I think contemporary society thrives on obsession, fomo, and novelty. It gives a sense of belonging and spurts of dopamine. When I began working on other aspects of myself that needed help, I found that my obsession with fountain pens and compulsive behaviors related to their pursuit curbed off. I love my pens, but I enjoy them more moderately now. There's a lot to explore when you discover you enjoy writing with and maintaining fountain pens. I wish someone had pulled me aside when I began obsessively pursuing fountain pens and asked me if I felt my searching was a response to other discomforts and possibly being used as an escape mechanism. I'm not implying that this is the case for everyone, but I do see a lot of people come and go in the communities as they burn themselves out by making it an obsessive "hobby." Personally, I think the word hobby is frequently used as a friendly, enabling term used to cover much more nefarious obsessive behavior. The information age has done a lot of good, but it has also created online environments where casual interests feel like they must move toward obsession in order for a person to feel like he/she can contribute to the conversations and be part of things. I'm rambling now. But, I think what I'm getting at is that the one thing I wish I'd been told when my interest in fountain pens was reignited was that being interested in something does not have to lead to obsession, and being part of something doesn't need to mean being a character or contributing voice on the internet. It's ok to not know or experience everything in an area of product-oriented culture despite the atmosphere internet communities tend to have. (Edited for clarity)
Watches took me down that rabbit hole. The way search engines and Facebook feeds work doesn't help either as it doesn't take long before all you seem to have placed before you is whatever your poison is, which normalises the desire for more all of the time. Returning to pens with the experience from the watch collecting world, I hope I can be a little more balanced.
My three things I wish I’d known: 1. No pen review is equal to trying a pen yourself for several days to see if it suits you. 2. That a good nib grind transforms a pen 3. That I should have started the hobby earlier because it is rather enjoyable. I have a 5 pen limit so I don’t overspend. Thanks for your continued content Kerry, it’s appreciated.
Thank you for all you do! I have watch almost all of your videos. As someone new to the hobby, your videos have helped significantly. Kerry, your videos are honest and sincere. Keep up the excellent work. I will be watching.
OK, Love your videos, LOVE THAT YOU ARE CANADIAN, and Love your Orange cat. Thanks for all the wonderful information I am learning about fountain pens and journaling too. I’m a newbie so your thoughts and knowledge are so much appreciated. Thank you!
1. I didnt need to spend money on full bottles of ink. Samples are fine mostly 2. I don't need to stock up on journals. There is a significant wait time between starting and finishing :P 3. Pen addicts will let you try all their pens, so go to a meet and test them. No need to review them all personally with purchases.
Mines are: 1) Yearning for pens can be an addiction like collecting watches, artwork, or pretty much anything else. 2) Most people have more money than what seems to be reasonable to spend on pens, inks and accessories. And yes, you will spend more money on pens than you would expect. Accessories seem to be less dangerous compared to $800 pens but ink, paper and other accessories can be expensive as well. David Parker said in one of his videos that he wished he had gone slower and had spent more time on each pen when he had started the hobby. 3) Take into account your writing habits at your work and at home. It may become obvious that you can't really use all the pens you want to own. Even the puniest cartridge or a fully filled converter will last for ages if you don't have the chance to use your pens. Make meaningful purchases and take it slow. Enjoy the pens you have before starting chasing a new one.
Nice topic! Three things I wish I knew and would have taken more seriously: 1. That my nib preferences would actually evolve over time. When I initially started with fountain pens, I would purchase extra-fine and fine nibs. I ended up buying quite a few pens with only those nib sizes. I now would never consider an extra-fine unless I know that the particular pen in question typically writes a wet and thicker line than typical for an extra-fine (for example, the M1000). So I currently have quite a few unused pens and am considering selling them. 2. I should seriously spend time with each pen. I have fallen in love with pens that I was initially neutral about on first experience, eg. my Lamy 2000. The opposite has occurred with others in that I liked them initially but no longer do over time. I would never say that I regret buying them since the experience of them helped to shape my own realisation of what is truly a comfortable writing experience for me. 3. I should not underestimate the law of diminishing returns in any material pursuit. I have too often been disappointed with my bigger spends. Of course, I've often been really happy, but on too many occasions, not or just not as happy as I was anticipating. It can be sobering at times.
Fell into the “Fountain Pen Pit” in my ninth decade (yes, after years of scrawny ballpoint and computer keyboard) and despite internal disbelief (“This doesn’t make any sense whatsoever!”) am rocking and rolling, and loving it. Actually went to a pen show, and became totally overwhelmed. Actually bought a beautiful pen box for 40!!! pens despite having acquired only 15. Actually love trolling the pen sites and videos, hoping for “rationalization” but instead finding support for this wonderful addiction. It is a “kind” addiction after all, only troubling one’s own space and pocket and there are choices for everyone. And indeed, journaling is excellent for health. Excellent video, thank you.
Very nice video, Kerry. I very much enjoy your reviews, as they are fun, honest and informative! Regarding the three things I wish I had known before starting out on this hobby: 1. Learning to wait before adding to the collection. I particularly like Pelikan and Sailor pens, but can I really justify over 40 pens? After all, I can only use one pen at a time... But the problem with collecting is that the manufacturers get you with their limited editions: take Pelikan- once the new editions are gone they are either gone for ever or then sell for ridiculous prices, so I end up buying two or more Pelikans every year although I am not (yet) mad enough to buy every new edition!. So I should have been more selective when I started out. 2. Learning to gauge how much ink I will use. Again this is a problem with the siren voices of limited editions. I love the Pelikan inks of the year Smoky Quartz and Amethyst. I managed to buy a "lifetime supply" of both but that means storage. I also love Sailor inks, particularly the Kobe inks. And surely, if I am rational, there are equivalents if the ink becomes discontinued... So I have now over 80 bottles of ink, and as I use a bottle every 4 months, that is about 30 years' worth of ink... 3. Spending too much time on researching pens and inks. One of the great things about the internet is the reviews. There are fabulous and informative reviews of so many pens, pen shops, inks, paper etc that one can spend too much time online, basically "window shopping". It is fun but it can take more of my spare time than I anticipated. And, guess what?, I am thinking of producing my own reviews which will require even more of my spare time for this hobby... Down the rabbit hole, indeed....
I understand all three things and share them. I understand the “addiction “ angle. What I am overwhelmed and thrilled by is the number of delightful and caring people invested in this hobby. I am lucky enough to live in a city with a brick and mortar pen store (Dromgoole’s in Houston) that feels like a party every Saturday with all these strangers coming together from all walks of life and SHARING not only the details of their hobby, but also the details of their lives. At the end of the day, we all go our own way-BUT, delightfully, we come back together the next Saturday or the next. Is there anything better than sharing happiness? Thanks for your contribution to our “hobby.”
Agree about the $. I remember thinking spending $20 was extravagant for a pen and now I don’t hesitate that much when spending $200-300. 💰 I’m a bit of a minimalist and want to be mindful not to get over 20 pens but wonder how long I can hold that stance. I thought one or two would be plenty at first. 🤣 I don’t see this as a bad thing but a positive thing: I started using fountain pens to bring more mindfulness to my journaling and it has but as a bonus I’ve started to explore drawing/inking using fountain pens. This is allowing me to use nibs that I would never use for writing and I’m enjoying the process of seeing myself as creative when it comes to drawing which I’ve never felt.
Hi Kerry, the number one thing I wished I known is that the “rabbit hole” actually exist. The only way you know it’s not a mystical place people talk about is after you’ve fallen in. Thanks for the video.
This is a great subject & I enjoyed your video very much! I wish I had known some things before I got into (or back into) the hobby!!! :) I would have come sooner!!! Even with the cost, the space issues ... a biggie here too lol (and I'm an empty nester with basically 2 rooms devoted to office and art/hobby), and everything considered I'd do it all again!!!! The 3 things that if I'd known SOONER I would have come running FASTER are: 1. how awesome the people I'd "meet" thru penpal writing and online here at You Tube etc ARE and how much I'd enjoy being part of this great community 2. how much joy having such great ink colors to write with in pens that write SMOOTH would be (I've always journaled and taken lots of notes & wrote letters to family and my pens before were not very good and I spent a lot of $ on disposable gel pens)! 3. the fact that with the right education: primarily Brian's FP 101 series and many other you tubers I watch ....... I would be able to clean and maintain and even fix my own pens --- because as a teenager I had nothing but trouble with my fountain pens & I gave up on writing with them so I missed so MANY years of enjoyment just because I couldn't deal with pens that dried up & I didn't know proper care! :) I always look forward to your videos!!!! :) Glad you are back making them!!!!!
