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fountainpenkid
January 28th, 2013, 01:39 PM
Hi all!

I used to have no idea as to where I wanted to go with fountain pens, but now, I have a very solidified idea (I think). I want to end up with (not including the pens I already have:
-All colors of the Slender Vacumatics
-Pelikan 500
-Aurora 88 vintage model
-OMAS Paragon in Arco
-vintage OMAS Lucens
-OMAS Dama
-MB 142 Black
-MB 142 Green
-Waterman Carene
-Oversize Vac!
-Soennecken 111 or 222
-Parker Vest Pocket Duofold
-Sheaffer Snorkel Crest in Mandarin
-A waterman's pen made over 100 years ago (preferably not an eyedropper or saftey)
-Lamy 2000 (maybe)
-Pelikan 100n

Does anyone else know exactly what pens they want to have? Have you been able to stick to your list? Should I not do this? (;))
1624

Best!

Bogon07
January 28th, 2013, 02:30 PM
I have an idea until Eric, Dan & Doc Brown show off some new pens on FPGTV or some does a review here (I'm pointing at you KI). And then I add another couple to the list.

Aimless browsing through eBay doesn't help either.

fountainpenkid
January 28th, 2013, 02:35 PM
I have an idea until Eric, Dan & Doc Brown show off some new pens on FPGTV or some does a review here (I'm pointing at you KI). And then I add another couple to the list.

Aimless browsing through eBay doesn't help either.

The FPGeeks turned me on to the vintage A88, and Dan's article on Vacumatics got me interested in them, and Stephen Brown's waterman carene review got me even more interested in that! They are certainly great enablers.

earthdawn
January 28th, 2013, 03:20 PM
Im scared to make a list....

I might start putting dates I need to get them by lol

fountainpenkid
January 28th, 2013, 03:24 PM
Im scared to make a list....

I might start putting dates I need to get them by lol

Maybe you're right.

fountainpenkid
January 28th, 2013, 06:12 PM
I have a budget limited by money I make from summer jobs, and gift money, and a little bit from my parents...so I guess I don't have to worry about splurging as much as other people here...a couple more years though.;)

chad.trent
January 29th, 2013, 07:53 AM
I have a plan. If it's a demonstrator, I must have it.

KrazyIvan
January 29th, 2013, 08:31 AM
I have an idea until Eric, Dan & Doc Brown show off some new pens on FPGTV or some does a review here (I'm pointing at you KI). And then I add another couple to the list.

Aimless browsing through eBay doesn't help either.

Pointing at little o' me? I actually have three reviews done, well, make that two and a half since I misplaced my final draft on one of them. I have not had time to take pictures. By the time I get home, my regular sun lit window has lost its glow. That means I only have the weekends to get good pictures. I tried with some lights but have an awful time with the white balance. I need to make myself another cheap light tent.

snedwos
January 29th, 2013, 12:38 PM
-A waterman's pen made over 100 years ago (preferably not an eyedropper or saftey)

1624

Best!

If you wait long enough, the Waterman Carène will fit this category! Though I assume you mean pre-1920, more or less? I would like one too, but all that seems to be widely available are 52 1/2V's which are too small... 52 is what I want!

And a nice Balance, pref OS. And a B, stub or flex Vac. And a Doric, and an Equipoised, and a Skyline, and a DecoBand (can anyone tell I like Eversharps?). And plenty of other stuff...

KrazyIvan
January 29th, 2013, 12:50 PM
I am noticing a trend with matching up pens to Characters in Star Wars.

Darth Vader:

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8149/7522906696_7523565929_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/ivan_romero/7522906696/)
20120706_135343.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/ivan_romero/7522906696/) by IvanRomero (http://www.flickr.com/people/ivan_romero/), on Flickr

Storm Trooper

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7077/6984242344_88356dc56b_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/ivan_romero/6984242344/)
Pelikan M100 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/ivan_romero/6984242344/) by IvanRomero (http://www.flickr.com/people/ivan_romero/), on Flickr

R2D2

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8196/8425497204_589ebd2096_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/ivan_romero/8425497204/)
Behold, I will dub thee my R2D2 fountain pen (http://www.flickr.com/photos/ivan_romero/8425497204/) by IvanRomero (http://www.flickr.com/people/ivan_romero/), on Flickr

I think I might as well keep it going but I might have trouble finding a furry brown fountain pen for Chewbaca.

Tracy Lee
January 29th, 2013, 01:32 PM
My only plan as of two years ago is to continue expansion of my Visconti collection. No list, I keep my eyes open and see what I find and take it from there. Budget smudget. :p:D

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 2

fountainpenkid
January 29th, 2013, 02:02 PM
I am noticing a trend with matching up pens to Characters in Star Wars.

Darth Vader:

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8149/7522906696_7523565929_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/ivan_romero/7522906696/)
20120706_135343.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/ivan_romero/7522906696/) by IvanRomero (http://www.flickr.com/people/ivan_romero/), on Flickr

Storm Trooper

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7077/6984242344_88356dc56b_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/ivan_romero/6984242344/)
Pelikan M100 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/ivan_romero/6984242344/) by IvanRomero (http://www.flickr.com/people/ivan_romero/), on Flickr

R2D2

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8196/8425497204_589ebd2096_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/ivan_romero/8425497204/)
Behold, I will dub thee my R2D2 fountain pen (http://www.flickr.com/photos/ivan_romero/8425497204/) by IvanRomero (http://www.flickr.com/people/ivan_romero/), on Flickr

I think I might as well keep it going but I might have trouble finding a furry brown fountain pen for Chewbaca.

