Pens With 'emotional' Appeal

[Rndmness]

Hi FPN!

 

In various reviews I have read, the author mentions that the pen has an emotional draw to it, whether this be nostalgic or the aesthetics of the pen. I've noticed that most of the time, the pen in question is a Montblanc or of Italian make. True enough, I do not feel this attachment towards my Lamy's or my Pilot.

What is it that causes this emotional attachment? Material? Price? History?

I'm looking for a pen (preferably under $300 preowned) that will give me this satisfaction and make me WANT to write with it. Particularly since I am in an important year of school, motivation to write my essays would be nice

 

What are your experiences?

Edited July 13, 2013 by Rndmness

[GabrielleDuVent]

Is it "emotions" or "nostalgia"?

 

You can't really have an emotional attachment for something brand new, just as you can't call someone you just met a friend, I think. I'd think if I wrote my autobiography with a Lamy Safari, that would be the pen that I'd be most emotionally attached to. But it certainly doesn't make me feel like I'm Oscar Wilde.

 

A lot of Italian and Pelikan/MB pens have a classic look about them (I'm not talking about Pelikanos in regards to Pelikan, but Souveran). They bring about a feeling of nostalgia and a sense of "sharing the activity with a great writer" for many, perhaps. But historically, Sailor, Platinum, and Pilot should bring about just as much nostalgia as MB, as those three companies were established around the same time as MB (Pelikan's a little older). Visconti's not much older than I am, so compared to Pelikan, it's still a baby; Montegrappa, OMAS, and Aurora were established a decade after MB/Pilot/Sailor/Platinum.

 

I have a personal attachment to my JSB model but that's because it was bought for my 16th birthday as the first proper fountain pen. In terms of writing, my purple Plaisir has far more memories, as I wrote to my mate from all over the place.

 

In my case, it's not the pen that makes me want to write; if I just want to try out a pen I can copy out Georgics like some Eton schoolboy from the 1930s or doodle. It's when I have things I want to say that I want to write. So when I don't have an ounce of original thought in my head, my pens just sit there.

[brahmam]

Is it "emotions" or "nostalgia"?

 

You can't really have an emotional attachment for something brand new, just as you can't call someone you just met a friend, I think. I'd think if I wrote my autobiography with a Lamy Safari, that would be the pen that I'd be most emotionally attached to. But it certainly doesn't make me feel like I'm Oscar Wilde.

 

A lot of Italian and Pelikan/MB pens have a classic look about them (I'm not talking about Pelikanos in regards to Pelikan, but Souveran). They bring about a feeling of nostalgia and a sense of "sharing the activity with a great writer" for many, perhaps. But historically, Sailor, Platinum, and Pilot should bring about just as much nostalgia as MB, as those three companies were established around the same time as MB (Pelikan's a little older). Visconti's not much older than I am, so compared to Pelikan, it's still a baby; Montegrappa, OMAS, and Aurora were established a decade after MB/Pilot/Sailor/Platinum.

 

I have a personal attachment to my JSB model but that's because it was bought for my 16th birthday as the first proper fountain pen. In terms of writing, my purple Plaisir has far more memories, as I wrote to my mate from all over the place.

 

In my case, it's not the pen that makes me want to write; if I just want to try out a pen I can copy out Georgics like some Eton schoolboy from the 1930s or doodle. It's when I have things I want to say that I want to write. So when I don't have an ounce of original thought in my head, my pens just sit there.

 

Extremely well articulated. I couldn't have said it better!

[Rndmness]

Thanks for the replies!

Yes, I see your point, although that wasn't exactly what I was after. Re-reading the OP, I may have articulated it poorly.

 

Rather than a pen with emotional appeal, how about a pen with a soul? By this, I mean a pen that doesn't just roll off factory lines in different colours, with an overly mechanical process of creation. Pelikan pens give me this impression, but perhaps their design just doesn't seem interesting to me. I'm looking for a distinct pen that's NOT loaded with bling.

[brahmam]

Thanks for the replies!

