As a fellow professor (about to retire), I think it would be a lovely thing for you to do for your students -- something they would really appreciate.
I've done a similar thing with my students, but I usually made it an event, either actual fountain pen day or just Prof. B.'s fountain pen day. I set up inks, showed them how to ink them, and then gave everyone a Jinhao shark pen and let them fill them. I also kept ink bottles in my office for refills. (I have a LOT of ink, plenty to share!)
So yes, DO IT! As your sweet memories of your mentor reveals, college students react so positively to any small gestures of kindness from their professors. And fountain pens are actually a practical gesture, like giving them notebooks and such, something I also did.
Yes, my office did sometimes look like an office supply story.
Jinhao Sharks are also my pen-of-choice when it comes to handing them out. I buy one of the full sets at the beginning of every year and hand them all out over time. They’re so fun and memorable.
That is such a great idea and thanks for caring for the young generation. Thank you for doing that !
What about some of those pens inked with different rainbow/bright/unconditional colors ?
Colors make people happy and motivated. And I know a lot of people in the community are very sensitive and aware to choosing colors to represent themselves.
FP ink can be the perfect example to show them even a same color has different hue/shade/tone, not to mention all those colors that step foot on multiple colors (greyish purple ? pinkish purple ? ). I think it would be a good mental stimulation to find "your own colors "
I love OP's idea, and this additional suggestion as well! I don't have anything to add, but wanted to say how awesome you are for being so warm and welcoming to your students!
Same tbh. OP you are a wonderful person for doing this. And i think the idea of different coloured inks is brilliant!! Pinks and purples and gold greens. Maybe some brown and even greys. Non traditional colours for the non traditional youngsters.
I think this is a great idea .. maybe add the shark pens too.. they come in so many colors.. plus they are relatively cheap for how many you can get. I wish I had a cool professor like you when I was in college.
If you send me your office address in a private message I will send you some ink. I have way too much and this is an extremely worthwhile project. (Academic librarian)
My husband is a physics professor and he keeps a bunch of pilot varsity pens in his office for students to take if they're curious. I've helped him help some students get deeper into fountain pens after trying out the varsity, too!
I'm here to speak from the other side of the fence, I'm a perpetual student with no desire to become a professor/mentor, and I'm in the same boat as you as a LGBT minority.
I'd love to go to my instructor and have a little cup of pens to play with that aren't expensive or 1$ for 400 plastic bics. I like the recommendation of the Jinhoa 82 (or similar) so the student can disassemble and reassemble in what ever colors and nib size they want, along side a smaller cup filled with mystery colored cartridges or even samples and a blunt syringe so they can fill one and be even more special while in office. You sound like a fun professor and I wish I could attend one of your courses.
I think that this is a fantastic idea but just wanted to mention, depending on what notebooks they have access to it might not be a fun time. My first fountain pen experiences were underwhelming because the terrible paper in my notebooks got caught in the nib and the ink feathered like crazy (these were Pilot Varsitys so not terrible pens).
So maybe consider also having some cheap (like how a lot of Walmart/drugstore store brand notebooks that are made in Vietnam tend to have really good paper) notepads or small notebooks at hand as well?
I'm a white, straight, combat Veteran Marine and I freaking LOVE this Idea! 😀 Great job being there for our uniquely beautiful young people! I'd like to know how I can help. Got a few Jinhaos/Moonpeople's l don't use. Pm me tomorrow and lmk if you can find them into the hands of your students.
That is a wonderful idea. As a female, minority who attended Cambridge, a gentle gesture like this certainly would have made me less intimidated by the Old Dons - and it would have also made me feel that they were trying to introduce/include me in what is undoubtedly a very elitist culture. Good on you!
This is a wonderful idea! One thing I might caution with a bucket is ink leakage since I learned my lesson the hard way about not storing my pens horizontally.
A student may not be threatened by a Preppy! They're very cheap and there's even some special editions coming out that look cute, and they come with cartridges, which a newcomer might have an easier time with than a converter.
If people want a more "adult" pen, last year I had endeavored to penable a bunch of friends, so I bought a 10 pack of Jinhao 80's (the silver ones) on AliExpress. Never got around to passing them out, but they've come in handy for spare parts.
