I Won't Buy Pens The Rest Of This Year If I Just Purchase This Pen...

[RayW]

Something similar happened to me as well. I don't have a very extensive pen collection, for the past 2 years or so I've been only using 3 pens. However, I bought a pen case that holds 12 pens.....and I have bought 9 pens in the last 3 months or so. I just wanted to fill it up so badly!!! Every time I purchased a pen, I told myself I was going to calm down, but I just couldn't help it

[Venator]

I have managed to slow down on pens a bit, even if I still have two in the post. I have been finding myself more and more drawn to different inks however. I have spent hours and hours over the last few days comparing reviews of Suzuran Green, Tokiwa-Matsu and Tanna Japonensis, for example, only to decide every time that I need to use more of the ink I have before buying new bottles.

 

I had four bottles of J. Herbin, two bottles of R&K, Souten and Tokiwa-Matsu and three notebooks in my cart at La Couronne du Comte last night before I managed to close all the tabs and leave the room.

 

This is why I like Massdrop so much. I can get in early on a drop, enjoy the thought of buying it for a few days and then eject myself when I realise just how little I need the item in question.

[The Blue Knight]

I did the same said that a certain pen would be this years last. That was me in March however I did buy a pen and sell it a few weeks later in June so I don't count that one. The way I'm thinking is the best I can buy today really falls short of what can buy in 6 months. It gets easier as time goes on.

[shawndp]

My 2014 pen spree was at a rate that around Christmas I bought a case large enough to hold well over 100 (there's a thread in the Market section for the one from Costco)... At some point it kicks in that unless you are intentionally collecting something specific, there isn't a very good reason to own multiple mediocre pens. I forget which member here had a signature about not falling for the "pen of the month" - very eloquently stated... In my case there is a 4 +1 list of pens that I really want - the four are nicer mid-grade pens (M1000, Pilot 823, Waterman Edson and a Nakaya Naka-ai) and the fifth is an MB149. None of these are particulary expensive pens but in my imagination are supposed to write beautifully - that delightful moment where form and finish meet. But, if I buy them all there would be nothing left to imagine and anticipate and where's the fun in that, right?

[vPro]

My 2014 pen spree was at a rate that around Christmas I bought a case large enough to hold well over 100 (there's a thread in the Market section for the one from Costco)... At some point it kicks in that unless you are intentionally collecting something specific, there isn't a very good reason to own multiple mediocre pens. I forget which member here had a signature about not falling for the "pen of the month" - very eloquently stated... In my case there is a 4 +1 list of pens that I really want - the four are nicer mid-grade pens (M1000, Pilot 823, Waterman Edson and a Nakaya Naka-ai) and the fifth is an MB149. None of these are particulary expensive pens but in my imagination are supposed to write beautifully - that delightful moment where form and finish meet. But, if I buy them all there would be nothing left to imagine and anticipate and where's the fun in that, right?

It's Bo Bo Olsen that has that in his signature. A very wise man

[hessi]

One more +1 here - between October 2013 and June 2015 there was only one month in which I didn't buy a pen: September 2014. No idea what happened in that month, but I sure made up for it in October 2014 with 10 new pens...

 

Oh, and I just see I bought 8 bottles of ink in September 2014. But that doesn't count, or does it?

[rvthof]

I Won't Buy Pens The Rest Of This Year If I Just Purchase This Pen...

 

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A real beauty, but ... which pen is this?

[LuckyKate]

I Won't Buy Pens The Rest Of This Year If I Just Purchase This Pen...

MD-8814_20150620174343_c8081b7b67eba262 2.jpg

 

I bought this pen last year, and treasure it (the Binder 1.1 CI nib is also wonderful). Sometimes when I want a new pen, doodling with my tortoise makes me feel satisfied with what I already have. I really love it!

[delano]

It's legal and won't give you hepatitis - I'd call that a win-win.

 

 

Holy Moley I haven't heard anything better than this!

[sandy101]

You don't need more than ten Fountain pens (of course - need & want are two entirely different things). I have somehow accumulated around twenty, but I find myself picking up the same four or five pens every time - and some of the vintage pens I acquired turned out to be less than promised. I'm sure they would be fantastic, but their condition was not ideal.

 

Think quality rather than quantity -

 

I find medium nibs, and heavier pens suit my hand better - three of the five I tend to use are such. Then I have a broad for Greetings cards & stuff where a thicker line is required and a fine nib for smaller text such as post-cards. I also have a couple of stub nibs, where I'm trying (but not succeeding) in learning calligraphy.

 

The pens that don't get used - and which I probably need to sell on are the sac fillers as they are a chore to clean out, and the cheap plastic/Chinese pens. I have a couple of them in my desk a work, but even then I find myself using the metal pen I brought from home.

 

So before you buy anything else, I suggest you have a good go with what you have - give yourself three or six months and then assess which pens you are actually using and which you are not. This will give you a guide as to what you want to keep, acquire and dispose of.

 

As others have said, the other part of the hobby is paper & ink - so perhaps you should look at different weights of paper and some inks that shade or give sheen or what have you.

 

Everyone loves receiving a letter and we could get a "slow communication" revolution going. I recommend getting some books of published letters, as reading particularly funny or good ones help you develop.

[AAAndrew]

I'm finally getting to the point where my collection is in some kind of shape. I've gotten rid of most of the pens I don't ever use and with which I don't have a strong sentimental attachment. I've fixed all of the vintage I bought ages ago that I can, and I'm down to 7 that I need to send out. I have several really great pens and a small host of really good ones.

 

At this point I'm focused on getting the last of the vintage fixed up and slightly expanding my ink collection.

