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I recently came across a reference to a "Fountain Pen of the Year Award". I was interested because I had just acquired a Rotring Lissabon which apparently received that designation in 2000, or so I read. I got it into my head that the Fountain Pen of the Year Award might have been a German Design Award. A quick inquiry to the Rat für Formgebung in Frankfurt (German Design Council) indicated that at that date such an award would have been handled by the Federal Government (not the Council). So far all other inquiries have drawn a blank. Does anyone know anything about this award, and other pens that might have been honored over the years? Was it a German or international Award (assuming it existed!). I know that in 2003 Graf von Faber-Castell introduced a "Pen of the Year Series" which I assume is unrelated. Oddly, I have been unable to find further information online.

I purchased two Sheaffer pens on internet. They turned out to be old, new stock, but the reseller could not tell me the name of the pen. Via FPN I found out they are both of the type: Sheaffer Award. Classified as a low price pen (somewhere between 20-, and 30,- euro), but what a pen it turned out to be! I can compare them to a Sheaffer 300, a Parker Frontier and a Lamy Nexx fountain pen. Both the 300 and the Frontier fountain pen are way over 60,- euro in price. Lamy is around 30,- euro’s Despite the difference in price, the Award beats all my other fountain pens. The design is great. The writing is super smooth. The grip is comfortable. Weight and length are perfect. The cap gives a seamless look of the pen. Conclusion for me: The best buy I ever did!

I have been using fountain pens for as long as I can remember. It started at primary school with a pelican pen. A simple but effective tool. In those days the refills had a small plastic ball that stayed behind in de empty cartridge. We had a competition who of the pupils could collect the most of those balls in one school year. After that period at secondary school I was presented with a Sheaffer Targa as a birthday present from my parents. What a super pen that was! I have been using it for 25 years. But alas, one day it hit the ground full on the nib! That hurts!! It was damaged in such a way that it could no longer be made, so I bought myself a new fountain pen. A Parker Frontier, as it was highly recommended by the sales agent. It turned out to be a very bad choice. Leakage again and again. I have never had so many ink stains on my hands! As my budget in those days was low I also bought a Lamy Nexx. A fine but simple pen. After 6 years I decided to swop back to Sheaffer again and have purchased two Sheaffer Awards fountain pens via marktplaats (Dutch equivalent of E-bay). Two super pens that brought back the old time feeling I always had with the Targa fountain pen. One of these Awards I still use to correct the work of my students in Red ink! In May 2014 I have also bought myself a Sheaffer 300 fountain pen again. I do like the weight of the instrument!! It writes super smooth so I’ll use it as often as possible Kind regards, Jan