The other night my granddaughter and I were talking. I am not exactly sure how the topic of pens came up, but it did. When I went through high school we were all using fountain pens to complete our work. The best thing about the fountain pens was the various colors of ink available. I remember having some ink that was an aqua shade and another bottle that was a light purple. Of course, there were the standard black and blue varieties as well.

One year for Christmas I received an Esterbrook pen and pencil set. The pen was a fountain pen and the pencil was the mechanical variety. I remember that the pencil had its eraser hidden inside. Replacement erasers were available. I used that pencil to do my math because I could erase my errors. The pen I used to complete written projects. My pen set was a forest green. Since everyone in the family had a set we all had different colors. When I looked in my drawer I found my green fountain pen and my grandmother’s red mechanical pencil. I have no idea what happened to my mother’s blue set or my grandfather’s brown one.

One story I shared with my granddaughter was about winning a contest sponsored by the Conservation Club. The teacher read the requirements in our seventh-grade science class. I decided right away that I wanted to enter. I did some research and began writing my essay. Finally, it was finished. All I had to do was copy it onto good paper. There were no computers in those days to rely on. Everything was hand-written.

I recall that I used that beautiful aqua ink. I filled my pen and began to copy my words. I think the word requirement was 500 words so it was a rather lengthy thing to copy. Over and over again I worked at it. It seemed like my ink always made a drip when I was close to the end so I had to do the page over. I was so disgusted that I chucked the whole mess in the garbage can in my bedroom. I was not going to have a contest entry after all.

When I went to school the next day the teacher told us that he expected us to write a composition to hand in even if we were not going to enter the contest. I went home and unceremoniously removed my papers from the garbage and started once again. I finally had a clean copy.

Weeks later I received an invitation to attend the Conservation Club’s meeting. My essay won third prize. I recall that we each received a check, but I have no idea what amount I received. It was a very nice surprise. Best of all, the three of us got an afternoon away from school, legally.

I went to an encyclopedia to find some information about fountain pens. It seems that they originated in the 10th century. That is much earlier than I would have thought. I thought I remembered reading once that our Declaration of Independence was signed with quilled pens.

My experience with pens that you dipped in ink to write is limited. I had one pen like that that I kept in my art box. Every once in a while I drew with pen and ink. When I did that, I used ink right out of the jar. I remember that the ink jars had a small well near the top for the ink you were using. You turned the bottle of ink over before you started your project to fill that little well.

Going back even further than that I recall seeing the old school desks that used to be bolted to the floor. Since the schools I attended were of the older variety we actually used that style of desk. There was one distinct advantage to those desks. There were no chairs to tip over or to scrape on the floor. There was a hole in the upper right-hand corner to hold a bottle of ink. I believe I heard tales of the boys dipping the girls’ braids/pony tails into the ink.

The dictionary defines the fountain pen as a pen with a nib and a reservoir of ink. It said the ink was distributed by gravity and capillary action. It was that darn gravity that always made those nasty blobs.

I was in grade school when we made a set of blotters as a Christmas gift. We had a piece of cork on the top to hold on to with about three ink blotters fastened under it. When one blotter was full you removed the paper fastener and tore it away. Since I did not have a dad I gave it to my grandfather. I am not sure he got very much use of it because the only writing I remember him doing is his tax forms and I am certain he did not use it then.

I was surprised to find out that fountain pens are still being manufactured throughout the world. It listed Eversharp, Parker, Paper Mate and Waterman as the major manufacturers in the U.S. I did not even realize that you could still buy bottles of ink. Of course, I have not looked for ink in years. I was happy to replace my fountain pen with the ball-point type. Now you purchase a whole pack of pens and simply throw them out when you run out of ink.

They do still sell refills for some models but it is increasingly harder to find the types that you need. I have a Paper Mate and a beautiful silver pen with my initial on top but I can never find the right refills for them.

Ann Swanson writes from her home in Russell, Pa. Contact at hickoryheights1@verizon.net.