Why don't I have clear preferences?

[Empty_of_Clouds]

Removed

[RobJohnson]

Good luck pal.

[Robalone]

Sounds like this sort of thing would help ………..

https://www.f2sa.com/post-details?sl...-s-lost-needle

[TSherbs]

We all likely feel resononce with some part of your account, EoC. I do, anyway. And also what Robalone posted!

I wonder if part of the issue is that you actually don't enjoy handwriting all that much, or don't actually do it all that much. If the actual pleasure/feel/experience of using certain types of these tools isn't the primary driver for purchasing them, then I imagine that the other many reasons (aesthetic, social, psychological, etc) might swirl around and confuse the mind with distracting impulses and messages. I would think that how you *use* the pens woud become the primary driver for what kind of pen you might want to spend more on.

Interestingly, just yesterday I canceled my Instagram subscriptions to a fair number of pen reviewers and pen makers because I was tired of (and less interested in) the many visual distractions of pen photos and attempts to pique my interest. I then did the same with my Youtube account.

Ahhhhh.....


edited to add: I have the same problem with BOOKS. If someone I respect/admire writes a stimulating recommendation for a book, I always take a look. But books are cheaper than most pens.

[Sailor Kenshin]

I have similar 'problems,' except that my pens are mostly cheap (or even free!). And I give a lot of them away, or sold some on FPN long ago, anything above $50 that I couldn't use.

But just recently, like oh, last week, I realized that I was being unduly influenced by everyone else's This Is The Greatest Pen Ever. So I'm just going to happily stay with my friendly cheapies and the occasional Sailor, Sheaffer, or Pelikan.

Don't even get me started on inks.

[Chuck Naill]

Is having a clear preference really that important? If I could construct words like you do, I’d care less about which writing tool I used.

[Prettypenguin]

You don’t have to have a preference. I don’t really, and while I go through phases of liking one kind of pen or another, I don’t get rid of pens because it’s not in the current phase of preference. Every pen is it’s own experience. Sometimes it’s how I found the pen that’s the fun part. Right now it’s all about the slim pens of my childhood, a month ago it was Sailor pens and feedback. There are so many variables to the writing experience, that sometimes it’s as simple as a change of ink or paper that just makes things click. I find writing preferences to be one of the most mutable things in my life, where I just dive in and go with the flow. Dive in, EoC, buy that m800 and see where it takes you. Sometimes where you end up you couldn’t even see from the other shore.

[Prettypenguin]

I know the world is nuts right now, and I don’t know what your particular travel restrictions might be, but when the time is right, it might be fun to plan a trip to somewhere with a famed pen shop and other things to see or do (Sorry about my run on sentences- I have Covid brain). In the lead up to such a trip, start writing with the pens you already have and using that pen, write up your likes and dislikes about it. Eventually, even if you haven’t really been thinking about it, a pattern will emerge. You might like a dry writer, or a thick body, or an oblique nib, or any other characteristic more or less than any other. It’s worth doing the journaling about your pens/writing experiences even if you don’t go anywhere. I started keeping one of these this year and am learning a ton of new things about even some of my longest loved pens.

[pajaro]

This thread has made me think about my pen experience. Back in the 1970s I started collecting Parker 51 aerometric pens. In the 1980s I bought a couple of Montblancs, a 144 and a 146. Then a Sheaffer Connaiseur when they came out. Nothing more until finding FPN. And then this site. There was a certain camradarie with some of those members of FPN, and so I explored more pen types. Most of those people drifted away, and I lost interest in most of those pens. I still like the 51s, but I haven't bought a pen in years, and I mainly use felt tip pens now. Cross Select tip pens I bought around 1976. Sometimes I look over some of the pens and enjiy knowing about them. A couple of Parker 51s are the only ones I write with any more.

Sometimes I enjoy reading posts on this site. I like your thoughtful posts, EOC.

[Prettypenguin]

Good ideas. Regarding travel, it's still quite problematic, particularly as I am in the vulnerable population. Our next trip will be back to China to see Mum, who has been living alone for the past 18 months since Dad passed away. While there are some pen shops in the city our principal duty is to family, though I will try and go shopping now and then! As for when we can go, well with lockdowns in our city (in China) and various other issues it won't happen this year, maybe the next, more likely the year after that, but really who can predict this?

Sorry, not trying to be a negative Nellie here, it's just the reality of life under Covid-19.

I may try the other suggestion though. I have a brand new Midori notebook with a brand new Galen leather slim cover, both of which have been waiting for a project, any project really. So perhaps that is a good place to start.

Oh, it’s not negative at all, it’s what’s happening. Also know that the Chinese have vastly improved their pen craft, and are turning out some lovely gold nibbed pens these days. Who knows, you might yet find a surprise. My condolences to you and your family and may your father’s memory be a blessing.

[Sandy]

I didn't like slim pens. If you asked my what my preference was 10 years ago.

Then I accidently got one, but then I did some work on my grip. It took a couple of weeks, but I had to conciously relax my grip, and by doing so I found I could use slimmer pens. Once I got my grip sorted out, I didn't need to worry about the comfort factor when writing anymore.

So, it might be worthwhile considering how you are holding your pen - changing this variable might have a bigger effect, than changing the pen.


If you enjoy writing with fountain pens, then that is a clear preference. Maybe you have it already and your focus shouldn't be so narrowly focused on "that perfect pen".

If I can get pages down, without a clogged feed or skipping nib then I consider it a good pen. The "zen" of writing comes when the tool gets out of the way and becomes an extension of your hand.

And I think consuming media such as pen reviews doesn't help. A pen reviewer is assessing the quality of the pen - and adopting that mindset when your are writing can be a problem. The reviewer's mindset is to make comparisons to make an assessment on the quality of the pen. A reviewer who repeatedly writes "The Quick Brown Dog..." is not assessing the quality of the writing, but the quality of the tool. So, if you start with the mindset of a reviewer, rather than a writer - then maybe that might be an issue.

I stopped watching so many reviews, and bought some magazines and books on writing instead. Sitting and asking yourself if you are writing with the best pen ever is only going to be an obstacle.

[manoeuver]

two things come to mind:
1: It seems to me like you're in search of the one perfect pen.
It also looks clear to me that through your years of trying you've had many fine pens pass through your hands, but none of them has ticked all the boxes.
And it occurs to me that you may not know what all the boxes are-- you've got an idea on what some of them should be, but you are unsure about what it is that you want.

A lack of clarity. Pen Angst. It's been a theme in your pen journey. Which brings us to

2: Mimetic Desire. Taking cues from our peers is how we learn.
When we don't know what it is we want, we adopt other people's desires to stand in for our own, temporarily or permanently.
Sometimes it works, other times it does not. It's a fascinating concept brought to life by philosopher Rene Girard. If you haven't read him, doing so might be of use.

Just like in any other area of life, it's hard work to determine what it is you really want. A shortcut I've learned is to look into your past and identify times you've made costly sacrifices. The things you've got a record of sacrificing for are most likely your core values. Your actions are a far better gauge of your values than words will ever be, so observe them.

Back to Pen Angst.
Through study I've learned the opposite of Angst is Courage.
Through application I've learned the cure for Angst is Courage.

When there is a lack of clarity, there is something to be done. The more it scares you the more likely it is to be the answer.
Good luck to ya EOC, if I'm off base or out of line here, forgive me.

[Sandy]

It's a fascinating concept brought to life by philosopher Rene Girard. If you haven't read him, doing so might be of use.

I learnt so much from your post. I feel much cleverer now. Thank you.

[Chuck Naill]

Since retiring, I have little use for a pen. That said, the pens that I use are both 1942 Parker 51's. Besides those, I have AutoPointe mechanical and a Mitsubishi lead pencil @ hand.

[DrPenfection]

EOC, there are some interesting and esoteric thoughts here that are worth considering.

I tend more to the practical when I find myself gravitating into the "the grey" of indecision. Every now and again, I will clean all of my fountain pens, let them dry, then put them all away. I will then take out three very different pens. I will ink just these three pens with the same ink, and will write only with them for at least one week or more. By limiting myself to just three, one will surface that I particularly like to write with. I will then clean these three. The one which I preferred will be re-inked with a different ink. I will then take another two pens that are different from each other, and ink them with the same ink, and go through the same process. As I go through this process several times, a pattern will emerge. I will finally end up with one pen that, at that time, will have the nib I most prefer, the size and styling I prefer. From that, I will then make future buying decisions.

I have now gone through this process several times, and while my preferences may change slightly, I still overall prefer a particular pen with a particular nib over any other. This is my main long writing/journaling pen. I still have others for other purposes. But I know when I go to purchase a new pen, unless it is for a specific purpose, I look for pens that are similar to my preferred pen.

One other interesting fact about this process. I find that I appreciate certain pens more that I did before. They may not be my "preferred pen" but I find that I still enjoy writing with them, where before I might have neglected them. And I also have found pens that either need nib adjustment, or just are no longer right for me.

Hope that helps.

[SlowMovingTarget]

EoC, I do hope you'll forgive a recommendation. You described some of the characteristics you were looking for, and some of the pens you've looked to. The one that came to mind from your described characteristics, and my own experience, was missing from the those pens you mentioned. I speak of the Pilot Custom Urushi in FM. It has a springy nib, medium flow, but is stunning laying ink across the page. It is very large, light, and comfortable. I've not experienced Pelikan or Montblanc, but the Custom Urushi is my current standard by which I judge everything else.

I too found myself hunting after the same experiences described by others. But now, if I'm considering a pen purchase, and imagining how good the experience will be, I find I'm imagining the Custom Urushi laying down script with Pilot Iroshizuku Shin-Kai.

[Mark Meske]

I cannot tell why you are having trouble with preferences, but I can tell you how I make mine.
1. I am a user not a collector so that cuts out all the vintage pens.
2. I also like a manly pen that evokes the 1940s period. I'm 73 years old now but I've always like way older pens looked.
3. I prefer a cartridge converter fill system. I currently have no other kind. I like the cartridge converter because I change inks frequently--after every two or three fillings it's time for a different color.
4. For everyday use I like a medium width #6 nib. Easily replace #6 nibs because #6 replacement nibs are easy to come by.
5. I prefer a screw cap to a snap cap.
6. So far, the most I've ever payed for a pen was $250. I always buy a good-looking pen. Inexpensive doesn't mean it has to look like a Bic.
8. I like a pens that are on the longer and girthier side, they seem to fit my hand better.
9. My favorite nib is a medium, followed by a 1.5nn stub and an extra fine. But I have nibs of every size.
That's how I select my pens. Just this week I bought a Laban 325 that met all these requirements and has the allure of being Italian.
Perhaps having used fountain pens for 55 years it is easier for me to know what I want but I think if you make a list of how you use your pens you will shortly solve your problem.
Mark Meske

[Niner]

Regarding the Pilot Custom Urushi 845, I had to look: $850 US from Pen Boutique and $1,400 US from Goulet, apparently for the same model.

[peace]

@ EOC : Very thoughtful post. So much insight poured into it. Thanks for the post .

[peace]

I enjoy reading the post. A bit of philosophy , a touch of life experience ! Truly appreciate.