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Blown Away That I'm Still Making Notes, Daily, With A Pen Made Around 45 Years Ago . . .


Tas

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There I was, having a coffee and taking a few minutes in a café before visiting a friend in hospital, when it dawned on me that I'm writing, almost daily, with a Lamy 2000 made in 1969.

 

How fab is that?!

:)

That's it really. Sometimes it's the little things . . .

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There I was, having a coffee and taking a few minutes in a café before visiting a friend in hospital, when it dawned on me that I'm writing, almost daily, with a Lamy 2000 made in 1969.

 

How fab is that?!

 

:)

 

That's it really. Sometimes it's the little things . . .

 

Almost my age.... :bawl: :bawl:

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"The greatest enemy of knowledge is not ignorance, it's the illusion of knowledge." -Stephen Hawking,

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Still a mere baby. Yesterday I was using a pen that was made almost a quarter century before that.

 

That's why I posted this. I wonder how many of you out there regularly use age old pens without any quibbles or issues.

I'm not fussed about "collected" pens but rather ones that are used all the time. Ones that start, stop and behave like it was yesterday.

 

Incredible really.

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I like this. I am a vintage collector, and I use a few of them around the house. But I carry modern pens with me outside the home. The pen of choice largely depends on the field conditions - often times its a TWSBI, because a loss of a TSWBI.. well, it can be overcome.

 

But my favorite pens of my meager modern collection are my Omas Paragons. These are early 1990's pens - 25 years old. In an economic age of disposable consumerism, how many other 25 year old (never mind nearly 50 year old) items are there in my everyday kit?

 

One thing to point out - I've not had any of them for 25 years.

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I'm preparing to move, and so only have a few pens out for use. One of those is a Sheaffer Snorkel (a pastel green Saratoga), with which I write daily. I fill it from a bottle of Skrip #24 Permanent Blue-Black whose box advertises the "new" Snorkel. And then there's this aspect of the pen...

fpn_1375035941__postcard_swap.png * * * "Don't neglect to write me several times from different places when you may."
-- John Purdue (1863)

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I have a fair number of pens from the 1920s to 1960s that I still use occasionally. I don't use them more as I tend to prefer larger pens and nibs which were less common in the past.

If you want less blah, blah, blah and more pictures, follow me on Instagram!

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This "sense of history" is one reason I so enjoy using Fountain Pens...even when using a modern like a Metropolitan or TWSBI, I feel like the designers still looked back to keep the essence of time-honored and practical mechanics.

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Agree totally with the sentiments in this thread.

Christmas last year I wrote the labeling on a dozen of homemade coffee blend that my wife gave away as gifts.

 

And I used an old Waterman 52 (easily 90+ years old if not 100).

 

31059556973_42953e4d29_c.jpg

- Will
Restored Pens and Sketches on Instagram @redeempens

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I recently started to try & develop an appreciation for Blue ink, after avoidance of same. Recent purchases included Aurora & Montegrappa; I filled a Parker 51, Super, broad nib with the Montegrappa & wrote some checks last nite. I was aware of the pleasure of the pen, which made the ink look great, but also the pleasure of it's instant start & ease of entry with it's slip cap. It was a very satisfying moment of clarity to realise I was using a 50 year old pen, with a "regular" ink much as others had done for many years.

 

Many bills are paid by "auto deduction," but I like to SEE the credit card statement & fuel bills, noting on the bill, "date paid & check #, besides obviously filling in & signing a check. Not a big deal, but felt rather nice to have that connection with the older pen. I have a vintage Conway Stewart, but because of it's lever fill with screw on cap, it wouldn't have been found "filled & @ the ready," for a quick use.

 

My Parent's Snorkles are also around, but they also don't offer the "ease" of the 51 with it's aerometric filling system & slip cap; some things are just a "pleasure" when you are reminded that they were really "just right," & remain so, after such a long time.

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My rotation includes quite a few pens from the 1930s through the 1950s. Unless they are physically damaged somehow, extremely fussy, or are too important to risk for some reason, they all go out with me and do their tours of duty. It is fascinating to me (which probably shows that I'm easily amused) to compare the writing feel of modern pens against that of pens from 70 or 80 years ago, and to notice the changes they bring about in my writing. Perhaps, if I'm paying attention to which pen I have, there is even some unconscious influence on my choice of words or metaphors. A bit of "how would the original owner have said this?" can sneak into my work.

ron

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That's why I posted this. I wonder how many of you out there regularly use age old pens without any quibbles or issues.

I'm not fussed about "collected" pens but rather ones that are used all the time. Ones that start, stop and behave like it was yesterday.

 

Incredible really.

I've gotten to the point in life where I don't use any particular pen regularly, tastes and inclinations simply vary but I do pretty regularly use pens that are at least as old as I am if not older. Several that seem to get more than their fair share of pocket time are Parkers from the 40s and Sheaffers from the 30s and 40s. The Parkers tend to stay in rotation when they get in longer than the Sheaffers since the Sheaffers are all much easier to flush and put away than the pump filled Parkers.

 

I can't think of any of the pens though where I have any quibbles or issues related to using them. And honestly pens like the Parker Vacs and Sheaffer Balance Plunger fillers are simply a blast to use.