Brown furry pen...lol!

snedwos
January 29th, 2013, 03:19 PM
I am noticing a trend with matching up pens to Characters in Star Wars.
I think I might as well keep it going but I might have trouble finding a furry brown fountain pen for Chewbaca.

I'm sure Brian Gray can find you a material...

fountainpenkid
January 29th, 2013, 04:24 PM
I'm sure Brian Gray can find you a material...

Bear hair cast into clear acrylic resin? ;)

snedwos
January 29th, 2013, 06:15 PM
Or you could glue faux fur onto the outside... Or some sort of clever chasing pattern.

But I'm liking your hairy micarta idea...

fountainpenkid
January 29th, 2013, 06:58 PM
Or you could glue faux fur onto the outside... Or some sort of clever chasing pattern.

But I'm liking your hairy micarta idea...
The micarta isn't acrylic...

ink mixer
January 29th, 2013, 07:22 PM
As long as you were willing to bend on the "furry" part, one of the brown swirl ebonites would work well.

fountainpenkid
January 29th, 2013, 07:43 PM
As long as you were willing to bend on the "furry" part, one of the brown swirl ebonites uld work well.

Yeah. I think KI actually has a custom edison in that material! It is quite fat...but not like chewbaca. ;)

KrazyIvan
January 29th, 2013, 07:52 PM
Hmmm, I think the Micarta or my Edison Pearl would work as Chewy. I'm leaning Micarta because its rougher.

snedwos
January 30th, 2013, 06:06 AM
It isn't but, it's that same sort of idea of a composite material.

KI, do you have a gold plated pen for C3PO?

KrazyIvan
January 30th, 2013, 08:42 AM
It isn't but, it's that same sort of idea of a composite material.

KI, do you have a gold plated pen for C3PO?

Not a fountain pen. I do have an old Cross ballpoint somewhere.

fountainpenkid
January 30th, 2013, 08:35 PM
It isn't but, it's that same sort of idea of a composite material.

KI, do you have a gold plated pen for C3PO?

Bryant at pentime posted a thing on FPN called "Design Your own pen!", and he said stipula is very easy to work with for small production things. If stipula made that LE that KI has, then maybe they could make a similar pen with a gold plated overlay. Just an idea...

caribbean_skye
February 1st, 2013, 06:24 PM
Well, I know what pens I want to have, however the majority of those pens are out of my budget. Instead I console myself with pens that I quite enjoy that a lot more within my price range. I have a list, but thanks to the people mentioned in Bogon07's post (including KI) that list is getting a little out of hand. :)

AndreasDavour
February 2nd, 2013, 03:15 AM
Sure I plan. One of each and every colour and size Esterbrook did. It will take a while, since I have limited funds.

BikerBabe
February 11th, 2013, 07:23 AM
Plan? :jaw:

snedwos
February 11th, 2013, 11:34 AM
Not so much plan, as plot!

JustDaveyB
February 21st, 2013, 06:51 PM
Buy as many pens as my wife will let me. :)

Yes I have a Wants list (http://justdaveyb.com/2013-wants-list/) which I am working through. So yes I plan - it limits my spending!

Bogon07
February 21st, 2013, 09:44 PM
Buy as many pens as my wife will let me. :)

Yes I have a Wants list (http://justdaveyb.com/2013-wants-list/) which I am working through. So yes I plan - it limits my spending!

I keep encouraging my wife to get more fancy hand-dyed wool as part of my plan. Asking her which colour pen looks best also seems to help (very slightly).

I've crossed a few pens off the wish list but seem to add atleast an equal number in return.
And thanks to JDB, keep looking longingly at the Pelikan Lizard.
And the

Pilot Vanishing Point Fountain Pen - Raden Water Surface with Rhodium Trim &


Pilot Vanishing Point Fountain Pen - Raden Stripe with Rhodium Trim






















:cry:

Greg Minuskin
February 21st, 2013, 10:12 PM
Well, I can't say I have seen this before, but I do like the presentation! I remember seeing the first Star Wars in 1977 when I was 12 years old; wow, such a long time ago now, and it was a great experience.


Greg Minuskin
www.gregminuskin.com
greg@gregminuskin.com

southpaw52
February 22nd, 2013, 10:24 AM
I collect mainly vintage fountain pens, I do have modern pens also. My original focus was Waterman, so many models are fragile making it difficult to repair them. Now my focus is Esterbrooks, they are easily re sacked, they are sturdy, have interchangeable nibs, and prices are reasonable.
While I have not joined the ranks of TWSBI fans, the TWBSI 700 Vac is on my wish list.

fountainpenkid
February 22nd, 2013, 01:48 PM
I collect mainly vintage fountain pens, I do have modern pens also. My original focus was Waterman, so many models are fragile making it difficult to repair them. Now my focus is Esterbrooks, they are easily re sacked, they are sturdy, have interchangeable nibs, and prices are reasonable.
While I have not joined the ranks of TWSBI fans, the TWBSI 700 Vac is on my wish list.
I think I am similar in that I like both vintage and modern pens...I just don't find vintage pens to be as good a deal. If a pen is really nice, then it is probably really expensive...this doesn't necessarily seem to be the case with vintage pens. I've never heard of Waterman's being so fragile..would you care to explain what pens you are talking about?

