Pride of pen: your personal pen style

[peroride]

https://www.discovermagazine.com/planet-earth/dogs-and-their-owners-share-similar-personality-traits

 

Let's play with that a little: Owners take on the personality traits of their pens and/or vice versa as pens are acquired to fit personal taste.

 

This is a slight twist to Appelboom's enjoyable top pen series

 

• You bought a pen
• You got more pens😍
• After a while, you say, "Hey, I think this/these really fit me, or represent me to a tee"

 

Some define this by quantity - maybe you're in the FC 100 club (100 Franklin Christophs) or play in the Lamy Safari rainbow?

or quality, as in enamored with: MB 149 Calligraphy nib appreciation thread or Dr. Danley's Flock

 

Pen(s) are like trusted companions, simpatico in your urge to express yourself on paper, balanced in sight and feel.

 

These are the pen(s) that you own and use and really got to know.

 

What pen or pens really hit that sweet spot and express your personality, that is, those pen(s) which sync to you?

 

These pen(s) are not necessarily the grails or more expensive or nostalgic heirlooms passed down, but rather the honest gut quality feel of recognition ones.

or to put it another way, when you open your pen case and admire your collection, that pen(s) really speaks to you, the union is instant, "yep, that's it"

Be as general or specific as you want.

 

Here's one example - some of my eclectic variety:

 

• Kaweco Perkeo
• Parker 75
• Parker Duofold Centennial UK vintage
• Pelikan M101N
• Pilot 912 Custom Heritage
• Pilot Capless (except Decimo which I do not own)
• Platinum 3776 UEF
• Platinum Plaisir
• Sailor 1911L or Pro Gear

 

Almost there, runner ups:

• Sheaffer Balance
• Parker 51 vintage
• Lamy Safari
• Lamy CP1
• Sailor 1911L Special Nib
• MB 146

 

Have fun!

[Carguy]

If there is a 51+ Parker 51 club, then I’m a member…..

 

I try to be understated and low key, but my love of colors and other attributes tend to stand out anyway.

 

I recently bought an antique wooden drawer set that would hold 120 pens…..almost 3 drawers are taken up by 51’s. Parker as a whole takes up 90% of the drawer space.

[Arkanabar]

Right now, the pen I'm using most (and it's working well for me) is my FPR Jaipur v2 in blue rippled hard rubber.  I had to swap out the nib assembly with an ebonite feed for one with a plastic feed to temper its firehose flow, but now it'd doing really well with the 1:1 dilute Noodler's Bad Black Moccasin that is currently the ink I'm gonna finish off if it kills me.  I can't bear to get rid of it, and I can't bear to inflict its horrible behavior behavior on anyone else.

[silverlifter]

Easy!

 

[peroride]

2 hours ago, silverlifter said:

Easy!

Strength in numbers. Dunno, but I get the feeling that Society has something in common?👍🤣 Classic and eternal. Good to see the Balance in the mix, a clear winnah!

 

2 hours ago, Carguy said:

51+ Parker 51 club, then I’m a member

True classic and yet unique. Real style. Despite the bump up of the UK Duofold Centennial due to more traditional looks, the P51 Demi was my runner-up. 🥰

 

2 hours ago, Arkanabar said:

FPR Jaipur v2 in blue rippled hard rubber.  I had to swap out the nib assembly with an ebonite feed for one with a plastic feed to temper its firehose flow

I too love the traditional brown ripple with that extra wet Ultra Flex expressiveness.  It's like a mix of creative, traditional with good value ☺️

[inkstainedruth]

For me it's a combination of functionality (for me), price, and getting distracted by "ooh shiny".  But that last could be an interesting fill system, a different nib width or a new color for a model I already like (assuming it's a color I DO like -- I don't do the "gotta get 'em all" Pokeman mentality so, for instance the odds of me ever buying a Buckskin Beige 51 just for the sake of having one are "slim" and "none" because I think the color is just ugly), or (sometimes) it really is "ooh pretty", like my first Morrison.  And price is ALSO a factor.  I'll walk away if I think a pen is too expensive, even if it's a brand/model/color I want; but will buy a 3rd tier brand at a estate sale even if it's not in the greatest shape because it's a pretty color and is only a buck.

What I DON'T like is bling for the sake of bling (Montgrappa, Krone, and MB, I'm looking at YOU), or a pen that is too large or heavy for me to use -- because I'm not, and have never been, a c-worder, who puts pens in display cases.  The only pens I don't use are the ones I haven't gotten fixed yet.

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

 

[maclink]

9 hours ago, silverlifter said:

Easy!

 

 

That's a very nice display there.  

