Other Passions/obsessions?

[Papamud]

Hi folks!

 

It hit me the other day that my poor wife has had to put up with my ever-growing passions for un-connected, but fascinating (to me and a small, and very weird, sub-set of society) objects.

I've finally grown to understand that I love things that are both useful and beautiful. I love the everyday tools that we use to get through a day to be beautiful and functional. I hate that we've become obsessed (as a society) with how cheap and ubiquitous the tools we use have become. Utility is only one part of a "thing."

In Zen and The Art of Motorcycle Maintenance the author realizes that Quality isn't in the Thing, and it isn't in the person using the Thing. Quality is in the relationship between the Thing and The User. I mean, how better to describe how we feel about fountain pens?

Sitting on a shelf, my Nemosine looks like a fancy pen. It's only when I pick it up and write with it that it comes alive for me.

 

So, I started thinking about the other things I obsess about and thought I'd start a thread here on that very subject. What are you interested in outside of pens and ink?

 

So, here's a pic of one of my favourite pairings of the tools I use every day to get through the day. I call this pic, The Seikosine Pairing.

 

My Nemosine Neutrino and Seiko SARB 017. Seiko 6R15 caliber self-winding movement that can also be hand wound and is ultra-reliable and tough. It will never need a battery, because it winds itself every time I move my wrist.

Edited July 27, 2016 by Papamud

[PAKMAN]

I have a small collection of watches and Damascus steel knives and a passion for Corvettes (on my third one!)

[pajaro]

Seems like everybody collects watches and knives. I collect Spanish postage stamps. Probably lots of people do that too.

[tinta]

I collect these:

 

Totally unrelated to pens.

Edited July 27, 2016 by tinta

[Calabria]

Hi folks!

 

It hit me the other day that my poor wife has had to put up with my ever-growing passions for un-connected, but fascinating (to me and a small, and very weird, sub-set of society) objects.

 

I've finally grown to understand that I love things that are both useful and beautiful. I love the everyday tools that we use to get through a day to be beautiful and functional. I hate that we've become obsessed (as a society) with how cheap and ubiquitous the tools we use have become. Utility is only one part of a "thing."

 

In Zen and The Art of Motorcycle Maintenance the author realizes that Quality isn't in the Thing, and it isn't in the person using the Thing. Quality is in the relationship between the Thing and The User. I mean, how better to describe how we feel about fountain pens?

 

Sitting on a shelf, my Nemosine looks like a fancy pen. It's only when I pick it up and write with it that it comes alive for me.

 

So, I started thinking about the other things I obsess about and thought I'd start a thread here on that very subject. What are you interested in outside of pens and ink?

 

So, here's a pic of one of my favourite pairings of the tools I use every day to get through the day. I call this pic, The Seikosine Pairing.

 

My Nemosine Neutrino and Seiko SARB 017. Seiko 6R15 caliber self-winding movement that can also be hand wound and is ultra-reliable and tough. It will never need a battery, because it winds itself every time I move my wrist.

Nice. I hadn't thought about the fact that what I like most about pens is using them. Thinking about nibs and inks is a way to think about myself.

 

That said, I also have a SEIKO Alpinist (black dial). I tried to get excited about other watches, but this stubborn watch is so faithful I could never replace (or upgrade) it.

 

I'm similarly attached to my bike, a modest Trek 7.3 FX, although I have upgraded some parts, most importantly adding Avid disk breaks and Gatorskin tires.

[Calabria]

PS I have had a few more backpacks than I need. I've settled on Fjällräven for my daily commute, and Gossamer Gear's ultralight daypack for weekends and trips.

[eighty_eighth]

I don't know much about watches. But I enjoy having a good looking watch to go with my outfit. Here is my favorite:

[Papamud]

I collect these:

Peerless A1 -2-1.jpg

Totally unrelated to pens.

What IS that?

[Papamud]

Nice. I hadn't thought about the fact that what I like most about pens is using them. Thinking about nibs and inks is a way to think about myself.

 

That said, I also have a SEIKO Alpinist (black dial). I tried to get excited about other watches, but this stubborn watch is so faithful I could never replace (or upgrade) it.

 

I'm similarly attached to my bike, a modest Trek 7.3 FX, although I have upgraded some parts, most importantly adding Avid disk breaks and Gatorskin tires.

That black dial Alpinist is incredible. I have an SNK809 that I like a lot also, but my watch collection is a lot like my pen collection. Small, affordable, but respectable.

[Papamud]

I don't know much about watches. But I enjoy having a good looking watch to go with my outfit. Here is my favorite:

That Bering is gorgeous! Looking Bering watches up right now!

