The Holy Grail of pens!

A recent thread of postings on the Pentrace’s yellow board made me think about dealing with this collector’s top subject: the Holy Grail of pens.

Artistic interpretation of the Holy Grail

(picture from bestofdrawsomething.com)

Grail pen … Does it really exist? If so, why most people who claim they found theirs continue to look for others? For there was one "Holy Grail" only and, therefore, the Grail pen should be unique to each individual. And once it is found, the quest should be over. Shouldn’t it?

In my honest opinion, the Grail pen -- the Holy Grail of whatever -- is quite simply a matter of the particular interests we have in a certain period of our lives, just a state of mind. In consequence, to me there is no Grail pen at all.

The Holy Grail is universally known to be a dish, plate, stone, or cup that is part of an important theme of Arthurian literature -- i.e. related to the legend of King Arthur.

According to WikipediA, the Holy Grail, “a grail, wondrous but not explicitly “holy,” first appears in Perceval le Gallois, an unfinished romance by Chrétien de Troyes: it is a processional salver used to serve at a feast. Chrétien’s story attracted many continuators, translators and interpreters in the later 12^th and early 13^th centuries, including Wolfram von Eschenbach, who makes the grail a great precious stone that fell from the sky. The Grail legend became interwoven with legends of the Holy Chalice. The connection with Joseph of Arimathea and with vessels associated with the Last Supper and crucifixion of Jesus, dates from Robert de Boron’s Joseph d’Arimathie (late 12^th century) in which Joseph receives the Grail from an apparition of Jesus and sends it with his followers to Great Britain. Building upon this theme, later writers recounted how Joseph used the Grail to catch Christ’s blood while interring him and how he founded a line of guardians to keep it safe in Britain. The legend may combine Christian lore with a Celtic myth of a cauldron endowed with special powers.”

The story of the Holy Grail and of the quest to find it became increasingly popular in the 19th century. “After Christ's death, Joseph was apparently imprisoned in a rock tomb similar to the one he had given for the body of his grand-nephew. Left to starve, he was sustained for several years by the power of the Grail which provided him with fresh food and drink every morning. Later, St. Joseph travelled to Britain with his family and several followers. He settled at Ynys Witrin (Glastonbury), but the Grail was taken to Corbenic where it was housed in a spectacular castle, guarded always by the Grail Kings, descendants of Joseph's daughter, Anna (Enygeus) and her husband, Brons."

“Centuries later, the location of the Great Castle of Corbenic became forgotten. At the Court of King Arthur, however, it was prophesied that the Grail would one day be rediscovered by a descendant of St. Joseph: the best knight in the land, the only man capable of sitting in the mysterious Siege Perilous. When such a man arrived in the form of Galahad, the son of Lancelot, along with a miraculous, though brief, vision of the Grail itself, a quest to find this holiest of relics began. Through many adventures and many years, the Knights of the Round Table crossed Britain from one end to another in their search. Perceval (Peredyr) discovered the castle in a land that was sickly like its spear-wounded King. When entertained by this "Fisher" or "Grail King", however, he failed to ask of the grail and left empty-hand. Lancelot next reached Corbenic, but was prevented from entering because of he was an adulterer. Finally Galahad arrived. He was permitted entry to the Grail Chapel and allowed to gaze upon the great cup. His life became complete and together grail and man were lifted up to heaven.”  (Extract from Britannias’ “King Arthur in Legend: the Holy Grail”)

King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table

commiting to finding the Holy Grail 

(picture from www.bbc.co.uk)

Knight Galahad finally finds the Holy Grail at the Great Castle of Corbenic

(picture from WikipediA)

I have already said that I don’t believe in Grail pens. Nevertheless, I own a pair of items that could be somehow considered as Grail pens in the sense these words is widely agreed by collectors. The first one, a whim, is the sterling silver version of the Parker Snake Limited Edition (UK, 1997). I fell in love with this item as soon as I was caught in fountain pen collecting. There was no special reason to have it except I really liked it. This fountain pen was a dream to me. I recall telling myself: “That’s the fountain pen of all fountain pens, the final writing instrument. If one of these days I could afford it, there would be no more pens at all.” Finally, my mother gave this fountain pen to me. And thus my dream came true. But, after that, more than a hundred pens, ballpoints included, have arrived at home -- perhaps a quantity nearer to two hundred. So, was it really the final writing instrument? Did this item end any quest? In those early days of my life as a pen collector there wasn’t even a quest! I liked every fountain pen I saw and this was the one I coveted above the rest.

Parker Snake Limited Edition, sterling silver version (UK, 1997)

My mother, a little before she passed away

My mother passed away during the New Year´s Eve of 2005. So, this true beauty has, in addition, a special significance for me.

