Is it the pen or what it produces?

[Laurie]

I would like to start a new thought to the general discussion thread.
My recent fascination in fountain pens and my wonderful experience on this forum has enlightened me in many ways. At first it was the much better experience with fountain pens than the boring biros and like. I have a small but very good herd of fountain pens which I love and found that they improved my handwriting and writing experience.

But since I was directed to the flex nib experience (thanks to Jon) I found a whole new fascination. I am now trying to learn to write in American roundhand/modern copperplate or whatever they want to call it. I have been purchasing quite a few dip nibs and made my own oblique nib holders and have come a long way (but a long way off being competent).

This new fascination has got to a point where I have lost interest in purchasing any new fountain pens (which is good for my bank balance). Although I must admit I have spent a little on buying some vintage rare nibs (e.g. the Gillott 604 EF) But the costs of these nibs ($1-$20) is nothing compared to buying a good fountain pen. This track has also led me into another field. i.e. Inks. The various calligraphy inks is just as fascinating as the nibs. I have recently bought some Walnut ink crystals and made some wonderful Walnut ink which is very good for calligraphy writing.

So my point is that I came to a point where I was finding the fountain pen experience was waning and even new pen purchases werent really exciting me. Dont get me wrong. I certainly would get excited if I could afford a Visconti or a Mont Blanc but my point is that the writing experience is not that much differento to me. Yes some are smoother than others but my limited experience is that there are quite a few relatively cheap pens in my herd that produce a very smooth nib experience.

Different nibs (e.g. stubs and italics) were interesting but what caught my interest more were the samples of beautiful handwriting I saw on the "for sale" section where sellers were demonstrating their pens nib characteristics. I found the beauty of the handwriting more interesting. The great line variation produced by some of the pens (e.g. the Marie Todd) really made the handwriting stand out to my eye. Of course some people are blessed with an ability to produce beautiful handwriting whilst others like me just produce a barely legible scibble.

So that is the reason for my present fascination in the high flex dip nibs and the beautiful handwriting they produce and my endeavour to master this style and improve my scribble to a standard that I could write "Merry Xmas" on a card that the recipient would say "Wow. Look at that writing". I spend about 2 hours a day drawing the letters of the alphabet against the modern copperplate exemplars I have. These exercises have had an impression on my ordinary handwriting and I can see a great improvement there...

I am sure we all get our pleasure from pens in different ways. Is it the pleasure in using a Mont Blanc, or the pleasure of owing a vintage Marie Todd, or possessing the beautiful Viscontis to mention a few. Maybe it is a combination of all. is it just the pleasure of having a beautiful collection of pens that are rarely even inked up and used.

I think it would be interesting to know what others find drives their passion to the point of being members of this great forum

[jar]

Perhaps you create a dichotomy where it is unneeded? We are all individuals and also hopefully evolving so why not expect variety and change in focus over time? When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things. But as I got older I rediscovered the joy in those childish things and brought them out of storage.

[Crazyorange]

I fall into your train of thought.

I enjoying producing zentangles from my pens. There's a balance (for me) holding a beautiful pen filled with wonderful ink and drawing with it. It brings a ton of pleasure to me.

I'm enjoying the challenge of learning how to shade with fountain pens - much harder than I thought.

I understand now why people focus on nibs more than the pen. Nibs make or break drawing.

I think, like Laurie, I'm excited about become better at drawing. That challenge keeps me fired up and allows my pens to "sing". All in all, drawing is a big part of my collecting.

[Cob]

I have been fortunate to try a few de luxe modern pens; some are very nicely made, especially a Nakaya I tried, but I would not want one; I like old pens - especially old ones that write beautifully..

Many of my Mabie Todds and Onotos fall into this category. The Mabie Todds appeal also for their elegant designs (pre war at least) and wonderful materials. And no excuse is necessary for 90+% of Mabie Todd's nibs; they are superb, as you have observed in your post.

And sometimes it is helpful to remember that once upon a time a "pen" was indeed a nib - and thus fitted to a penholder. It's worth remembering also that the French for a fountain pen is "porte-plume à réservoir" - literally nib carrier with a reservoir.

Cob

[tandaina]

I am in most things a "both and" person. For me these sorts of "is it this or that" questions seem very strange.

