The Psychology Of Fountain Pen Collecting

[Belgian FP fan]

The psychology of fountain pen collecting and more precise obsession.

 

Hello,

 

As a newbie I decided to start a fountain pen collection a couple of weeks ago.

 

As with most newbies I guess, it started with the FP I used in school years ago (Parker 25 flighter and Parker 15) and the pens I got over the years as a gift (Cross ATX and Parker 45).

 

My initial aim was to build up a collection with a lot of variety, a wide range of vintage and new pens form all sort of brands. And it worked well at first.

 

But then, I bought a Sheaffer Targa, and everything changed. I got totally obsessed by Sheaffer Targa's and it has become almost impossible to buy anything else then a Targa.

 

I am by no means saying that the Targa is the best pen ever made and I don't want to discuss the qualities, likes or dislikes of the pen. I am just wondering if some of you had or have the same feeling with a certain fp or brand?

 

I'm interested in your thoughts ans experiences.

 

 

Edited August 27, 2013 by Belgian FP fan

[Penne Stilografiche]

Welcome to the Fountain Pen Network! I have sheared the same feeling that you have with your Targa's with other brands. I am obsessed with Stipula Etrurias, the are very comfortable when writing, they have great nibs, and they are made in one of my favorite countries, Italy.

[da vinci]

Hi, and welcome to FPN!

 

Thats a great collection you have there. I have 3. Targas, one that I bought years ago in matt black, and has some sentimental value, and 2 sterling silver models - very classy! All mine have medium nibs. How about yours?

 

I havent really been drawn to one particular brand, at one time my main focus was sterling silver pens. Now I have pens from many different brands. In terms of numbers, Lamy, MB and Pelikan are alonst on a par.

 

Edited to ask - is #5 a sterling silver model?

Edited August 27, 2013 by da vinci

[Belgian FP fan]

Hey da Vinci,

 

the picture just came form internet. Not my personal collection. I so far only managed to pick up 3 at a reasonable price. And to be honest, I am not creative enough to make such nice prestation layout

[robofkent]

Like many it started with the Parker pens I grew up with i.e. 15/Jotter, Vector, 25, 45, Frontier but more recently I have found German brands such as Lamy (not the Safari though - not a fan of the grip) and Faber Castell.

[akustyk]

I sometimes think about what drives us to collecting fountain pens. In the world of collecting, fountain pens are fairly quaint and innocuous. Yes, some of them do cost a fortunate, but one can build a really nice collection without huge funds involved.

 

My thoughts on this have changed over time. At first, I was just so amazed by all the iconic pens and brands. I wanted to have a 149, and I didn't know why, exactly. After I've tried a few of such pens, I sold them. I am now more certain of what kind of pens I enjoy and why. For me, it's all about writing performance. Yes, I do prefer piston fillers, but it's not essential for me. Most of my pens are black with gold trim. Yes, boring, but I happen to like it. Recently, I bought my first maki-e pen, and cannot get over how beautiful it is. I also enjoy the perfection of manufacturing. For example, my Sailor Realo is made so well. It's almost unbelievable that a pen can be so perfectly manufactured. It is not an easy pen to write with, requiring perfect technique, but once you've learned how to use it, it rewards you with the most exquisite line ever.

 

Finally, I really enjoy the entire pen as a an instrument, a product of both an engineer and an artist. That is why I love vintage pens, such as the Sheaffer Touchdown or Snorkel, Parker 51, Montblanc 146, etc. These pens are total products, a perfect union of the designer's talent, the vision, the materials, the manufacturing, the performance, the beauty. I tried loving Edison pens, and while they're gorgeous all the way down to the section, the nib lets them down. I had bad luck with both steel and gold nibs. They seemed so out of place, performing poorly or just barely adequately. I can understand this on a $50 TWSBI pen, but not on an expensive Edison. Yes, I do know that third-party nibs can be very good, but that was not my experience. They were just too generic, I guess, to match the design and beauty of the pen itself. Too bad.

[inkstainedruth]

I've been told that my "collection" seems to be leaning towards post-WWII (mostly Parkers and Esterbrooks).

The Parkers were because the first pens I got were cheapie Parker cartridge pens (since discarded), and when I got my first decent pen it was a Vector -- I still had cartridges to go through. Since then I got bitten by the 51 bug (but only a mild case -- once I got the plum one, which was a grail pen for me, I found that I was good, strangely enough) and then had a mild yearning for a Vacumatic once I saw someone's blue one. So that's an itch I've mostly now successfully scratched (although if a Silver Pearl or a Shadow Wave fell into my lap I wouldn't say no... ). And of course I misplaced the Vector and couldn't find it, so I had to try to get some other ones to *try* and replace it (it was a blue UK one with an F nib) -- none of which *quite* made the cut; I couldn't find a blue one with anything but an M nib for some reason, and so I looked for other colors (in case the blue one turned up -- I didn't want to have pens that were all the same color, especially if they had different width nibs). So now I have a red one, a bright blue one, and a flighter with a company logo on it, as well as Perdita (which I found again just last week -- it had fallen down in a drawer in my computer desk). And the black one which came in a 4-nib calligraphy set. As to why UK made Vectors? It's just that I liked the first one so I trusted the others to be similar quality.... And a lot of the US-made ones that I've seen listed on Ebay seem to have black clips which look kinda weird. And I don't know how good the French-made ones are (although the barrel colors are great).

