Interesting and Useful Web Sites

Please let us know of any web sites which you would like to see listed here. Send an e-mail message with the name of the site, the URL and contact information for the site owner or webmaster to [email protected]. Web sites, companies, e-mail lists, etc. listed here are for information purposes only, and no endorsement is implied. This is not intended to be a complete list of pen-related sites. For a complete list of sites, I recommend PenHero maintained by Jim Mamoulides.

Pen Clubs, Pen Shows & Pen Information

Accademia Italiana della Penna Stilografica -- pen club for those interested in Italian writing instruments (pages are in English)

Doesn't relate to pens directly, but still useful: A list of acronyms used in e-mail and other computer-based communication.

American Pencil Collectors Society

Antique Inkwells & Desktop Equipment (UK)

Atlanta Pen Show

Autopoint and Dur-O-Lite information pages -- maintained by Robert Bolin

Baltimore Fountain Pen Society

Ballpoint Pens -- A web site maintained by Dr L Graham Hogg

BIC Corporation -- A great resource for teachers and students with tools and applications for the classroom. Learn about some of the latest BIC offers, promotions, and products by signing up for the BIC Teach Our Kids Club.

Bob Truby's guide to wooden pencils

Books About Pens -- maintained by Uri Orland

A Brief History of Writing Instruments -- Part 2: The History of the Fountain Pen

A Brief History of Writing Instruments -- Part 3: The Battle of the Ballpoint Pens

Bryan Sherwood's blog -- "My musings on all things Filofax, fountain pens, and other things that strike my fancy"

Callig web site -- information on calligraphy.

Chicago Pen Show

Chilton Pens -- much information on history, models & patents; maintained by Charles Krantz

Clock for people who use pencils (Warning: I use a DSL connection, and it still took a few seconds to load. A cable modem, DSL or T1 connection should be okay, but it might take several minutes on a dial-up connection. If you have a bit of time to wait then you will get a chuckle out of this.)

Collectibles Insurance Agency

Collectors Weekly section on Vintage Pens

Conway Stewart information compiled by Jonathan Donahaye

Crayola -- everone's favorite crayon

Dallas Pen Show

Dave's Mechanical Pencils -- a blog

Doesn't relate to pens directly, but still useful: A list of emoticons.

Early Office Museum -- antique office machines, equipment & business technology

Esterbrook.com -- all about Esterbrook pens

Brian Anderson's Pen Page -- Esterbrook

Esterbrook Renew Points Reference Guide

A Few Notes about Fountain Pens -- maintained by Michael A. Covington

Florida Pen Club

Forty Centuries of Ink, or, a chronological narrative concerning ink ... by Carvalho, David Nunes (1848-1925)
A book included in Project Gutenberg and available for free download.

Fountain Pen -- entry in the Wikipedia (The Free Encyclopedia)

Fountain Pen Community -- discussion of all aspects of collecting & using fountain pens & other writing instruments

Fountain Pen Forum -- multiple fora for discussing fountain pens & other writing instruments and related topics

fountain pen news -- a search to retreive recent news items (not web sites) from Google which include the phrase "fountain pen"

fountain pens for beginners a blog post by David Garrett

Free Online Graph Paper/Grid Paper PDFs -- need a piece of graph paper, or a sheet of lined paper? This page contains a number of PDFs which print lined papers including common lined notebook paper, three-section pages for the Cornell note system, music staves, guitar fretboards, ledger sheets and much more.

Fountain Pen Classifieds

Glossary of Fountain Pen Terms

Gourmet Pens a blog

History of Pens & Writing Instruments

Information for New Collectors -- maintained by Carla Frizzle

Ink Recipes

International Association of Master Penmen, Engrossers and Teachers of Handwriting

Jennifer Maestre is an artist who creates sculptures from many objects, including pencils. Click here to view her work.

