Interview with László Falusi, a fountain pen collector from Szolnok, who researches the history of domestic fountain pen manufacturing alongside building his collection.
When did you start collecting these specialties?
In my childhood, I collected stamps, then cacti – I still have them, but fountain pens affected me differently. Our relationship didn't start as a collection, although as an eccentric college student and soldier, I already wrote with ballpoint pens. The avalanche was triggered for me in 2018 when my eldest daughter gave me her fountain pens during a closet organization. I was particularly taken by a box with Japanese writing, as they often produce excellent pens with meticulous work, taking a month to make one, so it's no wonder it caught my attention right away. I first started searching online, then I delved deeper into this special world.
It's incredible how many fans fountain pens still have today, which eventually sucked me in as well. Nevertheless, I didn't continue my search here because I wouldn't have been able to spend fortunes on them. Just think about it, I have more than two hundred pens today, and just counting ten thousand forints, how much money I would have had to invest in them. Collecting works in such a way that, well, I'll buy one more, then another, all the way to infinity. Thus, the second-hand market remained, which also came with the joy of hunting. Finding something intact, beautiful, and not least, at an affordable price, because anything can pop up there.
With luck and a good eye, I can sometimes dig out incredible things, high-end branded pens from the junk boxes.
I got these for „buttons,” as shown by the writing instruments lying on the table in front of us: Why would I buy a Montblanc fountain pen, the king of pens, for several hundred thousand forints when, with some practice, I can recognize the original from its craftsmanship and grip at the market. In the meantime, I have developed such a relationship with the vendors that they often set aside items they think might interest me.
The other way is that with someone I talk to for three sentences, I might ask in the fourth if they have any spare fountain pens. But it also happens that seeing the pen in my hand, they bring it up since few people write with them today.
How do such valuable pieces for you end up at the flea market?
Once at my workplace, a gentleman of my age came over to chat with me while waiting there. I no longer remember how we got to that point, but he told me that he was starting to give away what he considers valuable to his children, and he throws away the rest so he wouldn't have to worry about anything else, as his valuable books were also of no interest to anyone. I asked him if he accidentally threw away a fountain pen? Of course, even a Montblanc pen. He must have seen my horror because a few days later, he dropped off a bag of fountain pens for me at the reception. That's how they end up at the flea market. That's why you can find rarities there, such as the Haro glass-tipped fountain pen from the sixties, which was used for rewriting multi-copy invoices because it could be pressed hard onto the paper. Its name is an abbreviation of its manufacturer, Hans Roggenbuck.
Do you also research the history of the pieces that come into your hands?
If I find something unknown, I always look into what it is, which can be increasingly engrossing.
They say that a fountain pen, unlike a ballpoint pen, retains the grip of its former owner over time.
This is true. A fountain pen is a personal item, it takes on the imprint of its writer's grip, and wears differently while writing.
I have almost only used fountain pens, each with its own story, and their average age is around fifty years. They could write incredible things on paper if they could tell their own story.
Do you repair your pens yourself?
I can only perform minor repairs, as serious interventions require the right tools and specialized training. Currently, I know of two serious fountain pen repairers in the country. One has grown into the profession as a family tradition, as his grandfather had a fountain pen manufacturing and repair business in 1943, and his father was a constructor at one of the post-war stationery factories. The other specialist learned this craft due to a large stationery collection he inherited.
There used to be a fountain pen and ballpoint pen repair master on Mária Street in Szolnok, but unfortunately, he passed away a long time ago.
I didn't know him. If my circumstances allow, I try to make my pens usable, but I definitely try to present them in an exhibit-worthy condition. Of course, most of them work, and I use some of them.
I see that you also brought along pages filled with beautiful handwriting.
Another passion of mine is that I regularly practice writing; I copied this Petőfi poem here for that reason – László shows. – At my workplace, I also make all notes with a fountain pen. Although I don't have a large platform, I try to draw attention to the importance of handwriting because it reflects back on thinking.
Thoughts captured by typing develop differently than when a person writes with a fountain pen, as the next thought comes while shaping the letters, because there is time for it. It is a peculiar feeling to shape letters with them, thus writing encourages contemplation and deepening. It cannot be rushed, like so many things in today's world.
By the way, this is contagious; all my colleagues have fountain pens now. It is a way of life because you cannot just whip it out and doodle with it. I usually say that the ballpoint pen is practical, while the fountain pen is classic. When these pens were mainly used, there was no Facebook, Internet, tablet to steal people's time, or mobile phones to constantly look at. It holds us back a bit, which I appreciate because I am against the disadvantages of consumer society and the fast-paced world where there is no time for anything. Additionally, through the search for fountain pens, I meet people and keep in touch with them.
A collector is eventually forced to focus on a narrower area due to the abundance of material. Do you have such an endeavor as well?
Of course, I do. One is the world of fountain pens made of celluloid. Fifty to sixty years ago, both domestic and foreign factories made pens from this beautiful material. For example, this is Hungarian; I received it from my sister, and it was with it that I fell in love with celluloid fountain pens, which are no longer used today due to their fire hazard – László shows a beautifully crafted writing instrument.
The other main area of my interest is collecting the memories of Hungarian fountain pen manufacturing. Even in the sixties, there were people among us who manufactured Hungarian fountain pens. I have long wanted to create a website about them, but unfortunately, it is quite difficult to find the necessary literature. Often, only advertisements appearing in contemporary press inform us that, for example, not everyone could afford to own a fountain pen. There were indeed pieces that cost three hundred forints during the „three-sixty” bread era, which is nearly the price of a hundred kilograms of bread. Of course, there were cheaper pieces as well, but even then, they cannot be compared to today's disposable ballpoint pens.
A collector will eventually face what will happen to their collection over time...
I don't deal with it. I constantly feel the divine providence upon me, and then He will decide what the fate of the pens will be. I usually tell beginner collectors to forget that your grandchildren will be enthusiastic about your collection. It may end up in the container, or I may give it to someone knowledgeable. But right now, I feel that they can stay with me a little longer, along with their beauty and goodness. With them, I have carried the past into the future.
Source: New People's Newspaper Szolnok
Portrait photos: János Mészáros
