I Spent Far Too Long Keeping My Fps Safe And Often Under Glass

[classenigma]

It has been an epiphany to convert my collection to daily use. I spent years treating many of my "collectibles" like they needed secret service protection.

 

It is so freeing to pick any pen any day and use it freely. Wow what an emancipation.

 

To start this conversion I took a limited edition and made it my daily writer. I now look forward to the daily NYT crossword and my meetings at work just to see the flow of gorgeous fluid in a beautiful blue tone on paper and newsprint..

Edited June 25, 2014 by classenigma

[Namo]

Great to hear! May I ask what pens are in your collection? And which ltd edition is your daily now?

And of course, without pics, this did not happen...;-)

[classenigma]

The pen I gravitate to each morning is my Omas D-Day #352. My father was in the Royal Air Force and if ever a pen dedicated to a historical event resonated with me it's this one. Simple and sturdy design that writes beautifully every time through a F nib.. I don't mind scratches and divets. They are in keeping with the hard fought battle.

 

My collection runs from a number of Caran d'Aches(Architect series - La Modernista and Gotica, a million Parkers and a great deal of Montblanc LEs. Another great pen that I kept in the box too long was a Waterman Edson Sterling Silver in Broad. More Italians to come.

[discopig]

I use all my pens at various times, but there are pens I do not bring out of the house (which basically means they'll only be used at my desk) and pens I don't mind carrying on me. Usually, any pen that is considered rare or very expensive will not leave the house, but they will still be used frequently, since pens are, after all, tools made for that purpose.

[Pen Nut]

I put the below in a recent thread in the Montblanc forum. It was in response to someone asking should they ink their best pens. Kind of echos your sentiments.

 

 

 

Use, ink & enjoy......saving stuff for 'best' or 'later' was me a while ago. Cars, bikes, watches pens even 'best' whiskey glass. Nothing got used apart from security safes and heated garages.

 

Then stuff / life happens, people get ill & old and all of a sudden it hits you that this life thing aint a practice run.

 

[Sasha Royale]

Static-display collecting is for museums. We have the luxury of physical, as well as, visual pleasure. Be sad for those who miss it.

[tonybelding]

I've always thought one of the appealing aspects of fountain pen collecting, as a hobby, is the widespread tradition that even valuable vintage pens are meant to be restored and written with. I have some pens I wouldn't care to stuff in my vest pocket and carry out in the cruel world, but I'll at least use them at home.

[PAKMAN]

Hurray for the freedom to enjoy the spoils or your labor!

[elenita]

Thank you so much for starting this thread. These comments really resonate with me because I've kept a LE Stipula Etruria "safe" for more than a year now. I've inked it up occasionally, but typically it's stayed in its box or unused on my desk. In part, that's because the pen is a very hard starter and could use a trip to a nibmeister. But mostly, I've felt conflicted about using something so rare and precious.

 

The thing is, this particular pen made my heart leap the first time I saw it—and that was just in a photo here on FPN! I never expected to own one—and when I found one on clearance at a price I could afford, I thought about it constantly until I actually bought it. I vividly remember my excitement when I opened the box for the first time.

 

And yet, it hasn't really been used at all. I haven't even sent in the warranty card. Silly me!

 

I really should send it off for a checkup and then enjoy writing with it.

 

 

Photo by Bryant Greer of Pen Time, who sold the pen to me in the first place.)

Edited June 25, 2014 by elenita

[Wolverine1]

I used to be like the OP. I was young, single, had a good job, and so I bought a lot of pens and kept them in a wonderful display case, while using a Pelikan 800 and a Parker Duofold Centennial for my day to day writing. Things changed when I got sick with brain cancer and all the following problems. I realised that all my fancy pens werent worth a hill of beans sitting in a display case. Plus, as late as 2012, I wasnt sure that I would see my 40th birthday, I was so sick. So, I got rid of most of my pens, some 200+ pens, and kept only 20 or so pens. I use each and every one of them, and I just plain enjoy not worrying about whether a pen is uninked, or whether it is pristine, etc.

Edited June 25, 2014 by Wolverine1

[classenigma]

I used to be like the OP. I was young, single, had a good job, and so I bought a lot of pens and kept them in a wonderful display case, while using a Pelikan 800 and a Parker Duofold Centennial for my day to day writing. Things changed when I got sick with brain cancer and all the following problems. I realised that all my fancy pens werent worth a hill of beans sitting in a display case. Plus, as late as 2012, I wasnt sure that I would see my 40th birthday, I was so sick. So, I got ride of most of my pens, some 200+ pens, and kept only 20 or so pens. I use each and every one of them, and I just plain enjoy not worrying about whether a pen is uninked, or whether it is pristine, etc.

