Calling All College Students Using Fountain Pens!

[musicman123]

1. 16 turning 17. Gonna be a freshman in UCLA this fall. Econ Major.

 

2. August 2014

 

3. Notes, Homework, letters, scribbles, vanquishing my enemies.

 

4. Oh boy. Nemosine Singularity Demonstrator (TWSBI B Nib), Noodlers Konrad Acrylic (x2), NOS Sheaffer Javelin Demonstrator (x2), Waterman Hemisphere, Jinhao X750 Shimmering Sands, Jinhao 599 Green, Nemosine Fission, Xezo Legionnare LE Fountain Pen, Pilot Parallel 1.5mm (x2), Rotring Art Pen Complete set, Pilot Plumix, Jinhao Dragon Pen, 5 no name pens.

 

5. Well I get lots of people calling me the fountain pen guy. I also get a lot of strange looks, people calling me weird, and lots of grabby hands wanting to touch my pens.

 

6. I use FP's mostly because I love the variety of ink colors that you can use with them. I also love different nuances in the writing like line variation. They are also much smoother than other pens.

[Tresconik]

1. Age(if desired), The school you go to, Etc...

21, In the process of getting my Llb

2.When did you start using pens?

In school, but my first high end pen I got was a Lamy Safari in July 2013

3. How do you use them?

I make my own notes, and this makes making notes fun.

4. The pens in your collection...

The pens I use the most would be my
ASA Patriot, Parker 45, Parker 51, M200, Lamy Safari, Camlin 47

5. Whats the general response of others(peers)?

They tell me how leaky the pens they used in school were.

6. Why use a fountain pen?

Higher writing speeds, neater handwriting, and I like the different, inks, filling systems, nib widths, and how the nib feels on the paper. Besides, they look nice

[discopig]

1. 22.

2. I started using fountain pens a bit over a year ago.

3. Note-taking, general writing, homework, drawing, sketching, and anything else that requires a pen.

4. Some modern Japanese pens, a lot of vintage pens (this is the bulk of my collection) and some various modern pens.

5. People either wonder what they are or ask to try them.

6. No hand cramp when writing for a while, lots of inks to pick from, flex nibs are really fun to draw with and I like all the kinds of nibs you can use.

[jasperjb]

Not quite in college yet, but I'm a senior in highschool...

 

1. Age(if desired), The school you go to, Etc...

16, I go to a public school in a rural town with ~1200 students.

2.When did you start using pens?

When I got my pen license started using FPs at 14, a couple of years ago.

3. How do you use them?

Calligraphy and note taking

4. The pens in your collection...

My daily drivers are: Parker 51, Parker Lady Duofold UK, Pelikan M400, Conway Stewart Dandy, and a bunch of other old pens

http://imgur.com/a/isIad here's what my pencil case looks like

5. Whats the general response of others(peers)?

A lot of students want to try them, I let them warm up to a JinHao, and if they're using it well I'll let them use almost any other if they're careful. I haven't had 1 broken pen from that; I even let primary school kids try my pens... 1 came back with a bent nib, but I fixed it with my hands in seconds... the damage wasn't too bad.

Teachers often comment on my calligraphy, fountain pens, or the ink colour.

It's a great talking point with the 1 other teacher at my school who uses FPs.

6. Why use a fountain pen?

They are more pleasant to write with, and it's a great hobby. Each pen has its own personality, and fixing them up is rewarding.

[flipper_gv]

1. 26, ETS
2. Last year at 25

3. Note taking, writing down "thoughts" (stuff I come up during conversations that I try to come up with more often, reflexions).

4. Pilot CH 92 FM, Lamy 2000 F, Pilot Metropolitan M, Jinhao 159 with a Goulet B nib.

5. They don't comment or say it seems not very practical when I have ink stains on my hand.

6. They look good, feel good, ink choices. It's a nice luxury item that I can use and that is not too flashy.

[The Blue Knight]

1. Age(if desired), The school you go to, Etc...

3rd year on an undergrad engineering course

2.When did you start using pens?

When I was about 7

3. How do you use them?

More mostly notes. Use pencil for calculations.

4. The pens in your collection...

Don't have that many these days as I see the virtues of a small collection Diplomat; Excellence A Carya Parker; 15 Red GT, 3x Frontier (Teal Chrome Flair, Twilight, Flighter), Sonnet (Dark Grey GT) Lamy; Studio (Stainless Steel) Pelikan; M200 (Black GT) rotring; Freeway (Tourmaline), Esprit (Blue)

5. Whats the general response of others(peers)?

Don't say much on them

6. Why use a fountain pen?

Why do I eat cereal for breakfast?

