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How Do You Justify Owning Many Pens?


theunwittingphilosopher

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In 35 years I collected probably something over 300 pens, and I don't think I have to find any justification for this.

 

My wife has probably 50 or more pair 0f shoes, and she has only 2 foots, but she also do not think to any justification.

 

... That's life ....!

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If a person feels the need to justify owning something the problem might be in that persons end (for whatever reason). No need to justify at all, even when I have multiples of basically exactly the same pen (same model but with different width nibs and in different barrel colors). I like it that way and will even acquire more when I can. ;)

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I own more than three shirts, too. And more than three pairs of socks. And, oh yes, more than three books. It may be that I have a whole lot of explaining to do.

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I have three pens with three different colours of ink in use at my work office on any given day. I rarely have more than 20 pens in my collection at any given time largely because I become bored and sell on and replace regularly. I also have some 20 watches in my possession. I never try to justify having any of them, only summarise that some are more permanent than others otherwise it will drive you mad.

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All my pen's and inks take up far less space than owning another car. So, by volume, I collect far less than someone with an "unnecessary" extra car...which is fairly common.

"Anyone who lives within their means suffers from a lack of imagination."

Oscar Wilde

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I feel like I don't need to justify how I spend my money. It's mine. The most I need to say is, "I enjoy them."

Proud resident of the least visited state in the nation!

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All my pen's and inks take up far less space than owning another car. So, by volume, I collect far less than someone with an "unnecessary" extra car...which is fairly common.

This is what i dislike about these sorts of threads. They always turn into this circular (bleep) of person A justifying x while crapping on person B who likes j.

 

You all be you. Quite paying attention to other people who do things differently from you.

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I remember as a 4-5 pen noobie, thinking 12 pens would be more than enough. :lticaptd: Cubed.

 

Why would anyone ever need more than 7 inks :wacko: ....and who would be so stupid as to buy green ink.

I got the old discontinued Pelikan 4001 Brilliant green on sale....that year I bought 14 more green-greenish inks....now have 17-18.

 

One of course needs the 10-15 classic pens, after one has a hand full of beginner pens...and starts breaking physiological ...$, $$, $$$ borders.

There are some 45 nibs of various stiffness, width and if stubbed or CI. One of course need a number of them. I only have 35 in I don't chase nails....do of course have nails.....some classic pans only come in nail.

 

Then there is the pretty pens....lots of new modern pretty pens.....

Got 17 inked....a couple of week ago it was 22.....what pen comes to hand...what ink is mostly second.

Have 60 inks and some 40 papers (half of them not all that great...some are not shading ink papers...like the 100-50% cotton ones......for a nice feel they do just fine)

Why have all those nibs, all those inks, with out a great dance floor.

 

Back when I could afford single malt scotch (per-fountain pen)...I never needed to justify my 10-12 bottles.

By the way I have nothing against a great blended scotch.

I'd take Chivas Royal Salute in a heart beat...leaving many a single malt bottle standing. The youngest whiskey in Royal Salute is 21 years old. :notworthy1:

Would I sell cheap pens for a bottle of that....sure. Would I sell one of my better pens for it. :headsmack:

Hey it's only scotch and soon that tiny bottle and it is tiny, would be empty in only three years.

An empty pen will be re-filled.

,

In reference to P. T. Barnum; to advise for free is foolish, ........busybodies are ill liked by both factions.

 

 

The cheapest lessons are from those who learned expensive lessons. Ignorance is best for learning expensive lessons.

 

 

 

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I am wandering morosely about the house wondering how I am going to justify more than three FM and DAB+ radios so, no time to think of a hundred pens.

 

To answer your other questions, I ink pens on a weighted semi-random basis, keeping enough inked at a time to give me options for different colours, paper types and occasions. I listen to all of the radios, one at a time. Often I write and listen at the same time.

Edited by praxim

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I am wandering morosely about the house wondering how I am going to justify more than three FM and DAB+ radios so, no time to think of a hundred pens.

 

I listen to all of the radios, one at a time.

 

If you tune them at the same frequency and have them turned on at the same time you have Dolby Surround. That's what you should tell people if anyone asks.

 

 

 

Should anybody be further interested in justification, justification is usually thought to come from evidence to believe something. Knowledge's age-old definition is "justified true belief". Here comes the nice part: There are some units of meaning (propositions) which are self-evident! They are also thought to be necessarily true! They are called a priori propositions. One example is "bachelors are unmarried men", which is obviously self-evident because of the meaning of the word "bachelor". Guess what: it is in principle possible that you can argue that a proposition like "this pen is so shiny I have to have it" is self-evident. Nobody's going to buy that, but anyway...

Edited by ardene
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With the kids under 10 it's pretty easy; I use the Crayola Defense. Why how do you justify the box of 64 crayons rather than just having three crayons? After all with just red, blue and yellow you can make almost every color.

 

Once the kid is older then ten these days red blue green has polluted his senses.

 

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the first answer you got is probably the most fitting explanation,

but I think I might know where you are..

at 3 pens you are trying desperately to find a good reason not to buy the 4th one,

obviously you are in the wrong place, but then again, no, you're in the right place!

We've said this before, there aren't any good reasons not to buy your next pen, possibly before you do, try to understand what you like and what you don't like in the 3 pens you already have, one fun thing about this hobby is the quest for the grail pen... :D

 

To be more specific, in an attempt to answer your question, yes, I do you designate a particular fountain pen for a particular occasion, yes I do rotate through pens, sometimes weekly, sometimes even daily... yes my pens differ in terms of writing characteristics such as nib variation, and yes I do use different inks in them, yes I do collect them, yes I do etcetera... :) hope it helps

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I will say this on behalf of the OP: it is worthwhile to be reminded occasionally that our interests and desires can be seen from perspectives other than those of an aquisitive collector. We actually frequently joke about this ourselves and often easily acknowledge that we can be compulsive. We sometimes sneak things past our partners and acknowledge that the desires to buy or own often have no other justification than satisfying those impulses. And we are fortunate enough to live lives with the leisure and the money to pursue something as useless for survival as buying dozens of pens even though we can actually only hold one at a time. It's pretty rediculous and self-centered from a certain point of view. Mostly an indulgence. I don't need 75 percent of the clothing I own, and my house, at 1800 square feet, is probably twice as large as I need. But there it is.

Edited by TSherbs
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No justification required.

"Don't hurry, don't worry. It's better to be late at the Golden Gate than to arrive in Hell on time."
--Sign in a bar and grill, Ormond Beach, Florida, 1960.

 

 

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