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Graham

On 2018-07-10 4:50 PM, U.S. Janet B. wrote:
> On Tue, 10 Jul 2018 16:59:32 -0400, wrote:
>
>> On Mon, 9 Jul 2018 22:49:29 -0400, Dave Smith
>> > wrote:
>>
>>> On 2018-07-09 6:29 PM, wrote:
>>>> On Mon, 9 Jul 2018 09:48:19 -0700 (PDT), Cindy Hamilton
>>>>
>>>> I grew up with paper straws and wooden ice cream spoons, never saw
>>>> plastic til the 6o's. I never saw plastic ball point pens until the
>>>> late 50s
>>>
>>> Ball point pens were slow off the start and were very expensive in the
>>> 1950s. When I was in elementary school we had to learn to write with
>>> stick pens. Once we demonstrated mastery of that we could use fountain
>>> pens, and we used them right through high school. By the time I got to
>>> university Bic pens were cheap.
>>
>> Just the opposite in the US, we learned to write long hand with
>> fountain pens. When the first ballpoints arrived (Ballerina) they
>> were much less expensive than fountain pens. The least expensive
>> fountain pens then cost about $4, Esterbrook. The first ballpoints
>> cost about 25¢, however they were not yet perfected, they were very
>> messy as they leaked and their greasy ink took forever to dry.
>
> I loved having a fountain pen. I had no need for it for school but
> kept one anyway. I always filled it with peacock blue ink. I felt so
> 'smart'
> Janet US
>
I have the Parker fountain pen my Mother bought for me when I passed the
11+ exam to go to grammar school. I also have a bottle of ink that is
over 50 years old and is still OK.