Do You Name Your Pens?

[ac12]

You mean like "stubborn" and "all wet."

[Arielle Finberg]

Not so far. But I think it is a good idea. People in many societies have named their best tools. In Europe warriors used to name their swords and daggers. And today, some artisans and others name their tools in India, for example.

 

Since I am one of millions of Animists in the world, I do, in fact, believe it is possible for certain objects to have or acquire a spirit of some sort. So, I do try to name special objects with which I have relationships. My computer is called "Chip." And I think of him as my personal assistant. My current car is always called "Betsy" after what my grandfather always called his car.

[hbdk]

People also name cats - I always wondered why; most cats will only react to the sound of the can opener attacking a can of tuna, not to the sound of their name

 

On the other hand, I think that I sometimes can hear a slight stirring in my pen case when I open a bottle of ink...

Edited February 10, 2015 by hbdk

[Manalto]

.

My Vacumatic Deb will henceforth be known as . . . PInky.

 

That's adorable! Now put away your Malibu Stacy and get ready for school.

 

 

 

People also name cats - I always wondered why; most cats will only react to the sound of the can opener attacking a can of tuna, not to the sound of their name

 

 

 

 

The operative word here is "most." Hope springs eternal that that rare feline will deign to respond.

 

James

Edited February 10, 2015 by Manalto

[MajesticPens]

I'm glad it's not just me! It all started with my Pilot Metropolitan. I got the one with dots, so of course I named it Dot. I had one other pen at the time, a Pilot Penmanship, so I felt like I had to name it Penny. It's gone downhill from there..

I happen to have a pen called Penny! I love your username by the way.

[inkstainedruth]

People also name cats - I always wondered why; most cats will only react to the sound of the can opener attacking a can of tuna, not to the sound of their name

 

On the other hand, I think that I sometimes can hear a slight stirring in my pen case when I open a bottle of ink...

One of our cats has learned the word "carcass". As in "Move your carcass so mommy can sit down!" I think Marion has come to the conclusion that her byname is "Carcassonne" (i.e., "carcass GONE"). Which is pretty impressive given that most of the time she is dumb as a post.

Our other cat, OTOH, is smart -- dangerously smart. We only realized *how* smart Polychrome was the time we were watching her play with a catnip toy and laughing about how, unlike my old cat, she is not "the brave and mighty huntress" the way Obilot was. The joke was on us, because within about 15 minutes she had gotten down the basement, out the window of my husband's workshop because the door wasn't closed, and come back in to present us with a *live* chipmunk and trailing some of the Virginia creeper growing up the side of the house.... She'd been paying attention to what we'd been saying and decided to show us up. All while stoned on catnip.

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[Stu L]

I take great pleasure in naming objects. I always pick names that I consider inappropriate for a monarch: Barry, Bernard, Herbert, Steve, Keith etc.

 

 

No offence to the Barrys, Bernards, Herberts, Steves and Keiths of the board...I'm sure you may have many kingly qualities, but I'm not sure about the name...

Edited February 11, 2015 by Stu L

[bsenn]

Many of my pens came pre-named. Jack, Robert O Beaber, Helen, Mable, Dorothy, LJ, Saul, CS, Jim, Robert, "To Harold from Employees", ...

 

The rest I don't name.

[westhill]

I have an orange Lady Duofold called Letty Brown, after the name engraved on it.

 

And a beat-up old blue Esterbrook J called Floyd, again because the name on it is Floyd Pattison.

 

Somehow these names really fit the pens.

[PortiaDaCosta]

I've only named one pen so far. My Jinhao 159 goes by the name 'The Fat B*st*rd'. I love it though, and it's a very smooth writer.

[prime.lens]

Pen names. What a great idea. I think I'll call my Parker 45 "Mark Twain"

[sidthecat]

My black Moore ringtop is The Moore of Venice, and my two piebald Watermans are Lord Lady Patricia (the clip) and Lady Lady Patricia (the ringtop). I have many more pens but they're the only ones that have names.

[TSherbs]

 

If you don't name your pens, how do you know why other people do?

 

Speaking personally, I don't think I've ever done anything to be adorable in my life, and I can provide signed affidavits to that effect if you want to see them. I believe I could match you in curmudgenosity mudge for mudge. And yet, I have been known to name inanimate objects.

 

In fact, I think I'm going to march out and name a pen, right now. My Vacumatic Deb will henceforth be known as . . . PInky.

Deb must be having an identity crisis

[TSherbs]

no, I don't name inanimate objects

[Nanor]

If I don’t figure out what one of my random fleabay purchases is, from 6 months ago, I’ll have to call it something.

[Misfit]

I did not name any pens until I got a second Visconti Michelangelo. The first one is black with rose gold trim, and the second is the Back in Black version. A message here from Novelli called the black trim ruthenium. So when I decided to get it, I called the old one Rosie and the new one Ruthie.

 

It seems like most other sources call the Back in Black trim rhodium. No way I'd call it Rhodie.

 

Otherwise I haven't named any. But of course I always named stuffed animals.

[wspohn]

What did you name your big toe. A lot more life in it than any pen.

 

While some may think naming inanimate objects is cute, I do not.

[Sasha Royale]

I find it to be a frustrating and useless exercise.

They don't come when you call them.

[inkstainedruth]

I find it to be a frustrating and useless exercise.

They don't come when you call them.

Neither do my cats.... And *they* have names.

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[Limner]

If naming your pens is a sure sign of a surfeit of whimsy, I guess I'm destined for the loony bin. At one time almost every pen I had was a Waterman 52 (or 52v) HR. I nicknamed them so that I could quickly note on my inking exercises or sketches which one(s) I'd used, for later reference. I continued the practice as I acquired more pens; it's just plain easier for me to identify the individual marks they make.

 

If I believed that naming inanimate objects would make me seem 'cute' and 'adorable', trust me, I'd name every damn thing that I laid my hands on.

 

Seriously, though: for those who disdain the practice of naming pens, how do you feel about penmakers, and the names they choose for the pens that you buy? Do you feel Muggles are giving you the side-eye when you show off your Pearl Wampum Ahab, flourish your Emeralds on the Sun Neponset*, or brandish your Rattlesnake and Adrenaline Konrad? Could you walk up to your employers and suggest that they might like a Poltergeist Pumpkin Nib Creaper, and keep a straight face?

 

Don't get me wrong; I have loads of respect and admiration for Nathan Tardif, and though I've never met the man, the words 'cutesy' and 'adorable' don't spring to mind when I hear his name...

 

 

*"Emeralds on the Sun Neponset" is either the name of a racehorse, or a breakfast at Denny's