I feel the same about the Opus 88 Fantasias. attempt to connect with something much larger than I actually am. It can be as simple as deciding to buy a pen made the year your father was born. akin to people turning to religion, to cults even. The 52 was produced in a variety of styles in hard rubber between the 1910s and 1934 when the company finally made the switch to celluloid. While collectors can certainly learn to replace an ink sac or other simple restoration process, you may not want to venture into repairs while just starting your collection. Question regarding the Opus 88 Fantasia will a #5 Franklin-Christoph nib fit ? ), You Dont Have to Be Your Dad: How to Become Your Familys Transitional Character, Podcast #810: How to Turn a Boy Into a Man, A Celebration of the Ideal Bachelor From 1906, Why Ambivalent Relationships Are Terrible for You (And How to Deal With Them), Podcast #808: The Surprising Science Behind Building Stronger Relationships, Podcast #800: The 5 Allies Every Man Needs, Bike Maintenance 101: How to Patch an Inner Tube, How to Sharpen a Pocket Knife: An Illustrated Guide, 11 Auto Maintenance Jobs Every Man Can Do Himself, The Basic Dance Step Every Man Should Know. Same happened recently with the Kaweco Sport. Yes! And of course the Sheaffer NoNonsense, the pen that made an addict of me. Each Esterbrook has a slight variant in the same colors (Fountain pen restoration, however, is a topic for another day!). Not only was the color bold, but it was also huge almost 5.5 inches long! Consult online resources or see if your local public library has books on fountain pens. These pens can sometimes be in bad shape and require some work, like a good cleaning or replacing the ink sac;with a little elbow grease some vintage pens can be made as good as new. Some celluloid pens tend to discolor towards amber or brown. This is why you should always start your examination with the nib. Most first-tier vintage pens will have gold nibs. know some of the basics about fountain pen parts and anatomy, Free DIY Stocking Stuffer: Vintage Finger Fisticuffer Puppets, The History of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu [VIDEO], Weasels Ripped My Flesh! Laura is probably the most controlled in her collecting but even she has several of the same make and model though in different colors or finishes. There are some of the non retractable sharpie pens still for sale, but they dont feel or write quite the same. These take place all over the United States and come in all sizes. With its solid craftsmanship, the Balance remains an excellent choice for beginning collectors. The nibs that fit in the Fantasia, the same ones F-C uses in the Pocket 45, etc. Lamy AL-Star: Nibs can be sprung when a writer applies too much pressure to the nib while writing. The 51 is a simple pen with clean lines. Check out: www.penloverskolkata.com. There was another who explained my fountain pen collecting, taking me on a trip to my repressed desire for collecting as a child, which may have peaked when I was about ten, and is now finding an outlet. great events, great people, greatness that the pens represent. The Balance was a torpedo-shaped pen that tapered at both ends. Similarly, a cracked, bent, or otherwise wrecked nib ruins an otherwise aesthetically perfect pen. Sellers sometimes grade or mark a pens flexibility. In addition to the pure enjoyment of writing with a tool from a bygone era, youll have the added satisfaction of knowing that your pen comes with a story. My fountain pen collecting ways, are therefore, a mere intellectual manifestation of a primal instinct. They teach me stuff Acquiring new fountain pens, they say, provides relief from anxiety loneliness and uncertainty even. My collection leans heavily on minis and rich colors. I have a beautiful matte purple and a blue gloss I will consider selling. Each pen was held and used for some period of time by unknown persons who lived the history of their days just as we are living the history of our days.I will never know who held my pens, or what they used them to write. If a metallic pen has dings, sometimes they can be removed, but sometimes they cannot. Can you feel or see the piston moving in a piston filler? As a result, Conklins sales declined until it was replaced in the Big Four by Wahl-Eversharp around 1927. In 1921 Parker introduced the Parker Duofold, so named because it was claimed to be twice the pen that any othercompany could offer. Fountain pens, for a long period of time, were the primary way for people to communicate via the written word. When you lift the lever on a lever filler you should feel some resistance. You know, more free time, disposable cash, more control over my life and stuff like that. I just got the black one a couple of days ago from Cult Pens in the UK and now I have all 5. If you have extras, Im your gal. I suppose all of the mentioned psychological systems work to together to go for that just one more, they do, and how! How to Measure Remaining Sunlight With Your Hands. I am more collect the nibs than the pens. By collecting fountain Is the nib bent? Antique Stores, Flea Markets, and Garage Sales. The thing holding me back from buying more is having learned my lesson with the AL-Stars and Ecos: a different color doesnt change how the nib works. Learn how your comment data is processed. Waterman made pens until the middle of the 20th century, when the American company ceased