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Hello FPN community! Been an outside viewer on FPN (yep, went down the rabbit hole...) for over a year now while building my pen and ink collection (and confidence). Looking forward to becoming more active in forum discussions. ink!

How common are beat-up pens that are perfect where it counts - nib, cap and body all sans micro-fractures and chips, discounting all dings, scratches, tooth marks and dents. I'm interested in something vintage which will last as a user, not a collector's piece. If these things are semi-readily found, how much of a difference would a battered body make to the price? Of would lovely nibs be taken out and put in something prettier? Cheers for your input!

Finally getting around to rediscovering several handfuls of user grade Parker 51s. Some aeros, vacs and a few specials. 1940s and up. I have had them stored for a few years and now have time and energy to work with them. Is there much of a market for selling these on line? For the most part, they are fully functional - just needing some cleaning and restoring to good condition. Nicks and scratches yes, but good writers if I recall correctly. Just wondering if it is worthwhile to get them ready to sell. Any input will be appreciated. /Craig

HI all, long time no post... Just felt the need to share. The local consignment place had an old jade flat-top sitting in their "marked down" cabinet yesterday, and so of course I took a look. It's clearly been used, but not mistreated -- brassing, some staining, color fading: I has them. But it also has a two-tone 14K lifetime nib, which was a pleasant surprise, and a sac the size of a small dirigible, though I know not to trust it and replace it before inking. No cracking or bulging, and a few mysterious rust-colored deposits adhering to the outer barrel and cap that wipe away with some gentle attention from a damp cotton swab. This was clearly a "user" for the previous owner, and a "user" again it shall be. I'm shocked to find out that it's 80 or more years old. Given that I have a stack of modern Scheaffer calligraphy pens on my desk that are styled the same way, I would have guessed that my "new" pen is much younger. I guess when you hit on a design that works, there's little reason to change it. I'll try to get some pictures later when I'm in a place with better light. Any advice for a first-time flat-top owner? I've been reading up on the care and handling of the older plastics, especially their inflammability, which I suppose lends a certain thrill of danger to owning the pen. I will be attempting a re-sac, and I have an old, equally-loved Eversharp that needs the same treatment. I'll attempt not to set myself aflame.

Hello everyone! My name is John Holmes, recent migrant to the United States of America from (you guessed it) the United Kingdom (Manchester). I've had a more than passing interest in fountain pens all of my life, but only recently picked up my first while I was on an excursion in Florence, Italy. I have come to become enamoured with calligraphy and fountain pens, as an already avid enthusiast of all things old fashioned (Victorian Era Clothing, Straight razor shaving, et cetera). I am hoping to peruse these forums for helpful information as well as to share my own experiences and expertise (once the aforementioned have been acquired). Thanks for reading, and I will see everyone on the forums! -- J Holmes