Joe's Pencil Pages by Joe Nemecek

Just for the gel of it an article on gel pens by Debra A. Schwartz

Leadholder -- the online drafting pencil museum

Lion & Pen -- on-line community which focuses on Japanese pens

Mechanical Pencil Research Resources

Miami Pen Show

Michigan Pen Show and Michigan Pen Collectors

Museum of Writing

National Stationery Show

New England Pen Show

New York City Pen Show

NibSite -- John McDonald Gwin's site for nib collectors

No Pen Intended

Norma Pencil Page -- maintained by Roger Russell

Ohio Pen Show

the Online Pelikan Guide -- information on Pelikan pens courtesy of collector Martin Lehmann

oPENions -- reviews of writing instruments written by everyday users like us

PaperWorld

Paper and Pencil

Paper Notes in a Digital World

Paper Sizes and Paper Weight: Metric and US Standards

International Standard Paper Sizes (includes information to help US & Canadian users switch to ISO paper sizes)

Parker Pen Company: United States

Parker 51 web site -- by collector Ernesto Soler

Parker 75 web site -- by collector Lih-Tah Wong

Parker Ephemera -- courtesy of collector Paul Locasto

Parker Pen Information Site -- a Parker "penography" by collector Tony Fischier

Pelikan Pen Information Page -- information on Pelikan pens courtesy of collector Werner Ruettinger

Pen and Design -- a blog "where fountain pens, stationery, and design intersect"

Pen Classics -- a pen enthusiast site by collector Rodger Bamford

Pen Collectors of America

Pen Collectors of America on Facebook

Pen Collectors of America on LinkedIn

pen forums at Diligent Warrior

Pen Geeks

pen inventory software by Jon Rosen -- has customizable fields

pen inventory software in Google Docs by by Mark Bacas

Pen Lovers -- web site for writing instrument collectors; includes a bulletin board and other pages

Pen Museum Materclass articles by Arthur Twydle and Peter Twydle on pen topics

pen-related wallpaper for your PC (comes in 3 sizes)

Pen Show Calendar -- courtesy of Ms. Susan Wirth

Pen Spinning -- something else to do with a pen (other than writing)

Pen World magazine

Pencil Pages -- encyclopedia & web museum of wooden pencils

Pencil Pages -- a second site with the same name by the Incense Cedar Institute

Pencil Pushing

Pencil Revolution -- Pencil Philosophy: Wooden Wisdom, Peoduct Reviews & Ephemera, etc.

Penexchange -- sponsored by Pelikan Pens

Penmen comic strip

Penna magazine

Penna VINTAGE online magazine

Penoply -- an informative site maintained by collector Rick Conner

PenPassion: for those with a Passion for Pens

Penpedia: The Definitive Fountain Pen Wiki

Pentrace -- an online community for writing instrument collectors; includes a (threaded) discussion board, articles on writing instrument collecting and use including reviews of products, and question & answer columns. The site also has a list of "snailers" (folks who use their writing instruments to send "snail-mail" to other members), and publishes the writings of members (both fiction and nonfiction).

Plumophilia -- a writing instrument discussion site

Portland Pen Show

The Power of a Pen With Some Personality by Cheryl Lu-Lien Tan in The Wall Street Journal

The Return of the Ink-Stained Finger: Writing with a Fountain Pen a blog post by Samir Chopra

Richard's Pens -- a web site by Richard Binder. Richard repairs most pen types & brands, and also performs nib repair & nib customization at reasonable prices. In addition he sells some pens and a few pen-related accessories. His site includes photos of his personal pen collection, downloadable computer desktop wallpapers, an extensive reference section, and some of his fiction, poetry and essays.

Rivera Pens -- devoted to the Pilot Capless & Namiki Vanishing Point pens

Scripto Pencil History Page -- maintained by Roger Russell

Sheaffer Pen Museum

Sheaffer Targa information site -- maintained by Gary Ellison

Society for Italic Handwriting

Society of Inkwell Collectors

Southeastern Pen Collectors Club

StylophileS -- an on-line magazine for pen collectors

Tabletop Studio -- information on taking good photographs most of which is applicable to pen photos

ThePuristS.com Pen and Writing Instruments Forum

Triangle Pen Show formerly the Raleigh Pen Show

Triangle Pen Show article in the Raleigh News Observer

UK Coloured Pencil Society

Vacumania -- a site devoted to Parker Vacumatics maintained by collector David Isaacson

Virtual Pen Posse on Facebook

Washington, DC Pen Supershow

Waterford

Waterman

Why are fountain pen sales rising? article by Steven Brocklehurst in BBC News Magazine

With fountain pen sales thriving, Maryland is the top nib article by Mike Rosenwald in The Washington Post