production and the brand was carried on by a French company that had licensed the Waterman name for pens sold in Europe. One of the most widely collected Waterman pens is the Watermans Ideal No. Is the nib cracked? about precision, craftsmanship, passion, dedication, knowledge, creation that I try to communicate My dearest swooned whenever a letter from your beloved arrived in the mail. I have talked to many After making mechanical pencils, Wahl-Eversharp entered into the fountain pen market, becoming so successful that it replaced Conklin as a member of the Big Four in 1927. Personally, it is a connection to history. I have no control over my environment and my hobby (if that is the correct term in the context) is actually a form of a rebellion, where I seek to curve out a little niche where I am the Lord and Master. I am still seeking the last of the four I want, the black model. The fountain pens, they say are my teddy bears, lullabies. So, I searched the internet until I was able to obtain two more of this candy-colored miniature pens. The Waterman 52 was a lever-filled pen that continued to be made with a hard rubber (or ebonite) barrel even after other manufacturers started making their barrels out of celluloid, an early type of plastic. The internet has broadened the horizons of every new pen collector. Some honest sellers arent pen people and wouldnt think twice about up-close photos of the nib. This means that your vintage pen with a gold nib will last a long time! If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. Interested? There were five colors originally and, of those, only four that I really want to own. The first two models I have at least 11 each. 52 remains an excellent choice for vintage pen collectors because of the pens beauty and excellent nib flex. explains my yearning for every bit of detail about the pens in my collection, Email is lightspiritphotography@gmail.com. Those pens are beautiful- now Im feeling the urge to track one down! I was given a calligraphy set with four nibs, including a 2.3 . There are a plethora of reputable dealers doing solid restoration work on vintage pens. gathered from them are, at the lest, as bewildering as the obsession is. After all, I alone decide what my collection will comprise of, what to add and what to discard. However, there are also people who explain the inexplicable by stating that it is actually mastery that I am after. Lotus Student, your daily carry with a beauty make up! And I collect Fountain Pens pieces that helped create the times we live in. Whether your interest in buying a vintage fountain pen is to start a collection, or simply to have a unique, quality tool to write with every day, this guide will walk you through everything you need to know to make a good choice. And while writing with a vintage pen, whether for a special occasion or the mundane everyday to-do list, you have in your hand a piece of history and are continuing its heritage. she gave me her old black corduroy. I find it too thin for my hand to hold comfortably. Something My other EDC, fine nib, inked with Platinum Carbon Black for drawing & signatures. Hello Ana, If youre buying a pen online, look for photos that show you different angles of the nib. When I added one to my pen collection, the article on your blog was very helpful. The 51 is not an ornate pen but it nevertheless proved to be one of the most popular pens in the world after it was introduced. The fact that they were the longest running model Parker ever made (+45 years) means there are sooo many colors and variations. I collect Kaweco Sport FPs, only in plastic, because they are pretty, I match pen and ink colours, I find them comfortable, they write well and they are available with BB and stub nibs. Often I use them for a while just to get to know them. It is a wonderful philosophical way of summing up the life of a true fountain pen collector who wants to defy death and live beyond through psychology! Oh, Pepper! And no, it is not penophilia. Treaties were signed. Are you collecting the skinny Century with unpainted ends? Do your research on the type of filling systems that the pen you want has and become familiar with how a properly functioning filling system should operate. Founded by the Legendary Calligraphy Maestro Prof. K.C. I walk you through some of this below: The Nib. Trust me, fascinating is putting things mildly. My first proper pen after a couple of decades with nothing better than a Retro 51 (they never lasted long?!) Yes, i am fully aware of what you have just hinted at, perhaps your greatness stopping you from calling these sheep / wolves out. Does it have scratches, dents, and dings? Always fun reading your articles and running into you at shows. It is my way of connecting, Iys addiction, its complex, its relieving, its invigorating, gives a high, ecstatic calming, soothing, crazy at tines and yes ITS MY HOBBY and I M Luving It. Conklins pens used his patented crescent filler system, where a ring on the outside of the barrel rotated until it unlocked a metal crescent that was attached to the pressure bar inside the barrel. Unlike lever fillers, which required the use of both hands, Conklins Crescent Filler was advertised as a way to refill the pen with one hand. If you know the ins and outs of the pens you want to buy and start to get a feel for the market, it will help keep you from overpaying. For me each pen whether its the same each has its own personality. please register yourself at http://www.penloverskolkata.com we are trying to build a platform for fountain pen lovers . 