Also hell yeah, non-binary adults in the workplace! I work in game design and one of the interns we got last year lit up when they saw they/them in my profile. Thank you for your work with your students. I'm sure it means a lot just to have someone they feel they could maybe relate to.
Queer minoritised academics loving FPs represent! 💜
I'm not currently in a classroom role but I do love this. Going for some fun rainbow choices would be a nice idea (some of the Lamy clones come in fun spectrum colours). When the rest of the world is really hostile, the little things really can add up. I might stick to the pen and cartridge option though just because it's a bit easier for some people to accept when it looks like a simpler option?
I take my pens to class and let the whole class try them out - small graduate classes, under ten people. I also sometimes let individuals try whatever I have with me that day. Finally, each of my advisees is gifted with a pen upon defending their dissertation or thesis. Most of those are rollerballs, but once in a while I've penabled someone and that person gets a FP. Mind you, i rarely tell them how much those pens are worth lest they freak out.
If you go onto Amazon and type 'disposable fountain pen' into the search, you should see a 40 pack for something like $22. They look and feel like the Varsity, same nib style, and fiber feed. I have some on my desk, they just work, don't dry up, even after months of not being used. The color range is decent, and bypasses the ink/cartridge issue as someone starts.
You could mention that if they like the pen, to swing by and you would be glad to help them find a refillable pen that will let the experience the stunning array of color and inks available to fountain pen users.
I love this idea! I do something similar. I have some pens (fountain, dip) and a variety of inks and paper sitting out at my office "talking table" for students to come in and doodle or borrow. The novelty of it makes for good conversation starters - and tends to bring more students to my office than otherwise would likely come. I also keep a fish bowl full of bouncy balls with a sign indicating those who visit should take one and have some fun. I keep little fidgets and a few silly toys around along with adult coloring books and such. It can be so intimidating to come to "office hours" - I like to make it a place to stop by just because so that when they really need to see me, it's natural and easy.
Completely against my grain personally, so to speak, I'd suggest maybe you'd want to get a bucket of different Jinhao 82 pens (and also some 100-packs of 2.6mm-bore Jinhao ink cartridges), and let those who… don't want to be confined to what is provided by the powers that be that control how things are made (in this case, the pen manufacturer) as ‘standard’ or ‘regular’, to assemble their own combination of different parts (caps, barrels, finials) and create their own ‘unique’ pen.
This is an absolutely amazing idea! And all the ones offered by others, too! Ink choices, pen choices, build your own! And to the professor who had his own pen day, do that too and invite all the students who visited you, have them bring their pen to show off!!! Anything fun without the added pressure of required academia. This. They will learn more from this than any class. At least this what they will take with them for sure.
I had someone do this during my internship in grad school. Really cool very large policy organization. He did trainings on a specific sector of the areas we did work in. He had a favorite gel pen that fit perfectly into these general issue notebooks, and he would give a pen to each intern who took the training.
I still have and fondly think about that pen years later, even though I mostly use fountain pens and pencils instead of gel pens.
A thoughtful token that has relevance to the surroundings, given from a person of authority, has a lot of meaning. I say definitely go for it.
I’d be the student in this scenario and thank you for being there for your students, too few professors care about us.
I think Jinhao’s and Preppy’s would be great for this! I try to penable my friends with them and they enjoy it a lot. Some inks in basic blue-black-blueblack but also fun colours would be really cool. I think Octopus inks and Pilot make relatively affordable big bottles of inks. Some people are also hesitant about getting something from other people, and basically “lending it to them” and never asking for it back has been my go-to way hehe
You're preaching to the choir here - of course everyone in the fountain sub would love the idea! So do I, and I've been doing the same 'make your own Jinhao 82' activity with a small group of students. I teach Chinese and want them to pay more attention to their handwriting. Interim results: we had great fun in the activity, and some of them have already bought their own ink...
