Interest Has Waned

[sidthecat]

I collected a handful of Vacumatics in the Eighties, then stopped using them. This time it's flex. You never know.

[sombrueil]

I collected a handful of Vacumatics in the Eighties, then stopped using them. This time it's flex. You never know.

 

let me know when you stop using your flex pens . . .

[Sailor Kenshin]

I don't know what's come over me.

 

I've gone from being mad about using an array of stub, vintage flex, crazy broad and soaking wet nibs, regularly carrying 8 or more pens about my person and desk (all with different inks that I'd change from time to time), to using just 3 nails and 3 inks.

 

Lying permanently on my desk at work is a burgundy Parker 45 (M) with a Parker 'mocha' cartridge. I have the original aero converter at home but carts are.......easy.

 

In my breast pocket is a silver plastic Caran d'Ache Dunas (M) with a very poor quality slide converter filled with good old Parker Blue. I also usually carry the P45 pencil that matches the pen above with 2B lead.

 

I usually carry a small A6 sized hardback notebook in some other pocket often with a burgandy Parker 17 (F) filled with Waterman Tender Purple floating around somewhere.

 

That's it. I haven't touched any other pens or inks since Christmas. I have a substantial cantilevered storage box filled with stuff that I'm not interested in any more but I can't bring myself to get rid of.

Maybe I'll swing back someday.

 

Has anyone else gone through this?

 

Not actually, but I find myself dreaming about those simpler times.

[GClef]

 

 

http://i1128.photobucket.com/albums/m496/gclef1114/Gibberish/0331150123-1.jpg

[Ink Stained Wretch]

I can understand the ebbing of interest. I have had that happen with some other things in my life. That was quite a while ago.

In terms of fountain pens I was interested in them back in the '60s, and used them. I liked them enough to use them in the '70s and '80s, too. It wasn't until 2004, when I found Noodler's Black ink, which guaranteed that what I wrote would stay written, that I really got back into fountain pens.

I had done soak tests from the '70s on and I'd found that my Skrip Jet Black, and Parker and other inks that could be used in a fountain pen wouldn't last long if soaked in water. I didn't want what I wrote to just wash away so easily. That's why Noodler's Black really brought me back to using fountain pens for writing that I valued.

I write with my fountain pens, a subset of my fountain pens - I should say, and that keeps me interested in them. I can't afford to buy any more pens, but I suspect that I have enough to last me. So I am unlikely to stop being interested in them. Same with inks. I just can't buy any more.

I find FPN to be a great thing, but I spend months of time not coming here. Doesn't mean I don't want to be here, doesn't mean I don't want to do stuff with fountain pens. Other things just interfere.

So don't worry about waning enthusiasm. It may come back full force after a while. If it doesn't, then you had a good time with it for a while.

[Buzz_130]

The issue may not be the fountain pens or ink. Do you feel you've run out of things to write about? The pen is ultimately a tool, but it takes a craftsman to bring those thoughts and words to life.

 

Buzz

[Manalto]

I'm glad you posted this comment. There have been many responses about the waxing and waning of interest, which is normal for a "hobby" that endures over time. I was nuts about fountain pens in the 80s and then one leaked on me. That's all it took to alienate me for years. I don't mind the ritual of filling, cleaning and otherwise maintaining a pen, but a hassle like a ruined shirt in the middle of the day can make an interest go sour - or at least dormant. I have a strong preference for writing with fountain pens over just about any other writing instrument (I also like soft pencils) so I know I'll always come back to them.

 

Some interests are merely curiosity, and these tend to have a life span. I experienced this with typewriters. The variety of vintage designs was appealing, the ability to buy top-of-the-line (and in their day, quite expensive) machines for next to nothing, the satisfaction of cleaning and getting a frozen machine 100% functional again, comparing models and picking favorites - all fueled by curiosity - was fun. I discovered that I don't particularly like writing (composing) on a typewriter (thank God for cut-and-paste!) for anything other than the occasional note, check and for addressing envelopes, so my interest fizzled. I think this happens with some people regarding fountain pens. Curiosity satisfied, moving on. (Now I have stacks of really nice typewriters to get rid of - sigh.) I'm glad there are others out there who are interested enough in the incredibly broad range of fountain pens available today to keep the industry thriving. I'm having a blast, but really need to pace myself!

Edited April 2, 2015 by Manalto

[Frank C]

I can relate. I've been actively accumulating for 15 years or so and my interest ebbs and flows. Much my drifting has to do with location; off the beaten path and a long way from any pen show or club. Also my vocaItion inhibits attending shows as I work on Sundays and have limited Sunday vacation days. Combine this with location and that keeps me away from shows - unfortunately.

 

My work intensity also slows things down and most of my "professional" writing is on the computer for the sake of convenience.

