Here are few questions I would like to know:

1.How did you get to the FPN ?
2.How often do you check the FPN ?
3.How did it affect your penn collection ?

1.I found the FPN about a year and a half ago.I was in Israel in a home visit.I was stuck at my inlaws place because at the time the war was raging and catusha rockets were landing on the city so going out was out of the question (fabolous vecation ha ?) so I was bored and I was surfing the net with my father in laws computer and I thought to myself there is a forum about everything so maybe there will be a forum about pens and the rest is history.

2.I probably check the FPN 2-3 times a day.I have access to computer and home and at work so I will give it a pick when I am not busy.

3.Since I started to read the threads and comments on the FPN I have learned A LOT more about pens.I cant believe the amount of information I was exposed to in this forum.You guys are always happy to share you knolage and I enjoy that very much.I also changed my taste a bit becuase of the influence of stuff I read here.
In general I would say the FPN gave me a stage to read and write about my biggest passion and to share my passion with other and while in the process to lean a lot.
Oh and of course to buy and sell pens from a bunch of reliable people.

I just want to say thank you everybody

1.How did you get to the FPN ? Had been into RBs (low end stuff) for a bit and decided to try an FP or two. Bought a few pieces of junk off of that auction site and, fortunately, while surfing/searching the net before they arrived I found FPN.
2.How often do you check the FPN ? It varies greatly. Now that I'm a Mod, I try to make sure I do a few times each day. I have gone for a couple of months without checking, but usually (before being a Mod) daily or at least every other day.
3.How did it affect your pen collection ? FPN kept me from bailing on FPs. Had I just tried the junkers that came, I would have bailed quickly. I've learned a lot. FPN has also infected me with this bug and now I have too many pens and inks. It has been and is fun. THANKS to all who've made it so. I wish we'd get back to more of a focus on FPs and less on all the OT stuff that creates the chaos that seems to have become all too common of late.

1.How did you get to the FPN ?
Surfing the net. Actually, I was looking for a ball pen site and I stumbled in here after a Google search.
2.How often do you check the FPN ?
Too often. Most free time on the computer is spent spot checking this site. At least a couple hours a day. No life I guess.
3.How did it affect your penn collection ?
The review archive is a nice resource. A lot of times what people have to say about a pen sways me one way or another. I like several reviews of one pen from different people. Another thing is just being able to put up questions about a pen I'm thinking about, that helps. Even though my mind is made up about a pen, a comment from a member might make me think and slow down on pulling the trigger on a deal. And the Marketplace has shaped my pen collection because it allows me to buy a pre-owned pen at a fraction of the cost that I might not have bought otherwise. Lastly, some of the wiser, pen savy members got me into pens I'd never have bought otherwise, an example is the "51", and some pens from China. I'm waiting on the Red Army Long March, a pen I'd never be getting if it wasn't from comments made on FPN. The list is endless.

1. I am a new member. I was visiting ebay and saw a jade green Parker Senior listed as perfect, rare and worth $1975.00 I politely told the guy that it was hardly perfect since it was badly discolored and wasn't supposed to be as he put it "amber" He was rather rude in his reply and accused be of being a member of some group of hecklers or something... So I did a google search on this PHILLIP BENZ guy and found a lengthy discussion here. This is the group he thought I belonged to. I didn't but I do now. I very much enjoyed reading about the wonderful Mr Benz.

2. So far I am just learning my way around here and have not gone too far yet but I have been checking in here, so far, a couple times a day.

3. I thought I was fairly knowlegeable about pens but quickly realized there is a whole lot of newer pens i have never heard about. I was surprised how many Lamay users there seems to be. Because of stuff i read here, I just ordered a Pilot 823.
I am a retired high school art teacher and I have some drawing calligraphy pens and a little over a hundred twenty various other pens both new-ish and vintage.

1.How did you get to the FPN ?
Google search on "fountain pen forums" garnered this site.. I've never felt like looking for another.

2.How often do you check the FPN ?
Usually once a day.. maybe more. My job is boring sometimes.

3.How did it affect your pen collection ?
Well, before I came to FPN I had a Parker Vector that I had owned for about 10 years. Now I have an assortment of 12 pens most of which are vintage and need some TLC. I'll most likely increase that collection as I get better at restoring the pens I've accumulated thus far. Oh.. and once I figure out how to get my girlfriend to understand why I need so many pens.