Yes, I see your point, although that wasn't exactly what I was after. Re-reading the OP, I may have articulated it poorly.

 

Rather than a pen with emotional appeal, how about a pen with a soul? By this, I mean a pen that doesn't just roll off factory lines in different colours, with an overly mechanical process of creation. Pelikan pens give me this impression, but perhaps their design just doesn't seem interesting to me. I'm looking for a distinct pen that's NOT loaded with bling.

 

 

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So, run on your sole; buy - don't waste even a second.

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Ratnam pen should be in your person.

Edited July 13, 2013 by brahmam

[ISW_Kaputnik]

I'd think this is too individual to give advice to somebody else. Since saying that a pen has "soul" doesn't actually mean anything (no offense meant), we're talking about personal reactions. My Conklin Crescents (vintage, not the modern reproduction) have a strong appeal for me. When I'm writing with one, I sometimes take a moment or two to enjoy the fact that I'm sitting there writing with that particular pen. It's just how I react to them, some find them clunky or even ugly.

 

If you're looking for something that appeals to you in that way, then maybe the best thing is to learn as much as possible about the many pens that are out there, and see if anything clicks. You may not find a soul mate, but you may find a tool that suits you perfectly.

[Bo Bo Olson]

Back when I was a child in the days of B&W TV the Snorkel was advertised most on TV. It was in all the better magazines.

It the King of Pens and the Prince of Pens the P-51, were for Adults...only.

I couldn't wait until I got grown up and had a job and could afford a Snorkel.

 

@ 1970, Went in to buy then the high status mat black and gold Cross ball point for 10 whole silver dollars. Changed my mind while staring at the Snorkel, but got mugged by the P-75 FP and BP/MP brothers.

 

I got a 'flexi' BB stub Snorkel loaner I'll be buying only 56 years after knowing I was going to have one, like Pop. Mom let me snorkel it out and in a couple of times and let me fill it once...once. It was not for kids.

Edited July 13, 2013 by Bo Bo Olson

[de_pen_dent]

Hi FPN!

 

In various reviews I have read, the author mentions that the pen has an emotional draw to it, whether this be nostalgic or the aesthetics of the pen. I've noticed that most of the time, the pen in question is a Montblanc or of Italian make. True enough, I do not feel this attachment towards my Lamy's or my Pilot.

What is it that causes this emotional attachment? Material? Price? History?

 

Most likely - placebo.

 

Pens dont have souls and anyone who talks about one is taking anthropomorphization and transference to ridiculous levels, IMO.

Edited July 13, 2013 by de_pen_dent

[MarneM]

Thanks for the replies!

Yes, I see your point, although that wasn't exactly what I was after. Re-reading the OP, I may have articulated it poorly.

 

Rather than a pen with emotional appeal, how about a pen with a soul? By this, I mean a pen that doesn't just roll off factory lines in different colours, with an overly mechanical process of creation. Pelikan pens give me this impression, but perhaps their design just doesn't seem interesting to me. I'm looking for a distinct pen that's NOT loaded with bling.

 

My favorite pen was purchased for $10 at an auction. My father saw it and called me up excitedly to say that he was going to try and bid on a pen for me. It's a cheap, third-tier celluloid pen and when I got it, it had teeth marks. But it made my father think of me, and call me, and for that reason, I polished it up until it was beautiful, and replaced the sac and the j-bar. Then I sent to Mauricio at Vintage Pens and had him a lovely semi-flex nib on it, so it writes like a dream.

 

This pen has meaning to me. So does the Carene I bought myself as a reward for spending ten years at my job. I look at them and remember the people and occasions associated with them, and this makes the experience of writing that much more joyful. That's the "soul" of the pen, for me.

[GabrielleDuVent]

Thanks for the replies!

Yes, I see your point, although that wasn't exactly what I was after. Re-reading the OP, I may have articulated it poorly.

