Less Is More

[Blue_Moon]

I was reading a thread the other day, and the content consisted of various people discussing how many pens they acquired. They associated the length of time that they had been involved with fountain pens with the number of pens they had. Some were even bragging about their numbers. Some of their comments were sophmoric.

 

I've been using/collecting fountain pens for a good while now. I began by acquiring every pen I could afford - cheap and more expensive. I had gotten upwards toward 40 pens. It dawned on me one day that I really don't use many of them. I made some changes in my pursuit of pens. I narrowed down the brands I buy, based on my personal experience with that brand. I no longer buy the cheap pens, not that many aren't great writers, but because I found that I mainly used the more expensive ones. I've sold most of the ones I don't use. I'm down to 17 pens currently. I'm looking at culling my pen some more, and at the same time adding some I really want. I currently have 17, but I imagine I'll have around 20 after the culling and acquiring. However, my collection at that time should consist of pens I love, not just pens that take up space, and that I don't care for.

 

I know that "cheap" and "more expensive" are relative. This thread is not about those definitions. I've read previously about people who have only three or five pens, sometimes 10, so I consider 17 to still be a high number of pens. Have many of you have done the same - decreased your numbers to only those you have a strong affinity for? And how many do you currently have? Also, your general thoughts about the issue?

Edited April 25, 2015 by Blue_Moon

[Dronak]

No, I haven't reduced my collection of fountain pens. In fact, it almost tripled in size recently. but that was going from 4 to 11 with some recent purchases of mainly less expensive pens. And I've had the first four pens for over 10 years now, so I didn't buy any new pens for a long time.

 

What constitutes a "high number" of pens is going to vary by person and probably how they see the pens. For example, I would think that generally speaking, someone who is primarily a collector is going to want more pens than someone who is primarily a user. For someone who's not into fountain pens at all, seeing others with even 2 or 3 might seem like a large number, while pen fans might consider that extremely lot.

 

Since I view myself as more of a user than a collector, I don't expect to grow my collection dramatically. I think I would like to get some more, but I don't know if I'd want to go beyond say 20-30 pens. I feel like I could probably keep ~10 pens in fairly regular active use, because I'm basically doing that right now. Up around 20 pens, it might be possible to do that if I cycle pens in and out so that only ~10 are active simultaneously. But up around 30 pens, I think I'd probably be putting my less-preferred pens away in storage or display in order to use only my preferred ones. I think I'd be more likely to limit my purchases than buy enough that I felt I had to reduce my collection. I generally don't like to let go of things I've obtained.

 

Those are some of my thoughts right now, FWIW.

[ethernautrix]

I'm a "less is more" type in general. If I had kept all of the fountain pens I bought in the past thirty years, I would have... I'll have to guess -- maybe around 200 pens. To me, that is cray-cray. Maybe the number would be closer to 150 -- but I know, from counting, that I always think I have fewer pens, so probably 200 is closer to accurate.

 

I have 20-40 pens, about half of which I consider memento or souvenir pens (which, in a sense, don't count), so about 20 that I consider my "collection" (accumulation), the ones I use and intend to use.

 

The point, for me, of having fountain pens is to use them, and yes, they must be pretty (read: aesthetically pleasing).

 

Some of my friends have hundreds or thousands of pens, but they are collectors. They have a focus and a goal. (I'm not counting the friends who repair or sell pens, cos... duh.)

 

I haven't bought a pen in more than a year, but friends have given me pens. Even if I use those (and I do sometimes), those are mementos and not pens, not the way I count.

[Betweenthelines]

I agree with your philosophy and act in accordance with it. For me my journey has been a process of refinement. I've probably owned upwards of 50+ pens, but always in flux, through a process of buying and selling, I discovered exactly what it is I like in a pen and what I don't like.

 

Now I own ~ 20, and give or take that will be my cap. My ownership criteria is three fold -

 

1. I only keep pens that I love, and are amazing writers.

2. I only keep pens that I will use.

3. I only buy pens that will add something unique to my collection.

 

This third point was something I borrowed from someone on here (sorry, can't remember who said), but always asking myself "what will this add to my collection?" has been great in really figuring out if a purchase is necessary or not.