 

This is not to say I'm out of the game, but my pen buying seems limited to a very select few pens I want to try and the occasional sumgai deals I run across. Lately my interest has turned toward ink variety and we'll see where that heads.

 

And with this, I've hit 2000 posts - a good reason to buy a pen? Probably not.

 

 

I think that 2000 posts is as a good a reason as any to buy a fountain pen! I believe that Amberlea buys a new pen to commemorate every multiple of 100!

 

The above posts sum this up. Hobbies tend to ebb and flow. At this point you are using your pens in a utilitarian fashion. In time, you may return to the artistic side.

 

I have been using fountain pens off and on since high school. When I finally got around to buying a very nice pen, a Mont Blanc 149, I finally found a pen I really liked. Since then, new pens have been arriving on a fairly regular basis and at least one is almost always in my pocket. Last year, I didn't buy any pens. I was busy with work and life and other things, so new pen purchases stopped. I didn't make a conscious decision not to buy, it just happened. I read a topic on FPN in January, "What new pens did you buy in 2014?" and I got to thinking, "none". Now I did use a fountain pen or two daily at work, usually a Pilot Custom 823. After a year or more of daily use, my Custom 823s were in bad shape, so on December 31, I ordered two more. I also saw a few pens that caught my eye and they were ordered as well. That reignited my interest in fountain pens and so far 2015 has been a year of acquisitions. My work requires black ink. But I have been experimenting with dark-but-not-quite-black inks lately. No one has told me not to do it, so I will probably continue. My interests in fountain pens have changed over the years. I am now getting interested in buying just a few really nice pens, like Hakase. I haven't ordered one, yet, but I am looking.

 

So, hang on to your old pens, wait awhile, and then take one out to write a letter or to start a journal. Your interest will probably come back.

[Frank C]

I'm glad you posted this comment. There have been many responses about the waxing and waning of interest, which is normal for a "hobby" that endures over time. I was nuts about fountain pens in the 80s and then one leaked on me. That's all it took to alienate me for years. I don't mind the ritual of filling, cleaning and otherwise maintaining a pen, but a hassle like a ruined shirt in the middle of the day can make an interest go sour - or at least dormant. I like the experience of writing with a fountain pen so much more than just about any other writing instrument (I also like soft pencils) so I know I'll always come back to it.

 

Some interests are merely curiosity, and these have a life span. I experienced this with typewriters. The variety of vintage designs was appealing, the ability to buy top-of-the-line (and in their day, quite expensive) machines for next to nothing, the satisfaction of cleaning and getting a frozen machine 100% functional again, comparing models and picking favorites - all fueled by curiosity. I discovered that I don't particularly like writing (composing) on a typewriter (thank God for cut-and-paste!) for anything other than the rare check and addressing envelopes, so my interest fizzled. I think this happens with some people regarding fountain pens. Curiosity satisfied, moving on. (Now I have stacks of really nice typewriters to get rid of - sigh.) I'm glad there are others out there who are interested enough in the incredibly broad range of fountain pens available today to keep the industry thriving. I'm having a blast, but really need to pace myself!

 

Your post came online while I was composing mine. I keep an extra clean shirt in the drawer in my desk for just such and emergency—or a little accident with the spaghetti and meatballs at lunch.

 

Off topic: I got interested in a very well-made Swiss portable typewriter a few years ago, but didn't pursue it. Do you have one of those your going to get rid of?

[Manalto]

Off topic: I got interested in a very well-made Swiss portable typewriter a few years ago, but didn't pursue it. Do you have one of those your going to get rid of?

 

Frank,

I don't think it's off topic. This is about how interest fluctuates, and comparisons are useful. (How's that for rationalizing?)

 

I think you mean the Hermes 3000 typewriter. To my eye, the first incarnation (1958) of this model, with its rounded forms and seafoam-green keys, is stunning.

 

Mine has an italic font:

 

 

Just to stay on topic, what fountain pen would you say compares aesthetically with this design?

 

James

Edited April 2, 2015 by Manalto

[Barkingpig]

I had to laugh @ the previous post. My only knowledge of a typewriter was my Mother's huge manual with a legal sized carriage & an IBM

Selectric that provided needed "automation."