Everyone here I am sure sends you the best for a complete recovery.

[Betweenthelines]

There is a lot of wisdom in this thread. Life is short - party naked.

[OakIris]

Glad you have started to use your pens. Sure, they look pretty behind glass and will stay in mint or near mint condition, but what are you saving them for? I suppose if you collect pens as an investment of some sort, locking them up so they don't stray or get damaged makes sense, but I buy pens for both the pleasure of looking at them and for the even greater pleasure of using them. (Of course, my most expensive pen was about $275 and most of my pens are $100 or less; perhaps if I were buying expensive limited edition pens my view would change!)

 

On a somewhat related note, I have been collecting books all my life, not first editions or anything, just books that I really want to read. I realized earlier this year that I have thousands of books sitting on shelves and that I have so many to read now that I probably won't live long enough to do so - and then there are the books I have downloaded to my Kindle, many also waiting to be read. Instead of collecting more books, putting them on the shelf and now regretting the lack of reading time left to me, I should have read them.

 

This was more elegantly stated by Pen Nut, but my point is also that life is too short - enjoy using your pens while you still can!

 

Holly

[wallylynn]

I put the below in a recent thread in the Montblanc forum. It was in response to someone asking should they ink their best pens. Kind of echos your sentiments.

 

 

 

Use, ink & enjoy......saving stuff for 'best' or 'later' was me a while ago. Cars, bikes, watches pens even 'best' whiskey glass. Nothing got used apart from security safes and heated garages.

 

Then stuff / life happens, people get ill & old and all of a sudden it hits you that this life thing aint a practice run.

 

Pens that can't write are terrible pens.

[Bill]

The glistening flow from a finely crafted nib and the comfortable balance of a luxurious barrel as the pen glides along the paper cannot be experienced with an uninked pen.

 

To look at a beautiful crafted writing instrument in a case is certainly part of the experience, but only a small part. To actually enjoying the luxury of writing with a fine pen is the best and most satisfying part.

 

Welcome to the club.

[dojocho]

I'm not much of a collecter, I have many books, 1st printings and about a dozen fp's: 5 Duofolds, a P25, a TWSBI mini 5 or 6 Sheaffers NoNonsense...I take and read my books, I teach Woodcraft and take all fp's -including the Duofolds- in the workshop.

YOLO! Enjoy it!

 

Live long and prosper

 

Hugo

[Zenistar]

Great to hear that I'm not alone. I used to have the same problem with keeping pens under wraps and not using them but made the change a few years ago and decided that a pen is meant to be used and therefore my whole collection is up for inking when I need a new pen for the rotation.

 

Interestingly I used to have the exact same issue with my other hobby of collecting and smoking cigars, certain boxes of old or rare cigars I would not touch as I felt that I needed to keep them whole and pristine - now the attitude is smoke them if you have them (within reason).

[Moshe ben David]

Great to hear that I'm not alone. I used to have the same problem with keeping pens under wraps and not using them but made the change a few years ago and decided that a pen is meant to be used and therefore my whole collection is up for inking when I need a new pen for the rotation.

 

Interestingly I used to have the exact same issue with my other hobby of collecting and smoking cigars, certain boxes of old or rare cigars I would not touch as I felt that I needed to keep them whole and pristine - now the attitude is smoke them if you have them (within reason).

 

At least with the cigars, if stored properly, they age to an even more enjoyable smoke! Basically like wines...

[Garageboy]

If its modern, it's getting used. Any NOS pens, I have a user version of

[Sinuhe]

More and more, I've stopped being worried about losing pens at work. I bought them because I love writing, and I do most of my writing at work (junior doctor).

When I was completely new to the hobby, I got a ten pack of Heroes to be able to lose them like I used to lose ballpoints (and to give a few away) intending to keep any interesting pens at home.

I've dropped one Hero, and managed to snap the other one in two while holding it a tad too hard (those pens can't take anything before cracking at the plastic ink window!). I managed to misplace just one other. I noticed I don't misplace pens that I like, so it wasn't as bad as I guessed it would be.

 

Writing with the cheapest of the cheap for work is no fun, so I now bring all of my metal nibbed pilots and Kawecos 10-40 dollars worth and a very juicy gold nibbed Sheaffer for work. The only one I haven't brought so far is the pristine Sailor 1911, but I might. So - I might lose a 100 dollar pen if I'm unlucky, but at least I'll have a better time taking patient histories.