What do you do with your fountain pens?

[Pendragon]

I answered #1. For the past 15 years, I wrote with a rollerball because it made my writing look better than a ballpoint, it was faster to write with than a ballpoint and was a lot more comfortable to write with. Thanks in large part to posts on this forum, I purchased a couple of fountain pens and found out that they have, at least in my opinion, both ballpoint and rollerball pens beat hands down.

[Henrik]

I use my fountainpen(s) daily (both of them)- writing ,let's say, 4 - 5 pages for work, and some more for practice in the evening. I have to use a pencil, sometimes teaching or sketching, but I rarely leave home without my E-motion

 

Henrik

[Snorkel]

I must be weird. :bonk: Collecting for inspiration is what toots my horn...

 

I do most of my writing using a keyboard. :blink: My handwriting used to challenge code crackers; often it would even beat me.

 

I grew up with pencils, ball points, rollerballs and cheap (disposable) fountain pens, but when I began to treat handwriting as a craft and discovered fine flex-nibbed fountain pen, everything changed. My scribble is still scribble but it is scribble WITH CHARACTER! Actually, fine flex nibs force me to write more slowly - and thus more legibly - and I find the style of the end result is very reflective of my mood at the time. Loopy and happy or scrawny and rushed, for instance. I never got that with a Bic or a non-flex nib.

 

Since then, my interest in pens has blossomed into collecting fine examples which are wonderful to look at and hold. Once in my hands, I find myself inspired to write something - anything - and usually end up practicing my signature with flourishes or writing someone a little note saying "Hi!" or "I love you". Some are too special to use and so reside in a display unit. Others I will use on a rotation basis or for a special purpose like signatures.

 

To me, collecting things that inspire is what a hobby is all about. /:)

[Cloud]

I always write witha FP, exept for receipt, banking, checks or sticky notes.

(95% of the time I write with an FP)

 

Some accumulate in my drawer, when I decide they are not worthy of constant use.

 

Sometimes, I decide I want some change, and sell fountain pens to finance new acquisitions.

[MYU]

To me, collecting things that inspire is what a hobby is all about. /:)

I don't think I could've said it any better there, Snorkel.

 

(Btw, I like your 'crossed swords' avatar!)

 

I have to say that certain pens in my collection inspire my imagination. I'm not a writer by trade, but there are times I wish I was... (I have considered submitting small articles to publications, but I've been told that only work from staff writers is ever published--even if what you submit is pertinent and beautifully written).

 

It's fun to imagine what kind of pen an appreciated author used for a given book... there are a number of them out there that still do a lot of writing by hand.

[Waterman]

I use all of the pens I buy atleast on one piece of homework from school or just a daily user. I don't see why I would buy a expensive fountain pen and leave it there without ever using it.

 

Thanks

Brad

[sheafferkid]

Hey Brad! I'm a school kid too, I use my fountain pens every day at school. Currently I've been using my Sheaffer Imperial IV, but soon I will be getting a Sheaffer Sentinel Touchdown set that I will start alternating with. Also, if my Sheaffer's vac fill comes in, I will be switching out between all of those. What grade are you in Brad? I'm in 9th. Thanks!

 

Evan

[JRodriguez]

I had to vote for #1 - unless I can't reasonably get away with it, I use a fountain pen. And I use every pen I have.

[bartosz.gadomski]

So it's my time to vote in your poll . But seriously, I voted #1. For writing I use almost only FP. Collecting is also fun and important, but take second place in my hobby.

 

But I must add few words about my hobby. I am looking for my Holly Grail- a pen that will write excellent, with thin line (I'm XF nib fan), would not be to much paper sensitive, be good quality so that I would have gave it, in my will, to my child/grandchild as family "treasure" , etc. Till now I haven't found it so from time to time, I am getting a new one (with hope that it might be THIS ONE ). And hire is problem- what to do with old ones? I am also a collector so I do not like to sell it, so usually I put it to my collection and write it very rarely. So #1 is not 100% true in my case, because there are pens in my collection, that haven’t been inked for 4-5 years. And what happened when I finally find my HG (yeah, like it is possible )? I do not know, may be all other pens will be only for occasional writing.