It is the pen and what it produces. I have curated my collection down to a very select group of pens that are all by themselves beautiful works of art. Even when not in use they are something to enjoy just for themselves and their inherent beauty. And then there is the using, they are all joys (for me) to use for a variety of reasons. What I am able to produce with them (not that they produce, because these, like a camera, are tools) is also something that can be enjoyed for itself.

So my answer to your question would be: yes.

[Laura N]

I'm in it for the bling.

[Waski_the_Squirrel]

I'm a writer. But I like the pens. I suppose that puts me firmly on the fence?

[dannzeman]

All of the above.

[sharmon202]

It the pen...and the ink...and the paper. Mostly ink, then pen. What it produces is a lot on me. I am not practicing improving my handwriting, just no time. I produce hand writing is legible or so I am told which is fine with me, for now. I love the interactions and the relaxation and learning and community. I am still so grateful I found ya'll.

[Kaputnik]

I break out the dip pens occasionally for use at home, although rarely. And when I do, I'm able to play around with calligraphic possibilities more than I can with most of my fountain pens. Even though my longhand is adequate at best, I sometimes enjoy taking a moment to admire the overall effect of either my fountain or dip pens in one of my personal journals or work notebooks. Somehow a couple of pages of cursive, when viewed as a whole, take on an esthetic character which transcends the quality of penmanship for individual words (at least in my eyes). And when I compare the rich look of the ink from either a fountain or dip pen to the dull, soulless look of a typical ballpoint ink, it seems to liven up what I've written, whether it's an essay, a poem, or just a grocery list.

All that said, what is most important to me is the actual words that I'm setting down on paper. I appreciate the tools that I'm using to do this, and as a secondary goal have even acquired a collection of them that is larger than needed. It's interesting that I can easily produce effects with certain nibs that would be much more difficult with a ballpoint, but I'm not interested in pursuing calligraphy as such. When I just want to sit down and fill a couple of pages with what I have to say, I find fountain pens more enjoyable and comfortable to use than either ballpoints or rollerballs, and less hassle than dip pens.

[VertOlive]

I like each pen to be both a pleasure to the eye and a joy to use. If a pen doesn't make the grade in both categories, I find it a new home. To wit: my Edison Custom Pearl. I find myself staring at it just grooving on its looks; I also have an exact muscle memory of what it feels like to write with and actually crave that particular feeling from time to time.

The thing I did not expect when I arrived here at this forum and this pastime is what a wide world would open up for me as I looked for a venue in which to use my pens. Not a calligraphist [too much caffeine and arthritis!], I've become an avid letter-writer. Now I'm rich in pen-pals and excuses to use my pens and inks.

If not for the pens, since the writing experience is not available when using a mere ballpoint, I'd never have found so many different "Paper Friends".

[Laurie]

I think all of the previous posts are so interesting and indicates the different pleasure we get from our pens. Just for fun I signed a business letter with a dip pen in copperplate (not expert copperplate but the best I could do) My customer rang me up and asked me what I used to sign the letter and we had quite a bit of conversation about the use of pens. It turned out that he had used dip pens for some artistic purposes and I had revived his interest.
It is quite amazing how many people pick up on the fact that you use a fountain pen. That in fact was what renewed my interest in fountain pens. I had a customer who used to sign his letters in what was obviously a fountain pen. So I rang him and we got into a discussion about how much he enjoyed using fountain pens. But he didnt know much about them so I ended up making an appointment and took my herd of pens and gave him a run down on what I knew. Well next thing he rings me up and wants to buy a Platinum 3776 and a few Jinhaos.

I often read where the interest in fountain pens has increased over the the last few years. Good to hear. Hopefully we get some of the young ones interested. But I dont think many of them use such beautiful implements. Texting and using a computer key board and the electronic way of communicating is a more convenient way to communicate with the young people. Hopefully if some see a Xmas card or birthday card written with a fountain pen or with a beautiful style of handwriting it may light the flame that all in this forum obviously have had ignited.

[catbert]

Both. The combination of form, function and ‘feel’.

Pens are the attraction - the enjoyment comes from using them.

While other instruments exist for writing and drawing (tapping this out on a handsome piece of tech right now), switching to a different text editor is not the same as picking up a different pen.