How Many Pens Do You Have, And How Much Would You Spend On Each...

[bushpig]

I currently have 3 pens (including the Varsity used for Baystate Blue). I have another free one on the way soon.

 

I plan to limit myself to 10. I still have a while to go before getting there, but I don't want a bunch of paperweights. I wanna use my pens and I do so. And if I have 50 pens, I'll never use them all.

 

As for price, my most expensive pen is a TWSBI 580. I don't wanna spend more than a hundred ever, but if an amazing deal comes along, I MAY be tempted to break that rule. Although I'm pretty broke now, so that won't happen soon.

[da vinci]

Like many I have accumulated a hoard of pens in the process of thinking I was "building a collection" or because I liked the nib or just because I liked the pen. No limit on number of pens.

 

I now have much more focus and dont have a financial limit particularly other than what is common sense in terms of what I can afford at any given moment.

[The Blue Knight]

 

Snort, "close". I went over and as a result in selling one on the classifieds and getting rid of two others that don't suit me (though if anyone wants them, feel free to PM)

 

Keeping:

1. Lamy Safari Aqua - M
2. Lamy Safari Red - M
3. Lamy Al-Star Purple - F
4. Lamy ABC - 1.9 mm Italic (used as a highlighter)
5. Lamy Nexx Pink - A
6. Lamy Nexx Lime - M
7. Sheaffer 330 Blue - M
8. Waterman Hemisphere White - M
9. Parker Vector Green - M
10. Pelikan M250 Black - M

Selling/trading/etc:

1. Faber-Castell Basic Matte - F (too heavy)
2. Jinhao X750 Shimmering Sands - M (too heavy)
3. Noodler's Ahab Clear - semi flex (spits ink)

As for how much is too much, I just bought a Pelikan M250 as my 21st gift, and now refuse to spend more on pens for at least three months.

 

 

You have many Lamy's! did you start off on them when you were younger? Hence why you have so many?

[brunico]

I think I'm in the minority here in that I don't collect fountain pens: I just have a few lying around so I can have different inks on the go. I voted for "up to 10," but in fact I have eleven, including all four widths of the Pilot Parallel. True, I'd still like a nice bit of vintage Italian celluloid at some point and maybe pick up an Osmiroid again for old times' sake, but pens themselves don't really interest me.

 

I sometimes think it'd be nice to have ten different pens rather than bunches of the same, but with italic nibs it's hard enough to find ten different fountain pens that have them, and for ordinary fountain pens I'd need nibs that were broad enough and pens that were cost-effective enough to have them customised. As it is, out of the hundreds and hundreds of fountain pens over $150/£100, only a few manufacturers make only a handful that would satisfy me out of the box. The rest, pretty as they might be, I just wouldn't want to write with.

 

Only one of my pens has a gold nib, and several are at the $10 mark. The Sapporo is very special to use - it's a delightful pen anyway, and John Sorowka customised its music nib - but I'm equally happy writing with any of my pens, all of which are excellent performers.

[CharlieTurtle]

 

 

You have many Lamy's! did you start off on them when you were younger? Hence why you have so many?

 

I wasn't younger, per say, but it was a Safari that started my journey, I got the other free as a prize, the Al-Star was a gift, the Nexx's are my essay pens because they're so light, and the ABC was cheap!

[The Blue Knight]

 

I wasn't younger, per say, but it was a Safari that started my journey, I got the other free as a prize, the Al-Star was a gift, the Nexx's are my essay pens because they're so light, and the ABC was cheap!

 

I started the journey with a Parker Reflex back about 10 years ago. So it kind of gave me a bit of thing for arrow clipped pens. Hence my 21st B day present was a no brainier.

[Runnin_Ute]

I currently have (including the P45 I just picked up on ebay) which brings me to about 12. To date I have kept it below $100. I have been able to pick up some very nice pens for some great prices including all the Pelikan's and Parker's.

 

Pelikan: 120 M & K EF, M205 M, M150 M

Parker: 45 Flighter 14K M, 45 Burgundy red M (plus a 45 Flighter bp/mp set)

Pilot: Metropolitan M

Esterbrook: J 9550 EF/1555 Gregg F/Venus F

Waterman: Phileas M (plus Hemisphere RB)

Lamy: Al Star 1.1 mm/F

Noodler's: Konrad - Goulet B

True Writer: SIlver Anniversary F

Jinhao: 159 - stub

 

The Lamy was the first, the second was a Phileas with a fine nib which sadly I no longer have.

Edited May 4, 2014 by Runnin_Ute

[TorPelikan]

My fountain pen life started about fifty years ago.

The number of pens I own stay below ten for more than thirty years.

 

After aquiring eBay account in 2002 and joining FPN in 2009, changes occurred.

Now, I have hundreds of pens.

Most of them are my favorite Pelikano pens and other user-grade steel nib pens bought under $20.

They are cleaned, polished, adjusted and stored.

 

It's rather ridiculous to keep hundreds of cheap pens without using it.

But keep them and hand them to next generation is "my" role, I think.