 

A friend was mentioning that he had kept his friend's typewriter with case that was in such "perfect" condition that he couldn't toss it when clearing out his estate. He mentioned it was a HERMES & did I think it had any value? MY ears perked "right up" as I was seeing a typewriter in a (French) Hermes' orange colored case! I was VERY sad to google "Hermes typewriter" & discover that it was well regarded & definitely considered "classic" BUT was indeed produced in Switzerland & not by the French manufacturer! I was envisioning "your" typewriter ( & case) in ORANGE color. ( I had the leather interior of my current car "accented" in orange leather with dark grey & it has forever "cheered" me. At least for the last ten years! I also purchased a Delta Dolce Vita Oversize in "all" orange as my first "nice" pen. )

 

The first fountain pen I would think of that exhibited the similar iconic factor as your Hermes is probably the Aurora 88. I do NOT have this pen as it AFIK is (& was ) only made in black. BUT I keep looking @ it & every review I read extolls it's excellence so perhaps it might be the equivalent. Or possibly the Parker 51? At least it was in cool colors that remind me of the seafoam green.

 

At any rate thanks for sharing one of your collection. ( And feel free to have a good chuckle @ my disappointment! )

[Sasha Royale]

A friend of mine does that with wives all the time.

 

Yup ! Sometimes, one needs to try something different for a change. However, with

fountain pens, no lawyers get involved, and you don't come home to all your clothes

in a burning heap on the lawn.

[ac12]

Heavy work can burn you out for the pleasures of the pen.

Been there, done that, wasn't fun.

 

Keep everything, because when things change, you will be back. As was mentioned, ALL of my hobbies have their ups and downs, as my interest picks up and slows down. There just is not enough time in the day/week/year to do everything. So like others, I go in cycles.

[Manalto]

...I was envisioning "your" typewriter ( & case) in ORANGE color. ( I had the leather interior of my current car "accented" in orange leather with dark grey & it has forever "cheered" me. At least for the last ten years! I also purchased a Delta Dolce Vita Oversize in "all" orange as my first "nice" pen. )

 

The first fountain pen I would think of that exhibited the similar iconic factor as your Hermes is probably the Aurora 88.

 

At any rate thanks for sharing one of your collection. ( And feel free to have a good chuckle @ my disappointment! )

I design and install gardens for people, and one of the first questions I ask clients is if they prefer cool (white, pink, blue) or hot (yellow, orange, red) colors. People unfailingly said they liked the cool colors (Oh, they're more elegant, tasteful, restrained - it's amazing how joyless people can be about something as delightful as a garden), UNTIL I encountered a feisty redhead from Texas named Lucy. "Definitely hot." she proclaimed. I owe a debt of gratitude to old Lucy for teaching me the mood-altering glory of orange, so I sympathize deeply with your disappointment. (I'm a total sucker for all those tertiary hues of the 50s, so seafoam is also A-OK with me.) My favorite use of orange in pens is the combination of glossy black and translucent amber. (Stop that! It does NOT look like Halloween!)

Edited April 3, 2015 by Manalto

[legume]

I tend to cycle through my hobbies. They seem to be things I've simply always been interested in and even if I lose steam in one I'll come back to it in a while so it doesn't bother me.

 

For fountain pens specifically, I'd say that I was most invested in them (passion, not money-wise) roughly around age 14-17. I don't seem to get worked up about them anymore, but I still like to check the forum and go through bouts of wanting new ink and maybe a new pen every now and again.

 

It helps that I'm now 7/8 or so years into the hobby and have owned many of the pens I wanted so much in the earlier years. I've already explored most of the aspects of fountain pens I'm interested in, and if I'm curious about something I can always re-explore the topic or go more in depth.

 

I guess it helps that I'm kind of consistent and boring? I'm specific about what I want so only a few fountain pens interest me enough for me to get them.^{Wow that sounds a bit snobby} When a new pen interests me I either decide that a pen I already have is superior in its category or it turns out to be a passing fancy. If I do get a pen it's because I've kept coming back to it repeatedly.

 

I've also become practical enough that I don't lust after $600+ pens (or rather I am cheap enough to import those pens instead so I can get them below market price). For example, I managed to nab my Pelikan M800 Brown Tortoise for ~$400 from Regina Martini.^{I'm sorry but I can't spend an extra $350+} But that's getting off topic.

 

I've been writing more with my fountain pens again thanks to the leather notebook cover I got. I write short stories and dreams from the night before in the inserts I made. I don't like fountain pens for academic work and so they'd been getting neglected.

Edited April 3, 2015 by legume

[High_Noon]

I think this is entirely normal. The energy required to maintain a high-level of interest in any particular subject is great. I have many hobbies and interests. I find that I will pursue one interest for a while and then move on to the next one. This does not mean I've lost all interest in a particular sublect, rather that I have reached a point where my "curiosity" has been satisfied for the time being. I will often return to these interests - if only to learn a bit more - but more often I put what I have learned into practice and I am looking for more information or new insight. There are only so many hours in a day and we often must pick which interests will get our attention, while other interests are put on the back-burner. It is often a challenge to find a balance between our interests and our daily lives - our families, our jobs, etc... What I find most interesting is the pursuit of knowledge. Many of my interests center around classic or old ways of doing things. I enjoy learning about how previous generations did things we now, often take for granted. I think this is healthy and as long as you keep your interests and your pursuit of knowledge alive, you will be mentally healthy and gain a measure of happiness from your efforts. After all, an idle mind is the devil's playground.

