Have The "i Don't Need Another Pen" Thoughts Hit You Before?

[inkstainedruth]

Last year I thought I was going to cut back on pen purchases and acquisitions (maybe 1 pen per month or so). Didn't turn out that way. This year is starting to look the same -- 8 pens so far this year, and it's early past the middle of May.... It would have been 9, but one went back to the seller.

At the moment, I'm really trying to save up for repairs and parts (and general travel expenses) for the Triangle Pen Show, so I was trying to be good. And then Friday evening a guy I know walked up to me at something I was at and told me that there was someone selling stuff that came out of the estate of a good friend, and that there was a fountain pen amongst her things (and did I want a memento). So I went to see the stuff for sale Friday evening, and it turns out to be some bright red Cross c/c pen with what looks like a gold plated nib. No converter, and I don't know what the pen model is. The price is probably okay (~$18 US), but the pen is also a tad on the heavy side. Looked at the Cross website last night, and didn't see any current model that looked like this pen. If the vendor is still running tomorrow morning I will try to make sure I have my phone with me and try to take a photo up close, in order to decide if I really want it and and then worry about getting the correct converter for it when reading over the paperwork in the box....

Ruth Morrisson aka instainedruth

[Barkingpig]

I KNOW the answer is "I don't need another pen;" but that was also true after the FIRST pen I bought. There is a purple Lamy Safari "heading toward me" because how could I NOT? A TWSBI Eco didn't seem to count because of it's price.........BUT nothing else is planned.

 

Perhaps receiving a writing slope today & 6 bottles of ink "forthcoming" is influencing my current contentment...............

[PS104]

Ruth

That red Cross pen sounds great.

Get it and worry about the converter later

You NEED it !

Edited May 22, 2016 by PS104

[Old_Inkyhand]

I think that there are three different feelings, which lead to the 'lack of need'.

 

One is "I don't need more pens, because I can't find any real, good purpose for them. I would spend a lot of money, not getting much extra value in use".

The second is "I don't need more pens, because my life seems to be complete with what I have. I have collected my grail pens, I don't think I could achieve more in terms of the writing pleasure."

The third is "I don't need more pens, because it is such an expensive hobby. I have quite a few and I'll just stop now. I feel badly when I spend a lot of means on unnecessary things."

 

They can be connected - and usually are. I have experienced both the first and the last one. The first one was just a temporary illness - when I started doing notes and I realised I needed a bazillion of colours to memorise all the information correctly, I immediately started thinking about some new pens and inks. The third one happens every now and then, but I find this hobby so rewarding that I don't actually feel much guilt. And I have a long list of pens, which I have yet to acquire.

[hbdk]

Yes it has. I just go and sit quietly in a corner until it passes

[Dr. Saleem Ali]

Exacly speaking we donot need much pens .But pen-collection hobby is knowing and discovering more and more new pens.Especially in the past such wonderful pens have been crafted that I wonder one'cup will ever be filled.There are so many brands and so many types that you remain always thirsty .Pen enthusiasts admit themselves that this is addiction or disease which I think is beyond cure.

[Runnin_Ute]

Did I really need that black Esterbrook J with 9550 nib I got recently? No. In fact, I didn't expect to win the auction.

 

Now I just need a copper, a red and a blue to complete the J colors. Earlier this year I picked up a red SJ to complete a one of each (J, LJ and SJ) set. Of course one could debate whether I really need them...

Edited May 22, 2016 by Runnin_Ute

[TheRealMikeDr]

Yes. Yes they have. I've been on an absolute tear the past three months and last week I looked at my pen case and thought - you're good for a while. I then purchased two pens a day later (Faber Castell e-motion and the seminal Jinhao 450). Then on Saturday I got an unexpected check in the mail from a previous job and that will turn into a Waterman Carene next week! New pen number three. So yes - I get them and have been able to fight through them thus far!!

 

Luckily I will be vacationing at the beach for a good part of June and won't be able to purchase anything. Maybe that will break the fever!

[maus930]

I can't imagine thinking that

[Guardy]

Oh, constantly.

The only pen I need is my white Pentel Tradio TRF that cost me a whopping eight bucks and is still one of my best pens. Somehow.

 

What I WANT and what's FUN is an entirely different story, though...

 

 

/unsubtly stares at a Waterman Carene and that beautiful Waterman 512V I'm considering buying

[inkstainedruth]

Ruth

That red Cross pen sounds great.

Get it and worry about the converter later

You NEED it !

 

Well the person in charge of the sale put it aside for me, and that turned out to be a *good* thing -- because I didn't get back over to the booth until about 10:30 this morning. And someone came along on Saturday and bought EVERYTHING else.... I'll see if I can get a converter for it when I go down to the Triangle Pen Show. Of course, on some thread a couple of weeks ago, someone accused me of liking only red pens and probably is laughing and pointing right about now.... Even though in reality I think I only have about 8 in total (and one is really for my husband).

I was able to do a little research early today before going back up to the event. I believe it is a Cross Solo, and from doing Google searches I was able to determine that I will need to get one of the push-in (green) converters for it. I think....

