Horror Stories About Fountain Pens??

[jar]

I am embarrassed to say that I didn't realize you are supposed to use less pressure when writing with a fountain pen. After reading this thread, I tried that last night and it was definitely a far more pleasant experience!

#n0ob

Great. In fact you should hold your fountain pen like it was a baby hummingbird, so loosely that all you do is keep the nib from rotating on the paper. The only pressure you should use is the weight of the pen itself.

[Anne]

I am embarrassed to say that I didn't realize you are supposed to use less pressure when writing with a fountain pen. After reading this thread, I tried that last night and it was definitely a far more pleasant experience!

#n0ob

No embarrassment Here Pickwick
I just received the most extra fine nib I have ever used ( I am not used to them - I love italics ). Even though I Think I use proper pressure when I write, I am finding with this needlepoint, that I am apprehensive in putting Any pressure on it. I will have to just get over it and Write More with it. Figuratively speaking, maybe my pen and I will break each other in.
The only bad thing: My true, ugly handwriting comes through with the use of the extra fine

[Pickwick]

Thank you Anne and Jar, I appreciate it

[zygote]

A year or two ago I came in to work and set my things down, started digging about in my bag and realized I had left something in my car and went outside to fetch it, leaving my newly acquired and freshly filled Parker 21 sitting on the desk. While I was outside one of the other employees rushed into the office looking for a pen, picked it up, said something about it being a fountain pen and put it back down, posted. The boss, concerned that the pen would leak all over the brand new office furnishings, said let me see that so the employee tossed it to him. Across the office. It flew into the monitor above his head, cracking the screen and showering everything with a fine spray of Noodlers Bulletproof Black. Including the boss. Fortunately my boss is a decent and reasonable person, once he calmed down, and I can still use fountain pens at work, I just can't leave them laying around or he will pick it up and use it to point out the ink splotted maps on the wall LOL.

(edited because I'm tired)

[Anne]

A year or two ago I came in to work and set my things down, started digging about in my bag and realized I had left something in my car and went outside to fetch it, leaving my newly acquired and freshly filled Parker 21 sitting on the desk. While I was outside one of the other employees rushed into the office looking for a pen, picked it up, said something about it being a fountain pen and put it back down, posted. The boss, concerned that the pen would leak all over the brand new office furnishings, said let me see that so the employee tossed it to him. Across the office. It flew into the monitor above his head, cracking the screen and showering everything with a fine spray of Noodlers Bulletproof Black. Including the boss. Fortunately my boss is a decent and reasonable person, once he calmed down, and I can still use fountain pens at work, I just can't leave them laying around or he will pick it up and use it to point out the ink splotted maps on the wall LOL.

(edited because I'm tired)

I think your boss getting inked was a bit of poetic justice LOL! I can *sort of* see the innocence in someone seeing a lone pen and needing to use it, but Throwing it across the room?
I guess he acquired himself a newly Bulletproofed suit, huh?
Was the nib/pen okay after?

[Sandy Fry]

I usually have a few pens at work with me and the first time someone wanted to see one of them they immediately tried to yank the ( screw type ) cap off! Luckily, no damage done to my Amelia Earhart L.E. Now when anyone asks, I either explain to them that the cap screws off or I hand them the pen with the cap already removed.

David

[zygote]

(edited because I'm tired)[/QUOTE]

I think your boss getting inked was a bit of poetic justice LOL! I can *sort of* see the innocence in someone seeing a lone pen and needing to use it, but Throwing it across the room?
I guess he acquired himself a newly Bulletproofed suit, huh?
Was the nib/pen okay after?[/QUOTE]
No, no it was not. The nib was jammed up under the hood and it was just pouring ink. Basically the only part that wasn't scratched or damaged was the filling system so I told the repairer to keep it. I work in a male dominated service industry in a more or less industrial environment and the guys toss things around on a fairly regular basis so normally I don't usually leave my pens laying around. To his defense he had no clue that a fountain pen would bite the hand that threw it. He did insist on buying me lunch and starbucks after I turned down his offer to replace it. Since it was one of the "good daily user" condition pens that I had all of ten dollars invested in I didn't make a big deal out of it and a while later he brought me a button fill third tier pen he found somewhere with pretty plastic and no sac that I have yet to do anything with.

[Anne]

I usually have a few pens at work with me and the first time someone wanted to see one of them they immediately tried to yank the ( screw type ) cap off! Luckily, no damage done to my Amelia Earhart L.E. Now when anyone asks, I either explain to them that the cap screws off or I hand them the pen with the cap already removed.

David

Yikes! Great advice David - I think I will too!

[jar]

I usually have a few pens at work with me and the first time someone wanted to see one of them they immediately tried to yank the ( screw type ) cap off! Luckily, no damage done to my Amelia Earhart L.E. Now when anyone asks, I either explain to them that the cap screws off or I hand them the pen with the cap already removed.

David

But why would you even expect an Amelia Earhart pen to return? That's why I could never understand anyone buying Amelia Earhart luggage. Sure you can see it loaded on the plane but that's the last anyone will ever see of it.

