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Liv
January 31st, 2013, 07:52 PM
Hi everyone,
I'm from Paris, France, not quite yet 30. I translate and sell books as a living. That means I have two part-time jobs. It keeps me flexible enough to clear some time and indulge in what is our common passion and obsession.

How I got started with all this: when I was in primary school in France, we first learned how to write with pencils and paper, and chalks on little blackboards. The letters we were to take example from were in old-fashioned cursive handwriting, with thin upstrokes and larger downstrokes. Pretty soon after that, we were introduced to fountain pens, around the age of 8 or 9 I would say. I don't actually know how writing is taught now, I should ask some friends who have kids. Maybe it has changed. I'd be interested in finding out.

Anyway, that's what I used to write and take notes, up until university. Then, even though I believe I still carried a fountain pen and used it from time to time, for some strange reason I used a lot of ball-point pens and rollers and gel pens, because, I don't know, you had so many colors available, and it was easy, and I thought it was more modern and practical, I suppose. I progressively stopped using my good old Waterman, which wasn't working very well anymore. I had tried to clean it, but didn't even know you could take out the nib and feed. Nobody had explained this to me, not even the guy I had bought the pen from. And that was before you could find about anything explained in a Youtube video. My pen was just in need of a good thorough cleaning, but I didn't know that, and kind of gave up. I kept my old Parker Vector with black cartridges and used it from time to time, always with pleasure, but not really with the excitement writing gives me today.

Of course, I knew that you could buy red ink, purple ink, green ink. My grand-father had a bottle of Waterman's "Bleu des mers du sud" in his study (South Sea Blue). What did I think you could do with a bottle of ink? Either use a dip pen, or take a syringe and fill a cartridge with it. Ha! :crazy: As for other colors, all I knew were J. Herbin's little metal boxes with six funky colored cartridges inside. But you couldn't write your essays in those colors, and you had to clean the pen before and after, and it was a bit expensive compared to the regular blue and black ones... I didn't use them for a very long time.

And then, last year, I don't remember how or thanks to whom, I discovered that you could use piston converters in fountain pens instead of cartridges. I looked into it: turned out, there were dozens and hundreds of different shades of ink you could chose from! Dozens of brands! I had no idea! Then I came across this video (http://youtu.be/pRebkWHsHC0), and that was the end of my sanity.

How could I not know about pistons and inks, being such a bookworm and a stationary lover? Why did nobody tell me about it, or show me a proper fountain pen when I was a kid? My grandpa for instance? It's a mystery to me. Maybe he did, but I was too young and forgot, I don't know.

Anyway, I became a kid again, and started buying a few more pens and a few bottles of Herbin inks (the kind that are easiest to find in France, other than the regular Quink, Waterman, Pelikan etc.) And I started to play around. To read about them. To search for pictures and reviews. To admire the beauty of the handwritten word. I became addicted to S.B.R.E. Brown and Brian Goulet's videos. I started collecting paper. Who would have thought that Clairefontaine and Rhodia, who, to me, meant school, homework, exercices, graded essays, produced one of the best kinds of paper available?

So, here I am. I'll probably keep on being more active on the French forum, forum.styloplume.net, but will enjoy reading about pens, inks and paper here, and posting from time to time.

Thank you!

https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8077/8339471959_470125aae3.jpg
(https://secure.flickr.com/photos/supercool/sets/72157632415495307/)

Liv
January 31st, 2013, 08:06 PM
Oh, also: you will find my address in the InCoWriMo thread. I hope to read you soon, and will reply to everyone who writes!

eriquito
January 31st, 2013, 09:01 PM
Hello Liv! So very nice to have you here - and what an incredibly wonderful introduction! Feeling like a kid again, with pens, papers and inks. That's me. That's probably all of us here.

Bienvenue!

=) Eric

writingrav
February 1st, 2013, 04:53 AM
Welcome to Geekland, Liv. I second Eric's remarks: "wonderful introduction." You will certainly be hearing from me during Incorwrimo

KrazyIvan
February 1st, 2013, 08:48 AM
Welcome to the Dark Side Liv.

Maybe you could help me with translating what is being said about one of my pictures that is posted to the forum you will be frequenting. One of my photos suddenly started receiving a lot of hits and it tracked back to styloplume.net.

I speak no French but stumbling through the thread and relating some of the words to Spanish, I think someone wants to know what paper is in the picture???

http://forum.styloplume.net/viewtopic.php?f=12&t=4849&view=unread

Liv
February 1st, 2013, 03:59 PM
Hello Liv! So very nice to have you here - and what an incredibly wonderful introduction! Feeling like a kid again, with pens, papers and inks. That's me. That's probably all of us here.

Bienvenue!

=) Eric

Thanks a lot, Eric! Now that I've re-read the whole thing, I realize that I might have been a little too long... Ha! But that's what pens, inks and paper have done to me: I can't shut up about it!

Liv
February 1st, 2013, 03:59 PM
Welcome to Geekland, Liv. I second Eric's remarks: "wonderful introduction." You will certainly be hearing from me during Incorwrimo

Thank you very much writingrav! I can't wait to receive your mail!

Liv
February 1st, 2013, 04:02 PM
Maybe you could help me with translating what is being said about one of my pictures that is posted to the forum. I speak no French but stumbling through the thread and relating some of the words to Spanish, I think someone wants to know what paper is in the picture???

http://forum.styloplume.net/viewtopic.php?f=12&t=4849&view=unread

Yes, I checked and apparently the person who posted your picture has never seen a dot pad before and is wondering what it is and where he can get it. It's a Rhodia pad, right? I'll wait for your confirmation and tell him you said so! Thanks for taking an interest!

KrazyIvan
February 1st, 2013, 04:07 PM
Yes, I checked and apparently the person who posted your picture has never seen a dot pad before and is wondering what it is and where he can get it. It's a Rhodia pad, right? I'll wait for your confirmation and tell him you said so! Thanks for taking an interest!

Yes, it is a #16 Rhodia Dotpad. Thank you!

caribbean_skye
February 1st, 2013, 06:02 PM
Welcome welcome and just when you think you've gotten over the kid stage, then the Geeks talk about new pens and inks and then you're back to the child-like excitement again.

After such a lovely introduction (and no, certainly not too long) I too will add you to my InCoWriMo list.

Liv
February 2nd, 2013, 02:22 AM
After such a lovely introduction (and no, certainly not too long) I too will add you to my InCoWriMo list.

Thank you so much! Did you give your address? I'll write to you too then!

caribbean_skye
February 2nd, 2013, 08:57 AM
Thank you so much! Did you give your address? I'll write to you too then!

Yes I did. If you cannot find it, just PM for it.

auto winder
February 3rd, 2013, 01:28 AM
Welcome :)

Tracy Lee
February 3rd, 2013, 09:13 AM
Liv, glad to see you here!

Bogon07
February 3rd, 2013, 03:11 PM
Hi Liv and welcome to the FPG forum.

fountainpenkid
February 4th, 2013, 01:42 PM
Welcome!