Writing Equipment Society of the UK

Writing Instrument Manufacturers Association (WIMA)

the Zanerian

Pen-Related Email Lists

4Pens (Polite, Peripatetic Pen-lovers' Paradise) email list

Ballpoint Pens email List

Calligraphy email list

Esterbrook Pen email list -- discussion limited to Esterbrook writing instruments

Fountain Pen Collecting email list -- discussion of all aspects of collecting & using fountain pens & other writing instruments

Fountain Pen Talk email list -- discussion of all aspects of collecting & using fountain pens

Montblanc Pens email list -- discussion, buying & selling of Montblanc writing instruments

Nib Noise -- a free monthly email newsletter by Richard Binder & Don Fluckinger

Pelikan Pen email list -- discussion limited to vintage or modern Pelikan writing instruments

Pen Repairs email list -- discussion of pen repair, including parts wanted or for sale

Pens For Sale email list -- short non-commercial notices of pens for sale

Sheaffer Pen email list -- discussion limited to vintage or modern Sheaffer writing instruments

Zoss Pen List -- the premier email list for those interested in pen collecting, sponsored by Thomas Zoss

Handwriting Sites & Articles

The Art of the Thank-You Note by Cheryl Lu-Lien Tan in the Wall Street Journal

Bill would require NC schools to teach cursive handwriting by T. Keung Hui and Kelly Poe in the Raleigh News and Observer

The Calligraphy and Lettering Arts Society

Decline of handwritten letters challenges Postal Service, historians by Randolph E. Schmid in The Columbia Missourian

Dedicated to Handwriting -- an article by Steve Leveen about a monument dedicated to Platt Rogers Spencer

A Defense of Writing Longhand by Patrick E. McLean

Effective Writing Instruction for All Students by Steve Graham, Vanderbilt University; written for Renaissance Learning. Interesting paper which also includes information on the effect of learning handwriting on the development of other cognitive skills.

Hand Written Letters website dedicated to handwritten letters and the emotions they instill

Hand Written Letters Are Better Letters by urbanraven

The Handwritten Letter, an Art All but Lost, Thrives in Prison by Jeremy W. Peters in The New York Times

Handwriting: An Elegy by Ann Wroe in Intelligent Life

Handwriting In Decline With Tech

Handwriting in the 21st Century? An Educational Summit

Handwriting Is Beneficial to Children's Cognitive Development

The Handwriting Is on the Wall -- Researchers See a Downside as Keyboards Replace Pens in Schools. I this article from the Washington Post Margaret Webb Pressler discusses the loss of (cursive) handwriting and some other things we lose along with it.

Handwriting Runs Off Pages Of Time

Handwriting Skill May Bring School Success

How HANDwriting feeds Language, Literacy, Learning & Creativity by Trevor Cairney

How Handwriting Trains the Brain by Gwendolyn Bounds in the Wall Street Journal

How to Create a Personalized Signature on wikiHow

How to Have Neat Handwriting on wikiHow

How to Improve Your Handwriting by Austin Kleon

How to Improve Your Handwriting on wikiHow

How to Read Illegible Handwriting on wikiHow

How to Teach Handwriting on wikiHow

How to Make Your Writing Look Natural on wikiHow

How to Prevent Hand Pain from Excessive Writing on wikiHow

How to Write a Thank-You Note by Leslie Harpold in The Morning News

How Twitter made handwriting cool by Kevin Braddock in The Telegraph

If you want to write like Hemingway... by Stephen Bayley in The Telegraph

Improve Handwriting -- Resources and Tips to Improve Handwriting

In e-mail age, still nothing like a handwritten letter by Rachel Rodriguez

Inarticulate by Choice: The Decline of Letter Writing and the Future of the Intellectual Past -- a series of articles by Elisabeth Lasch-Quinn with a response by James Livingston, all posted on the Blog of the Society for U.S. Intellectual History.
Part One
Part Two
Part Three
Part Four
Part Five
Response

The International Association of Master Penmen, Engrossers and Teachers of Handwriting

Is Handwriting Going the Way of Cave Drawings? by Lois Pau

Is Handwriting Really Dead? E. J. Roberts reacts to an article by Clarie Suddath (Time magazine) in which Ms. Suddath claims that (cursive) handwriting is almost dead.