Edited April 24, 2015 by The Blue Knight

[NibDog]

Good threat idea! First I'm in law school not college but close enough.

 

1. 26 at Law School

2. Started using pens about 2 years ago when a co-worker introduced me to them. (Actually changed my entire way or writing from a fisted grip to a more "correct" one to accommodate)

3. I use them for just about anything that needs a pen. Daily class notes by hand not typed.

4. I have about a dozen pens. Some of my favorites: 1920's Duofold Jr.. Flat top; Lamy 2000, Rotring 600; Pilot Custom 823; Franklin-Christoph Pocket.

5. People don't really get it and maybe think its a little weird and possibly even pretentious but that doesn't bother me.

6. I just like the inks and the wider, jucier line, and the feel of writing with them and the differences of each pen

Edited April 24, 2015 by NibDog

[dwong]

1. 25, med school

2. I started sophomore year of undergrad. I used to write my notes over and over again to commit things to memory and wondered if there were any pens smoother than the clicky Pilot V5 pens that I was using that would reduce hand strain. A few hours of perusing several pen blogs led me to try out some other pens (Uniball Jetstream and Sharbo). Then I discovered FPN, got a Lamy Safari and I never went back.

3. I use them for everything and anything.Sometimes I just make excuses to write something or doodle in the margins. They're awesome to keep things interesting while your studying. I usually type my notes, but I resort to handwriting when I'm trying to remember things. It gets to the point where I can guage how studious I've been just by knowing how many times I had to refill my pens with ink for the week.

4.

Lamy Safari EF + F (the first)

Lamy 2000 EF

Pilot Metropolitan F + M

Parker 51 x 2 F/M (my workhorses)

Pilot VP x2 F (great for annotating and quick notes/everyday hospital stuff)

Pilot M90 F

Pilot 78G B for when I'm feeling fancy

 

5. A lot of people don't notice. Those who do are usually intrigued and ask what it is and if they can try it. I carry around my Safari just for that and enjoy the excitement on their faces when they make their first stroke with a fountain pen. It always makes me chuckle a little as most people get so confused about "how" to write with one. Then there are others who look at me as if I rolled into the room in a Lamborghini Aventador when I take out one of my pens, and to those I just smile and keep on going on my way.

 

6. It's a part of me that I won't let go. I love taking the time to appreciate the smaller details in life, and fountain pens help me turn that philosophy into an everyday practice. I love watching the nib make contact with the page, the ink changing hues as it dries- it adds such an organic feel to the mundane task of everyday writing. After all of it you get to leave your mark of distinction on a page. I find that when journaling, it makes me a better writer. My thoughts, at least to me, are allowed more time for refinement and reflection before they make their way onto the page. Sure I can type much faster than I can handwrite, but rarely does it come out as beautifully.

[A144]

1. 23yo, University of Toledo, Pharmacy

 

2. Sept, 2013

 

3. Mostly for notes and studying. I've noticed an improvement in my retention of information since I started handwriting notes again. I also just practice handwriting from time to time with FPs. I also use them at work as an intern in a pharmacy.

 

4. Lots of cheaper pens, my main users are:

4x TWSBI 580's in various flavors with the following nib choices: EF, F, M, B, 1.1, and B BLS by Pendleton Brown

TWSBI Vac700 M

Pilot CH91 SFM

2x Pilot Metropolitan M (one is a dedicated BSB pen)

Sheaffer NoNonsense italic pens used for highlighting. These things are inexpensive, bombproof, and make great eyedropper pens with a bit of silicon grease.

 

5. I get more comments on the TWSBI 580's than any other of my pens, maybe simply because I carry them the vast majority of the time. Maybe it's because they do stand out quite a bit without being overly flashy. I get a lot of fellow students saying they're really cool looking or ask how they work with ink, etc. In the pharmacy I get a lot of patients, especially those who used FPs in school growing up, comment on how long it's been since they've seen someone use a fountain pen. I had a patient ask where I even get ink at nowadays. Many of my coworkers think they're neat, especially the 580s. One even bought a Pilot Metro to try out.

