Talks and Strokes: Stories of Collectors and Lovers of Writing Instruments
Stefano Corsani
A collection of interviews dedicated to the role of pens in the daily lives of collectors, stylophiles and users. The central theme of the interviews is how and to what extent pens have improved or even changed our lives.
The interviews are curated by Letizia Iacopini
Stilograph Corsani is today one of the few historic pen shops still in business. Founded in 1924, the shop in Via Ottomano 79 in Rome owes its success to Stefano Corsani, a descendant of the founder and a profound connoisseur of the world of pens in all its aspects. Stefano, born in 1971, practically grew up in the shop next to his grandfather, who for him was an example of commercial wisdom, management skills and a dedication to fountain pens. After graduating in Economics, Stefano chose to devote himself to Stilograph with passion and today he has become an essential reference person for every enthusiast and lover of of fountain pens in Italy and abroad.
Leggi la traduzione in italiano
How did your relationship with fountain pens begin?
I grew up in a pen shop next to my grandfather. I helped him whenever necessary. I especially remember certain Christmas periods when Paper Mate pens were all the rage, the ones with little hearts on the clips that could be removed to have customers’ initials mounted in their place. My grandfather had taught me how to use the tool to do that job and I spent afternoons removing the little hearts and mounting initials on the pen clips…
I liked the atmosphere of the shop and the fact that my grandfather knew so much about pens and customers. Then, when my grandfather started having health problems, I had no doubts. I had already graduated but I would never abandon the family shop. I liked the idea of continuing my grandfather’s activity and working surrounded by “beauty”. For me pens are beautiful, they are examples of balance between technique, design and aesthetics, therefore a perfect sum of my idea of beauty.
An example I often use to tell my love for pens makes reference to my reaction to the theft we suffered in our shop in 2018. They took everything away from us, absolutely everything.
All the suppliers, all the customers and those who knew us were convinced that we would close and that t Stilograph’s story was over. Instead, we started again slowly, piece by piece, to rebuild the warehouse and we got back on track, with a lot of dedication, passion and willpower. I would never have allowed the Stilograph’s story to end because of a theft.
What are the aspects of your job that you prefer and which ones do you dislike?
In addition to working with pens and therefore with what I find beautiful, I really like the human contact with the customer. In Rome, customers come from all over the world; often people I met online and who have bought pens from me for years, finally come to the store and we can shake hands and meet in person. Nowadays, keeping a real store open is a very complex job that requires special care for customers and I am very committed to this aspect. I like relating to people in person and guiding them into choosing a pen, trying to understand their likings, their needs and also making them change their mind.
Many people today rely on online reviews, comments on forums and social media to orient themselves on the market; when they enter the store, they have a very detailed theoretical knowledge of the products they want to buy, but they have never seen them in person, nor held them in their hands, nor tried any of the pens they are looking for.
I like to make them understand that the pen is first and foremost a completely personal object and that the choice must absolutely be based on the individual relationship with the instrument. This means that even the negative reviews they may have read online about a given model or nib, have only a relative value. Often they change their mind about a pen that they would not have even wanted to try and this gives me great satisfaction.
However, I also come across arrogant customers who instead only give importance to what they have read on social media and are not willing to evaluate different options. In this case, their mental rigidity irritates me and I consider this attitude as a form of ignorance and lack of personal judgment.
Do you prefer online or live work?
If I could, I would definitely favor direct contact with the customer, but the reality of today's market moves mainly online. Both online and live work can be stimulating and satisfactory, not only financially. However, I find that online work is very tiring because it requires total availability, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, with messages and requests arriving from all social channels, without time limits or days of the week. Online work undoubtedly involves many more risks, too.
It starts with shipments, which can be damaged on the way to the customer or lost, and ends with the most modern online fraud techniques that force you to always be very careful in sales and in relationships with buyers. The online world also opens the door to communication relationships that do not always have a commercial aspect. Many people ask for information on products, ask for prices, estimates, discount proposals and then disappear. It's a huge amount of work that ends up in nothing.
After all these years spent at the counter, have you developed an ability to classify customers who cross the threshold of the store?
Definitely yes!
There are many details that I notice every time a person enters the store. The combination of all the details gives me a picture of what this specific person is looking for and what he or she might like. It's difficult to explain... it's like a sum of the clothing, the way of speaking, the physical characteristics, even the way of moving and looking at the items on display. Sometimes I make mistakes, but in most cases, I have to say that I guess very well. Among my various passions, there is also psychology and I believe that understanding, even if it only superficially, the person in front of me is fundamental to propose the right pen in the right way.
Could you give a definition of the perfect pen?
In theory, the perfect pen is the one that best suits the needs of the writer.
In fact, my idea of “perfection” is based on a balance between aesthetics and technique, with an eye to the material. I have loved celluloid since I was a child, it is a noble and beautiful material.
I create the Stilograph Corsani collections based on this assumption.
My first special edition was produced by Delta in 2014, on that occasion I met Salvatore for the first time, he followed my project and created the details of the pen and also the design of the sleeve and the international guarantee. It was called “Fantasia Vintage” and I chose to make it available in 6 celluloid colors.
Even today, when I develop the project of one of my pens, I always try to include the use of celluloid. In some cases, like in my latest creation, produced by Leonardo, I choose ebonite because I find this material to be warm and pleasant to the touch, as well as extremely elegant. From my point of view, my pens are “perfect” because they meet the fundamental reference criteria: elegance, balance, reliable technology, noble materials and beauty.
What advice would you give to those who are approaching the world of fountain pens today?
The first thing I would recommend is to approach this world with extreme humility. And by humility I mean the awareness of having to slowly learn to know fountain pens, to use them and to choose.
I would recommend starting with simple and not excessively expensive pens and moving forward calmly, without being bulimic. The passion for pens and writing is built calmly and patiently, certainly not by accumulating pen after pen just to follow some influencer’s advice or for the pleasure of posting photos on social media.
Social media definitely play a crucial role, but you also have to calibrate your purchasing choices based on your tastes, your abilities and your way of writing. Compulsive purchases ultimately risk extinguishing your interest and passion. I believe it is important, instead, to become aware users, capable of distinguishing between what we like and what is just trendy and above all to be aware of our limits. In this case I am referring, for example, to flexible nibs, everyone would like them but few have the humility to admit that they would not be able to use them and have the desire and will to improve their writing to make the most of the“complex” nibs can perform.
There is a lot of each of us in the pens we choose and in the way we write, so we must give this totally individual and also very intimate aspect the opportunity and time to take shape and substance, without rushing.
LETIZIA IACOPINI
Letizia Iacopini was among the founders of the "Accademia Italiana della Penna Stilografica" pen collectors' club in 1990, marking the first organization of its kind in Italy. For three decades, she has worked with collectors worldwide, offering consultancy, and evaluations for both complete collections and single pens. She consistently delights us with her reviews, essays, and publications on the history of the Italian fountain pen.