Greetings from the Central Coast of CA!

I must begin with heartfelt thanks to all of you who post all this valuable and interesting information. Since I am on my summer break from teaching, I am able to be grateful for all of the pages and pages of information, pictures, reviews and writing samples, but considering the hours I have spent here in the last two weeks, I am glad I stumbled upon this site when I have this time!

Of course, reading here is not without consequences, and I have some serious fountain pen wishes now...as I dream and save, I am happy with my Waterman Phileas and Levenger Samba (although the nib creep on this one annoys me a bit.) I also have a few Pilot 78's coming. I cleaned out the local art store of converters to put in my pens, and I WILL not buy more ink for at least another couple of weeks...

Why do I want a Parker 51 so badly?!? I have never even held one in my hand, but I am sure that I need one.

Happy writing!
Leah

Hey, welcome aboard from the Southern Coast of CA!

Yeah, I swore to myself that I was just getting that Waterman Harmonie so I'd have something nice to write with at work. And, pfft, all those bottles of ink? Why SURELY I'd need just ONE, right?

Boy, I am so wrong... I'm so far left I've turned right.

One Harmonie turned into a Phileas, a Pelikan M200, three vintage Sheaffer Snorkels, an Esterbrook...

And one bottle of ink turned into 5-6 bottles of Noodler's, two of Mont Blanc....

Well, just know you're in good company.

Welcome from another Central Coast pen collector taking a summer break from educating! Which local art store did you clean out? I go to Palace Arts here in Santa Cruz for ink once in a while.

--Doug

You sound like you're going to be right at home here.........Welcome to the forum.

Hi REdwood Gal.
Welcome.
I'm from the Central Coast near Morro Bay.
In this small town area, no access to a decent pen store with a wide variety. Most of the deals I get are through the net, anyways.
I started with some art pens, cheapie Sheaffer calligraphy pens (which are some of my favorite writers) and now I have 13 active inked pens and 10 other pens that have been given to me or made their way into my box. Once friends and acquaintances know you are interested in pens, they tend to show up.
You can curtail the ink frenzy by buying some basic colors then mixing them yourself.
If we could only make our own pens.......
Have fun here..great place for new ideas and education.
Wanda

Welcome to FPN, Leah!!! It is great to have you here.
Also, please check the Club/Meetings Sub-forum, for notices about the Pan pacific pen Club.. I dont know how far north you are at, but, I think that this very active club meets somewhere in the greater Bay area.
-Sid

Hello Leah and welcome to FPN from just a wee bit inland Mendocino county. Reading your introductory post, I can sense in you the same excitement I felt when I stumbled upon this forum just over a year ago. Isn't this a fantastic community with which to share one's addiction hobby?
Glad to have you with us.

cheers

Welcome to the FPN!

Mark

Thanks all for the kind welcome!



I cleaned out Palace Arts in SC. I guess it's a small world in the fountain pen world. Do you have any other local places to shop?



Thanks for the welcome! I eagerly await the day my friends and family start giving me more pens. Actually my Waterman was a gift from my brother, not that he is interested in FP, he just figured it would be a good match for my quirky person. I'll have to do some more reading on mixing inks...



I have to trek over to the Bay Area for most shopping, so I'll look into this. My friends will know that I have really, truly gone off the deep end when I go to a pen club...

Ain't that the truth. Our admin person, who I am constantly offering up pens to try, just about hit the floor laughing when I told her about the great deal I got on a pen at Pan Paciific Pen Club. She totally overlooked the fact that I saved $300 (on a $500 Bexley owners club) and was in laughing fits about the fact that there are such things as pen clubs and I attended a meeting.
Sometimes, it is hard to be who you are. Suddenly, I felt as though I had just admitted I was a 'trekkie'. I wriggled about in that 'pen-geek' coat for a bit as she laughed, it was feeling a bit itchy, but it is quite comfortable now.

Hello and welcome to FPN!

Hi there and fine fine fine!

Your Phil (as I like to call him) is more than okay but save your money (not all that much) and get a Pelikan M200 or 215 (no, I don't work for them).
A parker 51 is an absolute "standard, perfect" FP. Ask Richard or look at his site. Ask ANYBODY!!
If I could only keep only one single FP it would be my 51 !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Greetings

Mike

Welcome, from the Peninsula!

I had never held a Parker 51 in my hand until someone here sent me one to try... and then I traded some pens for it, because it was PERFECT, and then...


it broke.

Well... I guess I broke it.

And then, trying to fix it, I destroyed it. ACK!

It's sitting on my desk, just left of the monitor, sigh.

So, yeah, I'll get another one, eventually. (Slams palm against forehead repeatedly: Stupid, stupid, careless, stupid!)

Anyway, this is a good place -- to get convinced about which pens you NEED*. Ha ha ha!


-Lisa


*More than you ever thought.

Welcome!

I grew up in San Jose, back before it became the silicon valley. I miss the way it was, not what it's become. Norther is better.

Welcome to FPN.

Hello and welcome to FPN.

Hello and welcome aboard the FPN, from the "Water-Winter Wonderland" of Michigan.