Delurking from PigPog

[pigpogm]

Er, hi, I'm pigpogm, and I think I may have a pen problem.

 

Where to start? Well, I guess background would be good. I'm a bit of a corporate dropout at the moment, having given up my job almost a year ago now, and relying on the income of my wonderful wife and the odd bit of income from Google ads on our web site, PigPog.

 

The site is all about creativity, which includes pens, and researching for that is what has lead me to fountain pens. I tried for a long time to understand why anyone would actually use a fountain pen when such good gel pens and rollerballs were around so cheaply, but I first 'got it' when I bought a Lamy Safari whilst on honeymoon.

 

Ah. The instant flow. The smoothness. The lack of pressure needed. Just something about the feel.

 

My writings about pens can be found here, including my recent article on choosing a fountain pen, which I'd welcome any feedback or corrections on. I've only been looking at fountain pens for a few months, so I suspect there's one or two people around here who my have slightly more experience

 

What else? Oh, yes, the pens...

 

The first fountain pen I actually liked was my Lamy Safari, and no matter how many others I try, I keep coming back to what fantastic value those things are. Not to everyone's tastes, but such a responsive and easy to use fountain pen for such a low price.

 

I picked up a Rotring Skynn recently too. Meh. Not actually bad, but not to my tastes.

 

I bought a Parker 45 recently (Special GT Flighter) from Staples, on the grounds that I've read that they're going out of production (again?) and it might be my last chance. It replaced the Safari as my favourite. I then got started on eBay, and my first purchase was a second hand 45 of the older type, with a fine nib. I've swapped the nib units over, so now I have the GT Flighter with a fine nib as my main pen. But that may not last long, either...

 

After watching lots of things on eBay creeping up out of my price range, and getting sniped at the last minute on a few things, I had a bit of better luck, and didn't get sniped or outbid for a Parker Slimfold. I gather these aren't the most sought after or valuable of Parkers, and relatively late vintage (60s?), but at £9.10 including postage (probably around $18), it looks like a nice enough buy to me. Until someone here who knows better bursts my bubble by telling me they're only worth a max of £5, of course

 

What I really wanted, though, was a Sheaffer Snorkel. I'd watched several of them creep up to £35 and well beyond, even when not working, when I was going through my favourite searches last night, and hit on what looked like being either a Snorkel or a Touchdown of some sort, that someone had set a 'buy it now' on at £10. So I made like OldGriz and grabbed it. I've since compared the pictures with the tables on a couple of sites, and I think it's an Admiral Snorkel. No idea if it works or not, but it seems like a pretty decent price even for a broken one. If it turns out to be broken, I guess I'll be heading over to the repairs section here later this week armed with a penknife and a dangerous lack of skills and knowledge.

[mike1]

Man, you've got the disease. You're lost now and it looks like it's too late for you to turn back. It's a good illness though and there are so many good people here who have it as well, like me for one. Fountain pens are great! Welcome to the world of Fountain Pen Network. This is a great place to learn about pens and the members are very friendly and helpful. I've visited your website and find it to be very good and interesting.

Edited August 20, 2006 by mike1

[Ray]

Welcome! I've visited your site a number of times and I'm glad you've made it here.

 

Ray

[pigpogm]

This is a great place to learn about pens and the members are very friendly and helpful.

 

I'm certainly hoping to learn from the people here. My own knowledge is very limited at the moment, but it would be nice to get to the stage of being able to buy these things in as old and broken, and have a chance of getting them working again. Especially if one of my new toys turns out to not work

 

I've visited your website and find it to be very good and interesting.

 

Thanks, Mike. I have to admit I did a quick search for any mentions of PigPog, so I could just keep my head down if it turned up comments saying "look at this idiot spouting rubbish about pens". Looks like it's been mentioned a couple of times, but only relating to the old PigPogPDA.

[pigpogm]

Welcome! I've visited your site a number of times and I'm glad you've made it here.

 

Thanks, Ray. My Noodler's bottle doesn't even go back in the drawer now, it just sits right next to the computer

[Breaking100]

PigpogM - you're site stays on my Yahoo feed. Always appreciate your practical suggestions. When are you going to get a "51"?

[pigpogm]

When are you going to get a "51"?

 

Hey, don't encourage me. 51s seem to stay a bit on the expensive side for me, but I'll keep watching out for one. I didn't think I was going to be able to get a Snorkel, but it looks like I have.

[Margana]

Welcome, pigpogm! Isn't it refreshing to come out of the shadows?

 

Your site is one of the first I found when I discovered there were others on the planet addicted to Moleskines. A link to PigPogPDA initially got my interest and then the section on writing kept me returning. Good stuff there.