TonyJones
February 22nd, 2013, 07:58 PM
Being new to the whole fountain pen thing, and only owning 2 Lamy's, I'm not very focused in where I want to go with my collecting. I definitely want a Visconti Homo Sapiens bronze, that is my only £100+ desire at the moment. It's more to do with the fact that it is a basalt/resin material, and how basalt is such an amazing material. The fact that it is cooled lava is quite striking for me, as it is what makes up the sub-terrain on the earths crust. It's a volatile part of our world that has spewed onto the surface. A very "earthy" material. The palladium nib is a big one for me too, as it's such a great metal, so much so in fact that it is the metal of choice for me and my future wifes wedding rings. I am not a huge fan of yellow gold, and white gold is doped with nickel for the whiteness, so isn't "pure", and palladium is a very hard metal. Symbolically, it is a pure and strong band that represents our marriage, that requires a lot of working to make into something beautiful :D The Homo Sapiens to me is a pen that represents the raw nature of earth, the purity and strength of hard work, and how we can harness these qualities and mould them into what we need. This pen is going to be very special to me, and I will be reserving it for big things in my life: marriage certificate, birth certificate/s, mortgages, wills, etc.

Material engineering and sentiment, together in a long arse paragraph! ;)

Other pen-wise, I'm not massively keen on vintage pens, yet. I like modern designs. I would love a Sheaffer Intensity in carbon fibre because the material interests me, in its applications and fabrication. I used to work as an aircraft fitter and use to make components from this stuff. It is a fantastically brilliant material, and is really versatile.

I also really like the Porsche Design P'3110 'Tecflex' PVD black, for aesthetic reasons above anything else. It may be an absolute shit writer, but I like the design. Not too keen on price though!

Maybe as I collect more, my tastes will broaden.

TonyJones
February 22nd, 2013, 08:00 PM
Also, I'm kinda getting into mechanical pencils for doing technical drawings.

TheRoXFiles
February 23rd, 2013, 12:27 PM
I don't really have a plan, since there aren't a lot of specific pens I want. Two on the horizon for me would be a Vac 700 (in blue, please!) and possibly the Diamond 580, once it comes out and I can see what it's all about, exactly. And as a big maybe...MAYBE...I might someday want a Vanishing Point pen. Before I was a sucker for demonstrator fountain pens, I was a sucker for retractable gel ink pens, so sure--I wouldn't mind smooshing the two together and having a retractable fountain pen someday. :P

Past that, though? No real plan. I do tend to prefer workhorse pens, though.

Tracy Lee
February 23rd, 2013, 05:47 PM
I don't really have a plan, since there aren't a lot of specific pens I want. Two on the horizon for me would be a Vac 700 (in blue, please!) and possibly the Diamond 580, once it comes out and I can see what it's all about, exactly. And as a big maybe...MAYBE...I might someday want a Vanishing Point pen. Before I was a sucker for demonstrator fountain pens, I was a sucker for retractable gel ink pens, so sure--I wouldn't mind smooshing the two together and having a retractable fountain pen someday. :P

Past that, though? No real plan. I do tend to prefer workhorse pens, though.

Sounds like you need a Vanishing point! I have several - outstanding pens and with a smooshable click you have the best of both worlds!! :)

TheRoXFiles
February 23rd, 2013, 06:03 PM
Sounds like you need a Vanishing point! I have several - outstanding pens and with a smooshable click you have the best of both worlds!! :)

Oooooh, sounds spiffy! I just might have to save my pennies to get one someday. :) Aside from money, though, I think the only other hurdle to get past are my geek girl sensibilities. I love shiny new gadgets, and when the first iPod (with the click-wheel) originally came out back in, oh...2001 or something?...it didn't take me long to start using the iPod's price point as a yardstick to decide whether a given item I'd want would be worth buying. My general rule has been: When I start getting into iPod (or iPad, or computer) territory with prices, I start asking: Is item X worth buying if I could buy, say...a new iPod (or iPad or computer) with this money instead? When I start putting things into perspective that way, that does make me walk away from certain things that catch my eye.

Tracy Lee
February 23rd, 2013, 06:30 PM
Oooooh, sounds spiffy! I just might have to save my pennies to get one someday. :) Aside from money, though, I think the only other hurdle to get past are my geek girl sensibilities. I love shiny new gadgets, and when the first iPod (with the click-wheel) originally came out back in, oh...2001 or something?...it didn't take me long to start using the iPod's price point as a yardstick to decide whether a given item I'd want would be worth buying. My general rule has been: When I start getting into iPod (or iPad, or computer) territory with prices, I start asking: Is item X worth buying if I could buy, say...a new iPod (or iPad or computer) with this money instead? When I start putting things into perspective that way, that does make me walk away from certain things that catch my eye.

Wish I had that much discipline! The pens I ink and carry every day could probably pay for 6 or 8 iPads. I can't relate the cost of a pen I am in love with and must have, to the cost of anything else. I should give that a try, because I think it has worked when shopping for other things. Just something about pens makes all of that dissolve. And consequently makes me poor. :o

TheRoXFiles
February 23rd, 2013, 07:05 PM
Well...I'm not sure it's discipline so much as my geek girl sensibilities. I have to say, too--it's my love of shiny new gadgets that also attracted me to fountain pens. I consider them to be devices, sorta...other pens are just pens, but fountain pens are special enough for me to consider them to be devices. It doesn't matter that the technology of fountain pens are low-tech compared to iPads or computers or that it's a lot older than the technology going into these electronic devices. The technology that goes into these pens is what I find most intriguing because it's lasted as long as it has--it's pretty much withstood the test of time, and the age of the Internet and lightning-fast communication hasn't killed it off at all. That and there are plenty of these pens that can be completely taken apart and maintained. As much as I love my shiny gadgets with the touch screens and buttons and apps, well...I'd have to get them serviced somewhere if something goes wrong with them. But I can take my pens completely apart and maintain them myself--and I'm a novice. And I'm at least at the point where I can customize my pens by filling them with ink on my own instead of relying on cartridges or refills, like I used to do with the last ballpoint pen I used (a Pilot Dr. Grip pen). There's something really satisfying about knowing I can take care of my pens on my own like that. For me, this is one of the other perks of owning fountain pens.