 

I am not the "collect 20 shades of Safari" type. And I am not an "accumulation" type, where in pens will never see the light of day (or drop of ink). Seems a waste, really.

[visvamitra]

Since the beginning of my fountain pen craziness I've tried around 100 - 120 pens, I've owned around 40. But then I've realized I'm not really a collector type. So I started refining my inventory. At the moment I have around 30 pens (some cheap, some middle priced, few expensive) and I believe the number will decrease. Recently I've discovered that I use four pens most of the time (Caran d'Ache Varius, Lamy 2000, Visconti Van Gogh Sunflowers, TWSBI 58O with stub) and only one of them have perfect nib - Lamy 2000. It's incredibly smooth and wet, just as I like it. I wish I was more skiled in nib tuning, I would like to make the others as smooth as this one.

 

There are few others I'll keep because they're nice looking and good pens overall but fgor some reason I don't use them that often (Graf von Faber-Castell Guilloche in Sahara Yellow, Pilot CH 92, Franklin Christoph 14).

 

At the moment there are two pens I really want to check and probably acquire: Conid and Gimena's Ebenus 2.

[perfaddict]

I have over 40 pens, so i guess i fall into the "other group" but i dont brag about it and do not feel it is worth making sophomoric comments over. It is just what i enjoy. I rotate frequently, and always look forward to a new writing experience and, usually, different ink. I only use fountain pens and a mechanical pencil, and use them very often at work and for leisure. I do not think i need to justify why i have and enjoy a multitude of pens, but would just say that there is no one "perfect path" to what satisfies.

[vPro]

I'm with you on the 'less is more'. I'm a 'new' fountain pen user but I don't plan on getting more than 10 pens. To me, it seems pointless to have more than that, since I'm a user and if I had many more I wouldn't be able to use them all. That basically means they would end up in my drawer.

 

My current collection consists of four pens, and each has a different use:

My first, a Waterman Phileas which my lovely uncle sent to me 7 years ago as a gift. I use this for taking notes (although it's a medium-broad). It was my first pen - I don't use this too much because it has a lot of value to me.

My second is a Pilot Metropolitan. It's a fine writer until it dries out. After writing with it for about half a page, I have to push ink into the feed to make it flow nicely. This is my carry-around pen, but I'm strongly considering swapping it out for something more reliable. I won't sell it, but I have a sister that might be interested in fountain pens, and I'm sure it'll make a nice starter pen, despite its flaws.

My third is a Desiderata flex pen - a wonderful, wonderful pen that's very unique and special to me, both because the person who sent this to me is a very special person and because it writes so well. It was my first flex fountain pen and I enjoy it a lot. I purchased some new nibs for it since the one it had has gone bad I can't wait till they arrive so I can start using the pen again.

My fourth, is a 1930's Parker Vacumatic Junior. Semi-flex/flex nib (F-BB), smooth writer whether flexed or not. This and the Desiderata Pen will rarely leave my room, unless I am going somewhere for a longer period of time. They're just too valuable to me .

 

What I'm looking for is a Pilot Metropolitan replacement - a smooth writer with a fine or extra-fine line - vintage or new doesn't matter. That leaves 5-6 more pens to be acquired, maybe a stub/italic, an easy full-flex and whatever catches my eyes.

[RyanM]

Yes. I can say that at one point I had almost 50 fountain pens. 20 of these were sold on ebay, and another 10-15 given away to friends and family. I now have a reduced collection of pens I actually like, rather than ones I can afford.

[AAAndrew]

This is a perennial topic and it seems that there is a spectrum of feelings ranging from the pure user (just need a couple of pens, each very different) to the massive collector who has every variation on a certain theme or themes.

 

Most of us fall somewhere in the middle, but what unites us all is a love for the instruments themselves: their beauty, the joy of writing, etc....

 

So, my philosophy is live and let live. I prefer to focus on that which unites us rather than that which divides us from others elsewhere on this spectrum of fountain pen love.

[Blue_Moon]

No, I haven't reduced my collection of fountain pens. In fact, it almost tripled in size recently. but that was going from 4 to 11 with some recent purchases of mainly less expensive pens. And I've had the first four pens for over 10 years now, so I didn't buy any new pens for a long time.