This is cribbed off an eBay listing, but other than being in a less fancy box, this looks like the pen:

http://img.auctiva.com/imgdata/6/3/1/0/8/1/webimg/489914469_o.jpg?nc=87

Anyway, part of my waffling was that I was afraid it was going to be a little on the heavy side when I looked at it Friday, but today that didn't appear to be an issue.

And then after I bought it I got talking to someone else there about pens and this girl turned out to have a couple of FPs. So I showed her a couple of the other pens I had with me, and she told me the story about having spilled a bottle of purple ink everywhere; and I said "Hey, I think I"ve heard this story from the other side!" And it turned out, yup, she's sort of FPN member Uncle Red's goddaughter (hey, if you're on, Lauren says hi... ). And then it turned out one of the pens he gave her is a Parker 51! (Ooooh... niiiiice!")

So it was a good day, because it's ALSO something to remind me of a good friend, sadly gone (she did calligraphy and illumination, bookbinding, and other cool arts -- we have three books we commissioned from her a couple of years ago for a special occasion in my life, and I knew that I could go to her and say "I want to have paper in them that is fountain pen friendly" and she would understand what that meant....

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[sciumbasci]

Hm, no. I somehow regret buying mine. Hopped from the Dollar (which I managed to destroy, while trying to tune it), to a Hero 616 (which has cracked by itself, leaking everywhere) to a nice Lamy Safari. Though, I think I'll be back to pencils and, when I need permanency, I'll use my trusty Jotter (ballpoint). I do still enjoy reading about inks, though.

[zaddick]

Do any of you have similar thoughts and actually stop buying pens(At least for a period of time)?

 

Sure, i have simlar thoughts most days of the week. So far that has not changed my aquisituion behavior. I do tend to go in spurts, usually set off by attending some sort of pen show or club meeting where I am exposed to all sorts of wonderful new items i did not know i needed in order to live a fulfilling life.

 

I just finished a major burst of pen buying and it is time to cull the herd a bit. I am going to try to hold out for only very unique pens or custom pens until the San Francisco pen show at end of August. My personal expenses are about to go way up and income is about to go way down so I guess I felt compelled to get a bunch of purchases in while there was still the opportunity. That window is almost completely closed so finances will force a more measured approach to acquisition. Two custom pens are on my radar now and some repairs for existing pens.

 

Of course, looking is free, right?

[TheRealMikeDr]

 

Of course, looking is free, right?

 

Ha - "looking" is the gateway drug...

[Arkanabar]

Not yet, but I can see it happening. There are some things I just really want to try -- ebonite, a button-filler, a vac-fill, and a cursive-italic nib about 0.7mm. But my resin Konrad has just about nailed down what I like in terms of size, weight, and form factor.

I think that there are three different feelings, which lead to the 'lack of need'.

 

One is "I don't need more pens, because I can't find any real, good purpose for them. I would spend a lot of money, not getting much extra value in use".

The second is "I don't need more pens, because my life seems to be complete with what I have. I have collected my grail pens, I don't think I could achieve more in terms of the writing pleasure."

The third is "I don't need more pens, because it is such an expensive hobby. I have quite a few and I'll just stop now. I feel badly when I spend a lot of means on unnecessary things."

 

They can be connected - and usually are. I have experienced both the first and the last one. The first one was just a temporary illness - when I started doing notes and I realised I needed a bazillion of colours to memorise all the information correctly, I immediately started thinking about some new pens and inks. The third one happens every now and then, but I find this hobby so rewarding that I don't actually feel much guilt. And I have a long list of pens, which I have yet to acquire.

I can see reaching one and two. I'm at three right now.

[PaganArcher]

I didn't, until early last week when I got my grail pen. The odd cheap Chinese pen may find its way into my hands if only to spread our addiction to those closest to me. But for myself, I'm done for a good long while.

[dadbar]

Of the 15 fountain pens I now own there are only 5 that I really love, so I've stopped buying new ones until I have good reason to demote one of my favorite 5....Parker 51 and 75, original Cross Century, Mont Blanc Noblesse and a similar Dunhill in Barley grain gold.

[Michigan]

I spent 14 years with only one fountain pen. It was a dark time! A crazy, delusional time of sublimated desire. I am surprised I didn't start collecting No. 2 pencils and hiding them from my wife and friends or something.

 

I cannot imagine buying a pen a month. How can you agonize fully over a pen in only 30 days? I did one a year for three pens. Now I'm a year behind. I have spent significantly more time evaluating resins from Scriptorium's suppliers and researching nibs than I did buying my house.

[cellardoor04]

Need? Well, no, i guess. Basic needs are fulfilled with water, air, food, and shelter When I was new to the hobby, my "want" thoughts very easily convinced me that they were actually "need" thoughts! Nowadays, not so much, though. Other responsibilities and fun-seeking in other areas of life have reframed my thinking toward this hobby, and now I recognize that I purchase these pens because I want them. As long as I have a use for them, and have the disposable budget set aside, I think that's fine.

[pajaro]

With lots of pens, more than two hundred, I have tried a lot of pens. I think I have had enough. Sure, there are some Parker 51s I might like to find, but most fountain pens are merely adequate performers, and there's little point buying more of them. I will just use the ones I like.