You Know You've Exceeded The Fountain Pen Limit When....

[bemon]

When you start feeling sorry for which ever relative is going to have to deal with your obsession when you're gone!

My wife would 100% just toss all my pens when I kick the bucket. I need to make sure my collection goes to my sister, because my wife won't think twice before chucking a thousand dollar pen.

 

She doesn't like or understand fountain pens. Occasionally she uses one to sign her name on a card I write and gets mad when she touches the nib and get ink on her hand. The other day after signing my mom's bday card with my M805 she looks at her hand and says "ugh, I'm so tired of these stupid pens, why can't you just use a normal pen? Don't make me use one of these again." as she angrily slams my M8 back on the table.

 

I wanted to tell her how much the pen she just abused cost, but I'm better off keeping that to myself.

Edited July 28, 2020 by bemon

[inkstainedruth]

Well, the Philistine -- er, darling husband -- admitted to me recently, when he borrowed one of mine to sign the tax return paperwork, that fountain pens are really nice to write with.

That being said, I'm pretty sure he hasn't tried flushing out the Vanishing Point I gave him, and mostly used Zebra gel pens in his home office.

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[corniche]

When 90% of them go unused for indefinite periods of time.

 

 

Sean

[PDW]

When 90% of them go unused for indefinite periods of time.

 

 

Sean

Only 90%? You're not really trying.

[corniche]

Only 90%? You're not really trying.

 

 

- S.

[markh]

When 90% of them go unused for indefinite periods of time.

 

 

Sean

 

Perhaps I've reached the status of a "true collector" - recognizing there is no required connection between buying a pen, using a pen, and owning (keeping) a pen.

 

I know there are people who sell pens they don't use. I can't decide if I haven't reached that stage of evolution yet, or have passed it by.

 

...

[inkstainedruth]

I know I haven't yet reach the stage of selling. There are pens that I could part with, all things being equal. But I don't.

My problem early on was using the rationale of "Oh, I liked X pen -- I should get one with a different nib, and/or in a different color".... I'm not quite as bad as some people, in that I don't need for example, to get a Vacumatic in EVERY color and EVERY size: there are colors I really like and ones I don't; and while there's a part of me going "Wouldn't it be cool if I had an X..." the rational part of my brain is going, "That color is pretty much unobtanium, even if you COULD afford it...." (Mostly I want to see if X really exists -- not at all sure I'd like it if I actually saw one for real).

I got rid of the files on my computer where I had sorted the pens by barrel color and had a bar chart AND a pie chart. It was an interesting exercise, but way too OCD even for me.

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[carola]

My wife would 100% just toss all my pens when I kick the bucket. I need to make sure my collection goes to my sister, because my wife won't think twice before chucking a thousand dollar pen.

 

She doesn't like or understand fountain pens. Occasionally she uses one to sign her name on a card I write and gets mad when she touches the nib and get ink on her hand. The other day after signing my mom's bday card with my M805 she looks at her hand and says "ugh, I'm so tired of these stupid pens, why can't you just use a normal pen? Don't make me use one of these again." as she angrily slams my M8 back on the table.

 

I wanted to tell her how much the pen she just abused cost, but I'm better off keeping that to myself.

I think the next thing I would sign would be the divorce papers...

 

To me, there are too many pens when you have found a really nice presentation box with 20 slots, thinking that will be plenty of space. Then you stumble over the exact same presentation box and buy it as well, just to make sure, because it matches the first one and you like it and space is running somewhat low in the first one but with the second one you will have more than alle the space you´ll ever need. And the next thing you know is that all of those 40 slots are full and then you find your grail pen and of course you buy it because it is the last pen you´ll ever need and you´ll make room for it. And then you get offered a really nice pen at a very good price and... well, screw it.

 

I don´t know where to put them anymore and keep buying nevertheless. Suppose, that qualifies for too many pens. It´s just that they don´t feel like too many pens. Rather like too little storage space.

[Gloucesterman]

... browse for pens, with suddenly enough money so you don't have to retrain, and realize there is nothing that you really want to buy.

 

I am in this situation right now, and I see pens I find beautiful and some other I've been dreaming of. And I think I will not buy any: the truth is I do have the pens I need and the pens I love and the pens I love to use.

This is almost where I am at right now. I thought I was really "stopping" when I encountered a new Lamy 2000 w/ an OB nib for a super price so I got that.

 

And now I am waiting for a Pelikan Vibrant orange M600 (F) to arrive tomorrow or Monday. Again, what I think is a good price.

 

The one thing that I definitely want to do very soon is start selling off some of the pens I know I don't want anymore.

 

For example, I bought the Noodler's Limited Edition Safety Pen Demonstrator at the 2017 (or was it 2018?) Commonwealth Pen Show Nathan only made 70 of these. I decided I really did not want to use a safety pen and have never used it. It's probably a somewhat valuable pen to someone and here it sits in one of my pen draws waiting for me to get my butt-in-gear and post it.

