The Wife Isn't Impressed And I'm Worried I've Become Addicted!

[colrehogan]

Thank God you did not start buying Montblanc pens… :-)

 

As others have said you need to control yourself and enjoy and know better what you have. Appreciate the difference between nibs. Slow down and watch the ink dry on the paper and look at the shading of the ink.

 

Fountain pens make me slow down in the middle of a day shuffling e-mails and phone calls. If I was buying new pens every month I wouldn't be able to enjoy the ones I have.

 

Just sloooow down and enjoy.

I did start buying MB pens. Love them too. My quest is to get a 149 with one of every nib size currently available. It is a long term quest and I only have 3 at this time, B, O3B, and OM. I haven't gone into vintage pens (only own one which is an MB 221P).

[setriode]

Sir, I have bought more than four times that number of Pelikan M200s in less time. Your acquisitions from my standpoint are not immodest.

 

I should add that I am unwifed.

Edited May 28, 2014 by setriode

[Chrissy]

 

I should add that I am unwifed.

Is 'unwifed' even a word?

[miguelgoncalves]

I did start buying MB pens. Love them too. My quest is to get a 149 with one of every nib size currently available. It is a long term quest and I only have 3 at this time, B, O3B, and OM. I haven't gone into vintage pens (only own one which is an MB 221P).

 

I have a 145 (Chopin, F), a Boheme (M), a Starwalker (complete waste of money) and a 146 (. I bought the first 3 many years ago. I bought the 146 on February 2013. My 149 will be bought this next December. It will be a B or a BB. I really like thick lines. My handwriting is so legible that I can write small letters with my Pelikan M1000 B and everything is clear. I do not like fine or extra-fine nibs. I like ink and I want to see it in the paper thus the need of a thick line.

 

I like fountain pens for their writing experience and I prefer standard pens to limited editions which are usually based on 146s or 149s. I find the premium on LE pens excessive for me.

 

I still have to extend my collection with a Lamy 2000, a Pilot 3776, a Namiki Falcon and so many different pens that will give me a different writing experience than having the same pen with different nibs (agree that they will be different pens but for me a 149 is great with a B or BB or even an O3B nib; as is my M1000 with a B nib). Just my take on this.

[miguelgoncalves]

Is 'unwifed' even a word?

 

That sentence made me smile because:

 

- of the word itself and

 

- because you asked this question.

 

We all understood he does not have a wife. We could be single, divorced or even a widow. Perhaps he did not want to say :-)

[mrchan]

Well, it looks like I have quickly developed an addiction to fountain pens and ink.

 

I had a few old fountain pens that I had hidden away until about October last year. I cleaned these up after not using them for years and proceeded to purchase my first new pen in November 2013, a Delta Italiano. Since then I have purchased:

5 TWSBI mini's,

4 Sailor Sapporo's,

1 Sheaffer Balance 2,

1 Pilot Custom 92,

1 Pilot Custom 91,

3 Pilot Decimo's

2 Pelikan m200's

 

I've also had Oxonian fix up some of my older pens including:

 

1 Montblanc 114

1 Parker 51

1 Vintage Platingum

Plus a number of nib tunes on the pens listed above. I have also bought speciality nibs from Richard Binder and Pendleton Brown.

 

I have also purchased 13 bottles of Pilot Iroshizuku ink and many bottles of other brands including:

R&K

Herbin

Private Reserve

Sailor

Delta

Diamine

Lamy

 

I worked out the cost of all this that I have acquired in 7 months and I am horrified! My wife is also less than impressed. The worst thing is I can't seem to satisfy my urge for pens or ink. I'm also discovering different papers and journals which are also pricey!

 

What I can say is that I am developing a taste for particular brands of pens, ink, paper and particular nibs. I now have a much better idea of what works for me. All of my pens are inked and I use most of them daily, sometimes for work, sometimes for letter writing and sometimes just for writing none sense at the end of the day. I find it strangely relaxing!

 

My handwriting has improved loads and I have acquired a number of pen pals from placing a profile on a web site.

