Be honest, what is the real reason?

[RocketRyan]

Hi all, I am curious, what is the real reason most people seem to be crazy over oversized pens, is it really comfort? is it wanting to be a bit flash? Is it asthetics? Is it wanting people to see you sre using a fountain pen?
I have above average sized hands and i find most pens comfortable, the mont blanc 146 is probably the pen I find most comfortable, but that could be as much to do with weight and balance as size. I find slickness of the grip more of an issue.
I am not judging anyone here, I as much as anyone like to show off now and then, and why shouldn't we, you have earned it, so be honest, why do you really love oversized pens?
Happy new year all.

[Vespagirl]

I actually like smaller pens but manufacturers seem to make more elegant, better designed, and beautiful pens in bigger sizes.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Watchman64]

Hi all, I am curious, what is the real reason most people seem to be crazy over oversized pens, is it really comfort? is it wanting to be a bit flash? Is it asthetics? Is it wanting people to see you sre using a fountain pen?
I have above average sized hands and i find most pens comfortable, the mont blanc 146 is probably the pen I find most comfortable, but that could be as much to do with weight and balance as size. I find slickness of the grip more of an issue.
I am not judging anyone here, I as much as anyone like to show off now and then, and why shouldn't we, you have earned it, so be honest, why do you really love oversized pens?
Happy new year all.

I think it is a little of both comfort and aesthetic for larger pens.

Sent from my EVA-L19 using Tapatalk

[fqgouvea]

Length is what matters for me. I carry pens in my shirt pocket, and the pens are less likely to open/unscrew spontaneously if their bottoms touch the bottom of the pocket when their clips are at the edge. Many vintage pens are too short for most of my shirts! So I want longer pens, which often also means fatter.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[jar]

What evidence is there that most people seem to be crazy over oversized pens?

[RocketRyan]

New pens always seem to be larger models, and lb5, namiki emperors and king of pen types seem to be the fashionable models at the moment.
Just an observation.

[Wile E Coyote]

To compensate for small hands.

[inklord]

I like smaller pens, and for the longest time the Pelikan M400/M200 were my go-to standard. My favorite pen, the Lamy 2000, marked therefore the upper end of my comfort zone in pen sizes - I'd have appreciated a slightly smaller version, though. The Lamy "aion" is functionally and aesthetically very pleasing, but following the above-mentioned trend, also a bit chunkier than other Lamy pens. At least it's not gaudy by anyone's standard, but it would rise in my appreciation if it were some 12-15 mm shorter. The worst are in my book the big gaudy cigars (Visconti comes to mind).
Unfortunately, many manufacturers choose to make their flagship or most distinguished models also their biggest (Namiki Emperor, Pelikan M1000, Visconti); I'd personally welcome compact versions of top models much more - the Franklin-Christoph pocket version of their Model 66 really hit the spot for me!

[jar]

New pens always seem to be larger models, and lb5, namiki emperors and king of pen types seem to be the fashionable models at the moment.
Just an observation.

But of course that is simply not true. There are far more smaller new pens than larger new pens. There are so few Namiki Emperor pens made that they are often made only when ordered. This is true across all makes and models. Pilot makes more smaller pens than larger pens. Platinum makes more smaller pens than larger pens, Sailor makes more smaller pens than larger pens. Montblanc makes more smaller pens than larger pens and in fact most of the Montblanc Writer and Artist series pens are based on the 146 rather than the 149. Pelikan issues more new smaller size pens than new larger size pens.

What you have posted is not an observation but rather an assumption.

[fountainpagan]

I don't like huge, oversized pens. But cannot hold correctly, and comfortably, such models as Montblanc Slimline, and others alike. In no time my hand aches. Before I used to do with it, but since I have plunged into the world of fountain pens, and discovered more consequent sizes, I have greatly increased my hand comfort. 146, and sizes alike are wonderful for me. 149 is already too big.

[Kaputnik]

Acknowledging jar's point, I don't know if in fact larger pens are more popular. I know that there are a lot of posters in pen forums who seem to prefer them, but don't know of any studies that quantify preferences. It sometimes seem to me that new fountain pen users, or those who want to try fountain pens for the first time, say that they are looking for larger pens, but that's an impression which could be mistaken. Still, it would make sense to ask, if you do prefer large pens, what is the reason?

I do get the impression that some luxury brands, at least, concentrate on larger pens. Isn't the current Montblanc line rather large? How about the more expensive Viscontis? I don't spend a lot of time thinking about pens outside my price range, so my impression may be wrong, but perhaps people who aspire to these pens in effect want oversized ones.

Personally, I do not care for pens that seem oversized to me. The idea that they are more ergonomic somehow is just puzzling, as I have not found that to be the case; even a very slim pen can be comfortable to hold for a long writing session once you get over the notion that you need to hold it in a death grip to keep it from escaping. I find large pens awkward to hold, and not as good for carrying in a relatively small shirt pocket. They don't even necessarily have more ink capacity if they use cartridges and/or converters.

But it's also possible that the assumption of the first post is correct, and most people really are crazy over oversized pens. The only regular fountain pen users I "know" are on this and other forums, so it's hard to judge.

[Hawk]

I like my Pelikan M1000, M800’s, tolerate my M600. Smaller than that, they don’t feel comfortable to me. I really like my P51’s which are the same size as the M600 but heavier. I guess the weight of the pen is a big factor for me. The balance of having. a metal cap is not a factor for me. In a smaller girth pen, I have to have a longer pen to deal with my large hands. I am not above admitting that larger pens make a statement.

[RocketRyan]

I dont really mind slim pens, but i suspect its just muscle memory from using pencils and bic disposables for so many years.

[penwash]

Since I mainly use vintage pens, "oversize" to me is occasional flat-top (usually ebonite or celluloid) pens that is about 5.5 inches long when capped.

The most oversized pen I've ever hold is a Namiki Emperor Urushi, and I like it not because of the size, but the feel of the material in my hand.

So I don't have strong preference to large pens unless they have unique material or a design that I really like.

About the "showing-off" factor, I can do that even with a small pen, if the pen is "show-off" worthy

[Jon Szanto]

What evidence is there that most people seem to be crazy over oversized pens?

My thoughts precisely.

[gbryal]

When I look at vintage pens, "oversize" usually means "normal" in terms of modern pens I am used to, like my Edisons. I didn't really understand the Sheaffer Balance until I got an "oversize" one.

Now, gigantic modern pens that exist just to balance a huge nib, some of those look a little big for me, and I have pretty large hands. I wanted an m1000 for a while and got an m800 as a half-measure, and instantly realized that I wouldn't want it any bigger. Still, stuff like the King of Pen still appeal to me, and I am not sure why. I guess all of its pen-ness is obvious and up-front.

[Scrawler]

I have taken to using an oversized Japanese pen because my fingers are getting stiff from arthritis and I am having a little trouble gripping the thinner pens I used to use.

[Wahl]

I only collect vintage pens, and yes, I want them oversise, they are more comfortable to me, even if I have small hands.

[RocketRyan]

What evidence is there that most people seem to be crazy over oversized pens?

My thoughts precisely.

It's not a scientific study guys, it's an observation and a question. It's meant to be fun. Lighten up. Maybe something to consider for the new year.

[SIR]

What evidence is there that most people seem to be crazy over oversized pens?

My thoughts precisely.

It's not a scientific study guys, it's an observation and a question. It's meant to be fun. Lighten up. Maybe something to consider for the new year.

Genuinely though, although big pens do exist and are bought by more than a few, how often does one really see them in everyday use?