How Many Pens

[Quackedo]

I'm new to the pen collecting disease.

I started at the beginning of the summer and I just bought my 33rd pen.

I have quite an assortment so far. Everything from Watermans #7 Green to a Waterman Hemisphere.

 

Parker, Shaeffer, Noodlers, Penman, Jimhao, Custom, Monteverde, MontBlanc, Lamy, Montefiore, Eversharp, Wearever, Sailor, TWSBI, etc etc.

 

My friends think I have finally gone all the way "round the bend". Especially in this age of computers. I show them my new pen. They show me their new smart phone.

 

I wonder when enough is enough? I downloaded the pen cataloging program from this site (thank-you creator) and decided to stop when I had spent $1,000.00. Oh well. So much for that theory.

 

How many pens do you own (complete pens only)? And, are you still collecting?

 

Is there a point where you lose touch with your collection and find yourself saying,

 

"Hey! I remember that pen!" or "I wonder who made this pen, I don't remember?

 

I was looking at a pen in my collection the other day and trying to remember where it came from and what kind of a nib it had.

 

And even sadder, I was trying to remember if I liked it!

 

I've gone round the bend for sure.

[JustinJ]

When I first started writing with a fountain pen, I found myself purchasing a lot of different pens. I think that I was trying to find the right pen.

 

I ended up purchasing one nice fountain pen that I really wanted, which helped end my pen collecting. The pen was expensive for me, but it cured me of my pen collecting. Pen collecting may be the wrong term. I would rather call it amassing of pens.

 

It is better to get one good pen than many lesser quality pens that you will be unhappy with over time. You spend the same amount of money on many cheaper pens in the end as you would have just buying one nice pen. The only difference is that you will still desire the one good pen, even after acquiring many other pens.

 

 

Is there one pen that you would really like to have and within your means?

[Quackedo]

That doesn't work for me.

 

I like different things at different times.

 

Sometimes I feel like carrying a classic and sometimes I want a rugged TWSBI.

 

If I am dressing formally I want something with class.

 

If I am at manual work, I want something tough and probably inexpensive.

 

I want to be able to carry a FP with me everywhere I go, so I need variation.

 

It changes with the days.

 

One pen for every occasion seems impossible to me.

[Laura N]

...

It is better to get one good pen than many lesser quality pens that you will be unhappy with over time. You spend the same amount of money on many cheaper pens in the end as you would have just buying one nice pen. The only difference is that you will still desire the one good pen, even after acquiring many other pens....

 

I understand why some people feel this way, but everyone is different. I am happier owning a lot of pens. I like the variety. I like having different inks in use at once. And I have no desire to spend over a certain amount on a pen.

 

I do agree, however, that you can definitely spend a lot of money buy cheaper pens. They do add up.

[Joe in Seattle]

I have 30 or so and have stopped buying. I'm thinking more of downnsizing than further accumulation. I've really enjoyed exploring different pens, but I've reached a comfortable end in using what I have and considering which to gift or sell. I am 66

[aawhite]

When I first started writing with a fountain pen, I found myself purchasing a lot of different pens. I think that I was trying to find the right pen.

 

I ended up purchasing one nice fountain pen that I really wanted, which helped end my pen collecting. The pen was expensive for me, but it cured me of my pen collecting. Pen collecting may be the wrong term. I would rather call it amassing of pens.

 

It is better to get one good pen than many lesser quality pens that you will be unhappy with over time. You spend the same amount of money on many cheaper pens in the end as you would have just buying one nice pen. The only difference is that you will still desire the one good pen, even after acquiring many other pens.

. . .

 

+1. Exactly the same for me.

Edited September 15, 2012 by aawhite

[Julio]

I have 30 or so and have stopped buying. I'm thinking more of downnsizing than further accumulation. I've really enjoyed exploring different pens, but I've reached a comfortable end in using what I have and considering which to gift or sell. I am 66

[Sasha Royale]

I am still going. I like the variety. I am getting to enjoy

the very cheap pens, with all their problems. What do you expect

from a $1.87 Jinhao fountain pen, with free shipping ? It can

be annoying at times, but love goes that way. This is fun.

 

Right now, my pen is a classic. It is an early Parker Vacumatic,

though I think it says "Vacuum Filler" on the nib. This oldtimer

is wonderfully "scratchy". It's part of the charm.

 

I think when I stop, it will be very suddenly.

[Essensia]

Everyone seems to find his or her own comfort level when the fountain pen/ink bug bites. I started out buying many different pens to figure out what I like best. With no pen shops (except Montblanc) within hundreds of miles, that's the only way to do it. Personally, I like to use and enjoy all my pens, and I become uncomfortable when the count exceeds about 15. Right now I need to sell 5 or 6, but I'm lazy.

 

Occasionally I'll still go on a buying spree. I purchased 4 (!) pens in the last few weeks, and I'm feeling good about the fact that 3 of them are absolute keepers, displacing some of my other pens. So I'm getting better at knowing what I want and what will work for me.

 

Sometimes I think I'll pare it down to just my 3 Pelikans and Lamy 2000, but I'm not quite ready to make that commitment.

[Julio]

Joe: I am a couple years older than you and also I am thinking of downsizing by gifting (to students) or selling some. I have accumulated over 130 Pelikans and I think this is hoarding.

[Quackedo]

130 Pelikans, what an aviary!

 

I'm a sailor and actually haven't bought a Pelikan yet.

 

I have been looking, but haven't found one I like at a good price yet. They seem to be commanding more and more every time I look.

