Where to leave the cap?

[Kees]

What's everyone getting so heated up about? I really don't get the debate issue, since, as Kurt said, we're only talking about PENS.

Ha! Some questions may be not so vital for mankind in general, but are as important as “to be or not to be” for a small group of afficionados.

The reason why I have started this topic is because I have a quite distinct view on it, and because I think it’s an heretical view. Although we seem to have lost ushat, that makes it a tribute to him and his peers. Also the wording shows that I had him and his call for passionate discussions in mind: I didn’t ask “Where do you leave the cap?”, no, there is more at stake: it is beyond doubt a matter of right or wrong...

 

(BTW, I couldn’t really tell if there have been threads before which deal with this. I didn’t find any. As you all know: the search function of this Forum only allows to search for four-letter-words –and more– and doesn’t account for quite essential terms like “cap” or “sac” or “nib”.)

 

I hardly ever read glossy pen magazines, but I did read one once. In the obligatory test reports there was much talk about ergonomics, haptics, finish, balance. I’ll be honest with you, dear pen pals: I have never ever had problems with the balance of a pen!

Admittedly, there are no intercontinental heavy-weight champions among my pens, no pens that want to be held in the fist instead of between the fingers. I do put the cap on my Kaweco Sport, and would probably do the same with any tuck-away, but without exception, my regular pens are put to action capless.

 

Wasn’t posting, then, intended by the designers of the pen? I’ve no doubt it was, but who cares? Would you blame the Governator for not driving his Hummer off-road?

“But”, you may argue, “a posted cap will never get lost...” That may be an impressive argument for the rest of the world –not within this community. We love our pens, don’t we? ... we take care!

 

There’s a mystical bond between me and my favourite pens. To my taste, a pen gets too bulky with the cap posted, it doesn’t follow the movements of my hand as willingly as it could and should... Short: it is less a part of me.

If something’s a part of me I’d hate it to get hurt... I feel there’s an element of violence in putting the cap on the back of the pen, and indeed there have been reports of barrels seriously damaged by a random cap.

 

When I pretend to collect my thoughts I will rest the smooth end of the barrel against my lips, but please not the brand’s protruding logo or a clip. That would disturb my (always endangered) inner harmony.

If I have to interrupt writing I park the pen, loosely sticking it into the cap that lies before me on my desk. Because of the clip it won’t roll away. It will not dry out, yet I can continue to write anytime I want.

 

No, I definitely think it’s wrong to post the cap in writing!

 

[KCat, haven’t I been racist, sexist, and irreverend? No? Well, better next time! ]

[Titivillus]

What's everyone getting so heated up about? I really don't get the debate issue, since, as Kurt said, we're only talking about PENS.

Ha! Some questions may be not so vital for mankind in general, but are as important as “to be or not to be” for a small group of afficionados.

The reason why I have started this topic is because I have a quite distinct view on it, and because I think it’s an heretical view. ...

 

No, I definitely think it’s wrong to post the cap in writing!

 

[KCat, haven’t I been racist, sexist, and irreverend? No? Well, better next time! ]

I don't think this is heresy but even in your discussion you say that sometimes you do post.

 

 

It really does come down to a pen by pen decision. Some of the smaller pens I own get posted just to lengthen the pen for writing. I prefer a pen M1000 and greater in size so a Vac needs to be a little longer for me to enjoy writing with it. But for all of my other pens I don't post or if I do post it is because I want to keep track of the cap. My Hana-nuri will never be posted just for fear of cap wear on the barrel but other pens are just whatever I want to do.

 

 

K H

[KCat]

irreverence is a good thing, IMO.

 

There’s a mystical bond between me and my favourite pens. To my taste, a pen gets too bulky with the cap posted, it doesn’t follow the movements of my hand as willingly as it could and should... Short: it is less a part of me.

If something’s a part of me I’d hate it to get hurt... I feel there’s an element of violence in putting the cap on the back of the pen, and indeed there have been reports of barrels seriously damaged by a random cap

 

Unfortunately, I happen to agree with everything you said.

