How often do you see people using fountain pens?

[AnnieB123]

I'm a biotech nerd and have seen pens in the wild at my university. I am in Europe, so the representative FPs seem to be weighted toward Lamy and Pelikan with a few MBs scattered around. My uni is heavily slanted toward engineering, physics, tech and sciences.

Edited January 15, 2015 by AnnieB123

[Ergative]

I was at a conference this past weekend, and when I pulled out my Pilot Metro to take down someone's email address, she commented, "Oh, it's a Nicky pen!" Apparently she knows someone named Nicky* who uses fountain pens.

 

*Or other equally forgettable name

[Oldane]

40 years ago, I had an older collegue who used a MB 149 which was a present from his father. Ten years later I converted a collegue and friend to become a fountain pen user (he still is). 8 years ago a younger collegue used a Parker fountain pen. My sister in law sometimes uses a fountain pen. That's about it.

[carlos.q]

During the past two years I have seen:

An architect with a yellow Lamy Safari.

A doctor with a Lamy Vista and a Pilot VP.

And three lawyers: one with a Lamy Vista, another with a Parker 75 cisele and the last with a Waterman Hemisphere.

Let me add to this list three labor leaders: one with a Parker, another with a Hero 616 and the last one with a Cross and a Nemosine.

[Joe in Seattle]

In real life? Never.

 

Only ever seen pen nuts do so and one college friend my age.

[Oldtimer]

NEVER! Well, in the TV only

[max dog]

I think in Asia and certain places in Europe fountain pens are more prevalent in public. In North America, fountain pen usage in public is extremely rare. In the last 25 years I can only recall five occasions where I saw someone else using a fountain pen. I even remember those pens, a Parker Duofold white marbled, a Montblanc 144 bordeaux, a blue Parker Sonnet, and a couple of Pelikans. That's how rare it is in north america to see a fountain pen in the wild.

Edited January 15, 2015 by max dog

[______Zaphod_Beeblebrox]

Never seen anybody except for my nephews and nieces that I gave fountain to.

[Princeps Anglorum]

Usually see someone using a fountain pen everyday as my partner is also a fountain pen user. My hospital consultant is a fountain pen user (white Waterman Hemisphere) and the CEO of the charity where I am a trustee uses a black Waterman Phileas.

[ateke]

During a job interview noticed that the interviewer was actually using a pink lamy safari and since it was my first job interview, i was hesitant to bring up a topic about fountain pens... Anyway finally i didnt get the job and now regret about not mentioning it at that time:/

[The Blue Knight]

Not very often at all perhaps once in every 2 months.

[bbycrts]

The only people I see using fountain pens are my friend who got me started on them and the people I've given FPs to..

...and your dad.

[william2001]

My friends sometimes borrow (take without permission) my fountain pen(s) and use them.

-William S. Park

Edited January 17, 2015 by william2001

[Sky Fountain Pens]

When I was little my art teacher used a Fountain Pen as her fine liner.

[Jerome Tarshis]

For me it depends on people's occupations and way of life. If I'm waiting to sign something at a shop or restaurant, I don't expect to see a fountain pen.

 

But I also live in a world of artists and graphic designers and literary writers. Among those people, writing with a fountain pen is far from rare. When I used to go to press events at museums, for writers about art, it would be quite normal to see people with fountain pens. Among the artists and photographers I've known, some do and others don't, but it isn't some kind of rare, deviant thing.

 

Somebody other than our little group is buying and using all those fountain pens. From time to time a member complains on FPN that major fountain-pen manufacturers aren't coming to FPN to ask what we think. Well, the obvious reason is that they are selling almost their entire output to people who are not us. Brian at Edison Pens is an exception, and there are others, but those people are not, in unit volume or dollar volume, major manufacturers. There's just a whole world of people buying fountain pens, in some cases spending major money, and not using them where we see them.

 

The other point, mentioned more than once above, is that there is less and less occasion to write by hand with any kind of writing instrument nowadays. Architects and industrial designers who draw with FPs are not visible to many people while they are making marks smoothly on paper. Nor are the many FPNers who say they use FPs for drawing out of doors. Where I live, in San Francisco, an art-supplies shop, Flax Art, has a major fountain-pen presence, but I don't expect ever to see all the people I've watched buying a fountain pen. Many of those people have art-related occupations that they carry on where I'll never see them.

[benbot517]

...and your dad.

...and my dad...

[I like mango cheesecake]

People often see me writing with one and the comment is usually the same: "I used to write with one of those in school. You don't see anyone writing with them anymore. "

[TSherbs]

once in a turquoise moon

[kbrede]

I'm 50 years old and other than my Grandfather, I've seen no one else write with a fountain pen.

Kent

[thatotherguy1]

My friends sometimes borrow (take without permission) my fountain pen(s) and use them.

-William S. Park

Same, until I started the habit of never letting my pen leave my hand or sight until it goes back into its pocket or organizer slot. I don't have expensive pens yet but I'd still rather not run the risk of my pens being sprung by people that haven't been given a crash course on how to use a fountain pen (or stolen off my desk)... after I've given them a crash course I let them borrow if I trust them to not lose it or leave it somewhere.

Other than that, there's only one other person I know that uses a fountain pen. He's a friend and a fellow enthusiast, but unfortunately isn't on this forum. I may have to prod him this way