 

Made in 1st. Quarter 1943

http://www.fototime.com/ADBA5FC6832510B/medium800.jpg

Made in 1941.

http://www.fototime.com/88BDC37701598D8/medium800.jpg

Made before 1939

http://www.fototime.com/7B20DDE5F05AEB0/medium800.jpg

Likely made in mid to late 1930s

http://www.fototime.com/58A8DB926C0C2A0/medium800.jpg

Edited by jar

 

My Website

 

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I have just put away a 1928 (known date) Waterman 52 which works perfectly. That is age 88 and counting to 89. I have other 1920s and 1930s pens I use regularly, and others which are better not taken out of the house until they learn to behave properly.

 

I like things that work more than I like things which are old but there is extra pleasure for me to use something well designed long ago and still more than sufficient.

 

 

 

Editing my arithmetic typo which is preserved in a later quote anyway.

Edited by praxim

X

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Agree totally with the sentiments in this thread.

Christmas last year I wrote the labeling on a dozen of homemade coffee blend that my wife gave away as gifts.

 

And I used an old Waterman 52 (easily 90+ years old if not 100).

 

31059556973_42953e4d29_c.jpg

 

:wub:

 

I've gotten to the point in life where I don't use any particular pen regularly, tastes and inclinations simply vary but I do pretty regularly use pens that are at least as old as I am if not older. Several that seem to get more than their fair share of pocket time are Parkers from the 40s and Sheaffers from the 30s and 40s. The Parkers tend to stay in rotation when they get in longer than the Sheaffers since the Sheaffers are all much easier to flush and put away than the pump filled Parkers.

 

I can't think of any of the pens though where I have any quibbles or issues related to using them. And honestly pens like the Parker Vacs and Sheaffer Balance Plunger fillers are simply a blast to use.

 

 

The love for your pens is palpable :)

 

I have just put away a 1928 (known date) Waterman 52 which works perfectly. That is age 98 and counting. I have other 1920s and 1930s pens I use regularly, and others which are better not taken out of the house until they learn to behave properly.

 

I like things that work more than I like things which are old but there is extra pleasure for me to use something well designed long ago and still more than sufficient.

 

Wow!

 

And everyone who's shared so far, thank you. It warms the cockles of my heart to hear the love of your pens runs on into everyday life.

Edited by Tas
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While I have a couple of pens from the early '60s and before, I believe some balance is required in the use of 'elder items'.

 

We were cleaning out the pantry recently and found a couple of cans of soup with use-by dates from the early '90s. We declined to use them...

 

 

PS, we were watching the excellent film "Hidden Figures" the other night, and I wanted to demonstrate how these ladies did the calculations. I could find my slide rules*, but not my book of 7-Figure Log tables from the mid-1960s.

 

 

*yes, slide rules - plural

Edited by dcwaites

fpn_1412827311__pg_d_104def64.gif




“Them as can do has to do for them as can’t.


And someone has to speak up for them as has no voices.”


Granny Aching

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Not outside the house, but I have in regular use the following "older" pens

  • Sheaffer touchdown, desk pen, 1960s or earlier
  • Parker 51, desk pen, 1950s/60s
  • Parker Vacumatic, 1940s
  • Parker Duofold Junior, I think 1930s

Outside carry are:

  • Parker 45, 1960s. I used 2 of them though under grad and grad school.
  • Sheaffer cartridge/school pen, 1960s

San Francisco Pen Show - August 28-30, 2020 - Redwood City, California

www.SFPenShow.com

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While I have a couple of pens from the early '60s and before, I believe some balance is required in the use of 'elder items'.

 

We were cleaning out the pantry recently and found a couple of cans of soup with use-by dates from the early '90s. We declined to use them...

 

 

PS, we were watching the excellent film "Hidden Figures" the other night, and I wanted to demonstrate how these ladies did the calculations. I could find my slide rules*, but not my book of 7-Figure Log tables from the mid-1960s.

 

 

*yes, slide rules - plural

 

There's still the occasional meal made with food that expired in the early-mid 90s. What doesn't kill me makes me somewhat less hungry. :D

 

But yes, it is something to think that items of such an age may have had a long, useful life & still be in fine shape to have a long road ahead of them yet.

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Tas, I've been in client meetings all day and am alternating between (oldest to youngest):

  • 1920's Moore L-96 filled with Diamine Teal
  • 1950-53 Pelikan 400 Tortoiseshell filled with Pelikan 4001 Brilliant Brown
  • 1995 Tibaldi Modello 60 filled with R&K Alt Goldrun
  • 1997 OMAS Extra Ogiva filled with Montblanc Ink of Love

I use all my pens and especially love to use the older ones. Whatever I'm using gets put into my shirt pocket and accompanies me whatever I'm doing. Like you, I appreciate the fact that these old instruments continue to work as intended.

 

My daily carry doesn't usually a problem other than the very rare ink spot on clothing, but one day last winter a tree had fallen over our driveway and after two hours of sweaty chainsawing I realized that I was carrying a treasured Montblanc 138 in my shirt pocket; I had already ruined my work slacks but I'd have been especially chagrined had that pen been damaged or lost. :o

How small of all that human hearts endure,
That part which laws or kings can cause or cure.

— Samuel Johnson

 

Instagram: dcpritch

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I use 61's all the time which are just a smidgen older than I am if not my age. Love me some Sheaffer OS Balance goodness. I have no idea when that one was made, probably early 40's I guess. Sheaffer flat tops which are I guess late 20's early 30's.. And Parker vacs from the 30's and 40's. These I use regularly.

 

I try to mix it up just for the fun of it and have at least one pen from each decade 00's - 60's inked and ready. I only use FP's for journaling, personal stuff, so my pages are always a spectrum of colors and line sizes as I swap through whatever pens are inked. I have lost and continue to lose too many pens, so my FP's rarely leave the house.

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