interview with Rosalinde Sies - de Vos
Here with a series of interviews dedicated to the role that pens play in the daily lives of collectors, enthusiasts and users. The core of the interviews is how and to what extent pens have improved or even changed our lives.
The interviews are conducted by Letizia Iacopini.
Rosalinde Sies - de Vos, Dutch national, 35 years old and mother of two children aged 4 and 6, divides her time between work, her children and her passion for fountain pens, to which she dedicates a good part of her free time.
Her Instagram account BroadandZoom has over 2800 followers.
When did you come into contact with fountain pens?
R.
In the Netherlands it is normal practice for primary school children to use a fountain pen at school. I immediately noticed that the fountain pen improved my handwriting a lot and I enjoyed using it for this reason. It made the pages of my notebooks clean, tidy and beautiful to look at.
At the time I could only have inexpensive pens; I think my first pen was a Lamy “ABC”, designed specifically for primary school children.
I got my first really important pen only in 2015.
When I graduated from Law School, my husband gave me a Visconti Salvador Dali as a gift. It seemed so beautiful to me and tha was my first step into the fountain pen world.
L.
Which fountain pens catch your attention?
R.
I often fall in love with their design; in particular, when I started, I really liked Italian pens but unfortunately in most cases their steel nibs didn't work for me.
I have always been very interested in the quality of writing and in finding nibs that best suit my way of writing. When I started buying pens for myself, I initially opted for Kaweco and Sailor Pro Gear pens. The stores in my area didn't have a large selection of brands and models, I had to make do with what I found.
In 2021 I bought my first Leonardo online from a Dutch pen store. Once it arrived I fell in love and
knew this was the pen I had been looking for. Searching for a wider selection and special releases
of Leonardo Pens, I discovered the world of international online shopping and things changed
dramatically. Suddenly I realised I could buy pens everywhere, all the pens I wanted to!
My first international online purchase was a Leonardo Momento Zero Grande Primary Manipulation from Casa della Stilografica in Florence. It was a truly “magic moment”!
When the pen arrived I couldn't stop looking at it! It felt like the most beautiful thing I had ever owned.
Today my taste in pens has evolved but I am still very attached to Italian pens and more recently Montblanc.
I love the attention to detail and the refinement of the finishes at Montblanc. I love Leonardo's nibs, and above all that always slightly personal touch that pens produced by a small family-run company convey. I also very much appreciate Leonardo’s desire to experiment with ever new colors and materials.
I own about 90 pens and at least one third of these are Leonardo.
What were the most significant moments in your relationship with fountain pens?
R.
2021 was a crucial year in many ways. That year I opened my Instagram account and in September I participated in the first pen show of my life.
The 2021 Dutch Pen show was an overwhelming experience.
I had never attended a pen show and had no idea what it could be.
Utrecht is only a 50 minute drive from where I live, so it was an easy trip. I decided to go alone, even though my husband would have gladly accompanied me.
Pens represent a special world of my own and I wanted to experience it fully, without having to worry about whether he would be bored or not. I wanted to meet fellow enthusiasts and the proper
way to meet other people, in my opinion, is when you have no one else to fall back on.
In Utrecht I was so overwhelmed by the experience that in the end I didn't even buy a pen and returned home exhausted with only the bottle of ink from the Pen Show.
Also in 2021 I met Birgit (Bluetastic_pens on Instagram) online and we started talking about pens and then became very good friends. Birgit was the first person who sort of worked as an influencer to me, because I decide to buy my first Scribo after seeing one of her posts.
I thus realised the potential posts can have in the world of pens and this often makes me smile. I am actually a very private and also quite shy person and the idea that someone could be influenced in their choices by the images I publish on my profile often leaves me stupefied.
L.
How much time do you dedicate to pens in your day?
R.
My priorities during the day are my children and my work, which fortunately I can do from home. In the morning my children are at school and I can work in peace, then in the afternoon I generally never have enough time for myself and I have to wait until the evening after dinner to finally be able to "play" with my pens.
I try to write at least an hour a day, then I take photos of what I like and publish it.
I don't think I'm a real influencer and I don't even want to be. Pens and writing are my happy island and I want to be free to publish what I choose and only if it is something I like.
Writing has a therapeutic effect on me. It relaxes me, it amuses me, it satisfies my creative spirit and my aesthetic sense.
Being a mother, wife and entrepreneur, I spend my days caring for others and doing my best to make everything work perfectly. When I'm alone with my pens, I can finally just take care of myself. It's a great privilege.
What do you think of the Pen community?
R.
It is a very varied and multifaceted world, where there are people of all types. Some are arrogant and envious, sometimes even in the comments on posts. Others are very presumptuous, always ready to make judgments. But the largest part of the community consists of amazing people with whom to share experiences and have a constructive and quality communication relationship. Thanks to pens I met Birgit and many others, with whom today I have a sincere and disinterested friendship, so my opinion on the pen community is and will always be positive.
What have you done thanks to or because of the pens that you would never have done before?
R.
Without a doubt, traveling alone.
Participating in a pen show, sharing experiences with people who have the same type of interest, and who, in some cases, have become real friendships, is a very beautiful and stimulating experience. It's something I do for myself and that makes me feel good.
L.
What would you recommend to those who are now approaching the world of pens?
R.
I took a learning from my own journey and would recommend evaluating each purchase calmly.
The increasing number of limited editions and special editions made focus more important in order not to get drawn away in the fear of missing out. We have the temptation to pile up pen upon pen, losing sight of quality in favour of quantity.
I believe that this approach has to be kept under control, because quality is always the best choice. The journey will bring you across many brands, styles and writing experiences.
Instead of buying more of the same, I think it’s recommendable to spend more time with one piece to really understand what you like and if that taste is going to sustain. I’ve learned that taste in pens and especially nibs can change quite significantly over time.