I have followed artists who hesitated to start a Patreon. But I think they were all very surprised to see that the content they give has value to other creative types. Your time has value. Think about it. I came to fountain pens because I wanted to try them with art, now I love them for all my journaling! Videos like yours have been super helpful. Also, Hello Parker!
I definitely agree with you on all your points made especially the expensive side of the hobby. However, I have no regrets. The simple pleasures of life.
I like your videos a lot. You are a nice and generous person. Thank you for sharing your thoughts on this hobby with us. Oh yes! I like when you say La Couronne du Comte.
I am a full on FP addict - one thing I think about is how in the beginning I spent $$ on many entry level pens cuz they were 'cheap' in a relative sense. BUT - once you graduate to better pens they sit around unused. And their resale value is meh - for me better to keep them then sell them off for pennies assuming you'll get anything for them anyhow. Better to be intentional about your purchases - if you are a beginner get yourself a Lamy Safari and a perhaps ONE Twisby and gauge your taste for the hobby - then take advantage of the vast online resources (like Kerry) and save your pennies for your grail pen - thanks- as always great video and perspective! Love your channel!
Great comments, Kerry. I'm a journaler too but I grew up with the word "diary" and also since I write daily that word is the right fit for me. I started keeping one at the age of 15 on July 5, 1976, and just recently began writing in my 116th diary. I can go for years without missing a day. I don't recall who but someone once said that writing in a journal or diary can be a sacrament. It can be good for our minds and spirits--W. Somerset Maugham the British writer once said that if you keep a diary after a while "... it keeps you".---The entertainer Melba Moore said, "Communication is sacred", and when we appreciate and use and enjoy pens and paper and ink and blank books, items used for communication, we confirm that statement.
My three biggest things are pretty similar to yours--probably true for most people. #1 is definitely the expense; I am retired and on fixed income. It's interesting that people use fixed income as a supposed indication of how much money you have, but income can be fixed at many different levels, so that really doesn't indicate much. For me, I do have to be careful how much I spend. When I started, I figured I would be limited to pens up to the $50 range, which was okay. BUT that started to creep up 😜 When I bought my first gold nib pen for under $100, I saw new possibilities. So now I do buy pens in the 100-200 range. I do have several pens with higher retail prices, up to the $800 level, but those were purchased at close out sales or previously owned. As a result, I have more money invested in pens that I ever imagined. As you also stated, having a variety of paper sizes and styles also adds up quickly. Space is the second area I was not prepared for. The pens themselves aren't too bad, but a modest collection of notebooks, journals, and stationery for letter writing takes a lot of room, and it has to be stored carefully so you are not ruining the paper. I have been fairly smart about ink, mostly buying samples rather than bottles (still have too many), but do you realize how much room over a hundred ink samples need? And the third area is time: I live in a rural area, so my contact with the pen community is mostly through the internet . As a result, I spend way too much time, particularly on Instagram. Once you start following a couple of pen reviewers and pen makers, your connections quickly grow to the point you can't keep up with all the postings. All said, though, it's a wonderful hobby for a retired person.
I wish I'd known about offline meetups around my city, and pen shows a bit earlier. I think that would have helped me slow down, and get me to meet new people and check out new things.
Thoughtful and thought provoking. Looking back on my time in the hobby, I don't find the space/storage issue a challenge nor the time (it is a hobby after all; liked the quote). What I wish I knew at the beginning was how good a writer many low cost pens are. I started at the high end (LE,s vintage etc) and felt all nibs had to be gold. Nowadays, I always have a few steel nibs in daily use rotation.
Love your videos. New to fountain pens. So much to learn thanks for helping me out. 1. How much I would spend after getting addicted. 2. Fountain pens don't require you to fiddle with them all the time. 3. I thought the ink was like major permanent, never wash off hands.
Hi. I dig your natural and easy going style. It's unpretentious and refreshing. Keep going. I'll keep watching. Love the cat too. I had two fountain pens for about 25 years. Both Mont Blanc. Then in late 2019 I suddenly became deeply interested in more and different pens. I now have 55 pens, lots of ink, paper, cases, notebooks, etc. In the span of one year, I probably spent $10k...easily. Probably more👍😳😂
Fascinating thoughts. I agree with all of it. I do tend to get heavily into things - kites, board games, photography, bikes, camping, RC planes, pens, and books - I mustn't forget books! In terms of cost, I've spent most on books ofc, followed by cameras. But the planes definitely take up most space! My personality is quite focussed, though, so I research a lot to find the 'perfect' item, and end up with about 10-12 of anything in a collection (except the books ofc). Currently trying to slim down my collections, but I have to confess I bought a pen on eBay because it looked a bit crazy (and was less than a tenner). Thank you for your intelligent and insightful videos.
Same here! I fell hard and fast, too-->Especially when all you youtubers (pens&tea, SBRE Brown, Penhabit, Goulet, ect) were so new and enthusiastic during a time when new companies and products were emerging, all combining to create what I'd call that "Fountain Pen Gold Rush". But after the dive into the rabbit hole I know what I like and narrowed it down to 2-3 pens (Vista, 3776) I've found journaling so positive for my mental health, especially when combined with meditation I learned from Tibetan Buddhist Monks (I'm not going to learn from hippies or people charging me, that's for sure-->I learn from the best)--> And fountain pens help because I can relax while I write and let it flow. The FP community is unique and special, and what the members make of it. You do good work. I hope it's still something that makes you feel good and is positive for you.
I quite enjoyed this video and as a self proclaimed serial hobbyist, I think these three things apply to almost every hobby. For instance, a couple of years ago I decided to learn how to knit as a stress relief. Fast forward 3 years later, I have a huge stash that takes up an entire room (yes, a room). I have surpassed the acrylic from the big box store and now knit almost exclusively with wool (merino and cashmere mostly) and silk so the cost per project can easily be someone's car payment.
I agree with you about cost and time. Space for the stuff isn’t that bad when you think about other hobbies in comparison like sports (think about the equipment, special clothes, shoes, etc.) or someone who tinkers with cars (the garage space, tools, parts, fluids) or woodworking (again, space for the project, materials, tools...) . Anyways, when I first started in the hobby, I had two bottles of ink a handful of pens, and composition books for paper. Money was tight and I was satisfied checking out eBay for deals. When money was even tighter, I didn’t think about purchasing new pens. I had a few roller balls and a ton of refills and enjoyed those for many years. Now that I have a little more disposable income, I am back to the fountain pens and the last four or five years bought way too many pens. Finding the Goulet videos really started me down the rabbit hole. It’s been fun.
First of all, you are a centered woman, Kerry. That's way cool. The three things I wish I'd known before getting into the fountain pen hobby? That almost sounds like a negative. What I'm grateful for is the time it's consume in my retired life. Through TH-cam videos I've discovered products I never thought I'd be interested in. I have a total brass pen from Schondsgn that I shove in the small pocket in my jeans with my Buck knive, and a Traveler's passport leather cover with a notebook in my right back pocket, waiting for inspiration. Those thoughts do come and I'm thankful for writing them in my notebook with my pocket pen instead of somehow (I don't have a clue) putting those thoughts on my cellphone. Like yourself, Kerry, I never realized how expensive some pens are and how I'd be drawn to them as I fell deeper into the rabbit hole. But thankfully, I've not been able to justify spending $1000+ on a pen. Maybe that'll come if I have an OMG moment. This hobby does make me happier than I'd expected. That's another thing I didn't anticipate. And I didn't expect so many people giving their time to make these videos.
Really great video, thank you. I started my self with a parker flighter 45 that is now more than 50 years, it was a gift from my father when i was 10 (many years ago), then in a modern era i bought a metropolitan and a Safari, being influenced by many videos over youtube i started to bought some other Lamy's, twsbi's, Pelikan's, Montblanc's, some inks, paper, and then i realized that i was just accumulating pens, paper and ink and not really enjoying them, after of course realizing how much money i was spending on pens i decided to stop buying at a fast pace and started to enjoying more and more my pens, now i buy pens with more caution and evaluate if it is going to add something positive to my collection (system), currently there are only two pens pending for me MB149 and a M1000, then i am planing to enjoy all my pens and all my inks.