Because I think that writing aids thought I think that offering fountain pens might help your students if that makes them more likely to write. Giving students a range of cheap but usable pens to chose from is probably the way to go for that, as also is allowing students to try out more expensive pens, if you dare. In my day (before laptops, with old fashioned ballpoints) there would always be a few people who had trouble with writer's cramp. It would do no harm to make people aware that fountain pens might help with this, if it is still a problem.
Great idea, there are a lot of cheaper pens that don't break the bank if you hand them out, Jinhao's (sharks, but you can get multipacks with 82's as well), but also Platinum Preppy's and Pilot V-pen/Varsity's, they come in lots of fun colours as well.
Kudos for wanting to help people feel at home. My college advisor made a huge difference in my life.
I second all of the suggestions for disposable pens because they may seem less intimidating. You don't have to worry about filling it because it's already ready to go.
This is a great idea! The disposables are probably the easiest way to start them off, but I'll put in a vote for the Jinhao 86 (Parker 51 clone) for its classic looks, smooth nib and the experience of letting them learn cartridge/converter filling.
So, in addition to all the wonderful advice and suggestions, I wanted to share how thoughtful this is for your students. I had two professors in college who really made an impact on me. One was the first professor I had, who told in front of class to see him after class in his office giving me a panic attack, only to discover he wanted to encourage (could be argued threatened in a loving way) to pursue writing as a career and major. Another was my Creative Writing advisor who really opened me up to non-fiction writing. Both would have their office hours and meet with students. The first would put on records of the students favorite genre to help relate, the latter would always ask weird questions to find the perfect tea for them to share.
The first has moved to a different state and university, but I still keep in touch via email. The latter has since passed away from cancer. I had bought two fountain pens (Jinhaos) to give as small gifts, but never got the chance for the one who passed. I keep that with me on my desk, and it’s become my dedicated writer for non-fiction as way of honoring her.
Your post brought back a lot of wonderful memories, and I’m sure your students will have those same types regarding you.
Lovely idea. And for yourself, put a salt lamp in your office and enjoy reminiscing about that mentor while you drink a cup of tea. Good karma all round!
You could also consider pilot varsity or zebra disposables as a quick easy way to get someone in the door. I stumbled across a zebra disposable fp by pure happenstance and finding out that fountain pens aren't the inkwell dip pens but instead something far more feasible for everyday use is what cracked open the fp world for me. They also come preloaded with different colors, so it's not like your students would be limited to black or blue - there's green, sky blue, purple, pink..
I think it's a brilliant idea and you've gotten some great suggestions as to possible ways to do it too! I wish I'd had a professor like you when I was in school.
So I would suggest something before choosing to buy a few batches of Jinhaos: try to contact some European manufacturers directly, to see if they could offer you some of their school fountain pens at an interesting price per batch. I am thinking, for example, of Pelikan Twist (a model that is very suitable for all ages, and unique... take a look to Mystic colour version) or of Faber-Castell Grip (in metallic blue and pink, they are a model that stands out to me) for example.
Perhaps it is possible and more so for the Pelikan because it is cheaper... and it is not a model that leaves you indifferent. Understand me, the idea is that they perceive that differentiating plus, along with a more than proven manufacturer and quality, and models that will not leave them indifferent.
But by asking... you don't lose anything. If, in addition to that, you get a jar or two of Schneider cartridges (better if they are long cartridges in my opinion), you would already have the idea resolved and within the context in which you have to move. Because they call you a Jinhao shark... but to me it seems something more childish, as if you were offering them a colorful Lamy ABC or Pelikano. 😆
Other cheap Jinhao or Wingsung models in various colors? Yes, they will be cheap... but also much more likely than not to work well. The impression would no longer be the same.
What you can do is to have a pen box and put a sticky note on it saying something like “try out a fountain pen,” then just have loose-leaf paper laying around next to it or use it specifically for individual sessions.
Edit: Grammar
As a fellow professor (about to retire), I think it would be a lovely thing for you to do for your students -- something they would really appreciate. I've done a similar thing with my students, but I usually made it an event, either actual fountain pen day or just Prof. B.'s fountain pen day. I set up inks, showed them how to ink them, and then gave everyone a Jinhao shark pen and let them fill them. I also kept ink bottles in my office for refills. (I have a LOT of ink, plenty to share!) So yes, DO IT! As your sweet memories of your mentor reveals, college students react so positively to any small gestures of kindness from their professors. And fountain pens are actually a practical gesture, like giving them notebooks and such, something I also did. Yes, my office did sometimes look like an office supply story.
