I have a very nice Waterman fountain pen that I received from my godfather as a wedding present. I use it frequently at work (analog, meet digital… digital, meet analog). However, I’ve ruined at least three shirts by putting the pen in my pocket without the cap on. Since I’m not likely to wear a pocket protector (!), I’m always curious about alternatives for an elegant writing experience with less fuss. Here’s one possibility: a Namiki Pilot Vanishing Point, which is a retractable fountain pen. No links to online dealers, no San Francisco dealers (Palo Alto is the closest), and no pricing information = bad signs. But Google comes through with enough information to let me know that these are not insanely overpriced, etc. The irony, for me, is that my handwriting keeps getting worse, as I use it less and less, yet I want a more and more elegant tool for many of those times I do write something. And every time I think about being excited about a pen, I think of the John Cusack link from the movie Say Anything: “I gave her my heart, and she gave me a pen.” The mind makes odd linkages, doesn’t it?