How often do you see people using fountain pens?

[fountainpenjunkie]

mejdrich,

I think you win the award for citing the most sightings. Yep, it seems some in the educational, banking, legal and healthcare fields are big users.

Edited August 20, 2009 by fountainpenjunkie

[Penman222]

I have never seen one in use by a living person in my nearly 50 years on this earth.

[lak611]

I know a woman who uses fountain pens and subscribes to fountain pen magazines. She also collects pocket watches, which I do as well.

[mooshi]

Unfortunately, I am the only one amongst my friends/co-workers/colleagues who uses fountain pens. I haven't successfully, fully, converted them to FP users, but they FINALLY understand why it is that I like writing with them.

 

And here, (one of) my story begins...

 

I was taking a co-worker out to Target to get her some school supplies (for us college kids on a budget, that's a pen (or a couple in different colours, for notes), a pencil (or a couple wooden ones), and a notebook per 2 classes. Said co-worker could not decide on her pen (aww... poor baby). But we did find a suitable pencil for her; a Parker jotter. I at least was able to persuade her against the BP jotter... 1) I'm biased and 2) mostly just cause I didn't think she'd keep up with trying to find refills. So we left Target with only a notebook, a portfolio, and the jotter. Once home, I showed her many pens; roller balls, gels, and of course, my fountain pens. Up until now, she understood that I loved writing with fountain pens, but didn't understand why. I had her try out all of the pens in this order, while explaining about each one: Pentel Wow! (ballpoint; used at work while cashing), Pilot Precise V5 (rollerball), Sheaffer something (rollerball; thicker and smoother than the V5), and then the various fountain pens I had, including the Ohto Fine, Platinum Preppy, Hero ???, and the Sheaffer calligraphy pen (F).

 

Right after she wrote with the Ohto, she wanted one for herself. She now understands exactly why I love writing with them, and sees why it is that I'm willing to spend more than a couple of dollars on these beauties (though, the most expensive one I've ever gotten was the Lamy Vista).

 

-- Moo

[seanpooh]

I know of no one that owns a fountain pens but me, for the time being. When my teachers, friends, or co-workers see me with my fountain pens, they ask how long I had it. I tell them about a year or so, and a shocked look just falls upon their face. Then they tell me they cannot keep a pen for a day or two. The day I meet a girl who loves fountain pens as much as I do, I'll marry her.

[bdk]

I don't know anybody who uses fountainpens in my neigboorhood.

[oceansportrait]

Outside of pen speciality shops/shops that sell fountain pens? Never. I go to university, and most people in my classes just use whatever they have lying around, which is usually the disposable BIC pen or something similar

[dizzypen]

I have a coworker that has an FP collection. Also, several of my grad school colleagues, especially those studying Germany (go figure), use FPs.

[penicillin]

My Department Chair has a large collection, and we spent a fair amount of time discussing pens. He was able to repair my inherited old Waterman, and he gave me an Edson on my retirement. When we see each other, we still talk pens.

 

M

[offbase]

I've been using them since about 1986. I asked another attorney to notarize something for me during a closing last year, and I almost dropped my jaw when he pulled out a red-inked Schaeffer Imperial to notarize it. First and only time. Usually I hear, "Do you use feather pen, too?"

Edited August 21, 2009 by offbase

[Monophoto]

I retired about five years ago from a large corporation where I had worked for 36 years. During that time, I encountered a number of FP users:

- at three points during the last 15 years of my career, I worked for managers (three different people) who used FPs

- for the last four years prior to retirement, a manager in a position exactly parallel to me used FPs - and was the first person I encountered to appeared to have the FP collection fetish

- the company physician who refrigerated his finger in preparation for my annual physical used an FP to record his findings

- a couple of marketing types (you know, the guys with the red ties) used FPs. I will say that they both used very expensive, very fat MB pens, and one could speculate that the ego issue that caused them to wear red ties was responsible for that bit of exhibitionism also

- one of my engineering colleagues - who also shares my passion for black and white film-based photography - used an FP

- my retirement activity is as the editor of an international technical/professional journal, and one of the guys I work with in that capacity uses FPs. An interesting coincidence is that he went to the same school that I did - only he was there 30 years after I graduated.

