Hello from Thuringia

[Harold Valorum]

 

written with a Lamy Joy (1.5 stub) in Waterman Havana brown on noname drawing paper

 

My handwriting isn't the best, especially if I want to write nice and good looking.

[handlebar]

Greetings,Guten Tag and wilkommen!!

 

 

Jim

[Crobe]

Welcom to FPN, Harold.

I enjoyed reading your post. Is that your family crest at the top of your paper?

 

Welcome, you will learn a lot about fountain pens & all things writing here.

 

Mike

Edited November 16, 2007 by TBPI

[bernardo]

Herzlich willkommen!

 

I lived 6 years long in Weimar, about 20 km away from Jena.

 

One very positive thing I saw there is that Germans are taught to write with fountain pen since the very beginning. That should be the standard all over the world.

 

Tell us, what are your favorite pen brands, nib widths, ink colors, notebooks, etc.?

 

Hope to see you around.

[hardyb]

Welcome! Your english is very good and so is your handwriting. Keep reading and posting, you have much to contribute. Lots of resources and expertise to help you here at the Network, no matter what your interest are.

[fatehbajwa]

Welcome to FPN.......nice handwriting!!!

[Radman]

Glad to have you with us Harold!

I enjoyed reading your introduction. Your English is just fine!!

[HyperCamper]

Welcome! Have fun here!

[Harold Valorum]

Hello,

 

thanks fot this warm welcome!

 

Indeed, the crest on top of the paper is the crest of my familiy. Three European red squirrels on a green-yellow ground - our branch of the family added the rose hip in the paws of the squirrel on top. I use such paper (blank paper printep with an inkjet) for most of the private an official correspondence. It adds a bit of distinctive touch to such things.

 

Weimar is a nice city - sometimes I'm there to visit the newly restored "Anna Amalia Bibliothek".

 

We've learned to write with a fountain pen only and still today it is common to do that. Allthough there are discussions about this here too. Some say it isn't right to "force" kids to use a pen, because it's not so easy to use like a pencil or a rollerball pen. In my mind, kids have to be "forced" to do some things they doesn't like at first. Homework, for example. Or read books instead watching TV endlessly. It's not the knowledge in the first place, that schools should teach - it's the abilities to learn for their self and become a mindful, open minded human who could master their life. So writing with a pen forces one to think and write. With a computer, you could write, think, go back, write new ... and so one. I admit, it's not always easy for me too. ^^

 

My favorite - an at present time only - pen brand is Lamy. I like the clean, reserved shape of this pens, that you're able to switch nibs without difficultiy and the good price-perfomance ratio. For me, pens are tools to write with, I've little intend to collect them. At work I have a Studio (1.1 stub) for everyday writing (inked Waterman blueblack - since blue or black is the only allowed color, if you're not the chief of the county-administration ^^) and a Logo (fine nib, Waterman Havana brown) to write things on copies an add something. At home, there's only an Lamy Joy at this time - but I've the strong feeling, that one or to other pens will follow over the time. I tend to buy another ink, maybe a Diamine brown or something nice for private correspondence.

 

Paper I like, hmm. To be honest, I write on most of the paper I get. At work, there is only copypaper (cheap, but with differing qualities) and lines pads (Staufen, Herlitz, Brunnen ...). At home for private correspondence, I tend to use unlinend paper from differing brands (if they're marked with a brand at all ^^) - but I try to buy some special stationery (can not tell why, but I like the size of your "monarch" format). Have read a lot in this forum, I have to say: the paper you get in Germany tends to be ok for pen and ink. Especially pads and spiral pads (which I use for my journal) are quite good, just because pens are widely used in school.

 

Here are lot of things I didn't now before and I'm sure, there would be many many more.

 

Tschööö

 

 

- Harold

[welfvet]

Recently I've heard discussions about fountain pens being re-introduced in schools in the UK to teach better writing and they've been impressed with the results.

 

By the way, Welcome Harold!

 

Nic

[Ghost Plane]

Welcome, Harold! Nice writing.

[bernardo]

For me, pens are tools to write with, I've little intend to collect them.

 

You will... You will...

[bernardo]

For me, pens are tools to write with, I've little intend to collect them.

 

You will... You will...

[EventHorizon]

Welcome to FPN!!!

I have been to Thuringia while visiting an equipment supplier in Arnstadt. Said supplier took us to dinner in Thuringia and we were told we had to try the sausage. I will have to say it was one of the best meals I have ever had.

 

For anybody interested in Thuringia Sausage, here is some info.

[bernardo]

Oh, yes. Thüringer Bratwurst is very famous. You can find them even in other regions of Germany.

 

But, returning to FP's, Harold, do you get your stuff at some particular shop there in Jena? I remember four or five shops in Weimar where you could buy good pens (Pelikan, Lamy, Diplomat, Mont Blanc, Waterman, Parker, Cross, ...) and good paper (Moleskine, Paperblanks, ...).

[Harold Valorum]

Hello!

 

Bernardo, I afraid your right. There are a lot of interessting pens and inks out there - I feel that I have to consider my point of view here. But somehow I would like to have "the" pen ... one pen that servs me throu a long part of life, with its own history and stories to tell. ^^

 

Yep, Thüringer Bratwurst is famous - however, the real Thüringer Bratwurst has to come from Thuringia. Roasted over burning charcoal put out with beer, turned by hand, served in a breadroll with mustard. Or with roast potatoes and sauerkraut. Yamm.

 

Luckily there is a well sorted shop in Jena - called "Der Füller" ('the pen'). They have a wide range of pens, some inks (mainly Waterman, Pelikan, few Parker, Montblanc), papers/art supply and a good service. Also there some other shops with a smaller variety of writing stuff. Since writing with the pen is widely used in schools, there are also low priced pens available in nearly every supermarket. It's not bad here.

 

 

- Harold

[14lines]

Hello, Harold

 

Jena is one of my favourite places in all of Germany! I used to play bouzouki with a Celtic punk band, and we did a couple of tours of Germany. Jena was our favourite place to play - the owner of the bar, Fiddler's Green, was an excellent host and always kept a very good supply of whiskey. Also, the people we met were fantastic and, though we only met them twice, we consider them good friends. The Thuringian Wold is a lovely part of the earth - you are lucky to live there.

 

Enjoy your pens! I also use a Lamy Studio and I'm very happy with it.

[bernardo]

Hello!

Bernardo, I afraid your right. There are a lot of interessting pens and inks out there - I feel that I have to consider my point of view here. But somehow I would like to have "the" pen ... one pen that servs me throu a long part of life, with its own history and stories to tell. ^^

Yep, Thüringer Bratwurst is famous - however, the real Thüringer Bratwurst has to come from Thuringia. Roasted over burning charcoal put out with beer, turned by hand, served in a breadroll with mustard. Or with roast potatoes and sauerkraut. Yamm.

Luckily there is a well sorted shop in Jena - called "Der Füller" ('the pen'). They have a wide range of pens, some inks (mainly Waterman, Pelikan, few Parker, Montblanc), papers/art supply and a good service. Also there some other shops with a smaller variety of writing stuff. Since writing with the pen is widely used in schools, there are also low priced pens available in nearly every supermarket. It's not bad here.

- Harold

 

Just curious, where is this Der Füller shop you talk about? I know more or less dowtown and the surroundings of the university, and I don't remember any pen shops there, though it's also true that I wasn't looking for any. I went always directly to the Wagnergasse.

[RayMan]

Welcome Harold! Your English is fine.