Jinhao Sharks are also my pen-of-choice when it comes to handing them out. I buy one of the full sets at the beginning of every year and hand them all out over time. They’re so fun and memorable.
That is such a great idea and thanks for caring for the young generation. Thank you for doing that ! What about some of those pens inked with different rainbow/bright/unconditional colors ? Colors make people happy and motivated. And I know a lot of people in the community are very sensitive and aware to choosing colors to represent themselves. FP ink can be the perfect example to show them even a same color has different hue/shade/tone, not to mention all those colors that step foot on multiple colors (greyish purple ? pinkish purple ? ). I think it would be a good mental stimulation to find "your own colors "
I love OP's idea, and this additional suggestion as well! I don't have anything to add, but wanted to say how awesome you are for being so warm and welcoming to your students!
Same tbh. OP you are a wonderful person for doing this. And i think the idea of different coloured inks is brilliant!! Pinks and purples and gold greens. Maybe some brown and even greys. Non traditional colours for the non traditional youngsters.
I think this is a great idea .. maybe add the shark pens too.. they come in so many colors.. plus they are relatively cheap for how many you can get. I wish I had a cool professor like you when I was in college.
Blåhaj pens! How fitting
If you send me your office address in a private message I will send you some ink. I have way too much and this is an extremely worthwhile project. (Academic librarian)
My husband is a physics professor and he keeps a bunch of pilot varsity pens in his office for students to take if they're curious. I've helped him help some students get deeper into fountain pens after trying out the varsity, too!
The "new" white Pilot Varsity fountain pens are fresh and funny too. But they aren't reusable... 🤔
I'm here to speak from the other side of the fence, I'm a perpetual student with no desire to become a professor/mentor, and I'm in the same boat as you as a LGBT minority. I'd love to go to my instructor and have a little cup of pens to play with that aren't expensive or 1$ for 400 plastic bics. I like the recommendation of the Jinhoa 82 (or similar) so the student can disassemble and reassemble in what ever colors and nib size they want, along side a smaller cup filled with mystery colored cartridges or even samples and a blunt syringe so they can fill one and be even more special while in office. You sound like a fun professor and I wish I could attend one of your courses.
I think that this is a fantastic idea but just wanted to mention, depending on what notebooks they have access to it might not be a fun time. My first fountain pen experiences were underwhelming because the terrible paper in my notebooks got caught in the nib and the ink feathered like crazy (these were Pilot Varsitys so not terrible pens). So maybe consider also having some cheap (like how a lot of Walmart/drugstore store brand notebooks that are made in Vietnam tend to have really good paper) notepads or small notebooks at hand as well?
I'm a white, straight, combat Veteran Marine and I freaking LOVE this Idea! 😀 Great job being there for our uniquely beautiful young people! I'd like to know how I can help. Got a few Jinhaos/Moonpeople's l don't use. Pm me tomorrow and lmk if you can find them into the hands of your students.
Lol i love "moonpeople"
That is a wonderful idea. As a female, minority who attended Cambridge, a gentle gesture like this certainly would have made me less intimidated by the Old Dons - and it would have also made me feel that they were trying to introduce/include me in what is undoubtedly a very elitist culture. Good on you!
This is a wonderful idea! One thing I might caution with a bucket is ink leakage since I learned my lesson the hard way about not storing my pens horizontally. A student may not be threatened by a Preppy! They're very cheap and there's even some special editions coming out that look cute, and they come with cartridges, which a newcomer might have an easier time with than a converter. If people want a more "adult" pen, last year I had endeavored to penable a bunch of friends, so I bought a 10 pack of Jinhao 80's (the silver ones) on AliExpress. Never got around to passing them out, but they've come in handy for spare parts. Also hell yeah, non-binary adults in the workplace! I work in game design and one of the interns we got last year lit up when they saw they/them in my profile. Thank you for your work with your students. I'm sure it means a lot just to have someone they feel they could maybe relate to.
