Newbie From Silicon Valley

[e-beth]

Hello! My name is Elisabeth and I currently live in Google's hometown in California but I grew up in a small town in Iowa before heading to Boston for college and Chicago for grad school and finally the Bay Area. I've been lurking as a non-member off and on for awhile now and thought I would come out of hiding and become a member (I'm an introvert, it takes me awhile before I can get up the nerve to join a conversation). Currently, I'm a half-crazed stay at home mom of a 3 year old but I'm hoping to become a completely-crazed science teacher in the near future.

 

My obsession with office and stationery supplies began when I was a kid when I would spend an absurd amount of time ogling pens and notebooks at the dime store in my tiny hometown. I have amassed a small collection of inexpensive notebooks half-full of journal entries, shopping lists, and doodles. I have (not much) hope that one day I will be able to fill one up before getting distracted by a shiny new notebook. Recently, I bought my first Clairfontaine notebook and its higher price point has made me determined to fill it before I abandon it, no matter how many shiny things come my way. I also have a Rhodia tablet that I like to use for practicing italic calligraphy.

 

For pens, I have two Lamy Safari fountain pens for everyday (one has a fine nib, one has a medium nib). I have a Manuscript fountain pen with several screw on italic nibs for practicing italic hand. I also have a Schaeffer fountain pen with an italic nib around here somewhere for which I do not care as much. Finally, I have a dip pen and italic nibs of various sizes and brands that I've been trying out. For regular writing, I prefer blue ink, and have been using Lamy cartridges in my Safaris (I tried a converter but I haven't found an ink I like for it, yet) but for calligraphy, I prefer black ink (Manuscript cartridges for my Manuscript fountain pen and Winsor Newton Calligraphy ink is my preferred ink for the dip pen).

 

I have been teaching myself Chancery Italic from a variety of sources (mostly books and handouts) for about a year. However, I have also been learning/teaching a style of calligraphy based on basic italic to children (ages 7-9) in my catechism (Sunday school) class with occasional advice from a local art store employee. The kids love to hear about scribes and look at images of illuminated Bible pages and that feeds their interest into calligraphy. Several of them have become quite good at it and I'm hearing from parents that the kids want them to buy calligraphy supplies for them which makes me absolutely thrilled.

 

I guess that's almost everything about me! I'm excited to be a member here and start contributing to conversations.

[OCArt]

Lamy Safari's are great pens. Welcome from a former Hawkeye. Prepare to learn more about pens that you (or I) ever thought was possible!

[e-beth]

Welcome from a former Hawkeye.

Would that be Hawkeye as in "someone from the Hawkeye State" or Hawkeye as in "not a Cyclone"? Because I grew up next door to Iowa State and now I'm wondering if we're going to have to avoid each other whenever there's an Iowa/Iowa State game.

[notVirtuThe3rd]

Hi! Welcome to FPN.

I'm really glad you've joined us.

Enjoy!

Best wishes from Japan,

VirtuThe3rd

[Sasha Royale]

Welcome !

 

Empty ink cartridges can be refilled with bottle ink, using a syringe. However, you might choose to store the empties for future refill. (Syringes and small children, etc.) LAMY cartridges contain LAMY ink (Captain Obvious). It is usually the most common and popular color of ink. Goulet Pens site has very friendly ink color charts. I wager you would find the matching color in a bottle.

 

I child, who grows up with nice handwriting, would be loved by the world.

 

Write with joy.

 

****************************

Post Script : I was getting ready for the workday. That includes the ritual filling of my fountain pen. As it requires both hands, I placed the pen cap between my lips, for a few seconds. I haven't had small children about in decades. MY-MY-My ! Fountain pens have a lot of small, mouth-fitting parts.

Edited June 18, 2015 by Sasha Royale

[Clancy]

Hi Elisabeth. Greetings from up the pike in Mendocino county and a warm welcome to FPN. Glad you've joined us; it's great to have you here.

[PAKMAN]

Hello and Welcome to FPN!! Glad to have you as a member!!

[jburchett]

. I've been lurking as a non-member off and on for awhile now and thought I would come out of hiding and become a member (I'm an introvert, it takes me awhile before I can get up the nerve to join a conversation).

 

I lurked for about a year, as a member, before I finally posted and made my introduction. You are among friends, I assure you

 

[zaddick]

Welcome from the east bay. Be sure to check out the SF pen show the last weekend of August in Redwood Shores. It is like a giant candy store for pen folks and so close you have no excuse not to stop by.

[jspen765]

Welcome from Silicon Valley, San Jose and Santa Clara to be more specific.

 

I have a few pens to choose from. I was rooting through a pile for something and noticed my Hero calligraphy points. If I notice the pen body I will reunite them and offer them for you to experiment with, I like them better than my Sheaffer Calligraphy pens (at least 3 sets on hand). You can try my Parker 51 with a calligraphy nib from Greg Minuskin but that one I keep!

 

I have made some calligraphy nibs with worn out Esterbrook nibs. They are fun to write with but mostly fine/extra fine widths.

 

Be sure to follow the San Francisco Pen Posse in meetings, we have one this Sunday in Millbrae, and the San Francisco Pen Show is in August on the Peninsula.

 

Jon the Eclectic Penner

[Kuscer]

Hi and welcome!

