Episode 191: Done With Fountain Pens?!?
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- Опубліковано 28 гру 2024
- Has the fountain pen hobby run you dry? Are you suffering from fountain pen fatigue because of all the numerous options and prices? Did you binge too much and now you have more fountain pens than you can ever use? Has the hobby burned you out? Check out this episode to explore how we got to this point and what do we do from here. I hope this helps you in your fountain pen burnout recovery and your fountain pen journey.
Purchase Pen here:
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BENU introduces the Winnie-the-Pooh fountain pen, inspired by the endearing teddy bear created by English author, A.A. Milne, and English illustrator, E.H. Shepard.
The pen is produced in a positive shade of turquoise-blue and showcases the famous hand-painted yellow bear as it first appeared in Milne’s original Winnie-the-Pooh book in 1926. Aiming to delight anyone fond of this cheerful character from childhood.
The pen is set to launch in US retail on June 15, 2024.
MSRP: $280
Follow me on facebook and instagram @penboyroy
Be well be safe!
I actually got into fountain pens again because I fell off a cliff last fall. (not an emotional cliff, a literal actual cliff) although I suffered serious injuries, I am lucky to be alive. I sat in a recliner for months of recovery and fountain pens allow me to be artistic on my lap. They have gotten me through many sleepless nights of pain. Many lonely hours. It's been a lifesaver to have pens and inks as a tool of recovery. They feel like a comforting friend .
I sincerely hope you're recovering well.
@@teresaharris-travelbybooks5564 thank you! A little bit better every day!
Sincerely wish you a comfortable continued recovery and many happier hours spent enjoying your pens 🧡
@@roxannemaguire9844 thank you! They have been such a comfort.
Thanks for your comment! So glad you’ve been helped by this hobby, and hope you’re back on your feet asap! Sending hugs.
You are 100% correct. The beginnings of my burnout started when I realized that practically all my pens in multiple price points all had the same #6 JoWo nib, and I was only buying new pens based on colors. It had to stop.
And the ones that don't have it, they write worse 😢
Just remember to get an M size.
Jowo nibs excel in the M size.
You are 100% correct. That is where I am now. I really wanted the Esterbrook Raven but I just can't justify $200 for another Jowo nib. I will use what I have. Rachelle in Seattle
Yeah. I get it. After a while we get a friggin Baskin Robins of pens. All different colors of the same pen. And even within that, there are often times slight quality control differences….
Haha. This is the truth. The realisation that you're just buying different nib holders the first time you disassemble your pen and swap in a new nib shakes you to your very core and makes you wonder about what else is a lie!
Thank you for Re-Validating my Passion for our hobby. I totally agree with you. My “collection” is treated like some relationships with friends- we have our differences, but we find a way to get along. I also approached Burn-out, but I managed it by going over the collection and determining why I chose each. Then I set to using each one until a converter-full of ink was used, noting what I liked or didn’t about it and kept a mental note. Then I moved on to the next one and so forth thru the whole collection. This way no one pen was left out.
Now, six months into it, I have created a smaller “favorites” subset where there are pens I will keep on using, and others which will be stored or given away as gifts. My grand kids love them too and I provide every opportunity for them to breakout the Inkvent Calendar and use up the ink to make art - or words and learn some cursive.
I’m also in the middle of using up an overstock of ink by writing Morning Pages and keeping a Common Place notebook along with my journal. This helps manage what I have amassed, and I am on a pen-buying-sabattacal. I also know that I have my grail pens in my collection right now and need look no further to fill that need.
If you truly have f.p. passion and want others to experience it, pick some unused pens from your own collection to give away to a friend or coworker. They may be inspired. This is how I have avoided Fountain-Pen-Burnout.
Roy, thanks for the honest and candid commentary. We need more voices like yours in the fountain pen community. You have clearly articulated the power of pen and paper and the trials and tribulations of the hobby. The first three fountain pens I bought had the greatest nibs. Of course, I didn't know what I didn't know. Does not matter that the nibs are steel. Does not matter that not one of the first three pens cost more than $150. Now I own mucho pens, some expensive, and I am more than satisfied, but not burnt out. Stepping back from the hobby along the way because of life's demands has been a saving grace for me. I continue to gravitate back to the hobby and the people in it. The people in the hobby are the Grail itself. People like you, Roy.
That’s really nice. Thank you. Really encouraging. I agree. The real grail are the people like you.
