How often do you see people using fountain pens?

[SOFTero]

The only time I ever saw a fountain pen in person was when I was the one using it. It was fun to write with one in high school, because people were surprised. I had to sign my name somewhere, and the guy (must've been in his 70s) was shocked to see someone using a fountain pen, let alone a teenager. Said he hadn't seen one in a long time. It kinda makes my day when that happens. Maybe that will change at university.

[fountainpenjunkie]

I had someone say recently, "Wow, that's an old-fashioned pen!" It wasn't vintage, but I guess it was an accurate observation. SOFTero, it makes my day, too.

 

The only time I ever saw a fountain pen in person was when I was the one using it. It was fun to write with one in high school, because people were surprised. I had to sign my name somewhere, and the guy (must've been in his 70s) was shocked to see someone using a fountain pen, let alone a teenager. Said he hadn't seen one in a long time. It kinda makes my day when that happens. Maybe that will change at university.

[fwyun]

Sadly . . . only during a Pen Posse

[Number3124]

Sadly, I never see them down here in my neck of the woods. There's a chance one of my friends may get hooked; I let him have one of my Varsities. One of my friends' bother brought his father's to school once, but he never wrote with it. My school is a sea of Bic Crystals, Uniball Visions, and Pilot G2s.

 

I'm also a recent convert, but I do love them. I'm waiting for my first refillable fp to come in the mail. I'm a little irritated that the ink got here first, but the pen is coming snail-mail over seas so what should I expect? I got the ink from the FPH and had an excelent experiance with them, and I plan on making future perchases from them. No affiliation. I may try to covert my dad some day... :hmm1:

Edited April 1, 2011 by Number3124

[elpaninaro]

Rarely- but funny enough, there are two people who work for my company in other offices who have impressed me greatly as we work together remotely in the 9 months since I started working here.

 

In the past month, both have come to town and when we met and they saw me writing at my desk went nuts over my pens. Turns out both are serious pen freaks- one a fellow Dupont fanatic.

 

We may be rare, but we understand eachother

[Groat]

I don't personally have any recollection of seeing anybody else use a fountain pen, but I don't actively look for them. I got into a discussion with somebody several months ago who enjoys a number of Japanese pens. She said that she had a bunch of pens from Jetpens, including a few fountain pens. However, not once have I seen her using one.

[shortitalian]

I have seen four people using fountain pens, all of them physicians. I suppose, being a medical student, I'm exposed to more physicians and other healthcare staff than anything else, so that just happens to be the population I'm seeing.

 

The first was an ER physician who was using a Lamy Vista. This sighting actually began my fascination with FPs, and I immediately purchased the exact same pen and use it to this day. The second was a general surgery resident. Third is an internal medicine doc who always carries two Namiki Falcons. Last was one of my ophthalmology attendings.

 

Now that I think about it, I'm actually surprised I have even seen that many.

[Bronze]

- Apart from my father, the only two I have seen is a professor and the dean of the law faculty I attend. They were both using Montblancs. Both were using the 146 as far as I could tell.

I have never seen another student use a fountain pen. Quite a few have shown some interest in mine though.

[Phormula]

Not that much but a few. I have some colleagues, maily the German ones and the ones that started using a FP when they saw me.

Then from time to time at meetings I bump into a FP user. I know a couple of them in our industry association. We did some cartridge exchange and that was the place where I discovered Diamine cartridges.

 

The funniest was last year, I went to Benelux to meet a customer, and I sat at the table with the plant QC person. We both headed for our notebooks and we both took out a Rhodia A4 spiral notebook, and then we booth took out the same pen, a Waterman Graduate chrome version :blink: We stared at each other's stuff and started laughing!

 

PS (OT) let me have one minute of silence in memory of my trusty Waterman Graduate, KIA after 10+ years of service because of a bad fall on concrete from the table.