As for the Esties, I just like the look of the marbled finish J series pens (most of the colors, at least one of each size plus one or two Transitionals). And I like the idea of the interchangeable nib units -- but most of the pens were "hunt the nib" purchases, so as a result I seem to have more green ones than anything else, and that is actually my least favorite color (took forever to find an affordable blue J, and then it had a boring nib). But people go on and on about the purse pens, and the icicles, and the nurses' pens, and I'm like "meh" (although I did like the green jewel on a nurse's pen someone posted a picture of a while back -- I just don't want a white Estie).

For new pens, I really like my Noodler's pens (current stash is 2 Flex Piston Creapers and 3 Konrads). In fact, the first pen I bought for which I really wanted a *second* one of was the Konrad (which was good because I then lost the first one, but had the second one with me as a backup...).

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[mbrandt]

I had a rainbow collection of Platinum Plaisirs. They are a simple pen, quite inexpensive and write pretty smooth for the price. The best part though was giving them away to friends and making FP Converts out of them. Most have stuck, although I have caught a couple friends using ballpoints.

 

TL;DR: Buy inexpensive pens, make friends!

[Nashten]

I'm trying to collect One pen from every manufacturer... or major manufacturer, at the moment.

 

Parker, Waterman, Sheaffer, Franklin-Christoph and Cross are under my belt so far. Novice collector and user, by the way.

 

Once I get a pen from the manufacturers, then I will complete sets, no more than two and/or three pens per. My jade Duofold Junior will be paired with a jade Duofold Senior. Then after that, I will add azure, emerald and burgundy Vacumatics to the collection (These colours complete the RGB spectrum and its 3 pens!). My Waterman 52 will be paired with a 52 1/2 soon. My Cross Sauvage ballpoint will be paired with the fountain pen version of it as well. My new Sheaffer Imperial II will be the start of a Sheaffer couple that will include the Imperial III.

 

All that aside... given that I am a student and on a limited budget... my goal will be hard.

 

As for the psychology to this... Each person has their own unique reasons as to why they do what they do. I have an affinity for having sets of things, or doing things two or three times. My writing goes through three major revisions before it gets published, each version gets markedly better too.

 

Specifically, my affinity comes from the numbers of 2, 3 and 23. There is a thing called the 23 Enigma out there (I don't believe in it)... I've been called "Modular" because of this trait, while most others call it eccentricity. I like to think of it as my way of keeping collections in check, so I don't go off and buy pens or just items in general that can't complete a set to my liking.

 

Welcome to the FPN too! It's a great place to be!

[fpenluver]

No particular manufacturer as long as the pen "click" with me and the price affordable. But well on lead to another and another and another..... until i checked my credit card balance and decided to stop. Dunno how long the stop will last though.

And then after the pen here comes another thing.... ink and ink and ink... oh well thats life.

[BrandonA]

There have been a number of threads on the themes or collections and how collections have been built, check the forums search function to find out more.

 

My collecting has always been around a single brand. When I was younger and had less cash it was Parkers, now it is Montblanc.

 

I imagine as you've only been collecting two weeks you have amassed a hoard of pens and it will take time for you to learn what you like as you will get more exposure to brands you've never heard of and, who knows you might like them more than your current pens.

[Minty]

The hallmark of the true collector peresonality is this: There is no saturation point where enough is enough.

 

"Don't start vast projects with half-vast ideas."

[penmanila]

this began as one vac many years ago (and there's more in other boxes):

 

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3804/9588523696_0f5bcc51cf_c.jpg

 

and did someone mention duofolds?

 

http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2812/9461223955_cfa2cf5d40_c.jpg

 

collection is selective (sometimes obsessive) accumulation. over time, quality considerations overtake quantity. when collectors say they're "pruning down", it often simply means they're selling off three mid-range pens to buy a first-rate one.

 

i enjoy being a collector, shamelessly and unapologetically. i have no quarrel with those who say they buy pens only to use them, but honestly i don't--i have a regular stable of user pens (including some of my very best ones, which i have no qualms sticking in my pocket), but i see some pens as art objects in themselves, aside from being writing tools, which is why i collect them, as things of beauty beyond utility.

Edited August 28, 2013 by penmanila

[Paul80]

Most pen collectors like collectors of other things often have some form of OCD, whether they will admit to it or not is another matter.

