What do you wish you'd known when you started collecting?

[Dreck]

I wish I had known that the first three pens I ever bought were the best three pens I would buy in terms of function, reliability, and writing comfort. Two of the three are nice to look at, too. Had I stopped after buying pens # 2 and 3, I'd have saved myself some money and frustration.

[Bold2013]

Dreck what are those three pens?

[Dreck]

Dreck what are those three pens?

#1 Noodler's ebonite Konrad "Methusela's Pine Cone ripple" Aesthetically, this is one of the ugliest pens I've ever laid eyes on (until I saw the line of uber-gaudy acrylic Konrad flex pens!), but it fit my hand perfectly and you just cannot beat the feel of an ebonite pen.

#2 Noodler's Konrad "Roaring 20's Tortoise" Still my favorite pen, and its only flaw is that it isn't ebonite. Loved it so much that I bought a backup (still mint in the box). If I could ever justify spending more than $50 on a pen, Shawn Newton informs me that he could easily replicate it in gorgeous ebonite with a glass-smooth .6mm stub italic nib.

#3 Noodler's ebonite Konrad "Dixie #10 Sahara Ripple" Searched far and wide to find someone who was willing to part with this pen. Absolutely loved it! Gave it to my brother for a birthday present. I still miss it, but it did go to one of my favorite brothers.

All three worked perfectly well out of the box. The "Roaring 20's Tortoise" has proven the most problematic, but in its defense I did entirely too much nib-switching for a while.

[heraclitus682]

Wish I had known:

1. Nakayas just aren't for me. I've owned way too many of them and have never cared for any of them.
2. That it's better to invest in good inks, paper, and nib tuning instead of another pen.
3. Big, stupid, oversized pens just aren't better (I'm looking at you Pelikan M1000 and Montblanc 149). Often the next size smaller or even the next couple of sizes smaller works better for me.
4. I wish I had known to buy more vintage pens from ebay when I first started in this hobby about ten years ago. Prices have REALLY inflated.
5. To buy more Danitrios from Kevin Cheng back when he would sell at really reasonable prices and allow you to lay away. Those things are sooo expensive now.
6. I wish I could have avoided custom pens altogether. They are fun to have built but they always seem to let me down and the resale value sucks.
...BUT...ultimately I wish I could have bought one good Parker 51 aero and called it quits.

[Pendragon]

My collection is only eight pens, and so might not count as a collection to some of the folks here. My first two pens were a Pelikan M215 and a Hero 100. Looking back, I wished I had known those two pens were the only ones I would use 99.99 percent of the time, and not to buy any more.

Wow, I can't believe I have been using fountain pens for 13 years now. I am still so glad I started using them, and wish I had done so long before.

[amk]

"Some of the folks here" used to have eight pens, once upon a time :-)

The 215 is a lovely pen, isn't it?

[Sailor Kenshin]

My collection is only eight pens, and so might not count as a collection to some of the folks here. My first two pens were a Pelikan M215 and a Hero 100. Looking back, I wished I had known those two pens were the only ones I would use 99.99 percent of the time, and not to buy any more.

Wow, I can't believe I have been using fountain pens for 13 years now. I am still so glad I started using them, and wish I had done so long before.

If there are two, it's a collection.

[RNHC]

No joke.
And what, pray, would a responsible person do with things that were manufactured as junk from the start? Send them to a landfill? I wouldn't even give them away; to do so would be a swindle.

Yes, send them to a landfill since landfill takes some precaution to not pollute as much (admittedly not much) as possible. More than you anyways. And giving them away wouldn't be a swindle. Maybe someone has more skills than you and could make silk out of sow's ear.

Oh, and what do you suppose happens to celluloid pens in a rifle? Do they catch fire from the powder charge? Explode? Make plastic fouling in the barrel? Now I know something you collectors don't. Pure research demands a little pollution now and then.

Perhaps you are being tongue-in-cheek but, if so, it's puerile and stupid. So has your "research" made the pen collecting world a little better? How is your "research" useful in anyway? As I've said, I absolutely detest mindless destruction when there could be a constructive option - make a frankenpen, use for parts, etc. etc. But then again, I guess there's not much to do in Northeast Ohio. Gotta do something for fun, right?

