My Biggest Fountain Pen Regret/Mistake

[@pinkpandamiranda]

Luckily I got interested in the hobby when I was 16 years old and had no money. I was forced to enjoy the journey haha

[@qazifaisal5]

Same lmao 🤣

[@drrev40]

Your commitment is part of what makes this channel great. My big mistake was buying a lot of cheaper pens very quickly rather than just a few higher end pens slowly.

[@Cocobird5]

I'm 75 now, and began my fountain pen interest when I was ten. In the fifth grade, all students in Montgomery County Maryland had to use fountain pens in school. We had to buy a Sheaffer, which used cartridges. I loved it. Then my mother gave me the fountain pens she used in school, and I got hooked. They were all different, and I bought a special color of ink for each one. As I continued my journey in school, I was forced to write with ballpoints. I kept using my fountain pens for my journal and letters to friends. After I retired, I stopped using ballpoints and returned to fountain pens. That is all I use now, and love my collection.

[@TheBoatmike]

We are not taught to enjoy the journey. From grade school on, everything is about accomplishments. The earlier you learn to enjoy the journey and recognize the accomplishments only bring temporary satisfaction, the better. I started a new hobby - writing - and there is a market for accomplishments - editors, online training, software two avoid mysteaks, and the ever present big prize: Have you published?!?!? I may not ever even try to publish what I write, but I'm haviing fun writing. As for fountain pens, my biggest mistake is a version of what you wrote. I've purhased too many pens without spending enough time to stop and smell the ink. In general, it takes a while to really appreciate, or not, a pen. But it is so tempting to buy more.

[@danlevene5478]

you are one of my favourite reviewers. I think Chris App is great. Stephen Brown and Figboot are good, but they work to format every time. I like your reflectiveness.

[@glennkelley6096]

"I like your reflectiveness". Exactly.

[@keithwhitney7491]

As us usually the case with your reviews, you prompted me to write notes on this topic: My Regrets or Mistakes! I think it hit home so much because I too, without solving my ignorance of how to do a groom video, plunged into the hobby, purchasing often more out of curiosity or irrational desire than any systematic way of building a collection I could pass on. Oh, that exists, but I also have to leave notes telling them how to sell my collection since none of children or grandchildren yet has a deep interest. Curiosity, yes! Most are too young, and (honestly) probably will not pick up the pens until I have moved, as C. S. Lewis said, “Further up, further in.” Blessings on your work. K

[@davidbrowning5672]

Like you I rushed in, but then financial issues caused me to slow down and reflect on the pens I had. This time spent on reflection answered the question of why do I enjoy writing with one pen and not another (which is similar)? The answer is that I just have an untangible (and unexplainable) connection with some pens. My common analogy on this connection is that I relate the sensations experienced while writing with different pens as being similar to slow dancing with different partners. Every "dance" is a different experience, but always enjoyable. Sometimes, it is refreshing to have a bit of feedback after using smooth writers for a period of time (or vice versa). One shopping style I use has helped me a lot… a file folder titled "Wish List." When cruising the Internet and I find a pen which interests me, I bookmark the link and store this in the "Wish List" file, and I don''t buy it for two weeks. During those two weeks, I merely revisit the site for another look-see and I search for reviews of the pen. Then I make one of three choices; 1] if I am still in love with it, I buy it. 2] If I'm ambivalent about it, I wait another two weeks. 3] If it was just a "passing fancy," I delete the bookmark. I get on with life and have no regrets of not buying it.

[@ChericeByler]

I too am an “ALL IN” person. I just got into fountain pens this weekend and already bought 3 Lamy, and 3 others… 9 inks, and multiple nibs, converters and special papers. So, your video was a good wake up call to pump the brakes 🙃

[@kapirk2244]

Your story sounds very familiar to me. I have a tendency to go full in on new hobbies. Thanks for this video.