I can relate to so much of what you've said here, Roy. The only part of this I haven't experienced is the mockery, because I live in the Midwest, the land of passive-aggressive-nice. No one has ever expressed anything other than appreciation for my fountain pen obsession, although some clearly find it uninteresting.
I believe I'm approaching burnout, but I'm also having a hard time admitting that to myself. And I don't want to burnout! Collecting fountain pens and writing with them is a big part of my identity. To turn my back on all that now would be like saying I made a mistake and invested time and energy in the wrong thing. And I still do love writing with fountain pens.
I like your idea of "going steady" with one pen. I'm also trying to focus more on in investing in experiences, not on new objects. That means relishing every aspect of the pens I have and not, for example, buying the same pen with the same nib in yet another color. If I enjoy the writing experience, the color I have is fine (especially since I liked that color enough to buy it in the first place).
I also agree that the current over-abundance of choices from manufacturers is a big problem. I've said this to you before, but it makes me shut down, or say "oh, well, I'll wait for the next pen." At times, I've jumped in so early that the newer offerings have better features that I regret not having. But the options and the improvements never end. The parade of exclusives and limited editions manipulates us into FOMO and buying more things we don't need. In response to this, I'm focusing more on shopping my collection and enjoying what I alteady own.
I don't think there's anything wrong with admitting to ourselves that we're done with a particular obsession and are moving on (except, as you say, if we are killing living beings in the process). But that's easier to do when the hobby or obsession is less closely tied to our identity. Also, making that choice may remove you as a member of certain communities, which feels threatening and lonely unless you have other communities to take its place. We are all busy just holding our daily lives together, so we have to make good choices about how we spend our time and money. I used to spend hours watching content creators unbox new pens and swatch new inks. Now I think, what kind of way is that to spend time? Why aren't I working on my own projects or at least reading a good book?
This podcast really struck a nerve. You've given me and probably others a lot to think about. Thank you!
Wow, everything you said is excellent and I'm sure we can all identify with some part of what you said; except; please don't ever feel that time, effort, money, invested in a hobby that means; or has meant; the world to you, is ever wasted. Even when we move on from a hobby, there are benefits we received; the knowledge we gained, the people we met, the friends we made, the confidence we gained. I am a serial hobby-ist. I'm borrowing that phrase from Drew Brown and Brian Goulet, who also have multiple hobbies. There are hobbies I've given up because they were no longer possible in my state of being, at the time. There are hobbies I'm starting to get too old for. But, the poise, self confidence, and level of physical fitness I achieved, makes me feel only gratitude for the time spent with those endeavors. They've made me who I am.
@@teresaharris-travelbybooks5564 Very well said. Thank you!
I love what you said. “shopping my own collection”. That’s a great perspective to tell yourself there’s pens you haven’t yet explored in your possession.
Hey. Check your IG DMs. I got your message and just wanted to check in.
Mockery is an interesting aspect you brought up. I find that on my own fountain pen journey - which has been great overall and I do enjoy it still - I have experienced this not only from non-fountain pen users, but also within the fountain pen community.
After I fell fast and furious down the fountain pen rabbit hole, I quickly amassed quite a few fountain pens and especially inks. I get the "How much did you spend on that?"-type questions from co-workers and friends often and it never stops being awkward to answer, but I do understand their perspective because just a few years ago, it was absurd to me to spend even more than $20 on a pen. While I'm grateful that there are online communities for me to connect to fellow pen/ink lovers, I have also had my share of "How many inks is that now?" "Another pen/ink? How do you get around to using them all?" "You must be so wealthy to afford all this" comments from other fountain pen users.
I don't think they mean it in a malicious way (at least, I hope not), but I do find it to be a bit like raining on someone else's parade. I don't even like to mention how many pens or inks I own anymore because I feel like I'll be judged or mocked. It's almost like once your collection grows beyond a certain point, people are no longer supportive and just think you have way too much.
This actually bothers me more than the some of the other causes you mentioned, maybe because I do not go around judging others for buying only entry-level pens and ink samples since I fully support spending within your means. I don't have to be filthy rich to be willing to spend good money on fountain pens, nor do I need to have a use for every single bottle of ink I own in order to justify my collection. I have been a collector/hoarder with any of my hobbies; I'm just willing to spend my money on what I enjoy and get the bare basics for things I don't care for (eg. bags, clothing, make-up).
