Minimalism - Only 6

[dornblaser]

At one point of my life, I had way too many fly rods. I pared them down to 6 plus 2 for my wife. All bamboo except for one. I was FaceTiming with my wife tonight and we had the same conversation about pens and we asked each other what 6 pens would we each want to own that would be in continual use, not in rotation. This is a question that I can't truly answer as I a want to try some of the Italian pens like Aurora. Still, it is an interesting question for those of us trying to lead purposeful minimalistic lives. No offense meant to the awesome collections that I have seen on this site. For me it would 3 - 4 Pelikan m60x's and then 2 - 3 Sailor 1911s/Lamy Safaris.

 

Again, this is just a thought exercise and not meant to offend any hobbyist/collector.

 

- David

Edited November 13, 2014 by dornblaser

[Cryptos]

 

Still, it is an interesting question for those of us trying to lead purposeful lives.

 

I'm not 100% sure what you mean by this. A little clarification perhaps?

[Parse Error]

My thought process is the following --

 

Fill your empty/dry pens in the beginning of each day. If you manage to drain all your pens before the day is over, then you may get another pen, in other words -- have as many pens as you would use and use as many pens as you would have.

 

So someone who uses a Platinum Preppy fine eyedropper (as a desk pen, of course) would probably only have to use that one pen -- me during high school, and if you use broad wet writers a dozen inked may not be enough.

 

If I wrote full time I would probably have 8 pens since I like wet broad nibs.

[dornblaser]

Yes, I can see that is written poorly. Perhaps the easiest thing is for me to replace purposeful with minimalistic.

[Namo]

Still love the gaming of this question. I just received a Franklyn Christoph six pens Penvelope, so...

 

Lamy 2000m (with vintage 18k B nib)

Danitrio Densho raw (with vintage Pelikan F nib)

Marlen Aleph (fp.it limited ed.)

Newly acquired Lamy 27m (stubish B ; probably because it's new), but more probably my Waterman Préface since it was inherited from a dear deceased friend.

Waterman Liaison in orange

Noodler's piston demo with a Waterman n°2 flex nib.

[dornblaser]

How do you like the Franklin-Christoph pen envelope? I have been considering it.

[NinthSphere]

I'm hardly a minimalist, but I'll play. I suppose if I could only have 6, it would come down to:

 

- Stipula Passaporto 1.1 italic

- a Parker 51 m or f, not sure

- Desiderata (Do multiple nibs count as the same pen? )

- PSP/Ranga ebonite Imperial f

- one of the two-toneTriumph nibs

- Sheaffer Statesman m or Aurora Ipsilon b stub (I haven't really gotten to play with the Ipsilon yet, but it's a really nice pen.)

 

The idea of cutting down is always hard. I love all my babies.

[Namo]

How do you like the Franklin-Christoph pen envelope? I have been considering it.

Love it! I love the way the pen go and fit into it, love the fact you can add some extra things in the case like a small notebook. The material is wonderful and seems very strong. It does provide a nice protection to the pens.

[discopig]

I don't think I could pick just six anymore, but I'll try:

 

Pens for EDC:

 

-Pilot Metal Falcon SEF

-Pilot Vanishing Point with 0.9mm cursive italic nib

-Esterbrook SJ fitted with an Osmiroid Sketch nib

 

Vintage flex for drawing or fancy home writing:

 

-Wahl 0 gold-filled ringtop pen

-Waterman 32v

-Waterman 12 1/2 PSF

Edited November 13, 2014 by discopig

[dornblaser]

Nice, but I was thinking 6 total, not just EDC.

[Z-Tab]

Six is a good number, I think. Enough to have a bit of variety, while each individual pen still has to serve a clear purpose. No room for pens that don't get used.

 

I can't say that I have found six indispensable pens yet. I have a few that I would put on the list, but I'm still on the hunt for a couple of grails that I hope will live up to my expectations.

[Daisy25]

Six is a nice number, really. I'm not a big collector so I don't have that many more than that. Bit by bit I buy some here and there. But if I were to pare it down to six of those I currently own?

 

Sheaffer 444, Parker 51, Lamy 2000, TWSBI Classic Mini, Sheaffer Targa, TWSBI 580.

