What's in your "collection" ?

[Guest Denis Richard]

If it's older than you are, it's vintage. If not it's modern.

 

It's great tip to avoid feeling.... old. And it is as accurate a definition than any other you'll find

Edited October 28, 2005 by Denis Richard

[grasshopper]

I think mine is about 80% vintage-ish (I say "ish because they include pens that are about the same age as me)

 

But this will definitely change in the next few months or so, in terms of percentage and actual quantity, as I will be "catching up" on some moderns.

[TMann]

About 20% vintage, 80% modern.

 

This describes both me and my pen collection.

 

TMann

[randyholhut]

How about this definition of vintage vs. modern...

 

If it has an ink sac and/or is a lever/button/vac/bulb/eyedropper/snorkel filler, it's vintage.

 

If it is an aerometric or is cartridge/converter fill. it's modern.

 

I know this leaves out the piston fillers, but I'll let the Pelikan fans sort that one out.

 

So, using this definition, I would consider aerometric Parker 51s (and its cousins, the 21 and 61) to be modern, but a vacumatic 51 would be vintage. An Esterbrook M2 (the aero fill model) would be considered modern, but a J would be vintage.

 

An alternative might be to consider pre-1960 pens to be vintage and post-1960 pens to be modern. 1960 seems to be a good cutoff date, because there really haven't been any new innovations in fountain pens since then. Sheaffer and Parker had perfected their cartridge fill pens by that date, and with only a few exceptions, most pens since 1960 have been cartridge/converter pens.

[Guest Col]

I don't think my Osmiroids count as vintage though they were probably made in the 70s.

KCat - what Osmiroids would they be, if you don't mind me asking?

 

--

Col

[BruceW]

I started out with a few moderns, Pelikans and an Omas. Then I became curious about flex nibs and ventured into a couple vintage Watermans. One thing led to another and then almost all my pens were vintage. In the last month, things have balanced out again with a couple Danitrios.

 

Of course my collection is quite small and I hope to keep it that way -- a dozen pens. That way I can write with most of them regularly and enjoy my collection outside the display case.

 

But of my moderns, only half are from the current decade. The others are from the 1980's.

[Phthalo]

Currently I have 12 vintage pens and 24 modern pens.

 

There are only a few modern pens that I would like, but there are many more vintage pens I'd like to own...

[DrPJM1]

Started with modern pens and now I enjoy both equally. I am especially fond of those great flexible vintage nibs.

[jaytaylor]

Currently at approx'

 

200 vintage and 5 modern and thats no reflection on my age!

[RonB]

I started with vintage (if a Parker "51" aerometric is vintage) and then also bought a few moderns, but most of my FPs are vintage. My modern pens include Pelikan, Waterman, Parker Sonnet and Sheaffer Legacies.

[NG-Huy]

I have some vintage pens (about 9-10) but my collection is mainly modern pens since l prefer modern designs on pens.

[kenny]

Started with modern (i.e. bought retail/received as gifts) pens. Now trying to move into some vintage.

 

Currently 75% (8 out of 12) modern FP, 25% vintage. However, 2 of my vintage are recent acquisitions that must be rehabbed to get into working order.

[bobioden]

Mine is mixed. I have some vintage Parker 51's , a few older Sheaffer, mixed with some modern Pelikan M400's and a VP.

 

 

Bob

[rosey]

I have mostly vintage pens, Parker 51's and Esterbrooks. I only have two modern pens.

I love old things so that is probably what attracts me to the vintage instead of the modern.

[krz]

About 80 percent vintage. The biggest group are Sheaffers. Esterbrooks next. A Handful of Eversharp/Wahls. A couple of nice celluloid Waterman's Ideal pens. Some Wearevers, a few InkOgraphs, and a handful of oddballs some of which are pretty cool.

 

I haven't started on the Parkers yet, but I will. I can't remember the last time I headed out the door with a modern pen.

[southpaw]

Mainly vintage now, but it used to be the other way around.

[Ringtop]

My first FP was Parker 45, which takes cartridges and has converter, but all of the rest (all 4) are older than me. My favorites are older than my parents!

[PekkaT]

I love vintage!

 

I like to watch my vintage pens and think about the life they have seen.

For example, if only my Waterman from 1943 could speak...

 

In addition to that it's as pretty as a pen ever can get and writes superb smoothly :)9

 

What else could be asked...?

Edited August 15, 2006 by PekkaT

[meanwhile]

I much prefer vintage pens. I've tried out modern pens, and have a couple, but they don't seem as good.

 

I've a Balance, an Estie J, a Snorkel TM with Triumph nib, a PFM (bought in the US and routed via Richard Binder for a health check), a Targa, a really nice non-name vintage celluloid pen I bought a couple of weeks ago, several 51s (which I'll mostly be selling or giving as gifts) and a Dani Densho Raw, which I count as an honorary vintage.

 

My biggest pleasant surprise has been the Thin Snorkel - I didn't know a thin pen could feel so good.

 

But I have to say - Kulturs are nice, especially the translucent ones.

Edited August 15, 2006 by meanwhile

[Nihontochicken]

I'm mostly vintage. I started with relatively modern Sheaffer and Parker sterling silver pens, more because they were sterling than because they were pens. That was the first step down the slippery slope. Since the first purchase last April, I now have about thirty pens, only seven modern (Parker Cisele FP and BP pens, Sheaffer diamond pattern BP pen, and three Hero Parker 51 wannabees, a 100, a 132, and a 616, also a blue Phileas). I have fallen in lust with vintage Parker ring celluloid Vacumatics for looks, and Sheaffer Triumph nib Snorkies for function. Hence my desire for a Frankenmarriage of the two. 'Scuse me, back to the laboratory.