Jump to content

Oliver Sack's Favorite Fountain Pen

Barry Gabay

By Barry Gabay
in Montblanc

 Share

Recommended Posts

  • Replies 26
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

  • meiers

    4

  • Barry Gabay

    3

  • Uncial

    2

  • Cassotto

    2

Popular Days

Top Posters In This Topic

Popular Days

HBlaine Extremely Rare

HBlaine

Posted
Posted (edited)

Barry, that was absolutely wonderful! Thank you so much for posting the link. I needed a little pickup, and this just made my evening.

Edited by HBlaine

"Here was a man who had said, with his wan smile, that once he realized that he would never be a protagonist, he decided to become, instead, an intelligent spectator, for there was no point in writing without serious motivation." - Casaubon referring to Belbo, Foucault's Pendulum.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
meiers Donor Pen

meiers

Posted
Posted (edited)

This made my day!!!

Thank you!!!

 

I spent the last 14 hours rushing madly from activity to the next. Listening to Oliver Sacks speak to us about his desk, the objects on it, his 149 and the environment outside his apartment invited me think about not being such a speed freak any more. I really want to learn to slow down.

Edited by meiers
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Ceelo Extremely Rare

Ceelo

Posted
Posted

Great video.

Short cuts make delays, but inns make longer ones.
Frodo Baggins, The Fellowship of the Ring, A Short Cut to Mushrooms

Link to comment
Share on other sites
ScienceChick Collectors Item

ScienceChick

Posted
Posted

Just for the record (OCD, sorry), it's Sachs. :)

Life's too short to use crappy pens.  -carlos.q

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Barry Gabay Vintage

Barry Gabay

Posted
  • Author
Posted

FPN Supporter - Rhodium

PipPipPipPipPipPipPipPipPip
2,246 posts
Location:North of Dallas, TX
Flag:

Posted Today, 12:20

 

 

Just for the record (OCD, sorry), it's Sachs. :)

 

 

Thanks for the correction, except that it's incorrect. On the covers of two of his books on my bookshelf, it's spelled with a K.

 

What a wonderful person Dr. Sacks was. It feels as if he's just talking right to us, one on one.

 

Who can date the 149 he used? From the nib and section, I think 70s. Look closely at the tapered tines. I have seen that design only on three-tone 18C nibs. However, there are plenty of 149s from that generation I've not seen. Someone's eyes must be better than mine.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
meiers Donor Pen

meiers

Posted
Posted

He declares that it has been his favourite for forty years.

Assuming he purchased it new, I'd say you're right.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
ScienceChick Collectors Item

ScienceChick

Posted
Posted

Thanks for the correction, except that it's incorrect. On the covers of two of his books on my bookshelf, it's spelled with a K.

My apologies, I should have double-checked my recollection before typing. And I concur, a fascinating, fine, kind individual.

Life's too short to use crappy pens.  -carlos.q

Link to comment
Share on other sites
fpupulin Collectors Item

fpupulin

Posted
Posted

Thank you, Barry, for posting this. It is always an extraordinary experience seeing how extraordinary men could thing and act so simply. It is no doubts the result of an extreme human highness. He bought an important pen forthy years ago, he took care of her for all this time, and he still love her. Really remarkable.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Barry Gabay Vintage

Barry Gabay

Posted
  • Author
Posted

Good morning, Science Chick, Thank you very much. No apology necessary! We are all human & subject to too much enthusiasm. Enjoy your weekend & your fountain pens! Best wishes, Barry

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Wolverine1 Antique

Wolverine1

Posted
Posted

Thanks for posting this, Barry. I wrote to Dr Sacks a few times, and he replied 3 times. All his replies were written with a fountain pen. It is probably the fountain pen shown in the video. It is nice to know that he too used a MB 149!!!!:):)

 

It is a shame that he is no longer with us.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Kalessin Collectors Item

Kalessin

Posted
Posted

I loved the video, and now plan to get to the library to see which books by Dr. Sacks they might have on hand.

 

Many academics have desks and offices filled with the most fascinating things... the other videos in the series are also interesting to watch.

-- Joel -- "I collect expensive and time-consuming hobbies."

 

INK (noun): A villainous compound of tannogallate of iron, gum-arabic and water,

chiefly used to facilitate the infection of idiocy and promote intellectual crime.

(from The Devil's Dictionary, by Ambrose Bierce)

Link to comment
Share on other sites
hari317 Museum Piece

hari317

Posted
Posted

FPN Supporter - Rhodium

PipPipPipPipPipPipPipPipPip

2,246 posts

Location:North of Dallas, TX

Flag:

Posted Today, 12:20

 

 

Just for the record (OCD, sorry), it's Sachs. :)

 

 

Thanks for the correction, except that it's incorrect. On the covers of two of his books on my bookshelf, it's spelled with a K.