1. I found FPN surfing the Web. I think I was looking for information on a particular brand and model of pen, and I Googled it, and a comment posted on FPN came up.

2. I'm pretty compulsive about checking FPN once or twice a day. It's a stressbuster for me, as well as a great pen resource.

3. My pen collection has grown by leaps and bounds since I discovered FPN, mostly due to the information in the Review and Marketplace sections. It's been a great pleasure to discover new brands through FPNers.

Lisa

1. How did I find the FPN?
As I remember, I followed a link from The Noble Savage on another pen site.

2. How often do I check FPN?
On the average, once per day. I might go a while without checking at all, then check several times a day for a while.

3. How did it affect my pen collection?
It has made me learn about vintage pens. Actually, it made me a collector, rather than just a guy who owned one FP.

1. How did you get to the FPN?
I did a "Google" search for information pertaining to Cross fountain pens, and ended up here.

2. How often do you check the FPN?
Uh, I think I have replaced my obsessing over the "Large Format Photography Forum" with this one. Damn these obsessions.

3. How did it affect your pen collection?
FPN is responsible for effecting the exponential growth of my pen collection. Curses.

I had been participating on the Pentrace site for a long while. One day there was a thread asking if anyone had checked out FPN. I had not, so I came here. I liked the segregation of subjects, the fact that one had to register to participate (Pentrace did not require that at the time and there were some serious problems with trolls) and I generally liked the people and their thread subjects.

I check in about twice a day.

I really do not know how many ways my own collecting has been influenced by FPN. I take the pen reviews seriously, and I have not bothered to buy some pens that did not review well. I have gotten a lot of great ideas from the threads, and some of those ideas dealt with pens that I purchased.

1.How did you get to the FPN ?
2.How often do you check the FPN ?
3.How did it affect your penn collection ?

1. I found it on Wikipedia one night while moseying around the 'Fountain pen' page.
2. Daily.
3. My pen-collection has increased by three fountain pens since I joined. With a fourth hopefully coming soon.

1.How did you get to the FPN ?

Just from Googling around a little more than two years ago. I was at a funraising event for a very underfunded grassroots nonprofit and among the knick-knacks at their silent auction was a Montblanc Kafka Limited Edition Set in box, with papers. The fountain pen had not been inked. Starting bid -- $150. I didn't know about pens, but I knew that the 146 by itself was, oh, at least a couple of hundred dollars (ha ha!). Anyway, I got into a bidding war with only one other person and walked home with it for $325. When I googled it and checked it out on eB*y, I felt like a real smart guy. Very unusual for me.

It turns out that one of the Board of Directors' father had given it to him, but he didn't want to be caught dead with something so "bourgeois"! For a while I was thinking of just selling it... but the pens were so pretty and I hadn't used a fountain pen in decades and it was about time I worked on my awful handwriting and and and... So I inked it and started keeping a journal. But I couldn't take a Kafka to work with me (wouldn't be caught dead with something so bourgeois ), so after checking here at FPN, I picked up a Safari with an M nib. Still one of my favorite pens, although I replaced the M with an F and will order an EF to match my current handwriting.

2.How often do you check the FPN ?

Oh... well, you know, alot, you know, I mean, like, if it's a slow day at work -- I mean lunch -- not really much, not excessively much, so like, kinda a lot. I wish FPN had an RSS feed, but I don't want to suggest it since it is one of the best boards out there in terms of software features. I'd be a demanding ingrate to suggest such. Still...

3.How did it affect your pen collection?

To be serious, the members here are an incredible resource! Knowledgeable and willing to share. I'd have to say that all my purchases since the Kafka have been shaped by information posted here.

Doug

P.S. I've been enjoying reading the responses here.

1.How did you get to the FPN ?
I seem to recall someone on Pentrace posting about it and I decided to check it out. This was over 3 years ago....
2.How often do you check the FPN ?
Couple of times a day on weekends and once daily on weekdays (on average)
3.How did it affect your penn collection ?
Well, reading the Marketplace posts and Pen Reviews sections made it increase in size but I think I am a much better-informed buyer now, thanks to the Reviews section and helpful posts here.

Thanks to everyone---Admins, Mods and posters---for making this site so great!