[Jjf1989]

Another watch guy here. I like vintage watches. I have a few bulova aviator watches and some nice 40s Hamiltons. I also collect vintage fire arms. I enjoy things that are useful, well made, and beautiful.

[Papamud]

I have a small collection of watches and Damascus steel knives and a passion for Corvettes (on my third one!)

Pics?!

[Papamud]

Another watch guy here. I like vintage watches. I have a few bulova aviator watches and some nice 40s Hamiltons. I also collect vintage fire arms. I enjoy things that are useful, well made, and beautiful.

Pics!?

[Runnin_Ute]

Another vote for the pen/ink/watch combo.... but in addition DE wet shaving. Since June 1st I have picked up two vintage Gillette double edge razors. A 1967 (M1) Black Handle Super Speed and a 1958 (D1) Flare Tip Super Speed. I had been using a modern double edge razor for over two years.

 

Watches - roughly 25 or so. Watches from Invicta, Seiko, Citizen, Stuhrling Original, Rotary, Hamilton and more. Mechanical, Automatic and quartz movements. (my total includes 3 pocket watches including one (a Waltham Model 1894) that dates to 1908. It belonged to my maternal grandfather. The Hamilton (a Thin o Matic) belonged to my paternal grandfather, and he got it as a service award from his employer.)

[Papamud]

Another vote for the pen/ink/watch combo.... but in addition DE wet shaving. Since June 1st I have picked up two vintage Gillette double edge razors. A 1967 (M1) Black Handle Super Speed and a 1958 (D1) Flare Tip Super Speed. I had been using a modern double edge razor for over two years.

 

Watches - roughly 25 or so. Watches from Invicta, Seiko, Citizen, Stuhrling Original, Rotary, Hamilton and more. Mechanical, Automatic and quartz movements. (my total includes 3 pocket watches including one (a Waltham Model 1894) that dates to 1908. It belonged to my maternal grandfather. The Hamilton (a Thin o Matic) belonged to my paternal grandfather, and he got it as a service award from his employer.)

Man, we're twins! I've been enjoying DE shaving for over a year now. I just shaved 10 minutes ago, as a matter of fact. I'm trying to become similarly obsessed with working out now. I want to be the fittest 51 year old that my 11th graders have ever seen.

[Arkanabar]

Hrm.

Bicycling; I still love my fixed-frame 21-speed Nishiki ATB with big ol' plastic Zefal fenders, Blackburn rack, and Performance rack trunk. I suppose I oughta get some disk brakes for it. Maybe if I start riding again.
Catholic doctrine and apologetics. I really really want to get Papa Ben's entire Jesus of Nazareth and read it.
Science fiction and fantasy. I even used to attend conventions.
Tabletop role-playing games. I'd like to continue, if I could find a decent group.
Linux, particularly PCLinuxOS and Ubuntu Mate, though I've used quite a few other distros.
Shooting. One of these days, I hope somebody makes a full-sized, single stack .45ACP pistol with Glock Safe Action.

Watches? Not so much. I used to dearly love having a metal bracelet digital watch with countdown, stopwatch, and alarm, waterproof to 100M. These days, I am pleased with a chrome and gold plate quartz movement analog Casio with a blue face and date window.
Shaving? Norelco without batteries, please.
Corvettes? Nice try. The roadster that most floats my boat is a 1st-generation Mazda MX-5. But I'm much more likely to get a Subaru Impreza WRX STi if I want performance. Or if I wind up super filthy rich, an Audi A3 Quattro. Or maybe not; I dislike onboard infotainment electronics in cars. For that matter, while I truly appreciate automotive air conditioning, I'm not entirely convinced that power windows and door locks actually improve my life, and I'd much rather have a standard transmission than an automatic.

[tinta]

What IS that?

It's a classic styled, American, bench-made, Peerless fly reel used in fly fishing.

 

Here's another:

 

Edited July 28, 2016 by tinta

[haruka337]

-Yarn (no acrylics in my stash)

-Single Malts Scotch Whisky

-Bakelite Bracelets

[flipper_gv]

- Audiophile stuff

- Bass guitar gear (I've been set for a long while now though)

- gaming

- Craft beers / whisky

- High quality tea / coffee

[WaskiSquirrel]

I have a lot of books, but I don't consider them a collection. I have a small house, so collecting is not an option. But, I do have a box of slide rules. I wish I had a display case for them. In fact, if I had a display case, I might collect more of them. Slide rules are actually pretty amazing pieces of equipment and they can be real works of art.