Pen Collecting...Do you plan?

[Tracy Lee]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

No pen plan.

[snedwos]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

For that price you can get two serwex 162's, though, flex nibs and all.

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