Coincidentally, the two articles found today are both about collectors.  Now, I’m not sure that “a total of 13 pens” is what some of us would refer to as a “collection”, but we were all there once.  Also not sure I agree with his description of the ideal paper.  And pretty far afield that the author of this article bothered to mention a $1.5 million Aurora.

But Valcourt’s story also reminded me of my first exposure to fountain pens, which was when I helped my mother clear out her grandaunt’s apartment.  My ‘take’ was a handful of dip pens and fountain pens, the latter of which I destroyed either by forcing levers (thinking back 50 years the sacs must have been brittle) and dismantling them, or filling them with India Ink (yikes!)  I remember one being a brown-striped Sheaffer.  Boy do I wish I had those pens now.  Valcourt also collects safety razors, as do I, but that’s for another website.

In an era of computers, smartphones and hoverboards, Pincher Creek’s Stephen Valcourt seeks out the simpler things in life. For him, a pen and paper are all he needs. Fountain pens, to be more specific…

Valcourt’s collection of fountain pens started to really grow about two years ago, but he said the fascination with the antique tools has always been there.”I’ve always had a fascination with older things and simpler things,” Valcourt said.

“I was given one by my dad when I was eight, he just had it sitting around in a drawer. I think it was actually broken — now that I know more about them,” he laughed. “I could never get it to work. But, it always fascinated me that there was this big thing on the end of the pen.”

Since his early exposure, his collection has grown to a total of 13 pens. And recently he’s turned his wife on to the hobby as well…

http://www.pinchercreekecho.com/2017/01/31/an-unthinkable-collection