Anyway...I think that because the other stuff I'd really want to spend my money on, aside from fountain pens, can get really pricey as it is, I started prioritizing things out in my head somewhat. I know that I love being an early adopter of technology, so I have to plan for that first and other splurges later...or try to. :P I'm not perfect at this, but I do try.

snedwos
February 24th, 2013, 03:42 AM
Sounds like you need too try building your own computer someday... It's a project that's lurking in the back of my mind too.

TheRoXFiles
February 24th, 2013, 05:57 AM
Sounds like you need too try building your own computer someday... It's a project that's lurking in the back of my mind too.

The closest thing I've done so far to building my own computer is watching my neighbor do it. He had me accompany him to a computer store to buy parts and watch the whole process from start to finish and showed me that it's easier than ever to build them nowadays because the components basically just snap together, and it's not like how it was back in the...late 80's, maybe? Or early 90's? I remember how, as a kid, I'd seen some mini-series on public television about how to build your own computer, and it looked extremely complicated...but the hosts of the show were trying very hard to make it look as easy as any other DIY, home improvement type project that would be airing in that time slot, bless their hearts. But no...my neighbor showed me that it's really not that bad, since you're basically just snapping pieces into place now and you don't necessarily need to know every single thing about computers to do this. You just need to know where everything goes and you can build a computer.

Tracy Lee
February 24th, 2013, 07:21 AM
Sounds like you need too try building your own computer someday... It's a project that's lurking in the back of my mind too.

I am married to an IT professional. All desktops in the house are built by him. Multiple laptops, server, two scanners, two tablets, two smart phones, and all sorts of other gadgets. We are wired the same way, enjoying our technology big time. I love the fountain pens for the same reasons stated above, it is technology in its own right and even my husband enjoys using them from time to time. He appreciates they are complex and simple all at once. Just like the motorcycles! :-)

TheRoXFiles
February 24th, 2013, 08:58 AM
I am married to an IT professional. All desktops in the house are built by him. Multiple laptops, server, two scanners, two tablets, two smart phones, and all sorts of other gadgets. We are wired the same way, enjoying our technology big time. I love the fountain pens for the same reasons stated above, it is technology in its own right and even my husband enjoys using them from time to time. He appreciates they are complex and simple all at once. Just like the motorcycles! :-)

So I'm not the only one who thinks of fountain pens as gadgets? Excellent. :) I've wondered if it is odd to think of them as gadgets, not just pens. I know most people think of electronics when we say the word "gadgets." But really, a "gadget" doesn't need to require electricity, have a touchscreen or fancy-schmancy apps, to be considered as one.

fountainpenkid
February 24th, 2013, 10:48 AM
So I'm not the only one who thinks of fountain pens as gadgets? Excellent. :) I've wondered if it is odd to think of them as gadgets, not just pens. I know most people think of electronics when we say the word "gadgets." But really, a "gadget" doesn't need to require electricity, have a touchscreen or fancy-schmancy apps, to be considered as one.

Just like technology doesn't have to have a screen either.

TheRoXFiles
February 24th, 2013, 03:16 PM
Just like technology doesn't have to have a screen either.

This is true. :)

It's been an interesting few months since I've gotten into fountain pens...up until I discovered Sheldon (the Lamy Vista) almost three months ago now, I've been the kind of geek who has looked forward, not backward. Pre-fountain pens and pre-InCoWriMo, I would have gone right on with not caring that people don't write letters much anymore or that the US postal system will cutting out Saturday mail delivery this summer. In fact, I would've been the first to say, "Oh, just put that garbage out of its misery already. Nobody will miss the junk mail they all get. Nobody writes letters to anyone, anyway, and why should they? They're all on Facebook. All we want is our packages from Amazon or other stores. That's it." In other words, I was pretty harsh when it came to notions of writing letters to folks and sending them through the mail.

I've come out of InCoWriMo with a much greater appreciation for the (hand)written word and being able to send letters to folks through the mail. And my fountain pens are just important to me as my iPad and cell phone, which always go with me. I almost think of my fountain pens as trusted friends, which I guess isn't that surprising because each one in my collection has been named by me. Overall, I guess I'm a really strange geek girl now. I'm embracing cutting edge technology as much as I'm embracing technology that has withstood the test of time. I think it's a little odd, considering that most geeks would rather be on the cutting-edge or bleeding-edge of technology and don't particularly care about the past. But then again--how will you know where to go if you don't look back and see where you've been first? You don't need to keep reinventing the wheel or going down the same path as everyone else just because you don't bother to look back and respect the past and where other folks have been.

Anyway...uh, I think I'm going way off topic here. Or I have been for the past few posts I've written in this thread. Sorry about that, folks. *blush* Uh...if anyone else has a way of bringing this back to the topic of pen collecting, go right ahead.

fountainpenkid
February 24th, 2013, 04:04 PM
This is true. :)

It's been an interesting few months since I've gotten into fountain pens...up until I discovered Sheldon (the Lamy Vista) almost three months ago now, I've been the kind of geek who has looked forward, not backward. Pre-fountain pens and pre-InCoWriMo, I would have gone right on with not caring that people don't write letters much anymore or that the US postal system will cutting out Saturday mail delivery this summer. In fact, I would've been the first to say, "Oh, just put that garbage out of its misery already. Nobody will miss the junk mail they all get. Nobody writes letters to anyone, anyway, and why should they? They're all on Facebook. All we want is our packages from Amazon or other stores. That's it." In other words, I was pretty harsh when it came to notions of writing letters to folks and sending them through the mail.

