How Do You Justify Owning Many Pens?

[theunwittingphilosopher]

I'm curious as to how others in this forum who own at least three fountain pens or more justify the amount of owned fountain pens and how often they're used ratio. For example, do you designate a particular fountain pen for a particular occasion as one would with a pair of shoes? Do you simply rotate through a pen monthly? Do your pens share the same purpose of writing but differ in terms of writing characteristics (ink colours and nib variation)? Do you simply collect them? Et cetera.

[lsmith42]

No justification necessary... what youre going for is called rationalization... just dont do it.

 

Edited to add: I own maybe 150 pens... and have friends who literally own thousands...

 

From our friends at Wikipedia:

 

In psychology and logic, rationalization or rationalisation (also known as making excuses) is a defense mechanism in which controversial behaviors or feelings are justified and explained in a seemingly rational or logical manner to avoid the true explanation, and are made consciously tolerableor even admirable and superiorby plausible means. It is also an informal fallacy of reasoning.

 

Rationalization happens in two steps:

 

A decision, action, judgement is made for a given reason, or no (known) reason at all.

 

A rationalization is performed, constructing a seemingly good or logical reason, as an attempt to justify the act after the fact (for oneself or others).

 

Rationalization encourages irrational or unacceptable behavior, motives, or feelings and often involves ad hoc hypothesizing. This process ranges from fully conscious (e.g. to present an external defense against ridicule from others) to mostly unconscious (e.g. to create a block against internal feelings of guilt or shame). People rationalize for various reasonssometimes when we think we know ourselves better than we do. Rationalization may differentiate the original deterministic explanation of the behavior or feeling in question.

Edited September 23, 2018 by lsmith42

[carlos.q]

Excellent answer.

[Freddy]

I'm curious as to how others in this forum who own at least three fountain pens or more justify the amount of owned fountain pens and how often they're used ratio. For example, do you designate a particular fountain pen for a particular occasion as one would with a pair of shoes? Do you simply rotate through a pen monthly? Do your pens share the same purpose of writing but differ in terms of writing characteristics (ink colours and nib variation)? Do you simply collect them? Et cetera.

Firstly..Welcome Aboard....the unwitting philosopher....Enjoy your time here.

Re: Question.....I don't haveta justify anything..nor do I justify why I write with a fountain pen in the "digital age"....

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/301590-how-do-you-justify-writing-with-a-fountain-pen-in-the-digital-age/?p=3524208

Fred

[zaddick]

Here is some philosophy from my long departed grandfather that seems apt to the question.

 

When I's itches then I's scratches.

[Karmachanic]

Three pens is many

[theunwittingphilosopher]

Three pens is many

 

 

Interestingly enough, with the right amount of justification, it can be. "Many" has become an ambiguous word.

[Chouffleur]

I'm worth it.

 

Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, I rest my case.

[Fuzzy_Bear]

I don't even have thirty. What I do have, I use. Different nibs, different holds, different inks.

 

There are some I will be getting rid of as well. I just don't use em. And I will get some more ad my tastes change.

 

But I don't justify my purchases. I have the income to buy them and I enjoy using them.

 

I have 3 TWSBI's loaded and 4 Pelikans. The rest get rotated.

[Aysedasi]

I don't feel a need to justify it. I don't drink or smoke and I don''t have (many) other expensive hobbies. I also don't tend to buy expensive pens where I might have to justify a single large outlay to myself.... At any one time I have about 40 fountain pens. When I realise that I'm not going to use one (much) again, I sell it. I probably have 10-15 pens inked up and ready to go at any time.

Edited September 23, 2018 by Aysedasi

[TSherbs]

Fountain pens are no different from anything else that one might own 3+ of. Can't you imagine the common answers from your own experiences and ken?

[Tas]

No justification necessary... what youre going for is called rationalization... just dont do it.

 

Ooo yes !

[Mech-for-i]

its a hobby so rationale do not apply ... mostly

[BaronWulfraed]

EEEK! I just checked my database and found I'm up to 116 entries -- and that's counting Sheaffer (2 generations), Platignum, and Staedtler calligraphy sets as "one entry", even if some included three or more pens (the Platignum is one pen and five nibs, the Sheaffers are two or three pens and three nibs, and the Staedtler had five pens for five nibs). And I know I'm missing a few (three Esterbrook Dip-Less sets, a dual [and mismatched] Sheaffer desk set, and a pair of cheap Osmiroids with copper nibs).

 

For the OP: I used to change pens when they ran out of ink; but that was when I was employed and did enough writing to use ink. Now? It's on a whim basis, and I end up flushing a lot of ink down the sink (I won't put it back into the bottle).

 

I usually try to carry one "signature" pen -- broad or stub, often with some shade of blue. One medium/fine often with a green shade of ink, and often a third pen with a red ink and fine point.

 

Currently I have too many pens inked -- my primary carry set "of the month", and four Noodlers models (intending to Dremel a few nibs <G>).

[ISW_Kaputnik]

Humans have a nearly endless capacity for rationalizing whatever it is they want to do, so I would be suspicious of any justifications, including my own. The fact that I have so many pens is a matter of "revealed preference", as is the fact that I have so far made no attempt to sell any of the ones that might be considered surplus.

 

I do consider the costs from time to time, and ask myself if I really want to spend my money that way. For the past couple of years, the answer has been to buy very little. A couple of bargain prices on vintage pens, and a couple of bottles of ink.

 

But other than that, as everyone else is saying, no justification necessary.

[alexander_k]

Never justify your vices. It can only be used against you. It's better to appear as a lovable, harmless eccentric.

[Qoan]

No rationale, just simple facts:

Some pens (3 or 4) I use for daily writing. Then for my diary and note-take I use 5-6 additional colours (which change from time to time). Then sometimes I have the same colour in a couple of pens with different nib sizes. Then some I use for calligraphy with the Latin and Greek alphabets, and different ones (because of the nib shape) for standard writing and calligraphy with the Arabic alphabet. And, of course, there are almost always some pens to check how specific inks work with specific nibs/systems... So I tend to have around 20 pens inked at a given time from a bit more of 100 in total. Among those, some I like but just get occasional use, and some I bought to try them, I didn't like them and are just waiting to be gifted (or eventually thrown away).

[JayKay3000]

If you have to justify it then you can't afford it.

[Driften]

I'm at 37 pens, 22 inked, right now and don't try to justify it. It's just a hobby. I tried using pens in a rotation but that gets tossed out every time I buy a new pen. I have some pens that are the same other then the color of ink in them. I bought them with the idea of color coding my book plots and ideas. Others were bought for the nib or it fit a certain role (pocket vs desk), and some just because I liked the color or design. Some were sold when my taste in pens changed.

 

Don't expect to justify to someone outside the hobby why. They will never understand. That goes for any hobby.

[inotrym]

I don't exactly feel the need to justify my purchases, but it makes me feel better that these products don't expire or go bad over time.

In 50 years (if I make it that far) I will be the cool old lady that always hands out weird pens, pencils and drawing tools. Sweet.