How often do you see people using fountain pens?

[cleosmama]

I have one colleague who uses a fountain pen. I only found out about it when he sent an email around work trying to figure out where he had lost two of them.

[Aurko]

I see more people than I expected as I started college. Quite a few people saw mine and say things to the effect that they have one somewhere, and they offer to show me. It becomes a little talking point, and oftentimes they start using fountain pens. I also admit that I have accidentally inspired many of my friends to go into my hobby, so that most folks that I'm close to end up using fountain pens at some point. Even in my classes here, by the end of the semester at least one other person ends up using a fountain pen, sometimes more. Perhaps I just got lucky. (I posted here earlier about my experience in high school, but wanted to give a little update).

[DjentleDjiant]

I see more people than I expected as I started college. Quite a few people saw mine and say things to the effect that they have one somewhere, and they offer to show me. It becomes a little talking point, and oftentimes they start using fountain pens. I also admit that I have accidentally inspired many of my friends to go into my hobby, so that most folks that I'm close to end up using fountain pens at some point. Even in my classes here, by the end of the semester at least one other person ends up using a fountain pen, sometimes more. Perhaps I just got lucky. (I posted here earlier about my experience in high school, but wanted to give a little update).

I think I'm also guilty of converting one of my close friends into fountain pens. I think she'll be converting her boyfriend soon too.

 

I'm currently a uni student and I see people on occasion use them. More recently, I was studying in the library when a classmate saw me use my Custom 92, then he quickly swapped from a ballpoint to his Pelikan M205. Shortly after we made awkward eye contact, we spoke a little about pens and afterwards I had come out with another fountain pen friend.

Edited March 28, 2014 by DjentleDjiant

[KBeezie]

Locally, I haven't seen a single person aside from myself use them til recently for the Las few years. Only reason I see people round here use them is because I gave them the pen.

 

I think once I start showing off some nicer ones that may increase.

Edited March 28, 2014 by KBeezie

[Mrsal]

Never. I go to a school with 2800 students. Never.

 

The school I went to had around 3000-3500 students in it. Never had a problem with my pens there, but as soon as i switched to a smaller private school, everyone was trying to grab them and smash the nibs into the floor. Sad to say i had to give up on my fountain pens for about a year while i was at that school. I promptly switched back to the local public school>

[bbshriver]

In my office campus of ~2,000 people I've not seen another. On rare occasion I'll have someone else comment on my "quill" pen. Couple of Indian/British people will make remarks that they learned to write with a Fountain in grade school but haven't used one since.

[Cordovian]

Never...worked in a building with 1200+ people and I've never seen anyone else with one. Strange. With the way FP's are selling on ebay you'd think everyone would have one.

[Teacher Man]

I am a teacher, and I amuse my self by walking around during tests (or when students are working quietly) and checking how many of my students use fountain pens. Usually between a third and half. Mostly Lamy Safaris, Vistas or Nexxs. Or, because it's that kind of school, old and fancy looking pens they were given by their grandparents.

[Phils]

There were three fountain pens in use at my last pastoral conference- two Waterman Phileas and my dad's old Parker. That's out of about 60 guys. I do see fountain pens at our larger district gatherings. Is there a fountain pen- clergy connection?

[Orange25]

Since starting university well over a decade ago, I've only seen two people use fountain pens. Granted it's only a minority who use them, but I still find the number bafflingly small.

 

Having said that, whilst I only use fountain pens at home, in work I stick to a gel ink pen/rollerball. It draws less attention and people don't go, "Ooh, don't you have a fancy pen?"

[Anoia]

Everyone here is familiar with fountain pens, they are used at school. At work most prefer rollerballs, though I have paying attention more and there seem to be more fountain pen users than I previously thought, because when I get documents in interoffice mail I notice quite a few are written or signed with ink.* Could be ink-rollerballs, but it looks more like it's been written with a nib most of the time.

Anyway, I had this one person always use a fountain pen (Lamy Safari) and his signature was his full name written nicely, he always took the time to do that and wouldn't be rushed.

 

*One of them was a gorgeous dark blue with red sheen, which I thought was Diamine Sargossa Sea, but now that I got it, I'm not sure anymore.