Back when I was in school/ college, I used to dread writing records. Because my handwriting was really bad and I used to hate writing. But fountain pens made me think in a different light. Now I wish I could write records again, but alas! I’m too old.
Before i started using fountain pens i too used to dread writing stuff like you. I echo your statement, but I am in college and i started to enjoy writing because of the smoothness that fountain pens offer, the various ink colors and the lovely shading that you often get with medium/broad nibbed pens.
When I began with fountain pens, I set a goal, 12 pens (1pen/month), so I need to be careful with what I get. Right now I have 6, but if I get 12 and want another, I sell or give away 1 of the old and replace it. This way I'm able to take care of all those, more or less.
I think this is such an interesting video topic (and I might steal it for a video myself - and it might be cool for people like Dr. Brown or Ms Gourmet Pens to do similar things - it shows everyone that we are all in the same boat). I think there would be a lot of cross over... but a big one that jumps out for me is the FOMO. I had no idea I would 'need' things so much. There are now 2 Twsbi Pens I don't have... a Micarta and the Aurora and it kills me! hahaha.
Mick L wrote: "There are now 2 Twsbi Pens I don't have... a Micarta ...." ....... The Micarta is no longer in production. I have two of them, one with a clip, and the other without. I replaced the nibs with Goulet #6 nibs.
Thumbs up! Someone finally addressing the rabbit hole of the hobby, and the financial outlay. Next the space! Yes a drawer of ink. More than a drawer of journals! Then time searching out that elusive item, whether its a pen, a journal or a gadget to support the hobby. Also, the problem when you find a journal or a planner you really like and want to use every day, but oh no, the paper sucks and can't be used with FPs, then its looking for ballpoint or gel pens and then the discomfort of not having the perfect set up!. That really bugs me. I wish I'd known for me it's virtually impossible to use a FP at work. I know others do, but I don't like capping and uncapping,or the fear of losing it or having to bring my own paper to work, which gets expensive! That's a sub-hole of the rabbit hole. ;) thanks for raising this! I'd say don't do Patreon. ;)
l love your video. I had no idea how much sheer joy collecting fountain pens would bring. I like to buy my fountain pens on line, and have them shipped to me. when I get home from work if there is a little package in my mail box, and I know it has to be one of my new fountain pens, I ordered, it makes my day. At first I thought I would get maybe two or three pens, but now I have at least twenty. This hobby is totally addictive. And each new pen has to have its own color of ink....and ink comes in so many colors. And then there is paper. it is just such fun to make the paper match the pen, and the ink and before I know it I'm spending way too much. at some point you have to say....enough already. Don't buy any more. But then I see some outrageously beautiful new pen and I have to have it too. One day I sat down and added up how much I have spent in this obsession of mine and I thought This is nuts. I have got to use self control here. I wish I knew how addictive this hobby is.
There's something to be said about having one pen or a couple pens you really love versus a lot of pens you really like that distract and pull you away from the one pen you really love. It is possible to go through a lot of pens in the pursuit of the one you really love, or you may get lucky and find it early on. You may tire of the one you really love and try others along the way still returning to your beloved pen when the sparkle of new wears off, or you may love multiple pens through your lifetime each changing with the season of your life.
Thanks. TH-cam video production must also be chewing up a lot of time for you. I can't imagine attempting it. I actually disagree with that quote about wasted time that you mention, and I teach ninth graders. Thoreau writes, "As if you could kill time without injuring eternity." Anyway, it is an interesting discussion about our limited resources, space, and time and how we find lasting value within all those parameters. I have set limits on exactly all three of these aspects of the hobby so that I can keep this stuff from breaking out of the corner of my life where I want it to stay. I have a family and a job and a spirituality and a marriage that must all live in the center of the space-time-money continuum. :)
A very honest admission of what this hobby has become for you. It's like all these 'hobbies' on TH-cam, they are another form of marketing to sell stuff. The thing is, if you enjoy it and you can afford it then before you know it you're on the slippery slope to blow money and time on this thing. It can happen with all sorts of 'stuff', we may not think of ourselves as 'addicts' but the habit forming nature of these hobbies can be pretty addictive. Beware people, keep control of your materialistic desires before they take control of you.
Thanks for the video. I really understand what you say about the time investment to be on TH-cam. Time to record the videos, edit, research... I love it but it really requires a lot of effort. The biggest problem is to be online talking about pens steals free time for me to use those pens...
I have found out, budget fountain pens are very inconsistent, even dip test can be misleading sometimes. Say no to cheaper pens especially Chinese pens, there may be some hidden diamonds in the coal, but the prices of the coal add up.. It is mandatory to make yourself familiar with nib tuning or you will end up with a drawer full of pens far more expensive than good quality ball points or rollerballs except they don't write the way you want it to write. Tuning a nib is not easy, it requires practice and experience and some serious time invested to it. Nothing writes better than a fountain pen so we keep on buying hoping the next pen would be the perfect one. Save up money for one good pen and most probably get it tuned , rather than getting several inexpensive pens. In FPN it is hard to distinguish between review and promotion, especially when it comes to indian pens. Honestly when i pick up a parker jotter i know exactly how it will write, but when i pick up say a pilot metropolitan or a lamy safari, i have no idea how it will write, seriously no wonder ball point pens are now everywhere. Like quartz watches ball point is the superior pen from a technical point of view. But fountain pen virus, because nothing writes better than a properly tuned fountain pen...
Thanks for another thought-provoking video! I wish I'd known that there were highly functional fountain pens that are affordable, because for many years I thought fountain pens all cost hundreds of dollars. I wish I'd known about the hand strain I would save as a scholar and avid journaler if I were to use fountain pens. I wish I'd known about the huge variety of inks available for use for writing and calligraphy through fountain pens.
Great video, Kerry. I also have the notebook, leather cover, ink, paper, fountain pen collections. Too much stuff, but love it all and wouldn't have it any other way. I used fountain pens in school and have always considered them the best to write with. Went through a fancy BP collecting phase and still have all those but no longer use them. I am also a journaler so the paper and notebook thing is at crisis stage. Oh well😱
Oh yes, so many things which I agree with! I never thought that my pens and associated paraphernalia would take up space, but it really does! Producing content for my TH-cam channel is time consuming, but I love doing it because nobody at home or work wants to listen to me talking about my pens 😀
The number one thing I wish I would have known is that there is an interested group of fountain pen enthusiasts and getting to know them earlier would have saved me a ton of money and helped me build a more appropriate collection sooner and not had so many pens in my collection I don't like.
It's a bit like human relationships. It's attractive, addictive and probably expensive. Would you do it differently the next Time? Hopefully yes, I know I would. 3 pens no faffing about. Pilot Custom heritage 912 with the falcon nib, Jinhao X750 with a Bock 1.1 stub nib and a Jinhao 159 with a Bock 1.5 stub nib. One pen. It would be the 159 1.5 nib in bright green! Relationships, choose someone you can rely on to be faithful. Or get a cat. Or a dog. I do a dog share.
1. Crazy love for all the pens! New, vintage, Japanese, Italian, Chinese, USA, European. 2. Addiction to Celloloid is a thing! 3. Withdrawal from pens and ink when you are too busy to use them, or away at work and can’t spend time with them. It’s a painful thing! I am happy you didn’t know what you know now. You may have turned the other way and I would miss your videos.
While many do spending a lot on their FP hobby, its certainly possible to limit your spending while enjoying FBs as long as you exercise personal restraint. You can buy many pens used, use then until you are done with them and then sell them for more than the purchase price.
I used to write on journals. But now, I'm stuck on the journal that I started 3 years ago. But hey, i do love to write insights on random topics (happiness, opportunities, critiques, etc) I have 3 fps so far, all in the "entry level" side. My next leap is a Lamy 2k, but I'm still looking for something else that would pull me away from my "engagement".
don't bother with a Lamy 2000. it has a hooded nib and at night or low light it is hard to align the nib to write correctly. Also it is a complex pen with extra gaskets at the front end and my two Lamy 2000's have both suffered leaks in this area and both have been sent back to Lamy for warranty repairs. No one ever mentions this as a problem.
