Why Johnny Can't Write

Inadequacies of Writing Instrument Design and Manufacture is the follow-up to Geoff Roe's earlier Technical History.
Similarly to that book, this one is quite brief. The material
originated as a lecture to the Writing Instrument Society in London.
Not only do I have a late start on my challenge to read fifty-two books
this year, I'm also quite a bit behind in getting these reviews out. So
here in the end of March I'm reporting the first of fifty-two books
this year, one that according to my notes I finished on February 27th.
I've got more than a little catching up to do.

Though narrower in scope than Roe's History, Inadequacies does not get
lost in specifics or theory. Rather, Inadequacies is a pragmatic look
at what can and commonly does go wrong in the process of delivering ink
to paper with the varieties of materials used to do so.

Roe's thesis is that many makers of fountain pens now regard quality
control as an unnecessary expense. Many fountain pens are given as
gifts and never written with, so the consequences to these companies
who release very pretty pens that write poorly or unreliably are few.
We the customers end up being the first and only line of quality
control. Roe states in his opening paragraphs that the majority of new
pens he has purchased have to be returned for service immediately. It
may be a bit of hyperbole, but there's no doubt in my mind that he's
right. Even with my rather modest collection I've become a little too
familiar with the service centers of some major penmakers.

Unfortunately, while Roe does a terrific job of explaining the
shortcomings of pens and the challenges of making a pen that will write
well, he doesn't offer much new in the way of solutions. We are left
with an assertion that seems like common knowledge for other products
as well: we must pay close attention and hold the makers of these pens
accountable every time they fail us.

Roe provides a spot-check method for inspecting a fountain pen and
suggests that we each perform such a check before purchasing a
particular pen--not just a sample of the same model, but the actual pen
which we are to buy. He also calls on manufacturers to perform his nib
inspection before letting a pen out of the factory. It's a suggestion
both laughably unlikely to be heeded by the big penmakers and sad that
we as consumers would be called on to demand basic quality control from
the makers of premium products.

There is a solution to this problem, which Roe does not address
directly although it is in the spirit of his suggestions. That is that
we buy all our pens from dealers like Richard Binder or John Mottishaw
who will inspect, test, and even adjust a nib before sending out a pen.
We of course can also choose not to buy from the penmakers that pass on
shoddy goods at luxury prices. There are penmakers who do give
attention to each and every pen. It often makes for greater expense,
but it should be well worth it not to have to send the majority of our
pens back for repair or adjustment.

Inadequacies of Writing Instrument Design and Manufacture, Goeff Roe

5/10

Self-published stapled 2004

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18 pages

ISBN 095298671X