Hello everyone. I found this site several weeks ago and Have been reading quite a bit. the time has come to introduce myself.

I live in Schaumburg, Illinois and I've been using fountain pens for most of my life. Since I'm 58 now, that has been quite a while. Schaumburg is a suburb that is Northwest of Chicago. I'm an American history teacher in a junior high and I've been in the same school for 36 years. I've given some thought to retiring but it probably won't be for a while. I love the kids, I love teaching, and I'm having a great time trying to teach young people about the world we live in. I can't think of anything in retirement that would give me more enjoyment.

At present I have about 75 fountain pens. I don't collect anything in particular. I just buy whatever I think is interesting. I've got a few modern pens but mostly I'm looking for the vintage kind. What do I carry in my pocket on a regular basis? It changes over time, but I presently have have in rotation a Parker 51 (dark blue with a gold filled cap), a large 1945 Parker Duofold (Red and gray striped), a green striped Waterman's W5, an Onoto no 16 (brown marble), and a black 1949 Sheaffer touchdown Valiant with a Triumph nib. I usually carry two and pick whatever pen strikes my fancy as I walk out the door each day.

The kids at school know to ask me most days what I have in my pocket. They know that they can sometimes get me off the topic by getting me to talk about fountain pens. Little do they know that I'm really teaching them about changes in technology. I also often pass the pens around and give them a chace to try something new. They also like to drag in old pens from Grandma's house for me to take a look. Some have even started to use fountain pens. Unfortunately, a few have also learned how to flip ink.

In addition to teaching I worked for 21 years as a sports writer for a suburban Chicago paper (The Daily Herald). My beat was covering horseracing. The Herald and I have parted ways but I'm still very actively involved in the racing scene. I'm a member of the National Turf Writers Association and write a monthly column for the Illinois Racing News. I've also finished one book (as yet unpublished) and I'm working on a second.

Because the Kentucky Derby always falls on the same weekend as the Chicago Pen Show, I've never been. That will be changed this year. I'm looking forward to putting faces with names.

I'm also an avid gardner. There are about 65 rose bushes in the back yard and hundreds of perenials. Roses are like fountain pens. We always have "about" some number. I'm also an avid ponder with a backyard pond and fish.

Several years ago on a rose forum the subject of fountain pens came up. I was plesently surprised to discover that the fast majority of serious rose growers are also fountain pen users. It was funny. Everybody thought that they were the only ones.

I contribute on an irregular basis to 3 racing forums, 2 rose forums, and Peegs.com, a forum for Indiana University basketball. I'm an IU grad and bleed cream and crimson (Go Hoosiers!). I wish I could find ink in that color. I'm a big basketball fan and spend 16 years as a basketball coach. I lead a pretty busy life, but I promise to drop by here often enough to keep track of what's going on.

I hope I can contribute something interesting here. I'm positive that I'll learn far more than I can ever contribute.

I'm somewhat adicted to eBay and usually repair the pens that I buy. I've bought my share of goats but I've also found a few treasures along the way. The thrill is in the hunt. I can't think of a greater thrill than to take a junk pen and bring it back to life with your own hands and skill. That is satisfaction.

Let's see - history teacher, rosarian, horse racing fan, and fountain pen user - there has to be a connection there somewhere.

Ray

Hello Ray and welcome to FPN.
Although I live in New Zealand I have actually been to Schaumburg. I used to work for Motorola and visited their HQ.
I love Chicago, one of my favourite cities in the World. As a keen blues fan I went to Kingston Mines blues club in North Halsted, what a night.
You already have quite a collection and you've found the right nut-house to talk about them.

Gary

Welcome to this forum. It is a most friendly and helpful group.

I am in Princeton, Illinois but take my wife shopping in Schaumburg often.

I always loved history but have found very little time to devote to it....

So what did you carry today in your pocket?

Cordially,

Pedro

Welcome;

I drive through your patch quite often when I'm working. I have clients all over Chicagoland and 90 is my primary road. I live an hour west of you in (north of) Garden Prairie. Not so far west as our friend in Princeton (though I've been there too).

I think you would be a great person to have involved in the PCA's Pens for Kids Program. This program is not nearly as ramped up as it should be and we're really going to need a load of people working on it. If you are interested drop me a line at rwolfhound@direcway.com.

Roger W.

Hello Ray and welcome to FPN! Sounds like you have been well-bitten by the FP bug, so you'll fit right in.

Very nice intro - thanks for taking the time to put it together for us. Also, quite a collection you've got going there. What's your favorite?

Hope to see you around - and don't worry about learning more than what you contribute - that's certainly what it's been for me and probably for quite a few others as well.

Take care,
southpaw

Thanks for the welcome.

I carried the Duofold and the 51 today. The Duofold is pretty new to me (gave it to myself for Christmas) and I like it bunches. It is big and wet! The 51 has been the only constant. I picked it up at the Kane County Flea Market about 3 years ago for $40 and it was pretty near perfect except for a tiny ding right on the cap lip. Most people I give it to and ask them to find the flaw and they can't. Anyway, I guess the 51 would be the favorite because of the length of time that I've used it. It also seems to get the most response from people. "Where did you get that" and "I remember I had one of those when I was in school".

The Onoto came to be by way of eBay from New Zealand about 2 years ago. It took me a year to get the section off. I couldn't figure out if it was a slip fit or screw and was afraid to break the darn thing. Finally, in frustration I cooked it with my wife's hair dryer and gave it a twist. Crack! It was a slip fit. It has a very flexible nib, pretty much like the Swan that I have. Not a good everyday user because it is tricky to use. It puts down a ton of ink but I sometimes have trouble getting it to start properly. I need to practice a bit more.