 

Though I'm happy to have colours other than black, I could easily have a collection with only black pens with gentle curves allowing for great ergonometry.

 

I'm not a fan of the overly fancy look with Leonardo pens being my only venture into a patterned finish.

[Arkanabar]

11 hours ago, peroride said:

🥰

I too love the traditional brown ripple with that extra wet Ultra Flex expressiveness.  It's like a mix of creative, traditional with good value ☺️

I'm actually a stub guy, and my usual writing paper is cheap salvaged copy paper, a holdover from when, as a Domino's driver, I nabbed a nearly full 5000 sheet case of letter sized coupon flyers that were left over after they expired.  But it's usually office-grade copy paper, and between that and the featherocity of Bad Black Moccasin (even at 1:1 dilution) means writing with puddles of ink standing on the paper is a non-starter for me.  And those flyers (from the 1990s) were better paper by quite a bit.

[Sailor Kenshin]

15 hours ago, Carguy said:

If there is a 51+ Parker 51 club, then I’m a member…..

 

I try to be understated and low key, but my love of colors and other attributes tend to stand out anyway.

 

I recently bought an antique wooden drawer set that would hold 120 pens…..almost 3 drawers are taken up by 51’s. Parker as a whole takes up 90% of the drawer space.

 

My 'style' is inexpensive work horse, with one or two exceptions, such as the Sailor Pro Gear Black Velvet, and my recent red and black Pelikan M600.  

[TheRedBeard]

Parkers only: 

P51 Aero Black with RG cap and P75 Black Lacquer as two daily pens, plus P100 Cobalt Black GT or P75 Sterling Cisele from time to time... 

Well... and Duofold Centennial International Black GT for some meetings/important occasions

 

[ParramattaPaul]

I am a man of simple tastes (not necessarily inexpensive ones) and simple ways.  Even my three preferred inks are evidence of this.  Two blues, and a black.  The pens that personify me also number three -- two and one.  They are two Conway Stewarts, both green, and a black Onoto Magna -- all broad nib pens.

[Frank C]

I have been using fountain pens extensively for many years. My tastes have changed over time. I can identify certain phases:

 

Curiosity

 

My mother always used a Parker 51 when I was a child, but she wouldn't let me touch it, for fear that I would ruin the nib. 

 

Initial Exploration

 

At university, I purchased several inexpensive fountain pens at the bookstore, including a Parker cartridge pen and a Sheaffer No Nonsense. These pens didn't work very well. I soon reverted to ballpoints.

 

High End Pens

 

After graduation, my income increased; my interest in fountain pens remained. I read an article about Montblanc 149s—the status symbol of that era—which said that while expensive, they were good pens. I ordered one from Fahrney's in Washington DC along with a bottle of Montblanc black ink. Finally, I found a fountain pen that wrote well. Fahrney's put me on their mailing list—a smart move on their part. They had an article in the catalog about the big four pens of that time, the Montblanc 146, the Pelikan M800, the Waterman Le Man 100, and the Parker Duofold. Over time, I ordered one of each. I enjoyed writing with them; I also enjoyed comparing them. 

 

I decided to go back to graduate school. I had to take lots of notes. These grad school professors could say a lot in a one hour class. I decided to use my fountain pens for notes. I enjoyed the fact that they just glided across the page, unlike my ballpoints. I no longer finished the day with "writer's cramp". I also enjoyed the fact that my fellow students were intrigued by these "old" pens. Across the bay, in San Francisco was an Art Store with a fountain pen desk. The clerk would open any fountain pen in stock and allow me to dip test it. On the first Saturday of the month, they had a 25%-off-list-price sale that applied to everything, except Montblanc. I was over there once a month. I acquired duplicates of my "big four" with different nibs and pen colors—if available. I also purchased a bottle of ink with each new pen. I continued to have fun with my pens and my expanding palette of ink. I also enjoyed using the different nib sizes; each one had a unique character.  

 

The Internet Era

 

After graduation, I now had a very comfortable income. The internet was here and growing. Pen stores had websites. Fountain Pen Hospital and Art Brown were in New York. Classic Fountain Pens was in Los Angeles. Richard Binder was in Nashua, New Hampshire. One of my favorites was Swisher Pens, in Virginia Beach, Virginia, as I recall. Swisher had volume discounts on everything and they also had sales all the time. One of their sales was for Japanese Pens. At the time, I was focussed on high-end European pens. Swisher spoke very highly of Japanese pens and ink. The sale prices were enticing. I bought a handful of Sailors, Platinums, and Pilots, along with ink to match. There was no going back. I liked all the various nibs and inks. I also enjoyed discovering each pen's individual characteristics. 

