What Do People Say To You When You Whip Out That Pen?

[i4sgeorgiev]

Usually they ask: 'Why do you waste your money for this'

They don't care how beautiful Fps are...

[sargetalon]

More often than not, if it's noticed at all, "Is that a fountain pen? I didn't know people still used those."

[Sasha Royale]

When whip out my FP,

Gentlemen are stricken with aw.

Commoners gasp.

Ladies swoon.

Slutty, young women throw themselves shamelessly into my arms.

I become the most interesting man in the world.

 

*******************************

My wife reads over my shoulder. I do this just for the pleasure of seeing her spray a mouthful of Earl Grey tea across the kitchen.

[RuiFromUK]

Is it edible?

[Coop]

In the office with a pen (both fountain and nice ballpoint) on my desk, a colleague comes up, eyes my pen. Doesn't say a word.

After I answered his question he walks away.

 

I then have to go after him to get my pen back.

 

This has happened multiple times, with multiple colleagues. I told one of them (who tried this multiple times) that the next time I would give him a choice: Be reported to HR, or step outside so I could use a certain one of his body openings to giftwrap the pen after which he would be allowed to keep it. He hasn't tried stealing my pen anymore...

[DrRoger]

Divides into three broad categories:

1. Does that use ink?

2. What is that?

3. I got a (insert any famous pen name here) for (insert life event or seasonal gift here) but I don't use it

The answers vary over time.

[GabrielleDuVent]

When whip out my FP,

Gentlemen are stricken with aw.

Commoners gasp.

Ladies swoon.

Slutty, young women throw themselves shamelessly into my arms.

I become the most interesting man in the world.

 

*******************************

My wife reads over my shoulder. I do this just for the pleasure of seeing her spray a mouthful of Earl Grey tea across the kitchen.

 

Why is your PC in your kitchen?

[sargetalon]

When whip out my FP,

Gentlemen are stricken with aw.

Commoners gasp.

Ladies swoon.

Slutty, young women throw themselves shamelessly into my arms.

I become the most interesting man in the world.

 

[Dj Shift]

Today i got two responses from two different people.

 

1:

 

Her: What kind of pen is that?

Me: A fountain pen.

Her: cool

Me: thank you

 

2:

 

Him: That's a mad cool pen!

Me: Yeah, lol, it's a fountain pen.

Him: I need to get me one of them. How much they cost?

Me: This one's a TWSBI Vac700, it was $70 but there are cheaper ones too.

Him: Oh

[Lyander0012]

I'm curious about the kitchen PC as well, haha. Laptop work (well, "work" ) while having dinner, perhaps?

 

Anyways, that thing about the sticker shock over one guy's TWSBI... that happened to me a lot at first, as well. I mean, what is the actual worth of the pens we shell out hundreds (sometimes thousands) of dollars on? Their worth is determined by the cost of raw materials as well as the number of hours spent manufacturing them, yes, but how much can you charge for a few ounces of gold anyway? Skilled craftsmen the like of maki-e artists and the like command a premium price as well, it's true, but what is the worth of the thing relative to the amount of work invested in machine-turned pens the like of premium Italian celluloid FPs? It's all a matter of perspective and relativity. The retailers charge enough to cover their expenses, while the consumers' desire for the product make them brave in charging what they think they can get away with; someone's gonna buy it anyway, regardless of how insane the price might be (I saw someone buy a four-set of vintage Esties on eBay for upwards of $6000, and while I'm sincerely hoping that that was some sort of sad prank, I kinda doubt it).

 

One thing I learned from this forum early on, maybe a few weeks after my first post here, was that the price of an object is not only what you had to spend on it (monetary terms), but also what you had to sacrifice in order to obtain the thing. That brings to mind sacrifice and worth— when does an object's worth fall behind what one is willing to pay for it? In my opinion, it's not possible for that to happen, because an object's worth is always subjective, and so long as one can and is willing to spend money or time or effort for it, one can say that, for them at least, the expense is justified.

 

 

Sorry for the long post, just thinking

 

Kevin

[GG917]

"why do you write with strange pens?"

"is that a pen?"

