Someone Please Talk Me Out Of Buying More Fountain Pens

[Lamyliz]

I discovered this hobby a couple of months ago and somehow or other have now acquired 10 lamy safaris.

I now find myself looking at the twsbi eco having become obsessed by fountain pens so can someone please tell me the downside of these to make me think twice about buying it?

It's not just the pens, there's the ink, the paper, my journals, and pen cases....

I don't actually need any more but they are so lovely...

Thanks in advance :/

[steve50]

I have most nib options available today in my collection, from xf to B and also some stubs and italics. For flexibility I just go for dip nibs which are cheap and very nice. I have about dozen pens in total and I don't feel like buying more pens for now. First, because I found the pens I like (in terms of the material, design, and size) and also because I think I basically tried all the different nibs you can get on a pen. My Platinum 3776 has developed a crack so potentially I would like to take the nib and feed out and put them in a custom pen. But it's still working fine so there's no rush.

[Tas]

No.

[ajoe]

I just started selling pens and found it is even more fun than buying.

 

YMMV

[Karmachanic]

"Sell the house, sell the car, sell the kids." Buy everything stationery related in sight!! Up your game! Buy 10 Lamy 2000s! 6 Viscontis, A Conid or two! You know you really need 4 TR 52gsm journals and 5 68 gsm too. Throw in a couple of Life Nobles, just in case. What the heck, isn't that what credit cards are for? Whoo Hoo!!!

 

I know, I know. Being rational is not easy. What did the 10th Safari do that the previous 9 didn't?

 

Or maybe give yourself a pen related monthly budget and stick to it.

 

How am I doing?

[JakobS]

10 Lamy Safaris...dwell on that for awhile...that should talk you out of more pens....until you sell at least half of them I would hope!

[Orthostylos]

Resistance is Futile

[kilraughts]

I can readily identify with your quest for something more interesting, exciting than what you already have. I now adopt the line of placing a lower monetary value on what I buy. My offer is relative to my perception of value. If you buy well you should be able to sell again with little or no loss of value.

I have found that many of my purchases are now worth more than what they cost me and I value them for what they are. Keep reading widely and buy what you like and what suits your taste and budget.

Good hunting. Enjoy your pens.

[katerchen]

There could be a lot worse spending habits. If you are having fun acquiring and using (and if not using, just admiring) your stuff, there's no harm as long as you manage the spend wisely relative to your disposable income.

[PeterR-C]

There's a lot to be said for sticking to collecting pens, if you can discipline yourself to sticking to just a "modest" number of "affordable" ones (whatever those two words mean). There are two huge virtues, quite apart from the fact that you can write with them. First, you are unlikely ever to be able to kill anyone with a pen. Second, and I have no idea how old you might be, if and when your children come to clear your house post-mortem (i.e. post your mortem) then pens are not going to be a major hazard. A friend of mine recently cleared her late father's house, and he hoarded cement mixers and lathes. Take comfort from the fact that you are long way removed from that kind of insanity! They might even bless you for collecting them, if they tun out to be valuable.

 

Just a thought.

[zaddick]

Coming into FPN and asking for guidance on how not to buy a pen is like walking into a bar thirsty and asking the bar tender to explain why alcohol is not fun and enjoyable.

 

As noted before, if the spending is not hurting you financially or emotionally, then explore and enjoy. Try to figure out what you like about each pen before buying another. If you are honest with yourself about the process that may slow you down a bit in the acquisition frenzy.

[Bo Bo Olson]

What a strange wish.

 

I also was in the Pen of the Week in the Mail Club.

Pen of the Month wasn't much better.

 

Get into Pen of the Quarter in the Mail Club....a much better researched and better pen............do need the research for post war vintage pens.

 

 

Do Not go to Inky Thoughts.........or Ink Reviews....that will stop you from buying quite so many fountain pens.

Especially if you buy good to better paper every three bottles of ink.

 

Bottles are much, much cheaper than cartridges.

Edited September 19, 2018 by Bo Bo Olson

[Timeline]

When they shut your utilities off you can use the stationery for starting fires for heat and cooking.

[surprise123]

Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn.

 

NO NO NO I STILL WANT YOU!

 

I buy vintage pens, keep the users, sell the lookers for a profit, and thus this corrupted cycle continues, not sucking up any of my actual savings or pocket money. Either there's nothing but dust in my Paypal account, or $300. This is my form of pen collecting, the ultimate budgetary way of saying I've owned all the famous vintage pens from the Big Three. As a rule, I don't ever keep more than 10 pens at any given point.

[JayKay3000]

When I was first starting out I brought a lot of pens, but after a few months I realized I wanted other pens.

