Gentlemen Only Use...

[jgrasty]

I use whatever ink strikes my fancy. Right now, Noodler's Legal Lapis and Caran d'Ache Saffron are in my pens I use for work.

[eric47]

gentlemen never use anything finer than medium: fine nibs imply bohemian tendencies

 

:blink: :roflmho:

That's a new one.

Guess that makes me a Bohemian(though I'm not).............:roflmho:

 

According to yachtsilverswan here, "very fine nibs produce handwriting that can look tentative on a man." So consider yourself a tentative Bohemian. That's nicely ambiguous, isn't it? I suppose if you use EF nibs, then you're an extra tentative Bohemian.

[bigstick]

What codswallop and swill!! I shall take my extra-fine Hero and write to the editor of the Times in violet pensée. Then I'll fire up my Hough and go home.

[revbyrd1]

I have always sought to be a gentleman and I would not base that solely on my choice of ink color. However, with that said my preference has always been black. If I become a bit daring I choose black with a broader nib! I would feel that the choice of various colors is personal preference and would depend upon the situation. Multiple colors would not appear professional, but might seem appropriate in personal situations.

I still remember my best friend in High School becoming very excited when he received a signed letter from the governor. It had been signed in blue ink, which was very logical to me. It was very evident that Gov. Martin had hand signed the letter in contrast to the type of the correspondence. With that said, I still prefer black ink.

At times certain colored inks might provide a better appearance with certain stationary, as I often received notes from my Mama Anne (my godmother) with such matching styles. I imagine much comes down to preference, but unfortunately society is slowly losing the acceptance of etiquette as an appropriate guide.

I could not imagine writing a professional note to someone in purple ink.

Peace,

K. Byrd

[dgturner]

I must make an addendum to my earlier post, for personal use (for example, my notes at work use a variety of ink colors for color coding and setting-off different sections).

When I write something that is for the consumption of others, or that I an fairly certain they will see, I use a very dark blue, blue-black (iron gall), or black.

One pen with a CI or stub nib is always loaded with an iron gall ink, just in case.

[Moynihan]

I have always sought to be a gentleman and I would not base that solely on my choice of ink color. However, with that said my preference has always been black. If I become a bit daring I choose black with a broader nib!

 

 

Oh, and somewhere above appeared the phrase "tentative bohemian". That would make a great name for a blog or column :clap1:

[eric47]

Oh, and somewhere above appeared the phrase "tentative bohemian". That would make a great name for a blog or column :clap1:

 

That was here. Do I need to trademark that? :roflmho: At least it gave me an idea for an little update.

Edited September 2, 2010 by eric47

[Crobe]

gentlemen never use anything finer than medium: fine nibs imply bohemian tendencies

 

:blink: :roflmho:

That's a new one.

 

I never understood why I lean toward Fine nibs!!!

 

Mike

[mori45]

gentlemen never use anything finer than medium: fine nibs imply bohemian tendencies

 

:blink: :roflmho:

That's a new one.

 

I never understood why I lean toward Fine nibs!!!

 

Mike

 

In Japan, fine nibs are the standard. Anyone who has tried to draw kanji with a 3B can tell you why.

[mejdrich]

Thank God we have the iGents here to help with questions of decorum and to read from the book of "gentlemanleeness" that which makes/defines/announces a gentleman...

 

I sit here, unshaven, un-showered, in my boxers, with my unshod feet on the table (I guess that follows from the boxers comment) disseminating diktats on "gentlemanness" writing with a pink pen filled with green ink...

 

Ok. Not totally true...

 

But, here's my guess: (I know, even my wife doesn't care)

 

If you have the awareness/reflective capacity to even know to ask this question, you can probably decide what is appropriate based on your audience and intended use...

 

This also provides you the freedom, since you have an idea of accepted conventions, to dispense with "the gentlemanly rules" and do whatever YOU (as an individual not intending to become an undifferentiated part of the whole) want - or, feel is appropriate.

 

Finally, I would suggest the title of gentleman is not something that can be achieved by wearing and using gentlemanly things... It is a title that is earned based on what we do and the way we behave... Not what color shirt we may be wearing...

[bigstick]

indeed, many who could or do pass for a gentleman (or even REAL gentlemen, the landed gentry) are and were absolute daemons in one way or another and a misery to many. But impeccably turned out at all times.

[Northwoods]

Finally, I would suggest the title of gentleman is not something that can be achieved by wearing and using gentlemanly things... It is a title that is earned based on what we do and the way we behave... Not what color shirt we may be wearing...

Miss Manners, Emily Post, et. al. are not for ladies and gentlemen. They're for people who aspire to be ladies and gentlemen.