 

As for me I am happy to admit that yes I have an addictive personality and most definatly some form of OCD.

 

When else will be Man or Woman enough to admit it, that's a different question.

 

Paul

[KateB_tps]

I have a few Lamy Safaris, Al-Stars and a Vista, and until recently I wouldn't have said I 'collected' them, but now I've decided to

I can't afford to buy many pens regularly, particularly over the £20 price point. But Lamys fit comfortably in that price bracket, so I can buy 3 or 4 per year, and often I can get them cheaper than £13, which is excellent. A couple of days ago I realised they are my favourite range of fountain pens, and that I might as well not bother buying any other brands' pens unless I really want them, because I guess I have been 'spoilt' by Lamys- I love the light weight of the pens (my little, girly hands can't handle anything above 20 grams), the strong, tough clip, and the robust-ness of the plastic, so I'm not worried about chucking my pen in my handbag. With any other pen, I would unconsciously be comparing it with the Lamy range and saying to myself "I wish it had a clip like the Safari so I could clip it to my t-shirt".

Lamys are so collectable because of 1) the colours and 2) the time-limited nature of the new ones brought out every year and then quickly retired. So Lamy pretty much ensures I will buy at least 2 of their pens every year- the new Safari, and the new Al-Star. I guess, even if I don't really like the new colours, I will have to buy them, because I will regret it in the future once they're retired and completely sold out if I don't!

However, I have to control my collector's mentality and tell myself that I can't collect them all. There are some really impressive Flickr photos of people's Safari collections, showing lots of the older editions that had been out for years before I even heard of Lamy. I know I won't be able to get my hands on them. Even the couple of older Safaris I see on ebay regularly, I would need to shell out around £70, which I can't do. So I resign myself to looking forward to the future editions, and not back to the past editions; I know my collection will never be complete. However, if I happen to see a limited edition old model Safari at a car boot sale, I'll sure as hell snap it up! And I'd pretty much do anything for an orange Safari of a few years ago!

[pencils+pens]

"quality considerations overtake quantity. when collectors say they're "pruning down", it often simply means they're selling off three mid-range pens to buy a first-rate one."

 

I'm there now but fund-raising is only part of the reason to cull the herd. Culling the herd can also occur when you discover that you have certain strong likes and dislikes. That can only be discovered by buying and/or using a lot of different pens. In my case, just about everything with a sac is going. I discovered I just don't like lever fillers and other sac pens are a PITA to clean compared to pistons, TWSBI Vacs and c/cs.

 

The exception is my Sheaffer Snorkel and TipDip. The Snorkel I'm keeping because it represents the pinnacle of non-cartridge/converter filling systems (IMHO). I'm keeping theTipDip since it isn't as hard to clean as the other sac pens.

[kcnightfang]

I primarily collect based on usage, I can't really afford a larger collection than that right now. If I'm not using it, I don't see the point anyway. I'm on the hunt for the perfect pen for me, and I think I'm getting closer. It's almost all about the writing experience for me.

 

In the grand scheme of things, I eventually want to collect examples of each type of filling system, and the common nib sizes and types, and most manufacturers. It's a grand goal, but I'll get there eventually.

[penmanila]

that's true, too! your preferences will change over time, occasioning an overhaul or a least a culling.

 

i must confess i do like lever fillers, though, because they're the easiest for me to fix

 

 

I'm there now but fund-raising is only part of the reason to cull the herd. Culling the herd can also occur when you discover that you have certain strong likes and dislikes. That can only be discovered by buying and/or using a lot of different pens. In my case, just about everything with a sac is going. I discovered I just don't like lever fillers and other sac pens are a PITA to clean compared to pistons, TWSBI Vacs and c/cs.

 

The exception is my Sheaffer Snorkel and TipDip. The Snorkel I'm keeping because it represents the pinnacle of non-cartridge/converter filling systems (IMHO). I'm keeping theTipDip since it isn't as hard to clean as the other sac pens.

[ac12]

The trick is to have dicipline and stick to your plan.

When you go on tangents, like I do, your limited funds get used up on stuff that is not relevant to your collection.

Fun and nice, but not relevant. Some times I kick myself for getting a pen on impulse

 

My collection is small.

Like others, I concentrated on the Parker pens that I used in college, primarily the 45.

[rishikhanna]

I have reflected on my own motivations in depth. And also thanks to FPN learned about the motivations that others have, or claim to have.

There are motivations and then there are justifications which tend to be defensive.

 

The recurring them that resonated the most with my own feelings is the one referring to pens as a work of art and engineering. I like to think of my collection as my little museum.

I read once someone comparing his pen collection to his art collection - it was a brilliant post

 

I guess inside most of us there are times when we feel guilt, or we feel worried that we are a little crazy.

As long as you don't land yourself in financial trouble spare yourself the guilt.

If you are in financial strain due to pen collecting - seek help from a professional (shrink)