[Dr Ozzie]

The truth my friends is that in the Golden Age of FP these instruments we now see as "luxurious novelties" were a necessary and expensive tool. If adjusted for inflation, people back then were probably paying prices similar to what we pay today for a Sonnet or a Pelikan M400 or any middle of the line FP. To most people back then a FP was not a novelty item, it was a tool much like Blackberries and Laptops are to most college students and businessmen and women.

So my question is, are there any modern FP users that have gotten to this same level, where you view your FPs as an integral part of your work day and look upon ballpoints with the same weird look that non FP users give you when they stare at a FP?

I think I have gotten there and here's why. Lately I have found myself drawn more to the Pelikan M200 because they are more utilitarian even though my budjet allows me to get M400s tru M1000s with little financial strain. I seem to be drawn more and more not to flash but to quality useful FPs.

While I still read up on and would not refuse the chance to test a Limited Edition pen, my interest for personal use seems to be drawing more and more to the mid-level range

I have almost stopped refering to my FPs in public as Fountain Pens and simply refer to them as pens. This forum is pretty much the only place when i refer to FPs by that name instead of simply just using PEN, only because many members here also talk about the ballpoint and Rollerball pen versions of individual models.

Lastly, ballpoints seem almost alien to me. The last remaining ballpoint i own is a Parker Jotter (pocket pen for when am going out in jeans and a t-shirt.) I might replace it as soon as i get a metal FP, Cross is out of the equation because i cant stand plain metal pens, maybe a Parker Sonnet Sicele, i like the engraved patterns on the barrel.

So am curious, am I the only one who has become so inmersed in FPs that you now see them the way I do, as a necessary tool of the trade? Are ballpoint pens almost alien to you?

This post has been edited by Dr Ozzie: 18 March 2008 - 04:18 PM

[EventHorizon]

I would say yes, you are a FP user.

I can count on one hand how many times I've used a BP over the last few months and then only because I was on the production floor where I DO NOT carry my FP's. I have a mechanical pencil if I need to sketch some tooling at work so beyond all of that, I am a full time user of fountain pens. I, like you, stay away from LE pens but for me it's mainly due to cost.

[swarden43]

So am curious, am I the only one who has become so inmersed in FPs that you now see them the way I do, as a necessary tool of the trade? Are ballpoint pens almost alien to you?[/b]

Yes, you're a real fountain pen user. No, you're not the only one who sees FPs as a necessary tool of the trade. FPs are all I carry any more. Yes, ballpoints are almost alien to me.

Funny you mention the Parker Jotter ballpoint. That used to be all I carried due to my disdain for stick pens. I walked into Paradise Pen looking for an upgraded ballpoint and saw the FPs. Needless to say, I got hooked.

[Rapt]

I have one BP (Fisher space pen) I carry to give to people to use, or when a FP won't write.

The rest of my pens are FP's. I like the feel and experience of using a real writing tool. I'd like M200's a lot better if they were a tad bigger (but I don't think an Omas 360 is large) so YMWV.

[goodguy]

Dear Dr Ozzie

I cant tell you how much I have enjoyed reading you thread.I like people that look at themselfs and around and asess how things are persived.
I think we are different in certain way in our approach to pens as you are very obviously a pure pen user.You look and enjoy pens for what they are-writing tool.You dont need a pen to be flashy but rather confortable in your hand.
I am both a collector and a user.The pens that I use are very few.I use for everyday Omas Paragon.Its a black pen with a white nib.There is nothing interesting or eye chatching about it but its a wonderful writer.I have no need to make a statment when writing a pen even though I enjoy very much to chat with people about pens.
On the othe hand I am also a collector and since I hardly ever use the pens I collect it makes no different what these pens look like as long as I enjoy them.
All I can say is I wish you to enjoy your pens for many more years and thank you for the wonderful thread.

This post has been edited by goodguy: 18 March 2008 - 04:43 PM

[Dr Ozzie]

Thank you all for your kind remarks.