[@StephanieManley]

You articulated this very well. I went through a massive cycle of accumulation. I have tons of newish pens I bought for whatever reason that I haven't used. I have pens I love at all price points. To be honest I haven't even really explored writing with many of them. While I do not continually get more pens, I write with them every day. I wished I would have gone into this more slowly and didn't feel the urge to acquire about 80+ pens. Now if I could just fix the ink fixation ;)

[@PensandTea]

Ink is becoming real problem hahahaha

[@anitapaul7267]

Turtle wins the race. My one TWSBI ECO pen started my journey with 6 months ownership, before buying a Pelikan. Only compete with yourself. Good life lessons. My regret: purchasing too many ink bottles. Ink samples are cheaper. You can confirm if ink works in pen/paper combinations.

[@dab7963]

I went crazy too. Happy with my purchases. Still want a montblanc 149 but just need to go write with one first. Not sure it's worth the money. I now really need to love the pen to purchase. In the begining I used to buy like crazy now I am more thoughtful before I buy

[@crouserm]

Super. This commentary is an invitation to good health. I'm glad for you! I had the good fortune not to know about the wealth of information, merchandise, and community that existed for lovers of fountain pens when a friend kindled my passion for them. I had been using fountain pens I encountered (and could afford) for years. My friend shared some of his with me, and after a few years I got curious about their origins, and, boom! Up and running! But, with enough experience of pens, budgets, and life, that I already had a good idea of what I wanted from pens. So . . . my greatest regret still goes back to 1978, when I discovered, courtesy of Levis and Parker, just how powerful the torque of denim creasing is on a plastic barrel..... Sigh.

[@differentkindofGEKE]

Dropping my Pilot Metropolitan nib first the second day I owned it. Buying 4 Platinum Preppy pens all in fine instead of different widths. I suspect I’d prefer EF because so far my favorites are the Pilot Metropolitan fine and Lamy Safari Cream EF. What I’ve done well. Watched videos (primarily Goulet videos and Jet Pens) and listened to the Goulet Pencast. Visited a pen store on a business trip! There’s lots to say small businesses and personalized service. I got to try out a few next step/grail pens. I loved the Pilot Falcon. Also, I bought Ferris Wheel Press Moonlit Jade - gorgeous! I spend frugally. Maybe $200 total in the last 6 months. Investing in trying pens, paper, and ink. I guess I am enjoying the slow, deliberate emersion.

[@edwardwiper1323]

I went down the vintage repair line of pens rabbit hole & believe me there's a lot more vintage pens too by & repair.😲.

[@arankalle4354]

Extremely useful video. Very useful information. It makes you awake, aware !! One must think, analyse , how much he/ she uses those pens? How much one really writes. Whether I carry it to the workplace to make daily use? And then only should spend money.. and even if you have lot of money, don't just buy pens to add to junk at your home !! 👍

[@Ava-wu4qp]

I don't really get the point of pens costing more than $50 but I am sitting on the FOMO cliff of inks. I am tempted to buy every other ink that I see, especially Sailor stuff for some reason.

[@tomasharan2540]

i totally understand where you're coming from. i also spent a few years going really hard in the hobby and spent a lot of $. i rarely write with my pens but really enjoy them when i do. and i hesitate to ink up the expensive ones as i don't write that much and they will hold their value better with less use. i want to sell several of them, but i really like owning them. im def more critical now when i buy new pens and i take longer to justify the purchase. i want to enjoy using them more. the $ spent overall is my biggest regret not the learning or going deep on the hobby

[@TheNightowl001]