52. And I have bought several more since high school. If your father or grandfather served in World War II, you could buy a pen made while he was deployed overseas. If I knew that theyd be discontinued AND impossible to find on ebay or anywhere else on the world wide web (trust me, I check at least once a month), I wouldve snagged every 1 left in Texas while I could! thank you. As with any collection, you need to start by making a plan. Give us a call and we will, we will, Rock you! Shes our little girl who loves playing string toy and hanging out with her brothers. Some have labelled my hobby an addiction. Guilty on all counts. Cosmetic issues like this dont affect the functionality of the pen, only the aesthetic beauty and, therefore, the price. pen to allow two different ink colors and nib styles on the go at one time). I have an exhaustive yet beautiful set of TWSBIs, in all its various color machinations; an embarrassingly large set of Montblanc Writers Edition beauties, and enough beautiful and exotic Viscontis to pay off a car it is definitely an addiction my eye catches that which is innovative, beautiful, unique or sentimental a MAGNIFICENT OBSESSION*. I so agree! I have a bunch of Kaweco AL Sports; I love the hefty metal weight of those adorably tiny pens! Are you a Fountain Pen Collector? I also have all of the TWSBI Eco and Eco T editions. Through a little bit of research you should be able to date your pen. mother will vouch) about fountain pen collecting is little mes desperate If youve been collecting pens for any length of time, you have likely discovered a similar habit of pen collecting in yourself or others. It shouldnt flop up and down. My workhorse pens that have smooth EF nibs and hold buckets of ink. Parker Jotter Fountain Pen & Pen Before getting into the details of purchasing, you need to know a little bit about the primary manufacturers of the fountain pens of yore. I write. A new collector will also be able to benefit from the expertise of dealers and other attendees alike. Simple. The 51 was a runaway success for 30 years, selling upwards of 20 million units, until being discontinued. The barrel came in solid colors and had a metal cap. This slightly long haired black beauty loves anything pink and follows our giant ginger Ollie everywhere. Kaweco Sport & Brass Fountain Pen Conklins pens were originally very successful; so successful, in fact, that Conklin didnt update their filling mechanism even as other manufacturers were continuing to innovate. The Internet. Yes, there are pen shows! Pen Shows. Not only did Sheaffer bring change to the colors of fountain pens, the company also introduced a new shape. I prefer my Parker Frontier and Cross Solo or Radiance pens. They are my go-to travel pens with a different color waterproof ink in each one for drawing and writing in my travel journals. Im glad I didtheyre sturdy, flow amazingly well, and the modern converters fit them well. If you use eBay, watch auctions for pen models youre interested in and see what the winning bid is. Once you find a series you like, adding to it is a fun thing to do. Is the furniture brassing? through them. Though founded shortly after the turn of the 20thcentury, Wahl-Eversharp didnt begin manufacturing fountain pens until after first manufacturing a mechanical pencil called the Eversharp and then acquiring a fountain pen company in 1917. Yes, it Ive begged & pleaded with sharpie to make them againno such luck though. As I was cleaning my vast array of pens, I started to think about what possesses us, as pen collectors, to buy the same pen in a different color? I love the lady skripserts when I first got into fountain pens as a kid (maybe 10?) Watermans Ideal No. subconscious rejection and celebration of consumerism. through the objects of my desire fountain pens, with moments in history, with As the best hunters and gatherers were the ones that passed their DNAs on, it is natural to surmise that I gather, because of that streak is in my blood. Now, thats ancient. Below I give a brief history of each, along with a model or two theyre best known for: Waterman. This is where you can get hands-on experience looking at different models. Perhaps you want to buy one pen from each of the Big Four, or maybe you want to buy exclusively Watermans. Sheaffer. The Sometimes, Always, Never Three-Button Rule, A Chill Dude Style Staple: The Classic Camp Collar Shirt, A Mans Guide to Fragrance: How to Choose and Wear Cologne, How to Pick the Perfect Mens Wedding Ring, How to Grow a Beard: The One and True Guide, Your No-Nonsense Guide to Choosing the Right Beard Style, Beard Oil FAQs: Answering All Your Pressing Beardly Questions, Beard Grooming 101: The Lowdown on Products and Routine, How to Recognize a Quality Tie in 60 Seconds, Podcast #678: Physical Benchmarks Every Man Should Meet, At Every Age, How to Use Lifting Straps to Level Up Your Strength Training, How to Recognize and Treat Heat Stroke and Heat Exhaustion, What Every Man Should Know About Having a Heart Attack, The Insanely Difficult Standards of Historys Hardest P.E. collection. activated every time I acquire a new pen. Amendments were ratified. Do you have different reasons for collecting multiples than I have listed above? It sums up beautifully. History is