Greetings

[fiveredapples]

Hello Everyone,

I'm a new member and new to fountain pens, although I've already become a mini addict: I've purchased a couple of Jinhao x450 and x750, a Pilot Metropolitan Retro Pop, ink, paper, notebooks, and a travel journal. I'm so new I haven't received a single item yet.

I did some research prior to making my purchases, but my decisions were tempered by my modest spending budget. That's probably a good thing. I'm looking forward to reading your posts. I haven't looked through the forum yet -- I'm about to -- but I hope people are posting pics of their rigs. Maybe 'rigs' isn't the jargon. I'll learn.

--fiveredapples

[jar]

Welcome home. Pull up a stump and set a spell.


http://www.fototime.com/85EBCF69D082F54/large.jpg

[fiveredapples]

Thank you, Jar. That top pen is a beauty. I'm also fond of the bottom left one. I like how you quote yourself in your signature. I think you must be very important.

[southpaw52]

Welcome, glad to have you here.

[katherine]

Welcome! Which color of Retro Pop did you get?

[Anne]

Welcome! What prompted the dive into fountain pens for you?
I have always loved pens, so a couple of videos on fountain pens was all it took to send me this way. You have made some nice choices in pens to start with - I hope you enjoy them all!

[Hawk]

Welcome.

[fiveredapples]

Thanks for the welcome, everybody,

I opted for the silver Retro Pop with the silver and black checkered pattern in the middle. As with most things, I either for go for a subdued color scheme or very splashy one (if done right).

I got into fountain pens initially because a girl I am tutoring received one from her father -- she's into calligraphy -- and I liked how it felt to write with it. Since I'm learning Japanese, I thought it would be good to practice the the Kana and Kanji with a calligraphy marker, but I haven't liked the marker I bought, so I thought I'd go for a fountain pen. Then I found some YouTube videos by Brian (I think it is) of Goulet Pens and I was hooked. That guy is a serious enabler.

I really don't want this to become a money pit, as it's terribly wasteful and decadent, and because I have other wasteful and decadent hobbies impoverishing me already. If I ever drop $150 on a fountain pen, please ban me from this site.

Thank you all, again.

[VertOlive]

Welcome, your Metro won't disappoint-- it's a wonderful pen!

[fiveredapples]

Thank you, VertOlive,

It's just the basic one, $15, but aesthetically it's what I like. I have to stop ogling some of these expensive Visconti, Shaeffer, and Nakaya you guys have posted -- because I feel an itch coming.

[scrivelry]

In any hobby there are itches, fountain pens are no exception, but you can direct your efforts, if you want to avoid the itch.

The Pilot Metro is a very usable pen, and classic in styling. One way to avoid spending 150 on a pen is to ask yourself, every time you are tempted, "Is this pen going to write ten times better than my 15 dollar Metro?" (I may be off by two or three dollars but that's the general price range of a Metro, I think.)

Ten times better is a huge jump. I doubt you are going to be able to say that it will. Or that it is ten times nicer to look at. So if you are trying to keep away from spending on pens, that is one thing that may help, without dampening your pen enthusiasm.

On the other hand, ten $15 Pilot Metros are also 150. So if you are going to spend 150 dollars on pens, you may be better off to wait, save up your money, and buy one pen that is 150 that you like. Or a pen which is 50, or 80 - but in all those cases, trying one first and having a specific reason to buy that particular pen is a good way to stop rash spending.

The other way to lessen pen spending is to think less about what pens are available, and more about what you can do with pens. Would you like to improve your handwriting, or maybe learn a special script? Do you draw, or would you like to draw? Is there some text which is meaningful for you, long or short, that you would like to copy, either to have, or as an act of some sort of mindfulness or devotion, or to help you memorize it? Do you keep a book of quotations which inspire you? Do you have a list of something important in your life that you want to make very special? Do you journal? All those can be done with your Pilot Metro, some ink, and a ream of paper (Available at many many price levels)

Using the pens in some way is a good way to concentrate some time on your pen without necessarily spending much or any money.

In theory, at least, I like to restore/fix things. Pens are smaller to store than Ford Mustangs, and it's less obvious to the world when you have not yet succeeded in your hoped for restoration. But it's not necessarily cheap - just cheaper than collecting Limited Editions. The list of pens I currently need sacs for, at two dollars each, is, er... impressive...

[fiveredapples]

Thank you, Scrivelry, for graciously taking the time to pen this advice. I will do my best to implement it. But I hope my pens arrive soon or I will explode!

[Pira]

Welcome and I do hope you enjoy your new hobbies (one of which involves avoiding temptation...which is doable but requires work). :)

[Wahl]

:welcome:

[scrivelry]

Thank you, Scrivelry, for graciously taking the time to pen this advice. I will do my best to implement it. But I hope my pens arrive soon or I will explode!

What a kind thing to say, you are most welcome!


I hope they have gotten there already!


I have Jinhaos as well, and love them, in my case I have switched some nibs around, but that's really more because I am not thrilled by Medium nibs than any other reason - sometimes they work better if they are flushed with warm water that has just a tiny drop of dish washing liquid in it, to get out any lingering manufacturing oils or whatever. At least this is what I read. So if any of them give you a tiny blip in your pen love, just comb back on here and ask and people will be happy - nae, overjoyed to tell you how to tweak them to your idea of perfection!

[fiveredapples]

Thanks for the welcome, Wahl.

Well, Scrivelry, my Jinhao's haven't arrive yet, but my Retro Pop did and I liked it so much I bought a red one at a B & M shop today, one in medium for corrections. I picked up some Sheaffer Red and Noodler's Blue inks too. I'm running Noodler's Black in my daily writer. Oh. I also picked up an Aston 2-pen case. Nice. None of my pens costs more than $20. It's the only way I can afford PAPER!!! My goodness, quality notebooks and paper are expensive. I'll consider swapping nibs in my Jinhaos if I feel like I want them a little smoother. Thanks again.

[Morgaine]

Hello and welcome. I should have a couple of Chinese pens on the way. My latest received pen is a Hero (paid £1.81) yet the customs declaration form on the envelope said I was receiving household lamps!

[distracted_mom]

You know, if you are really opposed to emptying your wallet for pens, there is always ink. So many choices... ;)