The memories of my first fountain pen are lost in the fog of years. When I was "that age," we wrote in block letters with a pencil, then moved to an "ink pen" when learning cursive. I believe this was in 2nd grade, so about 8 years of age. Which was 58 years ago for me! I learned early on that turning the pen over and writing with the "top" of the nib would give me a finer line. I've no idea how many pens I ruined in those days by more or less deliberately splaying the tines, etc. I was a curious kid. "How does this come apart? Oops. Guess that isn't going back together now!" (I ruined more than a couple of clocks and watches, too!) Eventually I developed a more generalized interest in writing implements. And I had an affinity for "sets" of pens/pencils. The Cross Century pencil/ballpoint sets in chrome, matte black and matte gray, the Hallmark wooden pen/pencil sets, etc. I acquired a few of these I always had, it seems, since my schoolboy days, at least a couple of fountain pens around. Pretty much ALWAYS had a Sheaffer No Nonsense FP around since they were introduced in the '70s. Probably also always had a Sheaffer school pen around in one form or another. Collecting some Targa pen sets, I'd acquired a Targa FP or two. At some point I seem to recall picking up a Parker Jotter FP/BP/MP set too. This was pre-internet days and these were picked up at garage sales or thrift stores. I wish I had known more about fountain pens in particular as I probably passed up some great finds About four years ago, health and age collided at such a time that it became my chosen course of action to retire. And I was spending a lot more time on the internet. Discovered Matt Armstrong of The Pen Habit, and Brian Goulet, and next thing I knew, I'd fallen into the rabbit hole of acquiring fountain pens. I don't have an accurate count of how many I have currently, but it is in excess of 300. I graduated from Sheaffer, Wearever, and Parker (thinking Waterman was sort of the top of the mountain back then) to more brands than is reasonable to list here as this is already a too-long comment. My biggest regret would be that I didn't take better care (and track!) of some of the pens I owned when I was younger. I'm sorry I didn't know more about inks and nib sizes and tuning years before I did.

[@barrettwbenton]

We're pretty much on the same wavelength (and timeline): see above. 🙂

[@joanwerthman4116]

Oh boy do I know that feeling although it usually hits hardest in the matter of rushing through a book that grabs me. I keep catching myself and slowing down for something I can never read for the first time again. And then I get lost into wanting to know what happens next and speed up. I think these impulses go into rushing or scurrying to buy too many fountain pens because there’s still such joy in getting a new pen, rinsing the nib and trying it out for the first time even if it’s only new in having a different finish of a model you love. I mitigated my fountain pen rush by suckering, er persuading some family and friends back into the hobby. We’re all old enough to remember the fad of switching to cheap demonstrator Schaefer pens in the mid 60’s. Add in how well we were taught to write in the mid 50’s and the only problem we had was never being taught to clean those sturdy easily replaced work horses. So sometimes they’d clog, especially if we switched too often between blue and black (our only choices). Not only have my friends rediscovered the joy in giving some of pens a good home, one friend’s children have taken up the habit after “Aunt” Joan sent them new Lamy Safaris, a few different cartridges and their own bulb to flush the nibs. So even one of my less attractive urges worked out okay this time.

[@barrettwbenton]

I sort of fall into the if-I-knew-then-what-I-know-now school of semi-regret: "semi" because mistakes are a part of gaining experience. My very first fountain pen was a blister-packed Schaeffer sometime around 1965, and I loved the writing experience almost in spite of not truly understanding the ins-and-outs of the FP experience, never mind the difference between a mass-produced $3 pen and something going for a an ungodly (for the mid-60s, anyway) $40. Fast-forward to the early-1990s when I start dabbling in FPs again after a 25-year absence, and again I head for the cheap seats, this time with major disappointment: my choice of pen had a horrifically scratchy nib, obviously badly aligned in manufacture, leaving an awful taste in my mouth, but, not knowing much better at the time, I suffered through until the person I was involved with at the time apparently noticed this, took momentary pity on me, and bought me a relatively-decent FP by Pininfarina (amazing), given that she knew even less about FPs at the time than I did). Like lots of people, this was about the time I discovered this thing called the Internet, and I started down the knowledge rabbit-hole of pens and writing (among too many other things, natch). When the Pininfarina suffered an odd failure in the feed, I catapulted from the minors to the big leagues in one go, first with a Lamy 2000, then soon after with a Lamy Persona, both of which were mind-blowing in terms of writing quality, and which I stuck with for a good ten years, only to switch rapidly to Pilot (pair of Custom 823s and a Vanishing Point), which is where I've been at the last ten years. Long period of time, but the changes were anything but gradual - fair-to-middling to awful, awful-to-"okay", okay-to-Really-Good, and Really-Good-to-Fan-Effing-Tastic. So, pens are all settled with me. Now let me tell you my issues with notebooks...

