I have been lurking for some time, now, gathering information from the learned masses who post to the forums. It is time to come out into the open, to confess my addiction, and to beg forgiveness because it was all in the interests of medical treatment. That’s it. medical treatment. Buy pens, not drugs. I bought my first fountain pen in 1985, an Elysee black enamel fine point that was offered as an accessory to the time management system I used. I was amazed at how much easier it made writing for my arthritic hands. Ten years later I bought my second fountain pen, a plain black Parker Sonnet, as a retirement gift to myself when I left the Navy to begin a second career as a science teacher. Again, the pen made writing easier and I alternated between the two. Then, two years ago, I was researching Mark Twain and discovered the world of vintage pens. There were functioning Wirts and Conklins and MacKinnon Stylographs out there to be bought and used. As an amateur historian (and closet Luddite) I was thoroughly and hopelessly hooked by the thrill of using a century old pen. Those first acquisitions led to Moore retractables and the indescribable joy of producing a nice, wet line with a flex nib attached to a BHR pen. My writing hand felt great and some of my science students started requesting bathroom and hall passes just to see what the pen of the day looked like. About that time I discovered Fountain Pen Network, leading me to broaden my outlook (and collection) somewhat to include pens as recent as an older Parker 51 and a pair of Sheaffer Balances. I derive great tactile and emotional satisfaction from writing with a vintage pen, not to mention the comfort factor. My arthritic hands love fountain pens because they allow virtually pain free writing, even when marking stacks of lab reports and exams. Six or seven lines with a ballpoint or gel pen produces considerable pain but I can write pages with an old Conklin Crescent or Moore or even a new Phileas (a gift from a student) without discomfort. My current grading pen is a Sheaffer snorkel filled with Noodler’s Antietam (that historian, again). Fountain pens are better than aspirin, ibuprofen, or Naproxen! They’re prettier to look at, more fun to use, and they don’t cause stomach upset (except when the bills come due).
Unfortunately, they are also far more addictive. One pen led to another and another and another. Of course I needed ink and one bottle led to another and another and... I knew I was a goner when a coworker gave me a “useless” Pelikan M400 that was being tempermental. Aided by posts on the network I diagnosed the problem, flushed it and flossed it and tweaked the nib a little and it wrote like a dream. I had my first Pelikan and an ego-stoking, addiction enhancing sense of achievement from my first “repair”. Resistance was futile. What else could I do? I just bought Da Book. Abandon all hope...
Glad to be here and, again, thanks for all the help (or is it enabling) you have provided over the past few months. This community is absolutely amazing.
Full Version: Hello from NE Florida
QUOTE(kestrel @ Sep 23 2007, 07:28 PM) [snapback]377456[/snapback]
I have been lurking for some time, now, gathering information from the learned masses who post to the forums. It is time to come out into the open, to confess my addiction, and to beg forgiveness because it was all in the interests of medical treatment. That’s it. medical treatment. Buy pens, not drugs. I bought my first fountain pen in 1985, an Elysee black enamel fine point that was offered as an accessory to the time management system I used. I was amazed at how much easier it made writing for my arthritic hands. Ten years later I bought my second fountain pen, a plain black Parker Sonnet, as a retirement gift to myself when I left the Navy to begin a second career as a science teacher. Again, the pen made writing easier and I alternated between the two. Then, two years ago, I was researching Mark Twain and discovered the world of vintage pens. There were functioning Wirts and Conklins and MacKinnon Stylographs out there to be bought and used. As an amateur historian (and closet Luddite) I was thoroughly and hopelessly hooked by the thrill of using a century old pen. Those first acquisitions led to Moore retractables and the indescribable joy of producing a nice, wet line with a flex nib attached to a BHR pen. My writing hand felt great and some of my science students started requesting bathroom and hall passes just to see what the pen of the day looked like. About that time I discovered Fountain Pen Network, leading me to broaden my outlook (and collection) somewhat to include pens as recent as an older Parker 51 and a pair of Sheaffer Balances. I derive great tactile and emotional satisfaction from writing with a vintage pen, not to mention the comfort factor. My arthritic hands love fountain pens because they allow virtually pain free writing, even when marking stacks of lab reports and exams. Six or seven lines with a ballpoint or gel pen produces considerable pain but I can write pages with an old Conklin Crescent or Moore or even a new Phileas (a gift from a student) without discomfort. My current grading pen is a Sheaffer snorkel filled with Noodler’s Antietam (that historian, again). Fountain pens are better than aspirin, ibuprofen, or Naproxen! They’re prettier to look at, more fun to use, and they don’t cause stomach upset (except when the bills come due).
