Hello.
I've been using FPs for about 50 years. I had a bit of a lull in the dawn of the fibre-tip and roller-ball era, but then I discovered that FPs were more comfortable. I got into collecting about 10 years ago, when I realized that as I developed arthritis in the thumbs, my old PFM was more comfortable, though I'd had it fitted with a stub nib, which was too broad for daily writing. I discovered the Zoss list (in the days when that list was fun) and asked about modern large diameter pens, and that's when collecting started.
I have now got some number over 100 (I'm in denial, so I won't count them), and I think my favourite pens are classic American ones of the '30s and '40s. Parker 51, of course, Vacumatic, Skyline, Duofold Junior, Sheaffer Balance. I don't have any really expensive pens, since my justification is that they all have to be practical writers. My very favourite nib for daily use is something like a fine semi-flex, as found on some Parkers (esp. a stripy Duofold I have).
I live in Auckland, New Zealand, where I've just retired from teaching medieval English lit. at the University. Our current cat is a young jellicle; she's still a little skittish, and spends a lot of her life up the tree in our small back garden.
Best wishes to all, including the old familiar avatars I recognise from other virtual locations,
Michael
Full Version: Hi, my name is Michael
Michael,
Welcome to FPN!
I too have found fountain pens to reduce hand pain, though I don't have arthritis.
Large diameter pens are intriguing -- have you found any others that suit you as well as the stubbed Sheaffer?
Welcome to FPN!
I too have found fountain pens to reduce hand pain, though I don't have arthritis.
Large diameter pens are intriguing -- have you found any others that suit you as well as the stubbed Sheaffer?
Welcome to the FPN Michael.
Glad you found your way there. I am looking forward to your posts.
Almost made it to NZ - well, I guess technically I did make it - but it was a flight to Sydney that stopped in NZ but didn't let us out. <_<
On flying over, I noted the lovely countryside, and decided next time it would be NZ, not Australia we'd visit. Unfortunately, next time hasn't yet come.
Gerry
Glad you found your way there. I am looking forward to your posts.
Almost made it to NZ - well, I guess technically I did make it - but it was a flight to Sydney that stopped in NZ but didn't let us out. <_<
On flying over, I noted the lovely countryside, and decided next time it would be NZ, not Australia we'd visit. Unfortunately, next time hasn't yet come.
Gerry
Hi Jeff
I actually ended up finding that the PFM is just a little too fat for precise control, for me (I have small hands). The Parker 51 I find excellent -- esp as I hold pens a fair way away from the nib. But I think the Duofold Junior flat-top is a bit of a sleeper. It's slightly fatter than the average, but small enough to be easy to control. and they're so much cheaper than the full size Duofolds, even now, because no one really goes after them. They can be a totally practical 80 y.o. pen, for the price of a very moderate modern.
BTW, it's remarkable how sensitive you can be to small differences in diameter. IIRC, the Snorkel and other TM Sheaffers are about 10.5 mm in diameter, an average pen about 11.5 - 12, and 13 is a real fatty.
Gerry
NZ isn't perfect, but it really is stupidly beautiful -- if you like coasts, green hills and mountains, that is; not good for desert aficionados. Sometimes I turn a corner and laugh out loud at Slartivartblast's latest. Even better is to walk through the country. This can be done at various levels of adventurousness, pretty much down to "Can do a day's shopping without exhaustion or turning an ankle" level. If you do come, do all the obvious tourist things -- they're the right ones to do (bungy jumping strictly optional).
Michael
I actually ended up finding that the PFM is just a little too fat for precise control, for me (I have small hands). The Parker 51 I find excellent -- esp as I hold pens a fair way away from the nib. But I think the Duofold Junior flat-top is a bit of a sleeper. It's slightly fatter than the average, but small enough to be easy to control. and they're so much cheaper than the full size Duofolds, even now, because no one really goes after them. They can be a totally practical 80 y.o. pen, for the price of a very moderate modern.
BTW, it's remarkable how sensitive you can be to small differences in diameter. IIRC, the Snorkel and other TM Sheaffers are about 10.5 mm in diameter, an average pen about 11.5 - 12, and 13 is a real fatty.
Gerry
NZ isn't perfect, but it really is stupidly beautiful -- if you like coasts, green hills and mountains, that is; not good for desert aficionados. Sometimes I turn a corner and laugh out loud at Slartivartblast's latest. Even better is to walk through the country. This can be done at various levels of adventurousness, pretty much down to "Can do a day's shopping without exhaustion or turning an ankle" level. If you do come, do all the obvious tourist things -- they're the right ones to do (bungy jumping strictly optional).
Michael
QUOTE (Michael Wright @ Aug 6 2005, 09:47 PM)
... I discovered the Zoss list (in the days when that list was fun) and asked about modern large diameter pens, and that's when collecting started.
...
...
Hello and welome to the Fountain Pen Network!
Nice to see another Zoss refugee in our midst, I thought your name looked familiar. I left completely a few years ago and have peeked in on occasion but never wanted to stay
I've re-read Norman Cantor's books several times and have slogged through Mary Carruthers 'book of memory'. Might have some back channel questions for you
Welcome!
Kurt H
Greetings and welcome, Michael.
Sounds as if you may be only a few years my junior, and as such, it's good to have some arthritic types here to keep these kids under control.
Heck, I had not used a fountain pen since grammar school until the bug bit just several months ago, so I have a lot of catching up to do.
Though desert folk now, we are originally from a more temperate part of the U.S., therefore still appreciate the lushness that goes with a place like NZ. NZ is probably tops on our list of places to go before we check out. Right now we're a bit tied down to my one month from being 100 mother in a nursing home nearby, and our aging pug dog. But when circumstances present, NZ will be visited.
