Do you loan fountain pens?

[Green Maned Lion]

I decided I am going to keep my Parker Reflex in my bag to give as a loaner pen. What do you do when someone whom you trust to some extent ask if they can borrow a pen for, say, the duration of a meeting?

[Taki]

I carry a rollerball for this purpose. One of my VP nibs was ruined when someone took it out of my hand and used it before I could stop the person(she was on the phone and trying to write something down quickly). I had to bend it back so that I could retract it into the barrel :ph34r:

Edited November 6, 2006 by Taki

[umenohana]

I carry a rollerball for this purpose. One of my VP nibs was ruined when someone took it out of my hand and used it before I could stop the person(she was on the phone and trying to write something down quickly). I had to bend it back so that I could retract it into the barrel :ph34r:

A nightmare!

 

I keep rollers for this, too. :ltcapd: Am I being thoughtful, or just defensive? lol!

 

-Hana

[Scribbles]

For me it would depend on who it is that is asking to borrow the FP. I'd certainly loan most any fountain pen to a friend if they were a fellow FP user. That being said I don't currently have any really valuable FPs.

 

For anyone else I'd loan them a designated loaner FP as long as I had enough time to give them some basic instruction. I'd be willing to let them try other FPs later once they were accustomed to writing with them.

 

For a quick grab and jot I'd pass them a ball point or roller ball. At a meeting I doubt I'd have time for any discussion on the sideline.

 

My main reason for loaning them out: If we don't let people try we won't convert them to FP users.

 

[Edited to add to the post]

Edited November 6, 2006 by Scribbles

[Scribbles]

I carry a rollerball for this purpose. One of my VP nibs was ruined when someone took it out of my hand and used it before I could stop the person(she was on the phone and trying to write something down quickly). I had to bend it back so that I could retract it into the barrel :ph34r:

Did they pay for the damaged pen? Were you able to explain to them what they did or were you just stuck with the damage?

[Escribiente]

For years, I carried a Senator Windsor Blue in my briefcase for those occasions in which I didn't want to use what may be taken as a flashy pen, but also to loan it to one of those few students who, invariably, come to midterms and finals without a pen. The Senator Windsor was used and abused by a score of students for years, and, the last time I filled it, it still wrote smoothly. Unfortunately, I have misplaced it and I cannot find another one. Does someone know where I can find another one?

[Green Maned Lion]

I'm not loaning anyone the pride of my collection (at this moment the M200, which i still can't get over what an amazing pen it is), because I wouldn't want to risk losing the pen I always write with, but If the person had some prior experiance with fountain pens i'd offer other ones. If its anyone, they can borrow my Parker Reflex. I don't care that much if they break it. I like my only ball point (an old style Rotring 600) and would rather lose the Parker then the Rotring.

[kathywc]

I regularly lend out pens in meetings and such. I find it is a great way to recruit. <G> But, I do have to add two things to that. One, is that I don't have a lot of rare or expensive pens. And, two is that, for those few expensive pens I do have, they do not get lent out except to other FP people I know really well. Oh, and I do tend to pick out the best writers for this, since the whole idea is to recruit them.....<G>

 

kathy wc

[Taki]

Did they pay for the damaged pen? Were you able to explain to them what they did or were you just stuck with the damage?

No, I have an extra VP nib and I knew she didn't mean to do the damage so I didn't say anything.

[pigpogm]

All this talk of recruiting makes this sound like some nasty and evil cult, sapping people of their time and money, rather than what it actually is - a kinda fun and evil cult, sapping people of their time and money.

 

Personally, I have a habit of running around thrusting pens into people's hands, along with index cards or notebooks, saying "try this pen!"

 

You'd be surprised how few of them have taken out restraining orders.

 

So far.

 

:blink:

 

For some, the pleasure of a good pen us just to have it - keeping it in a cabinet, unused. For many others, there's no fun in it unless they ink it and use it. Personally, I think there's a lot more enjoyment in a pen when I share the experience with more people, and I think it's worth the risk to the pens. It would probably be different if I had any really expensive ones.

[Ruaidhri]

There is only one pen I won't loan. Not my most expensive (a MkIII "51") but HUGE sentimental value.

 

If my parents & family had not trusted me to use their pens I'd be living in Bicland

 

Ruaidhrí

[Benjamin McFerret]

If I'm carrying a cheap pen like a Phileas, I'll let anyone use it. I usually have a reflex or a Varsity in my messenger bag to loan out. On the other hand, I barely trust myself with my more expensive pens. The one exception is that I let my 10 year old son use any and all of my pens. I'd also let my wife use any of my pens but she'd rather not.

 

Ben

[penmanila]

i try to always keep a ballpoint handy for those situations when someone at work sticks out a hand and says, "i need a pen to sign this with. do you have one?" (and it's obvious that i do, with a big fat parker duofold or m800 sticking out of my pocket.) i imgaine that 70% of these people have never used a fountain pen before, and are likely to turn your M nib into an oblique or something worse when you get it back. if i don't have a ballpen, i'll offer my parker or pelikan--but i'll uncap it myself and hold the cap, to make sure i or the other person won't forget where the pen should go back to

[Dillo]

Hi,

 

I do pick out a pen that I think would be suited.

 

Dillon

[DavidM1]

After finding my newish Lamy in noticeably worse shape for someone else's use I couldn't lend another readily. In the end I had the nib replaced. I might keep a cheap fountain pen for lending but more likely it will be anything handy.

[Arkanabar]

I lend a ballpoint at this time.

 

If I wind up owning a Kultur or another Phileas, I would feel pretty comfortable lending it, as the nib is very sturdy. The pen would come with a bit of instruction -- "The quill goes on the top, and it writes with very little pressure, so go easy on it." And I'd hang on to the cap.

 

I have a Safari, and they're pretty bulletproof too (and new nibs are cheap), but the grip facets confuse people.

[kissing]

if it's a person I don't know well, I would almost definitely lend him the ballpoint.

 

if it's a close friend who I deliberately want to attract to fountain pens - I might lend him/her some of my 'low-risk' fountain pens (Vectors, Inoxcroms - inexpensive steel nibbed)

[Blade Runner]

I don't lend fps or toothbrushes.

I usually have a nibless to lend. On the occasions when I didn't, I told the persons that it's fp, and could you ask someone else? I have no problem with that whatsoever.

[corniche]

Greetings all,

 

Whenever someone asks me for a pen, I usually respond, "so sorry, speak no English." Then I smile politely, nod and slowly walk away.*

 

Best wishes,

 

Sean

 

 

*: Unless it is an immediate family member, then I cave in and loan them the pen; besides, they know I can speak English.

[krz]

I could loan one if I knew the borrower knew how to use a fountain pen. And I would gladly take time to show a friend if they took an interest. My hesitation would be partly to save the pen, and partly to save the potential borrower's clothing.