(Kimberly (she/her) took the express train down the fountain pen/stationery rabbit hole and doesn't want to be rescued. She can be found on Instagram @allthehobbies because there really are many, many hobbies!.)
Today is the 10th anniversary of Fountain Pen Day, which is celebrated on the first Friday of every November! What is Fountain Pen Day, you ask? It is a worldwide day of appreciation for the fountain pen. Fountain Pen Day came about when Cary Yeager (whom you may recognize as one of the faces from Kenro Industries) discovered that there was a Ballpoint Pen Day (June 10th) but there wasn’t a day for fountain pens. As Cary puts it, “if the fountain pen came first, why was there no day to celebrate it?” And so, after a lot of behind-the-scenes work, on November 2, 2012, Fountain Pen Day (FPD) was born, with 49 vendors and ~600 pen fans joining in to celebrate the first FPD. Since then, more than a hundred vendors and many more thousands of fountain pen folks have joined in to participate in FPD, making this a truly worldwide appreciation and celebration for fountain pens!
So, how can you take part in FPD? Bust out your fountain pens, write with them (maybe jot a note in your journal about FPD, what your current favorite FPs are, why you fell in love with FPs, etc.), share your love of them with your friends, and if you’re so inclined, post a picture to social media with the hashtag #fountainpenday and #fountainpenday2021 (you can also tag @fountainpenday on Instagram too). “But Kimberly, I already use my fountain pens all the time and penable everyone I can, what else can I do?”
- Start by following the @fountainpenday account to check out what folks are doing to celebrate.
- Definitely check out the sponsors page on the Fountain Pen Day website and check out the various events, offers, sales and giveaways that are being hosted by sponsors and vendors from around the world! I often wait for FPD to do my shopping because there are some really great deals today! Some of the events/deals I’m aware of at the time of writing include the following (there will definitely be more by the time you read this):
- In-store event and 10% sale (including online) at VannessPens
- Huge raffle/giveaway at Pen Chalet and 15% discount
- Sale and raffle/giveaway at Goldspot Pens
- Free Col-o-ring Dipper with every order from both the Big Cartel and Etsy shops for The Well-Appointed Desk (links for both are on their FPD post)
- 15% off at Fontoplumo
- Many of the sponsors will include FPD swag if you place an order for FPD but if you didn’t place an order, or didn’t get any swag, you can also purchase FPD swag kits from Cary as well. And don’t forget the FPD 2021 ink which is made and sold by Vanness Pens. (There may be other FPD 2021 products too, so keep an eye out for them!)
Fun Fact: Did you know, after all is said and done, that Cary will have produced and deliverered/shipped out 20,000 bookmarks, 10,000 stickers and 5,000 buttons just for this year’s FPD??? What a way to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the beloved writing instrument’s special day!
Bookmarks, stickers and buttons for the 10th anniversary of Fountain Pen Day!
As you celebrate FPD, whether it’s at a pen meetup, at a local pen shop or doing some online shopping, or sitting at your desk with fountain pen in hand, I leave you with this thought from Cary:
“When you really want to thank someone, do you send them an email, text, call or do you buy a card and write out your thank you by pen and sign it?
When you really want something to mean something and have an impact, there is nothing like a handwritten note.
Your handwriting with a fountain pen really helps express your mood, feeling and emotions when writing. There is a much greater depth to what you’re saying when people see how you wrote it.
Thank you for taking the time to highlight the not forgotten and mighty fountain pen.”
Thank you, Cary Yeager, for creating a day where people from around the world can celebrate the beauty and joy we get from our beloved fountain pens. And thank you to all the vendors, sponsors and pen groups out there who are playing a part in helping all of us celebrate FPD.
(I included some vendors that I knew were having FPD sales/events and received no compensation for including them in this article.)