I've come out of InCoWriMo with a much greater appreciation for the (hand)written word and being able to send letters to folks through the mail. And my fountain pens are just important to me as my iPad and cell phone, which always go with me. I almost think of my fountain pens as trusted friends, which I guess isn't that surprising because each one in my collection has been named by me. Overall, I guess I'm a really strange geek girl now. I'm embracing cutting edge technology as much as I'm embracing technology that has withstood the test of time. I think it's a little odd, considering that most geeks would rather be on the cutting-edge or bleeding-edge of technology and don't particularly care about the past. But then again--how will you know where to go if you don't look back and see where you've been first? You don't need to keep reinventing the wheel or going down the same path as everyone else just because you don't bother to look back and respect the past and where other folks have been.

Anyway...uh, I think I'm going way off topic here. Or I have been for the past few posts I've written in this thread. Sorry about that, folks. *blush* Uh...if anyone else has a way of bringing this back to the topic of pen collecting, go right ahead.

Good point. But I don't think the idea of writing the letters should simply to be to appreciate handwritten things, but to change your ways for good. I think a completely electronic society is an abomination and will feel so fake to all those that experience the real world. The real world. Sometimes, as I am browsing the web or writing a paper on the computer, I just feel trapped. I feel like everything has an answer; with "everything" at my fingertips, I myself have nothing. And so I run out of the house, barefoot, into the cold air, my feet crushing the corn-like snow...and for a moment, I feel free of the "all knowing" internet. The cold doesn't affect me, but real textures, scents of the pine in the air, and the feeling of the snow on my feet does.The world seems real again, and I can continue with my work.
(totally de-railed my own topic!)

snedwos
February 24th, 2013, 04:12 PM
I think it's a little odd, considering that most geeks would rather be on the cutting-edge or bleeding-edge of technology and don't particularly care about the past

And yet how many geeks play medievally inspired RP and computer fantasy games?

Tracy: Until I got your letter and postcard the other day, I didn't even stop to look at what was actually in your avatar pic! Awesome!

TheRoXFiles
February 24th, 2013, 05:03 PM
And yet how many geeks play medievally inspired RP and computer fantasy games?

Tracy: Until I got your letter and postcard the other day, I didn't even stop to look at what was actually in your avatar pic! Awesome!

Or...geeks tend to be into sci-fi or fantasy in general. They love steampunk. Yet fountain pens seem to be one of those things that eludes them, and I don't get why. Are fountain pens old, and not in a "good" way or something? I really don't get it. O.o

Tracy Lee
February 24th, 2013, 05:15 PM
And yet how many geeks play medievally inspired RP and computer fantasy games?

Tracy: Until I got your letter and postcard the other day, I didn't even stop to look at what was actually in your avatar pic! Awesome!

:-) I have posted some pretty good pictures over in the off-topic forum, trying to share what I can about being here, and particularly the end of the shuttle program. It has been an honor and a privilege to be a part of the most iconic space program in the world.

snedwos
February 24th, 2013, 05:28 PM
I don't think I can rank space programs in order of iconicness. They are all truly amazing. Every single person who has ever been in space, along with everyone who has put them there are my definition of badass.

TheRoXFiles
February 24th, 2013, 05:43 PM
Good point. But I don't think the idea of writing the letters should simply to be to appreciate handwritten things, but to change your ways for good. I think a completely electronic society is an abomination and will feel so fake to all those that experience the real world. The real world. Sometimes, as I am browsing the web or writing a paper on the computer, I just feel trapped. I feel like everything has an answer; with "everything" at my fingertips, I myself have nothing. And so I run out of the house, barefoot, into the cold air, my feet crushing the corn-like snow...and for a moment, I feel free of the "all knowing" internet. The cold doesn't affect me, but real textures, scents of the pine in the air, and the feeling of the snow on my feet does.The world seems real again, and I can continue with my work.
(totally de-railed my own topic!)

That's true re: writing letters just to appreciate handwritten things. When I got into InCoWriMo, I didn't expect to change my mind, actually. Come to think of it, I'm not sure what I expected...but that's exactly why I decided to go ahead. How would I know if I didn't just try it and see for myself? And I wanted to see if I actually could write 28 letters this month. (Technically, I've already done it--I've written and sent out 31 letters, which is 31 more letters than I've written in the rest of my life.) :O

I think there are good things about our faster ways of communicating, but there are also bad things about it. I love the fact that communicating electronically is cheaper and much faster. There's also more of an assurance that the things we send to each other online have been received. But in its own way, it's a lot less personal...and I think this is why it seems to me that the world's a colder, harsher place. It's like...nowadays, the world goes faster and even that's too slow. People want things yesterday or last week. It doesn't seem like there's a margin for error anymore. And I think that...quality control, I guess, or quality in general?...goes way down, since it seems folks favor quantity or speed over quality. Reminds me of something a professor told my class when I was in college...you can have things good, cheap or fast...you can usually nail down two of these things when it comes down to producing a given [something] but not all three. These days, I'm not sure if we're even capable of nailing down more than one of these things...but I don't know if it's me being cynical, or if that's how it is. :/

I don't think anyone has to choose one mode of communication and shun the other. Personally, I'm now striving to strike a balance between the two. I'm sure it's possible--just have to figure out what that balance is for myself. :)

caribbean_skye
February 24th, 2013, 06:13 PM
Or...geeks tend to be into sci-fi or fantasy in general. They love steampunk. Yet fountain pens seem to be one of those things that eludes them, and I don't get why. Are fountain pens old, and not in a "good" way or something? I really don't get it. O.o

I just think it depends on the geek. Personally, I love sci-fi, fantasy, sci-fantasy, steampunk and fountain pens.

manoeuver
February 24th, 2013, 06:56 PM
No pen plan.

snedwos
February 25th, 2013, 03:47 AM
I don't think fountain pens elude geeks any more than they elude the general public, tbh. I got into fountain pens because a friend of mine showed up with a bottle of ink and a converter. He's a geek, and most people I know who use fountain pens are geeks too. Then again, most people I know are geeks...