 

I took a long hard look at what I had and having used and enjoyed them decided that the only way I could justify getting more pens was to sell some. Selling pens was hard with my inner voice telling me how stupid and how I'd regret it. I decided that I'd enjoyed using them and talking about them, having had the experience and the ones I had were not my greatest of all time pens, just a nice collection of pens.

 

So - I sold the pens and put the money into other pens. I have no regrets. I managed to keep a stable amount of pen money where by I would buy some pens I'd REALLY wanted, use them for a while and then decide if, after a month I still REALLY wanted them. The novelty of a new or different pen can wear of quickly.

 

Eventually I ended up with a couple of pens I really liked and these were kept for some time. I did the cheap chinese pen 'thing' for a while where I spent less than $50 experimenting with about 20 different pens, styles, sizes, nib options.

 

Eventually and quite by accident after culling all my pens and throwing out most of my cheap pens I set my pen limit to four and decided to obtain four pens I REALLY wanted. I set myself a pen budget and a maximum spend on a pen. I actually stated a diary where, herin my personal inner struggle and justifications can be found as I wrestled with the idea that just because I can own 100 pens, doesn't really mean I should or want to.

 

One day I threw several of my inks down the drain, leaving me with a parker quink black and blue (actually a special mix I made). That actually hurt.

 

By now it's over four years since I started messing around with pens and I have three nice pens and 1 daily user. I am thinking about getting a lammy safari as a second work pen, but I'm not bothered either way. I've essentially achieved what I set out to do. I've sold some really nice pens, pens that sometimes I think of re-buying, but having had the experience I don't need to hold on to them for fear of loosing the memory. I may buy and sell a few pens in the future, but they'd have to be a sure be that I wouldn't loose a load of money just 'messing around'

 

I think it's NORMAL to go through the 'gotta get them all' phase as you branch out, get interested in new materials, pen types and simply want to test them all. I get my pen fix from youtube videos and appreciating what other people own on the forums now. I also look at my little collection, being quietly content and, when I need a pen one of three nice ones gets used. No nos draw queens here.

 

It's all about self control and being happy with the things you have. I don't think anyone cares whether you have 1 pen or 100 pens as long as you use and enjoy it.

 

I admit there are times I go to the auction sites and I see a good deal for something and have to metaphorically slap myself on the wrists.

 

--------

 

As for the OP - I notice the pens are lamy safar - fairly cheap pens. I would advise selling all, but the best one and searching to find one pen that you think you'll love or even two. Make these pens in the upper bracket of what you can afford. Lets say it's $100, an amount thats a lot for you to take the hit on so when you buy the pen it is REALLY the pen you want, not just another thing to add to a collection. Maybe the amount you spend on the pen will take you 1 or 2 months to earn back, thus forcing you to not buy loads of pens.

 

It's certainly an idea, unless the OP has zero self control then that might be a disaster to end up taking out loans to pay for pens! And pens should never come before basic essentials like rent or food. They're just pens, there will be plenty waiting for your ownership for years to come.

[peterg]

If you live near London we have a group that can ween you off Lamy's

[Mulrich]

A few questions to ponder that might actually talk you out of buying more pens (prior comments weren't really discouraging more pen consumption)…

 

How many pages of writing do you do a day?

 

Why do you want to buy more pens?

 

Why did you buy 10 Safaris instead of 10 different models?

 

Are you trying to experience new nibs/material/fillers/etc? Do you have other ways to experience these things without buying?

 

Are you willing to give up other habits/hobbies to invest more in pens?

 

Can you use pen purchasing as an incentive for other behaviors?

[Uncial]

The worst thing about this 'hobby' is that one day, not very far into the future you will wake up and think dropping a thousand euro on a pen is normal. That's a very scary place to be, but what is even more frightening is picking up that pen and using it and thinking, damn, you're worth every penny. Its then you realise there is every potential that you might be equally as stupid more than once.

[Driften]

First off like others said, if you have the money not needed for other things, do as you want.

 

I do suggestion unless your goal is to have every color of Lamy Safari/TWSBI Eco/ What ever, you should try out new things. There are a lot of pens out there and for the price of 10 Safari or Eco's you could by a really nice pen. Also if your tastes change in the future, and mine have, more expensive pens are easier to sell or trade for something else then a used $30 Eco. In some brands buying used is the best option and if you don't like it then you can in many cases break even selling them.

 

TWSBI does make some good workhorse pens. They don't dry out fast and normally can write on first touch to paper after sitting months. Every Safari and Al*Star I have owned can't say that, but the Lamy 2000 is just as reliable. The pen world is large with quality brands such as Pilot, Sailor, Pelikan, and others. Research what may be interesting to you.

 

Just don't spend a lot of money on cheep pens. Buying fewer but higher quality has it's rewards.

[PAKMAN]

Ha, you came to the wrong place! Enablers-are-us is the other name for FPN!