Who actually uses fountain pens these days?

[Rique]

There is a topic on this forum about “in what countries FPs are still common”, and I thought it would be interesting to start a discussion on a similar topic: What sort of person actually uses fountain pens today on a everyday basis? Not counting the students who, according to the other thread, are still required to write with FP at school in some countries, I would have been inclined to think FP users would be people connected with writing, literature, hummanities, and so on. I´ve been rather surprised to see that there seems to be a lot of engineers and persons connected to the “technical” professions in this forum (myself included). Or is it just a wrong impression about this nut-house community (as Wim delights in calling this forum... )?

If I may start the game, I may say that the only person I know (not counting myself, of course) who actually uses a FP for everyday writing is a doctor, who writes all his prescriptions and files with a Vector. I also know an engineer, a psychologist and a lawyer who collect and sometimes use FPs, but not exclusively. They are all over 50, I guess; and, of course, much better educated than the average guy. Do you think FP usage may be somehow related to educational level?

BTW, FPs are not used at schools or universities here. In my almost 20 years teaching, the only student I´ve ever seen actually using a FP was a German exchange student (which doesn´t count...).

 

regards,

Rique

[tburke0]

The weighting toward techincal people on the boards may be a result of the online computer based nature of the forums. The "net" is full of geeks. We're just the ones who use fountain pens.

 

The skew towards professionals is likely related to Maslow's hierarchy. These ink sticks we know and love are a luxury item that would be pursued after the basic needs are covered. Access to education can be an indicator of one's economic standing, and pursuit of it tends to increase that standing. There are, of course, anecdotal examples to the contrary, but the overall trend does seem to bear this out...

 

Now where did I leave my pipe & tweed jacket?

 

Tom.

[woodwindmaster06]

I think most of everyone on this board uses fountain pens, I myself use them exclusivly and occasionally use mechanical pencils as required. But I use them everyday at least once, and never touch ball point pens except to sign checks at stores ect...

WWM

[Dip Head]

Add me to the engineering geek crowd!

 

My son just graduated the 8th grade with Highest Honors! Doubt if his Lamy Safari was the reason, but it did fall in line with his desire to write: fiction stories, poems, etc. Somehow a decent FP just inspires a little higher quality and effort than a disposable ballpoint. And it really shows in the results.

 

Tools don't make the carpenter - but you generally won't find a good carpenter using poor tools.

 

Of course, now he can ink up his new Pelikan M200 he got as a graduation present! We're currently playing with some Private Reserve Spearmint and having a lot of fun with that! (wish I had a M200 <_< )

 

Sorry for the shameless bragging... what's a proud father to do...

 

We both use nothing but FP's. we'll, unless I'm using my dip pens

[woodwindmaster06]

All I can say is my handwriting was attrocious before I started using fountain pens, then I switched over and it gradually got better and there are more possiblities with fountain pens, so I started learning some spencerian script and flourishes and my handwriting because of fountain pens is legible for the first time in a long time. I now solely use FP because of this.

FPs allow a person to write longer, in better quality, and it brings back or starts a joy in writing.

WWM

[ElaineB]

I know quite a few people who use fountain pens, but we are all people involved in the arts in one way or another. Some are graphic designers who just like cool drawing tools, but most are fiber artists who work with yarn, wool, and textiles. We're a very tactile bunch. We do much of our work by touch and feel, and I think we prefer fountain pens because they simply feel that much better in the hand.

 

I only know one other technical/programming geek who uses a fountain pen. But when I was actively working as a web manager, many systems guys admired my pens because they liked interesting gadgets. I probably could have converted a few of them away from ballpoints if I'd had some spares to give away.

 

I am trying to get my kids interested in fountain pens! Unfortunately, because they both have disabilities that make writing difficult, it's not as easy as it would be for other kids. But they each own a cheap school pen now. And I mixed up custom inks so they each have their own special color. It's nice that the inks match their eyes, when they somehow end up smearing it all over their hands, face, arms, etc.

[Carrie]

I work in a museum / country house environment and of course I use fountain pens and quite a few of my work colleagues do as well. Away from work I can't really claim to encounter many people who use fountain pens, my dad will from time to time, but he's just as likely to pick up the nearest biro, whilst my uncle who is an architect is most likely to just use a Rotring drawing pen for anything.

[jwc]

I am the only engineering geek at my semiconductor company that uses a fountain pen.

[Rique]

This is interesting, the only person who says she sees "quite a few" people in her workplace using FPs is Carrie, and she belongs to the minority of users in this thread who are not in the "engineering geek crowd"...

I´ve started this topic because it´s not really hard to find FPs at stationers or jewellers in Brazil (at least, there is a cheap brand named "Crown" that seems to be omnipresent...). But I almost never see anyone using them...

 

BTW, I was told yesterday that the Vice-Rector at my university also uses FPs exclusively; so, that makes three of us in a town with half a million people. That´s pretty solitary, isn´t it?

[Apollo]

I love all sorts of pens, but my primary EDC (every day carry) pens are black lacq Sheaffer Prelude fountain pen and a Sensa Stylist rollerball in chrome. The Sensa is usually used when doing extensive writing at work, but for all other writing tasks, I use the Sheaffer. There's something special about using a fountain pen. Not to sound cheesy, but using a fountain pen is a mark of a cultured person, in my opinion. The people I've met in my area who use fountain pens (and there aren't many) tend to be artists, intellectuals, or just people who think outside the box.

[Gerry]

Another engineering geek here guys. Apollo, there's too many engineers in the FPN population for it to be a 'Culture' thing...