 

Wow. That's great that you were satisfied with those four pens for a long time.

 

The point, for me, of having fountain pens is to use them, and yes, they must be pretty (read: aesthetically pleasing).

 

 

I am not the "collect 20 shades of Safari" type. And I am not an "accumulation" type, where in pens will never see the light of day (or drop of ink). Seems a waste, really.

 

I'm not either, but I have to admit - it takes will power with the different colored Lamy's for me. They really tempt me.

 

I have over 40 pens, so i guess i fall into the "other group" but i dont brag about it and do not feel it is worth making sophomoric comments over. It is just what i enjoy. I rotate frequently, and always look forward to a new writing experience and, usually, different ink. I only use fountain pens and a mechanical pencil, and use them very often at work and for leisure. I do not think i need to justify why i have and enjoy a multitude of pens, but would just say that there is no one "perfect path" to what satisfies.

 

Not saying there's anything wrong with having over 40 pens. Just saying that it's a process that I went through, and have reached the stage where I'm concentrating on a select few, and accumulating more and more pens is no longer important to me. Also, I'm not saying everyone who has many pens brags about it - just some on the thread that I read, and it annoyed me.

 

Yes. I can say that at one point I had almost 50 fountain pens. 20 of these were sold on ebay, and another 10-15 given away to friends and family. I now have a reduced collection of pens I actually like, rather than ones I can afford.

 

Yep! That's me in a nutshell.

[RyanM]

 

Yep! That's me in a nutshell.

Nice to see I'm not alone.

[Blue_Moon]

This is a perennial topic and it seems that there is a spectrum of feelings ranging from the pure user (just need a couple of pens, each very different) to the massive collector who has every variation on a certain theme or themes.

 

Most of us fall somewhere in the middle, but what unites us all is a love for the instruments themselves: their beauty, the joy of writing, etc....

 

So, my philosophy is live and let live. I prefer to focus on that which unites us rather than that which divides us from others elsewhere on this spectrum of fountain pen love.

 

Although it's hard to avoid in a topic like this, my purpose was not to focus on collector vs. user, but more so the maturity process that each person experiences over the years in the fountain pen hobby. For me, it was accumulate, (although I was using them while accumulating) accumulate, accumulate. Then, I leveled off, and cut back on my purchasing. Then, I began to focus on only those that I really liked, and started decreasing my numbers. Not saying everyone takes this same path, but, based on the responses to this thread, it seems that some do.

 

I would say even hard core collectors go through a maturation process, and make changes as they see fit, as well.

Edited April 26, 2015 by Blue_Moon

[Namo]

More or less the same story. I've had up to 50 pens, and probably about 150 passed through my hands. Now I am down to the pens I really use, those with some kind of meaning (gifts, memories...) for me and the one I couldn't possibly sell. I am really using maybe four pens and could do with two for sure (could be only one but I like to use two colors when writing).

I don't plan any more buy, but for a twsbi maybe. One of the reasons (beside plan and simple oct) I bought so many pens was to find the One, focusing on the utilitarian aspect of the pen. I did find it, even two actually, so I am pretty much done.

[Paddler]

At one time, I had 85 fountain pens. I collected that many because I wanted to know how they work and how to restore them. I wanted to know how to grind nibs and smooth them. I have pens with plain steel points, spoon points, butterfly points, round points, stubs, hard tips, and soft. I have Snorkels, Touchdown fillers, lever fillers, TipDips, cartridge fillers, converter fillers, Aerometric fillers, VacFills, and Vacumatic fillers. I have used all of them and have developed preferences for some. More importantly, I have learned what I wanted to know. Now, when a friend expresses an interest in fountain pens (or dip pens), I reach in the pen box and give him a handful. I don't know how many are left and I don't much care; they don't take up enough room to matter.

[LuckyKate]

I'm definitely a less is more type person. For fifteen years I was happy with one or two pens. The last couple of years I've acquired a number of more expensive pens that all write great. Yet I find myself gravitating towards the same four pens (2 nakayas, 4 pelikans).

 

I do like to try out pens. I just ordered a fistful of cheap jinahos. Their outrageous designs coupled with their cheap price appealed to me. But I don't count them. They're somewhere between disposable and medium term. Eventually they will be given away or forgotten.

