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A Belated Hello From Berlin

schmoo

By schmoo
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schmoo

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Hi everyone at the famous FPN,

 

I am Schmoo and I am a US expat living in Berlin, Germany. I joined FPN quite some time ago but I'm mainly a lurker. And I may continue to be a lurker for the most part but I did want to say hello since I know many of you by username and by blog or business, and I didn't want to be (too) creepy. :lol:

 

The Inkception: I got into fountain pens when a former coworker let me borrow her simple burgundy Kaweco Sport. That and her Rhodia notebook... uh oh. An obsession was born then and there. Right now my go-to pens are Lamys and Kawecos because I take so many notes (I'm back to being a student) and need daily drivers that I don't mind taking a beating, but my collection also includes Viscontis, Pelikans, Sailors, even a couple of fabulous vintage flex nibs. My penmanship still sucks.

 

As a photographer and a former marketing writer for tech companies, I greatly needed the analog and creative release allowed by fountain pens and good paper. With photography you (usually) document reality, but urban sketching allows you to edit reality. It really does feel like using a different side of the brain. And as someone who spent 12-14 hours a day staring at a screen, just jotting notes in a notebook by hand was so refreshing.

 

You can see my not-that-frequently-updated ink photo blog: http://shuttertoink.tumblr.com

 

What else? I'm now a freelance photographer and language student in Germany. If anyone is ever traveling through Berlin, I'd love to grab coffee and talk pens, swap notes, or nerd out.

 

Cheers and I look forward to future conversation with fellow obsessees,

~ Schmoo

 

i-8ttWgzc-L.jpg

Edited by schmoo

@NibSideDown
www.schmoo.co

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inkstainedruth Ancient Artifact

inkstainedruth

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Howdy from Pittsburgh! :W2FPN:

 

I generally suggest that new people click the "View New Content" button when they log in, to get a good overview of a range of topics. And to have a look at the pinned Index to the Ink Review Forum.

It sounds as if you've got a nice collection of pens started there. What ink(s) are you using?

Is that one of the new M405 Anthracite Stresemanns I see in that photo? :puddle: I'm hoping that those aren't going to be a limited run, and that Pelikan puts them in the regular lineup. So I can save up for one (I haven't gone over the $200 US price point yet, and that would be going over it a LOT... even given that my most expensive pens are a couple of older/vintage Pelikans (1990s era M400 with an F nib, and 1950s era 400 with an OB nib).

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

"It's very nice, but frankly, when I signed that list for a P-51, what I had in mind was a fountain pen."

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schmoo New

schmoo

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Wow, holy cow! Thank you, Ruth, I actually have not clicked that post before and I am so glad you pointed it out to me. I admit that I have my favorite standby online stores to shop at, which do not stock every ink known to mankind (of course), but that list has it. Many thanks!

 

The pen in the pic is a Pelikan Stresemann M805, which was my grail pen when I lived in the US. Now that I'm in Germany, it's funny how my new grail pens are all American ones (like Noodlers, haha). The grass is always greener... That one is currently inked with Diamine Graphite, but I love gray inks that shade well and I'm looking for alternatives. So a third thank you for the ink link. :) Current faves are Rohrer & Klinger alt-goldgrün and Pelikan's aquamarine. Also having fun with the Diamine brandy dazzle shimmer ink in a Lamy LX Rose Gold, although I don't typically go for flash.

 

Your vintage Pelikan collection sounds great! I admit I haven't delved too deep into vintage on the Pelikan side, at least not yet. Hopefully being in Germany will allow some opportunities to stumble upon one.

@NibSideDown
www.schmoo.co

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PAKMAN Ancient Artifact

PAKMAN

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Hello and Welcome to active posting on FPN!! Glad to have you as join in!!

PAKMAN

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                         My Favorite Pen Restorer                                             My Favorite Pen Store

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Polanova Extremely Rare

Polanova

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If anyone is ever traveling through Berlin, I'd love to grab coffee and talk pens, swap notes, or nerd out.

 

 

 

Welcome :)

 

Berlin is a bonafide Fountain Pen diaspora ;) - the Berlin Pen meeting is once a year & the last English speaking FP meeting on FP-day amassed the astounding number of 4 :lol: . So if you want to meet for some pen swapping (I prefer vintage) & maybe a little sketching, drop me a note.

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northstar Donor Pen

northstar

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Hello and welcome to FPN.

Recite, and your Lord is the most Generous  Who taught by the pen

Taught man that which he knew not (96/3-5)

Snailmail3.png Snail Mail 

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Sasha Royale Museum Piece

Sasha Royale

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Welcome, Schmoo !

 

Friends and relatives envied me, in my teen years, because I worked at Dairy Queen. Now, I envy those who live in the land of Pelikan.

 

I this "Schmoo", as in the Al Capp creature ?

 

Write with joy.

Auf freiem Grund mit freiem Volke stehn.
Zum Augenblicke dürft ich sagen:
Verweile doch, du bist so schön !

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