 

Along with my fascination with Japanese pens, I found Classic Fountain Pen's website to be full of use full information. In addition to Japanese pens, I ordered a few Omas pens and some others. I could call their 800 number speak to someone very knowledgeable about fountain pens and place my order. My pen collection expanded exponentially. 

 

As part of the internet era, I discovered Fountain Pen Network. That opened my eyes to the Great Big World of Fountain Pens. FPN introduced me to a number of reputable pen sellers on ebay. Regina Martini in Germany and Engeika in Japan sold me quite a few pens at really good prices. But soon, the manufacturers put an end to these "gray market" sellers. 

 

Also on FPN, I discovered a fellow fountain-pen-lover living in Las Vegas, @amberleadavis. She invited me to her office and gave me free rein to sample any of her vast collection of inks. I needed more pens, fast. 

 

I returned to my original interest: Inexpensive pens that write well. I discovered Platinum Preppies, Pilot Metropolitans, and Sailor Compasses, to name a few. My favorite inexpensive pen now is the Jin Hao 992. For $2 USD, one gets a very good pen, better that those old Parkers and Sheaffers I had originally. 

 

Lately, I am back to the high-end pens. I purchased a Montblanc Calligraphy 149. That rekindled interest in my other Montblancs; they are very well-made pens and fun to use. Reading the Montblanc Calligraphy 149 reviews on FPN, I was also acquainted and reacquainted with some other high-end European manufacturers, like Montegrappa and Scribo. A few of those have ended up on my door step. 

 

To sum this up, I have always been fascinated by fountain pens. As soon as I wrote with a really good fountain pen, I've been curious about all the other fountain pens out there. As I've gained more information, I've wanted to try more and different pens and ink. The internet—and specifically FPN—continues to supply lots of new ideas. 

 

[ENewton]

My top 3:

• Parker 51 plum demi.  Small, unobtrusive, and dark purple.  The pen matches most of my wardrobe.
• Parker Victory Mk 1.  Somewhat faded and worn looking, but still soft and flexible.  
• Sailor 1911S Wicked Witch of the West.  Cloudy, with a hint of the unexpected.  

 

 

[amberleadavis]

On 7/18/2021 at 1:05 PM, Frank C said:

I have been using fountain pens extensively for many years. My tastes have changed over time. I can identify certain phases:

 

Curiosity

 

My mother always used a Parker 51 when I was a child, but she wouldn't let me touch it, for fear that I would ruin the nib. 

 

Initial Exploration

 

At university, I purchased several inexpensive fountain pens at the bookstore, including a Parker cartridge pen and a Sheaffer No Nonsense. These pens didn't work very well. I soon reverted to ballpoints.

 

High End Pens

 

After graduation, my income increased; my interest in fountain pens remained. I read an article about Montblanc 149s—the status symbol of that era—which said that while expensive, they were good pens. I ordered one from Fahrney's in Washington DC along with a bottle of Montblanc black ink. Finally, I found a fountain pen that wrote well. Fahrney's put me on their mailing list—a smart move on their part. They had an article in the catalog about the big four pens of that time, the Montblanc 146, the Pelikan M800, the Waterman Le Man 100, and the Parker Duofold. Over time, I ordered one of each. I enjoyed writing with them; I also enjoyed comparing them. 

 

I decided to go back to graduate school. I had to take lots of notes. These grad school professors could say a lot in a one hour class. I decided to use my fountain pens for notes. I enjoyed the fact that they just glided across the page, unlike my ballpoints. I no longer finished the day with "writer's cramp". I also enjoyed the fact that my fellow students were intrigued by these "old" pens. Across the bay, in San Francisco was an Art Store with a fountain pen desk. The clerk would open any fountain pen in stock and allow me to dip test it. On the first Saturday of the month, they had a 25%-off-list-price sale that applied to everything, except Montblanc. I was over there once a month. I acquired duplicates of my "big four" with different nibs and pen colors—if available. I also purchased a bottle of ink with each new pen. I continued to have fun with my pens and my expanding palette of ink. I also enjoyed using the different nib sizes; each one had a unique character.  

 

The Internet Era

 

After graduation, I now had a very comfortable income. The internet was here and growing. Pen stores had websites. Fountain Pen Hospital and Art Brown were in New York. Classic Fountain Pens was in Los Angeles. Richard Binder was in Nashua, New Hampshire. One of my favorites was Swisher Pens, in Virginia Beach, Virginia, as I recall. Swisher had volume discounts on everything and they also had sales all the time. One of their sales was for Japanese Pens. At the time, I was focussed on high-end European pens. Swisher spoke very highly of Japanese pens and ink. The sale prices were enticing. I bought a handful of Sailors, Platinums, and Pilots, along with ink to match. There was no going back. I liked all the various nibs and inks. I also enjoyed discovering each pen's individual characteristics. 