[mhosea]

Perhaps you are being tongue-in-cheek but, if so, it's puerile and stupid. So has your [...]

Could you be overreacting just a little?

[RNHC]

Perhaps you are being tongue-in-cheek but, if so, it's puerile and stupid. So has your [...]

Could you be overreacting just a little?

Probably. I can be overly dramatic at times.

[fountainpenkid]

Perhaps you are being tongue-in-cheek but, if so, it's puerile and stupid. So has your [...]

Could you be overreacting just a little?

I'm glad he did though...it gave me a good laugh.

[kia]

Wish I had known:

...

5. To buy more Danitrios from Kevin Cheng back when he would sell at really reasonable prices and allow you to lay away. Those things are sooo expensive now.

My feelings exactly. Some of my favorite pens came from, or were commissioned through, Kevin. I'd have bought many more if I'd known what my situation today would be.

[Paddler]

Yes, send them to a landfill since landfill takes some precaution to not pollute as much (admittedly not much) as possible. More than you anyways. And giving them away wouldn't be a swindle. Maybe someone has more skills than you and could make silk out of sow's ear.

Oh, and what do you suppose happens to celluloid pens in a rifle? Do they catch fire from the powder charge? Explode? Make plastic fouling in the barrel? Now I know something you collectors don't. Pure research demands a little pollution now and then.

Perhaps you are being tongue-in-cheek but, if so, it's puerile and stupid. So has your "research" made the pen collecting world a little better? How is your "research" useful in anyway? As I've said, I absolutely detest mindless destruction when there could be a constructive option - make a frankenpen, use for parts, etc. etc. But then again, I guess there's not much to do in Northeast Ohio. Gotta do something for fun, right?

Where is your imagination? Where is your curiosity: the will to "run and find out"? If you must, think of this exercise as a tribute. It is a tribute to companies that waste the world's resources to manufacture trash.

I don't owe the pen collecting world a thing. Making it a little better is not a consideration. So now that I have learned a few things about pens and rifles, I have no reason to share the information with you.

[RNHC]

Where is your imagination? Where is your curiosity: the will to "run and find out"? If you must, think of this exercise as a tribute. It is a tribute to companies that waste the world's resources to manufacture trash.

I don't owe the pen collecting world a thing. Making it a little better is not a consideration. So now that I have learned a few things about pens and rifles, I have no reason to share the information with you.

You can justify however you want but it won't change the fact that you are just a selfish person with no consideration for others, especially the future generation. "Give a hoot, don't pollute!"

Strange as it may sound, there may be some quirky people who may be interested in your exercise in wanton destruction. As an atonement for your transgressions, the least you can do is share the useless information (that has no practical value to anyone) with those interested. I, of course, have no interest since with my knowledge and experience know what had had happened - the pen went kaput.

[RNHC]

See? Even Church of England is advocating the use of fountain pens "in a bid to cut the environmental damage..." as mentioned Cob's thread https://fpgeeks.com/forum/showthread...Recommendation!

[SIR]

CofE will probably advocate ending education to save even more...
http://www.secularism.org.uk/petitio...h-schools.html

[FredRydr]

See? Even Church of England is advocating the use of fountain pens "in a bid to cut the environmental damage..." as mentioned Cob's thread https://fpgeeks.com/forum/showthread...Recommendation!

Will British landfills fill with empty ink cartridges?

[RNHC]

CofE will probably advocate ending education to save even more...
http://www.secularism.org.uk/petitio...h-schools.html

Will British landfills fill with empty ink cartridges?

You guys are derailing my harangue.

[SIR]

Actually, i completely agree with your sentiments regarding wanton waste and destruction; however, when shooting, one does need something with regards ammunition and targets to practice with.

[RNHC]

Perhaps, shooting may not be a good topic for discussion with the recent event in Florida as it may rile up contentious sentiments. It sure did to me.