[@valeriegriffith5409]

I think all the other things are superficial with fountain pens. You have your collectors of course. They get into the styling, colors and design elements. But the most important thing are the NIBs. Without good Nibs, fountain pens are just collectable resin, ebonite, or metals.

[@kimberly3706s]

Definitely enjoy the journey, the process, but the Deep Dive is itself a very enjoyable, very rewarding path to take in the journey. I don’t see a need to ‘regret’ one’s path, whatever it was at the start or how it may have diverged for the present. Every hobby is a luxury indulgence, so I certainly cannot argue that I buy/have “too many” pens (and too many typewriters, too much paper, too much yarn, too many books, etc. - I have multiple hobbies); but I do think that multiple nibs are important, of course you can get one pen body with interchangeable nibs, but custom grinds and/or gold, palladium, etc. are still valid additions to a collection. I have personally found it useful for multiple pens/nibs…not only has my personal writing (feel) preferences changed over the years, but I also still have a practical and/or writing use for the less preferred nibs & pens. I don’t yet have an amount that I feel the need or desire to downsize…but I admit I am by no means someone with a minimalist aesthetic. Yay for this community and any path or means that brought each of us together in it!❣️🖋✒️💕

[@adamzappia2213]

Biggest fountain pen related mistake made today... I made a leather roll case for a pen and it came out almost perfect but is a bit of a tight fit for the intended pen! My first fountain pen (purchased less than 6 months ago) was my biggest mistake so far though - a Pilot Prera with medium nib... it was too small for me, and too light. Luckily I loved the way it wrote and it didn’t put me off, and I got it for less than half retail price. I did some research before buying and had concerns I’d find it smalll, but the reviews were good so I gave it a shot. Not long after I found my mums old school pen, a Sheaffer NoNonsense with italic nib. I cleaned it out, got some cartridges and away it went. Still felt too light, but the length was much better. Then just recently I spent way too much on a mint Parker “51” Aerometric with broad nib in a moment of insanity as the eBay auction drew to a close. Luckily the condition matched the pictures and description. Feels pretty good in the hand and writes quite nicely / by far the best pen I own so far (and is the one I made the leather case for mentioned at the start - it’s kangaroo leather with suede lining, all hand cut and stitched). I’ve settled down now and know exactly what I want in future pens (other than nib size - my new conundrum). I want practical pens that feel good in the hand when writing more than just notes. Held an 823 a few days ago, but it was new in the shop and not inked so I couldn’t try the nib unfortunately, but it felt about perfect. I think it’s next, but unsure if I want it in fine or medium!

[@thomashorton8302]

My first real pen (excluding the anomalous one I bought when I was like 8) was a lamy CP1 and honestly I hate it! It was also the first pen I sold but the grip was so uncomfortable. At first I was considering getting a safari then I was like ohh I'll just get an al-star which turned to a logo which turned to a CP1. Now I have a broad lamy al-star which I love so much more for a third or quarter of the price (because it's in bronze and it's heavily discounted at cultpens)

[@444Buckley]

My biggest regret is buying pens that are metal and heavy when I know full well Plastic/resin/celluloid is my preferred pens. I have to remind myself consciously what I like and why I dislike the heavy, metal body pens. I love the look of the Faber-Castell Basic. But it is too heavy and too long when posted. Even with vintage pens. I have to stick to my focus which is Parker and I need to skip Sheaffer, and others. Though there are times where I can't pass up a cheap fixer upper knowing that I can resell it for higher later on.

