Modern pens - writing instruments or status symbols?

[N1003U]

3 hours ago, Addertooth said:

The FIRST thing people tend to notice is the color of my lines when writing.  I don't use the typical blue or black, I use Irish Green ink.  Then, they notice the pen.  

I used to keep more fountain pens at my desk, and people knew I will always have a writing instrument on me, and additionally at my desk.   

 

A couple people (who were accustomed to the heavy pressure a ball point pen requires) mis-used some of the pens at my desk.  I stopped leaving really nice pens

at my desk.  Now the desk only sports a stiff hundred-year desk pen, Lamy Safari, and a Faber-Castell steel nib pen.   Those pens tolerate their heavy hand much better. 

 

The nicer and flexier nibbed pens remain at home.  Most of my writing at work is on poor-grade (porous) copier paper at work.  That paper does not tolerate wet pens.  

I do have a few Rhodia Journals at home, for when I want to use my wetter flex-nibs. But then, if they remain at home, they are not acting as a "status symbol".  

 

I did take a Montblanc 146 to a meeting once.   I discovered at the meeting another person who had a Montblanc pen as well.   Later that day, he brought by his

three pen collection.  He was just starting out.  He had started his career at a law firm, where a Montblanc pen was considered an integral part of the proper dress

uniform (along with a nice suit, Rolex watch, and such). 

 

At this point, I continue to use fountain pens for the very light pressure they require, which produces less hand fatigue.  I work in Engineering, so there is a constant need 

for annotations/corrections/application-notes.  Usually it is only a line, or a paragraph.   

 

 

 

That’s a great story.

[svk]

Thank you very much for all the insights.

 

I do feel that manufacturers seem to be focusing on the appearance of the ‘writing instrument’ as much as it’s abilities, if not more.

E.g. The lot of so called modern flex nibs don’t flex that much.

Some concepts don’t have practical utility-e.g the fusion nib

Also, the sizes are much larger now, to the point of being unwieldy. 
the form over function bit.

 

 

[ParramattaPaul]

46 minutes ago, svk said:

Thank you very much for all the insights.

 

I do feel that manufacturers seem to be focusing on the appearance of the ‘writing instrument’ as much as it’s abilities, if not more.

E.g. The lot of so called modern flex nibs don’t flex that much.

Some concepts don’t have practical utility-e.g the fusion nib

Also, the sizes are much larger now, to the point of being unwieldy. 
the form over function bit.

 

 

Manufacturers obviously will give attention to the appearance of their products. Rarely will someone buy things that are not aesthetically appealing. 

[Parker51]

How can an item few recognize and even fewer identity be a status symbol?

 

A lesson I learned from listening and observing the interaction between a husband and wife on a train into Toronto for the annual Santa Claus parade once was about ties as an important status symbol. That was 20 years ago, and I doubt that much is made of one’s tie as they have largely gone out of style. Even then pens, let alone Fountain pens were ignored. 
 

That is not to say that a pen might not telegraph something to a few people, but much more noticeable items are shoes and other clothing items.

 

And straying farther from the OP, but still on the subject of status symbols, vehicles definitely are a very visible one, but they also can signal other things, even things we are forbidden from talking about here.

 

And the largest status symbol, were one lives. As a home, either rented or purchased typically is the largest household expenditure one has and so what that says about one broadcasts a lot and effects who one may interact with.

 

So, you could regularly carry and use pens that cost in the hundreds or even thousands on an everyday basis, but wear good serviceable clean clothing a few years old, operate a modest vehicle that has several years on it and live in a modest home in an average neighborhood and no one would think anything of your status, other than average as your projection as a whole portrays this.

 

 

[A Smug Dill]

1 hour ago, Parker51 said:

How can an item few recognize and even fewer identity be a status symbol?

