On Fountain Pens and Lemurs

Lemur Ink online shop unites John Phelan's two passions: fountain pens and ring-tailed lemurs

- AZIZAH ASGARALI

John Phelan, owner and sole employee of Lemur Ink online pen and accessories store, is a self-proclaimed fountain pen, watch, and car enthusiast who "loves all things mechanical." He has been using fountain pens since his college days: "I started writing with fountain pens back in college, thinking it was cool and different. It didn't take long before I got hooked. I loved how fountain pens worked, how they ran across the page, and how the shading changed depending on how you wrote."

However, as an enthusiast, Phelan encountered some roadblocks to fueling his interest. Lemur Ink was born out of the frustration of having to pay for shipping when buying a fountain pen online. Phelan wanted to offer pen lovers an online pen store with free shipping at the lowest possible threshold while offering essential resources for the fountain pen enthusiast. Thus, Lemur Ink was established in Indianapolis, Indiana, in 2017.

"When I launched Lemur Ink, the free shipping threshold was set to $20-and despite increased shipping costs, I haven't raised it," Phelan says with pride.

One can find a selection of popular brands available at Lemur Ink, including but not limited to BENU Pens, Kaweco, Lamy, Nahvalur, Namiki, Pilot, Platinum, Retro 51, and TWSBI. There are also some harder-to-find global brands such as Dominant Industry Ink (South Korea), Monarca Stationery (Mexico), Endless Stationery (India), Straits Ink (Singapore), and Vinta Inks (Philippines). Having these desirable inks and notebooks in stock and available for ink and paper lovers is certainly more accessible with free shipping.