 

The way I've started to manage my pen spending is that I use Paypal for storing my budget. At the beginning of the month I put my very modest monthly budget into Paypal, and when I sell something I accept Paypal. Just having that separate account is worth the modest fees as I don't have to do much math and only the once-a-month budget transfer shows up on the regular household accounts. And just about every internet seller accepts Paypal.

[Beethoven]

 

A real beauty, but ... which pen is this?

It is a Kaweco Dia2.

Fahrney's has one with a medium italic nib.

That's what I want.

[madden11]

I became a minimalist last July and during the process I tackled my 3 prized collections:books, handbags, and pens. I donated 90% of my books and now strictly use the library or ebooks; I now own exactly ONE handbag (I know, I can't believe it myself)! But my pens were a trickier matter. I did send several out to fellow penners via the Pay it Forward forum, but I still have about 23. These are pens that I absolutely love. When I first fell down the rabbit hole, I was buying every pen that I found beautiful, or that someone else found beautiful, or that was 'limited edition...' I was caught in the excessive consumerism trap. I decided to streamline my collection and purchase only what was meaningful. I now buy pens that a just a little bit out of reach: either they're expensive, and I'm force to wait and save, or they're more rare, and I have to hunt them down. It's much more fun this way and my collection holds greater value for me than a pen-a-week, dime-a-dozen mass would.

[hbdk]

It will usually pass once you figure out what you really like. I have been there; it was getting too expensive so I started buying a lot of cheap Chinese pens - it kept me busy, saved my bank account and taught me how to tune nibs After some time it wore off and I am now a lot more in control (I did not say completely in control... ).

[httpmom]

I Won't Buy Pens The Rest Of This Year If I Just Purchase This Pen...

MD-8814_20150620174343_c8081b7b67eba262 2.jpg

Aiding your obsession...I believe this very pen in the 400 style is available on Massdrop.com for a good price at this very moment.

[httpmom]

Having a husband who owns his own business, being a self employed artist, and living in the San Francisco Bay Area (high cost of everything) I am accustomed to living a life of feast or famine. I also have a daughter in college who will be in Graduate school next semester. Disposable income is limited to say the least. That being said...this fountain pen thing, to me is the very definition of obsession. At first I went a little crazy and purchased four or five good economy pens (mostly Pilot Metros and Lamy Safari types) but then I narrowed in on full flex nibs and have stayed there ever since.

 

I am not a collector (if I win the lottery...maybe). I keep about 8-12 pens that I use all the time (not including my calligraphy and dip pens). If I make a purchase that I am not totally smitten with, I sell it pronto. I no longer look at ebay for pens (that way leads to madness), but I do subscribe to the ever so tempting Massdrop. There are two definite pens in my near future, a modified Falcon from John at nibs.com and a urushi pen of some sort. After that I can easily slow down. At which time I have a leaning to the Diplomat brand, and vintage full flex pens. That being said, I am a sucker for fine stationery, especially Japanese papers. I peruse j-subculture and Rakuten Market almost every other day because I love to use my pens on beautifully suited papers...oh no! One thing does lead to another.

Edited June 25, 2015 by httpmom

[FayeV]

Aiding your obsession...I believe this very pen in the 400 style is available on Massdrop.com for a good price at this very moment.

 

Heh, I'm convinced that MassDrop is the root of all evil. It's so considerate of them to send me regular email announcements of new items that have popped up. My "last pen" purchase was supposed to be a red Pelikan M205 I picked up last August. That was 9 pens ago. And this is why I am agonizing over the M400. However it is so shiny and pretty. Maybe if I just tell myself that I prefer silver hardware over gold hardware ...

 

[Arkanabar]

Sort of been there. My collection jumjped around my wedding anniversary; I'd been more-or-less content with the ten or so pens I had had for a while (M200, M400, PFM-II, "51", PSSOS, a Hero 616 or two, an Estie J, a couple of giant cutout Sheaffer Viewpoint calli pens, and a yellow Ahab). Then my wife cgot me a couple more Ahabs, in Jade and Medieval Lapis, and a ten pack of Hero 616s. And I bought her a red Plaisir (and a green one for myself, and a 3.8mm Parallel, and some vials, and a 4.5oz bottle of Borealis Black with its two eyedroppers, while she bought some Chinese pens off Amazon). And then we went to the nearby World Class pen store, and she got herself three Nib Creapers, and a Konrad for me, and four bottles of Noodler's, and some stylus ballpoints, and some stationery. And I went to xFountainPens, and got some IG ink, some purple samples, a Pilot 78g, and a Baoer 388.

I've sold a few of the Heros to coworkers, and I'd be content to sell the yellow Ahab. I really want to like the Konrad for its delightful form factor, but it dries out in mere hours, even capped, and I have to dunk it in water to get it to start back up. I want to find something more useful with similar or identical form factor and ergonomics before I sell it. While I have a general preference for piston fillers, I have concluded there's nothing wrong with c/c fillers, so I am now interested in learning more about Japanese pens that might be a bit bigger than the M200/M400, while less costly and with similar or better quality control.

[Lince]

 

A real beauty, but ... which pen is this?

KAWECO DIA II in gold trim, a beauty!

[hazel]

I started with this hobby in mid May. I now have a total of 19 pens with 3 on the way.

In that 19 I have 3 vintage.

10 of the pens are cheap jinhaos, I purchased so I can play with inks. I like to mix them with mica and come up with different colors. So, I use the cheap pens to use different colors.

I've put a hold on buying pens, and I'm now putting about $20 a way a month. during this time, I've told myself, I will research pens, until I know for sure which one I want. So, far... so good. It's July 2. Did I mention I started this in July? I'm hoping the research will make me feel like I made the right purchase.

the only thing I'm having issues with now, is I want to buy inks... lots of different inks. So, far the samples are holding me over. But, then from the samples, I want the bottle, so I'm not sure if it's actually helping.