 

This is a hobby I very much enjoy, but I have to slow down. At the moment, I am very much into my Sailor and Pilot pens. I also love the Iroshizuku ink. I have a real affinity for the Japanese stuff. Part of me wants to sell the other pens in my collection and reinvest the money into Sailor and Pilot pens, but part of me likes the other pens I have.

 

I know I can't continue spending money at the rate I am doing and my aim is to have maybe 10 pens (to fill my two Pilot Pensemble cases!) which are all used at least once per week.

 

The problem is, there are so many brands of pens and so many inks and I haven't even got started with the vintage stuff yet!

 

I think I am pen drunk and maybe ready for the asylum!!

I've done that from Christmas 2012 where I had 0 pens until the end of 2013 where I had 25 pens, four of which are MBs, an Omas, 2 Sailors, a few Sheaffers, Parkers, TWSBI, 4 Safaris, and a few other vintage pens. An ink collection from 0 became more than 30 bottles too. Paper collection that bloomed..All within the space of a year. Managed to slow down and smell the roses now, havent bought a new pen since the beginning of the year, except the new MB Permanent Grey ink. I've come to a stage where I am enjoying my pens very much and am starting to narrow my collection to what I love and use daily. I am at a good place now. Haha!

[Tanzanite]

You're lucky it's only your wife. I'm single, so I have to answer to myself. Waski_the_Squirrel is tough about money!

 

What has worked for me are a few easy tricks.

 

• The first one is a budget. I don't have a rigid budget the way I should, but I have a pretty firm budget. It keeps me in line.
• The second trick is to wait. I'll go to websites, fill my basket, and then wait a month or two so I can be sure I really want the items in question. I recently canceled about $200 of inks and nibs at one website because the interest wore off. I still want two of the bottles, so I may buy them later on, but the delay forced me to think about it and realize what I really, truly wanted to spend money on.
• A third trick is to read reviews during the delay. I've realized a lot of my problem is curiosity. Reviews often satisfy this.
• A fourth trick is to think what else the money could buy...
• A fifth trick is to figure out why I want the item...

 

The main thing is self discipline, and that goes way outside pens and inks. Also, as someone suggested, using the pens and inks is the biggest part of the fun.

 

I use these tricks too. Reading many reviews can also make me loose interrest as there often are some that are negative.

Delaying a buy does not work when pens are on sale with a high percentage off. Then it is now or never. So that has cost me some this year, but they are good writers.

[Moshe ben David]

I'm sorry, is there some problem I'm not catching?

 

 

Bruce in Ocala, Fl

 

 

You're amongst friends. We understand.

 

You'll soon start deleting incriminating emails and listen out for the postman so as to rush down to get there before anyone else.

 

 

Tread lightly with the wife and try to not bring pens up if at all avoidable. I find that a don't ask, don't tell policy is prudent here.

 

 

For me, part of "slowing down" on the purchases is finding new ways to enjoy the hobby besides buying new pens. Try different inks in different pens. One of the fascinating things about fountain pens is that each nib is unique. Even two pens of the same model and nib size may write slightly differently. With the number of pens and inks you have, there are almost limitless combinations to try. Perhaps other aspects of this field may interest you, like adjusting nibs, working on penmanship, learning the history of various pen companies, or taking good photographs of your pens.

 

I liked all the reply posts; these were just the ones that I enjoyed the most. This community of mutually enabling pen addicts pen fans can certainly relate! I think we're illustrating in a different obsession what people who own greyhounds say: they call themselves 'chippers', after the advertising slogan for Lay's potato chips: "Nobody can eat just one!"

[flyingfox]

You're lucky it's only your wife. I'm single, so I have to answer to myself. Waski_the_Squirrel is tough about money!

 

What has worked for me are a few easy tricks.