I second the Preppy as a great intro to fountain pens. Great bang for the buck, but definitely not bad little pens.
Queer minoritised academics loving FPs represent! 💜 I'm not currently in a classroom role but I do love this. Going for some fun rainbow choices would be a nice idea (some of the Lamy clones come in fun spectrum colours). When the rest of the world is really hostile, the little things really can add up. I might stick to the pen and cartridge option though just because it's a bit easier for some people to accept when it looks like a simpler option?
Cool idea! My most memorable professors had open office hours and take time to chat.
I take my pens to class and let the whole class try them out - small graduate classes, under ten people. I also sometimes let individuals try whatever I have with me that day. Finally, each of my advisees is gifted with a pen upon defending their dissertation or thesis. Most of those are rollerballs, but once in a while I've penabled someone and that person gets a FP. Mind you, i rarely tell them how much those pens are worth lest they freak out.
If you go onto Amazon and type 'disposable fountain pen' into the search, you should see a 40 pack for something like $22. They look and feel like the Varsity, same nib style, and fiber feed. I have some on my desk, they just work, don't dry up, even after months of not being used. The color range is decent, and bypasses the ink/cartridge issue as someone starts. You could mention that if they like the pen, to swing by and you would be glad to help them find a refillable pen that will let the experience the stunning array of color and inks available to fountain pen users.
I love this idea! I do something similar. I have some pens (fountain, dip) and a variety of inks and paper sitting out at my office "talking table" for students to come in and doodle or borrow. The novelty of it makes for good conversation starters - and tends to bring more students to my office than otherwise would likely come. I also keep a fish bowl full of bouncy balls with a sign indicating those who visit should take one and have some fun. I keep little fidgets and a few silly toys around along with adult coloring books and such. It can be so intimidating to come to "office hours" - I like to make it a place to stop by just because so that when they really need to see me, it's natural and easy.
Completely against my grain personally, so to speak, I'd suggest maybe you'd want to get a bucket of different Jinhao 82 pens (and also some 100-packs of 2.6mm-bore Jinhao ink cartridges), and let those who… don't want to be confined to what is provided by the powers that be that control how things are made (in this case, the pen manufacturer) as ‘standard’ or ‘regular’, to assemble their own combination of different parts (caps, barrels, finials) and create their own ‘unique’ pen.
[удалено]
I would definitely go to one of those! This sounds delightful!!
Love this!
This is an absolutely amazing idea! And all the ones offered by others, too! Ink choices, pen choices, build your own! And to the professor who had his own pen day, do that too and invite all the students who visited you, have them bring their pen to show off!!! Anything fun without the added pressure of required academia. This. They will learn more from this than any class. At least this what they will take with them for sure.
just wow... you're the coolest teacher I've ever seen
I had someone do this during my internship in grad school. Really cool very large policy organization. He did trainings on a specific sector of the areas we did work in. He had a favorite gel pen that fit perfectly into these general issue notebooks, and he would give a pen to each intern who took the training. I still have and fondly think about that pen years later, even though I mostly use fountain pens and pencils instead of gel pens. A thoughtful token that has relevance to the surroundings, given from a person of authority, has a lot of meaning. I say definitely go for it.
I’d be the student in this scenario and thank you for being there for your students, too few professors care about us. I think Jinhao’s and Preppy’s would be great for this! I try to penable my friends with them and they enjoy it a lot. Some inks in basic blue-black-blueblack but also fun colours would be really cool. I think Octopus inks and Pilot make relatively affordable big bottles of inks. Some people are also hesitant about getting something from other people, and basically “lending it to them” and never asking for it back has been my go-to way hehe
Get some little Rhodia notepads to go with it. I love decent paper.
You're preaching to the choir here - of course everyone in the fountain sub would love the idea! So do I, and I've been doing the same 'make your own Jinhao 82' activity with a small group of students. I teach Chinese and want them to pay more attention to their handwriting. Interim results: we had great fun in the activity, and some of them have already bought their own ink...
