What Is Your Profession?

[Rama33]

Mechanical Engineer, consulting for 15 years

Computer Validation Manager, 20 years (manage people who write and execute test scripts for computer systems in the pharmaceutical and medical device industries. Tests and documentation are reviewable by the FDA. Ensures products are safe and effective where computers are involved in the manufacturing or quality assurance process.)

 

No one, anywhere, in 35 years of professional service used fountain pens except me!

[stephanos]

Very interesting! I would have thought that using a fountain pen to grade papers would make the process more enjoyable.

 

Perhaps a more accurate way of putting that is, "would make the process more bearable". I think the key part of derevaun's statement may have been, "the pen dries out while I'm formulating constructive feedback"

 

(I am a university academic, and I find grading papers to be just about the worst part of the job, for several reasons. I like grading with a fountain pen, though that is harder to do when the grading involves carbon-copy paper.)

 

I have a small number of colleagues who use fountain pens. A very small number of students do as well.

[Noihvo]

[katm201]

Executive Assistant--I'm the only one at my firm who uses fountain pens. A few use fancy rollerballs from Montblanc, though. I tried to convert the former Receptionist, but she's moved on for greener pastures.

[D.C. in PA]

Recently retired education administrator. Lots of graduate school and state certifications (licensures) followed a prior track in mental health service provision and administration. The only other FP user I recall encountering was a college prof who was a parent I dealt with regarding an issue with his child.

On the other hand, I do have a spouse who is a rabid Pelikan collector and user. And I get to see lots of FP users at the several shows we attend each year. We're out there - LOTS of us.

[Jim7310]

Profession: Environmental consultant of 30 years specializing in hydrogeology and groundwater modeling

Passion: Beekeeper

 

I have one colleague in my office of about 50 people who also uses a fountain pen. Most of my younger staff just sort of roll their eyes. It was my daughter telling me a few years ago that they were going to stop teaching cursive writing in our school system that prompted me to pick up my interest in fountain pens after many years of being away from them.

 

Last year I gave all of my kids and my wife fountain pens (Kaweco Sports) and a notebook of good paper. My son and one of my daughters seem to be catching the bug but time will tell.

[Maurizio]

Working stiff trial lawyer and litigator. Also amateur calligrapher using mostly Pilot parallel pens.

I use fountain pens for real work not just signatures. I draft most of my written work with my fountain pens. Discovery demands, motions, appeals, long letters etc. I also use fountain pens to takes notes at rapid pace during depositions and while on trial. You never want the jury to even consider you're some snooty high falutin' person so no even quasi-fancy fountain pens at trial. I use either a Pilot VP matte black which is fairly non-descript from the distance the jury sits from me, or a Pilot Metro black.

Sometime writer. Published one article in the New York Law Journal in 2012. This year got 3 articles published in the NY Law Journal. I drafted all these articles with my fountain pens. I draft and redraft written work with fountain pens on pads then dictate the final draft for typing.

I like sugar cane legal pads and use Staples Eco Easy because their readily available. I prefer white paper pads so my ink color shows nicely.

Among the 20 some lawyers at my office no one uses a fountain pen. Over the years i have encountered other lawyers who use fountain pens at depositions, but this has been rare.

Edited January 5, 2017 by Maurizio

[rwilsonedn]

Technology journalist in a semiconductor company. I depend on fountain pens for everything from note-taking in interviews to article drafts, plus personal writing. I have not seen a colleague use a fountain pen for about five years. For that matter, I see very little handwriting going on, except for the signatures on the greeting cards that circulate through the group from time to time.

ron

[qrettle]

Im still student and Im known as "that one guy who refuses to write with bics"

[Beauport]

Im still student and Im known as "that one guy who refuses to write with bics"

 

Good for you !

[Sasha Royale]

Curmudgeon. Pays poorly, but job satisfaction is high.

[Leonil]

High school English and drama teacher. Also a photographer.

[Piper 987]

I'm a retired family doc. All through my career I used ball-point pens as I hadn't yet discovered the proper way of writing. But then, a lot of my handwriting was on various hospital forms that said, "Press hard. You're making three copies".

[Maurizio]

I'm a retired family doc. All through my career I used ball-point pens as I hadn't yet discovered the proper way of writing. But then, a lot of my handwriting was on various hospital forms that said, "Press hard. You're making three copies".

I feel your pain Piper. Believe it or not, when i go to court and have to fill out routine court orders the court still hands us those kinds of triplicate forms. The Court gets to keep the top white copy and the lawyers get the others. I keep a ballpoint in my bag just for this purpose but it never sees the light of day or gets to ride the prestige position in my shirt pocket but is the "black sheep" of the pen stable.

[Cryptos]

Research Officer (University). All my writing is done with fountain pens. I've only seen one other person (academic level) using one (a Lamy Vista) and no students.

[Arkanabar]

All y'all who are filling out triplicate forms should seek out an Esterbrook and one of their Manifold-line nibs of suitable width (I have a 9460).

[Ecriveur]

Lawyer, and I'm in the only one around the office who uses fountain pens.

[requiescat]

Science fiction writer. There isn't really a "coworkers around me." I've met two other writers who use fountain pens but neither lives remotely near me.

 

In past lives, I've been a high school math teacher and an analyst, but that was before I started using fountain pens.

[Omaslover]

So we essentially learned that we are all over the place

[antares1966]

Another physician here, hospitalist/internal medicine.

A colleague who used a Waterman first turned me on to Fps, been using one ever since about 2001.

With the emergence of electronic medical records however, its use is mainly for jotting notes when I'm interviewing patients, and signing prescriptions.