Originally Posted by
Farmboy
You are of course correct in that I'm speaking mostly in reference to the vintage side of the pen sphere. BUT, I'm also including the repair, ephemera, use, etc in that lump. Specifically repair as that applies to new and old pens. There are few well known repair people that do post but the people I learned from don't and they are some of the best at what they do.
Then there is use...How many of the now defunct Master Penmen post regularly? How many absolutely abused flex nibs do you see? Ever see one of the old school nib guys speak on what a flex nib is? Yeah I know 'we' all warn against flexing a nib from 0.1 to 3.0 mm but it doesn't seem to matter.
A real problem is that even when one of the knowledgeable experts posts, their comments get dismissed. In part because they are not well known due to a minimal presence on-line. Most important thing to learn is how to know what you don't know and that won't happen on a forum board.
I really couldn't agree more with all of this. That said, there is a changing world, and if valued members and people with a body of knowledge choose to not interact, there is a loss all around. I would like for more of the old guard to rub up against the enthusiasm of new players; I would like a new audience to have reason to believe they aren't simply looking at a bunch of grumpy old men. There really could be a win-win under the right circumstances.
We can't be naive, though. The elements such as 'knowledge gets dismissed' are widespread at the moment. I see it in my profession: when I was young, we massively valued the wisdom of players who had been on the concert stage for decades, eager to hear their thoughts on many matters; now, the young players simply circle-jerk all the conservatory rhetoric and focus minute excerpts of music, hoping for perfection (with true understanding never to be found). Try to impart some careful thoughts in that millieu? Not on your life.
So it isn't just a matter of the venue, but a societal change. The concept of "disruption", well-known to you in the Bay area, has a very big set of downsides.
And there really is a place for all of this electronical jabber, because there are an awful lot of people who simply can't travel to a pen show. I feel fortunate to have 2 fine shows in striking distance, and if you are somewhat of a casual pen person, traveling far distances to be in a room of strangers and odd pens is a tad daunting. Which is why I've always hoped for a little upside to all this typing.
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