 

6. As I said earlier, I remember information better when I write it out. I had always been interested in pens and stuff before discovering fountain pens. My daily drivers were Pilot G2 Unlimited (still my favorite non-FPs). I had horrible death-grip though, even with smooth rollerballs like the G2. I've lessened some of that through practice with a fountain pen, and that allows me to write more comfortably and for longer.

[KBeezie]

1. Age(if desired), The school you go to, Etc...

2.When did you start using pens?

3. How do you use them?

4. The pens in your collection...

5. Whats the general response of others(peers)?

6. Why use a fountain pen?

 

Cheers

1) 34, Grand Rapids Community College (just finishing up the third year).

2) Fountain pens in general, February of 2014.

3) In regards to school, primarily for note-taking, outside of school, for fun, showing off, etc.

4) ... That's a bit

 

Here's the inked list:

Pelikan M640 SE Mount Everest, 18K M, 1670 Stormy Grey

Lamy 2000, 14K EF, 1670 Ocean Bleu

Pilot Long Murex, Steel <F> (in between modern Pilot F and EF), Noodler's Blue Steel

Pelikan 400NN (1956) Green Striped, 14K Semi-flex EF, R&K Salix

Waterman Charleston (Black/Rhodium), 18K Medium, Waterman South Seas Blue

Pelikan 140 (black with green ink window, 1950s), 14K B Cursive Italic (EF), Diamine Oxblood

 

Rest can be seen on this pastebin list.

http://pastebin.com/Df83Ef0e

 

5) Most don't really notice unless I bring it up, usually only time it may be noticed is some of the vintage ones like the eversharp skylines.

 

6) Because I can't write with a normal pen, especially during exams with essays, hand gets all cramped up after only a page, the fountain pens in general has mitigated this, especially with a light hand.

 

I prefer mostly vintage pens, I have a lighter hand which developed lighter as I used fountain pens, and I have some minor skill in self restoring some of the ones in the wild.

Edited April 25, 2015 by KBeezie

[meretricious]

1. 19, computer science major + computational biology minor, northeast US

2. Started using fountain pens in junior year of high school (after my friend showed me the Very Pretty Waterman she received for her sweet 16).

3. Primarily note-taking and scratch work.

4. This is a frighteningly small & cheap collection:

Workhorse: Pilot 78G F

Backup workhorse: Lamy Safari F

Plus 2 cheap Chinese pens, 2 cheap calligraphy pens, and a Waterman Kultur that usually languish in my desk.

5. Most people don't notice. Most people who notice think it's kind of weird/quirky. Most people I'm friends with get very excited.

(But after a lot of "Cool! ...How do I use this?", I've learned to carry around a Pilot G2 to lend to people who ask me for a pen.)

6. It's more fun & sustainable than burning through a pack of Pilot gel pens every week.

[Garden Man]

1: 21 - University of Minnesota

2: Sophomore year of high school, so 6 years ago (wow.)

3: I use them for doing homework, notes, grading, usual school stuff

4: The pen(s) I use for school is exclusively a Kaweco Ice Sport with a medium nib

The other pens I have include:

Platinum #3776 Century Chartres Blue

Stipula Gladiator

Lamy Al Star

Conklin Duragraph

Retro 51 White Nickel EXT

Waterman Expert

Pilot Plumix

Pilot Parallel 2.4 mm

Ambassador/J. Harris Depression Era pen

5: Most of my colleagues, have become used to it, they've never seen me not using a fountain pen, so it's pretty normal

6: Because taking notes all day hurts my hand if I don't use fountain pens, also I don't use any muscles I don't have to, it eliminates unnecessary muscle movement

Edited June 12, 2015 by Garden Man

[takkun]

If grad students count, I'll post, since I just did in the 'school pens' thread.

1. Age(if desired), The school you go to, Etc...

Late 20s, UW-Seattle, M. Arch.

 

2.When did you start using pens?

I think I was 15 or 16. Saw a cheap pen at Office Depot, later picked up a Safari at a university bookstore.

3. How do you use them?

Notes mostly, though I also write a lot of correspondence letters back east. Occasionally inking watercolors, but I'm not one for black ink.
4. The pens in your collection...

Oh boy. Lamy 2000 (M/B, don't remember), TWSBI Vac700 (, P51 Vac (F), Safari (XF), Hero 100 (F), a whole handful of Hero 616s, Sheaffer Imperial II (XF), MB 22P (F), MB 121 (M), Noodlers Nib Creaper (non-flex M), Lamy Accent (M), and waiting on an Imperial desk pen. First two get the most rotation.