1. How did you get to the FPN?
From the pen site that had Snail in its title (I don't recall the whole name). I think that I followed a link in someone's signature (?Dillo). Can't remember how I got there, I think it must have been from anther site - possibly an organization site like 43folders or some such.
2. How often do you check the FPN?
Several times a day - sometimes several times an hour in the evening. More since I have been moderating.
3. How did it affect your pen collection?
It exploded my pen collection. I got in to the M200 and now have a few of those with several different nibs including two custom grinds. My Safari collection has also burgeoned and I have nearly all of the available nibs for this pen. My ink collection was hit the hardest and creeps up by the month!

I was googling on some Italian pen (Stipula or Nettuno, most likely) and wound up here.

Now I have a new Stipula, so can I blame y'all?

1) by accident when looking details on a pen
2) almost everyday I check it
3) it affected my pen purchase significantly because it gave me ideas of what pen to buy all the time

1) Found the site by accident while surfing for pen info.
2) Check in most days.
3) Made me think more about some of the vintage pens I have and I now use them more. Also opened my eyes to makes I wouldn't normally looks at. In some ways I now buy less pens as I spend less time on ebay and have got a bit more discerning. also made me think more about ink, although my favourites still tend to be blues and blacks.

Andy

1. Site was recommended to me in a snail from a former Pentracer and I decided to check it out.
2. Since my computer is on constantly, I check FPN several times a day, whenever I get tired of working on what I'm supposed to be working on and need a break.
3. Got me much more interested in Japanese pens which have gradually become the new mainstay of my pen assortment. Since becoming a regular reader and poster here, I have bought a number of modern Japanese pens.

1.How did you get to the FPN ?
Was surfing the net and drooling over pens sold by online retailers, was looking for an eyedropper and then did a google search and eureka I find FPN.

2.How often do you check the FPN ?

7-8 times daily. from home and office. I am probably gonna get divorced or sacked from work.....probably both!

3.How did it affect your penn collection ?

It became more refined/expensive and grew by leaps and bounds.

1.How did you get to the FPN ?
A: Accidentally. I was surfing / Google-ing for a fix to a nib problem and one of the results was a link to a FPN post. (everything we post here gets cached with Google)
2.How often do you check the FPN ?
A: Depends on circumstance. If I'm on a boring conference call, I'll stay on the site. On average I usually check in 10+ times a week to catch up and learn.
3.How did it affect your penn collection ?
A: HAH! Have purchased about 20 new pens since joining less than a year ago. The underlying question? How did it affect my bank account? OUCH!

Here are few questions I would like to know:

1.How did you get to the FPN ? By the way it was created as an place to meet while Rambling Snail was down. This was years ago and probably most people don't remember Rambling Snail


2.How often do you check the FPN ? There was a time that I checked it very often But the situation was forced to change and I might check it twice a day and maybe more or less often on the weekend.

3.How did it affect your pen collection ? Not at all I was collecting about the same with Ikonpen, ACPP, Zoss, Pentrace, Rambling Snail. IT hasn't changed my pen collecting- maybe how I view other pen collectors and who I think of as 'friends' online

1. Google brought me here while I was looking for info on a specific pen.

2. How often? Varies considerably. Everyone is so helpful and knowledgeable, I'd like to visit more often and longer.

3. Pens up, cash down. Since I joined just a couple of months ago, I have purchased a Sailor 1911 with music nib, a Pencraft Herald from Brian Gray, a Bexley Poseidon tortie with stub nib, and a Nakaya Piccolo with medium nib (should be here any day!!! ), and several new and interesting ink colors. My knowledge base has grown exponentially because of all of yours. Thank you.

John

1.How did you get to the FPN ?
2.How often do you check the FPN ?
3.How did it affect your penn collection ?

1. Was on some fountain pen email group (can't recall which anymore). Believe it was Maja that mentioned this 'site in a response to a topic.

2. Normally a few times a day when not at work -- during the workweek, maybe once or twice in the evening. It can be very informative -- normally learning something each time I read a topic or two.

3. I was never a fan of ballpoint (find myself 'pressing' on the paper when writing) so naturally evolved to a rollerball years ago. I read an article describing fountain pens as a less-stressful way of writing (no force used to write) -- almost painting with a nib. Once I started looking at the FP Reviews, that was it. I went from a couple FPs to about a dozen (mostly Conway Stewarts).

My best,

Paul

1. Googling something about a pen issue.
2. Now and then.
3. Pen issue resolved. If I stick around too much, I might get an urge to buy another pen, and after a few days here, I found out you could spend a hundred dollars on a pen, and after a few more days I realized that quite a few people here have done that, so I think I'll go easy.

