Hello everyone!

I've been finding myself lurking on this board several times daily, so I thought I just cut with the peeking around and formally introduce myself.

my name is Steph, and I'm a graduate student in public health. I'm located in boston for only 6 more weeks, then it's to Baltimore for a ph.d!

I caught the fountain pen bug nearly a decade ago when my aunt gave me a waterman phileas as a graduation gift. I cherish it to this day and write with it regularly.

I caught the vintage fountain pen bug a few years ago, while at an antique shop with my partner. She was more into vintage pens than I was at the time. She came home with a parker 21, and me a sheaffer lever-filler with a 14k nib.

I've recently been trying my hand at restoration, after I randomly purchas a lot of pens off ebay.
several hundreds of dollars, many more crusty pens, and a bunch of tools and supplies later, I'm on the verge of not getting my msater's degree because this new hobby is so engaging!

My other occasion for posting is that I have successfully brought my first pen back to writing-dom!

check out the black sheaffer's the bottom of this pic...
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/firstpancake/2509891515/" title="lot 1 by First_Pancake, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3143/2509891515_d68f090134.jpg" width="280" height="400" alt="lot 1" /></a>

Here it is again. with new gaskets, new sac, lots and lots of polish.
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/firstpancake/2510707266/" title="IMG_0290 by First_Pancake, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2248/2510707266_b13a7d2231.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="IMG_0290" /></a>

I hope my future exploits do not cause too much cringing by the pen repair professionals on the site.

cheers,
Steph

Steph, welcome to FPN from out here in northern California. Glad to hear you've been bitten by the fountain pen bug. Best of luck and have fun.
By the way, for whatever reason, I don't see any images in your post.

cheers

Clancy, thanks for the warm welcome! I grew up in northern california myself
I grew up in oakland, before moving to los angeles for college.

I'm working on the pics..not sure why they're not showing :/

Hi Steph. Welcome to FPN. In what field do you gonna get your PHD ?

It will be a ph.d in Public Health from the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health

Those pics are showing now....very nice!!

Steph - Welcome to FPN!! Welcome to "Balleemore, Hon" when you get here. There is a pen club here in Baltimore and a number of us lurking out there who collect pens, or own a number of pens, to use. JHU is a great institution. GOod luck with your PhD.

Welcome!

That restored pen looks great. How does it write? Vintage Sheaffers are an interest of mine.

Oops. Apparently my post was lost in an FPN hiccough.

Chiming in with my Sheaffer Love -- got my Connaisseur (w/Levenger nib section -- I have another Connaisseur at home, the one (thank, eBay!) that replaced the one I lost a dozen years ago in Providence), Snorkel Crest, Triumph Tuckaway (love the Tucky!), Crest Laque, and a Lifetime Balance with me today.

Apparently, I'm a Sheaffer fangirl. Kindv sneaked up on me.

Nice work on the restoration, Steph, and welcome to FPN!

"Firstpancake" -- is there a story behind that moniker?

Cheers and good luck with your master's!

Lisa
(from NoCal, lived on the East Coast, back in NoCal)

Thanks, Scribe!

I'm looking forward to moving out to baltimore, and I'm excited to hear there is a coherent FP community together out there

Thanks Songwind!

The pen writes swell. It's pleasantly smooth, but a but stiffer than the feathertouch nib on a pen I use more regularly. I'm not sure how much of this is due to my left-handedness (like i'm just breaking in the nib in the other direction now)
the filling mechanism is suprisingly effective, I was really impressed with how much ink this pen is able to take in on one filling. and it quick starts even after long periods of rest.
overall, i'm really very happy with it, it has exceeded my expectations for a novice restoration on a pen that was listed as a bit of a junker.

Welcome to FPN! Your restorations look really good! Glad to have you join our growing community!

Thank you Lisa!

Nice to see some NorCal representation!

Apparently, i'm a sheaffer fangirl as well..i'm not sure how it happened either.
I just love the feel them in my hand as I write. I'm finding my self gravitating toward sales and auctions of sheaffer pens more than any other brand.
Of course, my partner is a big Parker fan. which pretty much follows the pattern of our relationship: she went to UCLA, I went to USC, she likes Law & Order, I like CSI: Las Vegas, she went to Cornell, I went to Harvard.
now, she likes Parkers and I like Sheaffers.


not much of a story behind the name. I think it was a line a caught while watching TV once that just stuck with me. It was just something about the first pancake always turning out a bit funny. I'm the oldest kid from an immigrant family. So there's a lot of 'Firsts' happening through me..and I am a bit odd!

Hi Steph- welcome to FPN.
Well, in moving to Baltimore and JHU, you will be in good fountain pen territory. Thereis a club, and there area bunch of great fountain pen stores in the DC-baltimore area. Plus, Washington DC hosts oneof thebest Pen Shows ever!!! Be sure to chec kit out.
And best of luck in your PhD studies. I, alas, am a drop-out from the Economics PhD program at t he Univ of Michigan. I will, of course go back once my health situation has stabilised.

thanks Wolverine!

I very seriously (even to the point of house hunting briefly) going to U of Mich at thier fabulous School of Public Health in Ann Arbor.
I hope your having a smooth and speedy recovery!

Not quite (drat, now I can't remember their names, Carville (the Democrat) and ... (the Republican) - never mind).

Nice story, about your screenname. My friends mock all my pancakes, heh. They took the pan and batter away from me. I got to leave the kitchen and relax. Win-win.

I swear it wasn't intentional. Ha ha ha!

Welcome Steph!

Welcome to FPN!

OH righ!...um..i can't remember thier names either
just that the rajun' cajun's lady is a republican (which i still find unbelievable!)

on a completely tangential note..I just discovered this bunny and I love it!