Personal Pen Rules

[Marsilius]

Only one rule: don't upset my wife

Yep! That one, too. And mine knows all. And a good thing at that.

[sharmon202]

Generally do not like showy, bright, easily noticeable pens. However I do have one I would not want someone asking me how much it cost if they saw me using it, especially my Mother.
Keep fountain pen in my coat pocket at work at ALL times I am not using it or someone will grab it to write a note.
Try to keep them on soft surfaces and not touching each other or anything else to avoid scratches, micro or macro.
Do not Post caps.

[TAYLORPUPPY]

I generally don’t care for steel nib pens or multi colored pens


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[pajaro]

If a pen needs a resac to work, consider it a parts pen.

[Deb]

If a pen needs a resac to work, consider it a parts pen.

What a waste of good pens!

[An old bloke]

If a pen needs a resac to work, consider it a parts pen.

What a waste of good pens!

I fully agree, and wonder how many perfectly good vintage pens have gone to the tip for want of a new sac.

As for pen rules, my only one is; do not abuse a pen.

[Paddler]

If a pen needs a resac to work, consider it a parts pen.

If a pen needs a new sac, which parts of it can be used in another pen that doesn't need a new sac?
Cap and barrel, maybe? Who destroys those parts?

[southpaw52]

Not really rules but guidelines;

1. Prefer vintage pens from the 40's and 50's.
2. Modern pens no Chinese pens, no Lamy Safarfis
3. Prefer gold trim
4. No metal sections
5. No flex nibs

[amk]

Sort of pen rule that has emerged over the years:

If you see a distressed pen, with no good home to go to, exercise your charitable instinct; give it a home and heal its wounds. Even if it ends up a Frankenpen, you have done a charitable act and you are building up the kind of good karma that gets rewarded by finding Pelikan 100s for 10 euros on a market stall.

Above rule doesn't apply to nasty plastic stypens and knockoffs, though.

[Cyril]

I don't make any rule so I don't have any to break.

I like medium pens in weights and size.
Metal, wood or any material?? if they fit in the finish and the aspect in design to go with the comfortable writing flows then perhaps, I might have an interest.
Colours or the quality and the cost is all base on how they write.
These are not rules but my choice of narrowed guidelines.

[asciiaardvark]

[QUOTE=fqgouvea;225305]

Amazingly, I forgot one quite strong rule: no demonstrators. I don't even like the tinted Platinums and Pilots. Not sure why, but it turns me off.

I have the opposite rule -- if it doesn't have an ink window, I consider the pen $70 more than asking-price to account for the additional Visconti traveling ink well for emergency refueling.

• No oversize pens, they have to be pocket-friendly (even though I don't take my nicer pens out of the house, go figure).

I got a vest made with extra-deep pockets to fit my ASA Nauka

Or you can wear them as lapel pens!



my rules of thumb:

• Must have clip, ideally one that fits over my thick-fabric vest (looking at you Waterman 55; if your nib weren't so nice, I'd sell you)
• Ink window - I keep 20+ inked, and can't remember how much I've used each
• Large ink capacity - see above
• Big, girthy, light-weight
• Fun filling mechanism - I've got eyedropper, C/C, piston, plunger, lever, bulb, button
• Nib I'll use - flex, italic, UEF

[Wuddus]

I'm still new, so still compiling mine...

1) Smooth section to barrel transition. No steps.
2) If it takes cartridges, they should be standard international.
3) If it doesn't take cartridges, I need another way of knowing how much ink is left.
4) Price should be three digits, with a decimal point after the first digit.
5) No getting precious. They have to clatter about in a pen pot with all the others. If they can't hack that, don't get it.
6) Comfort beats looks
7) Before purchasing, ask what function/benefit this pen gives you that you don't already have with the other pens. If the answer is none, purchase quantity is none.

[azkid]

Rules are there to be broken.

Preach it!

So far the only rules one could infer from my penagerie* are:

- Must be a reliable writer
- Must not be an unreliable writer
- Must be enjoyable to use
- Must appeal to me
- Must be below $100

Much like my watch "collection," function is King. If it doesn't write reliably (or is unenjoyable) that's a deal-breaker, just like a watch that can't keep time or doesn't run. I buy em to use em.

Sources of appeal vary widely for each pen, with some mix of: aesthetics, vintage coolness, brand and/or model cachet, cost, difference to other pens I own, and so forth. I am trying to be more selective in my upcoming acquisitions.

I've not experienced the woes of vacuumatics or snorkles that I've repeatedly read about but I will probably have to burn my own hand on that stove before adopting any associated rules. I have lever, cartridge, converter, and Aerometric pens.

Also, I prefer F and XF nibs for legibility.

--
* Pen menagerie

[FredRydr]

Sort of pen rule that has emerged over the years: If you see a distressed pen, with no good home to go to, exercise your charitable instinct; give it a home and heal its wounds. Even if it ends up a Frankenpen, you have done a charitable act and you are building up the kind of good karma that gets rewarded by finding Pelikan 100s for 10 euros on a market stall.

I've seen the downside of this rule at pen show auctions. Oh, the humanity shown by bidders towards orphan pens they have no good reason to take home!

[penwash]

Sort of pen rule that has emerged over the years:

If you see a distressed pen, with no good home to go to, exercise your charitable instinct; give it a home and heal its wounds. Even if it ends up a Frankenpen, you have done a charitable act and you are building up the kind of good karma that gets rewarded by finding Pelikan 100s for 10 euros on a market stall.

Above rule doesn't apply to nasty plastic stypens and knockoffs, though.

This rule speaks to me. And while I haven't yet found that Pelikan 100 for 15 USD, I've found plenty of neat forgotten pens that are now loved and appreciated by their new owners.

My favorite is to buy those stylographic pens with nice celluloid barrels and convert them into fountain pens.

[amk]

Heh, didn't know that you indulged in the stylographic habit as well!

I'm so glad I found out about putting Estie nibs in Rotring piston fillers - I adore the early Rotrings, so shiny and handsome, and for some reason they come along all the time at stupidly low prices ... now I have a load of wonderful workhorse fountain pens.

[penwash]

Heh, didn't know that you indulged in the stylographic habit as well!

I'm so glad I found out about putting Estie nibs in Rotring piston fillers - I adore the early Rotrings, so shiny and handsome, and for some reason they come along all the time at stupidly low prices ... now I have a load of wonderful workhorse fountain pens.

Which Rotring are these? Do you mind posting a photo of one?

[myu]

I'm also with some here who have guidelines and not rules... because rules will inevitably be broken.

Mainly, I try to buy used instead of new, when pen prices are $50+ USD. Used means it is tried and true and I lean towards very good to excellent condition. Plus, the cost can be quite a bit less than new. I think I've treated myself to new pens in about 1 out of 20 or 30 pens.

[ShugPug]

I'm also with some here who have guidelines and not rules... because rules will inevitably be broken.

Rule (a definition). Something obeyed by fools, and used as guidance by the wise.