more than events and dates. (The Perspective is the most underrated pen ever!!). Here, youll find a ballroom filled with vendors selling pens new and old, in every style and condition imaginable. It holds a bucket of ink with the unique Opus 88 eyedropper filling system and Ive been able to fit a custom ground Franklin-Christoph nib into the pen as well which makes it a joy to write with. Many sellers will replace these as a part of preparing the pens for resale. The period of satiation, they say, gets increasingly smaller which prompts me Cant forget my collection of Sailor Minis those are terribly addictive. Dont take a lack of nib photos as someone trying to pull a fast one, though. I found the newer versions of it to be wanting, so I hunted down the vintage 1980s models online. I still have my first one somewhere in the clutter of my studio. The Epic Refill Reference Guide: Rollerball, Gel and Ballpoints, A Beginner's Dive into Ring-Bound Planners: Part 2 - Planner Sizes. If the nib is flexible, does the seller grade the flexibility? Restored pens will command a higher price than pens in need of restoration. Look at the nib from the side. Other than that I confess to generally having between 18 and 24 pens inked up, but thats because I like to have a good range of ink colors and nib sizes available, including Fude and Flex. Oh, they also point out that I must continue to collect, to stave off whatever unwelcome feelings that rock my subconscious to force me into collecting. I have Pelikan M200 Demonstrators in many colors; I love all colored demonstrators. But Sheaffer changed all that when it released the Sheaffer Balance. It remains a popular choice for collectors for its sleek styling and excellent engineering. What pen do you collect over and over? Brassing occurs when the gold plating wears away over time due to use. Just because a pen hasnt been restored doesnt mean that it isnt any good, but knowing the answer to this question will keep you from having to learn how to restore pens before you wanted to. Other models will be $100, $150, or more. What kind of collection do you want to have? Kudos to you Chawm, as only your mind can think in this! All of us have at least two Retro51s the gateway drug for pen theme collecting. I have the same urges that makes my wife buy shoes and makes me buy fountain pens and yes, I didnt need to go to a shrink to figure that out . I sprung the nib pretty quickly, but kept it, and eventually replaced the nib and started collecting others. So beautiful! I knew that Opus 88 had discontinued this petite model in favor of creating ever larger pens. And dont get me started about PenBBS! Wahl-Eversharp. My EDC. As someone said in a previous comment, the same pen in a different couple colour (or nib) has a different personality. Is the nib flexible? Editors note: This is a guest post from Mark Blake. Black hard rubber fades into brown. collecting is actually a desire to defy death, the fear that stems from the I have also had people explaining my fountain pen collecting as a mere anxiety buster. Many excellent restored pens can be snagged for around $75 with enough patience and skill. The pen I keep buying are Parker 45s. No regrets! Congratulations. He thinks hes a righteous dude. What really got me thinking about this urge to collect the same pen in different colors came as I was cleaning my Opus 88 Fantasia in green and orange (I forget the official name for it but its the one in the photo above on the far right). Wahl-Eversharp also introduced another head-turner: the adjustable nib. As with most things, the rarer a pen is, the more expensive it will be. Your email address will not be published. If the seller is experienced in selling pens, the listing will usually include all the photos a collector would want. We have some of the most cost-effective options to add muscles to your brand. The nib should be in a straight line and should not deviate up or down. Sacs break down over time and must be replaced. Naturally, to get that high, I keep The Parker Duofold Senior discussed above, for example, is usually over $200 when in good shape. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. Is the body discolored? Some of them become regulars. What colors are you still seeking of the Carene? Jesi immediately showed me her full rainbow of TWSBI ECO pens and an assortment of Kaweco Sport and AL-Sport pens. An adjustable slider on the top of the nib allowed a user to adjust its flexibility. The Filling Mechanism. What else can you call these so-called fountain pen lovers who are compromising Saraswatis enlightenment in search of Lakshmis blessings, that too by means most foul! What makes you want another one? No Nonsense bit me in as a High School student. Graat article. Look for an imprint in the nib near where itenters the barrel. A pens furniture refers to metal parts of the pen like the clip, lever, or cap band, if the pen has any of those items. This first Duofold, named the Duofold Senior and later nicknamed Big Red, was a wild success. Yes, passionate we are in our defence, but most of the time, we know in the heart of our hearts, how hollow our arguments are. If youre examining the pen in person, gently press the nib on your thumbnail and watch to see how wide the tines spread. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. A good place to start for the new collector is with the Big Four. The nib bears all the weight of writing and over time can develop cracks around the breather hole, near the slit, or on the sides. I immediately recognized some of your Lady Sheaffer Skripserts. But Im not looking to buy more now! When youre obsessed with pens, & your all time favorite pen gets discontinued, theres no such thing as too many. was a Lamy CP1, and once I discovered the modularity of the nibs I quickly acquired a full set of standard and italic steel nibs (with one matching back-up, distinguished initially by a blob of nail-polish, but now by its visible history of dings and blemishes!) Mark Blake is a native Texan currently living in Louisville, Kentucky where hes a student at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. George Parker founded his eponymous pen company in 1888. Vintage fountain pens are great ways to own a part of history. It will also give you direction instead of leaving you to aimlessly wade through a vast ocean of vintage pens. Vintage Men's Adventure Magazines. On a more profound plane, I have wielded them. I have just about every Pilot Metropolitan fountain pen color available. while I am embracing it by defining myself by the quality and value of my As I cleaned an embarrassing number of pens that were inked, dried out or in some state in between, I started noticing my tendency to have multiples of the same pen. OMG. pens, I am rejecting the crass consumerism of use-and-throw ball point pens, Interesting. I myself have a much simpler explanation for my fountain pen collecting though I just love buying. It was a very rewarding five-year spree but I now feel very content with the options I have available. To them.. According to this school of thought, my fountain pen collecting is both a The auction sitealso allows a new collector to test the market and get a good idea of what different types of pens go for. Gold was originally used to make nibs because gold is so resistant to corrosion. fountain pen collecting. Usually the pens I buy are within that collection focus but sometimes I just see a nice pen and add it. I was impressed by the portability and design history, but the black body was a bit dull for me, so I bought first a Fox Red (Burned Orange? Buongiorno. Just as an antique gun collector would be remiss to not be familiar with Smith & Wesson, a fountain pen collector needs to know the likes of Waterman and Parker. Buying a pen from these placestakes more risk than buying one from a dealer at a pen show or online, but the reward can be significant if you know what youre looking for and are willing to do some extra work. Thank you! The Lamy CP1 was for my birthday in 2016 and for my 2021 birthday I have already bought my final pen because I really did need an Ambition in Flamingo Pink as the cherry on top! Now collectors have access to an abundance of vintage pens through websites like eBay and vintage pen resellers. The Duofold was originally available only in red hard rubber. 14k or a similar marking will tell you if a nib is gold. Conklin. Gold nibs and furniture will be pricier than stainless steel and nickel-plated alternatives. of their histories, of the times they represent and the men (and women) who I think there are a couple of older styles I cant find, or maybe they only existed in the muggle pen variety. Yes, I caress them. Designed By X-LINKED LETHAL. I collect mostly vintage Esterbrook pens, all the various models. You have now become the Desmond Morris of Pen Collectors Watching and have found their behaviours. Your email address will not be published. This was a bold statement for the day, as most hard rubber pens only came in black. Unlike corrosion, this isnt a chemical reaction and doesnt affect the integrity of the pen. I feel connected and a serendipity is every fountain pen occurrence in my lifeor for that matter when it connects the dots with people like you, who have turned friends from mere customers.. Right tool (pen) for the right job! Pilot Fountain Pens. Lewis Waterman is credited with inventing a new type of feed that allowed air to flow into the pen as ink flowed out, reducing the number of ink blots and making the ink flow more reliably. Talk with, not to, see? This gives me, somehow, EF, F, M and BB nibs in addition to the calligraphy set, all of which are easy to swap around! Manufacturers routinely offered new colors, patterns, clip designs, filling systems, and the like to keep buyers buying. What is a Saint, but a Sinner, revised, edited and PR-ed? Dating the pen. Brassed items can be re-plated if youre willing to spend the money on it. Parker later introduced other Duofolds of different colors and sizes. Not sure the official designation but its a great color), followed by a Brass, which I love so much I splurged on a Gold nib and a pen case which I attached to a key chain for security, and then, purely driven by color, I succumbed to the new Dark Olive (I have hybridized do Fox body with Olive grip section and vice versa ). Stainless steel nibs were also used on pens, but theyare more susceptible to corrosion and pitting, weakening the nib over time. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Everything Fountain pens, inks and Accessories. If yes, then I may have one for you. Guest Contributor November 19, 2015 Last updated: June 4, 2021. The majority of fountain pens dont have flexible nibs, and some collectors may not even want their pen to be flexible.

Sitemap 7

why collect fountain pens