Unfortunately, they are also far more addictive. One pen led to another and another and another. Of course I needed ink and one bottle led to another and another and... I knew I was a goner when a coworker gave me a “useless” Pelikan M400 that was being tempermental. Aided by posts on the network I diagnosed the problem, flushed it and flossed it and tweaked the nib a little and it wrote like a dream. I had my first Pelikan and an ego-stoking, addiction enhancing sense of achievement from my first “repair”. Resistance was futile. What else could I do? I just bought Da Book. Abandon all hope...
Glad to be here and, again, thanks for all the help (or is it enabling) you have provided over the past few months. This community is absolutely amazing.
Unfortunately, they are also far more addictive. One pen led to another and another and another. Of course I needed ink and one bottle led to another and another and... I knew I was a goner when a coworker gave me a “useless” Pelikan M400 that was being tempermental. Aided by posts on the network I diagnosed the problem, flushed it and flossed it and tweaked the nib a little and it wrote like a dream. I had my first Pelikan and an ego-stoking, addiction enhancing sense of achievement from my first “repair”. Resistance was futile. What else could I do? I just bought Da Book. Abandon all hope...
Glad to be here and, again, thanks for all the help (or is it enabling) you have provided over the past few months. This community is absolutely amazing.
Dave,
It is wonderful to find another person who is in love with vintage pens!! I have noticed that a fair amount of contributors to these forums seem to have newer pens (Of course, I am very new here - only a week or so - and I probably don't have a very accurate picture yet of the pens represented here) I have my share of new pens, but when I found a Parker 51 in my mother's things when she passed away and I found out that old pens could be repaired - I was hooked. I have some wonderful Wahl pens including an oversized Gold seal with a deco band, roller clip and huge nib. I enjoy using my Sheaffer balance pens as well. I have since collected many Parker 51's, 21's and vacumatics. I have not focused my attention on any one brand of vintage pen - there are just too many to pick from and they are so beautiful. I have learned to make some minor repairs which has also be exciting. Congrats on the Pelikan acquisition and repair - that is one pen I do not have as yet but I have written with them and they truly write wonderfully. Welcome aboard.
Suzie (Projectqoe)
Dave welcome to FPN! I look foward to your posts about your pen likes and dislikes, your favorite inks, new purchases, etc.
Have fun!!!
Have fun!!!
Dave, you are most welcome here.
Three of the pens in my current rotation are older than I, and I'm over 50! Many of us here love vintage pens and recommend them to new users.
Get yourself a couple of old Esterbrook J models, some sacs and J bars and shellac and crack open Da Book and have at it!
Let's see some photos of your faves while you are at it.
Andy
Three of the pens in my current rotation are older than I, and I'm over 50! Many of us here love vintage pens and recommend them to new users.
Get yourself a couple of old Esterbrook J models, some sacs and J bars and shellac and crack open Da Book and have at it!
Let's see some photos of your faves while you are at it.
Andy
Welcome to FPN from Kentucky and another vinatge lover/collector. The Pelikan will be a pen you'll want to use again and again and if/when you get yourself and Esterbrook as Andy mentioned you'll enjoy that one also.
Welcome to FPN and the Adventure.
Welcome to FPN............ 
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