How often do you see people using fountain pens?

[xena]

I only recently found out that my dad had been a bit of a fountain pen person when he was in college, when I whipped out my Pelikan Pharoah. :-) I had had it for a couple years, but he's not observant.

[mrcook4570]

Other than at a pen show, only once have I seen someone else carrying a fountain pen. He was one of my students - a foreign exchange student from Germany.

[fountainpenjunkie]

I only recently found out that my dad had been a bit of a fountain pen person when he was in college, when I whipped out my Pelikan Pharoah. :-) I had had it for a couple years, but he's not observant.

Does he have any stored away?

[RoseHawke]

Since August of last year, I have only noticed one other person using a fountain pen. It was today in my Science Fiction class. The pen was a demonstrator, but I was not able to see what kind it was.

 

Tracy

 

In your "Science Fiction Class?!" In college? You're getting a degree in Star Trek? *sigh*

Hey, now! Think Burgess' A Clockwork Orange, Clarke's 2001, A Space Odyssey, Bradbury's Martian Chronicles (which reads more like poetry,) and hundreds of others. There is a literary branch you know . I got my sister reading SF by handing her a copy of Dune and saying, "Here, try this, it's like Shakespeare. You'll love it." That one got her hooked.

 

I can't recall seeing anyone else use an FP to be honest. Although also to be honest, up until now it hasn't been that important (she says as she slowly sinks into the depths of yet another hobby . . . .) so I may just not have noticed.

[chibu]

I recently moved into the city in Bs.As. Argentina (Further South ) and I discovered that my neighbour uses a Waterman phileas, so I showed her my collection and was kind of amazed, a week from that se showed me a new MB 146 that she just bought, So I thought, a new pen lover. Regards

[Delancey]

I work in a school and I haven't seen another fountain pen. Its a primary school, and I'm always picking up pens from the floor or moving them over so I can clean a desk, and they are all flashy looking gel pen types. I don't think there is anything in the national curriculum any more about kids learning to write properly with a real pen, but there was when I was at school The problem was, the cartridge pens we had were so battered and abused that we really didn't stand a chance of learning much at all. Most kids stopped using them as soon as they could get away with it.

 

Since I "grew up" I can only remember one person ever being into FPs... and I have him to blame for it being my new obsession In turn, I am passing it on to Hubby, who is trying really hard bless him. I don't think he had to use a FP any time at school, he didn't seem to know which way up the nib should be (or even that it had a "right way!) But! He is persevering! And he likes it!

[Oxpen]

I live and work in Oxford England. Being a rather conservative academic place one often sees young scholars or older professors sat in coffee shops writing or marking essays with fountain pens. Indeed, I might go as far as to say one sees as many fountain pens as ball-points. The Mac-book is taking over and there are numerous of these seen everywhere - but it is most common to see folk using FP's.

 

The value of the pen varies - undergrads often sit using £15 Lamys or £10 Parkers - but I have seen lots of MB's, some Pelikan 600/800's & yesterday I was sat next to a Professor who had in his hand a 1990 International Parker American Express Green marbled - I held my Parker Centennial mandarin We both spotted eachother's pen but said nothing.

 

I became quite chummy with a visiting American History Professor after getting into conversation when I saw him writing with a Parker Vac - turned out he was a nutty pen collector and during his time here we regularly met n chatted pens!

 

I write daily with FP's (before transcribing to computer) - the only person who has initiated a conversation about my pens was an elderly German lady visiting her neice who worked here making hand-made books - this lady commented how unusual to see someone with a Fullhalter.

 

Oxpen

Edited February 10, 2008 by Oxpen

[tpsmith]

Every time I use a fountain pen, I see someone use one...me!

 

Not since college have I seen anyone else use a fountain pen. That was 18 years ago.

 

Tom

Edited February 9, 2008 by tpsmith

[Fountainbass]

I just found out the other day that one of the engineers at my office uses fountain pens. He pulled out what appered to be a Sheaffer Grand Connoisseur at lunch the other day, so I showed him the Parker 51 in my pocket. Back at the office, he checked out my Parker Vac & my Pelikan M200. Pretty cool!

Edited February 10, 2008 by Bill Grass

[UpMyKilt]

If I had to guess, it is because people are too concerned with losing them.

 

I'd agree with this guess. I seldom carry pens with me that cost me more than a few dollars because I seem to lose/misplace/have them stolen.

 

I recently misplaced or lost or had stolen a Waterman Expert II which I really loved! I am sure that it has only been misplaced as I don't recall taking it out with me - but after not being able to find it, I replaced it with a new Expert II and a Carene Special Edition.

 

To bring this back on topic though, my mother introduced me to fountain pens when I was a very young teenager in Grade 8, I believe. She gave me one of those inexpensive plastic Schaefer pens - and I found my handwriting improved tremendously using it. Others in the class saw me with it and there was a good run on those pens at the local Coles Bookstore that sold them. A number of my classmates used them - more of the girls than the guys though.

 

I don't know how true this is or not, but my mom used to tell me that I probably shouldn't lend out my fountain pen to anyone because it would become so personalized - in that the nib would wear in a way that suited my particular writing style. I kind of doubt that this makes much difference - but it was what she believed.

 

I was in the office of my lawyer recently and had to sign a document. He pulled out a Waterman Expert II - the conversation at the time was a bit rushed due to some time constraints so I didn't as him, but I really wanted to know what kind of ink he used, signing documents and so forth with this pen. It didn't seem like Noodler's - and my guess would be was that he was using Waterman cartridges. I wonder if he has read anything about waterproofness and permanency!