 

For me to "count" a pen it has to have durability, sobriety, elegance. I have seven pens that count. The others are cheap thrills that just sort of roam around until they vanish.

 

I do admire serious collectors. Their fundamentalist nature provides a service I am grateful for. But I am definitely not one of them!

[FountainPages]

I think many people travel that same road...buy everything, find out what one likes and works, pare down the collection. I am currently up to 10 pens that I really like. Ideally, I'd like to reduce that to no more than seven...and there's the rub, I have 10 that I really like. And at the moment there is only one more (a grail?) that I'd like to own, a Conid Bulkfiller Minimalistica.

Edited April 27, 2015 by FountainPages

[ethernautrix]

There's one member of the Polish fp forum, Forum O Piórach, who has brought his hundreds of various Parkers, especially those made in Denmark modelled after those made in England (it's a very specific sub-section of his collection), just to show and share his love of collecting them. And these are only a part of his collection. I find that very impressive - that focus - but if I think about collecting on that scale (or even a lesser scale, say, all the Lamy Safari colors), I start to feel... suffocated. I'm sure that moving frequently and living in small apartments contribute to the "No. No, no, no. No." in my head.

 

I love my Nakayas, especially the Piccolos, and I have five of those, and even thinking about a sixth Piccolo evokes the "no." Actually, it's more like, "Why? (What on earth for?)." I have the finishes I want (and those finishes are why I have "so many" Nakayas). I can imagine wanting one entirely custom Nakaya, but I have no real desire for that. I really like the ones I have.

 

I have still some pens that I'm considering selling - cos I just don't use them. Even pens I thought I would never sell, but now I'm thinking, But every time I inked that one up in the past couple of years, it hasn't lasted a few days in rotation. I'm not going to use it. Am I keeping it just to say that I have it? What's the point of that?

Edited April 26, 2015 by ethernautrix

[Sailor Kenshin]

I was reading a thread the other day, and the content consisted of various people discussing how many pens they acquired. They associated the length of time that they had been involved with fountain pens with the number of pens they had. Some were even bragging about their numbers. Some of their comments were sophmoric.

 

I've been using/collecting fountain pens for a good while now. I began by acquiring every pen I could afford - cheap and more expensive. I had gotten upwards toward 40 pens. It dawned on me one day that I really don't use many of them. I made some changes in my pursuit of pens. I narrowed down the brands I buy, based on my personal experience with that brand. I no longer buy the cheap pens, not that many aren't great writers, but because I found that I mainly used the more expensive ones. I've sold most of the ones I don't use. I'm down to 17 pens currently. I'm looking at culling my pen some more, and at the same time adding some I really want. I currently have 17, but I imagine I'll have around 20 after the culling and acquiring. However, my collection at that time should consist of pens I love, not just pens that take up space, and that I don't care for.

 

I know that "cheap" and "more expensive" are relative. This thread is not about those definitions. I've read previously about people who have only three or five pens, sometimes 10, so I consider 17 to still be a high number of pens. Have many of you have done the same - decreased your numbers to only those you have a strong affinity for? And how many do you currently have? Also, your general thoughts about the issue?

 

Seventeen pens might be a low number for me, because I have a couple of mini-collections with different focuses. And I need some cheapies for Science Experiments.

 

Everybody's 'set point' with pens is a little different. For years, I bought every pen I could afford that elicited the 'Ooo-shiny-want' response.

 

Took me years to figure out my likes and dislikes. I had started selling and giving away pens a while back, and my numbers are a little lower, and my 'want' button a bit different.

 

But there's room for us all, and all our different approaches.

[wastelanded]

I've recently begun to cull the herd, so to speak. If I hadn't touched a pen in a year, off it went. Ten, maybe fifteen good pens that I like, and that's it.

 

Now, it's quality over quantity.

[orfew]

I once had over 40 pens. In one moment at a pen show I sold 20 of them to one dealer. I am happy with what I now have and I might just add one or two over the next year or so but maybe not. Although I still use my pens everyday I am not as obsessive about them as I once was. My hobby interests has drifted to other things in the last 6 months or so. However, I still use and enjoy the pens i have and I am quite happy about that.