Rapt, I might have to look at Omas. I must admit that I am a bit of a Pelikan addict, though I do have a few Watermans and Parkers that I enjoy writting with. However, am not familiar with Omas. Might have to research them more closely. Its always good to be open minded when searching for quality writters.

The key I have come to define pens by are:

1) Must be an excellent writter, if the nib has issues then I don't care the cost or looks of the pen, i wont buy it!
2) Must be built well, I use all of my pens in rotation and they must be able to stand everyday use well.

I guess thats about it! Nice and simple

This post has been edited by Dr Ozzie: 18 March 2008 - 04:52 PM

[ruud2904]

Yes, you are a user. I use a blackberry as well as a laptop, but also carry 4 or 5 FP's with me, most of them are vintage.

Ballpoints are more or less unavoidable when I have to write something on a very smooth postcard, where FP ink will not hold or signing the backside of a new credicard (why is there no FP ink for this ??), but otherwise most of the collegues at the office think I am the alien for using such an old device as a FP. It is funny to see that most of the collegue hardly have the patience to wait until the ink is dry enough to take papers back that I have signed. One advantage of using a FP is that nobody at the office by accident will take or borrow my pen. So yes, I am a user too and I enjoy that every single day

Ruud

[asamsky]

I totally agree about a utilitarian view of fountain pens. I like my pens to be unobtrusive so I can use them as a writing tool in front of other people without drawing attention. The Pelikan m200 is great for this, as is the Parker 51. I especially like these pens because although they aren't flashy they are still obviously of very high quality - they feel durable and a little luxurious, and you can see the exacting attention that went into their manufacture. To me, this is the best of both nerdy worlds - a serious fountain pen that works excellently as a writing instrument without drawing attention to itself, AND a little piece of craftsmanship and luxury that I can appreciate privately even if I'm taking notes in a crowded seminar.

Whew! Now I think I need to visit the analyst to see exactly WHY I have this desire. Paging Dr. Freud!

[goodguy]

Thank you all for your kind remarks.

Rapt, I might have to look at Omas. I must admit that I am a bit of a Pelikan addict, though I do have a few Watermans and Parkers that I enjoy writting with. However, am not familiar with Omas. Might have to research them more closely. Its always good to be open minded when searching for quality writters.

The key I have come to define pens by are:

1) Must be an excellent writter, if the nib has issues then I don't care the cost or looks of the pen, i wont buy it!
2) Must be built well, I use all of my pens in rotation and they must be able to stand everyday use well.

I guess thats about it! Nice and simple

First I love Pelikan pens.I am yet to find a Pelikan I didnt like.I owned 2 Pelikan and they both were wonderful.
I plan to buy a Pelikan M1000 soon.

I need to add 2 more factors that are important for me in writers.

1.They must feel solid in the hand.I had few pens that were good writers like sheaffer School pens and Parker Vector but they looked and felt cheap so I let them go.
2.I prefer even though its not a must to have piston filler in my writers over other filling mechanism because it has big ink capacity and mostly because they are pure fun.
Of course any nib issue will mean the pen will not be used.I will send the pen to get fixed and then assesed what I will do with it.

[Stylo]

The truth my friends is that in the Golden Age of FP these instruments we now see as "luxurious novelties" were a necessary and expensive tool. ... To most people back then a FP was not a novelty item, it was a tool much like Blackberries and Laptops are to most college students and businessmen and women.

I question this starting premise of the thread. As someone who grew up using fountain pens, the image of folks carrying around nice fountain pens as "ecessary and expensive tools" doesn't ring true to me. Just like a number of folks nowadays carry around nice and expensive BP/RBs from Montblanc, Parker, Waterman, etc., a number of people indeed carried around nice FPs. But just like the majority of BPs today are of the cheaper variety, I think so were the majority of FPs used back then. Sure, they cost a little more than the Bics, but we are talking about $5 to at the very most $20. Many were no name school pens, with nicer ones getting close to say a Pelikano.