I have far more pens than I actually need or can use, but possession of them is rewarding, even if seldom used. What do people do with a stamp collection, or a coin collection, etc. ? At least a pen can be utilized.
Hi, I haven't started with fountain pens yet. I've found inexpensive Southworth paper in second hand stores that I put light pencil lines on, then use a uniball signo .7mm gel pen and practice my cursive by copying things of interest. It's so pleasurable and relaxing and -it looks great. Thank you for that cautionary tale. Seeing all the videos devoted to this with people's notebooks and bottles of color is a real eye-opener. I like their passion. Is this an art?
I wish I'd known how quickly this would escalate from "I only need this $15 pen, who would pay $100 for a pen??" to buying the new Violet/white Pelikan *still the most I've ever spent on a pen and I hope I can hold the line there!*. So, money. I wish I'd known how much easier it would be to write with fountain pens than even my gel pens with the foam on them (severe arthritis in my hands). Mostly, I wish I'd known that it would rekindle my life-long love of writing (probably because I could now write without excruciating pain!) that I thought was gone forever.
Leading people to think fountain pens are an expensive, high space need, time sucking endeavor is VERY dangerous and VERY misleading. I suspect those who never used fountain pens before might get sucked in to the "shiny object" aspect of fountain pens. But at the end of the day--and during the day--fountain pens are high quality tools that should be used. Like anything else, the careful, discerning person makes choices rather than merely acquiring like a magpie. I believe the best advice for anyone considering fountain pens is, if you are a collector think about collecting something else rather than artificially driving up prices for those who actually use pens (or stick to collector focused crap like Montegrappa and Montblanc), and if you are looking for durable, highly functional, environmentally friendly tools then by all means educate yourself and get some pens. And either way, do not judge your worth in the "hobby" by how much you have. It is not a contest.
What really good and interesting topics you took on table and how right you are. Only thing I like to point out. Fountain pens can be extremely costly, but there is no demand to pay high price of really good fountain pen. I try to keep limit in 100 units ($, £ or €). Of course I own a few over that and I'm find some of them good and some not that good. I find many much, much cheaper pens exceptional good writers. E.g. as Chris and Aaron on their videos brings out many newer China's pens are today "Wow" in many different ways. My GOAT pen is "old work horse", Jinhao X450, the only one, which is always inked up. Last but not least, please, please keep doing these videos, I just love them.
Have you made a video of your favorite inks? I’m looking for inks for my extra fine twsbi but the black I have comes out pretty wet. Are all blacks like that?
It doesn't cost much to get started in the FP hobby. First, you need to see if you are going to enjoy or appreciate it. To start, I recommend you buy one or more Pilot Varsity FPs. They are pre-filled with two or more color choices, so you don't have to worry about buying ink. The pens have excellent nibs, with good ink flow. Good writing paper can be expensive, but I tend to use resumé paper. The bad thing about the Varsity pens is that they are throw-away, and we have too many throw-away items in society now. It is especially sad to throw away such good nibs.
I started with a Pilot Metropolitans and platinum preppies and I love writing with them. Knowing what I know now, I would have kept writing with them longer than I did. That would have given me more time to find fountain pen meetings and I could have tried out more pens. Also I would have slowed down the pace and frequency of my pen buying. I would have enjoyed each pen purchase longer before buying the next one.
I got into fountain pens because I read they are good for people with carpal tunnel. I wish I had known that broad nibs are as smooth as butter and require even less pressure to use. I wouldn’t have wasted so much money on fine nibs in the beginning.
haha I went two months ago from a old Parker fountain pen with a scratchy nib I found to a $6Aud jinhao x450 to just spending 360 on a pilot vanishing point and there type of inks, I not even sure why cause my handwriting looks a a 5 year old with a crayon, but find writing with a fountain very relaxing. Any way love the videos.
I’d been down that rabbit hole of expense ‘til I completely sold all my pens, removed myself out for a year. Now I’ve just bought MB1912 and honestly carrying this expensive pen around constantly reminds me that I overspent on it, that I could have survived with Lamy2000... I just flushed clean and got ready to sell it but... I don’t wanna let it go 😂
I think a Patreon page would be a good idea for you, after all, you do reviews of the products you buy so why not get some help from the people you watch you. You could even have Patreon supporter give you ideas of what to review next and so on.
If you keep it to a minimum it should be ok. I just started and I have 15 pens. My limit is 20. 7 of the pens I have right now are disposable once those are used up I will be down to only 8. With my birthday coming up I’m looking to splurge on 1 pen. My budget will be around $150.00-$250 1. Pen costs 2. Not every pen is the same 3. Paper and pen storage so many choices.
You asked so 50 plus years ago I would have liked to have known that a good fountain pen costs money, you cannot do it on the cheap. Also, what were/are the best brands? What were/are the best value? As a high school snd university student I sought out pens but they all leaked. Decades later I learned that a good fountain pen costs money, minimum of $60
Less than $10 each for pens, $1.75 each for vials of ink, and almost any paper out there. It's your choice to blow more money than necessary for a collection. I have about 100 pens, 20 or so samples of ink, and several $0.99 notebooks. I've spent about $250 in 30 years.
If you write stories, why don't you take that step to publish them? There are many sites where you can publish your book for free.Always fun to do. And it can grow as well. Just take the step. Just do it!
Sometimes I wish that I would have saved a little bit more money and purchased a better fountain pen in the beginning instead of a cheaper one. I put ink in all my pens in. The beginning even though I don’t use them all,at once now I am having to clean them all. I wish that I researched nibs a bit more so more of my pens would write better.
I wish I knew about the curiosity it creates. Like ok now I have a Lamy 2000 and it is nice but how is the Pilot Falcon, let's try it next. And then that gets expensive and there's this subconscious process going on in your head to save cash for the next one. I am pretty frugal like I won't buy anything unless there's a long term need for it but when it comes to FPs IDK where my head's at.
My 3 things, 15 years in: 1. I wish I'd known that what was going to motivate me in this hobby was the acquisition of pens rather than their ownership. It means there are always more pens I feel I want to buy, whose purchase delivers only a very short-term satisfaction. I don't think that is unique to me, nor to just this hobby. 2. I wish I'd known that there is no perfect ink, just an enormous number of nearly perfect ones. 3. I wish I'd known that I could throw all those boxes away as they came in the house. Collecting pen boxes takes 4 times as much storage space as collecting pens and they are no use whatsoever. They don't even add much to your resale value -- which is academic if you never sell...
You have been more helpful than you can possibly know. I am considering TH-cam, and my channel would combine my love of pens (for the very reasons you mention, including nostalgia, since I am a recently retired professor/one-time lawyer) with my passion (C. S. Lewis, Oxbridge, J.R.R. Tolkien and others in their writing group). Hence, a question: You once did a lot about tea (ever try Tiesta Teas, a young company out of Chicago started by Univ. of Illinois alumni I think?); however, now the content I see is all about pens (why I follow). THE QUESTION: So, did it prove too hard to combine dual content?
You talk a lot about journaling. What ink do you use to journal with? Do you use a specific pens to journal with? Starting to journal but I am still using my gel pens. I would like to use my fountain pens instead but not sure. Do you write and let the ink dry before you move on to another page?
I think contemporary society thrives on obsession, fomo, and novelty. It gives a sense of belonging and spurts of dopamine. When I began working on other aspects of myself that needed help, I found that my obsession with fountain pens and compulsive behaviors related to their pursuit curbed off. I love my pens, but I enjoy them more moderately now. There's a lot to explore when you discover you enjoy writing with and maintaining fountain pens. I wish someone had pulled me aside when I began obsessively pursuing fountain pens and asked me if I felt my searching was a response to other discomforts and possibly being used as an escape mechanism. I'm not implying that this is the case for everyone, but I do see a lot of people come and go in the communities as they burn themselves out by making it an obsessive "hobby." Personally, I think the word hobby is frequently used as a friendly, enabling term used to cover much more nefarious obsessive behavior. The information age has done a lot of good, but it has also created online environments where casual interests feel like they must move toward obsession in order for a person to feel like he/she can contribute to the conversations and be part of things. I'm rambling now. But, I think what I'm getting at is that the one thing I wish I'd been told when my interest in fountain pens was reignited was that being interested in something does not have to lead to obsession, and being part of something doesn't need to mean being a character or contributing voice on the internet. It's ok to not know or experience everything in an area of product-oriented culture despite the atmosphere internet communities tend to have.
