… thus said Mark Twain.

Of the various things that have made Sharmila call me “quirky”, my fascination towards fountain pens has to be one of the top ones. Even today, I write with fountain pens almost always – including office matters. Two fountain pens in my office bag are my constant companions (because I often have ink accidents – especially due to low pressure in flights). And a special pad that does not bleed or blot (it is very difficult to find fountain-pen-friendly pads in this country).

Over the years, I also have collected fountain pens. One of the best times of the year for me – and perhaps the only personal “retail therapy” time – is when the Pen Show comes to Atlanta!! (Yes, there is such a thing – about five thousand pens are on display and about two hundred “quirky” pen collectors gather to buy and sell pens, re-tune the nibs or otherwise repair their pens).

And today I added a few more to my collection. This is the full collection – each one of these is a fountain pen with a fine tip nib. Some are made from tree wood, some from rocks, some from rare stones and some from bird feathers!!

Ah! till next April again!!!!