Should This Site Be Blocked?

[scunepo]

Should the FPN site be blocked because it's just too tempting!

 

A strange thing to suggest? Well yes, but let me justify my statement.

 

I don't need any more ink yet I read reviews on the FPN by hardened fountain pen addicts and like Adam in the Garden of Eden I end up being tempted. That's bad enough but to compound the situation the reviews generate comments from other "users" that confuse my thoughts when they suggest alternatives to the item being reviewed. So what does this latter day Adam do? The answer is obvious to any addict. Buy the reviewed ink as well as the suggested alternatives.

 

It seems to me that as a fountain pen user, much like an drug addict, you crave the next 'hit'. Perhaps inks should be classified in the same bracket as class A drugs? One reviewer even admitted he had tempted a co-worker to start using a fountain pen after showing her his Baystate Blue. Shameless!

 

Returning to my statement about blocking this site. I think I'm being naive. If the FPN is blocked other less scrupulous pushers of ink and pens would pop up and take over the turf vacated by the FPN.

 

It seems to me the only solution to my addiction is to use a biro, the fountain pen users equivalent of methadone.

 

I can feel the shakes starting already just thinking about it.

 

 

 

 

 

[mallymal1]

[Intensity]

Most of the hobby forums are dominated by the commercial aspect of the hobby (reviews and discussions of tools and parts). Only a smaller percent of discussions is actually about using said tools and parts, and showing the work or sharing the enjoyment of the hobby itself. Unfortunately it’s easy to get into a buying loop when frequenting hobby forums. I’m not speaking of just one or two—I’ve followed or at least once looked through over a couple dozen different hobby forums over the years, from animal care to art, to photography, to electronics/computers, etc., etc. Acquisition and sharing the news of acquisition can become the major source of enjoyment, with little time left to actually focus on the craft aspect. A bit sad was seeing on a pet forum some periodic discussions of this or that rare breed popping up in a local shop or pet shelter, and discussions of how now a bunch of people have an itch to get to that store and get that pet, as if to add it to their collection for e-fame.

 

Just remember that there’s always something physical to covet (and I’m very guilty of that myself), but when it gets to be unreasonable—log off, get out your tools, and practice some honest proper-technique calligraphy, hug your existing pet(s), take a walk with your current camera gear to improve your technique, close your eyes and be happy in the simple present moment of peace.

[Dmact]

I have yet to buy ink outside of Michael's so as yet have only coveted the "proper" inks and its already addiction level issue those "need".

Me: I need real inks

Also me: Maybe blue

Also me: omg pilot iroshizuki has like 5 blues

Also me: i need 5 blues.

[scunepo]

Great perspective Intensity. The last paragraph was mindfulness at its best.

[Karmachanic]

This method may work to slow you down. Works for me.

Look at a colour wheel. What part of the spectrum appeals to me.

Go here https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/282789-start-here-inky-t-o-d-topics-oday/ and look at the bottom of amberleadavis' page where you will find links to various colours.

 

Pick a few of your faves. Buy SAMPLES of those. Fill your pen with your #1 and write it dry. Get to know it well.I prefer pens with screw-in nibs. That way I can easily see its performance spectrum .

What do you like/dislike about it? Continue through the samples. Buy a bottle. Resist the temptation to purchase a second ink that has a 3% difference in hue.

 

Next. What colour will compliment/contrast with this ink? Repeat step one.

 

Like that.

 

On the other hand you may want to convert the spare bedroom to ink storage.

[Astronymus]

Here. Made this just for you.

[fountainpagan]

[macaddicted]

It seems to me the only solution to my addiction is to use a biro, the fountain pen users equivalent of methadone.

 

The FP equivalent of hitting yourself in the head with a bat (baseball, cricket, mammal).

 

Anyway welcome to the cult. Like most things it gets better when you stop thinking about the pain.

[A Smug Dill]

The answer is obvious to any addict.

...‹snip›...

I can feel the shakes starting already just thinking about it.

(Just to be clear, I'm approaching this in the same spirit of joking rhetoric; it is not intended to be either a rebuff or a condescending slight.)

 

One could look up "NLP compulsion blowout" (as a collection of distinct search terms, or as a literal search phrase). If the technique works, it can arrest the addiction — and possibly retard enjoyment of what one already "freely" has access to through previous spending. Take the reward of the next "hit" away, and one would eventually and naturally cease to crave that particular means, but be compelled to seek other ways to try to fill that psychological void with one fewer option at each turn.

 

Most of the hobby forums are dominated by the commercial aspect of the hobby (reviews and discussions of tools and parts). Only a smaller percent of discussions is actually about using said tools and parts, and showing the work or sharing the enjoyment of the hobby itself. Unfortunately it’s easy to get into a buying loop when frequenting hobby forums.

As a staunch supporter of consumerism, and a firm believer in the existence of a 'smarter' or 'better' way of being an individual consumer, I think every consumer refines his/her own selection process that almost invariably have the following ordered stages:

• (market intelligence) data gathering and consolidation;
• data validation;
• data collation and/or organisation;
• analysis (including against one's requirements, wants and likes, as well as one's budget and other constraints);
• shortlisting of the 'best' candidate options; and
• final decision-making (including possibly not purchasing anything).