The Joys of a Handwritten Letter by Gregory J. Davis

The Joy of Writing - With Ancient Tools or New by John Jones

Just Write Letters -- a site devoted to letter-writing and journaling

Last lines by Milton J. Valencia

Letter writing information and assistance blog sponsored by American Stationery

Letter-writing advocates say the most treasured mementos are handwritten, heartfelt by by Karen Nazor Hill in the Chattanooga Times Free Press

The Lost Art of Handwritten Letters: Why We Should Bring Them Back by Deborah S. Hildebrand

The Lost Art of Handwriting a Pinterest board by Mary-Ellen

The Lost Art of the Handwritten Note an article by Philip Hensher in the Wall Street Journal

LOST in Technology handwriting by Molly O'Bryon-Welpott

A Love Letter to Writing Desks by Charmean Neithart

The many health perks of good handwriting by Julie Deardorff

Mom, What was Handwriting? -- A novelist examines what we lose as we abandon cursive for typing by Eugenia Williamson

The Month of Letters Challenge by Mary Robinette Kowal

Mourning the Death of Handwriting by Claire Suddath. In this article in Time magazine, Ms. Suddath discusses the decline of cursive handwriting.

National Handwriting Association (UK)

National Handwriting Contest sponsored by Zaner-Bloser

National Handwriting Day

Notes about Notes a site collects ideas about making, analyzing, organizing, and sharing notes

On Christmas Cards and the Death of Handwriting

Pen People the magazine for enthusiastic calligraphers

Physics of writing is derived at last at PhysicsWorld.com

Postcrossing -- the postcard crossing project
Do you like postcards? Would you like to exchange postcards with folks around the world? Sign up at Postcrossing to do exactly that. When you register, you can request the addresses of people who want to receive post cards. (The addresses are chosen quasi-randomly.) Send cards to those folks and then you will begin receiving cards from other postcard fans.

The Power of Handwritten Notes by Rachel Rodriguez

The Powers That Flow from a Pen by Paul Theroux in The Wall Street Journal

The quiet beauty of small joys: the handwritten letter by Elizabeth J. Duncan

Regional handwriting variation in Wikipedia

Russian cursive in Wikipedia

7 Tips to Help Improve Your Child's Handwriting by Kelli Robinson

Scribble, Scribble by Michael Dirda at The American Scholar

The Simple Joy in a Handwritten Letter by Tracy a/k/a ChiMomWriter

Snail Mail My Email a month-long worldwide collaborative art project from 2011

The Society for Italic Handwriting

The Society of Scribes and Illuminators

Thank You Letters for any Situation

Tips for Improving Your Handwriting by Dyas A. Lawson

Why creative writing is better with a pen by Lee Rourke in a blog at the Guardian

Why Does Writing Make Us Smarter?

Why You Learn More Effectively by Writing Than Typing by Melanie Pinola

Write like an Egyptian web tool from the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology

Writers bid to revive letter-writing by Alison Flood in The Guardian

The Writing Automaton with video

Writing the Journey -- Online Journal Writing Workshop

Zaner-Bloser Penmanship Collection at the University of Scranton

Etailers, Merchants & Items For Sale

Amazon.com -- books, videos, CDs, tools and much more

Neenah Paper -- manufacturers of writing & business papers

Other Sites of Interest

Amateur Radio Relay League

Daily planner pages from D*I*Y Planner -- Print your own daily planner pages: print the forms you need and the quantity you need -- gain utility, save money and astound your friends!

Great American Brass Band Festival -- an annual weekend festival in Danville, Kentucky

Hipster PDA on 43 Folders -- a low tech, low cost, highly portable and nearly infinitely extensible portable information manager

more than 100 forms for use with the Hipster PDA from D*I*Y Planner

how to make a duct tape case for the Hipster PDA

Ultimate Pocket Notebook -- enhancements to the Hipster PDA from Full Contact Geek

Kentucky's Bluegrass Region

Knife Show Directory

Make Your Own Moleskine-Like-Notebook -- Instructions by Michael Shannon -- adaptable to different sizes of notebook or journal.

Moleskine Notebooks: The Ultimate Guide

Moleskine hacks collection

Pioneer Playhouse -- Kentucky's oldest outdoor theatre

Shaker Village, Pleasant Hill, Kentucky -- A restored nineteenth Century Shaker (Society of Believers in Christ's Second Appearing) village near Harrodsburg in central Kentucky.