![]() Lots of beautiful photos, a great range of pens and accessories, plus an excellent section on filling mechanisms. A long-time favorite is the handsome Une affaire de stylos by Pierre Haury and Jean-Pierre Lacroux available in English as A Passion for Pens (the Italian edition is La seduzione delle stilo). The Chronicle of the Fountain Pen: Stories Within a Story is a beautiful survey of pen history, in which the authors attempt to integrate the stories of individual pen manufacturers into a more integrated chronological narrative though it by no means stints on illustrations of fabulous pens. Fountain Pens of Japan was published in 2012, tapping into the deep knowledge of Japanese fountain pen authority Masamichi Sunami. His older and smaller Fountain Pens: Vintage and Modern is still a great value, but if your focus is on American and British pens, the newer Fountain Pens: United States of America and United Kingdom is the better bet. Full of information, but a bit weak on the smaller US brands. This handsomely illustrated guide's primary focus is on modern pens, but there is considerable information on vintage as well, including illustrations and discussion of early specimens not readily found elsewhere.Īndy Lambrou's massive Fountain Pens of the World is lavishly illustrated, and covers penmakers across the world nearly up to the present day. A handy book originally published in the UK is Alexander Crum Ewing's The Fountain Pen: A Collector's Companion. No price guide, but the book is worth it for the pictures alone. Full of beautiful illustrations, this book by and large showcases the rarest and most exotic. Another economical volume is Jonathan Steinberg's Fountain Pens: A Collector's Guide. The same practical attitude informs his Fountain Pens: Past & Present, which many collectors swear by. Paul Erano's first pen book was a bare-bones paperback with an innovative approach to helping readers understand what features make certain pens more or less appealing to collectors. ![]() A dense compilation of black & white illustrations, it is still useful for quick identification, but don't pay attention to the prices, even for relative values. Although it is now out of print, watch out for The 1992 Official PFC Pen Guide. With only minor updates over the years, it shows its age: historical material is spotty and unreliable, and nearly all illustrations are black and white. Glen Bowen's Collectible Fountain Pens: Parker, Sheaffer, Wahl-Eversharp, Waterman is an economical paperback, originally published in 1982. Coverage of pens and pen history is rather less than comprehensive, however. The authors' The Illustrated Guide to Antique Writing Instruments was an affordable pocket-sized paperback that was particularly handy as a take-along price guide, but would now mostly serve for identification. It includes a price guide (outdated) and sections on advertising, decoration, and repair. It is basically a supplement to the first volume useful, but not essential. Fischler and Schneider's second opus, The Book of Fountain Pens and Pencils (also known as the "Brown Book") is another massive volume packed with information and color illustrations. Sometimes called the "Blue Book" (from its dust jacket color), this volume should be on every pen collector's reference shelf. Solidly researched with extensive color illustrations and a well-researched but now outdated price guide. NOTE: If the Amazon links do not show up below, you may need to disable anti-tracker plug-ins.Īn essential reference work for American pens is George Fischler and Stuart Schneider's massive Fountain Pens and Pencils: The Golden Age of Writing Instruments not cheap, but an investment that will quickly pay for itself. In addition to the books listed below, we stock a small selection of more specialized publications not readily available through conventional booksellers, which are listed here. Don't skimp on your library: even the most expensive books cost no more than a single middle-range fountain pen, and you will find that good books soon pay for themselves both monetarily and in deepening of appreciation and enjoyment. Online resources are great, but there's still no substitute for a good book.
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