 

I also agree with Kurt who says much of it is pen-by-pen. I do have a few pens that get posted caps: Sport, an Estie cartridge pen that is quite slim and short compared to most other Estie models and has a very lightweight metal cap.

 

hmm... i'm sure there's another one but can't think of it. But those pens are short pens that even for my small hand would feel stubby without posting. And they are not pens that can be damaged much at all by doing so.

 

Otherwise, the cap is in my left hand. It almost feels odd when I put a cap down while writing. even if I'm still writing I might get a little panicky that the cap has rolled away to be stepped on or something. And this goes back to days long before I got into FPs. I always gripped a bic stic cap in my left hand while writing with the pen.

 

Balance would be an issue for me if I did post the cap on a number of pens I own. I simply don't like the top-heavy feel of it on most pens. The only pens I own that might have been returned to the seller for balance issues are my VPs. IOW, *if* those were poorly balanced, there's not a darn thing you can do about it because there's no cap to post or not post. But fortunatley, the balance of a VP is fine to me.

 

I think I've mentioned this before on this forum and I know I've mentioned it on other forums. Some years ago when I first started wandering around these pen groups, someone said "A fountain pen that won't post is useless. I refuse to buy a fountain pen that won't post." To me, this seemed a bit sad. I could imagine all the beautiful pens out there with incredibly smooth nibs that were being neglected because the cap was too heavy to post comfortably or something. I can see sticking to this rule for work pens. But consider one of Winedoc's monster urushi pens. Gorgeous pens and from all I hear, high quality. But I can't imagine you would want to post those. So there is an example of a stunning pen, and not a small one either so that can't be the logic, that most people probably would not post. But because they are "useless" that person is missing out on an experience that from all I've read, is divine. I'm pretty sure this was a fairly well-known member of the pen community and that my lament was ignored. After all, I was (am) just a pen expert wannabe.

[Guest Denis Richard]

Hi Kees,

 

I usually go capless, unless the pen is really really short. I have that thing about keeping the cap in my left hand while writing that dates back to primary school. Just a habit, but if I don't do it, it just does not feel right.

 

Denis.

[southpaw]

Posted - almost always!

[Stylo]

Always capless!

[tntaylor]

Cap? What cap?

 

VP, baby!

 

Lol!

 

t!

[KCat]

what kinda debate is this? What's wrong with you people? Can't you be more contentious than this? What a bunch of wimps!

 

 

seriously - for those who post most of the time (Hey, Southpaw!) can you say why? Is it the convenience of not having to worry about where the cap is? The balance/size of the pen? Do you worry about damaging the material or cracking the cap? For example, I would never post my Balance II (though I could) because the cap lip seems like it might chip.

[smudgy]

what kinda debate is this? What's wrong with you people? Can't you be more contentious than this? What a bunch of wimps!

 

FOR SHAME, YOU HORRIBLE PEOPLE WHO ASSAULT YOUR PENS BY SHOVING THEIR CAPS ON THEIR BARRELS!!!! HIDEOUS BEHAVIOR! AND YOU CALL YOURSELVES 'PEN LOVERS'... HA!

 

how's that?

 

[Titivillus]

what kinda debate is this? What's wrong with you people? Can't you be more contentious than this? What a bunch of wimps!

 

FOR SHAME, YOU HORRIBLE PEOPLE WHO ASSAULT YOUR PENS BY SHOVING THEIR CAPS ON THEIR BARRELS!!!! HIDEOUS BEHAVIOR! AND YOU CALL YOURSELVES 'PEN LOVERS'... HA!

 

how's that?

 

THis might not be a very violent debate but I can feel maybe a little flicker in another thread that could turn into some serious verbal violence.

 

But I will leave it up to you all to figure out where.

 

 

K H

[smudgy]

THis might not be a very violent debate but I can feel maybe a little flicker in another thread that could turn into some serious verbal violence.

 

But I will leave it up to you all to figure out where.