 

It depends on whom one is trying to impress (and, just to be clear, does not logically exclude oneself). Seriously, these days few of the general public ‘know’ watches to be able to spot and recognise an Omega watch, let alone a specific model and/or a particular ‘vintage’. It doesn't stop collectors and/or a few generally wealthy people in the know from acquiring and wearing a particularly rare model as a status symbol, both to signify, “I know watches,” and, ”I can afford one of these, which still took awareness of it and actively hunting for it to secure a unit, since you can't just walk into any high street retail store and demand to buy one,” to those who know and appreciate watches. Widespread recognition is, dare I say, only a commoner's (or politician's) concern.

[maclink]

 

 

46 minutes ago, A Smug Dill said:

It depends on whom one is trying to impress (and, just to be clear, does not logically exclude oneself).

 

I think the FP community drives fountain pen sales significantly, so we have social media to 'thank' for this.  The FP community therefore, offers a way of having fountain pens as a status symbol.  The message that 'Hey, I can afford this pen/item' is just one tiny aspect of social status within the community.  

 

 

[sandy101]

Take a look at the advert for PArker 51's from Life Magazine, way back in 1954

 

LIFE - Google Books

 

You've got the P51 ballpoint, and the fountain pens all with different trims and prices to reflect the function and prices.

 

Parker used Hemmingway and other writers to endorse their pens to make them seen more aspirational and functional. 

 

Much like what Montblanc does today with its Writer's Editions and endorsements from film makers and artists. 

 

Today is not different from the days of vintage.

 

As for size - well that's like hairlines and hemlines. One decade oversize is the fasshion and the next decade it is super skinny. 

 

The most things change, the more they stay the same. 

 

 

[maclink]

Pens as status symbols is definitely not a modern phenomenon.

I found these two ads interesting, the first of which speaks extensively about status symbolism.

 

 

[Restored]

Ironically, I recently found the Parker 51 that my mother-in-law received upon her high school graduation in 1945.

[Karmachanic]

1 hour ago, maclink said:

Pens as status symbols is definitely not a modern phenomenon.

I found these two ads interesting, the first of which speaks extensively about status symbolism.

 

Mid-Century Modern.  Check it out.  😀

[Bo Bo Olson]

On 1/28/2022 at 8:40 PM, ParramattaPaul said:

 

What ever was there wasn't quit what I 'd wanted a day ago....and It just won't go away.

 

Status, had and has to do with cost. As a grade schooler , Jr& HS in the late '50's and early mid '60s. A P-45 was a great pen for a kid....don't know if I ever had one stolen or not.

My Sheaffer school pen was stolen of course.

 

I just missed the pretty Esterbrooks, my first and only Esterbrook was a metal capped plain pressed plastic one no better than Wearever metal capped pens. Of course I had Wearevers most folks did... Esterbrooks probably cost $0.50-75 more than a Wearever....and there were different levels of Wearever as I found out a couple generations later.

 

Did I notice any difference between a plain pressed bodies metal capped Esterbrook and the same thing in Wearever. No.

 

The average price of a 6 pack of beer in 1960 was $1.70.

For what the normal working man needed a ball point did well. They too were not cheap....nor were the ink sticks.

 

Ink cartridges were then and still are terribly expensive; and one had to remember who one borrowed the three or four cartridges  it took until payback.

I remember some how running into a package of ink sticks, 10 for a dime. The first and only time I ever saw them at that price. Normally one for a dime. A years worth of ink for a dime.

There were times when I got free Skilcraft ball points in my father was in the AF and my mother worked for the US government and they could get them for free.

Pen collectors liked cheap Skillcraft too.

Paper Mate was not all that cheap, but cheaper than proper big cartridge Jotter.

 

Basic truth; thieves will steal anything not nailed down.

If I'd had any of my pens engraved with my name, I might have still had it. Do think about that instead of ...I'm going to sell in an a few years for a fortune.

 

Even kids knew a Venus was not up to Wearever standard.   It took them longer than normal to steel my Venus.....

 

A Shaffer School Pen or a P-45 were high status...when it come down to it as a school kid back in B&W TV days.

 

I was pretty High Statused....I had a Jotter Every Year at the start of school.......................there after the cheapest BP that could be found.

 

 

[ParramattaPaul]

BoBo, I said 'yes' to 'the status is in their perception not in the instrument itself.'

