Thursday, May 13, 2021

Fountain Pens and the Pandemic

 



by Tony Thomas


It is already March and this is my first blog of the year.  2020 was certainly interesting and now things have to be returning to some degree of normal.

The global pandemic has certainly made life much more complex and challenging for most of us.  It has literally turned our lives upside down.  Some questions for you:

1. Are you using fountain pens more or less?

Since I quit working full time and retired three years ago, I find myself using my fountain pens less.  One of the reasons why is I was in an environment where electronic device use (other than the company-assigned PC) was prohibited.  As a result, all of my note taking was with pen and paper.  That facilitated the use of fountain pens.  I am sure that changing work patterns and environments have also impacted your fountain pen use.  

2. Are you using a fountain pen to write letters?

The US Postal Service certainly has been negatively challenged by the pandemic.  As a result, mail delivery is much slower and less reliable these days.  I am sure this has reduced the number of letters being written.  One of my favorite uses for fountain pens is creating handwritten letters and notes that add a personal touch.  Fewer letters being sent probably means less fountain pens are being used to write them.

3. Has the pandemic curbed your fountain pen spending?

I am sure that fountain pen retailers have been hit really hard financially as people have lost their sources of income due to the pandemic and made the transition to living on unemployment.  The recent stimulus payments may have caused some funds to flow to these retailers, but if you are like me, fountain pens are not high on my list of things I need to buy.

How has the pandemic affected you?