Edited April 3, 2015 by High_Noon

[Barkingpig]

I design and install gardens for people, and one of the first questions I ask clients is if they prefer cool (white, pink, blue) or hot (yellow, orange, red) colors. People unfailingly said they liked the cool colors (Oh, they're more elegant, tasteful, restrained - it's amazing how joyless people can be about something as delightful as a garden), UNTIL I encountered a feisty redhead from Texas named Lucy. "Definitely hot." she proclaimed. I owe a debt of gratitude to old Lucy for teaching me the mood-altering glory of orange, so I sympathize deeply with your disappointment. (I'm a total sucker for all those tertiary hues of the 50s, so seafoam is also A-OK with me.) My favorite use of orange in pens is the combination of glossy black and translucent amber. (Stop that! It does NOT look like Halloween!)

I could be Lucy's twin brother (except my red hair has become rather pink "over the last years!") and the house I grew up in had a huge bed of oriental poppies. They always looked a lot more interesting to me than the "tasteful" one my Mother nourished. I have planted & (alternately fought!) bittersweet in my garden. I had my carpenter build an "industrial" trellis to entice it to "cover" the potting shed. The birds love it, I love it and hate it when it invades places I don't plan for it to live. I have probably spent a couple of hundred dollars planting Asclepias Tuberosa until I finally had to admit defeat. I have naturally rich soil by living near a flood plain & probably just haven't got soil "right" for it! But for me these are the "fun" parts of my garden as most of the other plants "pale" in comparison.

I am very content with seafoam green walls inside my house (having a bedroom, kitchen & bath using a similar 1930's shade) BUT just as I like to see a big cache of pens with bold colors jumbled together I enjoy the same in my garden. I have always been sorry I painted an old garage "shutter" green because I had painted adirondack chairs purple & threatened the same for the garage.

 

I looked @ the cap of the Aurora 88 again tonite & think I still see your Hermes closer to same than the Parker 51. Probably a Wahl Eversharp Skyline would also be a good partner.

[Frank C]

 

Frank,

I don't think it's off topic. This is about how interest fluctuates, and comparisons are useful. (How's that for rationalizing?)

 

I think you mean the Hermes 3000 typewriter. To my eye, the first incarnation (1958) of this model, with its rounded forms and seafoam-green keys, is stunning.

New Jersey 005.JPG

 

Mine has an italic font:

 

Hermes script 007.jpg

 

Just to stay on topic, what fountain pen would you say compares aesthetically with this design?

 

James

 

Yes, that's the one. And the italic font is a bonus. In some ways, a Parker 51, very modern and innovative in its time, well-made and still an workhorse attractive today. Another would be My 1952 Mont Blanc 234½; I just love that the model number has "½" in it. Timeless elegance, and still very functional today.

 

Thanks for the photo. How many of these are for sale?

[Blue_Moon]

I can relate. Other than a Pilot Varsity, I haven't used a fountain pen in six months. The Pilot G2 has been my writing instrument of choice. At work, I need something that I can quickly access. I've got a Pilot VP, however I like a pen that I can pick up and write with, without clicking it. I get to work, click my G2, it sits on my desk all day so I can grab it when I need it, and at the end of the day, I click it off. When I feel like writing with a fountain pen, I pull out my trusty Pilot Varsity, and after a few minutes, the craving has been satisfied. I imagine, like others have said, my interest will increase again. But that's life. Move on to other things. Don't get rid of your pens because one day your passion for them will probably be kindled again.

[The Blue Knight]

I can relate. Other than a Pilot Varsity, I haven't used a fountain pen in six months. The Pilot G2 has been my writing instrument of choice. At work, I need something that I can quickly access. I've got a Pilot VP, however I like a pen that I can pick up and write with, without clicking it. I get to work, click my G2, it sits on my desk all day so I can grab it when I need it, and at the end of the day, I click it off. When I feel like writing with a fountain pen, I pull out my trusty Pilot Varsity, and after a few minutes, the craving has been satisfied. I imagine, like others have said, my interest will increase again. But that's life. Move on to other things. Don't get rid of your pens because one day your passion for them will probably be kindled again.

 

 

I've done exactly the same however I am only one week into it so I will have to see if it really works for me. I've boxed up all my pens and inks etc and I have put them at the back of a closest. for one day may be in a few years to enjoy again, I like yourself agree that it would be silly idea to get rid of my group of pens that I used to enjoy as one day I know I will regret it. I rely on a G2 most of the time like yourself.