 

Rather than a pen with emotional appeal, how about a pen with a soul? By this, I mean a pen that doesn't just roll off factory lines in different colours, with an overly mechanical process of creation. Pelikan pens give me this impression, but perhaps their design just doesn't seem interesting to me. I'm looking for a distinct pen that's NOT loaded with bling.

 

A pen with a soul?

 

Well, Nakayas are hand-crafted, so that's definitely not rolling off automated machines. Mind you, I don't like the way Nakayas look, so I don't see the appeal (and therefore see scant "soul" in them).

 

I don't know. Nick Hewer's Lamy looks soulful to me, but that might be because Nick Hewer's using (and chewing) it. I also think my mate's Conway looks beautiful, but he has a story behind the pen, and I know the story.

 

Perhaps what you are looking for is a non-plasticky, "classy" look? In which case, almost every brand produces their own. Sheaffer Prelude is about $50.

[Pickwick]

 

Thanks for the replies!

Yes, I see your point, although that wasn't exactly what I was after. Re-reading the OP, I may have articulated it poorly.

 

Rather than a pen with emotional appeal, how about a pen with a soul? By this, I mean a pen that doesn't just roll off factory lines in different colours, with an overly mechanical process of creation. Pelikan pens give me this impression, but perhaps their design just doesn't seem interesting to me. I'm looking for a distinct pen that's NOT loaded with bling.

 

I think I understand what you mean. I have an Aikin-Lambert Ebonite thumb filler which was probably made in the first two decades of the Twentieth century. Every time I start to write with this pen I'm taken back to childhood days growing up in England with my Grandparents who were born in the 1890s. This pen makes a quiet understatement with its timeless elegant design. The black Ebonite reflects a soft light. I find this pen out of all those I own gives me the inspiration to write letters.

 

Edited July 13, 2013 by Pickwick

[MarneM]

I think I understand what you mean. I have an Aikin-Lambert Ebonite thumb filler which was probably made in the first two decades of the Twentieth century. Every time I start to write with this pen I'm taken back to childhood days growing up in England with my Grandparents who were born in the 1890s. This pen makes a quiet understatement with its timeless elegant design. The black Ebonite reflects a soft light. I find this pen out of all those I own gives me the inspiration to write letters.

 

 

This reminds me of another pen I have, an early 1940's Waterman, made in England. When I write with it, it makes me think of who the original owner might have been. Did they use it to write letters to or from a war front? What events must this pen and its owner have seen in their lifetime. It always puts me in a sightly more thoughtful frame of mind and, like you said, gives me the inspiration to write letters.

[Rndmness]

Haha so this is more subjective than I thought! Feels like I'm talking the crazy talk Still young, and have no fountain pen heirlooms to speak of. I guess I'll just search for a range of pens that satisfy all my requirements and go from there.

[MarneM]

Haha so this is more subjective than I thought! Feels like I'm talking the crazy talk Still young, and have no fountain pen heirlooms to speak of. I guess I'll just search for a range of pens that satisfy all my requirements and go from there.

 

I don't think you're talking crazy talk at all. Go to a pen shop and see what appeals to you. Or look on ebay and pick something that catches your eye. There's nothing wrong with looking for a specific "quality" in a pen, even if that quality is, "I'll know it when I see it." Follow your intuition and see where it takes you.

[koofle]

I have an emotional attachment to pens that have travelled with me. Those are like faithful partners that have stuck to my side and performed on call whenever I have needed them. Pens like my reliable Pilot 78G.

 

Then there are pens which have the ability to affect my mood. The tactile sensation of unscrewing the cap off my Pelikan M215 is so smooth that I cannot help but write with a little more elated confidence compared to my other pens. I also have a selection of italic pens with different inks in rotation to satisfy my daily whims. In that case it's more of a "What ink and writing experience do I want".

[Paddler]

The emotional lift I get from a pen comes from the satisfaction of having reconditioned it. I would take a dirty, scuffed, chewed, scratchy pen, full of dried ink and hard rubber chips and restore it to a smooth, reliable writer again. I am pleased every time I write with it and may carry it in my shirt pocket for months. Alas, my sources of unloved pens has dried up and I have to gloat over the hoard I have accumulated so far.

