Sorry to hear you say good bye to us and to the Forum.
I can't agree more with you Petro. This forum is going down in a way as you say some "old gurus" have some peculiar attitudes.
Good luck to you and I'll see you in other places where you are active.
But I am sure we'll miss you all your fun work!!!!
Good luck to all. I remember your drawings they were enviable.
I know it's a bit off topic but what are the none dying forms of pen discussion (are there any?)? I have never got my head around FPN's new layout. Reddit seems very focused on new pens. Are there other good forums out there?
If I infer (by the highlighted area) that you are looking for discussion areas that lean more towards vintage pens... I honestly don't know of any. All the activity these days is primarily new users and new pens. There are some groups on Facebook but I don't think it is much different there, either. As to the traffic here and the site slowing down, well, that is just part of the life cycle. The old Pentrace board still exists, with just a handful of older posters and a very slow trickle of traffic but that works for them.
"When Men differ in Opinion, both Sides ought equally to have the Advantage of being heard by the Publick;
and that when Truth and Error have fair Play, the former is always an overmatch for the latter."
~ Benjamin Franklin
I do dislike how most things gravitate to less diversity. FPN seems to be surprisingly active. But it not suited to all things.
If I’m not wrong before my time, there was a forum called “Lions…” I can’t remember the name. There was “Pen Trace” and likely others I’m not aware of.
I never really thought about this place going away but I do imagine one day it will happen. The worry is will the knowledge simply be lost? Whilst the waybackmachine may hold some of it, it is hardly searchable.
I envisage that there has been invaluable knowledge lost on several occasions. Due change of circumstances of the domain owner etc.
Gravitating toward less diversity. That is pretty much spot on, and kind of ironic considering current social movements aimed at greater inclusivity. However, any time a group coalesces there is a danger of it assuming elitist traits and by definition head toward exclusivity. So, there is that to consider too. This is something I have been fighting against for years, until recently I realised that there is an implacable movement toward bland uniformity in such matters, and the very few who embrace and encourage diversity and inclusion of all perspectives are slowly forced out.
Right now, it looks as though Eric has completely abandoned this site, which is perhaps why the most prolific contributors are the spammers. It would be no surprise to see actual member activity dwindle even further from its current all-time low level. Impossible to predict of course but the trend seems to be there. FPN certainly feels a lot more active nowadays in comparison, especially in pen-related topics, but not of course in anything else. New Pen Trace has practically no value outside of being an old boys club. Reddit, as already noted, is more about the new than the old.
As for knowledge being lost, well, consider my 3rd sentence, 1st para. For adopters of modern fountain pens the knowledge required is at an absolute minimum, nothing beyond user instructions actually. Knowledge of vintage repair methods/resources is probably the only knowledge where loss may have an impact. Historical data on models and brands is just not that important. These last two only really concern a relatively small cohort of people with a specialist interest of course.
Yazeh (October 28th, 2022)
Lion and Pen.
Why differentiate between old and new? I keep saying both can coexist, in fact both need each other.
Granted my perspective isn’t that of the norm.
catbert (October 28th, 2022), kazoolaw (October 30th, 2022), Prettypenguin (October 29th, 2022), top pen (October 28th, 2022), Yazeh (October 28th, 2022)
I disagree. Both can coexist, but they certainly do not need each other. It's not about differentiation per se. The zeitgeist is all about modern pens, as Mr Szanto alluded to. Knowledge of vintage pens is largely irrelevant to the users of modern pens.
I can't agree with this. While knowledge about vintage is overlooked, ignored, found uninteresting, or outright shunned, it is hardly irrelevant. The understanding of how fountain pens work is greatly aided in the understanding of previous construction and usage. Is that knowledge absolutely necessary? I suppose not, but ignorance is never a positive attribute.
"When Men differ in Opinion, both Sides ought equally to have the Advantage of being heard by the Publick;
and that when Truth and Error have fair Play, the former is always an overmatch for the latter."
