Fountain Pen confessions

[Dr.Danger]

Hmm... Do you mean that Coach used to be high-end, and somewhat exclusive, but now everyone has them? Or maybe that styling used to be conservative but is often pretty gaudy recently? Maybe quality has gone downhill?

I am not sure that I would say any of these are true for Pelikan.

Husband happily accept castoffs and leftovers. It is our lot in life.

[Lady Onogaro]

My confession is that I seem to going backwards. I started with a Lamy Al-star. Then went back to a Eversharp Skyline and a Parker 51. Then back to some vintage dip nibs from the 19th century. Now waiting for some quills to make a quill pen. What is next? Seems like I will have to learn to make papyrus and a reed pen. Then for the ink I will grind some burnt wood or oil and mix with water and add some gum from the acacia tree. What next after that. Clay blocks and a chisel.

You will have to look up VertOlive's thread about making her own iron gall ink.

[katherine]

My boyfriend sat me down to have a "talk" about "these pen things"... So I just haven't told him about the last two pens I've purchased. I feel a little bad, but not bad enough to not buy them. >___>

Side note, I'm also curious about the Pelikans == Coach of pens. Coach used to be a much cheaper brand than it is today. I remember getting my first Coach bag as a college student for under $100 (I'm under 30, so this wasn't too long ago.) Now they're 3x that price to start with. Good job to Coach's brand strategy and marketing teams!

[Inxoy]

Hmm... Do you mean that Coach used to be high-end, and somewhat exclusive, but now everyone has them? Or maybe that styling used to be conservative but is often pretty gaudy recently? Maybe quality has gone downhill?

I am not sure that I would say any of these are true for Pelikan.

Husband happily accept castoffs and leftovers. It is our lot in life.

I'd have to agree and say a comparison of Pelikan to Coach is a non-starter argument. I could see a case being made if you had said Montblanc, maybe. I'll still get a Montblanc as soon as I am able to. That being said, these confessions are all about our opinions and our uniqueness so carry on.

[Chuasam]

You're mistaking the real Coach boutique brand vs the Factory outlet rubbish also branded Coach. The good stuff says New York and the rubbish stuff says established 1941.

[top pen]

I still don't understand what I like in a pen 2 1/2 years later. At the start of this year I preferred lighter mid sized pens however this year the only 2 pens I've bought and held on two big pens that have huge sections and weigh 46 grams

[scrivelry]

Is it too late to confess that I like 30's and 40's celluloid way too much...

That I have more than one of some Wearever Deluxe 100's in a given color not because I was trying for it, but because in my trawling of that auction site for pen lots it just ended up that way...

That I have been known to take a shank button and shellac that on the end of a pen barrel or cap to make up for whatever original thing is no longer there and keeps spiders from nesting insides?

This is actually a lie. I like spiders and probably would not mind if they nested in the end of one of my pens. However, I do figure you need ends on these things, Lord Alone Knows Why, so... buttons. Because when the new sac and j-bar cost more than the pen it seems stupid to do anything else, especially if you've already got the button...

Which brings me to... sometimes the pen cost less than the new sac and J-bar. Sometimes, in fact, the pen cost less than the sac OR the J-bar...

[penwash]

I like the idea to use shank buttons (had to lookup what those really are ) as the topper for missing ends.

Confession: I'm a sucker for those pretty patterned celluloid also.

[scrivelry]

I have to look through my button box for a 1/4 inch diameter one - the bottom jewel is missing on one of my better Wearevers.

What I shellac on I can certainly get off, so that makes me bold... well, that and most of my pens being lonely little petunias from various onion patches that you couldn't give away if you offered a free sandwich to go along with them... enough harm's been done already that anything I do to keep them alive is justifiable. Of course, if anyone is missing the end off some really special pen, there is always this place... ;-)

[DASEFnib]

I have to look through my button box for a 1/4 inch diameter one - the bottom jewel is missing on one of my better Wearevers.

What I shellac on I can certainly get off, so that makes me bold... well, that and most of my pens being lonely little petunias from various onion patches that you couldn't give away if you offered a free sandwich to go along with them... enough harm's been done already that anything I do to keep them alive is justifiable. Of course, if anyone is missing the end off some really special pen, there is always this place... ;-)

Gotta love the "lonely little petunias......"/"....onion patches...." analogy..!! (Waxing nostalgic...remembering Arthur Godfrey's "Talent Scouts"..HAWAYA-HAWAYA-HAWAYA!!)
And, of course....the Julius La Rosa faux pas.....!!!

Always try to get the dibs...on fountain pens with EF nibs!!

[Lovementos]

I prefer C/Cs over other filling systems. Mostly because I change inks frequently, and pistons, vacuum fillers can be a pain to clean (unless I can disassemble them).