The earlier stages are best executed with the extended reach of many eyes and ears, especially if the participants have differing interests, preferences and biases from each other. Thus I think it is one area where hobby forums can deliver the most 'help' and value to enthusiasts and consumers, by increasing the general availability and breadth of market intelligence at effectively no cost for those particular tasks to a large number of readers, without requiring any (largely faceless) participant to be interested in anyone else's goals or welfare. That they're "among friends" is not a prerequisite mindset for contributing, and scarce little responsibility comes with providing factual information about what can be acquired when or how.

 

The lower one goes down that list, the more it becomes individual pursuit directly related to one's specific goals and holistic wellbeing. Not that some of those tasks could not be positively served by crowd-sourced processing from those whom one doesn't know personally, and has no reason to trust they care for his/her satisfaction or betterment.

 

So I think it's only "natural" that hobby forums tend to foster lots of discussion about what you call "the commercial aspect".

[Arkanabar]

The process described by Dill is pretty much how I came up with the Six Essential Inks (see link to thread in signature).

[Parker51]

Ink in general is cheap compared to other more quickly consumed liquids. Unless you write an incredible amount daily it likely will not cost you more than $1.00 per day when averaged over a year. Much less than the cost of liquids such as coffee.

[scunepo]

Thanks for the tip Karmachanic. I'll have a look.

[scunepo]

Great responses and advice from all - thank you.

 

I've been a fountain pen user all my life and for the vast majority of time I used just a couple of pens and only one ink, my faithful Waterman Blue Black, and was perfectly content with that. It satisfied my business and recreational needs. I need to recall the simple pleasure using my pen and ink gave me without the distraction of multiple pens and inks.

 

My thread title was, of course, tongue-in-cheek. I have to admit it gives me great pleasure to read about pens, ink and paper on the FPN but armed with the advice (and links) I've received from contributors since posting the thread I think I can perhaps plot a different path.

 

Thank you.

[A Smug Dill]

Well, even though I'm not a wealthy individual, I find far more enjoyment in spending some of my money on acquiring (and 'occasionally' using) hundreds of pens and inks, than seeing arbitrary numbers on my bank statement. I see no harm in sharing or potentially encouraging that kind of enjoyment and satisfaction in fellow consumers, irrespective of any other priorities or concerns they may have as individuals.

[Arkanabar]

That's right, the swab/sample threads. I used those and reviews to guide my purchases as well. And as has been said, samples first.

[thesmellofdustafterrain]

I admit it, I'm surprised that fountain pens are a hobby. It's wonderful that people love and enjoy these pens, but it's a bit like stumbling into a fork convention - when you've used a fork all your life.

 

Fountain pens (or pens as I used to call them) have always been the tool for writing things down. They are basically a portable version of my typewriter. As for inks, well, the local stationary shop used to sell a bottle of blue or blue-ish ink and I would buy a few each year as I use up the last bottle. Sometimes they only had black ink which I don't like so much, but they assured me that supply of bottled ink was limited and maybe they would have not-black again in a few months. Sometimes the ink had a bird on the bottle, sometimes not. The thing I hated most about this was the lack of water resistance, but that's what I get for using bottled ink, so be it. It's a darn sight cheaper to use bottled ink than forever having to buy new ballpoints with the amount I write.

 

Then the shop stopped carrying bottled ink. This was a terrible blow.

 

But it turned out to be a very good thing indeed.

 

The first thing I discovered was there is more than a couple of kinds of ink! Some of them are even different colours - brown ink! Woot!

 

Then I discovered that some inks are waterproof! There was a happy-dance.

 

Since I have a stash of cash for writing supplies, I bought lots of ink samples, a few preppys to disassemble and learn about the mechanism, and eventually a few bottles of ink. Okay, perhaps a few too many bottles of ink. But I'm still suffering from the side effects of ink deprivation so I budgeted for this. Since my writing is now earning enough I can move away from wage work, I have more time to write and more money for writing supplies.

 

Online ink is so much less than the ink in the shops - writing now costs half as much! That's a huge advantage to fountain pens being a hobby. There's such a wide selection of inks.

 

It's also a joy to see what a tremendous knowledge base there is on this site. Even though I used these pens most of my life, I am learning loads about them.

 

As for fountain pens in my own life, I'm still having a lot of trouble seeing it as a hobby. It's professional supplies. I have enough ink now to keep me feeling secure for a couple of years and I'll budget for a couple of sizeable ink orders per year. I don't need any new pens, but things happen, so I think I'll put aside some cash in case of accidents. Since I only have two long-session writing pens right now (and one of them I'm not too happy with), I'm going to start researching which pen I'm going to get as a reward for finishing this next project.

[Intensity]

I admit it, I'm surprised that fountain pens are a hobby. ... it's a bit like stumbling into a fork convention - when you've used a fork all your life.  

I’d like to use this quote as my FPN signature

[miwishi63]

Well, even though I'm not a wealthy individual, I find far more enjoyment in spending some of my money on acquiring (and 'occasionally' using) hundreds of pens and inks, than seeing arbitrary numbers on my bank statement. I see no harm in sharing or potentially encouraging that kind of enjoyment and satisfaction in fellow consumers, irrespective of any other priorities or concerns they may have as individuals.

 

I wholeheartedly agree!

[thesmellofdustafterrain]

I’d like to use this quote as my FPN signature

If you like.

 

Don't get me wrong, I'm thrilled that I found this site. Wonderful people here.