 

• The first one is a budget. I don't have a rigid budget the way I should, but I have a pretty firm budget. It keeps me in line.
• The second trick is to wait. I'll go to websites, fill my basket, and then wait a month or two so I can be sure I really want the items in question. I recently canceled about $200 of inks and nibs at one website because the interest wore off. I still want two of the bottles, so I may buy them later on, but the delay forced me to think about it and realize what I really, truly wanted to spend money on.
• A third trick is to read reviews during the delay. I've realized a lot of my problem is curiosity. Reviews often satisfy this.
• A fourth trick is to think what else the money could buy. That $200 I wanted to spend could go a long way toward repainting the outside of my house (something I really want to do). Lucky it's a small house!
• A fifth trick is to figure out why I want the item. One of the ink bottles I still want is a pink ink. I don't have any pink inks, so it would be unique. It was also scented, which is...different. I had a black ink on the list, but I have two of these already that I really like, so I don't need to buy another one. If I decide to try it, a sample would be better.
• A final trick (with inks) is to try a sample first. Over the winter, I ordered a bunch of samples of inks I was curious about and couldn't seem to get out of my cart. After trying the samples, my curiosity itch was scratched and I fell in love with one sample. I purchased that sample, and that was it. The samples altogether probably added up to a second bottle of ink.

 

The main thing is self discipline, and that goes way outside pens and inks. Also, as someone suggested, using the pens and inks is the biggest part of the fun.

 

Great tricks! Thank you for sharing!!

 

I have one more to add, which is kind of a variation of the forth trick. I'd think how many hours I had to work for the amount of purchase. If I feel like the purchase would make even the worst hours at work worthwhile, go for it. On the other hand, if I feel like I am wasting the hard-earned money, don't.

 

I, however, just got burned by the trick #2. I had a bunch of stuff in my shopping cart, and most of the ink was on sale (like 1/3 off, HUGE discount.) Then- I looked at the cart next day, only to find that the price went back up, ouch. I am totally kicking myself for not pulling the trigger right there and then... I am just too angry at myself, and haven't bought them yet. So- yea, the strategy worked, but... grrrrrr....

[FayeV]

Budget something, say $50 a month on pens, and THAT IS IT.

Then you decide if you want to buy a $50 pen each month, or save up for 4 months for a $200 pen.

But it is not only pens. Included in that pen budget is ink, paper, stamps for pen pal letters, and other accessories. So that $200 pen may take 5 months to save up for.

To be effective, this is an all encompassing budget. You can't sneak a purchase around the budget or you defeat the purpose of the budget.

 

 

Definitely good advice. I need to work within a budget. And if I'm super good about resisting urges on impulse buys, I may even be able to save up for something nice for Christmas. The tough thing to do is not pull the trigger on something that is on sale just because it is on sale.

[Sasha Royale]

 

 

As difficult as it may seem, you could limit yourself to 1 pen a month, or 1 pen every quarter/3 months.

And maybe no more inks until you finish one bottle.

It is all about self control.

 

 

 

 

 

Thank you. This is a brilliant strategy ! I just received my restored Parker 51 Vac. It is for March 2021.

(My heirs are going to have a lot of fun.)

[dms525]

 

Thank you. This is a brilliant strategy ! I just received my restored Parker 51 Vac. It is for March 2021.

(My heirs are going to have a lot of fun.)

You must need an entire dresser to hold your monthly pen budget I.O.U. slips!

 

David

[luminesce]

Ink samples are a godsend - even including awful postage costs to the Pacific Rim.

I also recommend paper samples. Nanami can give you a taste of tomoe river and the journal shop do samples of other brands.

 

Not to get too personal, but it's always worth checking that the money is the only issue. New obsessions tend to take up a lot of headspace and time. If either of those used to be occupied by things done together with your partner - e.g., if you're now stuck behind the laptop screen in the evenings rather than watching telly together - it might be that she's more unimpressed with.

Can you tell I'm speaking from experience?

[bsenn]

 

Thank you. This is a brilliant strategy ! I just received my restored Parker 51 Vac. It is for March 2021.

(My heirs are going to have a lot of fun.)

 

Love it. You guys and gals make me laugh, and that's a good thing!

 

Something I did, as I started buying pens I sold slot cars (a lifelong hobby). It wasn't a dollar-for-dollar trade, but it helped take the edge off and my slot car collection has become more focused on the brands/models I really enjoy.

 

Brian

[Vgimlet]

Well, blueorb, I went from 1 ink-clotted Monteverde to 20 pens in less than 6 months. Most are inexpensive, but I have a LOT of ink samples. We won't talk about how many. Heh. I wait to buy full bottles of ink until I'm sure I like the color (now) and it does save money, and is also fun.