And as I said before, plans are for wusses ;)

TheRoXFiles
February 25th, 2013, 04:35 AM
I don't think fountain pens elude geeks any more than they elude the general public, tbh. I got into fountain pens because a friend of mine showed up with a bottle of ink and a converter. He's a geek, and most people I know who use fountain pens are geeks too. Then again, most people I know are geeks...

And as I said before, plans are for wusses ;)

I wouldn't be so sure. When ThinkGeek offered some other fancy ballpoint pen of some kind and I suggested that they start selling fountain pens--and even called out the FP Geeks website before I was a member here--it seemed to have gone right over everyone else's heads. They totally did not care about or for fountain pens. I also think about myself a few months ago, pre-fountain pens, and I can say for myself: Fountain pens eluded me, since I wasn't aware at all that they still existed. Even after I found out, I then assumed they must all be hundreds or thousands of dollars because the one I would've wanted was that expensive. Not sure if that's the same reason the folks following ThinkGeek's stuff on Facebook didn't care about or for them, though. I mean, heck...ThinkGeek is not afraid of ancient technology, since they used to sell slide rules that they commissioned to have made, based on an actual slide rule one of its staff had, and now they're selling the soroban--the Japanese abacus. But it really does seem that they, at least, don't like fountain pens.

In my life, I'm also the only person I know personally who uses fountain pens. Other geeks I know, like the entire IT department at work--like their ballpoints or ink pens. For the most part, non-geeks seem to be weirded out by or afraid of fountain pens. My most immediate supervisor was downright afraid of my TWSBI Mini, Leeloo, when I handed it to her so she could jot something down while she was on the phone with someone at my desk. I had to keep saying, over and over: "It works like a regular pen. Use it like a regular pen...." But she loved its smoothness, so getting over her fear paid off. :)

Oh! And to say something OT for a change: I've been window shopping at gouletpens.com, and I've been intrigued by the Noodler's flex pens I saw. Um...I'm not sure I'd want any flex pen anytime soon, though, because I'm still a novice, right? I could've sworn Stephen Brown said something in a video about how flex pens aren't really for beginners, or something like that? And I don't do any kind of calligraphy, so I'm not sure it'd be worth it for me at the moment. But maybe I can consider this for the future--and I think this is as close as I'll be getting to having plans of some kind.

John the Monkey
February 25th, 2013, 05:37 AM
Oh! And to say something OT for a change: I've been window shopping at gouletpens.com, and I've been intrigued by the Noodler's flex pens I saw. Um...I'm not sure I'd want any flex pen anytime soon, though, because I'm still a novice, right?

I'd grab one anyway. If you don't want to flex, just write with minimal pressure, and you'll get a pretty consistent, nice wet line, in a pen that's easily disassembled, cleaned and tweaked. They're nice for drawing and writing with, ime.

I've a feeling that Stephen may have been talking about more delicate, vintage flex nibs - the Noodler's pens have a pretty sturdy steel nib that's hard to ruin with most people's normal pressure.

As for pen plans, I'd like one of each colour of the Esterbrook pearl finishes - any J to start with, and then, hopefully, the double jewelled J. Green and Brown continue to elude me :)

Toffer
February 25th, 2013, 07:29 AM
I would like a clear Twsbi 540 but everywhere seems to have sold them all now, so a 580 if they are not too expensive. More Safaris to make a nice rainbow collection ;) and probably some more Esterbrooks as I like the lever fill. Oh and I would love a Montblanc. Oh and ..... Lol too many pens not enough money!

TheRoXFiles
February 25th, 2013, 08:42 AM
I'd grab one anyway. If you don't want to flex, just write with minimal pressure, and you'll get a pretty consistent, nice wet line, in a pen that's easily disassembled, cleaned and tweaked. They're nice for drawing and writing with, ime.

I've a feeling that Stephen may have been talking about more delicate, vintage flex nibs - the Noodler's pens have a pretty sturdy steel nib that's hard to ruin with most people's normal pressure.

As for pen plans, I'd like one of each colour of the Esterbrook pearl finishes - any J to start with, and then, hopefully, the double jewelled J. Green and Brown continue to elude me :)

Thanks for the info, John! :) So even if all I do is regular handwriting, one of these Noodler's flex pen would be a good addition to my collection? Mostly, I'm concerned about whether it'd be worth it to spend the $15-$20 for one of these pens if I either won't get any real use out of the "flex" function of the pen (because I tend to write with a really light hand anyway) or if my handwriting ends up looking worse because I wouldn't know how to handle the pen properly somehow.

snedwos
February 25th, 2013, 11:35 AM
There is a certain element of risk involved in buying Noodler's flex pens, unless you're willing to mess around with them to fix them. I have two, an Ahab and a Nib Creaper. The Ahab has a fairly smooth nib, but I am having a hard time getting it to write properly (in moderate flex mode) without having to push the plunger in to flood the feed every couple of lines. The other one's feed keeps up way better, but the nib is stiffer and rather scratchy...

I should have bought a Konrad...

