What is the UGLIEST pen ever produced ?

[mirror]

QUOTE (Tytyvyllus @ Mar 11 2007, 03:11 PM)

QUOTE (mirror @ Mar 11 2007, 04:10 AM) ONE CAN ARGUE ABOUT THE UGLINESS OF FORM FOREVER. TRUE UGLINESS IS THE PERVERSION OF SOMETHING CREATIVE TO THE LIKES OF THIS-   But that is what we are discussing, the form of the pen? If you want to talk about the other definition I would hold the Biro/ Bic up as a perversion since it destroyed or changed most of the FP manufacturers. I was indeed playing with the concept of ugly, but as aesthetics ultimately are a matter of opinion I get to do that.   In that sense of ugly that Bic pen would be the ugliest for you. That the object being judged is a pen opened the door for me to play with it and for you to invite a discourse on aesthetics when someone asked why the Bic was the ugliest.   It would be a different sort of universe if indeed aesthetics were based on the degree something tended to preserve or destroy something or a form you valued and your opinion about that could be considered an aesthetic decision about that.   It’s a way of saying “look if you truly prefer this- that will probably happen”.   There is a line of associations and values that a being uses to judge things that can be tied to significance or meaning or can be divorced from them.   This is a wonderful question as it explores where that meaning part kicks in.   Shared considerations on beauty as ugliness can be viewed as something that seems to seek the destroy or pervert the beauty of something you cherish or in this case what I consider ugly, the viewpoint that all disagreements, which on one level can be said to trace back to aesthetic differences, can be dealt with by force.   It would be one whole exercise to answer only in photos. My guess is that as we are on the Fountain Pen Network that I'd get what you meant by a photo of a Bic, as if my own words were taken away most people would get what I meant by a photo of a pen-gun.   I don't want to get back to philosophical speculation, as I feel this question is just a lot of fun and a rephrased question of "all considerations about utility and meaning aside which pen do you find ugliest as an object" wouldn't open the door to some of the obvious fun everyone gets to have with this.   If some of them are"in" jokes or insights, well all the more fun!

[Dillo]

Hi,

 

I'd say ripple or mottled hard rubber pens.

 

Dillon

[RSVP]

QUOTE (DWL @ Mar 11 2007, 02:56 PM)

The Parker 25 gest a secondary vote from me as well. One of the biggest mistakes parker ever made IMHO.

I have been surprised at the number of people who speak with fondness of "the old Parker with the stepped end"

 

There is something about the Waterman Expert I don't like.

[goodguy]

QUOTE (DWL @ Mar 11 2007, 01:56 PM)

The Parker 25 gest a secondary vote from me as well. One of the biggest mistakes parker ever made IMHO.

Sorry but couldnt disagree more.

I think the Parker 25 is a very interesting pen with a futuristic design.

[Dan Carmell]

QUOTE (rimmerjar @ Mar 11 2007, 02:18 PM)

QUOTE (DWL @ Mar 11 2007, 02:56 PM) The Parker 25 gest a secondary vote from me as well. One of the biggest mistakes parker ever made IMHO. I have been surprised at the number of people who speak with fondness of "the old Parker with the stepped end"   There is something about the Waterman Expert I don't like. Yes, far from Parker's biggest mistake, it was a successful seller for a number of years!   Biggest mistake? T-1 would rank up there, from a sales and profit perspective!   Dan

[MYU]

Heh, funny -- I'd never heard of anyone calling a Parker 45 a squid before. But now that I look at it, I see what you mean! But certainly, the most attractive looking squid I've ever seen. And it doesn't squirt ink--only lays it out gently.

[Jeff Boschert]

QUOTE (Tytyvyllus @ Mar 10 2007, 01:33 PM)

QUOTE (goodguy @ Mar 9 2007, 11:06 PM) What in your opinion is the ugliest pen ever produced ? Please try to add a picture of your selection so we can all agree or disagree with your choice.   I'm going with "Jules" from Dragon Studios. Can't think of an uglier animal to base a pen on. Maybe a jellyfish pen mikght top it.   Kurt     Well, squids have ink.

Edited March 13, 2007 by Jeff Boschert

[ericthered2004]

QUOTE (goodguy @ Mar 12 2007, 12:44 AM)

QUOTE (DWL @ Mar 11 2007, 01:56 PM) The Parker 25 gest a secondary vote from me as well. One of the biggest mistakes parker ever made IMHO. Sorry but couldnt disagree more. I think the Parker 25 is a very interesting pen with a futuristic design. Agree with goodguy. The P25 always strikes me as very nicely put together, and the stepped end saves on weight. I do, though, have sentimental reasons for liking this model as it was the pen I used throughout school.   Regards, Eric.

[Elaine]

QUOTE (Tytyvyllus @ Mar 12 2007, 02:53 PM)

[/quote] yes but just because something makes sense doesn't mean it is beautiful

and just because something is beautiful doesn't mean it has to make sense

[Jeff Boschert]

 

Ah, yes, beauty is only in the eye of the beholder.

