fountain pen taboos - don't enter if you're easily offended

[Mille]

I hate lamy.

I hate cross.

I hate the parker 51.

Krones make me sick.

Waterman was good but then turned into Sheaffer

Sheaffer was good but then tried to be cool and screwed up on their nib design.

 

Pelikans the only brand that has it right.

 

You are wrong. As someone pointed out the Pelikan clips are ugly.

Edited March 17, 2010 by Mille

[dedalian]

I think the Maki-e pens with pictures of dragons, etc. on them are a little over the top.

I totally agree

[ghislain]

The gold clip and trim on Pelikans remind me too much of the cheap, pathetic pens you find in a doctor's office. Like these:

 

I agree, I am not to fond of gold clips and trims either BUT fortunately Pelikan has the x05 models and some in the M620 (Piccadilly Circus, Place de la Concorde) /640 (Polar Lights...) series that come with HT trims/clips

Edited March 17, 2010 by ghislain

[willduffay]

1.) I think the Lamy Safari is the ugliest pen ever. I know many people rave about what great pens they are but I just can't get over how ugly they are. They remind me of an old 1980s computer, calculator or wrist watch- moderne to the point of being utilitarian. Although plain at least Parker '51's have some mid century moderne flair to them! Is it just me or was the 1980s finally the point in history where aesthetics were completely cast by the wayside? I'll stick to my Pelilkan for a functional, smooth writing, moderne, everyday FP.

 

2.) I am not a fan of any type of fountain pen that is or can be be used as a status symbols. Status symbols are the stupidest things ever invented by humankind. Think about it- some person with money goes out of their way to buy something expensive just to flaunt- just to go around and say 'oh and btw, I'm better that you'- without any words spoken. How dumb is that? That particular person could be as dumb a bag of hammers (they more than likely are if they use their money in such ways), material status is not a way of showing that you are a better person than the masses.

 

3.) When FPs and bling meet. A fountain pen must be functional and aesthetically pleasing. When diamonds and other such gem stones are included the functionality completely goes down the crapper, it's a piece of jewellery with a nib on one end.

 

A big yes to the last two points! Some of those limited edition pens are just the height of vulgarity - all unnecessary decoration and jewels and faux history. I'm talking about pens like the 'Stars of Egypt' Sheaffer Valor. £15,000 'worth' of heavy gold, ugly decoration, weight, vulgarity, and a pointless little diamond. Why? Seriously, why?

 

Some standard pens are infected with the same ugliness. The Waterman Expert, for example, with that nasty thick band around the cap. Absolutely no class. (I do love my Hemisphere, though.)

 

But for me the nadir (or zenith, depending on how you look at it) of nib ugliness is the 'Stylpoint' one that Sheaffer put on various pens, including some Imperials. It's slightly upturned (which is fine) but with only the central part exposed and thick bits of plastic runnind down each side, making it partially hooded. I'm probably not describing it well. Compared to the utter perfection which is the conical and inlaid nibs, this is cheap and horrid.

[riff raff]

I hate lamy.

I hate cross.

I hate the parker 51.

Krones make me sick.

Waterman was good but then turned into Sheaffer

Sheaffer was good but then tried to be cool and screwed up on their nib design.

 

Pelikans the only brand that has it right.

 

You are wrong. As someone pointed out the Pelikan clips are ugly.

 

Not sure how anyone can proclaim Pelikan clips to be ugly after having viewed the clips on Safaris.

[Mille]

I hate lamy.

I hate cross.

I hate the parker 51.

Krones make me sick.

Waterman was good but then turned into Sheaffer

Sheaffer was good but then tried to be cool and screwed up on their nib design.

 

Pelikans the only brand that has it right.

 

You are wrong. As someone pointed out the Pelikan clips are ugly.

 

Not sure how anyone can proclaim Pelikan clips to be ugly after having viewed the clips on Safaris.

A good second?

