Hi Pen People,
-This appears as a site where posters enjoy the using and collecting of fountain pens. I decided to be "cheepgary" because of my bent toward finding less expensive pens and (horrors) modifying the ball ends toward a squared-off cursive italic or italic-style nib.
-I was thinking yesterday that I have been using fountain pens for 49 years. At age 11 in the sixth grade I was in Zanesville, Ohio, where that very year in handwriting class we moved from dip pens and inkwells to plastic penholders housing ballpoint refills.
-The Zaner-Blosser posters were at the top of the blackboard as our cursive models. I was a pretty good copier and excelled at aping the model. Both my parents used fountain pens all their lives. My city bus driving Father filled out his cash-in envelope with a Parker at the end of each shift. My Mother used her Sheaffer to post report cards for her first graders.
-I used fountain pens (the cartridge-filled, translucent student Sheaffers, mostly) through high school. In college I used the Parker 51? my parents gave me at high school graduation as well as a Koh-i-noor technical pen for taking notes.
-Somewhere in the late '70's I got my first Platignum italic set and used that to address Christmas cards. I progressed (regressed?) into a user-collector of Platignums and Osmroids (both older and newer versions) until their demise.
-Alas, I have the questionable fortune of living (in Maryland) close enough to the DC Pen Show site that I attend each year and drag home a few new or modern vintage pens to nib-butcher.
-I look forward to seeing what moves others to love fountain pens.
cheepgary

I have a real fondness for the squared off cursive italic or stub with line variation. You'll have to post photos and methods for yours. I have done 2 and I am very happy with the results. Of course anything fancy goes to the nib master.

Welcome to FPN and enjoy your visit..........................

Welcome to FPN. Friendly group of pen users here.

Lots of nice stuff to see here. I'm partial to vintage pens. You might find the older stuff has some charm.

regards

david

Another welcome from Texas--I'm another user for many years of those translucent Sheaffers! Lots of us on here either can't or won't spend fortunes on their pens. Looking forward to your contributions.

Welcome to the forum - have fun!

Welcome to FPN from Kentucky

Hi Gary,
If you were at the D.C. show, did you notice the nut trying out all the inks at one in the morning...that was yours truly!