 

Glad to see you've come around to appreciating fountain pens. There is a Parker "51" in your future. I'm sure of it. They aren't always pricey in fact my first was only $25 so keep watching for deals on eBay. One will come your way. Then there's always the Marketplace or Pentrace's Greenboard for good quality vintage pens. And of course there are the nibmeisters and a number of good websites when you have the resources or even if you don't but the urge to purchase the perfect pen becomes overwhelming. Hope your wife gets the bug, too. It's so much easier when there is agreement over such things.

[pigpogm]

Your site is one of the first I found when I discovered there were others on the planet addicted to Moleskines. A link to PigPogPDA initially got my interest and then the section on writing kept me returning. Good stuff there.

 

Thanks, Margana. I'm on a bit of a Filofax phase at the moment. I've got a pocket Lyndhurst, with nice soft leather, and I've been using it every day for almost three months now. That's a long time for me.

 

There is a Parker "51" in your future. I'm sure of it.

 

You're probably right. It's certainly one of the top ones on my list. I'll probably try to do a bit of trading around, picking up some old ones on eBay, and maybe trying to sell them on for a little profit with a good clean-up. Maybe try to learn to at least replace sacs - just been reading Richard Binder's excellent tutorial on that today.

 

I'll probably start by trying to pick up one or two pens cheap that are in really bad condition, so I can try learning with them. I'd hate for my first attempted repair to be a 51 - I'd feel too bad if I killed one

[sonia_simone]

Welcome PigPog! I think your site is terrific reading.

 

Enjoy this place, it's quite the obsessives' paradise.

[southpaw]

Hello and welcome aboard!

[pigpogm]

Thanks, everyone.

 

It's getting worse. I 'won' a Parker 17 last night for £6.40.

 

Must. Stop. eBaying.

 

(I never intended to start collecting Parker pens. Asked a few weeks ago, I'd have said I didn't like Parkers. Now I've got two Jotter ballpoints, a Vector XL ballpoint, 12 Vectors on the way, 12 more Jotters if I 'win' the auction, a 45 in black, a 45 GT Flighter, and on their way, a Slimfold and a 17. Oh, and another Flighter that I couldn't identify from the photo, but can't be too bad for such a low price, or even if it is, is probably worth it to get the feedback ) <_< )

 

Oh, and another thing. I've made several posts now, and I have not used the dancing bunny. I must now use the dancing bunny.

 

:bunny1:

 

Thank you all. I will now try to show more restraint in use of the dancing bunny.

 

I will fail.

Edited August 21, 2006 by pigpogm

[sonia_simone]

Whoa, jumping right into the hard stuff. Usually people use the head slap or the head bash :bonk: as gateway drugs.

[pigpogm]

I'm saving the headslap for when I break one of my new toys, and I've not really felt like the head bash since leaving the corporate environment

[Nihontochicken]

After getting "snorked" (falling for Sheaffer Snorkels), you will then get into Parker ring celluloid Vacumatics. It starts easy at first, just black or silver, a lazy, schmoozy whirlpool, but then moves on to gold, then green, then blue, and, spinning faster and faster, finally (gasp, kaching!) red, just before you suck down the financial point of no return. And you realize you've spent the entire month's food budget, and it's only the 6th. I wish I could offer help, but I have my own addiction to attend (currently at green, scheming on blue). Help me, Mr. Wizard!!!

[pigpogm]

I'm a bit on the geeky side, so it's really the clever mechanical bits that fascinate me - the Snorkel is probably the geekiest fountain pen out there.

 

I'm just weighing up all the advice along the lines of "get it serviced as soon as you get it" against the fact that servicing would probably cost twice what I paid for the pen. And against the fact that I could get parts and service it myself for a fraction of the cost, but probably end up with a bag of parts to send away for a professional service

[Ana]

Welcome Pigpog! I've been a fan of your great site for awhile now, and I'm glad to see you have made your way here! I'm a recent convert, making my way from Moleskines to GTD to fountain pens, and this forum is a great way to learn. I also share your love for the Lamy Safaris - I have two, the charcoal and the blue Al-Star.

 

Put a padlock on your wallet, though; there are WAY too many temptations on this site! Everyday I think, "oh, I NEED this new bottle of ink," or "my life would be so much more fulfilling if I had that a Mont Blanc." But then I remember the amount of my last credit card bill and try to exhibit some restraint!

 

Long live the :bunny1: :bunny1: :bunny1:

[pigpogm]

I NEED this new bottle of ink

 

I don't think I'll have that problem for a while - we bought 48 bottles of Quink from Staples the other day.

 

It's ok - they were cheap. 10p a bottle cheap. I think PigPog may soon become an ink shop

 

Oh, and I ordered another three fountain pens today. Maybe I do have a problem.