I just have to say, I've been thinking about everything you said in this episode a lot since I listened to it several days ago! You really got me thinking and the things you said validated my own thoughts about this. I have so much to say about it I plan to make a video! I strongly believe that Fountain Pen Burnout will hit reviewers/You Tubers even harder at times ... we should expect it because we're overexposed to what's happening with all the companies and we typically have way more pens than we'd actually buy. You made so many great points. I took notes.
I feel personally, I'm saved from Fountain Pen Burnout ruining my use and love of the pens (and inks) because of the fact that I identify so strongly with being a writer and I'm going to write even if all I had was a pencil ... I find fountain pens to be so superior for smooth fast writing that as long as I'm able to manage them (you know ... my pre-nursing home years lol) I'll be writing with them even if I stop buying, stop making videos, stop social media-ing etc etc. Anyway, too many thoughts for a comment here so I expect I'll post a video soon. Thanks for a great video. If I already commented I can't remember and I wanted to be sure and get a comment up as I really appreciated this topic that you brought up and your perspective on it.
I’m really looking forward to hearing from your side. I’ve been thinking about this and one of the comments left here for a while now so I’d love to hear your thoughts.
This has been a conversation that we all needed to hear. Thank you for being brave enough to tackle it. I don't think anyone who is in the business of selling pens, could have broached it. I don't yet have burnout, but I can definitely see a shift in my thinking about pens. I've reached a quantity of pens that I don't feel comfortable exceeding. When I first got involved with fountain pens, I had two excellent pens, and I was content. Then I went to a pen show, and that was an eye opener. I am somewhat dismayed at the unending flood of new pen releases. I'd much rather a pen company release one new special pen a year, which we could plan for and purchase and enjoy. I guess that's not how capitalism works, though. I am one of those people who; when confronted with too many choices; I won't make a choice at all, and walk away empty handed.
Thank you for saying that. I wouldn’t call myself “brave”. Though I did tackle and take down a grizzly bear with a double leg takedown once to save a kitten…
Okay no… that’s not true. But I did save the kitten… only not from a bear.
Yup! 1 really good pen a year is perfect, possibly two, but that would be max
I love this video and I'm planning on responding with my own video to carry on the discussion. I've also been thinking about burnout and want to totally validate what you're feeling. The oversaturation of pen offerings and hypermarketing can be very overwhelming and it has impacted me, too. Thanks for sharing!
The fact that my video inspires you to also make a video is so awesome. Thank you for telling me that. Be sure to let me know when it’s uploaded!!
@@PenBoyRoy it’s uploaded!
Thank you for your honesty Roy. Cursive is still being taught in most parts of the world, I don’t understand why the US has stopped. Here in Germany, for example, kids learn to write with fountain pens all through elementary school. After that, they can choose whatever to write with. Fountain pens are quite popular in Europe/Asia and not a novelty. I really enjoyed your video.
This country is deteriorating 😂 I want to leave.
@@MsObsidianReloadedsame here. USA empire is crumbling
Beautiful video. I remember when you first started producing fountain pen content and I watched all your videos 5-6 times each! Roughly a year into your genesis into the hobby was my nexus into FP burnout. 400+ pens and ten years in, I lost my passion for it all. When Covid hit, my free time at home increased exponentially and I discovered the joy of FPs again in the form of Facebook groups. In the past, I purchased so many pens that some new arrivals would sit in unopened boxes while I continued to accumulate additional pens as if they were going out of style. I became a pen hoarder. Now I am more thoughtful about each purchase and I spend weeks with the same batch of inked pens. This video of yours speaks to my soul Roy, and I’m sure there are many out there that can relate. Thank you for your continued contributions to the community. This video is needed by all of us.
Wow. Unopened boxes. I can relate. Totally.
I appreciate you letting me know that you can relate. That’s what I love doing. Connecting with others through experience. “Pen Hoarder?”… I am Mister Pen Hoarder!! (In Tom Cruise voice) lol.
Thanks for sticking with me for so long. Makes me warm and fuzzy. I appreciate you.
I must say that I found this video to be rather refreshing. It’s lovely to hear a critique of the potential to obsess over and spend a fortune on a lot of pens that one may not ever be able to use. I love that you do account for the pros and cons of using fountain pens. I love writing and drawing with pen and ink because it is fun and freeing, and I have of late become overwhelmed by the amount of fountain pens out there. Before I saw this video, I had come to the conclusion already that I have more than enough fountain pens that suit my needs. While the warning/critique about “falling down the fountain pen rabbit hole” is out there in other videos, it does not hurt to have folks continue to talk about this topic so that the critique spreads, and folks can think more critically about why they buy fountain pens. Thank you, PenBoyRoy, for your perspectives in this video. :-)
Roy, thank you for this video. I’ve been burnt out on pens for a while and thought I was the only one. I love the idea of using your pens to write out your struggles and destroying the paper afterwards. It’s good to be honest with yourself and writing your emotions can be therapeutic.
