I'm new to fountain pens, so this seemed like a really good resource for finding out information on FPs in general, repair, and other sundry.

I'm currently an "IT Specialist", which is a catch-all term at my company (a lobby group) meaning that I'm basically in charge of everything computer-related. I spend most of my time programming and maintaining databases. By and large, this is fulfilling work, and makes great use of my computer science degree.

My primary "hobby" as such is art, specifically illustration. It happens these days that, when I'm not at work (and, er, sometimes when I'm at work, shhhh), I'm probably doodling. For a while I've mostly worked with pens, although never fountain pens until now. My current tools are a couple different widths of Sakura Micron technical pens, and a neat refillable Japanese brushpen manufactured by Kuretake. I've just recently purchased a Waterman 52 1/2V, so as soon as that arrives in the post I will start playing.

My future illustration goals include publishing an independent graphic novel, and obviously part of this task is lettering. Personally, I've always preferred hand-lettering over using fonts (Edward Gorey is my hero), and fountain pens seemed ideally suited to this task. I'm no stranger to carrying pens with me everywhere--my friends pretty much count on me to have a pen handy whenever needed--and to date have relied on a steady stream of Pilot P-500s, eschewing the standard ballpoint pens for nearly a decade. A fountain pen, though, would certainly be a step up in terms of class!!

So! I'm looking forward to absorbing the collective knowledge here, and hopefully one day I'll be able to contribute something worthwhile back. Thanks for having me!

KF -

Welcome! I am always amazed at the different connections through which we arrive at an interest in fountain pens. Our bunch is getting more eclectic by the day. We've all sorts here. Stay a while and make yourself at home!

Welcome aboard Kingfisher! Very interesting intro - thanks! We'd certainly be interested in seeing some of your graphics work. Also, you've come to a very good place if you're interested in FPs, inks, and writing. Some of our folks have handwriting that can only be described as artwork (I'm not one of them, and if you see any of my writing, that will be immediately clear). Glad you found us and see you around!

Forgot to ask - where in NC? I'm in eastern NC, half way between Raleigh and Wilmington in northern Duplin County - just about 15 minutes off of I-40. Glad to see our compliment of NCers is growing.

I live in Southern Raleigh, and work downtown; I'm a transplant from Fayetteville, I ended up sticking around here after I finished college at NCSU

Welcome!

If you are in the Raleigh, NC area, you are in the neighborhood of the Triangle Pen Club!

We will be meeting November 20 in Durham.

Here are the details:

Triangle Pen Club page on RossPens.com

Cool. Thanks. I'm a grad from the school that beat y'all 31-10 a couple of weeks ago . Just funnin' with ya - thought I'd welcome you to the FPNuthouse all proper-like.

Hi Kingfissure,

You should find this board a pleasant place to while away spare moments to spare hours!

I get a kick out of trying to figure out the more arcane and cryptic screen names. Yours sure has me . "Large Crack"? That's my stab at a literal translation. Am I close? What the heck does it mean?

Welcome and enjoy!

Well, I think southpaw got it I think it's a play on words....Now my question is who is in your avatar, Cole (kingfissure <---edited to correct spelling!)) ?

In any case, welcome to FPN!

As I have said before, there sure are a lot of North Carolina folks here on FPN....

I looked up some of your drawings---nice, clean lines (hey, I'm no art critic but I know what I like!)...very nice! I admire people who are gifted in the creative arts

Welcome Kingfissure!!

Good to have another tarheel (state nickname, actually, I'm a Wolfpacker!). There does seem (as Maja said) an awful lot of North Carolinians here. I live in Johnston County near 40 and 42 (just across the line). It's good to be rolling with the king!

Now let's get that post count up!
Kj

KendallJ> Thanks!

PenHero> Nice! I'll try and make it to some of those I don't think I will be able to this month, but perhaps next?

Southpaw> It's okay, we're pretty much resigned to this being a terrible season for us. I'm thinking a bowl is definitely not in our immediate future. At least it broke ya'll out of your small losin' streak, and this time with more points on the board instead of it being so close! Is Clemson the origin of your username?

Roger> hahaha, "large crack", I like that It's sort of a long story, but the short version is--my real name is Cole, and so some people like to refer to me as King (as in Old King Cole, or maybe even Nat King Cole). One day I was thinking to myself "it would be neat to start a band, but what should I call it?" (for the records, I play the guitar, although terribly); after much deliberation, I settled on "Kingfissure," which as Maja pointed out is a play on the word "Kingfisher" (a sort of bird), I thought using "fissure" instead would sound tougher, like some sort of heavy-duty geologic action is going on! After the band idea died away, I wanted to use the name for an antagonist in a comic I was planning, but eventually started using the name instead as my online nom de guerre. And so here I am

Maja> the avatar is actually a picture of my grandfather on my father's side, taken in 1907. I occasionally use this avatar online because people will use pictures of themselves, so I thought I'd be silly and do a time-travel of sorts I actually look a little like him. Thanks for looking at my art I'm not terribly good right now, in the grand scheme of things, but I've been making definite progress over the last few years especially so I'm excited about the future!

kjervin> Thanks! Woohoo for Carolinians!

And thanks again everybody for welcoming me Like I said, I'm really new at this game, but hopefully in time I'll have something to contribute

Hello KF and welcome to the FPN! I have a few friends in Japan who use Sakura Micron technical pens, and they really love them for technical drawings. Likewise, refillable brush pens are nice to find, but lately, many of them are the newer disposable type, which are much cheaper.

Mannenhitsu> Thanks! Yeah, I've been using the microns for a while, I think they're great. I've been thinking of upgrading to a set of refillable rotring rapidographs and seeing how those suit me, I hear good things about them. The brushpen has been awesome because of how versatile it is, and I think I've actually improved my linework as a consequence of learning how to control the thing

I'm looking forward to using a fountain pen, because I think that it will help me to concentrate on learning better penmanship in a similar fashion. I don't exactly have chickenscratch handwriting now, but it could definitely stand to improve!

Thanks for helping our record. Unfortunately, it didn't last long.

My username originates from my being left-handed, which is supposed to make FP use difficult, or so the story goes. Just have to use a little bit of sense with nib, paper, and ink choices.

See ya around!

Welcome to the board! From another IT Specialist who works in downtown Raleigh.... though I live in Johnston.