Phidon Story: Julie Clancy
A selection of Julie’s collection of pens and ink, as well as what she can do with them!
Phidon Pens is my happy place.
I first heard of Phidon Pens when several of my senior students wrote all of their final International Baccalaureate exams with fountain pens and let me know that this store in Galt was the place to go for all things pen and ink. One of those students just got accepted to a post grad program at Oxford University where I’m sure he will not be the only penthusiast!
Shortly after that, I received a beautiful Lamy Studio fountain pen in piano black as a gift from my very supportive husband, Greg. It didn’t take many more visits for Mano to know me and each of my family members by name. Since then, I have introduced several friends to this magical place. A visit to Phidon Pens never fails to bring me joy.
Last summer, we were camping nearby so it was very convenient to visit Phidon Pens for their annual anniversary sale. As if I would miss this big event after having won a Limited Edition Sailor pen with a music nib the previous year! It remains one of my favourite pens!
The cosy little store was packed, with all hands on deck for this busy day. All employees and family members were helping out that day and there was a considerable flow of traffic through the store. I had just started to browse the great deals when a man entered and seemed to be a bit pressed for time. Each of the regular employees were busy helping customers and so Mano and Baldeep’s son asked the man if he could help.
Julie keeps an ink log that is the delight of staff and other customers when they see it! When asked once when she was in the store how she kept the lines so crisp on her swabs, she simply replied that she used a paintbrush! Don’t we all wish to have such a steady hand?
It turned out that the man was on his way to his own wedding and had come in to purchase a nice pen for the register. In what seemed like military precision, the customer was provided with some pens to try, given some advice (from employees and customers), made the purchase, and was on his way in record time. It felt pretty special to just be a part of that.
As we continue to practice social distancing, I have appreciated shopping online and supporting this business from a distance. They have really done a great job with their online store and they have made deliveries to my porch, but I really look forward to resuming my visits with my friends at Phidon Pens in downtown Galt!
Thanks to Julie for sharing this wonderful Phidon story! Julie is always great for a laugh and a conversation in the store, and we can’t wait to see her in person again soon. If you’d like to share your own Phidon story, please email us at phidonpens@bellnet.ca.