 

But one thing is sure; for me pens are for writing!!! Howgh!

[perstylo]

I do a lot of drawing/sketching in my work, and I use fountain pens almost exclusively when I draw by hand. I also use them for writing and taking notes, but it was the drawing that first drew me to them--I just love the quality of pen and ink drawings.

 

Like many here, I have way more pens than I can regularly use, so a number of them sit in a display box, but I do try to cycle through some of them. My vintage parkers (arrow clip models) get the least use because they're more collector pens for me, which is a little unfortunate, because many of them write/draw very well.

 

The ones I use the most regularly are my modern Omas, Pelikan, and MB. Around the Holidays or for special events, when I have time for Christmas cards and hand lettered notes, I have a couple vintage Watermans and a vintage Soennecken I pull out for their nibs (flex, oblique italic, etcetera).

[ishimaru_kaito]

I primarily use my fountain pen (just the one at the moment, but I have a big list of others I'm looking at buying ) pretty much all the time except where carbon copies are required - then its the Rotring Core RB.

 

I'm thinking of throwing all my BP's in the bin. They're stuck in the jar which would be better occupied with FP's...

 

For all notes, journal, work, church, whatever, it's gotta be an FP!

[anniemac]

At work I write with whatever cheap ballpoint has not been stolen from my desk. That's why the FPs will never make it to the office. Huge open plan room, you know the type. Off sick at the moment, I'll be lucky if I have a chair when I go back.

There's always my favourite Monteverde ballpoint in my handbag, adding a tiny bit of quality, but the FPs are used at home, and I make a conscious effort to write with them there for everything. If nothing needs to be written, I'll just work on my FP journal, charting the progress of all the pens/inks, writing a little with each.

[captnemo]

All of mine write, or are in the process of being fixed so that they do write, or they get parted out. The fact that many of them are "old" or "collectors items" is entirely irrelevant to me. Only if I needed to sell them to raise money would their "value" become relevant. Someday if I discovered that I could make money at it, I might view them differently but that seems very unlikely. And the idea of "having too many" is a non-concept for me also. Between supplying kids and grandkids with pens, it will be a cold day in you-know-where before I have "too many".

 

Writers only here.

[Shangas]

I'd say I do 99.99% of my writing with a fountain pen. I won't touch a ballpoint, rollerball, pencil or any other writing instrument unless it's ABSOLUTELY necessary.

[Splicer]

I write and draw with fountain pens, although I also use a computer in my writing and a combination of brush, rapidograph, and dip pen for my illustration.

 

Generally I write longhand first, maybe just notes, not what you'd call a draft, then write on the computer. I also do a fair bit of journaling that never makes it to the computer, but I sometimes surprise myself by how much blogging I do on paper before I get anywhere near a computer.

 

I do have some pens that I don't use often; I suppose that qualifies me as a collector and not just a user. Often I'll buy pens because I'm curious about them, even when I suspect I won't use them regularly. Sometimes they subsequently get gifted, but many sit here unused while I scribble with one of their siblings.

[Visoflex]

I have now pretty much settled on a custom Parker 51 filled with Florida Blue and a red marble Duofold Centennial filled with Purple Waterman ink. Both are in daily use.

 

Having had to write with ink at primary school, I just carried on - through seconday school, college and into work. I haven't really bothered with ball or gell points at all.

 

 

[Brianetta]

My option isn't on the poll. I don't write much, but when I do, I use my fountain pen. The only pens I own but don't use are ball points, and that's because ball points are basically rubbish*. I'd sooner use a pencil. I don't collect pens, they're things I have around for when I need to write something.

 

So, I have two pens, I use them occasionally (nor rarely), but I also use them pretty much exclusively.

[Ink Stained Wretch]

I'd say I do 99.99% of my writing with a fountain pen. I won't touch a ballpoint, rollerball, pencil or any other writing instrument unless it's ABSOLUTELY necessary.

Oh, pencils are okay.

[sclt45]

I work on the computer almost exclusively. Whenever I have a chance to do some writing or taking notes, I use my fountain pens.

Regards

 

Kurt

[playpen]

I write and draw with my pens but this summer I am going to build a dartboard and use one dart: my Stipula 22 titanium nib...