How Do You Share Your Fountain Pen Hobby?

[benbot517]

For me, I carry around a pack of Varsities in my backpack on campus. If anyone shows interest about what I'm writing with, I loan them a Varsity. Many of the people I loan them to love using them. What do you do to share the hobby?

[deepak23]

Same method, different pen...I hand out Airmail/Wality demonstrators...

[ISW_Kaputnik]

I've given a couple of Pilot Metro, Lamy Safari type pens to friends and family, who thanked me and put them away in drawers somewhere. I gave a Safari and a Varsity to a work friend who had asked me a lot of questions about fountain pens, but he quickly lost interest. He gave the Safari back, unasked, but still uses the Varsity for occasional signatures.

 

Most people say nothing about my fountain pens, and most of the comments I do get are too casual to indicate a real interest. I'm willing to give advice to anyone who asks what they should try, and I have several pens that I'd be willing to give to someone who is more than just a chance acquaintance, Varsities, a couple of Kaweco Sports, that Safari that my friend didn't want, and maybe a couple of others. I'm not going to go to any trouble, though, to persuade someone who isn't already thinking of trying one.

[J85909266]

Yeah, most people could not care less about my fountain pens. I even had a girl pick up my Lamy 2K without asking to write down a name on our tracking sheet. She didn't even comment on it. I looked at the paper. She had butchered the writing. Blobs of ink all over the letters and even a light mist of ink splatter around what she had written. I have no idea what she did with my pen. Fortunately, the nib was fine. I just put it away and set out one of my Uni Signos instead.

[sidthecat]

My boss started noticing my pens, so I bought him a Waterman Commando for Christmas. He uses it for drawing and intimidating people.

 

Then his mom gave him his grandfather's vintage MB 149 - I can't compete with that!

[Tasmith]

I leave old copies of Pen World at my dentist and doctors offices.

[bitterwonder]

I have been using FP's since 1963 , and I draw with them, so it isnt a hobby. I have my drawing classes think about how a mark is made and how various implements make marks and how those implements feel on paper: bamboo, reed pen, quill, stick etc. and i have them use a Varsity FP.

[1maddog1]

I annoy my wife by talking about fountain pens in her presence.

[shawndp]

I don't really profess the joys of FP's to people, I just use the pens. There are a few who are familiar with them and they have got pens - Parker Vectors, Cross Bailey, A few Waterman, Jinhao pens. But then they are people who know how to use FP's from their past and just don't know where to get their paws on them. It would be very difficult to get a non-FP user to switch just randomly. The best person who shares the hobby with me is my gf who is extremely cool about using FP's and shopping for FP's and buying paper - and even dragged me to Scriptus last year. It is one more thing we talk about and act like nerds and that's the best part to me.

[ScienceChick]

Students (high school) who express an interest in my pens get a Varsity. If they use it up and are still interested I give then a Jinhao 599A and show them how to clean it, ink it, etc. At this point they've earned the right to try out any of the pens I have at school (nothing pricey - Singularity 0.6, Safari, Parker 45 and an Estie J). We have our own little pen posse.

[LeeBG]

I use some economical pens at school and have had students express interest. I have some varsities there but when I loan them to students they usually wreck the nib by pressing too hard. I've let a few try my safari or Metroploitan but not much interest in using the pens but they are amazed by refilling ink. Go figure! Lol

[The Good Captain]

It's not a hobby, it's an addiction.

I just go to the nib/needle exchange like everybody else...

[kestrel]

I write with my pens and that generates some interest in others. I keep an assortment of Pilot Varsities on my desk at school for free loan in my classroom and I end up having to refill them every two weeks. Students with a definite interest in fountain pens are liable to get extended loaners to use with free refills. Sometimes my pens find their way into lesson plans. I get one or more students every year with hand pain problems caused by the way they hold pens and pencils to write. I use a Varsity with instruction on the tripod grip to help make writing easier (less painful) for them. A couple of students have brought me old pens used by grandparents and I restore them to writing condition if possible at no charge.

[alex137]

This December I got my wife's girlfriend into FPs and she's hooked. We're going to sign up for Goulet's Ink Drop together and share the samples. It's so, so nice to have someone to geek out about with this stuff in person, and it's fun to teach her about FPs and inks. In general, though, I don't really have a chance to talk to people about my pens. I'm disabled so I don't get out as often as I'd like.

[Yaakova]

I gave my sister a Waterman Phileas for Christmas. For her birthday, three weeks later, I introduced her to the joys of bottled ink. She likes the fountain pen but says, "I'll probably never be the enthusiast that you are ..." (Challenge accepted!)

 

Does anyone have any suggestions for ways I can pull her deeper into this rabbit hole with the rest of us?

[Polanova]

 

 

Does anyone have any suggestions for ways I can pull her deeper into this rabbit hole with the rest of us?

 

Thinking of Tree, Snake & Apple:

 

You cannot force anyone to take a bite!

You can only suggest how nice it tastes (subtle temptation - of course, it`s the devil`s work you`re doing )

Edited January 28, 2015 by Polanova

[Cordovian]

I gave away quite a few pens and don't have any more I consider expendable. So, I guess you can say I share the hobby by leaving Fountain Pen Hospital catalogs in doctor and dentist waiting rooms. Much better reading than 'Dental Hygienist Journal' or 'Better Living Through Proctology' so I'm doing everyone a favor.

[Yaakova]

 

Thinking of Tree, Snake & Apple:

 

You cannot force anyone to take a bite!

You can only suggest how nice it tastes (subtle temptation - of course, it`s the devil`s work you`re doing )

 

Devil's work? Au contraire! I see it is doing my part to preserve history. Fountain pens are disappearing in the United States, at least, and I want to do my humble bit to keep up the demand for these marvelous writing implements.

[apkayle]

I keep a cheap pen on hand for people who want to try writing with a fountain pen. The Hero 369 has been a lifesaver in such cases.

Edited January 28, 2015 by apkayle

[The Blue Knight]

I'm not going to lie except from the normal odd comment like "that's a nice pen", "that pen looks expensive". I'm yet to find someone out of the blue who has a genuine. If I did find someone who was really interested I'd happily give a pen of mine and some ink cartridges to go to them free of charge. However I can't remember the last time some one even asked to have go with one of my pens except from my parents or sister let alone ask some detailed questions on the matter.