full of colour pictures of all brands and vintages of fountain pen. A large section of the book covers the various manufacturers, but there are also sections about the history of the fountain pen, how it works, building a collection etc.A gorgeous, informative book which I've spent too much time poring over.

Wonderfully detailed book on fountain pens. It's written well. A good read and a reference book. Good for those that are new to fountain pens as well as fountain pen enthusiasts.

I bought this book as I'd just started buying and using vintage fountain pens. My favored period is 1920s and 30's. Unfortunately this book has limited information on pens from that period and most of the book concentrates on later pens. Not perfect for my purposes, but interesting all the same.