[PigRatAndGoat]

I actually like the look of the clip on the Safari. I wouldn't want it on any of my pens, but it seems appropriate for the aesthetic of a Lamy. It's like a giant paperclip!

[figosmum]

I hate lamy.

I hate cross.

I hate the parker 51.

Krones make me sick.

Waterman was good but then turned into Sheaffer

Sheaffer was good but then tried to be cool and screwed up on their nib design.

 

Pelikans the only brand that has it right.

 

You are wrong. As someone pointed out the Pelikan clips are ugly.

 

Hmmm.

And I always thought Pelikan pens are ugly, but at least the beak-look of the clip is kind of not-so-bad as the rest of these pens...

(but before I realized it was meant to look like a beak, I liked the clips even less than the pen bodies, that's true)

 

(btw I even have a Pelikan, bought it after thinking all these people on the Pel forum must have SOME point, but so far it has been nothing but an unreliable writer and a candidate for animal testing because I am starting to think all these people in the BSB thread must have SOME point.)

[Mille]

A beak! Well, I have not thought of it. And no, it does not make it prettier.

[karmakoda]

Myth: Using fountain pens makes you special or eccentric or noteworthy.

 

 

No, no, no, using expensive fountain pens makes you special.

No, using cheap fountain pens is the noteworthy part.

Nope, using only vintage fountain pens proves your superior aesthetics and VALUES.

What? No way, the more it costs, the more special you are!

Make sure everyone notices that you're using CHEAP fountain pens! That way they'll think you're cool and not a status seeker.

Carrying Montblanc pens means you can't think for yourself.

Black is stupid and boring. Who's going to notice you're using a FOUNTAIN PEN if it's a boring black one?

And using really vibrant inks means you're fascinating. No, it does. Watch: [writes in spectacular non-black ink color] "I am fascinating." See how that works?

Hey! Notice me trying to be not noticed for using a fountain pen! Hey! Heyheyhey! I'm using a FOUNTAIN PEN! How come nobody cares that I'm using a fountain pen? No! You can't borrow it. Touch with your EYES!

Why would you spend your money on that? How come you don't think like me? How come you don't think like me? How come you don't think like me? Let me show you how to live....

 

Brilliant little ramble. This is worth framing.

[hecya]

For me, it's the ludicrous packaging that accompanies many high end pens.

Hardwood boxes with satin lining and jewelled metalwork with a luxurious full colour brochure the size of a shoebox.

 

I'm not suggesting the Montblanc WEs (eg) should come in a blister-pack. But a better sense of proportion would be appreciated.

 

I fully agree. There is no sense in using a box many times bigger than necessary to hold a pen. One immediately starts thinking just how much of the price paid for the pen went for the fancy box. And a further problem is that box is normally so fancy that is never used again. A minimalist approach with a better taste would do more justice to the pens inside.

[matje]

amazing.

 

290 replies and 10000+ views in 5 days (I'm good at mathematics if the numbers are in plain view).

 

FPNers sure needed to offload stress

[Vladimir]

It seems that way!

 

Kudos to the Original Poster!!!

 

amazing.

 

290 replies and 10000+ views in 5 days (I'm good at mathematics if the numbers are in plain view).

 

FPNers sure needed to offload stress

[jleeper]

A beak! Well, I have not thought of it. And no, it does not make it prettier.

 

But it does make it very functional. My Pelikan M200 is the easiest, almost effortless, pen to clip into a pocket, and the Safari is a close second. Both are ugly in some eyes, but both very functional. Some of the 'more attractive' clips have to be opened up before they will fit on the pocket placket.

[hecya]

What I profoundly dislike is when people use an expensive fountain pen as a status symbol. Is like in the first times of mobile phones when the few people affluent enough to have one, placed them first thing on the table at a restaurant and made some calls to be sure that everybody around notice them.

 

Somehow Montblanc is the brand of choice in Mexico to a lot of business people but not because any technical reason. It is just that everybody knows for sure that is expensive. So it goes along with the latest smart phone, mp3 player, absurdly expensive wallet and belt, and so on.

