Q & A with Clement Dionglay


1. First thing you do early in the morning?

Waking up, I usually check Facebook and Instagram for updates and posts from the night before. At breakfast, I take notes as needed – for work, for my blog, for ideas. I love writing with my fountain pens early in the day.

2. If you were trapped on an island, which pen and ink would you take with you? And, why?

I hope this doesn’t happen to me! But if it does… I’d like to bring an interesting pen. I’ll be happy to bring a Conklin Mark Twain Demo with a stub nib – it’s an excellent pen to write with, and an amusement at the same time, seeing the ink inside the barrel. I’m a huge fan of blue inks, so I’ll probably take a bottle of Stipula Calamo Deep Blue.

3. Who would you say is your number one pen inspiration?

My number one pen inspiration is Professor Butch Dalisay, our Philippines fountain pen group’s founding father. Professor Dalisay guides us in our choice of pens, and he shares his knowledge of pens and experiences with all of us generously. He has a collection of vintage Parker Vacumatics, but also uses modern fountain pens.

4. What made you decide to start using fountain pens?

An entry level fountain pen was gifted to me back in 2007. After reading about fountain pens and the fountain pen group here in the Philippines in Professor Butch Dalisay’s column, I met a fountain pen collector from Malaysia who showed me his Conklin Crescent Filler fountain pen. My interest in fountain pens got more intense after that and I started full fountain pen use that year.

5. Do you remember your first pen memory?

My first fountain pen memory is from when I was in first grade. I was preparing for a quiz bee and watching the news on TV. My eldest aunt let me use her fountain pen to write notes then. I don’t know what pen it was, but I remember it was a red pen with black ink.

6. How many pens and inks do you have?

I really don’t know. I may have almost a hundred pens and close to 200 bottles of fountain pen ink.

7. Favorite pen and ink…

I love my Conklin Duragraph Amber, and lately I’ve wanted to try the Monteverde USA Gemstone Ink Collection. The Sapphire and Olivine are so beautiful to look at!

8. Latest ink color you are using?

Conklin Mandarin Orange in my Conklin Duragraph Amber.

9. Coffee or tea?

My taste buds crave coffee, but my tummy can only take tea nowadays. I still sneak in some coffee during the weekends.

10. Journaling or Calligraphy?

I’ll go journaling anytime, although I can do italic calligraphy well. I love writing about my day, how I feel, or about an idea. Words come to me flawlessly. Calligraphy, on the other hand, is something I do that needs my full concentration. I still do it at times, but not as often as journaling.

11. Life philosophy you live by.

Be kind. Nothing beats kindness in this world.

12. Which pen and ink color would you like to get next?

I’d like to dream that I could get a Zeus Deluxe fountain pen, but realistically, I’m looking at a Monteverde USA Giant Sequoia in Blue with a broad or stub nib.

13. What are your favorite pen accounts on Instagram?

I follow a lot! But here are my mostly followed accounts: @conklinpens, @yafabrands, @monteverdepens, @montegrappa.pen, @pelikan_international, @ystudiostyle, @benupen, @penchalet, @fontoplumo, @goldspotpens, @gouletpens, @thenibsmith, @andersonpens, @edisonpenco, @newtonpens, @bertramsinkwell, @patrickng, @penaddict, @officesupplygeek, @pelikansperch, @randomthinks, @mabeloos_mia, @inkjournal, @franzdimson, @sbrebrown, @gourmetpens, @gentian_o, @decadethirty, @fountainpensandink

14. Any pen – ink trouble shooting tips?

Never use a new fountain pen without flushing it first, and never store a fountain pen without cleaning it first. Place fountain pens in a pen wrap or portable pen case inside your bag to ensure they won’t leak, won’t break, and will last with you. Use a notebook to track the inks you use in your pens – I have a notebook where I always write the pen/ink combination whenever I ink a pen.

15. What color ink would you never get and why?

Bright green because it’s hard to look at – to write with and to read later.

16. Does your pen describe your personality?

Yes. I like to be an easy person. So I choose modern pens – they are easy to get (availability), easy to maintain (cleaning and replacement parts), and usually durable (ABS plastic, resin).

17. Would you close a $10M deal / contract with a $10 pen?

No. I’m a person who plans almost everything. Signing a $10M deal doesn’t come to me as a spur-of-the-moment thing, it’s something planned and arranged beforehand. Having said that, if I will be signing a $10M deal, I’ll choose a favorite bright blue ink to go with my favorite classy pen.