How often do you see people using fountain pens?

[Freddy]

Infrequently...................And that's the truth - Edith Ann

 

Fred

I'm the biggest hypocrite of them all....I used preservatives.

~ Vincent Smith ~

[Freddy]

Dang it..Hang it..Ladies and Gents the Dreaded Double Post has

magically appeared..and We ask for your patience while we investigate. Thank you. Take care and safe journey.............

 

Fred

 

 

Edited July 26, 2014 by Freddy

[MZielinski]

In my experiences, I am almost always the only one who is using a fountain pen. When I was a freshmen or sophomore in college, I stopped at the local Office Max and found a Parker Reflex and some cartridges. I started using it to take notes in my classes. Two of my older history professors definitely noticed. One asked where I had bought the pen and a few days later had one of his own. Another history professor had a nice pen(I wish I could remember what it was), and in fact got mail catalogs from Goldspot. He let me borrow one of the catalogs and I bought my first "real" fountain pen, a Waterman Hemisphere.

 

One of my roommates in college also had two fountain pens. One was actually a Hemisphere (black with gold trim - just like mine) and something by Cross. He didn't really use them in class too much as far as I remember.

 

Since then, I'm trying to become a full time teacher, and have at least one fountain pen on me any given day. Students are usually really interested in the pens once they see what they are, mostly because of the oddity. Interestingly enough, they usually call it an "ink pen" rather than a fountain pen. This past school year, the pens I usually had on me were a Pilot Metropolitan, TWSBI Diamond 580 (which they said looked like an e-cigarette), a Nemosine Singularity, a couple of Ahabs for correcting, and a Lamy 2000. There are some students that latch on to the fountain pen habit. One student bought the multicolored pack of the Pilot Varsity, and another got his own Nemosine Singularity. Now, one of my summer school students says that a fountain pen is definitely on his Christmas list. I'm trying to do my part to spread the use of fountain pens!

[dsolmei]

I'm a resident at a hospital, and over the last year, I have noted that there are a few fountain pen users in most departments. Pens I have seen used this year include:

 

-- Visconti Homo Sapiens

-- Visconti Opera

-- Parker 45

-- Waterman Le Man 100

-- Waterman Phileas

-- Lamy Safari

-- Pelikan m800

-- Mont Blanc 146

-- Delta ? (Couldn't really tell the model)

-- Pilot Vanishing Point x 2

-- Platinum Preppy

 

Fountain pens seem to be most used by cardiologists, neurologists, and surgeons. Just an observation.

[moylek]

Even the staff of the pen shop in Brisbane (Aus) where I buy my supplies and drool over their glass display cases, use ballpoint pens, albeit very nice ballpoint pens, to hand write your sales invoice. Strange!

 

 

I saw the same thing once at a fountain-pen store in Boston ... very surprising.

[fpenluver]

When I started using fp in primary school, no one was using it. Then, I switched to drafting pen (rapidograph) in junior school because i like the rich black ink it used (and permanent). There were few who followed me using rapidograph, and some use fineliner (felt tip) because they thought rapidograph was to expensive. Still none using fountain pens. None I spotted using fountain pen in the university either. Now, at work, i am back to using fountain pens after discovering it's varieties. Still none I ever seen using fp.

 

However, i did see some purchase fountain pens.

 

and when i am in front of my pc (and other smart gadgets), i always see many many many buyers of fountain pens (who made me lost my bidding).

 

So yup:

Users - none

Buyers (brick and mortar shop) - some

Buyers (online) - plenty (hey you all the online buyers, could you please stop buying this august only please?, give me a chance to get the pens that I want at a good price) . Hahaha.

[fpenluver]

It seems that most of us rarely see other users. However, I do notice that some people do look at our FP in use. I just noticed it this morning when I look this guy's eyes looking at my pen. May be it is the pretty gold plated nib? who knows.

 

So, how about using our FP more in public, hence, indirectly we are advertising FP. It may help with the manufacturers' FP sales, and hence we can make sure continuous supply for our wants needs?.

[HBlaine]

Back in my days of federal servitude, I used to occasionally run across state execs who used FPs.

 

My favorite quote was from a chief officer in New England. When I complimented him on the Parker Duofold International he was using, he replied, "Yes, I told my wife that there were only two things a man could depend on in life: A good pen and a good watch."

 

I really wanted to ask him how the divorce went, but I thought that might be rather too delicate a subject to broach...

[Ecriveur]

I see someone using a fountain pen everyday, if you count me, but otherwise never.

[DavyJones]

There is one guy at work that collects what he calls nice pens, which includes ballpoints and fountain pens. He carries his entire collection with him every day in one of those folio holders.

 

I also had the privilege of having a private meet and greet with Neil deGrasse Tyson before a public program he was giving in the area. I noticed he signed a book for someone with a fountain pen, and I made a comment about how I enjoy them as well. I wasn't so involved with this hobby yet, and was at a bit of a distance so there is no way I could have identified what he was using. He signed a book for me with a silver marker due to the glossy paper the cover was printed on.

Edited August 8, 2014 by DavyJones

[sargetalon]

If I recall correctly, I believe that I read somewhere that Neil deGrasse Tyson enjoyed Pelikans but I could be mistaken.

[Conan the Grammarian]

Interestingly enough, they usually call it an "ink pen" rather than a fountain pen.

 

 

I used to work with an Indian guy who said in his early schooling they were required to use "ink pens" to learn proper penmanship.

[JoeyZ]

I have a co-worker who always uses a pilot varsity but shows no interest if I talk about something a little less disposable... He just doesn't want to be bothered. Otherwise, I see no other fp users in the wild.

[sail0rm00n]

I rarely see them used as well. I watched "42" yesterday and noticed them handing a fountain pen to Jackie Robinson when he signed his contract.

[Kosmic-kowgirl]

Never, not once, except in old movies

[Thier.]

I have a few clients who also are fountain pens users (and lovers). Nearly 10 ...

As I use fountain pens the whole day long, I can notice that many persons have a look on that strange thing containing ink I use to write ...

Everyday, I have more than one client telling me something like "Oh, you're using a fountain pen !!!!! "

As photographer and photography items retailer, I've also noticed that many of those FP users are also mostly watches lovers and high range cameras users.

Thanks to those metal, plastic, wood, ebonite, ... litlle writing instruments, I have now 4 new friends ....

[elh93]

I see people using fountain pens occasionally, but I'm a university student and I've got a few other friends who use them as well.

 

Slowly getting more people to use them.

[Misfit]

I needed witnesses to sign a document. One had a dip pen and bottle of ink. Of course that day I didn't have a fountain pen with me. But we talked a bit about them. Only time so far.

[william2001]

Once every week, since my English tutor uses them.

Oh yeah, my friend uses my Varsity, so almost every day.

-William S. Park

[rickdm]

I am a principal at an architecture firm and we probably have at least ten FP users, and I converted at least six of those. When somebody does a great job I will give them a fountain pen, and with architects that is usually enough to get them started. My biggest success story is a lovely Visconti I bought for a client, a pastor at a large church. He loved the pen and started sketching with it and eventually published a book with his FP sketches. He was quite talented.

 

rick