Of Pens & Dusty Corners
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Exhibition Case of Birmingham-made Pens - image ©The Pen Museum A further recent addition to my continuing descent down the rabbit hole of retro-analogue-ishness is a brand-new fountain pen. Nothing exotic or expensive, just a basic Parker cartridge pen. I've tried replacing my long-lost fountain pens in the past, but none of the newly purchased pens would ever write decently. Enter my latest attempt; the Parker Jotter, only £7.75 online and it writes perfectly: no skipping, scratching or splatter. I have started using it for note taking and making up the cards in the Zettelkasten. It has been a re-introduction to actual handwriting, a personal skill that had all but atrophied over the years of keyboard use and scrappy note taking in biro. I can't say my handwriting was ever very pretty; I think our generation was the first where the skill wasn't really valued at school. If you can, look at a sample of the writing from anyone born and schooled between the wars; my Dad f