Alright, so folks have been asking, or maybe I just feel like sharing, about this whole Hermes pen business. It wasn’t some grand plan, you know? It just sort of… happened. Or rather, I made it happen, with a good deal of fuss, let me tell you.
It all kicked off when I was really trying to get back into writing things down by hand. You know, actual pen on actual paper. My handwriting had totally gone to the dogs, to be honest, from hammering away at a keyboard all day. I figured, hey, maybe a really fancy pen would give me a kick, make the whole thing feel a bit more special, more deliberate. So, down the rabbit hole of research I went. And boy, was that an experience in itself.
The Great Pen Quest and Sticker Shock
I just casually typed “best pens for writing” into a search engine, not thinking much of it. And somehow, I tripped and fell headfirst into the world of luxury pens. The Hermes name popped out, probably ’cause it sounded fancy and, well, it is. I thought, “Okay, this could be interesting. What’s the damage?” Famous last words, right?
The prices, oh my goodness, the prices! I nearly spat out my tea. We’re not talking about your everyday pen you grab from the office stationery cupboard. No, sir. This was pitched as an “investment piece.” An investment in what, I’m still not entirely sure. I swear, I spent actual weeks, not even kidding, just staring at pictures online, reading reviews. Most of those reviews sounded like they were written by people who probably also collected, like, vintage sports cars for a hobby.
- First, I saw one called the “Nautilus.” Sounded impressive, looked kind of chunky.
- Then there was something called the “Graphite.” Looked a bit more understated, which I appreciated.
- And another one, the “Caprice,” I think. Each one had its own little blurb, its own eye-watering price that made my bank account preemptively weep.
I even started trying to rationalize it to myself. “It’s built to last a lifetime,” I’d mutter. “It’s a proper tool for my craft!” My craft at that point mainly consisted of scribbling down shopping lists and random thoughts. My wife just gave me that look every time I mentioned it. She’s a smart woman.
Taking the Plunge and the Aftermath
So, after what felt like an age of going back and forth, and, okay, a small, unexpected windfall from some freelance work I’d completely forgotten about, I decided to just go for it. Not the super-duper, diamond-studded version, mind you. Just a, let’s call it, “entry-level” fancy Hermes pen. Actually getting my hands on it was another little adventure. Had to specifically go to one of their stores, felt a bit like a fish out of water, you know that feeling when you’re buying something you know is a bit silly but you’re committed?
The unboxing part was, admittedly, quite nice. The box itself was very fancy. The little cloth bag it came in was nice. The pen? Well, it was… a pen. A very, very well-made pen, I’ll give it that. It had a good weight to it. Felt solid. And it wrote incredibly smoothly, that’s for sure.
So, did it magically fix my terrible handwriting? Did I suddenly find myself penning novels by candlelight? Nah. My scrawl is still pretty much my scrawl, though now it’s done with more expensive ink. I do use it, mainly for things like journaling or when I’m trying to write a thoughtful letter. It mostly sits on my desk, looking rather grand and a bit out of place.
Here’s the funny part, though. The whole process – the weeks of agonizing, the slight feeling of guilt, the anticipation – that’s what I remember most. It’s a good pen, no doubt. But it’s not going to magically make you a better writer or a more organized person. It’s a tool. A very pretty, very expensive tool.
Sometimes I pick it up, turn it over in my hands, and just think, “Well, that was a thing I did.” And then I usually grab the nearest cheap biro to actually get some work done. The Hermes pen has become more of a curiosity, a reminder of that one time I decided to be a bit daft with my money. Would I go through all that again for a pen? Probably not. But hey, it’s a decent story, isn’t it? And I’ve got a pen that will probably be around long after I am. So, there’s that, I guess.