For more expensive pens --- somebody else will do the role.

 

And, my daily-use pens are Pelikan 400NN, 400, 140 and P1.

They were purchased below my upper ceiling of $100.

The highest exception is Pelikan M101N tortoise, costed me about $350 but I couldn't help buying it.

[fpSuperstar]

Only have a small collection and don't want to spend too much too quickly so limiting myself for know.

[legume]

I really can't see the point in having ten or so really good pens. I know the in joke with this community is that fountain pens are addictive and you'll end up with fifty before you know it, but there aren't even twenty pens I like much less that I would actually spend money on.

 

Currently my wishlist consists of: Lamy 2000, Sailor Ebonite KOP, Nakaya Housoge in kikyo-tamenuri, Nakaya Shinobu in all black, and an Edison.

 

So obviously these are very expensive pens, but I'd much rather have a very few pens I really want than a bunch just for the sake of having more pens.

[scrivelry]

I don't count my pens. Well, except my desk pens. It amuses me that I have six desk pens, so I remember that...

 

I'm not sure why I would limit the number of pens I have. Getting rid of ones I don't like makes sense, passing pens on to people who will like them, especially if they would not have gotten those pens for themselves, makes sense, but I do not embrace aesthetics which suggest that one throw out everything they can possibly fit in the garbage sack. Fountain pens do not take up enough space in my life to make a difference, do not cost anything to feed, and do not need me to clean up a litter box or walk them - I can't see any reason to get rid of mine by the handful. I am trying to figure out how to use the student pens I don't need to interest kids I know in writing with a fountain pen - or at all - and I have been trying to figure out some things to pass along in one way or another, but in truth a lot of my things are probably in the Scrivelry pen sanctuary for old and unwanted writing instruments - I like them, but I'm not sure caps missing clips, barrels missing levers and cart pens for which no one makes cars any more are things the rest of the world is panting waiting for.

 

Most of mine have been inexpensive - some less than three dollars with shipping - others were given to me, still others I have got in lots off ebay, or are inexpensive Chinese pens. The most I have spent on a pen for myself is under 40 dollars US. (I was given a Chinese snake pen that cost about 50, shipped. But technically I did not pay for that one.) I can see myself becoming the Queen of Wearevers - and I am not necessarily talking about the prettiest, either - it seems like very lot has a Wearever or three in it, so they are piling up like cordwood.

 

There is a type of pen I don't own, they are expensive and I'd like one or two examples, but not ten - i just don't need ten expensive pens. The ones I have I can use, and enjoy, and not worry about, which is probably exactly how I like it...

 

I enjoy trying to fix things, and pens are small things I can try to fix - no one will die if I do not succeed - at the prices I source them, no one will even gasp. In the meantime, my mind is not turning to mush, and some of them are very pretty. I do use them - I am currently revising a novel I wrote in fountain pen and the revisions so far are too.

Edited May 4, 2014 by scrivelry

[Bo Bo Olson]

Didn't vote, have over 50....don't need many more....10? 7? five at least, the classic ones.

The classic ones; some cost big bucks.

A couple of the second tier, can be had reasonably.

I started out on cheap pens....slowly working my way up to the $...to me ....out side of one....an occasional used $200 pen. Very much just recently. Just about the pen of the Year.....well, half year.

 

In the beginning a used $50 pen was too expensive. Now that is a good deal, in used pens that interest me can go for $100 or a bit.

[Newjelan]

I have about 75 pens, up from 6 a little over 2 years ago when I found this site. The most I have spent on 1 pen is $900 and that was about 6 years ago. I often spend between $150 - $250 and about 60% of my pens are <$50. I've been building variety, learning heaps and not buying shoes or clothes. Most pens are in use every few months and I love the choice and pleasure they provide. I'm planning to rationalise my stock once I receive my additional Pilot Custom Heritage 92s.

[shawndp]

I don't think I have a real limit on the number of pens - I have about 6 on my desk at work that get regularly used - all in different colurs depending on the aspect of what I am doing at work. It is not to say I would limit myself to half a dozen pens - if something captures my imagination, I will buy it. It is the same with price - the pen in my pocket is either a Cross Click or a MB Starwalker fineliner and theonly limit on price is functionality - I don't collect so obviously that takes out the uber-luxury pens, but I have no issue spending the $x00 it costs for my Starwalker or Carene because of they joy they are to write with. The answer to both polls can be summarized as pens = pleasure and I can't imagine putting an arbitrary numerical limit on pleasure... can you?

[Davros]

I don't have a hard limit, but I am going to sell a few that I never use. Generally, I have Knox Galileos and Pilot VP's for high risk writing, and acrylic/cellulose/lucite for less dangerous circumstances.

 

I have a few $200 custom pens from Scriptorium, and they are worth it. One has a Pendleton nib, making it my most expensive. I have maybe 10 or 12 nibs I just love, and that seems like a good point. I probably will get a few more, since I tend to use lots of ink combos at a time, but I feel like my pens are about where I want them to be.