 

But you have a point. Our club in Ottawa sports 4 engineers, a couple of PhD's and a few Scientists / Managers from the National Research Council. The average however may be distorted because all of the people from the NRC know each other. Without an exception the engineers all want to take the pens apart and fix them (no surprise there...) , but a couple are more serious collectors as well.

 

Box, box? There's a box I gotta think within? Where on earth could I have left it?

 

Regards

 

Gerry

 

PS: I recall three of four colleagues that used fountain pens during my career - it wasn't common, but not unusual to see one every few days.

[wimg]

Hi all,

 

Well, the department I work in currently, had one (yes 1) fountain pen user when I started, which was 10% at the time (1 out of ten; yes, me).

 

Since then, 10 months ago, the department has grown, to 23, and fountain pen usage is now 48 % (11 out of 23), and only three (including myself) of those used fps already, and 2 still had an old fountain pen lying around somewhere. Some of these went from 0 to 4 already, mostly cheaper pens, and one has bought a high end pen so far (second fp, and I am excluding myself here ).

 

Oh, and we're all in IT, from hard to soft. About half are technical geeks for most people, the rest is a littl emore business oriented, but still IT.

 

HTH, warm regards, Wim

[Dillo]

Hi,

 

Some of my family, sister, mother, and me of course, use fountain pens. I know a retired pastor who still uses them. Now I am curious about my grandfather who collects them.

 

Dillon

[Guest Denis Richard]

Coming late on this one...

 

Many countries still use FPs in their schools. I was raised in one, and FPs are much more common, even though many people switch to BPs when they enter college or active life.

 

Obviously, when FPs are not used in schools, it becomes harder for anyone to encounter and start using them. There has to be some kind of "fatal attraction" for the object then, and I think it would be hard to find someone would suddenly decide to switch from a life of BP to FP, for utilitarian reasons only. They usual become nuts, look at their pens... and post here

[Allan]

IT geek/programmer here, and while my FP use is not exclusive, they are used the majority of the time. I still have a cheap BP in my pocket to let the customer's sign the cheap, carbonless, three copy invoices. The education aspect to your question does not stand up with me, GED with no college. Came from a either high end poor, or low end middle class family. Parents never used FP that I can remember. Thirty seven years old and make pretty good money at my job in a fairly small east Texas town. Very much a techno geek, writing this from home on the right hand monitor of my two 20.1" LCD setup :-)

 

Allan

[Ergman]

Assistant Professor (Physics) here. I consider myself a "techno-luddite". I like my iPod, and my fountain pens. I use fountain pens almost exclusively, quite simply because they are the best tool for the job. I can write for hours using one. All of my research notes are done in fountain pen, and lecture notes too.

 

A lot of things in my life are an odd mix. I have broadband in the house, but I don't watch TV, etc. I think to use a fountain pen you probably have to be just a little eccentric (Flame On! )

[Dillo]

Hi ergman,

 

Similar to me except for the iPod. I do not have or want one.

 

Dillon

[scribble]

Another "Luddite" here, albeit one who does like to be in the avant garde as well. As a strong advocate of science and evolution who would like to smash the machines while Pink Floyd bleats on the raging masses, I confess to the seductions of innovations and have relegated my anarchism to the realms of sublimation. After all, the fountain pen is a fairly evolved tool and I prefer it to dipping the quill.

 

I currently have six fountain pens. It is not a collection but I feel a strong seductive pull towards starting one. Even with over thirty Tarot decks I fall far short of being a credible collector. Sixty fragrances is only sufficient to be considered a dabbler. I've always been attracted to nice pens.

 

I started with a hand-me-down lever/bladder job way back in or around 1950. Actually had a typewriter first (and didn't learn to touchtype until about twenty years ago), a Tom Thumb job for the kiddie. But pens swept me away from it. And I used various pens along the way. The cartridge pen was a school item. Cheap little suckers. By age six or eight I had a small collection of pens, pencils, speedball stuff, etc.

 

I've always used my tools. To me that's always been what drove me to acquire them. The decadence of age has me now more vulnerable to collections and hoarding. If I had the resources I would certainly purchase a nice display box and fill it with carefully picked gems.

 

On the job I always use ball points where a pen is needed. I try to avoid any hand cramping and go via the word processor or other digital media instead. I like to save my hand for using the pen, pencil, and brush for my own creative endeavors. I suppose those impressive looking MB's they sell at the Mont Blanc store across the street are used by the VIP's to sign all those important documents. But me, the wandering FOOL I've been, have no profession and no appropriate need for a classy writing instrument.

 

I returned to the fountain pen 25 years ago. I'd been advised in a periodical that fountain pen loaded with Pelican Fount India would be a better alternative to the Rapidograph for a creative artist to draw with. Since I found the mechanical line too limiting I took the bait and acquired one of the suggested Mont Blancs for the staggaring sum of $40. The pen lives up to the promise and with properly diluted Fount India I can get varied lines and incredible shading. This is an instrument like no other. More than a convience. The work takes on a unique character with this pen.

 

I never got the same result with any of the additional pens I acquired. The Pelican 120 didn't feed as well with the diluted ink and would skip. If I got it to flow the ink line was too dark. The calligraphy pen wouldn't flow at all from the cartridge unless saturated ink was used. My just acquired Aurora Optima has a generous well and flows so I will be testing it out with a haze grey custom ink this weekend. My expectations are optimistically high for this one.

 

So I am a utilitarian slipping precariously towards some collecting, but I don't expect to acquire any pens that won't be used.

[icevic]

I have never seen anyone except for myself my father use a fountain pen. It's kind of lonely.

[scribble]

I have never seen anyone except for myself my father use a fountain pen. It's kind of lonely.

Same here.