~ Benjamin Franklin
Empty_of_Clouds (October 28th, 2022), Okami (October 30th, 2022), Prettypenguin (October 29th, 2022), TFarnon (October 30th, 2022)
My statement ought to be taken in context. Knowledge of vintage pens is largely irrelevant to the users of modern pens. Whether someone explores what has gone before is largely a matter of individual interest. Personally, I don't have a negative view of anyone who just wants to pick up a pen, find out how to supply it with ink, and write.
Last edited by Empty_of_Clouds; October 28th, 2022 at 02:32 AM.
I find that sometimes the Reddit fountain pen thread is comically entertaining. I don't mean that in a negative way. It's just that comedians tend to be younger, and therefore fountain pen comedians tend to be younger (at least younger than me). Fountain pen and ink mishaps ("the dog ate my fountain pen) get pretty frequent coverage, complete with photographs. I'm probably going to hell for it, but I think that stuff is funny. The best one I saw was right around when Sailor was selling a dandelion-themed pen, with a green barrel and a yellow cap. Some way took a yellow and a green Kaweco Sport, combined them the same way and displayed a photo for all the internet to see. Lord help me, that had me giggling for hours.
I prefer this message board for many reasons, including the more moderate tone and the information on vintage/antique pens. I like to collect old pens and new pens, inexpensive pens and artisan pens, and everything in between. I have tried to narrow my interests, but then I see something new that interests me, and so much for narrowing my fountain pen focus...About all I've been able to do so far is say that I don't collect pens that cost more than $1500 USD, and that I prefer slimmer pens to fatter pens.
Last edited by TFarnon; October 30th, 2022 at 02:27 AM.
Prettypenguin (November 4th, 2022)
I wouldn’t ever go to Reddit for expertise on vintage pens. I just really enjoy the humour and irreverence there. I’m old but I get a real giggle from the younger vibe; it often makes me actually laugh out loud. That happens all too infrequently on here. Too many people taking themselves far too seriously.
One of the decent things about Reddit is that not only does it have moderation, but people are aware that it's there. The sad thing about this place is that there is none. It's like the Marie Celeste of fora. Eric doesn't care anymore and everyone knows that. One result of that is there are probably more scammers and spammers posting here than there are members.
Regards, Chrissy | My Review Blog: inkyfountainpens
I have been a regular on the FP subreddit for quite a long time now and I have rarely seen any moderation there. I've seen it on other subreddits but the FP one seems full of enthusiastic respectful people.
As for scammers/spammers here... it's been said, and I noted earlier that the same are probably the largest contributors right now.
Last edited by Empty_of_Clouds; October 30th, 2022 at 11:47 AM.
Didn't you tell us about something from there in April this year? It has since been edited.
Regards, Chrissy | My Review Blog: inkyfountainpens
I did indeed. As noted in my previous post, I've only rarely seen it - in fact that was the only time I personally was affected by moderation. While it seemed odd at the time, on reflection I see that it was pretty standard approach. Still rare in my experience!
The thing I much prefer about there is dedicated subreddit for sales. So it doesn't clutter the discourse.
I do wonder are pen sales prosperous on here or is simple people wanting to avoid Ebay fees I can appreciate if it is. \you do notice it on more expensive items.
Last edited by top pen; October 31st, 2022 at 02:59 AM.
Honestly? Most hobbyist pen sellers wouldn't come close to meeting the tax requirements in my country. So when eBay uses the 'we are a marketplace' loophole to charge tax on every sale... well, I take exception to that as I believe it is cheating. Fees for using eBay I don't have a problem with. Fees collected by eBay that they allegedly pay to my country of residence when it was not necessary to collect the fee in the first place, then I have a problem.
So I would prefer to make individual sales/purchases privately. Do I get a better deal this way? Couldn't say as I haven't done it enough times to see any kind of trend. Other issues with sales here, there and elsewhere seem much the same.
I have bought and sold on reddit. I don't much otherwise browse it.
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