Fountain Pen Fads?

[top pen]

Having been about for a while I've seen a few trends come and go. The ones that come to my mind are shimmer inks and cheap flex nib pens? What other fads have I missed?

[guyy]

Scheduled disassembly of pens.

[Fermata]

Scheduled disassembly of pens.

That is a good one.

The old saying of 'just because you can doesn't mean you should'.

[Jon Szanto]

Scheduled disassembly of pens.

Only for the psychotically OCDs.

I wish that were true, Guyy. It is now prevelant among younger/new users of fountain pen, promulgated by influencers and even places like Goulet. Breaking down pens to clean them has become common, without any thought to what it might entail for pens that aren't meant to be treated that way.

Artisanal swirly acrylic.

My though exactly. Not just a lot of bespoke makers these days, but a lot of new, flavor-of-the-month materials.

The old saying of 'just because you can doesn't mean you should'.

Everyone is going with "can" these days!

[pajaro]

Scheduled disassembly of pens.

As applied to Parker 51s, where the poster would take the pen completely apart for cleaning. Particularly popular on FPN. Yeah, I always thought this psychotic.

I have a 51 I bought new in 1970. Never had the hood off. Used laundry white ink and India ink in it when I was in USAF, and flushed the pen after. Still the best working 51 of the many I have had. Proud to say I don't take them apart unless they break.

[Michaelcj]

Scheduled disassembly of pens.

As applied to Parker 51s, where the poster would take the pen completely apart for cleaning. Particularly popular on FPN. Yeah, I always thought this psychotic.

I have a 51 I bought new in 1970. Never had the hood off. Used laundry white ink and India ink in it when I was in USAF, and flushed the pen after. Still the best working 51 of the many I have had. Proud to say I don't take them apart unless they break.

I have a 51 vacumatic that my Grandad gave me as I was going into the third grade [early 1950's]. The pen is 1946/47. I still write with it daily. It has never been disassembled. The plunger can be a bit erratic at times. But it fills and writes the same as it always has. I have flushed it occasionally with distilled water over the years, but as it is always inked and used so even that practice is rare. Suppose that some day I may have to have the "vacuum sac and ball" replaced....... but not yet!

[pajaro]

Scheduled disassembly of pens.

As applied to Parker 51s, where the poster would take the pen completely apart for cleaning. Particularly popular on FPN. Yeah, I always thought this psychotic.

I have a 51 I bought new in 1970. Never had the hood off. Used laundry white ink and India ink in it when I was in USAF, and flushed the pen after. Still the best working 51 of the many I have had. Proud to say I don't take them apart unless they break.

I have a 51 vacumatic that my Grandad gave me as I was going into the third grade [early 1950's]. The pen is 1946/47. I still write with it daily. It has never been disassembled. The plunger can be a bit erratic at times. But it fills and writes the same as it always has. I have flushed it occasionally with distilled water over the years, but as it is always inked and used so even that practice is rare. Suppose that some day I may have to have the "vacuum sac and ball" replaced....... but not yet!

===============================================

Amazing! My 51 Vacs had sacs fail in ten years or less. I still have a 51 demi vac that works after 5 years. EF nib. Scratchmeister.

[FredRydr]

Having been about for a while I've seen a few trends come and go. The ones that come to my mind are shimmer inks and cheap flex nib pens? What other fads have I missed?

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[An old bloke]

Scheduled disassembly of pens.

Only for the psychotically OCDs.

[An old bloke]

Scheduled disassembly of pens.

Only for the psychotically OCDs.

Apparently someone, who I will not identify, considers the above comment inappropriate and insensitive. I offer my sincere apologies to this individual and anyone else who may find it offensive. My only defence is that I have a psychology education and background, and have worked in the field for a portion of my working life (diagnosis and counselling primarily). I do not believe I am insensitive to the feelings of those are dealing with emotional or mental disorders. I however, do not take myself so seriously that I am easily offended, and with that tend to find humour where perhaps I shouldn't.

Please accept this as an apology if I have offended you with this or any other comment offered lightheartedly.

[catbert]

Artisanal swirly acrylic.

[penwash]

Artisanal swirly acrylic.

Plus, "minimalist" a-stick-of-acrylic-on-lathe. And suddenly you can claim making "bespoke" pens.

[Empty_of_Clouds]

Artisanal swirly acrylic.

Plus, "minimalist" a-stick-of-acrylic-on-lathe. And suddenly you can claim making "bespoke" pens.

I've been saying that for ages, but I usually get slammed for doing so.

[Jon Szanto]

Artisanal swirly acrylic.

Plus, "minimalist" a-stick-of-acrylic-on-lathe. And suddenly you can claim making "bespoke" pens.

I've been saying that for ages, but I usually get slammed for doing so.

To be fair, not all colored sticks are created equally. There is a variety of skills and aesthetics out there, some worthy, some not so. End user should choose carefully. If nothing else, it speaks to the popularity of fountain pens at the current moment, which in the larger picture isn't such a bad thing.

But, holy hell, some people pay a ton for the ugliest pieces of junky plastic!

[penwash]

Artisanal swirly acrylic.

Plus, "minimalist" a-stick-of-acrylic-on-lathe. And suddenly you can claim making "bespoke" pens.

I've been saying that for ages, but I usually get slammed for doing so.

I didn't want to mention this, and now that I did, it came out like a complaint.

Truthfully, my real wish on this, is for these good-with-lathe people, to not be satisfied cranking out colorful, but plain (zero trims, zero accents, or imagination for that matter) sticks one after another.

I mean, go study why Conklin (the original) or Carter pens are beautiful, why Swan pens have a lot of people chasing it even after 100 years. And if you're super good, find out how to produce super fine chasing patterns that Chilton and Eisenstadt was able to produce a century ago. Challenge yourself to produce a fountain pen that doesn't look like that of the next guy with a lathe.

Then, you can call yourself a "bespoke" craftsman (or woman).

To be fair, there are a few very creative custom pen makers out there, and ironically, I don't recall them calling their pens "bespoke".

[Jon Szanto]

To be fair, there are a few very creative custom pen makers out there, and ironically, I don't recall them calling their pens "bespoke".

John Albert Lawrence, and Renee Meeks (Scriptorium Pens), come to mind immediately. Lots of variation, celebration of materials new and old, and interesting hardware designs.

[fountainpenkid]

Artisanal swirly acrylic.

Plus, "minimalist" a-stick-of-acrylic-on-lathe. And suddenly you can claim making "bespoke" pens.

This is a strange trend...featureless "stick" shaped pens with massive stepdowns. It feels so primitive--a return to the aesthetic beginnings of FPs. I've never understood it.

[FredRydr]

...pens with massive stepdowns....

I never did like those, even if they're designed to create a smooth transition from cap to barrel...when they're capped! I want the smooth transition to be from section to barrel.

[An old bloke]

...pens with massive stepdowns....

I never did like those, even if they're designed to create a smooth transition from cap to barrel...when they're capped! I want the smooth transition to be from section to barrel.

Exactly. Pens are for writing. That they are attractive is -- or should be -- secondary to function.

[Scrawler]

Artisanal swirly acrylic.

I like it. It makes attractive pens. The intent is not really different to the colourful celluloids of the past. If my circumstances were not completely straitened I would cheer up my desk with something like that.