 

What a wonderful person Dr. Sacks was. It feels as if he's just talking right to us, one on one.

 

Who can date the 149 he used? From the nib and section, I think 70s. Look closely at the tapered tines. I have seen that design only on three-tone 18C nibs. However, there are plenty of 149s from that generation I've not seen. Someone's eyes must be better than mine.

i could manage a screen shot, the nib says 750 and the barrrel appears to be single piece. I think your estimate is correct.

 

fpn_1463039736__sacks1.png

In case you wish to write to me, pls use ONLY email by clicking here. I do not check PMs. Thank you.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
  • 3 years later...
Cassotto Rare

Cassotto

Posted
Posted

Very old thread, but I have to say how glad I am to have found it. I hadn't heard about Dr. Sacks until less than one year ago, and now I'm a real devotee of his. I love his idea of getting the chemical elements as their atomic number matches your growing age, but I'm sure I'd end up getting poisoned or something, so on learning that Sacks used fountain pens (which look less dangerous), I googled so as to try to find out which one/s he liked best, hoping against all hope that he might have been fond of an affordable model that I could buy.

 

But even an autographed book will probably be cheaper than a 149! :lol: :lol: :huh: :angry: :angry:

It isn't true that you live only once. You only die once. You live lots of times, if you know how. (Bobby Darin)

 

Some cause happiness wherever they go; others, whenever they go. (Oscar Wilde)

Link to comment
Share on other sites
PAKMAN Ancient Artifact

PAKMAN

Posted
Posted

I've never come across this thread before and am thankful that you brought it back up! What and intersting fellow, I loved the stories behind his desk clutter!

PAKMAN

minibanner.gif                                    Vanness-world-final.png.c1b120b90855ce70a8fd70dd342ebc00.png

                         My Favorite Pen Restorer                                             My Favorite Pen Store

                                                                                                                                Vanness Pens - Selling Online!

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share
Go to topic listing

Announcements

  • Most Contributions

    1. amberleadavis
      amberleadavis
      43844
    2. PAKMAN
      PAKMAN
      33559
    3. Ghost Plane
      Ghost Plane
      28220
    4. inkstainedruth
      inkstainedruth
      26744
    5. jar
      jar
      26101

  • Upcoming Events

  • Blog Comments

    • Shanghai Knife Dude
      Links to web pages or articles about Chinese typesetting, signwriting, etc.

      By Shanghai Knife Dude · Posted

      I have the Sailor Naginata and some fancy blade nibs coming after 2022 by a number of new workshop from China.  With all my respect, IMHO, they are all (bleep) in doing chinese characters.  Go use a bush, or at least a bush pen. 
    • A Smug Dill
      Skeleton of a primer for a budding hobbyist

      By A Smug Dill · Posted

      It is the reason why I'm so keen on the idea of a personal library — of pens, nibs, inks, paper products, etc. — and spent so much money, as well as time and effort, to “build” it for myself (because I can't simply remember everything, especially as I'm getting older fast) and my wife, so that we can “know”; and, instead of just disposing of what displeased us, or even just not good enough to be “given the time of day” against competition from >500 other pens and >500 other inks for our at
    • adamselene
      Skeleton of a primer for a budding hobbyist

      By adamselene · Posted

      Agreed.  And I think it’s good to be aware of this early on and think about at the point of buying rather than rationalizing a purchase..
    • A Smug Dill
      Skeleton of a primer for a budding hobbyist

      By A Smug Dill · Posted

      Alas, one cannot know “good” without some idea of “bad” against which to contrast; and, as one of my former bosses (back when I was in my twenties) used to say, “on the scale of good to bad…”, it's a spectrum, not a dichotomy. Whereas subjectively acceptable (or tolerable) and unacceptable may well be a dichotomy to someone, and finding whether the threshold or cusp between them lies takes experiencing many degrees of less-than-ideal, especially if the decision is somehow influenced by factors o
    • adamselene
      Skeleton of a primer for a budding hobbyist

      By adamselene · Posted

      I got my first real fountain pen on my 60th birthday and many hundreds of pens later I’ve often thought of what I should’ve known in the beginning. I have many pens, the majority of which have some objectionable feature. If they are too delicate, or can’t be posted, or they are too precious to face losing , still they are users, but only in very limited environments..  I have a big disliking for pens that have the cap jump into the air and fly off. I object to Pens that dry out, or leave blobs o

  • Chatbox

    You don't have permission to chat.
    Load More

  • Files






×
×
  • Create New...