Edited April 1, 2011 by Phormula

[stefanv]

I have a colleague who uses a pair of MBs. Back in grad school, my supervisor used a fountain pen (white Lamy Safari), and he was still using it last time I saw him (about a year ago). I recall my mother using a fountain pen to write letters to our relatives, and my father used to use fountain pens too (he recently gave me the three that he had). And of course, back in 1976, I saw my cousin (in Germany) using one to do her homework, which is what got me started on fountain pens.

 

Currently, I have another colleague who's getting interested. I think I'll go to the local pen store with her some time soon.

[stuartk]

I saw someone with what was obviously a Montblanc 149 in his pocket a few years ago, but other than that nothing. In fact, it's very rare that I see someone with a nice writing instrument at all. Most people have disposables they bought in a pack of 144 at a warehouse club, or they use an advertising pen they were given.

[InkyBrian]

Every time I look in the mirror. Other than that, pretty much never.

[JefferyS]

Never. Faculty seem to arrive in generations about 10 years apart. Many of the faculty at the college are around 30 years old, and I am 60 years old, i.e., 3 generations apart. Seeing me use a fountain pen tells them "this old coot doesn't know how to use a computer no less a ball point pen".

 

There were two other faculty using fountain pens about 10 years ago (both used Watermans). Both retired in the past few years. When I take out a fountain pen to sign something, the responses I get are "what the hell is that?!" or "they still make those things?" or "that must be 100 years old!".

[alvinlum]

hmm around 1-5% student that i know uses fountain pen. But i've only seen 3-4 so far besides me whenever i look around the lecture hall.

[Cynomys]

Only my brother. He has a couple of 50-year old Parker 51s which he first acquired when he took a shorthand course in college in the mid-60s. The instructor required all the students in the class to use Parker 51s.

[Groat]

Only my brother. He has a couple of 50-year old Parker 51s which he first acquired when he took a shorthand course in college in the mid-60s. The instructor required all the students in the class to use Parker 51s.

 

That's laughable. I could understand wanting a certain kind of pen, but narrowing it down to the model is funny. At least he picked a good one.

[Phormula]

That's laughable. I could understand wanting a certain kind of pen, but narrowing it down to the model is funny. At least he picked a good one.

 

Not so strange, when I was in primary school in the '70s the teacher told our parents that we should buy a Pelikano.

Any other FPs was not objected, but this was the official pen and if you had another you were on the "suspect" list.

I hated it, the only color available at the time was a ugly green.

It took me 30 years and a gift to own another Pelikan.

[Cynomys]

Only my brother. He has a couple of 50-year old Parker 51s which he first acquired when he took a shorthand course in college in the mid-60s. The instructor required all the students in the class to use Parker 51s.

 

That's laughable. I could understand wanting a certain kind of pen, but narrowing it down to the model is funny. At least he picked a good one.

 

Even as late as the mid-60s, ball point pens generally deposited a little globule of some oily substance on the paper if you did not first wipe it off on something. Also, they had a start-up problem and skipped like crazy. Cheap fountain pens had their problems as well. In shorthand, it is very important that there be no skipping, or lead-in problems. So, for shorthand, maybe not so strange especially given the time frame.

 

Now, when I went to the University Book Store in Seattle last week to buy my Lamy Safari, I was told they were short on stock (but fortunately they had the color and nib which I wanted) because an entire class had come in just in the previous few days to buy the Safaris as the only class approved pen. What class? It was an architecture class. I thought that was a bit strange.

[fountainpenjunkie]

Seeing me use a fountain pen tells them "this old coot doesn't know how to use a computer no less a ball point pen".

 

Jeffery, that was funny!

 

I really appreciate folks responding to this topic. I read every response. It has gone in some interesting directions, like the P51 discussion between Cynomys and Groat. I wasn't too hip on Parker 51's as I started with vintage FP's. They looked too much like a ball point, with the hooded nib. My favorite pen being the PFM which from a nib display point of view is the polar opposite of the 51. It took a special pen to start me on 51's. A blue 1943 engraved with "Loyal Order of Moose". I call it the 'Blue Moose" and it won me over on 51's. I think I own 4 or 5 now.

[joshk]

Never. Never ever never.

 

I am looking though.