The Waterman's W5 I got from Medicine Hat, Alberta about 2 week's ago. One horrible picture on eBay but I took a chance. Cost me about $30 and it looks like it is new out of the box. I stuck a new sac in and it was ready to go. Also has a flexible nib but no where close to the Onoto.

The Valiant I picked up on eBay about 5 years ago. It was one of the first pens that I bought (probably paid about $20 back then) I just like the feel of the pen. It really needs the seals replaced because it doesn't take a load of ink now. It is on my to do list. Funny thing is that I have a brown Valiant set that is pretty near perfect. Another eBay buy from someone who had restored the pen. I can't bring myself to ink the thing. That's unusual because I like to use the pens that I've got. The black Sheaffer on the other hand is like an old shoe, if you know what I mean. It's comfortable.

Don't get the idea that I always find good pens. I have a box full of eBay goats (including a Wyvern) that I got today. Can't decide if I should leave a negative and risk retaliation.

Ray

Hi, neighbor. Welcome to FPN.

Hi, neighbor!

I'm up in Barrington, and close to you in age as well (55). I only have a few pens, but I use them all in a random rotation.

I'm also fairly new to this group and have found it a warm, inviting place.

Mike

LOL!!! All the Illinoisians are coming out of the woodwork!
Maybe there could be a Chicago FPN meet....

Native Chicagoan here...born and brought up in Old Town. Now living in Michigan, but coming home SOON!! For good!

There is a Chiago Pen Club, and I can send you the contact info if you like. The guy who runs it is Len Proviso. They just had a meeting a couple of weeks ago. They meet once a month. Also, the Chicago Pen Show is one of the largest in the world. Sometime in April, over by O'Hare. Len will have all the info.

Welcome to here!! Renaldi's (Brodaway, just north of Diversey) has THE best pizza!


satrap
:bunny1:

I would be interested in finding out about the Chicago pen club but more interested if there are any groups in the NW suburbs. I thought the Chicago Pen Show was always the first weekend in May.

Ray H

Ray;

How many pen clubs do you think there are? Chicago is the only one and meets usually in North Chicago. We tried one somewhere out towards Wheaton and three of us showed up. Len, is trying to vary the location of the Chicago club so that maybe we could meet further west on occasion. You know a good place to meet around Schaumburg?

Roger W.

Champs or Bahama Breeze, both on Golf Rd. are nice.

Roger W.
Obviously, I'm new to the pen club thing. I had no idea that the Chicago area had only one pen club. I guess it might even extend farther than the Chicago area if you are from Rockford.

Ray H

Ray;

The whole pen hobby is fairly new for that matter. The Chicago club started up on three years ago if I remember right (maybe four). The Pen Collectors of America is seeking to get more people into pens as well. The Chicago pen show attracts say a little over 1,000 participants, but a lot of them are from out of state or out of the country. It's not a large hobby. Maybe interest can continue to grow and the greater chicagoland area could maybe support two groups one day.

Roger W.

Join the PCA
www.pencollectors.com

Hey there, just read this thread and I have done some traveling in your neck of the woods over the last year or so. The Bahama Breeze is a great place to meet, good food and a nice crowd as well usually.

There is a really nice pen shop in the Woodlands Mall, which the name escapes me right now, but they have a really good selection. As well, last time I was there the MB boutique was still on the top floor of the mall.

If I am ever coming back down for business, I will shoot you a line.

How far is Barrington from Hoffman Estates?? I know where Schaumberg is, but Barrington sounds familiar. Is that where the Hilton is and the Brass Brewery is across the street I doobie leaf

Cheers,
SG

Executive Essentials is inside Woodfield.

Colorado Pen closed down a while back.

Schaumburg!? That's right by my hometown: Naperville. I'm in California for college, but if you all ever have a pen club meeting in the NW suburbs, please let me know. If I'm at home, I'd love to come. Especially if it happens again in Wheaton--that's about 15 minutes from my house. Talk about a small world.

Geographically speaking - Schaumburg pretty much surrounds Hoffman Estates. the next suburb to the north are the Barringtons. That would include South Barrington, Barrington Lakes, Barrington Hills, and Barrington. I might have left out a few. The whole Barrington area is pretty large and spread out and also very upscale. Schaumburg and Hoffman Estates are economically a step down from The Barringtons but not exactly impoverished. They are buying houses on my street to knock down just for the lots. The new houses that are going up start at about $700k. You wouldn't find a lot in that price range in the Barringtons.

Just a guess but I'm guessing that most of the pen collection interest in the Chicago area is probably centered in the North, Northwest and West suburbs. If you are buying new, this is not a poor man's hobby.

Ray

Hi,

Welcome!!

Dillon

Hi, I got this really old post from a Google search I just did on pen stores in Naperville.
Anyway, just thought I'd throw it out there that there will be a LOT of calligraphers descending on your town beginning next Saturday at North Central College for "Letters Mingle Souls" The community is welcome on Sunday and there are a lot of activities scheduled during the week. Since this chain gathered a lot of people from Illinois, I thought there might be some interest. I'm not sure how this site works, since I only recently joined (January) and haven't been here since then, so if this post isn't "out there" on the site enough, someone please push it so it gets some attention.
Thanks,
Deborah Basel

Greetings from a former suburbanite Chicagoan now in London!

Rick

Greetings as well from a former suburban Chicago resident!

I did some growing up in Lansing (south side) went to college in Elmhurst, did some living in Lombard, and hung out at a really cool coffee shop in Wheaton. Oh, and can't forget Medieval Times in Schaumburg.

I never had stomping grounds again like I had growing up in Chicagoland. I was all OVER the place.