[@lambamthankyoumaam]

You look much healthier here than in past videos, especially your skin. Congrats. I also went all in and spent a small fortune right away. Wish you made this video before the pandemic… Keep up the great work in pens, tea, and nutrition!

[@Kimbopolo]

Yep, as you age you (hopefully) learn to pace yourself. Moderation and all that. I have a friend who started in the hobby at the same time I did. I was the tortoise and she was the hare. Four years later, I only have 9 pens because I'm very mindful about acquiring. While my friend no longer uses hers. 😔

[@Symphing12]

I definitely bought a lot of pens early on. In my first two years, I had already bought 3 pens and I'd won a TWSBI Eco. Then I bought a limited edition Conklin and a Platinum Prefounte. Then I went to a pen show in early 2020 and bought way too much stuff, including a Vanishing Point. That same year, I got two more gold nib pens, as well as a Noodler's Triple Tail. Then last year, I got a bottle of Noodler's 4.5oz ink that comes with a Charlie pen and a Noodler's Ahab. This isn't even accounting for the two pens I got in India within my first year in the hobby. I have no intention of buying another pen for a while. My next will probably be a Platinum 3776 or a Sailor gold nib pen. But that's years down the line.

[@inkandbarrel]

Buying too fast without focus.

[@marachristian8726]

Oh my goodness! I viewed hours and hours of You Tube videos and spent about $5K in just a few months buying pens and papers and inks from everywhere! (In my defense, I had an unexpected windfall from a work bonus, so it was "fun money" I could afford to spend.) But, as I was spending, I was also learning and coming up with my own preferences. I like cheap pens. I like fun colors. I have a weird fixation on Parker and Waterman pens. I don't want any Japanese pens. I don't want any pens that were made in China. I like Diamine and Private Reserve inks because you get a lot for your money. I dislike any inks or pens that don't have "names" and instead have numbers. Numbers have no personality and I can't remember them. I don't view nearly as many Pen Reviews because, to be perfectly honest, they are starting to annoy me, LOL. The second I hear "Lamy" or "Pilot" or "Tomoe River" I turn it off because I have developed a fanatical aversion to these brands because I am so sick of hearing about them. I have become that weird Pen Person with a bunch of crazy preferences, but you know what? I now have my "Pen Identity" because I have boundaries and specifications that are uniquely mine, and that is what makes this hobby, with all of its options, so much fun! Instead of buying pens and looking at pens, I am actually USING the ones I have. I will never sell any of them, but I will probably gift some of them, just not my Parkers and Watermans. Oh, and taking Pen Nerdiness to another level, I have an excel spreadsheet, with pie charts, to keep track of my pens by brand, nib, etc.

[@stevekail4543]

My biggest regret over the years was knocking two of my favorite pens on to the floor (at different times) and breaking them. Both had sentimental value and weren't something that could be easily replaced.

[@CanadaDryFb]

I have the exact same full stop or nothing mentality and obsession with 'needing' to try all the different options out there. I was a little nervous, when I recently got interested in these fountain pens. So I decided to really think about why I wanted a pen and what I wanted from said pen. I came to a conclusion, to skip the whole 'beginner pens' route and just get one nice pen. - ok, yes, I did also find some nice deals on r/pen_swap to lighten the load and give two pens that were lonely a nice home - I'm going to simply enjoy my nice pen and write with it everyday. I purchased it from my local stationary store, so I could actually hold it first and then when it did feel good in my hand, I decided to follow through with purchasing it. I'm going to get used to it and learn all of its quirks and adapt my writing to its nib as opposed to wanting to try every nib out there. I decided that I will only allow myself this one single pen for at least one full year. After one year, I'm going to reassess how I feel about this hobby in terms of collecting, or if I just still enjoy my pen and will continue to explore the inks and paper options with my pen. Perhaps I'll get one more pen and then each year thereafter, I'll have a little tradition to get a new pen on my pen anniversary. I went for a Diplomat, Excellence A2 in midnight blue with a M (medium) nib. I've only had it for a few days so far, but I'm absolutely loving it. It's my first fountain pen ever and I'm very happy with my decision. It's inked with Diamine "blue black" at the moment and I'm already eying up many more inks to 'try' I found this video today and it was a breath of fresh air basically confirming my decision. PS, the second hand pens are a pilot VP with a stub nib, as well as a TWSBI diamond ALR which has a (F) fine nib. I've not yet received them though.

