Henki's Holiday Shopping List - Nobody Ever Tweeted A Manifesto!

A bit about me - 

Shortly before my sixth birthday, while playing on the neighbor's swing-set, I made the intelligent choice of jumping off the slide. I managed to fall on my right arm, breaking it in three (3) places. Fortunately, the neighbor's father was also our doctor. He promptly wrapped my arm in a New York Times and my parents drove me the 3 blocks to Allen Memorial Hospital where I woke up the next morning to find my arm in a cast from my fingers to just below my shoulder. Although I was released in the morning, my father took me to Gibson's Bakery for an ice cream cone ; )

I was set to start first grade in about 2 months time - and just as the cast came off my arm, I began the journey of learning to read and write (beyond the alphabet squares we had in kindergarten). And try though I might, I could never get any of my letters to look the same consistently. What my teachers assumed was laziness was later diagnosed as nerve damage from the break. This was in the 70s, so no typed homework for me and my classmates. Hand writing was de rigueur. Needless to say, I have no small amount of sympathy for my teachers who had to try and decipher my code!

So with that initial obstacle somewhat tamed, I then managed to break three (3) of the four (4) fingers on my right hand just after turning forty!

But rather than chuck in the idea of writing by hand, I have taken the more challenging path of trying to re-train my right hand by using (almost exclusively) fountain pens.

Courtesy of Gioia

And that brings us to today's gift idea (one that I've just gifted myself) the Gioia Metis Verde D'Oriente. 

It is a big, beautiful pen! Crafted from a single bar of resin, made in Gioia's facility in Naples, Italy. 

This is a side-by side with a Pelikan 600.

I tend to prefer a broad nib, the larger ink flow tends to cover a multitude of my handwriting sins ; )

You can order directly from Gioia, and this communication tool will cost you 130,00 €

There are also a handful of retail stores that offer Gioia pens, and I secured mine from The Paper Mind in San Francisco, CA.

Needless to say, the Gioia Metis proves that the pen is still mightier!

Happy Holidays!