 

Question: Do you think this will become a collectors item?

 

Edited March 13, 2007 by Jeff Boschert

[Jeff Boschert]

I respect that everyone is entitled to their own opinion Kurt.

 

Just for fun, here is some for sure not usable art...

 

Jeff

Edited March 13, 2007 by Jeff Boschert

[Glenn-SC]

Most Krones are just plain ugly and from the looks of them unuseable.

 

"Jules" is ugly too, and unuseable too. I could say more but why bother .....

[Dan Carmell]

Glenn, I can't challenge your viewpoint on Jules' looks--each to their own is ( or should be!) the first rule of aesthetics, but I am curious about how you came to the conclusion that this pen is "unuseable." Have you tried to write with it, held it in your hand, or even been in the same room with this pen?

 

I should also add my opinion, Glenn, that your post departs from the standard of politeness and good fellowship to which posters at this board generally adhere. But perhaps in real life you would be equally willing to tell a friend or colleague that something they had created was ugly? You may not consider Jeff and Joyce (or me, the humble owner of one of these pens) either a friend or a colleague, but the pen world is a small one and most of us do tend to treat one another as friends, potential friends, or at least fellow hobbyists.

 

I have certainly referred to pens as ugly, but not typically in the face of the owner or maker. I am not from the South, but I was raised in a military family and I know my manners!

 

Sincerely, Dan Carmell

[Glenn-SC]

QUOTE (dcarmell @ Mar 13 2007, 01:53 AM)

I should also add my opinion, Glenn, that your post departs from the standard of politeness and good fellowship to which posters at this board generally adhere.  But perhaps in real life you would be equally willing to tell a friend or colleague that something they had created was ugly?

An opinion was asked. I gave my opinion. If I am not permited to state my opinions then the Administrators just need to let me know. I was raised to respect and allow everyone to have their own opinion, even if it is contrary to my own.

 

Every pen out there was created by "someone". Someone who is a Father or Mother or Friend to someone. The mere fact that this question was asked is going to question someone's creative abilities. Someone at Waterman perhaps? Krone? Rotring? (I happen to own a Core FP and BP set thank you!) If the creator's of "Jules" don't want to read comments that are not positive about their pen then they shouldn't read posts where opinions are expressed. Or make the rules so that only positive affirming opinions get to be posted.

Edited March 13, 2007 by Glenn-SC

[Jeff Boschert]

Some more pen related art, but not a pen of course...

Edited March 13, 2007 by Jeff Boschert

[D.R.Mabuse]

QUOTE (Samovar @ Mar 10 2007, 01:50 PM)

This Jean-Pierre Lépine ballpen is a contender! http://www.stylo.ca/Images/Produits/8489_LRG.jpg

MOTHRAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Glenn-SC]

QUOTE (Jeff Boschert @ Mar 13 2007, 02:49 AM)

The thing I find confusing is how can you have an opinion of how useable something is without ever having picked it up in your own hands? No it doesn't look especially usable, but for most people it actually really is.

No, I have not actually held "Jules" in my hand, just as I haven't held any of the Krone LEs. My opinion is based on the pictures I have seen in the "Pen Reviews" forum.

 

1) No clip - so this pen won't be carried in a pocket.

2) From the length and width it appears that is won't fit many pen cases either.

3) The locations of the "jewels" appears to be right where my fingers would go to grip the pen, requiring me to change how I held the pen in order to accommodate them. (Note other FPers similar comments on the cap holding tabs on the Lamy 2000 or the pocket clip location on the Namiki VP and just the thread locations on various other FPs).

4) The "sterling overlay" is not uniform either (either in thickness, location, or length down the barrel). It remains to be seen if I could find a comfortable grip/hold orientation that aligned the nib with the paper.

Edited March 13, 2007 by Glenn-SC

[MYU]

QUOTE (Samovar @ Mar 10 2007, 08:50 AM)

This Jean-Pierre Lépine ballpen is a contender! http://www.stylo.ca/Images/Produits/8489_LRG.jpg

What an odd item -- it's ugly for a pen but quite striking as an objet d'art.

 

It looks kind of like Star Wars Speeder Bike meets Harley Davidson!

http://www.newtekpro.com/ArtGallery/2002/07/Speeder1.jpg

[Dan Carmell]

Glenn--

 

I suspect I'm beating a dead horse at this point, but by your first point, you must also consider clipless pens made by Dani Trio and Nakaya useless also? Not to mention many early pens?

 

About the gems, the nib is at a 90 degree angle to their position, so they do not impact most typical grips.

 

But I can't argue with you about the overlay: if one's criteria is uniformity, this is not a pen one would want. But I must say that I rarely select pens by their fit in my pen case. Different strokes for different folks, of course!

 

Dan

[Joyce]

Jules in use

Edited March 13, 2007 by Joyce