How old are fountain pen enthusiasts?

[pixelsnbytes]

I'm 46 (soon to be 47). I started writing with fountain pen in college. Taking notes was much less painful, and my writing became much neater. They were also better for illustrating notes (and doodling in the margins). I didn't like how the Schaeffers leaked into their metal caps, though. I often had ink-stained fingers and my backpack got inked on more than one occasion. My kids have no desire to write with fountain pens. At the rate at which they lose stuff, it's probably just as well.

 

Deb

 

[Mrsal]

i recently turned 14...

[cat6669449]

just turned 35.

[vilasman]

I am 43, been playing with fountain pens for 4-5 years now... had all of the speedball caligraphy pens as a kid but never did much with them

[Inka]

I'm 50; will be 51 @ Independence Day this year of 2009.

Bought my first FP while working my first job at the age of 15.

That was a large black Waterman cartridge pen, wanted the black MB but couldn't afford it back then.

That was a disaster, knew nothing about FPs and it dribbled ink while writing, that is when it did write.

 

Bought my first real FP about 10 years later, at a retail stationery store; large classic black Montblanc cartridge pen.

That too was a disappointment, mostly because I didn't know to press past the initial "pop" felt to fully seat a cartridge.

I also didn't know that FPs could be fine-tuned and that one was scratchy and skipped terribly, probably just needed tine/tip adjusting.

One time I'd pressed in the cartridge until I felt the seal ball pop, as I'd previously done without issue, thought all was good as it wrote fine.

The cartridge held but I didn't realize it wasn't fully seated, it came lose and inked up a white dress shirt [the underlying t-shirt and my skin] with MB Black ink.

I blamed the pen & not my lack of experience, not knowing any better, thought all FPs had this potential and avoided them like swine flu.

 

Here it is [35] years after buying my first and just last year began getting back into FPs again, online every day doing research and trying to play catch-up.

Edited May 3, 2009 by Inka

[anniemac]

I'm rushing headlong to the big 40 (looking forwad to it actually, but that's another story) and I've used FPs on and off since junior school.

We got to top junior (10/11 yrs) and were assessed as to the quality of our writing with pencils, and if good enough parents were advised to get us pens.

Bit sticky this one, my teachers did try to get me to change hands (I'm a lefty) but I wasn't having any of it, and I've stuck with it.

FP use tailed off by university, and totally not compatible with my work, which I think is why I've tried to get back to them - I spend all day at a computer, or scribbling notes in shorthand, so slowing down with an FP keeps it real!

[TarpAsAShack]

Will turn 52 in July.

I remember using fountain pens in grade school, then have gone back to them on and off for the past 10 years.

[prisonrodeo]

I turned 40 last November. Started using FPs around 1993 or so, in graduate school (when you could still find working Esterbrook Js in thrift stores for $1 each...).

[oldstoat]

54 on Tuesday...........

I finally have a pen older than me- a Parker 51 from 1954

[jlmillstein]

I'm almost 17. My first fountain pen, probably like many kids my age, was a Pilot varsity. I have a yellow Lamy Safari as well as the limited edition 2006 blue and red Safari. I'm now trying to decide between a Pilot/Namiki Decimo and Vanishing point for my next pen.

[cfclark]

I turned 40 in January and have had a fountain pen of some kind since college--got seriously interested in the mid-'90s, when I got my first really nice pen (a Waterman Expert that was a gift). Now I tend to collect/use vintage pens, though I have a few modern pens as well.

[lapis]

Check out my profile here.

Eckchewally, I got used to FPs in school (har har) and I'll never forget the time that our teacher -- when I was in grade 2 or 4, around 1952 or 1954 (I think) -- showd us all her first BP, one of the first ever manufactured.

 

Mike

[Gandalfandula]

21

[DJJM19951998]

Touchy topic.

I was born in 1950 and used a fountain pen in elementary school (an Esterbrook, which I still have!). I also used ballpoints, roller balls and gel pens as they came along, but always perferred fountain pens.

I think that is understandable.

What about people born into the era of ballpoints? What causes them to develop an understanding and love of quirky, sometimes difficult fountain pens?

My kids are 23,25 and 28 and all look at me with love and pity when I pull out a fountain pen. To them I might as well be driving a Model T Ford instead of a Mustang. Despite my example, none of them have the slightest interest in using anything but a Pilot G2.

Are there many members here my kids ages? I would love to hear how you got the bug.

I often have to write a lot in a little time for school, and ballpoints cause my arm and wrist to cramp and hurt, slowing me down. Fountain pens don't do that. Also, they are just fun!

[Frits B]

I'm 70. Was taught writing with dip pens, then moved on to ballpoints (I think, don't remember if we had real fountain pens in those early years) and returned to fountain pens when I was around 20. From then on I always had at least one, nothing special - fine nibs, seeing my old notes. Then about 15 years ago I discovered a pen shop which had a lot to offer. The rest is history.

 

And I don't even do much writing nowadays ...

[Joe in Seattle]

I was in kindergarten when you were born, and I chose the same first pen.

[montblancdude]

I'm 14... and I love fountain pens!!!!!

 

The aesthetics and the sophistication are what made me go to fps and never look back.

[alvarez57]

I have 3 ages.

 

My physical age is 49 years old.

 

My body feels about 70 years old.

 

My mind feels about 18 years old.

 

Regards,

Dean

 

Boy! That's how I feel many times!

I'm turning 52 in October (I'm already saying I'm 52!). the first pens where my daddy's Schaeffers but that was out of my reach. Then in primary school a Schaeffer with Peacock Blue in my notebook and fingers. We were only two in the classroom that used fountain pens. On and off for several years until I could finally pay a Pelikan M300 with steel nib. Since then (about 16 yrs ago) I EXCLUSIVELY write in fountain pens for my job.

Edited June 12, 2009 by alvarez57

[lairddouglas]

37

I like precise writing ... I can have a nib crafted for me and its perfect for my small precise writing style. Been using FP's for twenty or so years ... 16 years serious using. First fountain pen was Fathers 51 then a whole lot of midPoint Waterman's ... then I discovered Ebay/Zoss/Pentrace/Pen Shows ... found you could buy EF and finer nibs. CoWorkers and Friends laugh at my inkPen addiction. Also amused by my inability to take notes without using outline format.

 

 

[rfmagic]

39 here, I've been using FPs since I was 11. My first pen was a Sheaffer Flighter that I still have. I used it all the way through grad school in engineering... Once I had a real job, I bought a Parker Sonnet and have added about 30 pens since.