Welcome!
We are with the 2018 April AtoZ Blogging challenge and its my fifth attempt. For those who missed it, here is the link to my Theme Reveal post. Do the alphabets still stand for the same things we learnt about in Nursery school?
Its day nine and the alphabet is I.
I for Ink. Ink Pens.
We began writing in school with a pencil. Among the other perks of growing up to middle school was using the ink pen. The fountain pen as it was called brought its own set of difficulties. It often leaked and the stain was quite difficult to wash off. Preparing for exams meant we had to take extra pens as it not possible to refill ink from the bottle at the examination centre.
Chelpark was the brand of choice and the colour was invariably Royal Blue. I know that other colours were available but Royal Blue was the only one in our home.
I was thrilled when I was gifted a pen which had a sort of pump attached to the nib. This made refilling easy and clean. Then a few years later, we got cartridges of inks that we just had to affix below the nib. This eliminated the need for a ink bottle.
I remember using ink pens for my Class X exams but just two years later, ball point pens were making their presence felt. My pencil box had one just as a ‘back up’. Soon these ball pens took became the writing equipment of choice. They lasted for longer than ink pens and were not messy. I think they won on the price front too.
I was happy that my daughter used a fountain pen when in school and the Chelpark bottle again had a place of pride on her study desk. However like me, it lost the battle to new fangled Gel Pens.
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| The green pen on the extreme right is a fountain pen. |
I think, my handwriting was much better with a fountain pen as compared to the ball pens.
Today, we hardly write. Everything is either on the computer/laptop/smartphone. People voice-record lectures which does away the need to take notes. Students take photos of the notice board so there is no need to write down any time table. Shopping lists are on various apps.
Ink pens are slowly getting redundant. The only time we use it regularly is to sign cheques or fill pay-in slips.
Do you use a fountain pen?
Do share your thoughts!
I have used a fountain pen a little bit trying to learn calligraphy, but agree that it is quite messy. I'm grateful to have had the option of using ball point pens all of my life for school and work. Such a blessing and convenience!
Such a nostalgic post Archana. We had only Chelpark Royal Blue. My friends used Bril. But we never did. My pen had my name painted on it. My dad's friend did it. It was my prized possession. My handwriting now is a poor reflection of what it used to be. Fountain pens made it better, do you think? or was it patience? LOL
I blog at balconysunrise.wordpress.com
Hi Archana.
Thank you for visiting my blog yesterday.
Your Chelpark picture and post about ink pens took me back to my school days. Royal Blue was our choice of ink shade too.
I have a Pilot liquid ink pen sitting next to me right now. I love how words flow on the page when I write with it. There are people (one or two I know) who only write with fountain pens.
I'm a bit lazy and pick anything that has ink to write with, usually:)
artismoments.blogspot.qa/2018/04/i-is-for-ishq-atozchallenge.html
Aww! This brought back some lovely memories from school days. I remember how filling ink in the pens was a ritual. How we used to wipe away the ink on our head and invariably drop it here and there… and the stains!! Your post reminds me that I have not seen an ink bottle for so long now. My son has never used an ink pen, it's only gel pens for him.
Shilpa Garg #AtoZChallenge
I love having a good quality ink pen to write with, much more than typing on a keyboard. Nice post 🙂
iainkellywriting.com/2018/04/10/i-is-for-iasi-romania/
@Marcy – yes ball point pens do have their advantages.. Thanks for stopping by!
@Meena – So glad my post revived happy memories. Thanks for stopping by 🙂
Thank you @Arti 🙂
Thanks Shilpa. Your support means a lot! 🙂
Thank you Iain Kelly!
That's such a nostalgic post Archana. I have started using a Parker fountain pen all over again, since last year and yes, I love it. Though I barely write on paper anymore, but whenever I do I whip up my weapon and attack the paper like a long lost warrior. :))
Great to stumble upon your blog.Will be back for more.
Natasha
natashamusing
April Anecdotes
Intimacy
That's great Natasha! I am so happy to hear that you are back with the fountain pen.. no such luck here though… I am using a ball pen…
Nice post. I also have many fond memories of Ink Pen/ Fountain pen. Thank you for a trip down memory lane. 🙂
Not only do I often (tho' not always) write with a fountain pen, once upon a time I had a beau who "got" me well enough to know that THE very best present to bring me from Venice was a glass fountain pen set. Oh, how I love that thing!
I miss my fountain pen. In fact when you learnt to write with ink we used nibs that had to be dipped in ink wells. Monday morning we filled the ink wells and on Friday afternoon we washed them out so that they didn’t get encrusted with dry ink . How I miss those days of blotting paper and stained fingers
I still love fountain pens and use them whenever I can!
Thanks to you to Jui! 🙂
Wow! A glass fountain pen!! That is certainly something to treasure! Thanks for stopping by Jz!
@bellybytes Yes, blotting paper was an invaluable part of the pencil box or compass box! Thanks for stopping by Sunita 🙂
@Ipsita That's the way to go! 🙂