 

My father had a Sheaffer pen. It has been many years since I saw it, and he has been gone for many years also. I do not know what model it was except that I recall it was black with gold furniture, had a white dot on it, had a nib that seemed to be part of the section (not sure how to describe it - a bit like the Taranis I guess) and if you turned part of it this tube thing came out of the nib for sucking up ink. The ends of the pen and cap were rounded too. Asked my mother about it recently but she doesn't remember ever seeing it, which is odd because if I recall correctly they had a his and hers version. Oh well, it may turn up.

Must be a Sheaffer Snorkel:

http://www.penhero.com/PenGallery/Sheaffer/SheafferSnorkel.htm

Edited March 29, 2014 by Anoia

[WirsPlm]

Everyone here is familiar with fountain pens, they are used at school. At work most prefer rollerballs, though I have paying attention more and there seem to be more fountain pen users than I previously thought, because when I get documents in interoffice mail I notice quite a few are written or signed with ink.* Could be ink-rollerballs, but it looks more like it's been written with a nib most of the time.

Anyway, I had this one person always use a fountain pen (Lamy Safari) and his signature was his full name written nicely, he always took the time to do that and wouldn't be rushed.

 

*One of them was a gorgeous dark blue with red sheen, which I thought was Diamine Sargossa Sea, but now that I got it, I'm not sure anymore.

 

Must be a Sheaffer Snorkel:

http://www.penhero.com/PenGallery/Sheaffer/SheafferSnorkel.htm

Blue with reddish sheen makes me think of Sailor's Yama Dori ink which is coming back into circulation in June (pics are near the bottom of this page https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php/topic/262593-update-return-of-sailor-limited-edition-inks ), that may be what you're looking for.

[Anoia]

Blue with reddish sheen makes me think of Sailor's Yama Dori ink which is coming back into circulation in June (pics are near the bottom of this page https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php/topic/262593-update-return-of-sailor-limited-edition-inks ), that may be what you're looking for.

Thanks! That is a nice one. The Tokiwa-Matsu looks nice, too.

 

 

The one I saw reminded me of Sargasso Sea:

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php/topic/198510-inks-with-a-sheen/?p=2738260

But mine doesn't do that, maybe I just have a "monday product". :/ (Still a nice ink though.)

[zzbr76]

All the other doctors at the hospital use cheap ballpoints and have ugly writing. I dont see fountain pen lovers, we are kinda rare in this part of the world...

[bbshriver]

I bumped into another FP user today, we serve on a non-profit board together, his eyes lit up when he saw my parker 75, and then showed me his old Shaeffer, which was rather falling apart but he said was the best writing of his. It was fun to talk for a few minutes.

[Bigeddie]

I have had about 120 students on an undergraduate degree in a business school in the UK - this years count was one Lamy Al-star in red and one Parker Vector that looked like it was an amalgamation of a black pen and a red cap (I don't know that they were ever sold like that). It beats last years count by two, I have high hopes for next year!

[Teacher Man]

one Parker Vector that looked like it was an amalgamation of a black pen and a red cap

 

My students keep doing that to their Safaris. May be a fashion thing. They mix and match, swap caps, and all end up with wird colour combinations. Kids today...

[kpyeoman]

Ha! Today I randomly met a fellow fountain pen user.

 

I was in looking to buy a resonator guitar and got chatting with a guy who was playing a banjo. He gives lessons and I mentioned how I was looking at a resonator. He mentioned a few singers/groups I should check out, and I said, "Hang on, let me get my pen." I took out my 3 pen pouch and he said "Oh, I've got a two pen pouch." I exclaimed, "Are they fountain pens?!?" "Yep, let me go get them -- I just got a Sheaffer the other day." He had a really nice Sailor 1911 large with an F-M nib, a Snorkel and a Lamy Dialogue 3. We had a really good chat about pens and it made my day!

[WirsPlm]

A few days ago my colleagues noticed that I use fountain pens and exclaimed about how long it's been since they've seen one used (they're from Asia), it was a nice conversation but now they tease me gently when they notice me using a different pen so we'll have to see what happens with that.

[drvishal]

Here in india you will always meet someone who uses it. I write 50 prescriptions in a day in a OPD but no patient has given me "oh you still use fountain pen" look till date however few older people do show interest in them.