 

Hmmm.

[Algester]

6 pens huh... TWSBI mini, Lamy logo, lamy 2000, custom heritage 91, TWSBI micarta... To think my collection is just shy of small

[lmarine0510]

I don't consider myself to be a minimalist by a long shot. I have too much of a varied taste in just about everything to limit myself to a set number of things. I guess if I had to limit myself to just 6 measly pens, these are the ones I'd pick:

Parker 51 Aero F

Sheaffer Snorkel Clipper with PdAg Triumph F nib

Esterbrook J with a 2668 M General Writing nib

Sheaffer Touchdown Admiral with M nib

Waterman's N° 52 with a flex nib

Sheaffer Balance JR with the springy XF nib.

[cadfael_tex]

This made me think how many pens I actually do have since it's not much more.

 

right now I have:

1. Pilot brown vanish point with waverly xxf (on order) and crisp italic

2. Pelikan m215 B

3. Pelikan m205 with a couple of nibs

4. Pelikan 140 flex fine

5. Sailor orange pro gear xf

6. Sailor maroon 1911m with naginata togi mf

7. Platinum 3776 century Sai f

 

So I'm close but I don't know what I'd get rid of. Of course that doesn't count the pilot E95s I just got for myself and platinum 3776 century nice our I've got coming for Christmas.

 

There's likewise a few cast offs I dont use anymore- 2 Pelikan Technixx that leak, a Noodler's conrad that never could get to work.

 

Can't decide so I guess 9 is my number lol

Edited November 13, 2014 by cadfael_tex

[drv1913]

If I were going for minimalism, I would stop with the two Levenger Seas/Sheaffer Connaisseurs that have permanent spots in the pen loops of my dayplanner - one for purple ink and one for black. They are my favorites,and I write with both all day every day. All of my other pens are merely conduits for other colors of ink.

[redisburning]

for me it's just a pen.

 

owning more, or more expensive ones, doesn't make me anything more. similarly, it doesn't make me anything less.

 

I started with 1; a Dr. Grip. Then I bought a second pen, which was a fountain pen, and I really only had 2 or 3 pens until I crossed the school finish line. My grandfather used a solitary snorkel.

 

Now, I have many more. Maybe I will have a change of heart and have many less.

 

I could go down to one pen; my favorite Parker 51. I could legitimately use it alone for the rest of my life. The same is true with most of my other pens (though to be fair, not all, as not all of them are practical in the day to day sense), frankly.

 

Pick one and sell the rest, maybe keep a backup. I did that with my pocket knife collection and that lasted a full 3 years. Well then I had some spare cash and my dad took me to a knife shop and I came home with another strider lol.

[WaskiSquirrel]

If I'm down to just six, then:

 

1. A Noodler's Konrad Acrylic

2. Pilot Custom 823

3. Pilot Justus 95

4. Lamy 2000

5. Another Noodler's Konrad, but I want a Goulet nib set with it

6. A pen for Baystate Blue

 

Oddly enough, I thought it would be tougher to get down to six. The truth is, my collection could shed quite a lot of Noodler's Konrads.

[Sasha Royale]

Six fly rods ? How many does a person need ?

I am not offended, sir.

I have 150 fountain pens. My wife has none. Neither of us has a fly rod.

She has a horse. (A stupid Swedish something that eats 20 kilos of stuff per day.)

She is married to a man with 150 fountain pens !

 

Someday, we should sit at a table full of beer, and compare insanities.

[WilsonCQB1911]

This is like a weekly topic. Must be on the minds of many pen people. I've played before, and I'll play again....

 

I only own 8 pens total, and 3 of those 8 are the same pen but with different nibs.

 

1. Montblanc 149, fine

2. Parker Duofold Senior from 1928, medium

3. Conway Stewart, medium

4. Nakaya Portable Writer, broad

5. Montblanc 149, extra-fine

6. Namiki resin Falcon, soft-fine

 

The two that didn't make the list are an MB149, medium (great pen, but the fine is close enough to the same line-width, that I could downsize if I had to) and a Romillo Essential #9 that I'm waiting on (I can't really say it's a favorite yet, since I don't have it).