The memory of master fountain pen maker József Kovács comes alive in contemporary advertisements.
I start the story from the very beginning
My grandfather started as a runner at the famous paper and stationery shop of Béla Szénásy in the early 1930s. In pre-war Budapest, almost all significant (mostly European) stationery brands could be found in the offerings of paper shops: among them Montblanc, Pelikan, Waterman, or to mention the smaller ones, Melbi, Osmia, Soennecken, or Matador. The already rich selection was further enriched by writing instruments arriving from overseas, including, for example, the uniquely colored Parker pens.
The Szénásy paper shop was considered the largest paper shop in Budapest at that time: in addition to paper goods, it offered various writing instruments, including of course fountain pens (including its own brand called Szenabella).
Most stationery shops also dealt with fountain pen repairs: typically, they performed minor repairs on the brands sold there on-site. My grandfather started working in this environment. His interest and dedication to writing instruments showed very early on: by climbing the ranks, he not only learned what makes someone a good merchant but also mastered the ins and outs of fountain pen repair.
In the second half of the 1930s, my grandfather worked for a short time in the shop of paper merchant Kálmán Ecker.
The following photo has survived from this period.
The birth of the PatKoPen brand
József Kovács opened his own store with a workshop in the V. district on Aulich Street in 1943. He has always been interested in innovation, which is why he started designing and manufacturing his own branded writing instruments. The PATKOPEN writing instrument brand was born. The store and workshop employed twelve people.
This period was the renaissance of private label writing instruments. Alongside the mostly expensive fountain pens, mostly coming from the German market, many micro brands also emerged. It is important to mention that my grandfather did not sell unbranded writing instruments under the PatKoPen brand name, but as a manufacturer, he made writing instruments and fountain pens himself.
The store in the V. district was nationalized after the world war in 1948, and my grandfather was forced into a cooperative.
From father to son
József Kovács opened his second store in Óbuda in 1956. The business started under much more modest circumstances: he mostly worked alone in the shop, and then his son (my father) helped him. The small Óbuda shop operated until 1976 in Korvin Ottó Square (now: Szentlélek Square).
Meanwhile, my father also committed himself to the profession: he started working at the Szentendre writing instrument factory, PEVDI, in 1962, where he participated as a designer in the production of PAX pens. He worked here as a designer until his death in 1989.
In 1970, I was born into this traditional pen family. My grandfather often took out his old pens and told stories about them. Of course, I was fascinated by the beautiful colors, shapes, materials, and of course the stories. Then in 1991, when he saw that I was mature enough and had acquired the appropriate technical background, he asked me if I would like to learn how to repair old fountain pens? I could only say yes. For years, he was my mentor: he taught me everything I needed to know about pens, materials, period-specific special tools, brands – and the entire profession.
Meanwhile, I visited flea markets, hunting for various fountain pens. I could hardly wait to take the „treasures” I acquired home and repair them together. This went on for years and still continues to this day – only now I do it alone. This is how I became a fountain pen repairer.
I was born into a family tradition passed down from father to son. For me, this is a natural way of life that fills me with joy, as I can fully realize myself in it, while it also comes with responsibility. I am the „last Mohican” of a profession – a third-generation pen repairer. A proud grandson of a mentor who started as a runner boy.