(Edited for clarity)
Watches took me down that rabbit hole. The way search engines and Facebook feeds work doesn't help either as it doesn't take long before all you seem to have placed before you is whatever your poison is, which normalises the desire for more all of the time. Returning to pens with the experience from the watch collecting world, I hope I can be a little more balanced.
@Alexander Harvey No, we don't.
My three things I wish I’d known:
1. No pen review is equal to trying a pen yourself for several days to see if it suits you.
2. That a good nib grind transforms a pen
3. That I should have started the hobby earlier because it is rather enjoyable.
I have a 5 pen limit so I don’t overspend.
Thanks for your continued content Kerry, it’s appreciated.
Thank you for all you do! I have watch almost all of your videos. As someone new to the hobby, your videos have helped significantly. Kerry, your videos are honest and sincere. Keep up the excellent work. I will be watching.
Thank you!
OK, Love your videos, LOVE THAT YOU ARE CANADIAN, and Love your Orange cat. Thanks for all the wonderful information I am learning about fountain pens and journaling too. I’m a newbie so your thoughts and knowledge are so much appreciated. Thank you!
1. I didnt need to spend money on full bottles of ink. Samples are fine mostly
2. I don't need to stock up on journals. There is a significant wait time between starting and finishing :P
3. Pen addicts will let you try all their pens, so go to a meet and test them. No need to review them all personally with purchases.
Mines are:
1) Yearning for pens can be an addiction like collecting watches, artwork, or pretty much anything else.
2) Most people have more money than what seems to be reasonable to spend on pens, inks and accessories. And yes, you will spend more money on pens than you would expect. Accessories seem to be less dangerous compared to $800 pens but ink, paper and other accessories can be expensive as well. David Parker said in one of his videos that he wished he had gone slower and had spent more time on each pen when he had started the hobby.
3) Take into account your writing habits at your work and at home. It may become obvious that you can't really use all the pens you want to own. Even the puniest cartridge or a fully filled converter will last for ages if you don't have the chance to use your pens. Make meaningful purchases and take it slow. Enjoy the pens you have before starting chasing a new one.
Nice topic! Three things I wish I knew and would have taken more seriously:
1. That my nib preferences would actually evolve over time. When I initially started with fountain pens, I would purchase extra-fine and fine nibs. I ended up buying quite a few pens with only those nib sizes. I now would never consider an extra-fine unless I know that the particular pen in question typically writes a wet and thicker line than typical for an extra-fine (for example, the M1000). So I currently have quite a few unused pens and am considering selling them.
2. I should seriously spend time with each pen. I have fallen in love with pens that I was initially neutral about on first experience, eg. my Lamy 2000. The opposite has occurred with others in that I liked them initially but no longer do over time. I would never say that I regret buying them since the experience of them helped to shape my own realisation of what is truly a comfortable writing experience for me.
3. I should not underestimate the law of diminishing returns in any material pursuit. I have too often been disappointed with my bigger spends. Of course, I've often been really happy, but on too many occasions, not or just not as happy as I was anticipating. It can be sobering at times.
Fell into the “Fountain Pen Pit” in my ninth decade (yes, after years of scrawny ballpoint and computer keyboard) and despite internal disbelief (“This doesn’t make any sense whatsoever!”) am rocking and rolling, and loving it. Actually went to a pen show, and became totally overwhelmed. Actually bought a beautiful pen box for 40!!! pens despite having acquired only 15. Actually love trolling the pen sites and videos, hoping for “rationalization” but instead finding support for this wonderful addiction. It is a “kind” addiction after all, only troubling one’s own space and pocket and there are choices for everyone. And indeed, journaling is excellent for health. Excellent video, thank you.
Very nice video, Kerry. I very much enjoy your reviews, as they are fun, honest and informative!
Regarding the three things I wish I had known before starting out on this hobby:
1. Learning to wait before adding to the collection. I particularly like Pelikan and Sailor pens, but can I really justify over 40 pens? After all, I can only use one pen at a time... But the problem with collecting is that the manufacturers get you with their limited editions: take Pelikan- once the new editions are gone they are either gone for ever or then sell for ridiculous prices, so I end up buying two or more Pelikans every year although I am not (yet) mad enough to buy every new edition!. So I should have been more selective when I started out.
2. Learning to gauge how much ink I will use. Again this is a problem with the siren voices of limited editions. I love the Pelikan inks of the year Smoky Quartz and Amethyst. I managed to buy a "lifetime supply" of both but that means storage. I also love Sailor inks, particularly the Kobe inks. And surely, if I am rational, there are equivalents if the ink becomes discontinued... So I have now over 80 bottles of ink, and as I use a bottle every 4 months, that is about 30 years' worth of ink...
3. Spending too much time on researching pens and inks. One of the great things about the internet is the reviews. There are fabulous and informative reviews of so many pens, pen shops, inks, paper etc that one can spend too much time online, basically "window shopping". It is fun but it can take more of my spare time than I anticipated. And, guess what?, I am thinking of producing my own reviews which will require even more of my spare time for this hobby...
Down the rabbit hole, indeed....
You really are a ‘truth teller’! Totally agree with all of your comments. Thanks for the great reviews and honesty. Shoutout from Edmonton, Alberta.
I understand all three things and share them. I understand the “addiction “ angle. What I am overwhelmed and thrilled by is the number of delightful and caring people invested in this hobby. I am lucky enough to live in a city with a brick and mortar pen store (Dromgoole’s in Houston) that feels like a party every Saturday with all these strangers coming together from all walks of life and SHARING not only the details of their hobby, but also the details of their lives. At the end of the day, we all go our own way-BUT, delightfully, we come back together the next Saturday or the next. Is there anything better than sharing happiness? Thanks for your contribution to our “hobby.”
Agree about the $. I remember thinking spending $20 was extravagant for a pen and now I don’t hesitate that much when spending $200-300. 💰
I’m a bit of a minimalist and want to be mindful not to get over 20 pens but wonder how long I can hold that stance. I thought one or two would be plenty at first. 🤣
I don’t see this as a bad thing but a positive thing: I started using fountain pens to bring more mindfulness to my journaling and it has but as a bonus I’ve started to explore drawing/inking using fountain pens. This is allowing me to use nibs that I would never use for writing and I’m enjoying the process of seeing myself as creative when it comes to drawing which I’ve never felt.
Hi Kerry, the number one thing I wished I known is that the “rabbit hole” actually exist. The only way you know it’s not a mystical place people talk about is after you’ve fallen in. Thanks for the video.
Your time is well spent and your efforts are well appreciated :)
This is a great subject & I enjoyed your video very much! I wish I had known some things before I got into (or back into) the hobby!!! :) I would have come sooner!!! Even with the cost, the space issues ... a biggie here too lol (and I'm an empty nester with basically 2 rooms devoted to office and art/hobby), and everything considered I'd do it all again!!!! The 3 things that if I'd known SOONER I would have come running FASTER are: 1. how awesome the people I'd "meet" thru penpal writing and online here at You Tube etc ARE and how much I'd enjoy being part of this great community 2. how much joy having such great ink colors to write with in pens that write SMOOTH would be (I've always journaled and taken lots of notes & wrote letters to family and my pens before were not very good and I spent a lot of $ on disposable gel pens)! 3. the fact that with the right education: primarily Brian's FP 101 series and many other you tubers I watch ....... I would be able to clean and maintain and even fix my own pens --- because as a teenager I had nothing but trouble with my fountain pens & I gave up on writing with them so I missed so MANY years of enjoyment just because I couldn't deal with pens that dried up & I didn't know proper care! :) I always look forward to your videos!!!! :) Glad you are back making them!!!!!
Chris Saenz Love your thoughtful comments, Chris!
Kerry that's such a nice video, thank you.
I have followed artists who hesitated to start a Patreon. But I think they were all very surprised to see that the content they give has value to other creative types. Your time has value. Think about it. I came to fountain pens because I wanted to try them with art, now I love them for all my journaling! Videos like yours have been super helpful. Also, Hello Parker!
I definitely agree with you on all your points made especially the expensive side of the hobby. However, I have no regrets. The simple pleasures of life.
I like your videos a lot. You are a nice and generous person. Thank you for sharing your thoughts on this hobby with us. Oh yes! I like when you say La Couronne du Comte.
