In 1968, when I started collecting vintage fountain pens, there wasn't much to go on. We briefly had a pen club that met at Johns Hopkins University faculty club, where members showed their pens, but nothing else. In 1987 I was given a gift subscription to the Pen Fanciers' Club magazine--which I still have--and suddenly there was a reference and guide to what others probably already knew. Then Bowen's book on the "Big Four" came out, and there was a solid floor of information undergirding what the Lawrence's were providing. Finally, Frank Dubiel brought out "Da Book" and most of what we needed was then available. Here's thanks to all, and my hopes that pen fancying remains vibrant and interesting.
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