Life Of Fountain Pens

[krishnanramani]

Friends,

 

What's is the average life of a good fountain pen? What all the steps to be carried to make a fountain pen come for years?

 

Also would like to know how long many of you are using Hero pens?

[Shaughn]

The average pen owner s***s, so does the average pen life, it lives poor, nasty, brutish and short. (BRB, washing my mouth)

...

 

The above being said, the average life of a pen depends on the quality of its owner and the pen handling and the maintenance he or she performs. Flushing, cleaning, well chosen ink and good handling (including writing techniques, fear the death grip!)will make a pen last for generations.

 

FPN member pens do last for generations, if and when they stay in FPN member hands. Theirs is heaven.

[krishnanramani]

The average pen owner s***s, so does the average pen life, it lives poor, nasty, brutish and short. (BRB, washing my mouth)

...

 

The above being said, the average life of a pen depends on the quality of its owner and the pen handling and the maintenance he or she performs. Flushing, cleaning, well chosen ink and good handling (including writing techniques, fear the death grip!)will make a pen last for generations.

 

FPN member pens do last for generations, if and when they stay in FPN member hands. Theirs is heaven.

 

Thanks Shaugn

 

Btw, I see that you are from Nl. One of my Honorary sister stays in Rijswijk. I have asked her to get me a good Fountain pen used in NL. What would you suggest for the same. It should not be much expensive since it's a gift. It would be better if you can provide some shop details Thanks in Advance.

[Edwaroth]

I have written with pens far older than I. I am 61 now. I also have a Conway-Stewart 84 a few years younger but looks far better than I do!

[Shangas]

My oldest functioning fountain pen dates to the turn of the last century. It's a Swan eyedropper.

[iamchum]

I have a parker senior duofold from 1926. It is over 3x older than I, and is in perfect working order There are older pens which are also in perfect working order. And I am sure in 100 years time there will be pens from this era that are in perfect working order. As long as the owner isn't a $%#& treating his or her pens.

[krishnanramani]

Sounds interesting friends I have just now started in a long way Still more to go.

[Squeteague]

I think it all depends on the amount of love it gets from its owner. A pen can last a very long time, and even abused pens can generally come back to life with some gentle coaxing in the hands of a professional.

[Wahl]

I have a Parker Duofold from 1923, which is in perfect condition, and I use it !

[Shaughn]

Btw, I see that you are from Nl. One of my Honorary sister stays in Rijswijk. I have asked her to get me a good Fountain pen used in NL. What would you suggest for the same. It should not be much expensive since it's a gift. It would be better if you can provide some shop details Thanks in Advance.

What else can I say do than this: Akkerman in Den Haag / The Hague http://www.pw-akkerman.nl/

 

Personally I'd recommend a Parker 25, but these are out of production for years and I admit freely, I'm not unbiased on that one. Others would recommend other brands and types.

 

... even abused pens can generally come back to life with some gentle coaxing in the hands of a professional.

As for that, have a look in the PIF 2013 thread (pinned). There are some resurrections in there!

[yolrgrand]

I have in excellent working order, from the 1920s, Parkers, Sheaffers, Watermans and Wahl Eversharps. I expect with due care they will outlive me, and be good another 100 years from now.

[Runnin_Ute]

I only have four pens, but bought the oldest in the late 1990's or early 2000's. I had to replace the nib section as the threads where it screws onto the barrel broke. It was a 5 minute fix once I got the part. (if that). I bought the section (with installed nib) directly from Lamy USA for $25. I also have a Waterman Phileas which I bought about the same time, or a little later - never had a problem with it.

 

I write almost exclusively with fountain pens now, although that wasn't always the case - even after I got my first two.

[hbquikcomjamesl]

I think there's an analogy between fountain pens and organs. If well engineered, made from quality materials, properly maintained, and kept safe from abuse (intentional or otherwise), either can last for a very long time. Centuries in the case of organs (I think there are a few fairly unaltered Schnitgers and Silbermanns still in use, that Bach himself played), and certainly a century or more in the case of pens. Conversely, if any of those four qualifiers fails, either a pen or an organ can be ready for the scrap heap rather quickly.

 

When I get the parts, I should be able to get my recently-acquired Wearever Pennant up and running, and it's at least a decade older than I am, and by no means an expensive pen (I'm told they originally retailed for a buck apiece).

[79spitfire]

Honestly if it's a good quality pen, it should last indefinitely. With care, your grand kid's, grand kids should be using your pens.

[krz]

I have a handful of Esterbrook J's that I bought in the '70s and they were old stock when I bought them.

They still get used often and most still have their original ink sacs. They still look new.

[madzaxmax]

 

One of my Honorary sister stays in Rijswijk

 

This is off-topic, but I am intrigued. What is an honorary sister? I tried doing a google search but didn't get anywhere.

[krishnanramani]

 

One of my Honorary sister stays in Rijswijk

 

This is off-topic, but I am intrigued. What is an honorary sister? I tried doing a google search but didn't get anywhere.

Honorary relations are not our actual relations, but we prefer to address them so due to respect for their age & to create a comfort zone while moving with them.

[Bo Bo Olson]

Most of mine are German pre'65. I like the nibs with a tad of flex.

Live in Germany also.

I have some from the late '30's that are in rotation.

 

I do have some that need 'minor' repair...a new cork.

 

A modern C/C pen should last to your great grand son. Most modern 'mid-50's and later C/C pens, do have IMO boring nibs.

Cartridges are very expensive, and many a converter has problems.

 

If you put one of the pre'cartridge pens in for repair every couple of generations or three, they should last a bit.

 

Do not put any fountain pens in your pants pockets with out a hard pen case.

Fountain pens used as skate board axles tend to be short lived.

[jkingrph]

I have written with pens far older than I. I am 61 now. I also have a Conway-Stewart 84 a few years younger but looks far better than I do!

I have a few years on you, turning 68 this year. I have a few Shaeffer sets, some Parkers and a couple of Conway-Stewarts that are older than I.

[Scrawler]

krishnanramani, I have on my desk right now and in almost constant use a Boston pen that is 109 years old. I will pass it on to my daughter, who given the advancements of modern medicine, I fully expect to still occasionally use it when it is 200 years old. If you take care of your pens they will last much longer that you will.