 

[flyingfox]

I wonder if you are going backward. It is not the pen that has intrinsic qualities that creates emotional attachment. You form attachment with the pen. You are the one who is in charge.

 

Some pens become "charged" with memories, kind of like batteries, that evoke certain emotions. To me, it is like the "soul" you are talking about. Some could come "pre-charged" with memories/ some kind of emotional attachment. When I buy a pen at a travel destination, for example. Others become charged overtime, gradually, kind of like an old friend.

 

My very first "real" fountain pen I got (an ordinary Lamy Safari) over 10 years ago, for example, is from Montreal. Over time, I wrote so many letters/ cards/ notes/ lists using it, including the"Thank you" notes for my wedding gifts. It certainly made the otherwise boring and painful task into something pleasurable, and made it possible for me to focus on the gratitude. So- it is a travel memorabilia, but I also formed a kind of "comradery" with it over time. Yes, It is a mass-produced cluster of plastic, but has many memories associated with it. And those memories makes the pen special to me. Yes, it's all in my head.

 

In another city, right after seeing several bushes of lilac (my favorite flower) in full-bloom at a park, I wandered into a little stationery store by chance. I saw a pen that is the exact color of one of those lilac flowers, my favorite shade of purple. I tried it, found the nib so smooth, and fell in love with it. Now, whenever I use it, it reminds me of the beautiful afternoon I spent in the city.

 

Isn't most travel memorabilia/ souvenir like that, anyway? Unless you have set your mind on buying a unique item from a local artisan, many of the stuff at the souvenir stores are cheaply mass-produced, often in another country. A piece of paper (a ticket from a concert, a used "carnet"/ metro ticket from a trip to Paris that was used as a bookmark in a random book and you happened to find ten years later, a postcard, etc.) can be another example. Or some toys/ blankets, like the Velveteen rabbit.

 

Any "memorable occasion" pens for starting a new chapter of your life have that possibility as well. Other pens, even an ordinary ones you get from random on-line sites, could accumulate memories along the way.

 

It could work the other way around as well. Some people commented that, when they buy pens from on-line sellers and the transaction goes less than smoothly, they are constantly reminded of the experience whenever they use the pen in question. As a consequence, they don't get as much pleasure out of using it, and often end up selling the item. Another example that the memories associated with the item could color your experience.

 

Hopefully you can find a "love at first sight" pen, then form more attachment overtime. Best of luck!

[Christi0469]

I bought a NOS "60s" Pilot something-or-other through Ebay and fell in love with it because it reminded my of the pens my parents and grandparents used when I was little in the 70s. I got that same feeling when I bought a Jotter ballpoint from an office supply store. The smell of the Quink refill just flooded me with memories of my youth. Neither of these pens are really special or unique but to me they have "soul" because of the feelings they invoke.

[ac12]

It seems that what you want is a "connection" to the pen.

 

"soul" can come from inexpensive or EXPENSIVE pens.

It can be a $14 Pilot or a $300 Mont Blanc.

 

Certain pens will just "click" with you.

That is the one you want.

 

Look at it, touch it, feel how it holds in your hand, how is the balance, feel how it writes.

It can be a particular color, or shade of color (ie not just blue, but a BRIGHT ROYAL BLUE).

This can also be affected by the ink you use; color, flow characteristic, how it makes the pen write. Two different color inks out of the same pen makes me feel differently about the pen.

This is also affected by paper. The same pen on 2 different paper gives me 2 different feelings. I feel good on nice smooth paper, and sometimes frustrated on rough scratchy paper.

 

I loved my old inexpensive Shaeffer in grade school thru high school. Then in college I "upgraded" to a Parker. Well it took me trying many different Parkers before I found one that I liked to write with. I was probably better off sicking to that old cheap Shaeffer.

Edited July 13, 2013 by ac12

[ac12]

sorry dupe

Edited July 13, 2013 by ac12