 

But they're also of a time when uniformity was all but required. How one dressed and how one acted was prescribed. Straying from the norm was scandalous. Today, what is acceptable is a wider road than it was in the heyday of the etiquette writers. Which isn't to say that those rules don't still serve. They're safe ground, good in most situations. In fact, knowing when and how to acceptably stray from the path speaks as much about you, perhaps more, than following it.

 

The other side of it is that straying when inappropriate can result in shut doors and unanswered calls, so it's not a course to be taken carelessly.

 

Of course, the vast majority of posters and readers here will not have these troubles, as we already have the presence of mind to take writing seriously. This isn't, after all, the Cheap Disposable Ballpoint Pen Network.

 

 

[DilettanteG]

Miss Manners not for ladies or gentleman? Oh dear, excuse me for a moment while I reach for my smelling salts!

 

I believe the charmingly witty Miss Manners also goes on to say that she uses brown ink for frivolous letters and gray ink on cream paper for very frivolous letters indeed.

 

I also should note that my ink collection includes Noodler's Kung Te Chung a blue-violet ink which is a modern replica of the ink used by the Chinese Emperors. I also have Noodler's La Coluer Royale which is supposedly similar to that used by the Kings of France. Whether or not those sovereigns were gentlemen I suppose is yet another question.

 

Smythson, the British Queen's stationer, until recently sold black, blue, and claret ink. Of course, I'm not sure what her majesty uses personally.

 

All of the contract inks I own are shades of blue or blue-black, apparently the preferred shade for legal documents.

 

Being a lady, I use a rainbow assortment of inks, but generally restrict myself with black, blue-black, or blue for formal documents. Being cautious by nature, I only use the bulletproof versions for financial documents. High heeled shoes are the penance I pay for my expanded ink choices.

Edited September 2, 2010 by DilettanteG

[ture]

Somebody said that a businessman matches his socks to his trousers while a gentleman matches his socks to his mood. Something similar should apply to ink.

[The Royal Pen]

Always use Blue, and Blue-black. Green is for those special occasions, like St. Patrick's day. Red is for teachers. Black is for a shocking statement, or basics. Purple is for your school work, and writing in general.

 

The three "general use" inks were Blue, Blue-black and Violet (like J. Herbin Violette Pensèe).

 

Though, for girls, they could use lighter colours. When writing, probably sepia or a light brown, or a baby-blueish colour.

Edited September 2, 2010 by The Royal Pen

[The Royal Pen]

Somebody said that a businessman matches his socks to his trousers while a gentleman matches his socks to his mood. Something similar should apply to ink.

 

+1

[Northwoods]

Of course, I'm not sure what her majesty uses personally.

Her Majesty could use Pinkly as her personal ink color and nobody would bat an eye. She's one of the few whose signature adds so much gravitas that all else is immaterial.

 

Of course, is she started using stationery with ponies, dotting "i"s with little hearts and changing ink every third word she'd still command respect, though most would figure the old girl had finally pulled a George III and gone dotty.

 

The rest of us skip past the respect bit and go straight to dotty if we did that kind of thing.

[Moynihan]

...a businessman matches his socks to his trousers while a gentleman matches his socks to his mood.

 

:clap1: :clap1: :clap1:

That one is going in my journal!

It almost sounds like an Oscar Wilde line.

[sumgaikid]

"Any thoughts on whether gentleman would carry a bright red or pastel yellow fountain pen?"

 

 

Only if he's carrying or using the special model in red or yellow that Omas made for Lambroghini--

and that's if he's wearing a sport coat..................

 

 

John

[sumgaikid]

gentlemen never use anything finer than medium: fine nibs imply bohemian tendencies

 

:blink: :roflmho:

That's a new one.

Guess that makes me a Bohemian(though I'm not).............:roflmho:

 

According to yachtsilverswan here, "very fine nibs produce handwriting that can look tentative on a man." So consider yourself a tentative Bohemian. That's nicely ambiguous, isn't it? I suppose if you use EF nibs, then you're an extra tentative Bohemian.

 

Something like Niles Crane?

 

OK,so now I'm a tentative Bohemian,with occasional leanings to being an extra tentative Bohemian..............:ltcapd:

 

BTW,I had the Dress For Success book at one time but chose not to follow it. Seems to me that Molloy thinks that

any shade of an authority color (i.e., dark ) will do. Doesn't quite work that way. Your skin tone is a better indicator

of what shade of blue or black would be best suited(pun intended) for one to wear. Doesn't help your credibility

if you're wearing a color that makes you look washed out.

 

Eric,if it's "nicely ambiguous",does that mean that it's nice not to be noticed? :roflmho:

 

 

John

Edited September 2, 2010 by sumgaikid