Ride On Time

I have just made this black box of sharpness for my fountain pen collection out of a Turkish Delight box bought for me by Melanie Tomlinson - contents eaten - some black ink and a jar full of about ten years’ worth of used and broken nibs. I keep them in a Kilner jar with my used scalpel blades and have never been sure why!

I thought my friend Mel might approve since this speaks to the scavenger gene in both of us, collecting spare and discarded materials throughout our early careers to ‘make stuff’. And I’m proud of the glue gun burn I incurred in making it, skin gruesomely missing where I pulled the napalm-glue off too late (it sets hard, taking the skin with it).

Inside is a very old piece of blotting paper owned since I was small, given to me by my Dad and still in use till recently. The pens include two Shaeffers, my Mont Blanc, Parkers, a Paper Mate and my wooden one which was a 21st birthday present.