[chad.trent]

I don't really know how many pens I have right now. Probably in the 70-75 range. But I don't have a limit. If I want a pen and it's in my budget, I get it. I've never sold a pen, and I don't intend to any time soon.

 

I'll spend whatever it takes to get the pen I want if I can. Honestly, over $200 is a hard sale for me. Generally because I limit myself and my budget or the sky would be the limit. There are a few rare pens that I'm going to buy if I ever see them no matter what they cost though.

[oregano]

I haven't set any limit for myself on the number of pens I should have. Doing that seems rather artificial. I suppose if it got to the point where the pens were actually taking up a significant amount of storage space I'd have to rethink this, but that would be a lot of pens.

 

$200 will do for a limit on the amount I would spend on a single pen, mainly because of diminishing returns on actual performance. I have gone over $150. When I have seriously considered buying a pen costing more than $200, I have either talked myself out of it or found the same model for less elsewhere.

 

Arguably it makes more sense to set a limit on total spending than on the cost of individual pens. I have at least five pens that cost over $100. What's the difference between that and having one pen that cost over $500? My answer is that I have those five pens instead of just one, and I simply don't believe that a $500 one would be that much better in ways that are important to me. Not everyone sees it that way, though.

 

Agreed, this is the real reason I can see myself not going down the collector's route, but then if you are buying pens for everyday that are relatively cheaper (though still not cheap!), it could lead to having more pens, which brings me to...

The highest number of pens I'll probably ever own is about 20; after that, managing which ones to ink is going to be too difficult. Even then, there's a chance said limit may not last.

 

The real issue lies in the pens I would like to have at some point. They're all *relatively* expensive, especially for a college student. Considering I have my eye on a Visconti HS bronze and/or a Pelikan M320 this year, my budget is going to be shot.

Yes, it stresses me out to think that I have nice pens I'm not using, and if I have too many, I can't use them all.

 

I don't think I have a real limit on the number of pens - I have about 6 on my desk at work that get regularly used - all in different colurs depending on the aspect of what I am doing at work. It is not to say I would limit myself to half a dozen pens - if something captures my imagination, I will buy it. It is the same with price - the pen in my pocket is either a Cross Click or a MB Starwalker fineliner and theonly limit on price is functionality - I don't collect so obviously that takes out the uber-luxury pens, but I have no issue spending the $x00 it costs for my Starwalker or Carene because of they joy they are to write with. The answer to both polls can be summarized as pens = pleasure and I can't imagine putting an arbitrary numerical limit on pleasure... can you?

 

I agree with all of these points! however, some of them conflict, so I'd better make up my mind, or not--guess that puts me in the camp of not limiting the number of pens...The pens I like are generally $250-300, which is expensive, though not nakaya range, thank god. Since I just started using fountain pens again in the last year, there are a few 'must haves' that I love for design, etc. I don't know how my pen choices will change after I have those, but I'd rather have exactly the pens I like, even if they're costly. But then there are days when I too, like waskisquirrel, just want a pen to use for ink.

 

I have limited myself in my mind to 23 pens over a lifetime (good ones), but the idea of having a finite number for the rest of one's days terrifies me. And I never used to even think in these terms until I started getting fountain pens and thinking about things as a 'collection.' I think it's more healthy for me anyway to think about it as a user. As it is now I enjoy using the same pen every day, and usually ink only 3 pens per week. Btw: I have 11 now, which means I will reach my limit in 1-2 yrs!

Edited May 5, 2014 by paloma32

[artibasos]

I have four pens, two purchased yesterday -- soon to be six, as soon as I get to go pick up mail.

 

My most expensive pen is a M&K Pelikan 120, which was $55. I also have a Duke, a Lamy Al-Star, a Pilot 78G, and will soon have a Sheaffer Imperial and a Platinum Preppy (dedicated to Baystate Blue). I plan to add a second Al-Star to the collection fairly soon, because I love this year's color.

 

At that point, I will have purchased most of the inexpensive pens that I really want -- and will end up looking at pens in the $100-$200 range. I would like a Namiki Falcon, and a Edison with a 1.1mm stub, this semi-flex ebonite pen, and maybe a Lamy Studio. But an Edison by itself costs more than my entire pen collection at the moment, so: that will be a while, to say the least.

[Robbie90]

I currently own 42 pens (mostly fountain pens but some roller balls and ballpoints) and have set my limit at somewhere around 60, but its not set in stone, so could be a bit more or less. The most I've spent is $610 on a Delta Israel 60 Ltd Edition fountain pen. The least $12 for a Ohto Rook fountain pen. The first pen I bought and still have is a Parker Duofold ballpoint pen from 1993, which still remains one of my favorites.

 

But my favorite of all, although I cherish them all, is my Namiki Falcon fountain pen, medium nib. It just writes so smoothly and feels right in my hand.

[maus930]

Over 500 fountain pens -- no ball points or roller balls -- latest acquisition -- Stipula Model T Lapis Blue -- gorgeous pen

shopping for Lamy 2000 Not a Lamy Fan but everyone says the 2000 is a must have