Fine Writing - Stylus Magazine
Fine Writing - Stylus Magazine
Fine Writing - Stylus Magazine
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60 october/november 2003 s t y lu s<br />
The FounTain<br />
Pen hosPiTal–ParT i<br />
B Y J O N M E S S E R<br />
World War II had just ended. Soldiers came home and families celebrated. Industry<br />
retooled to consumer needs and production quickly resumed like a bat out of hell.<br />
The Wiederlight family in their store, circa late 1940s<br />
In 1946, one “just home”<br />
lucky fellow, Phil Wiederlight,<br />
had the opportunity to join his<br />
dad, Al, in a new business they<br />
opened in the heart of new<br />
York’s bustling downtown: the<br />
Fountain Pen Hospital. You<br />
may recall that then, the “tool<br />
of the day” was the fountain<br />
pen, just as it still is to many<br />
today.<br />
Since the key to pleasing<br />
customers is service, Al and<br />
Phil quickly got busy and never<br />
stopped. Family members, and<br />
then other staff helped out, adjusting<br />
nib tines or clips, cleaning<br />
mechanisms, replacing<br />
bladders, diaphragms, spring<br />
bars, button actuators and the<br />
like. A positive can-do rightaway<br />
attitude established a<br />
level of service that was and is<br />
unsurpassed to this very day. As<br />
word of their fine service and<br />
customer satisfaction spread,<br />
so did their need for space.<br />
the Fountain Pen Hospital<br />
(FPH) moved and then moved<br />
again, each time to a larger location.<br />
today, a third generation<br />
is at the helm at FPH. What be-
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