 

I have to get a few though. How can I sail without a Pelikan along? I want a longer one with the Pelikan face on the clip.

 

Which model would be best? 400NN? Or is there a longer heavier one? I have large hands and like a big pen.

 

Once when sailing on The Sea of Cortez I found a Brown Pelikan rookery on a deserted island. The baby pelikans were adorable, all bald and dorky. It was a really neat day.

 

I have to get a Pelikan and some waterproof ink for this sailing season.

[JustinJ]

I should clarify that I still have around 8 pens. I have my three favorite pens that I use daily. My other pens are used in places where I may loose my treasured pens.

 

 

I think there is a point where the enjoyment of the pens is overshadowed by the need for more pens. For me personally, I love using fountain pens. It is about the writing experience and the feel of the pen in the hand that is important, not the number of pens.

 

I can also see why some could collect fountain pens as art. My pen buying was more focused on amassing than collecting, which are on a different spectrum.

[rochester21]

i have about 18 fountain pens, and i hope i will stop at around 30, or until i have covered a certain range of designs that i`m interested in, mostly dating from the 60s and 70s, along with a few contemporary pens and a couple of vintage ones. I do not like to collect pens that i don`t enjoy writing with, or that are not practical as daily writers- even though i generally use only 2-3, and with the others i just play around.

Edited September 15, 2012 by rochester21

[BrandonA]

Sounds like you've gone down the quantity path when buying pens. I'd rather have one pen worth $1,000 than 30+.

 

My collection had a focus and now it is complete I don't think I'll buy many more pens. There are a couple on my wish list but I've started spending my money on other interests at the moment and am enjoying the collection I have.

[pelahale]

I lost count somewhere in the 50+ range, but to me there's no absolute number limit, as long as there is a reason for the acquisition, and a practical use for the pen. So for me, how many pens is enough can be answered thus - cue music {from Einstein on the Beach, by Philip Glass & Robert Wilson}:

 

"...Count the stars in the sky. Measure the waters of the ocean with a teaspoon. Number the grains of sand on the sea shore. Impossible, you say?..."

[rochester21]

Sounds like you've gone down the quantity path when buying pens. I'd rather have one pen worth $1,000 than 30+.

 

My collection had a focus and now it is complete I don't think I'll buy many more pens. There are a couple on my wish list but I've started spending my money on other interests at the moment and am enjoying the collection I have.

 

I understand and agree with your approach in general. In case of fountain pens, however, i would never pay 1000 usd for one unit, simply because from the utility point of view, no pen is worth that much. If there were a perfect fountain pen selling for 1000 bucks, i would probably buy it, but there isn`t such a thing. Aside from that, who says that a very expensive pen will worth the money you pay for it, and that a cheap pen will write cheap? So you see, the true value of a pen is not necessarily determined by it`s price tag.

Each pen has its own character, the only way to find out more about it is to actually try it- that`s how i started collecting, when i was only looking for the wright pen for me.

[dickydotcom]

I have 30 or so and have stopped buying. I'm thinking more of downnsizing than further accumulation. I've really enjoyed exploring different pens, but I've reached a comfortable end in using what I have and considering which to gift or sell. I am 66

I have 30 or so and stopped buying last year. Well almost as I'm on the hunt for a flexible nib. That may mean buying one or two more.

That aside I'm comfortable with what I've got. Not quite 66 but very close.

Dick D

[EP Tech]

What works for me: I have two REALLY nice, under twenty dollars pens (a Nemosine Black Marble and a Picasso 608). Two sixty dollar pens that I am very happy with (Rosetta Magellan and a Pilot Lucina). One vintage set that I adore (Parker 51 Aerometric and matching pencil in leather box,dark blue and gold). And now I am searching for one in the $150.00 range. The total is $386.00...Not bad for a smallish collection of very nice writers that get used pretty much everyday. BUT, it takes a lot of patience (try before you buy) and self control (be happy with what you have) as there are so many superb writing instruments. This pen thing can get of hand. It is fun. Best of luck!

 

Edward

Edited September 15, 2012 by EP Tech

[79spitfire]

I've lost count :embarrassed_smile: or more accurately, I refuse to count... I have a bad habit of looking at pens after reviews, finding a reasonable price (ebay or elsewhere) and buying. I keep telling myself I'm going to limit my spending to vintage, found 'in the wild' but all the local sources are severely lacking. When they do have pens they are usually third tier (or worse) in unbelievably bad shape, for astronomical prices.

 

Have been having 'luck' (if you call it that) finding older mechanical pencils in very good shape for very reasonable prices.... :embarrassed_smile: I own too many of those now too....

[mrcharlie]

[snip]

Pen collecting may be the wrong term. I would rather call it amassing of pens.

 

It is better to get one good pen than many lesser quality pens that you will be unhappy with over time. You spend the same amount of money on many cheaper pens in the end as you would have just buying one nice pen. The only difference is that you will still desire the one good pen, even after acquiring many other pens.

[snip]

I would also say I have amassed a lot of pens, not collected them, with the exception of the Sheaffer Cartridge Pens (aka "student" pens) where I have attempted to get a large variety of the different colors, nib sizes, and eras.

 

But I don't agree about desire for "the one nice pen". That is probably true for many people, but there are many differences in what people want and like, and we aren't all motivated the same way. I don't care about fancy/expensive/luxury pens at all. A pen with interesting design, engineering, or ergonomics may also be on the expensive side, but pens designed for the status/luxury market almost never do. I like looking at them, and seeing other people have and use them, but I don't want one.