[Bo Bo Olson]

3 hours ago, ParramattaPaul said:

BoBo, I said 'yes' to 'the status is in their perception not in the instrument itself.'

Almost....but then again, you've never used a Venus.

 

I was there and I couldn't afford to buy the T-shirt saying so from the guy with the table.

Wearever was not as bad a pen as many think.

 

(Actually I should never have gotten rid of my second tier pre and post War Wearevers. Which were better than the Wearevers I had when ball points was killing off fountain pens. )

 

And mid '50s-60's ball points were not near as good as later.

Not everything was better back in the day.

[ParramattaPaul]

50 minutes ago, Bo Bo Olson said:

Not everything was better back in the day.

True.  TV reception was crappy and only in black and white.  😎

[lionelc]

so after 4 pages of comment - are we back to @vicpen123's both?

[Bo Bo Olson]

9 hours ago, ParramattaPaul said:

True.  TV reception was crappy and only in black and white. 

I can remember when Miami only had 2 TV channels....and and little foot wide round screens were just going out for the huge 16" wide square screen.

And fountain pens were not cheap....even a Wearever cost a couple beers in a bar.

 

The reason boxing died was the Neilson TV rating boxes were not put in bars...........so men and a few women watching the many boxing channels were not counted, so boxing died. It had been the second most popular sport in the US....until Neilson killed it and I love Lucy won.

[ParramattaPaul]

1 hour ago, Bo Bo Olson said:

I can remember when Miami only had 2 TV channels....and and little foot wide round screens were just going out for the huge 16" wide square screen.

And fountain pens were not cheap....even a Wearever cost a couple beers in a bar.

 

The reason boxing died was the Neilson TV rating boxes were not put in bars...........so men and a few women watching the many boxing channels were not counted, so boxing died. It had been the second most popular sport in the US....until Neilson killed it and I love Lucy won.

Ah, interesting.  I didn't know that.  I thought it was a fight-fixing scandal that took the Friday night fights off television.

[Mercian]

10 hours ago, lionelc said:

so after 4 pages of comment - are we back to @vicpen123's both?

I think that the answer ‘both’ sounds too definitive.

 

I would prefer to respond to the question ‘Modern fountain pens - writing instruments or status symbols?’ with the more-ambiguous (and therefore less-disprovable) ‘yes’ 

[inkstainedruth]

On 1/30/2022 at 4:12 AM, A Smug Dill said:

 

It depends on whom one is trying to impress (and, just to be clear, does not logically exclude oneself). Seriously, these days few of the general public ‘know’ watches to be able to spot and recognise an Omega watch, let alone a specific model and/or a particular ‘vintage’. It doesn't stop collectors and/or a few generally wealthy people in the know from acquiring and wearing a particularly rare model as a status symbol, both to signify, “I know watches,” and, ”I can afford one of these, which still took awareness of it and actively hunting for it to secure a unit, since you can't just walk into any high street retail store and demand to buy one,” to those who know and appreciate watches. Widespread recognition is, dare I say, only a commoner's (or politician's) concern.

True.  When I was growing up a friend of my brother's had inherited a Bulova watch from some relative, and didn't realize that it was worth ANYTHING until he saw an ad on TV for the brand.  

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[Bo Bo Olson]

Only took me 50 years to get a Buliva, a tiny (inch wide, 3/4ths inch wide) 1950's Art Deco styled one. And it was a man's watch....women's watches were jewelry mini sized. But one must realize back then women smoked so could turn her wrist near her eye to see what time it was while taking a drag.

Women unless nurses didn't need a see watches and they were still smaller than men's watches by a size or two.

Now women wear men's size watches.....and old men's higher class thin watches are called woman's watches.

Men wear clunky do nothing thick huge (therefore poorly made)  watches bigger than any watch since men put pocket watches in leather wrist holders to fake WW1 trench experience.

 

Took me 60 years to get my Omega....wrist watch....A De Ville.

Got a silver Omega pocket watch about the time I got my Buliva.

 

The first person to wear a Rolex in America was a golfer. Arnold Palmer, then Fat Jack.

Both were given the watches for free.