 

I'll discuss that with him next time I see him.

 

 

[Ernst Bitterman]

If I had to guess, it is because people are too concerned with losing them.

 

That's why you need a SWARM of them. The hive never misses a single bee, after all. Heck, I take all sorts of exotic old things to work in the vague hope that someone will notice them (it's a dull job), and so far all I've had is a "You've got some odd pens" from a supervisor and "You don't see those much any more" from a delivery guy. I begin to suspect people who aren't us don't notice pens the way people that aren't inclined don't notice sasquatch.

[Thornton]

Very rarely do I ever see people using fountain pens. The only ones I can think of off hand are my uncle and a girl in my mass comm. class. The girl uses some kind of demonstrator, but I haven't had the nerve to go up and ask her. My uncle (actually just a friend of my dad's, but I've always referred to him as uncle) got me started on fountain pens. I saw his Pelikan 805 and fell in love. It was my second fountain pen. Very impractical for someone new to FP's but I've been using it for almost three years now. Anyway, he has an incredible collection of FPs and will only write with FPs or drafting pens/pencils as he is an architect. I usually don't bring my fountain pens to class just because I worry about them getting lost or stolen. Once I get my Lamy Vista it will probably make its debut in the classroom.

[Metric]

Been an enthusiast for about two years. I'v never seen people use them, except for the two people who I gave a fountain pen to. However, do I keep hearing people say "Oh -- I know some oher guy who uses those, too." Also, my thesis advisor apparently used to use fountain pens, but gave up on them after some "bad experiences" on airplanes -- he now uses a Pelikan ballpoint.

[fountainpenjunkie]

Also, my thesis advisor apparently used to use fountain pens, but gave up on them after some "bad experiences" on airplanes -- he now uses a Pelikan ballpoint.

 

What sort of bad experiences? What make of pen?

[Robert Hughes]

Also, my thesis advisor apparently used to use fountain pens, but gave up on them after some "bad experiences" on airplanes -- he now uses a Pelikan ballpoint.

 

What sort of bad experiences? What make of pen?

Due to the construction of fountain pen fillers, most vintage pens and I suppose quite a few modern ones tend to evacuate gas from the reservoir as the cabin air pressure decreases during flight. You may notice this change when your ears pop, but a pen may throw out ink just as if you were emptying the pen.

 

[bedlam]

I am on the campus of a major university and aside from myself, I know of one other user. Co-workers who have noticed my pen of choice (and even the ones that notice are few btw) have almost universally described FPs as "fancy", some even afraid to try it for fear of breaking it, just like you used to hear from computer novices. In general the keyboard has become the writing instrument of choice. Dang.

[Whome]

One of my superiors came over to ask for my help with teaching an Excel class. He noticed me using my FP (No one else in the office does) and said we needed to find a more efficient way for me to write.

 

<Grrrrr>

 

I almost scoffed and said, "Watching the way you write (pen or pencil at 90-degree angle, held between second and ring finger) reminds me of a child learning to make letters and makes my hands hurt!!"

 

[RoseHawke]

One of my superiors came over to ask for my help with teaching an Excel class. He noticed me using my FP (No one else in the office does) and said we needed to find a more efficient way for me to write.

 

<Grrrrr>

 

I almost scoffed and said, "Watching the way you write (pen or pencil at 90-degree angle, held between second and ring finger) reminds me of a child learning to make letters and makes my hands hurt!!"

I'm afraid I would get rather livid. My training is as a data entry operator. I can type close to 100 words a minute when I'm up to speed, and close to 12,000 keystrokes per hour with close to 99% accuracy on certain dedicated keyboards. It's one reason my posts in forums tend to be so wordy, everything goes right from my brain to the screen. I'm not sure I would call it more 'efficient' as there is certainly a lot of excess baggage there that I will have to edit out later.

 

Oh, that grip between the 2nd and ring finger, I don't see it very often and when I do I wonder how people can possibly write like that (although obviously it works for them.) Although the absolutely strangest one I've ever seen is my nephew. I finally saw something similar and was a bit surprised to find that he apparently holds his pen as if he was doing Asian calligraphy. Again though, it seems to work for him!

[Robotguy]

Hey, according to this thread, there's at least three of us in Sacramento (Well, W. Sac and Davis for me, actually, but I'll be sure to brandish my FPs next time I'm in the Train Museum)

 

I work as an engineer for a robotics company, and several years ago we hired a consultant who had an old style silver Rotring 600 FP and a Levenger Newton. I think that's actually what got me started. We use his services often, and a while back he showed me his Delta that he picked up on a trip to Italy. He is the only person I know personally that will be able to appreciate my new M600. Everyone else thinks I'm nuts ("That much? For a PEN??!!").

 

One of the other engineers bought a wood lathe last year, so I convinced him to build me a celluloid kit pen for practice. It's a mammoth, and it turned out beautiful:

http://robotguy.net/tn_greenmarble1.jpg

He has since sold several kit pens on eBay.

 

I did just buy a Pilot Varsity set in the hopes of converting my wife and daughters. My wife is enamored with the color pink, so I'm hoping the pink FP will give her an excuse to use it.

[mevsme]

Hey I'm from Sacramento too...North Natomas to be exact! Anyways my Step-dad uses FP daily...but thats cause his father used them when he was a bank president and so fountain pens has been something he passed on to him and now he passed it to me. Anyways I've just started college and have also just started using FP as well as more random odd pens like Fisher Space Pens etc. Anyways new to the forum and looking forward to seeing my handwriting to get better.