What To Do With Junky Cheap Pens?

[Letterpress]

Hi all - I have decided that life is too short to keep cleaning and inking bad pens. Now that I have a few nicer quality pens, I have made a pile of pens that bug me. The Baoer with the loose cap that is a hard starter, the no-name one I bought on vacation that's just the king-of-scratchy, the cheap-o one that is too heavy to write with for more than a few lines.... what do I do with them? They are too cheap to bother selling (I assume) but it feels wrong to just throw them out. After all, the point is that they're non-disposable, right? Sooooooo.... what do you do with cheap pens that you really don't want? Advice, please. Thanks!

Edited March 21, 2015 by CursiveSubversive

[Charles Rice]

I've tossed more than one pen in the garbage.

[merlinsfv]

I keep them for parts and to practice repair technique on. I wouldn't want them getting into the hands of someone interested in getting into using a fountain pen because a bad initial experience would turn them off. So i wouldn't give them to newbies or to a thrift store.

[Letterpress]

I keep them for parts and to practice repair technique on. I wouldn't want them getting into the hands of someone interested in getting into using a fountain pen because a bad initial experience would turn them off. So i wouldn't give them to newbies or to a thrift store.

 

 

I totally agree! I can't give them away to a newbie. They are poor examples of what should be a much better experience.

[PatientType]

If the cheap pen writes OK I value it as a carry-about pen. I like quality pens with gold nibs. However, knowing the anguish I'd go through if I were to carry a Pelikan M1005 in my breast pocket and lose it or drop it, I carry inexpensive pens instead. I have a couple of Chinese, under $6 pens, an early 80's steel nib Pilot and a couple of other low-investment but OK writing fountain pens and I typically grab one on the way out the door. It is surprising how much interest a cheap polished chrome Chinese fountain pen gets when used at the bank or in a restaurant. When I sign in at the doctor's office, mine is the only entry that may be in dark green or turquoise blue ink and thus it stands out quite nicely.

[FarmBoy]

You put them in the BoG and take them to a Pen Posse...

[fabri00]

The Baoer with the loose cap that is a hard starter, the no-name one I bought on vacation that's just the king-of-scratchy, the cheap-o one that is too heavy to write with for more than a few lines.... what do I do with them? /quote]

 

Practice how to repair and fix them.

You can learn a lot.

[Paddler]

Put one in your shirt pocket with a small notebook. Writing a short note from time to time with a crummy pen will not bug you very much and, who knows, you may rejoice at losing it.

[Flounder]

Pop them on the PIF board?

[lisadan]

Give the ones that can be easily capped and write sort of normal, to children around. Good way to make kids happy and get rid of unwanted pens at the same time. You may also donate them to rummage sales, church sales and other fund raising events, if there are any around. They might bring some money in, and you would not see them again.

[sirgilbert357]

I'll echo the "practice repair on them" sentiment. Especially the ones with nibs that just don't write like they should. You might destroy them in the process, but it would be worth trying to fix them. And if you DO destroy them, at least you learned something and then you can feel OK with throwing it in the trash.

[Zanshin]

I also second practice repair or maybe try out your nib grinding skills. Turn an unpleasant medium into an interesting fine italic.

[pepsiplease69]

I'll echo the "practice repair on them" sentiment. Especially the ones with nibs that just don't write like they should. You might destroy them in the process, but it would be worth trying to fix them. And if you DO destroy them, at least you learned something and then you can feel OK with throwing it in the trash.

I would have to concur.

 

If you wreck them, there would be no love lost.

 

But you could practice repairing them and maybe turn them into fine writers that you're happy with. And the satisfaction of using them after you've tweaked them to your liking is quite gratifying.

[thatotherguy1]

I bought a Sheaffer Viewpoint just for the feed as a part and ended up turning the rubber grippy sleeve into a nib gripper, I'll probably screw the cap with its nice open diameter and flat angled top to a workbench as a pencil or ballpoint stand complete with a notecard holder (pocket clip), I'll probably use the barrel as an epoxy mixing stick or something, and I haphazardly ground the nib to about a 0.5mm stub.

Point being, if you have a pen that isn't usable, use what parts you can find a use for, then save the rest. They might just come in handy someday. Repair practice is a valuable thing... but use the cheap pens for it.

[Sailor Kenshin]

Use them for Science Experiments.

[musicman123]

You should practice nib grinding on them! If you screw up, it isn't too much of a loss!

 

Or just send them in the mail to me!!!!!!

[sandy101]

Give them away to people you don't like - then you can sleep easier knowing that your awful pens are giving someone you hate an awful experience.

[Dickkooty2]

The couple of times I've had some pens that I didn't want to keep for one reeason or other, I have posted a notice of what they are right here on the blog. I make it clear that they are free and i will pay postage to a US address. There doesn't seem to be any problem in doing this and I know someone wants the pens for some of the reasons suggested in previous posts on this question.

[PS104]

Ditto on the practice repairing and/or nib grinding

Who knows, you might be the next Richard Binder

[PDW]

If you fix them up and still don't like them, give them to the nearest charity shop whose cause you support.