TheRoXFiles
February 25th, 2013, 12:05 PM
Thanks for the info, snedwos :) This is just what I needed to know: just what my $15-$20 would buy me, exactly...good and bad alike. :)

snedwos
February 25th, 2013, 12:31 PM
For that price you can get two serwex 162's, though, flex nibs and all.

http://www.fountainpenrevolution.com/serwexpens.html

John the Monkey
February 25th, 2013, 02:03 PM
FPR definitely an option, although I don't own any, I hear good things.

FWIW, my Ahab experiences have been entirely positive - I have to REALLY flex it to starve the feed.

There's a writing sample in this post on my blog (scroll down a bit) http://monkeyphotomcr.blogspot.co.uk/2012/06/for-beginner-fountain-pen.html. The top part is written using normal writing pressure.

Here's a sketch done with the Ahab and Monteverde burgundy;

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8092/8507348095_3fa7f84736.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/john_the_monkey/8507348095/)
. (http://www.flickr.com/photos/john_the_monkey/8507348095/) by John the Monkey (http://www.flickr.com/people/john_the_monkey/), on Flickr

Bogon07
February 25th, 2013, 02:20 PM
Nice sketch John. It looks suspiciously like a cat. The Monteverde burgundy is a rich and interesting colour.

thepianolist
October 17th, 2013, 07:00 PM
The old style Omas Arco Green (formerly Arctic Green) is one of my favorites. I don't really like the new model. The old style is a real classic and reminds me of my Eversharp Dorics.

79spitfire
October 18th, 2013, 06:52 AM
Plan????

http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys/smiley-laughing024.gif (http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys.php)

erpe
October 18th, 2013, 07:07 AM
yes, I have a plan but I can never find it when I see a nice pen :whip:

WirsPlm
October 18th, 2013, 07:55 AM
I have pens that I know I will like (based on pens I already have), and I'm happy to get different versions of those pens. Other than that, I have a budget limit of <$20 per pen unless I really, really want one, and I just kind of get things to try out if they catch my fancy.

Fawkes
October 18th, 2013, 03:56 PM
I used to just buy pens from the brands I liked at the time...so, for the first 7 years or so it was mostly Montegrappa and Pelikan with a few odds and ends. Then about two years ago, I started focusing on vintage and modern Pelikan tortoises. I went from two to nine tortoises. It is my plan to acquire an example of every tortoise model Pelikan ever made. I'm not that into their other pens so I have excluded them.

The bulk of my collection now focuses on vintage Montblancs from the 30s-60s. I collect the 13x, 14x and 23x series so far. It is my plan to branch into the 10x and 12x series when I can find them in budget. My 13x and 23x collection is pretty solid, but has some holes in it. I need wartime variations of the 232 and 234 and I also need the 234 and 235 with tall caps that were only made for a year or two. I also need wartime variations of the 134, 136, 138 and I'm not sure if they made a wartime version of the 139.

So, yeah, I have a plan and I stick to it.

kaisnowbird
October 18th, 2013, 05:21 PM
What I have is just a purchasing plan, not a collecting plan. It's just that there are so many pretty things out there. I doubt I'll ever be able to focus. I mean, why should I?

Having said that, I have a particular soft spot for really well made pocket size pens and I actually enjoy using them. I have thought about collecting those, but then felt that having a collection of mostly small pens might depress me somewhat after a while. Clearly I enjoy the variety and new and different things, then I shouldn't try to limit my choices.

penguinmaster
October 22nd, 2013, 03:06 PM
I've gone so many different ways I can't count them now probably in how to get my "collection" under control. I've switched from saying I'm going to have a user collection only (culled down 40-50 pens down to 8), tried to collect "important pens, collected the full range of colors in a certain pen I like, all over the board. I've never been able to really stick with one way of collecting.

That said, the mindset I'm working with now after five years of collecting (and I think this will stick) is a combination of all of the above. I definitely have user pens that are awesome writers and get used a lot. I also have pens that are OK writers, but I really just want them for another reason, (i.e. design, importance, sentimental value, etc...). I've become comfortable with the knowledge that some of the pens in my collection just won't get written with. I just like to take them out every once in a while and admire their other characteristics.

One thing I will caution against and I've started to preach this over and over. Try to be as careful as you can in terms of selling off portions of your collection that you think you don't want anymore. Even doubly important is be careful in selling off pens to fund a "grail" purchase unless you've tried said grail purchase prior. Since I've gotten back into this hobby about six months ago, my mission has been to re-purchase all those pens that I sent packing to fund the end all be all pen. Consistently I regretted selling the other pens.

I know a lot of people (and I did this and I'm sure at some point I'll have to start once I fill my chests again) have the pen in pen out rule in terms of buying pens. I think if you really take your time, think about what your buying, and be sure of the pen you want, you will find it difficult to sell off pens to fund other purchases. My mission now is to take my time, build up the reserves to buy the stuff I want instead of having to sell too many pens to fund purchases. I was looking at my pen cabinet before I read this post to see what pens if any I could or was willing to sell, and honestly I have maybe one that I'm ready to part with (and that's an exact double of something else I already have).

Also a word on impulse purchases, I've learned the hard way, almost 99% of the pens you NEEDED to have immediately because one would NEVER show up again, end up showing up somewhere else, in the future, maybe a few bucks more expensive or cheaper. If your not exactly sure that you want said pen, let it go, you'll find another. Very rarely do pens come up that are never to be found again.

Either way that's my two cents, maybe it helped or didn't.

VertOlive
October 27th, 2013, 08:08 PM
Being so new at this, my plan is a simple one: Friday is payday. I'm going to Goulet and getting 4 more ink samples, an ink journal notebook, and a Pilot Plumix. No decisions on the inks yet, that's part of the fun. Then I'm starting a pen savings account to go after that Visconti and a Japanese pen or two I have a crush on!