 

I do have a kind of plan, and a budget that works for me. But my husband is an enabler. And as long as you aren't spending money you need to spend on other things, well, FP's are at least a USEFUL collection.

 

You will slow down after awhile I'm sure, once you figure out what you like and don't like.

Edited May 29, 2014 by Vgimlet

[Daisy25]

My husband and I get around the issue by being mutual enablers. We're both pretty good about keeping in budget, but when there's something we want that moves out of the easy buy, we sort of casually run it by the other -- knowing that, since we're both enablers, the other is going to say, "Oh, I think you should get it." We joke that it's our secret to a long and happy marriage.

 

Though I suspect it only works because neither one of us is going to break the bank and we know it. That said, when I first got into fountain pens again last Spring, I definitely spent the next few months stocking up on pens. It's slowed down now. I'm not done buying them, but I'm not quite as hungry about the whole thing. For what it's worth, I think the ideas about budgeting make sense. (Though this does remind me that I funded my pen spree by making pen wraps and since the school year is done and grades are in, I can start sewing again. Any one have any good pen recs? I'm thinking a custom pen perhaps . . .)

[Ecriveur]

You may wish to maintain on your cellphone a list of pens you've purchased, the date and the cost. Then, when you're thinking of buying a new pen, you can look over the list and ask yourself, "can I really justify this, given how much I've spent on pens in the last month / 3 months / 6 months? For some people that near-at-hand reminder of how much you've already spent in the recent past operates as a restraint on spending more in the future.

[Anne-Sophie]

This is usually a phase that happens when people first get on TFPN, (here).

 

Now that you are aware of the problem, before you commit to buy a pen, read all the reviews and ask questions on the brand, and/or country sub forums.

 

Do a search for pictures of that pen, they will originate from manufacturers or retailers.

 

Make sure that you fall in love or really like, not merely want, that particular pen in one or multiple colors.

 

Do the same thing with inks, go to the subforum, read the reviews, find out if they work with your pens, if they are similar to the inks you already have, ask questions.

When you have enough inks to order a sample, do that and try them out.

 

 

Posting your own ink and pen reviews, will be a great addition to the forum.

Both are very helpful to anyone who is thinking of adding the pens and ink you own, in their collection.

 

 

 

In the meantime, it is probably wise, to give yourself and your wallet, a break from buying anything related to fountain pens for x amount of time. Let your budget dictate what the timing should be, not the "Oh shiny!" impulse, all of us, on this forum, have felt, more than once.

 

 

Enjoy using your pens by journaling, snailing, make a pen and ink journal (what you have, why you like the pen or ink, how much it cost), muse about the hobby.

 

You can start writing about this and other hobbies, things you enjoy, in the form of little essays, articles or short stories.

Who knows? You might even get published.

 

You might want to gather mementos from your family and write a family history, starting with you and your spouse and extending as close or as far as you desire with the help of genealogy sites.

 

 

One great way to take full advantage of the beauty of fountain pen versatility is to take a look at the Penmanship forum, choose a style you like and learn it.

 

You might want to learn many calligraphy styles and become the designated Holidays and Occasion cards maker.

[hbdk]

It would be interesting to know how much money your wife has spend on shoes, clothing and accessories during the span of time in which you bought these pens and inks.

 

Ohh...and as for the addiction. When I see a pen I fancy, I usually buy a Chinese look alike. It's cheap and it at least helps me...

[GabrielleDuVent]

Make a rule to write a novel with each of your pen, and stick to it. You won't be buying more pens for a while, and you might end up with a hit on your hands. Just make sure you write about sparkly vampires, teenagers who 'discover their innate powers and use it to combat evil societies', professors who evidently jetset more than Jennifer Lopez and wear Harris Tweeds (how does he afford them?) and/or boy wizards. In fact, write about sparkly vampire wizards who discover their innate powers and combat evil societies while falling in love. Guaranteed to be a hit!

 

Some literatis might point at you on the street and laugh, though. :S

Edited June 16, 2014 by GabrielleDuVent