I sense an attitude there, both in the citizenry and government, that closely resembles what we consider the best of times here in the U.S. when a far more pure free enterprise system existed along with a spirit of "we can do it" in the people. Our lament is that this is rapidly vanishing in the U.S. 
Enough of my rambling. Nice thing about this board is that it is easy to eschew fora that are not of interest, thus avoiding the anguish that can arise from exposure to same. So, get comfortable and enjoy!
Sounds as if you may be only a few years my junior, and as such, it's good to have some arthritic types here to keep these kids under control.
Heck, I had not used a fountain pen since grammar school until the bug bit just several months ago, so I have a lot of catching up to do.
Though desert folk now, we are originally from a more temperate part of the U.S., therefore still appreciate the lushness that goes with a place like NZ. NZ is probably tops on our list of places to go before we check out. Right now we're a bit tied down to my one month from being 100 mother in a nursing home nearby, and our aging pug dog. But when circumstances present, NZ will be visited.
I sense an attitude there, both in the citizenry and government, that closely resembles what we consider the best of times here in the U.S. when a far more pure free enterprise system existed along with a spirit of "we can do it" in the people.
Our lament is that this is rapidly vanishing in the U.S. Enough of my rambling. Nice thing about this board is that it is easy to eschew fora that are not of interest, thus avoiding the anguish that can arise from exposure to same. So, get comfortable and enjoy!
Heh.... So maybe we'll have an old-timer's get together in NZ someday Roger...
Are you going to be able to handle all that green after years of desert?
Gerry
Are you going to be able to handle all that green after years of desert?
Gerry
Welcome aboard! We'd love to see some pics of your collection. See you around the boards.
Hi Michael,
Welcome to FPN!
Like Kurt , I also recognized your name from other pen list(s); it's nice to have yet another long-time fountain pen user aboard. FPN is a fun 'n friendly place so I hope you enjoy browsing through the forums here.
I am looking forward to hearing more about your pens (I like smaller pens, too) and your lovely country in the months/years to come. My husband and I wanted to go there on holidays last year, but the airfare in December from Canada was
Hopefully one day we will make it out to NZ and be able to check out many of the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy film locations.
Welcome to FPN!
Like Kurt , I also recognized your name from other pen list(s); it's nice to have yet another long-time fountain pen user aboard. FPN is a fun 'n friendly place so I hope you enjoy browsing through the forums here.
I am looking forward to hearing more about your pens (I like smaller pens, too) and your lovely country in the months/years to come. My husband and I wanted to go there on holidays last year, but the airfare in December from Canada was
Hopefully one day we will make it out to NZ and be able to check out many of the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy film locations.
Welcome to FPN Michael !
I too recognize your name, but I don't read the Zoss list. I'm guessing from PT ? Or do you have a website ?
Enjoy our little corner of Pendom,
Denis.
I too recognize your name, but I don't read the Zoss list. I'm guessing from PT ? Or do you have a website ?
Enjoy our little corner of Pendom,
Denis.
Hi Michael,
Welcome to the Fountain Pen Nuthouse (you didn't really think the "N" stood for "Network", did you now?)!
Warm regards, Wim
Welcome to the Fountain Pen Nuthouse (you didn't really think the "N" stood for "Network", did you now?
)!QUOTE (Michael Wright @ Aug 7 2005, 05:47 AM)
Hello.
I've been using FPs for about 50 years. I had a bit of a lull in the dawn of the fibre-tip and roller-ball era, but then I discovered that FPs were more comfortable. I got into collecting about 10 years ago, when I realized that as I developed arthritis in the thumbs, my old PFM was more comfortable, though I'd had it fitted with a stub nib, which was too broad for daily writing. I discovered the Zoss list (in the days when that list was fun) and asked about modern large diameter pens, and that's when collecting started.
Interesting, that. After an absence of about 25 years I rediscovered fountain pens, about 2 years ago, and realized that they helped in no small way regarding the relief of pain in arms and hands, due to keyboard and mouse abuse... No way back since... I've been using FPs for about 50 years. I had a bit of a lull in the dawn of the fibre-tip and roller-ball era, but then I discovered that FPs were more comfortable. I got into collecting about 10 years ago, when I realized that as I developed arthritis in the thumbs, my old PFM was more comfortable, though I'd had it fitted with a stub nib, which was too broad for daily writing. I discovered the Zoss list (in the days when that list was fun) and asked about modern large diameter pens, and that's when collecting started.
QUOTE
I have now got some number over 100 (I'm in denial, so I won't count them), and I think my favourite pens are classic American ones of the '30s and '40s. Parker 51, of course, Vacumatic, Skyline, Duofold Junior, Sheaffer Balance. I don't have any really expensive pens, since my justification is that they all have to be practical writers. My very favourite nib for daily use is something like a fine semi-flex, as found on some Parkers (esp. a stripy Duofold I have).
My accumulation is going a slightly different direction. I have some fancy, big fast writers, and a bunch of specially nibbed pens, all of these modern, and a few vintage pens, which I don't really use, for a variety of reasons, but mostly because of the unreliabilty of the feed systems (way too much ink coming down those feeds).QUOTE
I live in Auckland, New Zealand, where I've just retired from teaching medieval English lit. at the University.
Hey, I've got relatives (uncle, nephew, niece) near Auckland. I want to go and visit them within the next few years... QUOTE
Our current cat is a young jellicle; she's still a little skittish, and spends a lot of her life up the tree in our small back garden.
Ours is a little older, 10 1/2 years now, and she has become very lively after her last visit to the vet, a few months ago, and a change in diet. Cats are such lovely animals...QUOTE
Best wishes to all, including the old familiar avatars I recognise from other virtual locations,
Michael
Thank you, and to you too. I hope you enjoy your stay here!Michael
Warm regards, Wim
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