The second item we could consider as a Grail pen, a ballpoint, is the result of a methodological search of many years -- the way in which, we are told, a collection of whatever kind should be built. I still remember the day I found it, by chance, on internet -- www.etsy.com; how nervous I got when I realized the seller didn’t sell out of the USA; how satisfied I felt when I managed to convince her to sell the item to me and ship it to Spain; how slowly went time till the item arrived at home; and how I enjoyed it after that. NOS and with original inner box. What more could you ask for? Currently, this item is nearly like just any other of my collection -- very important, indeed, but honestly I don’t feel it as if it were a Grail pen. This ballpoint turns out to be the seldom seen first version of the Paper Mate “Diamond Heart” model, produced in very small quantities, from 1954 to 1957 in the USA. And, guess what? Now I am looking desperately for the model without diamonds, called “Golden Heart”, in order to complete my select group of early Paper Mate ballpoints, I tell myself. In order to feel good again, I should admit! But, for how long?

Paper Mate Diamond Heart, first version (USA, 1954-57)

(image courtesy of the seller)

Just thinking about pens I do not have yet and I would like to have -- but I will probably never have, apart from a Waterman Patrician, a 1940 oversize Hundred Year Pen, an oversize Vac, a Wahl Deco Band and an oversize Doric, all of them in near perfect condition (!!!!!), I wouldn’t mind having the regular production version of the Visconti Ponte Vecchio fountain pen in Pompei Blue -- aka Turquoise -- celluloid and a very expensive -- to me -- Namiki Yukari Royale Kingfisher.

I love everything about the Ponte Vecchio: shape, size, colour, style, weight, nib, the story behind it, … I have no Visconti pens yet. Nor I have tried any. Moreover, the item’s name, “Ponte Vecchio” -- “Puente Viejo” in Spanish -- brings to me happy family memories from my childhood: Puenteviejo is a place -- in the province of Avila -- where an uncle of mine had a villa in which my parents, brothers and I shared many good moments.

Visconti Ponte Vecchio

(regular production version)

Pompeii Blue

(image from www.estilograficas.net)

Vintage postcards (70's)

showing some views of "El Coto de Puenteviejo" (Ávila, Spain)

(images from internet)

Happy family memories at Puenteviejo (70's):

me (the child on the right), my mother (left), my eldest brother (right),

my uncle (center, left) and my aunt (center, right),

in my uncles' villa

me (left), my father (center) and my second elder brother (right)

Some good moments

And what is to be said about the Kingfisher? I love Maki-e craftsmanship, I love Japanese pens, and I love, and how, the scene depicted on this fountain pen. I find it exquisitely executed, colours are vivid, … This item is so beautiful … Nothing to do with my two humble Maki-e -- silk-screen, in fact -- fountain pens, the lastest one -- a Platinum PTL-12000 Modern Maki-e Brush Warbler -- I love, by the way, as if it were a son of mine!

Namimi Yukari Royale Kingfisher

(images from www.worldlux.com)

But, if I owned these fountain pens -- God only knows when this could be possible, would they end my quest? In case there were any …

That said, I must admit that for years now I often look for a fountain pen I will probably never find and which, in this way, somehow fulfills the concept of Grail pen. It has no gold nib. It is not made of precious metals, just as probably the very own Holy Grail. Neither celluloid nor other noble materials. There is no intricate Maki-e work on its surface, no Italian or Russian paintings, … No precious stones. Nothing! In fact, it is not a true collector’s item. It was made of injection-moulded plastic -- not precious resin, just cheap stuff -- and had a plain stainless steel clip and a plain stainless steel nib. I cannot remember much more. It was a humble cartridge school pen. A Stypen, I think. A French brand, it seems. A fountain pen that caught my attention, very many years ago, once I looked at a stationery’s shop window, on my way home from school. The first writing instrument I bought myself, after saving my pocket money for a long time. The first fountain pen I wrote with. The fountain pen that seized me in all of this madness. My own roots! For ensuring the well-being of my family is my Holy Grail. But there is a part of me that wants to come back to its roots, to the time when I was a child, my parents were still alive and everything was really right.

Me at the time I discovered fountain pens

This is the store where, in the early seventies,

my attention was caught by a fountain pen for the first time.

At the moment it was a stationery.

I used to take a look on its shop window on my way home from school.

Currently it is sadly abandoned.

The last business that ran there was a call box for foreigners.

Will I find it? Only God knows! Anyway, I am afraid this wouldn't be my last fountain pen, in case I found it. No, I don't think there exists a Grail pen. At least not for me! Because no pen can treat my illness: hunting! Not animals, but pens instead!