THE P EN I S MIGHT I E R THAN THE SWORD. . .


You might expect that email and the ballpoint has killed off the fountain pen however quite the contrary - sales of vintage fountain pens are rising. So is the fountain pen a curious example of an old-fashioned object surviving the winds of change?


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Will Farmer is our antiques & collectors expert, he is well known for his resident work on the Antiques Roadshow, he has also written for the popular ‘Miller’s Antique Guide’. Those in the know will have also come across him at ‘Fieldings Auctioneers’. We are delighted that Will writes for Live 24-Seven, he brings with him a wealth of knowledge and expertise.


Whatever the reason many new collectors are turning to this time-honoured classic as both the perfect gift and safe investment.


For many people, fountain pens bring back memories of school days full of inky fingers, smudged exercise books and piles of pink blotting paper. But for others, a fat Montblanc or a silver-plated Parker is a treasured item. Today's fountain-pen enthusiasts are buying for their desktop or inside pocket rather than their display cabinet. The aim for most modern collectors is to own perhaps seven or eight classic, mostly modern designs, rather than hoarding hundreds of vintage models stored away, never to see the light of day.


The world-record price for a fountain pen stands at a mind boggling £183,000 paid for a 1928 Dunhill-Namiki 'No 50 Giant', all of 10 inches long and decorated with hand-lacquered dragons, a remarkable price for a remarkable pen.


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BUYERS GUIDE THE FOUNTAIN PEN


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