[e-beth]

Welcome !

 

Empty ink cartridges can be refilled with bottle ink, using a syringe. However, you might choose to store the empties for future refill. (Syringes and small children, etc.) LAMY cartridges contain LAMY ink (Captain Obvious).

 

****

 

Post Script : Fountain pens have a lot of small, mouth-fitting parts.

 

I have tried filling empty cartridges using a small plastic pipet rather than a syringe (I was teaching science to homeschooled children so I had some pipets around for various experiments). It worked fairly well, but I didn't have an ink I liked. I don't know why it didn't occur to me to get a bottle of Lamy ink to use! Probably because I have been buying my dip pen ink at a local art store and I haven't seen bottled Lamy ink there. But I bet they would special order it for me.

 

As for small parts, my daughter is mostly past the phase of putting everything in her mouth, so mostly I'm worried about her breaking a pen and causing it to explode or spilling a bottle of ink.

[e-beth]

Be sure to check out the SF pen show the last weekend of August in Redwood Shores.

 

 

That's sounds like a good way to say goodbye to a lot of money!

[RMN]

Hi E-beth,(I like that abbrevation of your name.. ) and

 

 

Actually, Penshows can cost you some money (simple solution: take only what you want to spend and leave the CC at home) but they can give you a wonderful experience as well. You can see many many old and new pens, hold them and in many cases also use them! Hands on experience. So if you can make it: go there...

 

 

D.ick

[e-beth]

Welcome from Silicon Valley, San Jose and Santa Clara to be more specific.

 

I have a few pens to choose from. I was rooting through a pile for something and noticed my Hero calligraphy points. If I notice the pen body I will reunite them and offer them for you to experiment with, I like them better than my Sheaffer Calligraphy pens (at least 3 sets on hand). You can try my Parker 51 with a calligraphy nib from Greg Minuskin but that one I keep!

 

I have made some calligraphy nibs with worn out Esterbrook nibs. They are fun to write with but mostly fine/extra fine widths.

 

Be sure to follow the San Francisco Pen Posse in meetings, we have one this Sunday in Millbrae, and the San Francisco Pen Show is in August on the Peninsula.

 

Jon the Eclectic Penner

 

I would love to try out new pens, thank you! I am not so keen on the Manuscript pen, to tell the truth, because the grip is too narrow. It doesn't feel quite right in my hands. I like how my dip pen feels, so I've been looking at the Rotring online because it looks like it's shaped like a dip pen. I haven't seen one in person, yet, though.

 

I hadn't heard of the Pen Posse, I will have to check it out.

[e-beth]

Hi E-beth,(I like that abbrevation of your name.. ) and

 

 

Actually, Penshows can cost you some money (simple solution: take only what you want to spend and leave the CC at home) but they can give you a wonderful experience as well. You can see many many old and new pens, hold them and in many cases also use them! Hands on experience. So if you can make it: go there...

 

 

D.ick

 

My family calls me Beth, I figure e-beth is a bit like email--electronic beth, lol! Good idea to only take cash. I really haven't been to that type of show before. I can see how it would be useful to see and hold and possibly different pens. That way I'll know what I like and what I want to save my money for.

[jspen765]

To check out Pen Posse, go down one heading to Clubs, Meetings, and Events. Open that and look for Pen Posse, right now it is pen-posse-rant-and-rave-edition. Usually Altec Green (AC12) calls them but anyone can. They happen about 1-3 times/month.

 

Also the San Francisco Pen Show info will show up there.

 

Once a quarter there is a Pan Pacific Pen Club meeting, kind of a micro show. It alternates between East Bay and West Bay.

 

Lots of Oppties in Silicon Valley.

 

Jon the Eclectic Penner.

[ac12]

The SF Pen Posse meets in Millbrae, and coincidentally, the next get together is on Sunday June 21.

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/292255-pen-posse-rant-and-rave-edition/

 

Book your calendar for the SF Pen Show in Redwood Shores, Aug 28-30

www.SFPenShow.com

Save your pennies, you will be like a kid in a candy store, I was.

[OCArt]

e-beth, Hawkeye as in Iowa State Univ. grad. But I was in Iowa City in the mid-1970's so much older than you!!

[Starguard]

 

I have tried filling empty cartridges using a small plastic pipet rather than a syringe (I was teaching science to homeschooled children so I had some pipets around for various experiments). It worked fairly well, but I didn't have an ink I liked. I don't know why it didn't occur to me to get a bottle of Lamy ink to use! Probably because I have been buying my dip pen ink at a local art store and I haven't seen bottled Lamy ink there. But I bet they would special order it for me.

 

As for small parts, my daughter is mostly past the phase of putting everything in her mouth, so mostly I'm worried about her breaking a pen and causing it to explode or spilling a bottle of ink.

 

By all means support your local store, but don't limit yourself to them either, Goulet Pens has ink samples you can buy, Amazon of course and there's always e-bay! I've gotten to know my local letter carrier very well! I don't have, or at least have been unable to find a pen shop in my area, but there is an art supply store, it never occurred to me that they might have pen related things there! I've heard of the pipet method, but I was given an old antique glass syringe with a couple of needles that works great, the ink doesn't stain the glass and I got some plastic syringes from Goulet Pens for general cleaning. Welcome to FPN!

 

Kathy