Is it wrong to customize a rare vintage FP?

[amin]

Just wondering how others feel about this. If you had plans to customize a vintage fountain pen, and then found out that the pen you had was a somewhat rare pen, would that keep you from customizing the pen? I'm not speaking about considerations of resale value here; rather, I'm asking whether it is bad for the pen community to do such a thing. For the sake of discussion, let's say the hypothetical vintage pen in question were in good, clean condition, but certainly not mint or close to that. Again, for the sake of discussion I want to clarify what I mean by customize. I'm not talking about a nib grind here, but something more dramatic, such changing the pen's color, material, filling system, nib, etc. What are your thoughts?

[JRodriguez]

I think that if you have the pen, and it would make you happy to alter it in whatever way, then by all means go for it.

[Wolverine1]

I feel that unless the pen is in dead mint condition, and that you have purchased it as an investment, modifying it should be OK. After all, it is your pen, and you want to use it as a pen, so, you ought to feel free to do whatsoever you feel is needed to make the pen function the way you want it to.

[Glenn-SC]

Once the pen is yours, you can do whatever you want to or with it.

[FrankB]

In some circles your question raises much controversy. I agree with the others here that once it is your pen you are free to do with it what you will. Your question indicates that you intend to use the pen, and I am of the mind that pens are to be used.

 

I am at an age where many of my once new pens are now considered vintage. The first pen I bought intentionally as a vintage pen was a Parker Big Red. The pen was not mint, but was/is in nice condition. It had a great wet B nib that I wanted converted to an italic. I recall I sent it to John Mottishaw for customizing. He suggested that I might ruin the vintage character of the pen because there were no italic Parker factory nibs available as options in the 1920's. There were, however, stub nibs. I opted for a stub nib, cut a little sharper than might have been available from the factory at that time, but that little bit of customizing might have been dome by an individual in the 1920's. Thus, I have a pen that might be historically "accurate" but with a nib that I enjoy and love using.

 

I have remained attentive to that original recommendation and have chosen to have subsequent nibs similarly customized. But that is my own choice. I relate this story to you just for information.

 

I hope this narrative helps.