Hello from Tustin, California (USA)

[pianopenpal]

Howdy everyone,

 

I've been a lurker for a while, so might as well say hello! FPN is an exceptional source; I have been able to find a lot of answers on this site alone.

 

I was first given any sort of fountain pen as a kid by my grandmother, who was a visual artist (prints, mostly) and teacher: A Sheaffer No-Nonsense calligraphy set from the 80s... I still have it! Between that, a terrible dip pen and nibs I picked up at an art museum in high school, and an inexpensive Waterman, my curiosity didn't wander far until about the last few years. I'm hooked, for better or worse...!

 

My modest collection is around 30 pens now, a mix of mostly modern, including Lamy, TWSBI, Benu, Kaweco, Wingsung (the 630 was a surprise!), and some Chinese pens that are fun to dink around with without worrying about loss/damage.

 

I have a few vintage cartridge/converters: Parker (75), Sheaffer (Imperial, sterling), and Cross (Townsend, 18k Pelikan-made nib, from the 90s, if that can be considered vintage. It feels wrong, but here we are!). My first truly older pen, I only recently acquired - a Sheaffer Balance Admiral vac-fill. Given my proclivity toward acquiring/collecting and actively using vintage things, you'd think I'd have more pens in that category... On that note, other collections are clocks, cast iron, Pyrex, older appliances. (My other half questions why I have five toasters when only one is put out in rotation at any time, LOL) If it's been around this long, taken care of, and rendered safe/usable, why not keep it going?

 

Cheers, and thanks to all for the wealth of information provided!

 

Gabe

[PAKMAN]

Hello and Welcome to FPN!! So glad to have you as a member!!

[OCArt]

Drive down to lovely San Diego and visit our active pen club sometime, we'd like to meet you.  We're at https://sandiegopenclub.wixsite.com/index/events

[Wahl]

[Bisquitlips]

Welcome!