5. Whats the general response of others(peers)?

I'm in good company with other FP users, though most use Safaris and I'm known as 'the pen guy'. Once had someone mistake a Noodler's Ahab for a Mont Blanc, and when I pulled out an actual MB, he responded 'nah, that one's gotta be a fake. I know Mont Blancs."

6. Why use a fountain pen?
I first started in an attempt to correct atrocious penmanship habits, and it took off. I tend to like technology that was displaced in the market but still has viable use (see also: vinyl records, photographic film, etc), but I wouldn't use them if they weren't practical. Love the selection of inks and the experience of using them.

[alexhondsmerk]

1. 21 - University of Nottingham - 4th year medical student

2. Age 8, in school!

3. Lots and lots of notes, personal writing, snail mail and just writing for fun

4. Far too many Pelikan M600 (M), Pelikan M200 ( B ), 3x Platinum Century (B, F, UEF), Pilot Capless ( B ), Waterman Carene (F), TWSBI Vac 700 (M), Parker 45 (EF), 2x Kaweco Sports, plus a stack of others that don't feature in the rotation as often

5. Generally positive! I'm "the pen guy" in the hospital haha. Lots of people are interested, and I've got a couple of loaner pens that have been doing the rounds, and there's been a few converts.

6. I can write for hours and hours on end with no fatigue, whereas ballpoints give me cramp from having to press. Plus, it makes writing fun, which encourages me to make more notes, which helps me revise better; with all the different inks, it makes them prettier to read too! I much prefer writing to typing notes, so why not make the writing fun?

Edited June 13, 2015 by alexhondsmerk

[Davis19942003]

I guess we don't have a "fountain pen culture" here in Hong Kong.

1) 20 - The Open University of Hong Kong - Applied Science ( Energy and Environment)

2) I have used fountain pens for about a year

 

3)I use fountain pens whenever I have to write

 

4) Sailor Profit 14k F, Lamy 2000M EF, Sailor Clear Candy F, Pilot MR M,
Lamy Joy 1.5mm, Pilot Parallel 3.8mm and 6mm, Online Academy M, Noodler's Nib Creaper,
Noodler's Konrad, Pilot 78G B, Parker 51, Hero 329

5) My schoolmates thinks I'm rich just because I use FPs, and they get annoyed when they can't open my twist-cap pens

 

6) When I started using fountain pens, I love that smooth and light writing experience. I do love smooth pens now but I love all
the colourful and vibrant inks. the line- variation is one of the reasons as well, I just love my Lamy Joy. And I am thinking of collecting
vintage pens

[Frank C]

I've enjoyed reading this topic. I started using fountain pens exclusively while in law school. I really liked smooth writing and not having to press hard while taking my notes. I could write 20-30 pages of notes in a day without a problem. I worked before I attended law school, so my pen collection was quite upscale. I had an MB149, MB 146, Pelikan M800, Parker Duofold, and a Waterman LeMans 100. The MB 146 was my exam pen. The combination of a large visible ink supply and a nail-like nib that I could press on when anxious was hard to beat. A few people noticed the pens. Some young women thought that it was classy; what more could I want?

[Notgatherox]

1. Going onto college soon.

 

2. Got back into using FPs on July 9 2013, that's the day I got my Pelikan M200 Demo.

 

3. For writing almost everything. My notes and letters are colourful, just the way I like it.

 

4. Pelikan M200 Demo, Pelikan M400 Brown Tortoise, Pelikan M200 Silver Pearls, Pelikan 120, TWSBI Diamond 580, Parker 45, Lamy 2000, Jinhao 159 (these are in my pen cases for now) and a bunch of other pens I keep in a pencil case.

 

5. People think my pens are cool. They ask to try them, which I allow under my eye.

6. The ink choices, the line variation one gets from stubs and italics, the smooth writing experience and it's environmentally friendly.

 

 

~Epic

[Nova42]

1. Sophomore at Ohio State University

2. Freshman year of high school

3. I use my pens mainly for personal writing. Sometimes I will use them for notes, but mostly I use pencil because my courses are very math heavy.

4. Let's see I have a Lamy Safari, Waterman Hemisphere, Noodlers Konrad, a TWSBI 430, and a Montblanc Traveler pen that was gifted to me.