 

Oh well, someday soon, I guess. :lticaptd: :lticaptd:

[vicpen123]

When you can't find another pen that you lust after and that you just must have.

 

All of the pens that I have bought have had some special, singular appeal that has dragged me into the purchase. No complaints though as each one still retains its special appeal years after.

 

But there are some pens that I could sell (do I really need six P45s?) but the effort of putting them up for sale to offer them is not worth the small return they bring it andIi don't need the money for other purchases.

[NumberSix]

But there are some pens that I could sell (do I really need six P45s?) but the effort of putting them up for sale to offer them is not worth the small return they bring it andIi don't need the money for other purchases.

 

That's where I am with some of mine, too - ironically, Parker 45s. I have five of them right now and would be okay with just one for my collection. But the hassle of selling them for what little I would make is not worth it.

[bemon]

I think the next thing I would sign would be the divorce papers...

 

To me, there are too many pens when you have found a really nice presentation box with 20 slots, thinking that will be plenty of space. Then you stumble over the exact same presentation box and buy it as well, just to make sure, because it matches the first one and you like it and space is running somewhat low in the first one but with the second one you will have more than alle the space you´ll ever need. And the next thing you know is that all of those 40 slots are full and then you find your grail pen and of course you buy it because it is the last pen you´ll ever need and you´ll make room for it. And then you get offered a really nice pen at a very good price and... well, screw it.

 

I don´t know where to put them anymore and keep buying nevertheless. Suppose, that qualifies for too many pens. It´s just that they don´t feel like too many pens. Rather like too little storage space.

I know, right?

 

I year ya with the display box. Mine fits 16 think and I’d planned to winnow down the collection to 16 pens so they fit. ‘Course now I’ve got the 16 pen box for my nicest pens then a 40 pen Galen Leather large case for the next tier of pens, a 4 pen case for my EDC and a 20 pen case for pens I most likely sub in and out of my EDC.

 

At this point I’m so far down the rabbit hole I may as well keep on digging. Hopefully I strike oil!

[carola]

Oh, yes, Galen makes nice leather cases. I got a 5-pen-case last Christmas from the man, brown greased leather, very unpretentious but chic, where also fits a small notebook. He got it for me, not because he really understands my knack for fountain pens (he likes nice things to write with, but not fountain pens, and he would never pay the amounts of money for them I do without batting an eye), but because he heard me complain about not being able to fit my humongous Edison pen either in my 2-pen or my 3-pen every day carry case. Good man that he is, he took note of the pen size and went to find something that might suit his woman.

[nm4]

I'm in the same shoes as many of you. My wife has mandated a liquidation (and I understand why) so I've posted 10 or so pens in the classifieds that I never use. Fortunately no one seems interested in buying most of them so hopefully they'll be sticking around!

 

Cheers,

N

[markh]

I'm in the same shoes as many of you. My wife has mandated a liquidation (and I understand why) so I've posted 10 or so pens in the classifieds that I never use. Fortunately no one seems interested in buying most of them so hopefully they'll be sticking around!

 

Cheers,

N

Maybe you're not really trying?

 

.

[JotterAddict62]

You Know You've Exceeded The Fountain Pen Limit When....

You spend $3600.00 on 200 Parker items and can't wait for the next big auction in Pakerland [ Janesville WI ] to come around.

[bemon]

I'm in the same shoes as many of you. My wife has mandated a liquidation (and I understand why) so I've posted 10 or so pens in the classifieds that I never use. Fortunately no one seems interested in buying most of them so hopefully they'll be sticking around!

 

Cheers,

N

I don’t think my wife will mandate liquidation as long as they don’t get in her way. Right now I’ve got a display box-a converted wooden cutlery box, and the 40 pen Galen case that are taking up space away from my desk. But she doesn’t seem to mind. I think if I added another display box and looked for somewhere else to keep it then it could be come an issue.

 

How did mandated liquidation become a conversation? Are your pens just kind of everywhere?

[carola]

 

How did mandated liquidation become a conversation? Are your pens just kind of everywhere?

That´s what I was wondering about, too.

 

I know my mother has ordered her husband to sell an oldtimer car/motorcycle when he buys another, but that has to do with the fact that they already built a garage the size of a family home plus rented space at a neigbouring farm. Full is full.

Pens should be stored much easier... but well, it probably depends on the number.

[PAKMAN]

I don't have a problem with my wife caring how much my pens cost or how many I have. She understands having nice and sometimes expensive tools. I keep her supplied with Le Creuset cook ware and Wusthof Knives!

[como]

BRAVO! That’s it!!

I don't have a problem with my wife caring how much my pens cost or how many I have. She understands having nice and sometimes expensive tools. I keep her supplied with Le Creuset cook ware and Wusthof Knives!