 

Along with my fascination with Japanese pens, I found Classic Fountain Pen's website to be full of use full information. In addition to Japanese pens, I ordered a few Omas pens and some others. I could call their 800 number speak to someone very knowledgeable about fountain pens and place my order. My pen collection expanded exponentially. 

 

As part of the internet era, I discovered Fountain Pen Network. That opened my eyes to the Great Big World of Fountain Pens. FPN introduced me to a number of reputable pen sellers on ebay. Regina Martini in Germany and Engeika in Japan sold me quite a few pens at really good prices. But soon, the manufacturers put an end to these "gray market" sellers. 

 

Also on FPN, I discovered a fellow fountain-pen-lover living in Las Vegas, @amberleadavis. She invited me to her office and gave me free rein to sample any of her vast collection of inks. I needed more pens, fast. 

 

I returned to my original interest: Inexpensive pens that write well. I discovered Platinum Preppies, Pilot Metropolitans, and Sailor Compasses, to name a few. My favorite inexpensive pen now is the Jin Hao 992. For $2 USD, one gets a very good pen, better that those old Parkers and Sheaffers I had originally. 

 

Lately, I am back to the high-end pens. I purchased a Montblanc Calligraphy 149. That rekindled interest in my other Montblancs; they are very well-made pens and fun to use. Reading the Montblanc Calligraphy 149 reviews on FPN, I was also acquainted and reacquainted with some other high-end European manufacturers, like Montegrappa and Scribo. A few of those have ended up on my door step. 

 

To sum this up, I have always been fascinated by fountain pens. As soon as I wrote with a really good fountain pen, I've been curious about all the other fountain pens out there. As I've gained more information, I've wanted to try more and different pens and ink. The internet—and specifically FPN—continues to supply lots of new ideas. 

 

 

 

Thank you for the shout out!  You have been instrumental in encouraging me to move away from cheap pens (Though I have a ton of the Jiin Hao 992s that I adore) and in to more exotic nibs.  I was recently gifted a Sailor Wicked Witch of the West https://www.dromgooles.com/search/wicked+witch/ with a zoom nib. I'm really enjoying it!  Though my favorite nib is a Sailor Music nib that was custom ground for me.

[JosephKing]

Rotring 900 stylograph - long cap off dry out time, and a smooth, robust, characterless nib enables a focus on thinking
Sandblasted titanium Namisu Ixion - simple, reliable, robust, smooth and generic nib, with low rotations to cap/uncap to enable a focus on thinking
Noodler's Boston Safety Pen with a posting nib - adaptable and robust, precise

All of them: low maintenance, low key, and yet also "unique" (less ubiquitous than the 51 and 2000).

 

Edit: it's funny that characterless and generic are attributes I'm "proud" to portray about myself on this website.  I'm uniquely boring in the pursuit of freedom to think. Are the thoughts themselves more valuable than the expressiveness of them? ... hmmm... my art is in the thinking...  interesting...

 

Ok, yes, with pens as tools for thinking, I am uniquely boring. 

 

This was a good question, peroride !

 

[ele]

Flamboyant, finessed, and expressive.

this manifests as vintage OMAS Extra Lucens and Lucens in patterned celluloids, Soennecken 111s...

Montblancs of any kind are just too 'straight' 

[Muncle]

Restrained with a bit of cheek?

 

Need something similar to a "French Tuck" to stop from looking too composed.

 

Sure, I may have a 149 in my pocket, but it has bright lavender ink, not the blue-black you were expecting.

 

[loganrah]

Vintage safety pens: they push the boundaries of unusual while maintaining enough links to the classics to be recognisably fountain pens, and at the same time they are eminently practical and suit my lifestyle (which frequently involves travel by bike, temperature fluctuation, and leaving permanent inks in pens for weeks on end; all of which safety pens can handle with ease).

 

I think some of my other favourite pens fit this practical, yet somewhat unusual, vibe: pilot 823 with FA nib, Montblanc 149 with Calligraphy Flex nib.

[TSherbs]

me: cheap, utilitarian

 

my pens: same same

 

except I bought a Pilot 74, from Japan (<$100)

[ethernautrix]

Moonman C2 with a Pilot PO nib -- so, a transparent hybrid with a versatile nib. Yeah, there's a resemblance.

 

Plus a Nakaya Piccolo Cigar, kuro-tamenuri -- points to the aspiration to "clean up well," yet usually reverting to the MMC2(PO) with visible signs of use.