Onward!

snedwos
October 27th, 2013, 10:56 PM
That cappuccino and chocolate package the Goulets have brought out has sort of put a spanner in the works of my planning... It's not my favourite Edison, but I do like it, and I need a brown ink, and it's a good deal... But it would probably preclude getting myself a Beaumont Pneumatic or even a Nakaya for my birthday...

hamag
October 27th, 2013, 10:59 PM
I don't have plans.
I have even bought pens I would never thought would buy.
I just go there where the flow of the ink and the wings of a nib take me.
Horacio

snedwos
October 27th, 2013, 11:22 PM
I just go there where the flow of the ink and the wings of a nib take me.
Horacio

You know, that does sound like something the poet Horace (Quintus Horatius Flaccus 65BC-8BC) might have written...

orfew
October 28th, 2013, 08:27 AM
I did not start with a plan, but a plan developed as I went along and started to focus on a particular area of collecting. I collect Montblanc pens from the 30's to the 50's. I have a bunch of later MBs that I have no intention of getting rid of. My vintage MB collection started with a nice 3-42 G. It was about 100.00 and writes like a dream with a beautifully flexible gold nib. My favourites at the moment are 2 Danish made MBs from the 30's and a nice Spanish made no 42 from the early 50's. There is a lot of variety in this range of years and I am sure room for more focus. At the moment I am still just enjoying making interesting finds. I also write with all of my pens no matter the vintage. The older MBs with their flexible nibs just provide much writing enjoyment.

elderberry
October 28th, 2013, 01:21 PM
I'm planning to plan if that makes any sense! As I don't think I can go for a single brand or model, what appeals to me will still be an impulse decision but I'm planning to introduce some rules like:
- wait for a while until going for a pen... getting one that has been on my want list for a while is deeply satisfying! Also that way I can be sure it's not just a short lived fancy.
- make sure the pen is unique within the "collection".
- make sure the pen will be getting some use.

Of these I think the "wait for a while" rule is the most essential. I'm quick to lust for something but once I decide or am forced to wait for a while, sometimes it turns out the pen is not that interesting after all.

Last not least penguinmaster's post is great!

bluefeathers
October 28th, 2013, 04:41 PM
Oooooh, sounds spiffy! I just might have to save my pennies to get one someday. :) Aside from money, though, I think the only other hurdle to get past are my geek girl sensibilities. I love shiny new gadgets, and when the first iPod (with the click-wheel) originally came out back in, oh...2001 or something?...it didn't take me long to start using the iPod's price point as a yardstick to decide whether a given item I'd want would be worth buying. My general rule has been: When I start getting into iPod (or iPad, or computer) territory with prices, I start asking: Is item X worth buying if I could buy, say...a new iPod (or iPad or computer) with this money instead? When I start putting things into perspective that way, that does make me walk away from certain things that catch my eye.

Wish I had that much discipline! The pens I ink and carry every day could probably pay for 6 or 8 iPads. I can't relate the cost of a pen I am in love with and must have, to the cost of anything else. I should give that a try, because I think it has worked when shopping for other things. Just something about pens makes all of that dissolve. And consequently makes me poor. :o

Me too! I was just thinking this week how I wish I had something else that would help me scale back pen purchases, since they're not exactly a priority, but apparently my mind thinks they are! :crazy_pilot:

I don't plan either, but have a looong list of pens I'd like to have. The relative position of any pen in the list is arbitrary, but so far I do stick with one brand for a bit when I get hooked on it. The only thing that stops me from getting all the pens is money, and the thought of the crushing responsibility of having too many pens to write with!

snedwos
October 28th, 2013, 08:53 PM
I tend to go the other way... When I bought my iPad I stopped to think: I could have bought my dream Edison for that money...


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk (http://tapatalk.com/m?id=1)

RuiFromUK
October 29th, 2013, 07:08 AM
Plan? Of course.

I always plan to buy some more few miliseconds after I buy a fountain pen. :pound:

Laura N
October 29th, 2013, 08:38 AM
Plan? Of course.

I always plan to buy some more few miliseconds after I buy a fountain pen. :pound:

I guess I'm the opposite. After I buy a fountain pen, I plan to stop.

Your plan seems more successful than mine.

gentlyom
October 29th, 2013, 11:27 AM
Planed for sure, for both pens to buy and pens to sell off. I tried to stay with most essential 20 to buy, and top 10 to sell. But as I am switching from modern to vintage in my collection, selling off my dear pens really sucks, and don't even mention eating the loss in costs...

cedargirl
October 29th, 2013, 11:36 PM
Plan - shplan!:smash: Who needs a plan? It just happens anyway!

kaisnowbird
October 30th, 2013, 06:52 AM
I'm planning to plan if that makes any sense! As I don't think I can go for a single brand or model, what appeals to me will still be an impulse decision but I'm planning to introduce some rules like:
- wait for a while until going for a pen... getting one that has been on my want list for a while is deeply satisfying! Also that way I can be sure it's not just a short lived fancy.
- make sure the pen is unique within the "collection".
- make sure the pen will be getting some use.

Of these I think the "wait for a while" rule is the most essential. I'm quick to lust for something but once I decide or am forced to wait for a while, sometimes it turns out the pen is not that interesting after all.

Last not least penguinmaster's post is great!

Like your rules a lot. They should work well for me too. I often find that many pens that jumped to the top of my wishlist don't stay long and often get shoved to the bottom, even deleted after a couple of weeks. The steady ones are the keepers.

I've also found that expensive pens often disappoint me. It's the high quality, less adorned, super reliable work horses that steal my heart.
Wait a second... That could be my collection -- high performing, non-exorbitant FPs. :jester: