Woes of the Novice
I purchased my first fountain pen, a matte ivory Sheaffer Prelude 374 GT, in 2003. Over the years, I used it, a couple of Lamy 2000s, and a Lamy Safari at work. The kooks I worked with always looked for someone to attack as different, which is one reason why I bought the 2000s (they don't look like fountain pens if you don't look at them closely). Having an office in a satellite location an hour and a half away from the headquarters and populated with a lower (though non-zero) prevalence of vicious co-workers, I eventually used fountain pens as I pleased when there, but not on days when I had to work in hell. No, wait, I mean not on days when I had to work at the headquarters office, not hell. No, wait, I really do mean hell.
It's peculiar about the headquarters office and the (rather small) city it's in. The majority of people there consider themselves simultaneously quite sophisticated; rather edgy; and of a far superior type, especially superior to the dwindling local population that they have largely replaced over the last few decades. To the extent that any of that matters here, it matters because it reduced my use of fountain pens at work and it reduced my use outside of work because the job ate all of my time and part of my soul. That's all over now; a year ago I pulled the ripcord on that outfit.
But as a result of that former situation, nineteen years after purchasing my first fountain pen I'm a bit of a novice yet. For example, I suspect that I could improve my Safari, which seems a bit scratchy, but I'm concerned that in tinkering with it I might worsen it. I have read accounts of and instructions about tine-flossing, tine-spreading, tine-pushing-back-together, nib-polishing, and more. I have a damaged Lamy 2000 nib to experiment with. Nineteen years ago, I dropped that Lamy and it landed nib first on a hard floor. The nib crumpled like an aluminum beer can. Actually, like a gold beer can. I'm afraid of fooling around with that nib because it is so soft. Having lately become interested in vintage Esterbrooks, I bought several and restored a couple of them. Of the ones I haven't restored, most have decent nibs, but some have mutilated nibs and some have bent or splayed nibs. I think I'll start my nib-tinkering with the bad Esterbrook nibs.
I love that Sheaffer Prelude, but it has a medium nib that I wish was a F or XF instead. I does write so well. Smooth, wet, and, though rather stiff, satisfyingly sensual in its feedback. I think it's my favorite pen, despite that big, fat nib.
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