World’s first festival which focuses on prestigious pens, PenFest opened doors for all pen lovers in November 25. PenFest was first organized on November 2, 2018, in Istanbul, Çırağan Palace. My literature teacher, who knows my passion against fountain pens, suggested me to go. At that time, I was also needing a new front for my fountain pen.
PenFest brought together pencil lovers from all over the world this year as well. Although there are other pens and pen accessories, fountain pens were of course the main theme of this festival. By the way, the fountain pen was first invented by the American inventor Lewis Edson Waterman in 1884. Let's examine PenFest, fountain pens and calligraphy art with you.
The History of Fountain Pen:
As I said above, the fountain pen was first used by Lewi Edson Waterman. Unlike quill pens, the most important feature of fountain pens is that they can trap the ink in the chamber and feed their own ink. The ink drawn into the chamber by means of the tube is transferred to the tip by reciprocating as needed and transferred to the paper. Fountain pens, which have a more slippery structure than quill pens, are more suitable for daily life and can be used for a longer time in one filling.
For example, although quill pens need to be constantly dipped in ink, the chamber inside the fountain pens allows you to write many pages. However, the feature of containing ink has brought difficulties as well as conveniences. Especially in the winter months, the ink in the pens that are not used for a long time dries up and becomes clogged. This makes it difficult for the ink to flow to the tip and thus to the paper. To prevent this, the pens must be maintained frequently. To inform you about how to maintain your fountain pens, we compiled the article of famous pen brand, Scrikks:
“Fountain pens deserve more attention compared to other pens. Your pen should be cleaned regularly, depending on the frequency of usage. The best method is to perform cleaning each time the cartridge is changed or, if a piston is being used, before sucking the ink into the reservoir. The cleaning operation is the same as the action done while filling the ink. Only this time you must suck in and discharge warm water instead of ink. You can do this several times until the color of the previously used ink goes completely away. Further, using good quality ink is important for the efficiency of the pen.”
As I saw at PenFest2022, glass pens that work similar with the quill logic have started to be produced to find a solution to this problem. The pen that I saw at PenFest2022 keeps the ink at the tip thanks to the folds on the writing part, which means both long-lasting writing and non-drying ink. Thanks to these pens, you can completely fill onehalf of an A4 page with a single dip.
-The photo was taken by the author-
The invention of the fountain pen is also a major turning point for calligraphers. Let's take a look at the history of the art of calligraphy.
The Art of Calligraphy:
To learn the meaning of a word, it is necessary to first look at where it came from. In the ancient Greek language “κάλλος, kállos - means "beauty" + γραφή, grafí - "writing". Then we can easily say that calligraphy means “writing beautifully”. Calligraphers study and receive training on how to write beautifully for a long time. When we talk about writing, we usually focus on the context rather than how it is written. But to me, the key to good writing is to have beautiful writing. When you pay attention to making your writing beautiful, this care is reflected in the writing, and you automatically create a meticulous article. You also need to write slowly to write carefully, which gives you time to review what you have written. Therefore, having good writing is always as important as writing a good article. Although calligraphy is an art, it is also a craft. There are certain rules that you must follow in calligraphy. For example, spacing between letters is an important criterion. In addition, your writing should have an aesthetic appearance and elegance. Although you can play with letters to give them an aesthetic look, you cannot play with them more than needed, otherwise, you can both impair readability and give the letters an eye-catching look. For this, calligraphy is actually a work of balance. In the modern era, calligraphers show themselves not only on paper but also in digital media such as by arranging digital signs and making font adjustments.
About the products:
As a pencil lover, the product that caught my attention the most with its comfort and appearance was the glass pencils I mentioned above. In addition, PenFest, where special production pens are exhibited, is a real museum for pen lovers like me. I would like to underline that pens are sold at PenFest. At PenFest, which also hosts many artists, some artists perform their own art. In addition to the art of calligraphy, I had the opportunity to meet another branch of art that I did not know, pen embroidery. This art, which is based on making various shapes by carving the tips of the pencils, is almost a feast for the eyes. In addition to fountain pens, PenFest, where many different accessories are also sold, is also a festival with ink suggestions, and on top of that, various competitions are held! Whatever your taste, if you have the slightest interest in pen, paper or writing in general, you will be loving this festival a lot! Who knows, maybe the void in your life that you can never fill is the desire to wander among millions of pens and pen accessories?
-The photos were taken by the author-
Works Cited:
https://www.scrikss.com.tr/faq?en=on
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fountain_pen
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calligraphy
https://penfest.com.tr/#