5. Most of my friends don't know that I collect fountain pens. Those that do know me well enough to also know that it is hardly the oddest thing about me .

6. I use fountain pens because I think they are a wonderfully expressive way to write.

[spezialemic]

I'm 26 and I'm a Biomolecular Sciences major at Central Connecticut State University. I first started using fountain pens when I was pretty young, since I went to a parochial elementary school and owned a Waterman, but I only used it very infrequently until this past semester.

 

I use my pen for general note-taking, hand-written essays, exams, all of the documentation I do at work from Kardexing to scrapbooking, and just about everything else. At the moment, my only pen is a stainless steel Lamy 2000M in medium, inked with Iroshizuku Tsuki-Yo, since I have to have a "blue" ink for work, and I don't like changing ink color too often. To me, the ink was a perfect compromise that worked perfectly with work, school, and playful script.

 

As for the response from my peers, I get compliments on handwriting/ink beauty once in a while, but no one seems to really notice my pen, which I like. I bought the Lamy not only because of the great reviews, but because even in stainless steel, it's fairly nondescript as far as fountain pens go, especially with the hooded nib. I love the hooded nib, because I prefer to hold my pen as close as possible to the tip for a greater level of control.

 

I use a fountain pen because, as someone mentioned earlier, I write...a LOT...and especially during the semester. Fountain pens not only make the writing experience much, much more enjoyable, but I end up taking my time more when I'm writing and taking notes, and the fluidity of a good nib and water-based ink means that my arm tires out much less quickly than with a ballpoint pen. I can now fill out a whole "Blue Book" exam booklet without my arm tiring, which used to happen pretty quickly. All in all, I think that going back to fountain pens has really helped me out as a student, and I've actually already purchased a second, Makralon Lamy 2000 for a good friend of mine, because I'm so confident that it will be so beneficial to him as a student!

[fireofspring]

1. 29, PhD student

2. Two or three years ago? I was converted when I was working in China, and getting such bad hand cramps from the mouse on the office laptop, I could barely hold a pen. Fountain pens with EF nibs are also fantastic for writing Chinese script. I owned a Parker fountain pen and a calligraphy set in my teens, though.

3. Diarising, bullet journaling, note-taking, editing, some fanfic writing...

4. I'm due for a clearing out, but here's the current collection (currently inked bolded):

• Lamy Safaris x4 (three F, one M)
  
• Kaweco Classic Sport Green (F)
  
• Parker Sonnet Dark Grey (M)
  
• 1930s Parker Televisor ( B )
  
• Pelikan M400 White Tortoiseshell (F)
  
• Aurora Optima Blue Auroloide (F)
  
• OMAS Arte Italiana Maroon Milord (M)
  
• OMAS Arte Italiana Arco Celluloid Milord (F)
  
• 1990s OMAS Extra Ogiva Lady Black (M)
  
• 1990s OMAS Extra Ogiva Bordeaux (M)
  
• OMAS Italia '90 Paragon (M- B )
  
• Visconti Fiorenza Lava (EF)
  
• Mont Blanc 320 Black (M)
  
• Pilot Custom 74 Demonstrator (M)
  
• Pilot Prera Vivid Pink (F)
  
• Pilot Decimo Pink Champagne (M)
  
• Pilot Metropolitan Black (M)
  
• Namiki Falcon (F)
  
• Sailor Profit (zoom)
  
• Platinum Balance Green (M)
  
• Online Vision Classic Cognac (M)
  
• 1930s-40s Conway Stewart 286 Green Tortoiseshell (B stub)
  
• 1930s Sheaffer Balance 350 (M)
  
• Noodlers Standard Flex Pen
  
• Noodlers' Ahab
  

5. I have several pen-lovers in my immediate radius, so no one thinks it's especially strange that I'm amassing fountain pens the same way I collect perfumes, watches/jewellery, and first-edition Terry Pratchetts. I haven't met that many colleagues in academia or business who use fountain pens, at least in Australia. They seem to be more common in fields like medicine and law.

6. Smoother, more effortless writing, which is great for long writing sessions. I get hand fatigue from my laptop touchpad, so writing longhand gives me a chance to stretch and relax my hand. For creative writing, I like the spontaneity of writing with a pen and ink. There's no backspace when you write with fountain pens, so it's about finding a rhythm and editing later.

Edited August 2, 2015 by fireofspring