 

Thinking about it, as a perversion of the above situation, I dislike even more the people that not affording the real one buy fake Montblancs and use them at meetings. That is pathetic. With the money invested on a fake Montblanc they could buy a pretty decent Pelikan or Lamy.

 

All this betrays what I believe is the real reason for a pen: to write, just that. Beautifully, easily, nicely, even expensively, but just, plain write.

 

 

I feel relieved now ...

[minnman]

I needed to jot a quick note and reached past a shaefer with a leaking sac, a Parker with a displaced feed, and a waterman that drips and plucked a pilot varsity from the coffee cup on my desk. It had been there unused for over a year but smoothly put ink to paper.

 

If only all my pens could duplicate the quality and reliability of my $2 varsity.

[Mille]

Why all these elaborate Sheaffer filling systems more mortals cannot repair?

 

When Parker ditched the vacumatic system and introduced the beautiful and simple aerometric, Sheaffer released Touchdown, Snorkels, and other overengineered monstrosities. Today at least nine out of ten aeromatic P51-s still work flawlessly.

[Scrawler]

Why all these elaborate Sheaffer filling systems more mortals cannot repair?

 

When Parker ditched the vacumatic system and introduced the beautiful and simple aerometric, Sheaffer released Touchdown, Snorkels, and other overengineered monstrosities. Today at least nine out of ten aeromatic P51-s still work flawlessly.

I must confess that I do not like snorkels. They are ugly and over complicated.

[ImNotSam]

That's one of my biggest frustrations - and peeves

 

The cost of my pens bears absolutely no relation to their ability to ... write well. Or sometimes even write at all without major intervention.

 

I sometimes read pen reviews of pens I have (or subsequently get) and think: is this person posting through the time warp to the bizarro-antimatter-universe? This *can't* be my pen!

 

Pens that are supposed to be *special* - maybe so, but not for Job #1 - which is, as you note, smoothly putting ink to paper.

 

Pens that are throwaways - like my own cup of Varsities - that never dry up, not even after years lost down in the bottom of a laptop bag.

 

This is not to say that I don't have some costly pens that write like a dream. I do.

 

And I have cheap ones that do the same thing. And cheap ones that don't. And expensive ones that don't.

 

Fickle creature that I am, I presently swear no loyalty to any brand (just at brands, if you catch my drift). What I grab at any particular moment probably depends most of all on how much coffee I've had to drink the more caffeine, the heavier and larger the pen needed to keep my hand on the page.

 

And I'm a sucker for a beautiful pen, and beautiful ink - but ... it's a pen, not jewelry. There's a place where my sense of humor meets my checkbook!

 

Oh, and as for status symbols - I do dearly love and use my old, old, old I-bought-it-in-college Montblanc 149, but I haven't taken it with me on public jaunts for decades now - ever since they started showing up adorning folks who wouldn't know a fountain pen from a pig pen.

 

Maybe I should just take a Sharpie or a Magic Market to the birdsplat on top? I wonder if there's a market for Sherpas to camouflage Montblancs so I can maintain the understated image I've worked so hard to cultivate -

 

I did get a laugh at the thought of Montblancs in blister pacs.

 

Note to self: move to larger home or ditch all those empty pen boxes.

 

 

 

I needed to jot a quick note and reached past a shaefer with a leaking sac, a Parker with a displaced feed, and a waterman that drips and plucked a pilot varsity from the coffee cup on my desk. It had been there unused for over a year but smoothly put ink to paper.

 

If only all my pens could duplicate the quality and reliability of my $2 varsity.

[Mille]

A beak! Well, I have not thought of it. And no, it does not make it prettier.

 

But it does make it very functional. My Pelikan M200 is the easiest, almost effortless, pen to clip into a pocket, and the Safari is a close second. Both are ugly in some eyes, but both very functional. Some of the 'more attractive' clips have to be opened up before they will fit on the pocket placket.

 

Like which ones?