I am a full on FP addict - one thing I think about is how in the beginning I spent $$ on many entry level pens cuz they were 'cheap' in a relative sense. BUT - once you graduate to better pens they sit around unused. And their resale value is meh - for me better to keep them then sell them off for pennies assuming you'll get anything for them anyhow. Better to be intentional about your purchases - if you are a beginner get yourself a Lamy Safari and a perhaps ONE Twisby and gauge your taste for the hobby - then take advantage of the vast online resources (like Kerry) and save your pennies for your grail pen - thanks- as always great video and perspective! Love your channel!
good call , twsbi is bad
Great comments, Kerry. I'm a journaler too but I grew up with the word "diary" and also since I write daily that word is the right fit for me. I started keeping one at the age of 15 on July 5, 1976, and just recently began writing in my 116th diary. I can go for years without missing a day. I don't recall who but someone once said that writing in a journal or diary can be a sacrament. It can be good for our minds and spirits--W. Somerset Maugham the British writer once said that if you keep a diary after a while "... it keeps you".---The entertainer Melba Moore said, "Communication is sacred", and when we appreciate and use and enjoy pens and paper and ink and blank books, items used for communication, we confirm that statement.
My three biggest things are pretty similar to yours--probably true for most people. #1 is definitely the expense; I am retired and on fixed income. It's interesting that people use fixed income as a supposed indication of how much money you have, but income can be fixed at many different levels, so that really doesn't indicate much. For me, I do have to be careful how much I spend. When I started, I figured I would be limited to pens up to the $50 range, which was okay. BUT that started to creep up 😜 When I bought my first gold nib pen for under $100, I saw new possibilities. So now I do buy pens in the 100-200 range. I do have several pens with higher retail prices, up to the $800 level, but those were purchased at close out sales or previously owned. As a result, I have more money invested in pens that I ever imagined. As you also stated, having a variety of paper sizes and styles also adds up quickly.
Space is the second area I was not prepared for. The pens themselves aren't too bad, but a modest collection of notebooks, journals, and stationery for letter writing takes a lot of room, and it has to be stored carefully so you are not ruining the paper. I have been fairly smart about ink, mostly buying samples rather than bottles (still have too many), but do you realize how much room over a hundred ink samples need?
And the third area is time: I live in a rural area, so my contact with the pen community is mostly through the internet . As a result, I spend way too much time, particularly on Instagram. Once you start following a couple of pen reviewers and pen makers, your connections quickly grow to the point you can't keep up with all the postings.
All said, though, it's a wonderful hobby for a retired person.
I wish I'd known about offline meetups around my city, and pen shows a bit earlier. I think that would have helped me slow down, and get me to meet new people and check out new things.
Love love love your videos-I very much appreciate the effort and fresh perspective you offer!
Thoughtful and thought provoking. Looking back on my time in the hobby, I don't find the space/storage issue a challenge nor the time (it is a hobby after all; liked the quote). What I wish I knew at the beginning was how good a writer many low cost pens are. I started at the high end (LE,s vintage etc) and felt all nibs had to be gold. Nowadays, I always have a few steel nibs in daily use rotation.
Love your videos. New to fountain pens. So much to learn thanks for helping me out.
1. How much I would spend after getting addicted.
2. Fountain pens don't require you to fiddle with them all the time.
3. I thought the ink was like major permanent, never wash off hands.
Hi. I dig your natural and easy going style. It's unpretentious and refreshing. Keep going. I'll keep watching. Love the cat too.
I had two fountain pens for about 25 years. Both Mont Blanc. Then in late 2019 I suddenly became deeply interested in more and different pens. I now have 55 pens, lots of ink, paper, cases, notebooks, etc. In the span of one year, I probably spent $10k...easily. Probably more👍😳😂
Fascinating thoughts. I agree with all of it. I do tend to get heavily into things - kites, board games, photography, bikes, camping, RC planes, pens, and books - I mustn't forget books! In terms of cost, I've spent most on books ofc, followed by cameras. But the planes definitely take up most space!
My personality is quite focussed, though, so I research a lot to find the 'perfect' item, and end up with about 10-12 of anything in a collection (except the books ofc). Currently trying to slim down my collections, but I have to confess I bought a pen on eBay because it looked a bit crazy (and was less than a tenner).
Thank you for your intelligent and insightful videos.
Nice and interesting discussion.
I've a fountain pen blog, and the amount of time it takes to create one medium-quality post is huge. It's a labor of love.
Thanks Kerry. I always look forward to your reviews and especially this piece.
You have me well trained. When you said “Say hello, Parker” I totally did. Say “Hello, Parker.”
Same here!
I fell hard and fast, too-->Especially when all you youtubers (pens&tea, SBRE Brown, Penhabit, Goulet, ect) were so new and enthusiastic during a time when new companies and products were emerging, all combining to create what I'd call that "Fountain Pen Gold Rush".
But after the dive into the rabbit hole I know what I like and narrowed it down to 2-3 pens (Vista, 3776)
I've found journaling so positive for my mental health, especially when combined with meditation I learned from Tibetan Buddhist Monks (I'm not going to learn from hippies or people charging me, that's for sure-->I learn from the best)--> And fountain pens help because I can relax while I write and let it flow.
The FP community is unique and special, and what the members make of it. You do good work. I hope it's still something that makes you feel good and is positive for you.
I quite enjoyed this video and as a self proclaimed serial hobbyist, I think these three things apply to almost every hobby. For instance, a couple of years ago I decided to learn how to knit as a stress relief. Fast forward 3 years later, I have a huge stash that takes up an entire room (yes, a room). I have surpassed the acrylic from the big box store and now knit almost exclusively with wool (merino and cashmere mostly) and silk so the cost per project can easily be someone's car payment.
Thank you for educating us. You are great.
Tyvm for sharing your perspective.
I agree with you about cost and time. Space for the stuff isn’t that bad when you think about other hobbies in comparison like sports (think about the equipment, special clothes, shoes, etc.) or someone who tinkers with cars (the garage space, tools, parts, fluids) or woodworking (again, space for the project, materials, tools...) . Anyways, when I first started in the hobby, I had two bottles of ink a handful of pens, and composition books for paper. Money was tight and I was satisfied checking out eBay for deals. When money was even tighter, I didn’t think about purchasing new pens. I had a few roller balls and a ton of refills and enjoyed those for many years. Now that I have a little more disposable income, I am back to the fountain pens and the last four or five years bought way too many pens. Finding the Goulet videos really started me down the rabbit hole. It’s been fun.
First of all, you are a centered woman, Kerry. That's way cool. The three things I wish I'd known before getting into the fountain pen hobby? That almost sounds like a negative. What I'm grateful for is the time it's consume in my retired life. Through TH-cam videos I've discovered products I never thought I'd be interested in. I have a total brass pen from Schondsgn that I shove in the small pocket in my jeans with my Buck knive, and a Traveler's passport leather cover with a notebook in my right back pocket, waiting for inspiration. Those thoughts do come and I'm thankful for writing them in my notebook with my pocket pen instead of somehow (I don't have a clue) putting those thoughts on my cellphone. Like yourself, Kerry, I never realized how expensive some pens are and how I'd be drawn to them as I fell deeper into the rabbit hole. But thankfully, I've not been able to justify spending $1000+ on a pen. Maybe that'll come if I have an OMG moment. This hobby does make me happier than I'd expected. That's another thing I didn't anticipate. And I didn't expect so many people giving their time to make these videos.
Really great video, thank you. I started my self with a parker flighter 45 that is now more than 50 years, it was a gift from my father when i was 10 (many years ago), then in a modern era i bought a metropolitan and a Safari, being influenced by many videos over youtube i started to bought some other Lamy's, twsbi's, Pelikan's, Montblanc's, some inks, paper, and then i realized that i was just accumulating pens, paper and ink and not really enjoying them, after of course realizing how much money i was spending on pens i decided to stop buying at a fast pace and started to enjoying more and more my pens, now i buy pens with more caution and evaluate if it is going to add something positive to my collection (system), currently there are only two pens pending for me MB149 and a M1000, then i am planing to enjoy all my pens and all my inks.
Back when I was in school/ college, I used to dread writing records. Because my handwriting was really bad and I used to hate writing. But fountain pens made me think in a different light. Now I wish I could write records again, but alas! I’m too old.