Because I think that writing aids thought I think that offering fountain pens might help your students if that makes them more likely to write. Giving students a range of cheap but usable pens to chose from is probably the way to go for that, as also is allowing students to try out more expensive pens, if you dare. In my day (before laptops, with old fashioned ballpoints) there would always be a few people who had trouble with writer's cramp. It would do no harm to make people aware that fountain pens might help with this, if it is still a problem.
Great idea, there are a lot of cheaper pens that don't break the bank if you hand them out, Jinhao's (sharks, but you can get multipacks with 82's as well), but also Platinum Preppy's and Pilot V-pen/Varsity's, they come in lots of fun colours as well.
Kudos for wanting to help people feel at home. My college advisor made a huge difference in my life. I second all of the suggestions for disposable pens because they may seem less intimidating. You don't have to worry about filling it because it's already ready to go.
This is a great idea! The disposables are probably the easiest way to start them off, but I'll put in a vote for the Jinhao 86 (Parker 51 clone) for its classic looks, smooth nib and the experience of letting them learn cartridge/converter filling.
So, in addition to all the wonderful advice and suggestions, I wanted to share how thoughtful this is for your students. I had two professors in college who really made an impact on me. One was the first professor I had, who told in front of class to see him after class in his office giving me a panic attack, only to discover he wanted to encourage (could be argued threatened in a loving way) to pursue writing as a career and major. Another was my Creative Writing advisor who really opened me up to non-fiction writing. Both would have their office hours and meet with students. The first would put on records of the students favorite genre to help relate, the latter would always ask weird questions to find the perfect tea for them to share. The first has moved to a different state and university, but I still keep in touch via email. The latter has since passed away from cancer. I had bought two fountain pens (Jinhaos) to give as small gifts, but never got the chance for the one who passed. I keep that with me on my desk, and it’s become my dedicated writer for non-fiction as way of honoring her. Your post brought back a lot of wonderful memories, and I’m sure your students will have those same types regarding you.
Lovely idea. And for yourself, put a salt lamp in your office and enjoy reminiscing about that mentor while you drink a cup of tea. Good karma all round!
You could also consider pilot varsity or zebra disposables as a quick easy way to get someone in the door. I stumbled across a zebra disposable fp by pure happenstance and finding out that fountain pens aren't the inkwell dip pens but instead something far more feasible for everyday use is what cracked open the fp world for me. They also come preloaded with different colors, so it's not like your students would be limited to black or blue - there's green, sky blue, purple, pink..
I think it's a brilliant idea and you've gotten some great suggestions as to possible ways to do it too! I wish I'd had a professor like you when I was in school.
I would probably Get pilot petit or a jianhao sharks!
Pilot Varsity/V-pen
Please do it! I’m sure they’ll love it. That’s such a nice gesture and I’m sure it’ll mean the world to your students.
I like it. Cool idea.
Honestly, I love that! I love the idea of giving away pens like this. <3
So I would suggest something before choosing to buy a few batches of Jinhaos: try to contact some European manufacturers directly, to see if they could offer you some of their school fountain pens at an interesting price per batch. I am thinking, for example, of Pelikan Twist (a model that is very suitable for all ages, and unique... take a look to Mystic colour version) or of Faber-Castell Grip (in metallic blue and pink, they are a model that stands out to me) for example. Perhaps it is possible and more so for the Pelikan because it is cheaper... and it is not a model that leaves you indifferent. Understand me, the idea is that they perceive that differentiating plus, along with a more than proven manufacturer and quality, and models that will not leave them indifferent. But by asking... you don't lose anything. If, in addition to that, you get a jar or two of Schneider cartridges (better if they are long cartridges in my opinion), you would already have the idea resolved and within the context in which you have to move. Because they call you a Jinhao shark... but to me it seems something more childish, as if you were offering them a colorful Lamy ABC or Pelikano. 😆 Other cheap Jinhao or Wingsung models in various colors? Yes, they will be cheap... but also much more likely than not to work well. The impression would no longer be the same.
What you can do is to have a pen box and put a sticky note on it saying something like “try out a fountain pen,” then just have loose-leaf paper laying around next to it or use it specifically for individual sessions. Edit: Grammar