[R.ticle One]

I just wanted to throw in that for even the most tech-heavy person, who may have a laptop, cellphone, or three, PDA or two, iPod, BlueTooth, etc. (none of which I have or use, personally), it seems to me that regular use of a fountain pen(s) can be a "mechanical balance" to instant, digital-everything. I say this having read ruud2904 say that:

"It is funny to see that most of the collegue hardly have the patience to wait until the ink is dry enough to take papers back that I have signed."

We need to learn to slow down sometimes.

R.ticle One

[asamsky]

I just wanted to throw in that for even the most tech-heavy person, who may have a laptop, cellphone, or three, PDA or two, iPod, BlueTooth, etc. (none of which I have or use, personally), it seems to me that regular use of a fountain pen(s) can be a "mechanical balance" to instant, digital-everything. I say this having read ruud2904 say that:

"It is funny to see that most of the collegue hardly have the patience to wait until the ink is dry enough to take papers back that I have signed."

We need to learn to slow down sometimes.

R.ticle One

That's an interesting observation. I had always thought that fountain pens appeal to tech people because a fountain pen is much more complicated and gadget-y than a disposable ballpoint. I imagined that they see it as another complicated accessory like an iPod or Blackberry. Any thoughts?

[Ernst Bitterman]

The truth my friends is that in the Golden Age of FP these instruments we now see as "luxurious novelties" were a necessary and expensive tool.....

I question this starting premise of the thread. As someone who grew up using fountain pens, the image of folks carrying around nice fountain pens as "ecessary and expensive tools" doesn't ring true to me....

Well, it depends on your definition of 'expensive'. Relative to today's sub-$1 Bic Stic, the $1 Wearever of 1944 or the $2.50 Esterbrook(body + point) are rather dearer; closer to $10 in current terms. Not a vast expense, but imagine facing a situation where $10 is the absolute minimum one could pay for an inky writing instrument (as opposed to the minimum one could pay for an FP, which is very close to being the case today still). We'll not even consider the 'low-end' Sheaffer 3-25 of the late 1920's.

Of course, since I have a functional example of each of the pens I mention above (alas, there are some Bics about the house-- I never use them, so they remain functional), that $10-equivalent is well-spent. I fully expect my nearly-born son to got to his first serious job with one of my lever-fill pens down his shirt pocket.

On the subject at hand, I can hardly consider leaving the house without a pen, my use of the word is limited to FPs, and I have established a desk-set next to the monitor on my work-station for the daily writing demands of my job. Definitely in the "regular tool" camp.

[MYU]

Well, anybody who uses a fountain pen is a real fountain pen user... what would you be otherwise? If you have a real fountain pen, you can't be fake.

Now perhaps you may be referring to being a "totally devoted" fountain pen user, which is a different story. Certainly you are, Dr. Ozzie. Anybody who shuns the use of a ballpoint and/or calls a fountain pen just a "pen" is one.

I am a real fountain pen user, but I can't say I'm totally devoted. I do use other types of pens. And what brings a smile to my face most of all is when I go to use a rollerball and the darned thing skips. Or the ballpoint blobs. Then out comes the fountain pen and ahhhhhhh... dreamy ink glides across the paper. That is, until I realize I forgot to check the ink level and the pen dries up!

[MYU]

That's an interesting observation. I had always thought that fountain pens appeal to tech people because a fountain pen is much more complicated and gadget-y than a disposable ballpoint. I imagined that they see it as another complicated accessory like an iPod or Blackberry. Any thoughts?

I wouldn't view it as being complicated... actually, they can be rather simple. A nib, a feed, a cartridge, and a barrel to house them. I find it more as R.ticle stated--the embracing of the older ways, in the face of the massively digital times we're in. A nice contrast. But even more importantly, that in the scope of pen to paper, the fountain pen is still superior for the writing experience. You can't get line variation with a rollerball or ballpoint. And the smoothness of a well tuned nib gliding across paper is seldom mimicked with rollerballs. There is one new kind of rollerball cartridge with a "wet ink" that comes close, but that's about it.