Before i started using fountain pens i too used to dread writing stuff like you. I echo your statement, but I am in college and i started to enjoy writing because of the smoothness that fountain pens offer, the various ink colors and the lovely shading that you often get with medium/broad nibbed pens.
When I began with fountain pens, I set a goal, 12 pens (1pen/month), so I need to be careful with what I get.
Right now I have 6, but if I get 12 and want another, I sell or give away 1 of the old and replace it. This way I'm able to take care of all those, more or less.
I think this is such an interesting video topic (and I might steal it for a video myself - and it might be cool for people like Dr. Brown or Ms Gourmet Pens to do similar things - it shows everyone that we are all in the same boat). I think there would be a lot of cross over... but a big one that jumps out for me is the FOMO. I had no idea I would 'need' things so much. There are now 2 Twsbi Pens I don't have... a Micarta and the Aurora and it kills me! hahaha.
Mick L wrote: "There are now 2 Twsbi Pens I don't have... a Micarta ...." ....... The Micarta is no longer in production. I have two of them, one with a clip, and the other without. I replaced the nibs with Goulet #6 nibs.
Thumbs up! Someone finally addressing the rabbit hole of the hobby, and the financial outlay. Next the space! Yes a drawer of ink. More than a drawer of journals! Then time searching out that elusive item, whether its a pen, a journal or a gadget to support the hobby. Also, the problem when you find a journal or a planner you really like and want to use every day, but oh no, the paper sucks and can't be used with FPs, then its looking for ballpoint or gel pens and then the discomfort of not having the perfect set up!. That really bugs me. I wish I'd known for me it's virtually impossible to use a FP at work. I know others do, but I don't like capping and uncapping,or the fear of losing it or having to bring my own paper to work, which gets expensive! That's a sub-hole of the rabbit hole. ;) thanks for raising this! I'd say don't do Patreon. ;)
l love your video. I had no idea how much sheer joy collecting fountain pens would bring. I like to buy my fountain pens on line, and have them shipped to me. when I get home from work if there is a little package in my mail box, and I know it has to be one of my new fountain pens, I ordered, it makes my day. At first I thought I would get maybe two or three pens, but now I have at least twenty. This hobby is totally addictive. And each new pen has to have its own color of ink....and ink comes in so many colors. And then there is paper. it is just such fun to make the paper match the pen, and the ink and before I know it I'm spending way too much. at some point you have to say....enough already. Don't buy any more. But then I see some outrageously beautiful new pen and I have to have it too. One day I sat down and added up how much I have spent in this obsession of mine and I thought This is nuts. I have got to use self control here. I wish I knew how addictive this hobby is.
There's something to be said about having one pen or a couple pens you really love versus a lot of pens you really like that distract and pull you away from the one pen you really love. It is possible to go through a lot of pens in the pursuit of the one you really love, or you may get lucky and find it early on. You may tire of the one you really love and try others along the way still returning to your beloved pen when the sparkle of new wears off, or you may love multiple pens through your lifetime each changing with the season of your life.
Thanks. TH-cam video production must also be chewing up a lot of time for you. I can't imagine attempting it. I actually disagree with that quote about wasted time that you mention, and I teach ninth graders. Thoreau writes, "As if you could kill time without injuring eternity." Anyway, it is an interesting discussion about our limited resources, space, and time and how we find lasting value within all those parameters. I have set limits on exactly all three of these aspects of the hobby so that I can keep this stuff from breaking out of the corner of my life where I want it to stay. I have a family and a job and a spirituality and a marriage that must all live in the center of the space-time-money continuum. :)
A very honest admission of what this hobby has become for you.
It's like all these 'hobbies' on TH-cam, they are another form of marketing to sell stuff. The thing is, if you enjoy it and you can afford it then before you know it you're on the slippery slope to blow money and time on this thing.
It can happen with all sorts of 'stuff', we may not think of ourselves as 'addicts' but the habit forming nature of these hobbies can be pretty addictive. Beware people, keep control of your materialistic desires before they take control of you.
Thanks for the video. I really understand what you say about the time investment to be on TH-cam. Time to record the videos, edit, research... I love it but it really requires a lot of effort. The biggest problem is to be online talking about pens steals free time for me to use those pens...
Love your videos. Never stop!! Please??
I have found out, budget fountain pens are very inconsistent, even dip test can be misleading sometimes. Say no to cheaper pens especially Chinese pens, there may be some hidden diamonds in the coal, but the prices of the coal add up.. It is mandatory to make yourself familiar with nib tuning or you will end up with a drawer full of pens far more expensive than good quality ball points or rollerballs except they don't write the way you want it to write. Tuning a nib is not easy, it requires practice and experience and some serious time invested to it. Nothing writes better than a fountain pen so we keep on buying hoping the next pen would be the perfect one. Save up money for one good pen and most probably get it tuned , rather than getting several inexpensive pens. In FPN it is hard to distinguish between review and promotion, especially when it comes to indian pens. Honestly when i pick up a parker jotter i know exactly how it will write, but when i pick up say a pilot metropolitan or a lamy safari, i have no idea how it will write, seriously no wonder ball point pens are now everywhere. Like quartz watches ball point is the superior pen from a technical point of view. But fountain pen virus, because nothing writes better than a properly tuned fountain pen...
Thanks for another thought-provoking video! I wish I'd known that there were highly functional fountain pens that are affordable, because for many years I thought fountain pens all cost hundreds of dollars. I wish I'd known about the hand strain I would save as a scholar and avid journaler if I were to use fountain pens. I wish I'd known about the huge variety of inks available for use for writing and calligraphy through fountain pens.
Great video, Kerry. I also have the notebook, leather cover, ink, paper, fountain pen collections. Too much stuff, but love it all and wouldn't have it any other way. I used fountain pens in school and have always considered them the best to write with. Went through a fancy BP collecting phase and still have all those but no longer use them. I am also a journaler so the paper and notebook thing is at crisis stage. Oh well😱
1. Yeah, cost. 2. There Is No Grail Pen (only the idea of one) ... 3. Relaxing and meditative, similar in principle to your third point
Oh yes, so many things which I agree with!
I never thought that my pens and associated paraphernalia would take up space, but it really does!
Producing content for my TH-cam channel is time consuming, but I love doing it because nobody at home or work wants to listen to me talking about my pens 😀
The number one thing I wish I would have known is that there is an interested group of fountain pen enthusiasts and getting to know them earlier would have saved me a ton of money and helped me build a more appropriate collection sooner and not had so many pens in my collection I don't like.
It's a bit like human relationships.
It's attractive, addictive and probably expensive. Would you do it differently the next Time? Hopefully yes, I know I would. 3 pens no faffing about.
Pilot Custom heritage 912 with the falcon nib, Jinhao X750 with a Bock 1.1 stub nib and a Jinhao 159 with a Bock 1.5 stub nib.
One pen. It would be the 159 1.5 nib in bright green!
Relationships, choose someone you can rely on to be faithful.
Or get a cat.
Or a dog. I do a dog share.
time you enjoy wasting is time not wasted...i love that :) thanks. and thanks for all the videos :)
1. Crazy love for all the pens! New, vintage, Japanese, Italian, Chinese, USA, European.
2. Addiction to Celloloid is a thing!
3. Withdrawal from pens and ink when you are too busy to use them, or away at work and can’t spend time with them. It’s a painful thing!
I am happy you didn’t know what you know now. You may have turned the other way and I would miss your videos.
While many do spending a lot on their FP hobby, its certainly possible to limit your spending while enjoying FBs as long as you exercise personal restraint. You can buy many pens used, use then until you are done with them and then sell them for more than the purchase price.
I used to write on journals. But now, I'm stuck on the journal that I started 3 years ago. But hey, i do love to write insights on random topics (happiness, opportunities, critiques, etc)
I have 3 fps so far, all in the "entry level" side. My next leap is a Lamy 2k, but I'm still looking for something else that would pull me away from my "engagement".
don't bother with a Lamy 2000. it has a hooded nib and at night or low light it is hard to align the nib to write correctly. Also it is a complex pen with extra gaskets at the front end and my two Lamy 2000's have both suffered leaks in this area and both have been sent back to Lamy for warranty repairs. No one ever mentions this as a problem.