 

Ack, well maybe my post was a bit of bad form, although it was only intended as a joke in response to KCat's post - apologies to any past or present members that I might have offended. I certainly don't want to be the one to cause real contention.

 

Unfortunately, there's no point in my editing and toning down my original post since you've preserved it by quoting me, Kurt!

[Viseguy]

I never post, except when I do (which is about half the time ). I won't buy a pen that doesn't post well, if I can help it. In short, (takes a deep breath)...

 

I WANT MY OPTIONS!

[Mannenhitsu]

I would say that around 98 percent of the time, I post my cap. To me, it just doesn't feel right any other way.

[Bryan]

Unless the pen has threads where one would post the cap, I don't post. The Delta 20th Special LE is the only pen I have with two threaded ends, so this is the only pen I post. Otherwise, I just hold the cap in my left hand or toss in my shirt pocket while writing.

 

A couple of my pens could be damaged or scratched by posting due to the use of Urushi, Chinese Lacquer, or mirror finished sterling silver. I'd hate to to do that!

 

-Bryan

Edited July 19, 2005 by Bryan

[Guest Denis Richard]

I wonder how many of the people who grew up with fountain pens post, compared to the ones who did with BPs ?

Edited July 19, 2005 by Denis Richard

[grasshopper]

Like Kurt and Denis, it usually depends on the pen I'm using - if it's too short for me, I would post it, otherwise I prefer not to post. Similarly, as Bryan said, if the pen actually has threads at the end of the barrel meant for posting, then I suppose I would post as well (them pink monte micras and lalexes, which I've tried and may get someday :ph34r: both have these threads as they are quite short). As some of the Unposters have said, there is the fear of scratching the barrel lingering over my head whenever I used to think of posting.

[grasshopper]

THis might not be a very violent debate but I can feel maybe a little flicker in another thread that could turn into some serious verbal violence.

 

But I will leave it up to you all to figure out where.    

 

 

K H

Violence? Fight? Where? Where?

 

Fiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiight!!!!!

 

(This coming from someone who is lucky enough so far to never have been in a real fight, but has broken up a few)

[grasshopper]

I wonder how many of the people who grew up with fountain pens post, compared to the ones who did with BPs ?

When we used fountain pens in school, I was told that posting the pen stops it from rolling down the desk. I didn't know better, I remember seeing that most of my classmates and teachers posted, so I posted as well.

 

At university and at work (before I became a nutter), I posted my BPs for that same reason.

 

But now, knowing that you're supposed to cap the pen when not in use, there's no need to really post the pen. And besides, I forgot to mention in my ealier post (pun unintended), some pens are quite uncomfortable posting as some caps can become loose and fall off whilst I'm in the middle of writing (posters might say that the cap is not posted firmly enough but )

[Kees]

Well, I’m quite happy, so far... After all, who wants to be an heretic?

 

You see, I have spent most of my life in splendid isolation, FP-wise, and couldn’t compare my own experiences with those of other people. Finally, I formed an impression of mainstream pen usage, and I was convinced that it would involve posting... The balance issue I’ve always found ridiculous, but they post the cap for you when you’re buying a pen, they post a cap when they make photographs for a catalog, they post it in specialized magazines and tell you how perfectly balanced the result is.

Some caps ask for posting ... –I probably shouldn’t have allowed for that, Kurt. I may be too pathologically honest for setting up real controversies, but I’ll surely try again!

 

I’m happy not to be alone in this one, and am not unhappy, really, that the discussion didn’t get violent (so far), even if it sometimes got LOUD ...

Edited July 19, 2005 by Kees

[smudgy]

I’m happy not to be alone in this one, and am not unhappy, really, that the discussion didn’t get violent (so far), even if it sometimes got  LOUD ... 

 

But, but... I thought that the LOUDER you are, the more RIGHT you are???

 

 

Incidently, I guess I should state in a quiet, reserved way: I usually do not post my pens. I am more comfortable just holding the cap, and only post at work with my Kawecos (if I didn't, I would surely lose the cap at work).