1) I was doing some research on Esterbrook and came upon Brian Andersons web site. It had a link to FPN and I clicked it out of curiosity

2) Other than the last week or so, I check 2-3 times a day and mostley at work during lunch

3) The main thing is that FPN made me a smarter collector. It's a "one stop shop" for questions you have due to the knowledge base and therefore can go into a purchase with a little more knowledge of what you are buying and is it worth it. If nothing else, you have a link to various people that can restore that pen you just had to have

1.I was googling about my newly acquired Sheaffer Intrigue at the beginning of 2006 & Penhero site ultimately led me to FPN from its link!
2. My phone browser's home page is FPN, so virtually any time I feel bored!
3. Definite direction, knowledge and guidence! Oh I used to miss something in life before joining FPN!
SEASON'S GREETINGS TO ALL MEMBERS!
Abhik

1.How did you get to the FPN ?

Early last year, I was shopping for a pen with a finer nib than the only one I had at the time, a Pelikano. Searching around led me here, and I had a look at the reviews. After that, I forgot FPN existed until the summer, when I bought a Monteverde Jewelria that was a trifle cranky and skippy. Again I came here and searched through all the threads in an attempt to get it to write better (I did). But of course, while searching for particular threads, you read an awful lot of other threads. And it was fun and then I was hooked.


2.How often do you check the FPN ?
Daily, sometimes more. I am a procrastinator.

3.How did it affect your pen collection ?
When I bought my Pelikan M150, I was positively scandalized that I had brought myself to the state where I was paying $45 for a pen! Being on FPN has caused me to raise my ceiling a bit. But not by much; I'm still a frugal user by and large. And in any case, FPN has pointed me to where the best prices and service can be found - I'm certainly getting a lot more for my money from being here.

1. Found a review by The Noble Savage via Google

2. First site that I check in the morning. It's where most of my email comes from. I check it at work in my lunch break then spend a couple of hours in the evening as a minimum on it. I don't have a TV or games console!

3. The pen collection has grown massively since looking here, but I have found pens that I would have never heard of in the "real world".

With the very odd exception, the people here are friendly and only too happy to help when one has a question. Whilst I still know very little, I try to follow that general ethos by helping everyone that I can. I have learnt a hell of a lot from you and I would like to offer my thanks for the knowledge that you have imparted. To those sellers that "smile on us" from the UK a special word of thanks. Without you, there would be very little of any worth in my collection as I just wouldn't pay the protectionist prices we have over here.

1.How did you get to the FPN ?

Google. I searched for "fountain pen," and this was the first non-commercial site that appeared.

2.How often do you check the FPN ?

Quite frequently. I love the sense of community and camaraderie here, and there are always interesting posts to be read. So, even now when I haven't the budget for new pen purchases, I tend to keep the site up in the background somewhere if I'm at my computer, and check now and then to see what I haven't read yet.

3.How did it affect your pen collection ?

It created it. I've progressed from, "I think I might like a fountain pen," to being a collector of same, and it's all the FPN's fault!

1.How did you get to the FPN ?
Found FPN when I was researching a fountain pen I bought - a Parker 45.

2.How often do you check the FPN ?
Too often. All the time. Almost everytime I'm online.

3.How did it affect your pen collection ?
It made me want all kinds of pens. Instead of one I bought about 8 the first month.
Now I collect vintage pens. It's not just about having one pen to write with anymore.

1. i have always enjoy using higher end pens but always ball point for some reason i decided to look at fountain pens
i used to try caligraphy and have i nice section of dipping pens for that i havent used them in years

i started checking fp's out and was amazed to find the amount of pens and that they are still used
i found a few pens that interested me and started searching around to see which one would suit me best
my search landed me here

soon after i joined and made my first purchace of a bexley then a pelican and now i am thinking of a pencraft

i had no plan to become involved i just planned to get a fp to switch up from bp yea right

2. i check it a few times a day when ever possible

3. the fpn is made me see that fp's are very interesting and that one is not enough i really dont want to be a collector i want to have seveal pens as users and i want to try more inks and colors to help the writing experience also papers and notebooks

i wish i had more things i had to write in long hand so i could use my pens more even i dont i enjoy using them to just noddle and see how the pens compare to each other and to the different inks and papers
i have always been a tweeker with everything i have gotten into

i love this place i only wish i was more experienced and could add more to the forum

marc

merry christmas and happy holidays