[@taccora]

Dropping pens nib first. Luckily, that's only happened with my entry level pens and not my expensive $150+ pens.

[@differentkindofGEKE]

Did that with my Pilot Metropolitan the second day I owned it plus twice more.

[@taccora]

@@differentkindofGEKE I feel like 9 times out of 10, if you drop an uncapped pen it's going to fall nib first.

[@fatimaSM236]

Interesting issue!

[@zacharycompton5624]

I think I just discovered that I'm a fine nib kind of person after buying my first gold nib pen in medium. I thought I was a medium kinda guy.

[@SunshineFL]

Right now The most expensive pen that I have cost me $140 my least expensive pen is is $3.30. My pen limit is 40. I have 20 pens right now. I have a Galen 40 pen leather pen case holder. That will keep me accountable. If I want to purchase after that, then I will need to gift or sale to someone one of the pens in my collection.

[@valeriegriffith5409]

The world of Ebay fountain pen adventures. I found a dog of a Lot of Sheaffer pens. Pens hidden away in storage containers. My idea was to clean them up. Providing a potential new hobby for a community I'm in. Someone actually bid me up. Out of 19 pens there six pens that were fairly decent. Could be cleaned up and would have been everyday writers. I went from 24.95 to 48.00 that's twice as high than I ever planned to spend. Fountain a used Conklin Word Gage. 9.51. I bid 10.50. For about 6 days no one truly was interested. I was thinking hey I might get this one. I'm at 31.00 dollars. Don't know if I'll win the bid. But I did find some Vintage Pilot Scholar. It a combination of the Sheaffer school pens and the Pilot Lucina. They have hooded nibs and in-between the size Lucina and Namiki Falcon.

[@bitteralmonds666]

I bought waaaaay too many pens 🙈💦

[@larsgottlieb]

I think my biggest regret is buying a few too cheap pens that don't satisfy me, where I should have bought one, maybe two more premium pens instead.

[@Teufelchenhair]

I made the same mistake.

[@CanadaDryFb]

I have the exact same full stop or nothing mentality and obsession with 'needing' to try all the different options out there. I was a little nervous, when I recently got interested in these fountain pens. So I decided to really think about why I wanted a pen and what I wanted from said pen. I came to a conclusion, to skip the whole 'beginner pens' route and just get one nice pen. - ok, yes, I did also find some nice deals on r/pen_swap to lighten the load and give two pens that were lonely a nice home - I'm going to simply enjoy my nice pen and write with it everyday. I purchased it from my local stationary store, so I could actually hold it first and then when it did feel good in my hand, I decided to follow through with purchasing it. I'm going to get used to it and learn all of its quirks and adapt my writing to its nib as opposed to wanting to try every nib out there. I decided that I will only allow myself this one single pen for at least one full year. After one year, I'm going to reassess how I feel about this hobby in terms of collecting, or if I just still enjoy my pen and will continue to explore the inks and paper options with my pen. Perhaps I'll get one more pen and then each year thereafter, I'll have a little tradition to get a new pen on my pen anniversary. I went for a Diplomat, Excellence A2 in midnight blue with a M (medium) nib. I've only had it for a few days so far, but I'm absolutely loving it. It's my first fountain pen ever and I'm very happy with my decision. It's inked with Diamine "blue black" at the moment and I'm already eying up many more inks to 'try' I found this video today and it was a breath of fresh air basically confirming my decision. PS, the second hand pens are a pilot VP with a stub nib, as well as a TWSBI diamond ALR which has a (F) fine nib. I've not yet received them though.