[Anne]

(edited because I'm tired)

I think your boss getting inked was a bit of poetic justice LOL! I can *sort of* see the innocence in someone seeing a lone pen and needing to use it, but Throwing it across the room?
I guess he acquired himself a newly Bulletproofed suit, huh?
Was the nib/pen okay after?[/QUOTE]
No, no it was not. The nib was jammed up under the hood and it was just pouring ink. Basically the only part that wasn't scratched or damaged was the filling system so I told the repairer to keep it. I work in a male dominated service industry in a more or less industrial environment and the guys toss things around on a fairly regular basis so normally I don't usually leave my pens laying around. To his defense he had no clue that a fountain pen would bite the hand that threw it. He did insist on buying me lunch and starbucks after I turned down his offer to replace it. Since it was one of the "good daily user" condition pens that I had all of ten dollars invested in I didn't make a big deal out of it and a while later he brought me a button fill third tier pen he found somewhere with pretty plastic and no sac that I have yet to do anything with.[/QUOTE]

Uggh - poor pen! But I am glad that your boss redeemed himself - I guess he's a decent man after all I think it was very nice of him to buy you the button fill and I hope you can get it up and running without too much financial hassle. Maybe it will become another daily writer for work? Or, if you find that you don't like it, give it back to him restored and get that guy into fountain pens!

[FredRydr]

I have a few that I've shared before. But it's been a while.

I was in Pen Haven in Kensington Maryland, chatting to the late Bert Heiserman and Warren Granek, both behind the counter. I spotted a boxed MB Agatha Christie that hadn't been there before, so I asked Warren if I could have a look even though I wasn't in the market. He took it from the box and I handled the pen over the glass counter. It slipped from my careless fingers, nib down, for about a 12-inch drop onto the glass. The tip of the nib bent right 'round, like the beak on Gonzo of the Muppets. What could I say at that moment? Warren went quiet while Bert was busy with his customer. I finally said, "I guess I bought a pen." So, Bert feeling as bad as I did, offered it at his cost, then told me what he was going to ask for it. I paid him an additional fair profit and took it home.

I sent it to Greg Minuskin with instructions to customize the tip but keep it looking factory stock. Wow, he did it. It's now one of my favorite writers with that custom cursive italic nib (Greg doesn't like to call it that), plus it's a '20s retro pen with modern reliability.

So, it's a horror story with a happy ending.

Fred

[Anne]

I have a few that I've shared before. But it's been a while.

I was in Pen Haven in Kensington Maryland, chatting to the late Bert Heiserman and Warren Granek, both behind the counter. I spotted a boxed MB Agatha Christie that hadn't been there before, so I asked Warren if I could have a look even though I wasn't in the market. He took it from the box and I handled the pen over the glass counter. It slipped from my careless fingers, nib down, for about a 12-inch drop onto the glass. The tip of the nib bent right 'round, like the beak on Gonzo of the Muppets. What could I say at that moment? Warren went quiet while Bert was busy with his customer. I finally said, "I guess I bought a pen." So, Bert feeling as bad as I did, offered it at his cost, then told me what he was going to ask for it. I paid him an additional fair profit and took it home.

I sent it to Greg Minuskin with instructions to customize the tip but keep it looking factory stock. Wow, he did it. It's now one of my favorite writers with that custom cursive italic nib (Greg doesn't like to call it that), plus it's a '20s retro pen with modern reliability.

So, it's a horror story with a happy ending.

Fred

Ouch on all accounts ( nib, even the fair price they may have given you ). As for the ending, Wow is right! Maybe, in an odd/crazy way, it was meant to be that you wound up with that pen
You gave the pen a worthy royal treatment, Mr. Minuskin does do excellent work - I'm glad you chose him.
So, would you say the pen holds some sentimental value now?

[penwash]

I have a few that I've shared before. But it's been a while.

I was in Pen Haven in Kensington Maryland, chatting to the late Bert Heiserman and Warren Granek, both behind the counter. I spotted a boxed MB Agatha Christie that hadn't been there before, so I asked Warren if I could have a look even though I wasn't in the market. He took it from the box and I handled the pen over the glass counter. It slipped from my careless fingers, nib down, for about a 12-inch drop onto the glass. The tip of the nib bent right 'round, like the beak on Gonzo of the Muppets. What could I say at that moment? Warren went quiet while Bert was busy with his customer. I finally said, "I guess I bought a pen." So, Bert feeling as bad as I did, offered it at his cost, then told me what he was going to ask for it. I paid him an additional fair profit and took it home.

I sent it to Greg Minuskin with instructions to customize the tip but keep it looking factory stock. Wow, he did it. It's now one of my favorite writers with that custom cursive italic nib (Greg doesn't like to call it that), plus it's a '20s retro pen with modern reliability.

So, it's a horror story with a happy ending.

Fred

Fred, that is a good story. If I ever be inclined to purchase an MB, the Agatha Christie (fave author) might be the one I'd get.

But speaking of an obviously expensive (or rare, or delicate) pen rolling off our hands, I don't think it's carelessness, I think it's more like excitement, and sometimes maybe our hands just twitch at the wrong moment causing the "precious" pen to decide to have a face time with the floor/glass counter/concrete nearby.