I have far more pens than I actually need or can use, but possession of them is rewarding, even if seldom used. What do people do with a stamp collection, or a coin collection, etc. ? At least a pen can be utilized.
Hi, I haven't started with fountain pens yet. I've found inexpensive Southworth paper in second hand stores that I put light pencil lines on, then use a uniball signo .7mm gel pen and practice my cursive by copying things of interest. It's so pleasurable and relaxing and -it looks great. Thank you for that cautionary tale. Seeing all the videos devoted to this with people's notebooks and bottles of color is a real eye-opener. I like their passion. Is this an art?
I wish I'd known how quickly this would escalate from "I only need this $15 pen, who would pay $100 for a pen??" to buying the new Violet/white Pelikan *still the most I've ever spent on a pen and I hope I can hold the line there!*. So, money. I wish I'd known how much easier it would be to write with fountain pens than even my gel pens with the foam on them (severe arthritis in my hands). Mostly, I wish I'd known that it would rekindle my life-long love of writing (probably because I could now write without excruciating pain!) that I thought was gone forever.
Leading people to think fountain pens are an expensive, high space need, time sucking endeavor is VERY dangerous and VERY misleading. I suspect those who never used fountain pens before might get sucked in to the "shiny object" aspect of fountain pens. But at the end of the day--and during the day--fountain pens are high quality tools that should be used. Like anything else, the careful, discerning person makes choices rather than merely acquiring like a magpie.
I believe the best advice for anyone considering fountain pens is, if you are a collector think about collecting something else rather than artificially driving up prices for those who actually use pens (or stick to collector focused crap like Montegrappa and Montblanc), and if you are looking for durable, highly functional, environmentally friendly tools then by all means educate yourself and get some pens. And either way, do not judge your worth in the "hobby" by how much you have. It is not a contest.
What really good and interesting topics you took on table and how right you are. Only thing I like to point out. Fountain pens can be extremely costly, but there is no demand to pay high price of really good fountain pen. I try to keep limit in 100 units ($, £ or €). Of course I own a few over that and I'm find some of them good and some not that good. I find many much, much cheaper pens exceptional good writers. E.g. as Chris and Aaron on their videos brings out many newer China's pens are today "Wow" in many different ways. My GOAT pen is "old work horse", Jinhao X450, the only one, which is always inked up. Last but not least, please, please keep doing these videos, I just love them.
Have you made a video of your favorite inks? I’m looking for inks for my extra fine twsbi but the black I have comes out pretty wet. Are all blacks like that?
Cute 🐈 cat!
It doesn't cost much to get started in the FP hobby. First, you need to see if you are going to enjoy or appreciate it. To start, I recommend you buy one or more Pilot Varsity FPs. They are pre-filled with two or more color choices, so you don't have to worry about buying ink. The pens have excellent nibs, with good ink flow. Good writing paper can be expensive, but I tend to use resumé paper. The bad thing about the Varsity pens is that they are throw-away, and we have too many throw-away items in society now. It is especially sad to throw away such good nibs.
I started with a Pilot Metropolitans and platinum preppies and I love writing with them. Knowing what I know now, I would have kept writing with them longer than I did. That would have given me more time to find fountain pen meetings and I could have tried out more pens. Also I would have slowed down the pace and frequency of my pen buying. I would have enjoyed each pen purchase longer before buying the next one.
I got into fountain pens because I read they are good for people with carpal tunnel. I wish I had known that broad nibs are as smooth as butter and require even less pressure to use. I wouldn’t have wasted so much money on fine nibs in the beginning.
Love the chat!
haha I went two months ago from a old Parker fountain pen with a scratchy nib I found to a $6Aud jinhao x450 to just spending 360 on a pilot vanishing point and there type of inks, I not even sure why cause my handwriting looks a a 5 year old with a crayon, but find writing with a fountain very relaxing. Any way love the videos.
I WISH I HAD SEEN THIS VIDEO XD
I’d been down that rabbit hole of expense ‘til I completely sold all my pens, removed myself out for a year. Now I’ve just bought MB1912 and honestly carrying this expensive pen around constantly reminds me that I overspent on it, that I could have survived with Lamy2000... I just flushed clean and got ready to sell it but... I don’t wanna let it go 😂
Where did you sell your pens?
1. how to track prices of FP
2. i would like to spoke with the future me and can be able to tell me which are my definitive more future precious 10 FP
I think a Patreon page would be a good idea for you, after all, you do reviews of the products you buy so why not get some help from the people you watch you. You could even have Patreon supporter give you ideas of what to review next and so on.
If you keep it to a minimum it should be ok. I just started and I have 15 pens. My limit is 20. 7 of the pens I have right now are disposable once those are used up I will be down to only 8. With my birthday coming up I’m looking to splurge on 1 pen. My budget will be around $150.00-$250
1. Pen costs
2. Not every pen is the same
3. Paper and pen storage so many choices.
Tell me about space. I have 200 different inks here and I have a full cabinet of inks and need more room.
You asked so 50 plus years ago I would have liked to have known that a good fountain pen costs money, you cannot do it on the cheap. Also, what were/are the best brands? What were/are the best value? As a high school snd university student I sought out pens but they all leaked. Decades later I learned that a good fountain pen costs money, minimum of $60
Wow, that's a burden I wouldn't be willing to carry, so I'd better not get into it. Thank you for the video and have fun!
Would knowing these things before you started have an affected your choice at the time?
Sounds like any other hobby that one is passionate about.
Less than $10 each for pens, $1.75 each for vials of ink, and almost any paper out there.
It's your choice to blow more money than necessary for a collection.
I have about 100 pens, 20 or so samples of ink, and several $0.99 notebooks.
I've spent about $250 in 30 years.
If you write stories, why don't you take that step to publish them? There are many sites where you can publish your book for free.Always fun to do. And it can grow as well. Just take the step. Just do it!
Sometimes I wish that I would have saved a little bit more money and purchased a better fountain pen in the beginning instead of a cheaper one. I put ink in all my pens in. The beginning even though I don’t use them all,at once now I am having to clean them all. I wish that I researched nibs a bit more so more of my pens would write better.
I wish I knew about the curiosity it creates. Like ok now I have a Lamy 2000 and it is nice but how is the Pilot Falcon, let's try it next. And then that gets expensive and there's this subconscious process going on in your head to save cash for the next one. I am pretty frugal like I won't buy anything unless there's a long term need for it but when it comes to FPs IDK where my head's at.
My 3 things, 15 years in:
1. I wish I'd known that what was going to motivate me in this hobby was the acquisition of pens rather than their ownership. It means there are always more pens I feel I want to buy, whose purchase delivers only a very short-term satisfaction. I don't think that is unique to me, nor to just this hobby.
2. I wish I'd known that there is no perfect ink, just an enormous number of nearly perfect ones.
3. I wish I'd known that I could throw all those boxes away as they came in the house. Collecting pen boxes takes 4 times as much storage space as collecting pens and they are no use whatsoever. They don't even add much to your resale value -- which is academic if you never sell...
When you sell off a pen do you lose money? I guess it depends on the pen... Liking your vids.
You have been more helpful than you can possibly know. I am considering TH-cam, and my channel would combine my love of pens (for the very reasons you mention, including nostalgia, since I am a recently retired professor/one-time lawyer) with my passion (C. S. Lewis, Oxbridge, J.R.R. Tolkien and others in their writing group). Hence, a question: You once did a lot about tea (ever try Tiesta Teas, a young company out of Chicago started by Univ. of Illinois alumni I think?); however, now the content I see is all about pens (why I follow). THE QUESTION: So, did it prove too hard to combine dual content?
I’d watch your channel, or would read your blog.
thanks for the video :) p.s. you're beautiful!
John Lennon I think said that quote
👍
You talk a lot about journaling. What ink do you use to journal with? Do you use a specific pens to journal with? Starting to journal but I am still using my gel pens. I would like to use my fountain pens instead but not sure. Do you write and let the ink dry before you move on to another page?
Wait Matt from The Pen Habit left?
I just noticed the shirt and just wanted to say: DFTBA
You're a guitar person too??
I dabble
I Like gris channel. Linda. Linda
My thing I wish I new about the FP hobby...
DON'T FALL IN THE RABBIT HOLE !!!!!!!!
hello alice :) im also alice! can you help me find the end of this rabbit hole? but...not yet :p :D
dear diary :D
DFTBA!