 

But most people usually don't notice... Only a few time I have seens people in meeting looking to the nib moving accros the paper, I guess left-handed overwriter and fountain pen looks kinda weird/interresting!

 

If you really want someone to think you're really weird, letone surprise you when you're browsing ebay for vintage pen... happenedto me once at work, then I was explaining that I was going to buy a 50ish-year old pen that probably doesn't work to make it work again...

[Tenkai]

"Why are you using fountain pens? They are for old people!" ._.

Other people would be no notice or says something on the line of "looks expensive".

[inkstainedruth]

Last week, after I've had my 2000 for almost a year, I casually mention what it's worth and my wife says, "What?! Can we talk about things like this before you buy them?"

Sounds like my husband when he found out how much I paid for the Morrison ringtop with a gold-filled overlay that I bought at DCSS. Which was about two months after the show.

"It was *HOW* much?!"

"I told you about it."

"You didn't tell me what you paid for it!"

"Blame Red. He said if I didn't buy it he would. I TOLD you that. Of course he *also* said that about the Craig BHR ringtop with the music nib...." [Red, BTW is FPN's own Uncle Red, who I've known almost as long as I've known my husband; and who is a really fun person to hang around with at a pen show (but dangerous as far as your wallet is concerned... besides those two pens he dragged me over to the IndyPenDance table on Sunday afternoon to have them look over and repair the cute little Azure Blue Pearl Vac I'd bought on Saturday). ]

Mind you, I can't really blame Uncle Red for the Pelikan 400 (my one and only truly expensive pen). Or a Parker Vacumatic Shadow Wave (I've really been hankering after one of those of late, and they're not cheap).

Occasionally I do find other, er, practitioners/aficionados, but mostly no one notices. Or they'll be like my husband, saying "Oh, of *course* YOU have a pen...."

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[ShockDub]

I get the "how do you write with it?" or the "how much did it cost you?" and "can I hold it/ write with it?"

[cybaea]

"I should get you one of these," said my manager, holding up the iPad she was scribbling on with a fancy stylus.

 

I politely declined.

[D.C. in PA]

Frequently my pens go unoticed - others are often too engaged in whatever exchange we are engaged in.

Among those who notice there are two main pattterns. Those of about 55 years olr more comment something like, "A fountain pen. I haven't seen one in years." Younger folks typically ask, "What's that?!?"

[A144]

I'm a college student working in a pharmacy. I deal with a lot people and use a pen often at work.

 

The vast majority of our patients don't notice, even when I'm writing info on their prescriptions while they watch (date of birth, addresses, etc.). I do get the occasional patient, usually older, who will tell me they haven't seen a fountain pen in a long time. I get the occasional, "That's cool, what kind of pen is that?" I even had one patient ask me where I got it.

 

I've had a few of my coworkers mention it looks like I should be doing calligraphy; although they've gotten used to the sight of it over time. One of my coworkers asked me if I use it to feel like a doctor, lol.

 

My friends are all used to it by now. One of them likes to write with mine but won't buy his own. I've almost talked another friend into one as well. More often than not at school, I get comments on the uniqueness of my notes. Pages of notes in Baystate Blue (and other fun colors) tend to raise questions.

Edited March 23, 2014 by A144

[Shyner]

"Do you have another pen I can use?"

 

One person at work grabbed it up to use, looked closely at it then THREW it down on the counter as useless and looked for a "real" pen.

[Coop]

One person at work grabbed it up to use, looked closely at it then THREW it down on the counter as useless and looked for a "real" pen.

Sheesh. I'm not a violent man, but if they did that with a pen of any actual value that belongs to me, they'd wake up in the emergency room, wondering how they got there and why there's a fountain pen sticking out of their leg... ;P

[Dj Shift]

"Do you have another pen I can use?"

 

One person at work grabbed it up to use, looked closely at it then THREW it down on the counter as useless and looked for a "real" pen.

I once had someone do something similar to me. I was using my pen unposted one day and he walked over, picked up my cap, and slammed it on a table saying, "Now that's a real man's pen cap". Almost broke it too. Screws on looser now that it used to and the plastic in there that supports the nib now touches it when it's screwed on.

 

I've never had it unposted since that day.