Category: Pen and Ink

After years of pining and hinting I have been given my great aunt’s childhood inkwell – a whimsical but dashing rabbit graciously holding an inkpot in place, all the while nodding his head in approval over whatever is being written (that’s right – he’s a nodder!) My great aunt was born in the very late 1800’s so it could date from the turn of the last century but that is as far as my knowledge goes.

He really is a mystery with nary an identifying mark. Periodically, over the years, I have searched for something similar to this inkwell in books and online using every descriptive term in every combination I can imagine, but I always come up empty. When is the last time you couldn’t find something on the internet? Unheard of, right?

Many years ago “Antiques Roadshow” came to my town so I borrowed Mr. Rabbit and took him to the convention center very early in the morning … only to be faced with the longest line I have ever seen. After several hours we gave up any hope of going in, alas! But no matter since it makes me happy to see him still diligently holding the inkpot steady after all these years. Have you ever seen an inkwell like him? I’d love to find out more.

My father-in-law performed the most amazing magic trick last week. He produced from the deepest recesses of his top dresser drawer a box containing a Parker “51” fountain pen and mechanical pencil.

Never inked.

Swoon! I kid you not these were still in little plastic wrappers and the price stickers ($15 and $8, respectively) are still on the barrels. Of course I immediately released the pencil’s lead from its 60+ year prison and wrote a “quick brown fox.”  Poor neglected thing.

The pen, though … that is going to take more thought. Of course I want to use it. I think lovely things should be used, expensive perfume worn, toys played with, etc. Unfortunately, I know I will take forever dithering over just the right ink.

Still, as problems go this is the happiest for a pen-crazy girl to have!