- my oldest son has developed an interest in FPs.

Edited August 22, 2009 by Monophoto

[Doug Add]

Not often. I have a few friends who use them.

 

I was rather surprised to see a Waterman Phileas in the hand of the fellow leading a policies/procedures meeting Tuesday for the homeless shelter we are opening in November. I expected it to be a rollerball, but when he uncapped it to write it was indeed a fountain pen. I had to leave the meeting early so we didn't get a chance to talk pens. I'll ask him this Tuesday. If he is observant, he has noticed me using a fountain pen at every meeting.

[johnr55]

I have seen a number of physicians in my work using FP's in their offices. FP's aren't really compatible with medical charting, etc.; even less now as we move to electronic medical records.

 

I have also seen them used by a number of attorneys in their work.

 

Compared to other writing types, FP's do require more care and effort. As our societies have moved away from writing to e-mails and supercheap phone calls, it's no surprise that so few use FP's for everyday writing.

 

I do a lot of work out of a home office when not traveling. I keep a legal pad next to the laptops for the many calls I make and receive. So, it's no effort at all to use an FP instead of another type. I can derive pleasure from writing with one while working. However, when I am in hospitals I am usually writing with a BP.

[Pen2009]

Maybe I have not been paying attention on who else is using FPs around me until I started using FPs since May this year. Over several years of interacting with clients (mostly in supervisory, managerial, or directorial positions), I have not seen a single person who used a fountain pen, except for this one client who used a fountain pen to sign a document for me. All of my co-workers at my work use cheap company-issue ballpoint pens or some low end rollerballs.

[alvarez57]

Just saw a video for shelter dog adoption in Puerto Rico and the young woman who was adopting had..A LAMY SAFARI! Kudos for her!

Edited August 23, 2009 by alvarez57

[BrandonA]

The lad I sit next to at work as a cheapish Parker fountain pen which he uses everyday at work. He's not a collector or anything, he simply uses a pen that was given to him as a present.

 

I use MB starwalker MP and BP at work. I am forever dropping them so am to scared to take my FP into the office. Two other people in the office use MB like me but neither use FP.

 

Whenever I take the train or plain on business I rarely see someone using a FP. Usually a BP

[Izzy]

This week I have spotted several FP users on TV, mainly business people on the news and some presenters, but I have spotted this week

 

2 MB 146's (Business people being interviewed on News 24)

1 MB 149 (Businessman being interviewed on Sky News)

1 Montegrappa 1930 Extra (The Guardian)

1 Yard o' Led Corinthian (Dragons Den)

2 Parker Duofold (1 on a politics show another being used by news presenter)

1 Delta Dolce Vita (a writer talking about a new book coming out)

 

Regards

NIGEL

[svenedin]

Amongst my colleagues (senior doctors in the UK) roughly 50% write with fountain pens. A number of colleagues still use their 21st birthday present or graduation present fountain pens. Some choose to write with alarming colours of ink such as peacock blue or purple so that they can see their note entries in amongst all the other guff. I stick to black/ebony/sepia ink as a manager told me that I should only write in black ink because certain colours photocopy badly. I always carry a ballpoint as well to write out duplicate/triplicate forms which would not work with the light pressure of a fountain pen (and of course for crosswords in the paper).

I think the reason for such a high percentage of fountain pen users in senior doctors is that many were privately educated and taught to write exclusively with a fountain pen (I certainly was). Also there is the individuality aspect and the pleasure of writing with something that may have written all those exams!

[pmsalty]

I went on a walk through for bidding on some work last week and one of the competitors was also using a fountain pen to take notes with. He was also left handed. This is the first fountain pen user I have encountered outside of my company or office while on the job. Our sales VP also used FP's.

PMS

[alkman]

I recently saw someone using a MB Boheme at my local coffee shop and a few of the other graduate students up here also use them. I have also bought pens for acquaintances which I know that they use...I have writing samples.