Totally agree Brandon. You ain’t the only one. Look at the comments. We are all in this together. Let’s get past it together! What are your strategies moving forward? Do you have any? If not, try one of mine.
Thank you Roy, such a relateable post! In every point! I've had phases of burnout and recovery over decades. My pens give me joy, they make me gently mindful for a moment and help me leave the stresses of daily life aside. But there have been times when they are just too much. They take time and care, and when I have those slightly frenzied purchasing periods, they become a guilty over- consumer stress of their own. But then, after a rest, they come back to me. I keep using one or two robust pens ( because I just can't cope with ballpoints as a daily writing instrument). Then, Journalling those truths.... ahh, so intimate and valuable with my beloved pens. It slowly brings me back and variety of use eases back into my life.
I'm 6 months into the hobby, and I have 2 pens, both inked (with different colours) and in daily use. They pretty much cover my writing needs, but the temptation to buy another one is always there somehow.
Your video feels like a warning about what a budding pen addiction will end in, so I can take this wisdom of yours and start truly appreciating the two pens that I have before I spend a gazillion dollars to come to the same conclusion a few years and a dozen pens later.
Thank you.
When I feel like I’m burned out on pens I play with typewriters for a bit and then I’m excited about my pens again!
Just to shout out the idea of writing about feelings and thoughts. I often say “the truth beats me to the page,” meaning that what I might not allow to be a conscious thought, will find its way out of my pen and onto a journal, letter, or whatever. Plato tells us that “the unexamined life is not worth living” and I have yet to find a way to really examine without the act of writing.
Yeah. I get it. Sometimes being honest with myself is easier when putting it on paper. It’s like writing decodes my scrambled noodle.
Hi Roy, I just wanted to say thank you for all the great videos. This is my favorite pen channel because it has the most relatable content. I love hearing your thoughts about pens and the pen industry.
Hey. I appreciate that. I feel like making content where I allow myself to be honest and vulnerable, gives me the most reward!
I think it’s important to identify what we hoped to accomplish and achieve with this hobby. I have just enough pens to rotate through them as I do my daily journaling. (Although my hubby has one or two tucked aside for me for my next “big” birthday.) That allows me to appreciate each one regularly, and enjoy writing with each. I want to use mine, not just have them to have the next pretty thing. I admit being shocked by the size of some collections. But I’m retired, so I don’t have an unlimited income. There will always be a new pen out there to tempt us. Will it make our life better?
thank you for this discussion! I was starting to feel burn out on my pens earlier this year, as I was unable to buy new pens. (And I shouldnt, I have FAR too many (in some peoples opinion anyway) So I picked out some “beater pens” and decided to ‘date’ them as you put it. I quickly got bored with them and have gone right back into my pen cases and treat each one like it’s new. I might even consider putting them back into boxes so I can ‘reopen’ them. LOL😂
Hi Roy! Yes I've heard about Pen burn out, I collect vinyl records and all sorts of pens and stationary, and I find myself burning out of each every couple of months and I go onto the next thing so it's like a rotation. I'll get into my vinyl records and buy records and play them and post them on social media and then I'll just get tired of it and go back to pens and it's kind of like a cycle but I'm glad it's there because it kinda teaches us to balance everything out it's good to have a few hobbies and not just one in my humble opinion. Great channel I discovered you not too long ago and your tools are magnificent thank you for all the wonderful videos and knowledge
You are on point -- the Journaling discussion describes my journey. I think of it as my daily therapy. Blessings on you, oh wise one. Thanks for this thoughtful and honest podcast.
Much appreciated. I think authenticity honesty and vulnerability really gives me a lot of opportunities to connect with the community. I love it and you!!!
Thanks, PBR - It’s clear we all appreciate your honesty and openness and authenticity. So many fountain pen UA-camrs have their formula and just crank out the next pen review. And I took your thoughts and points to heart and considered this carefully…
For me, the fountain pens are secondary, even though I love collecting and using them, I have 100 of them, and many expensive ‘grail’ pens. My passion is writing, and as a writer the best thing I can do is write. Superbly engineered, brilliantly designed writing instruments that deliver an exceptional experience attract me to the page and I end up writing A LOT more. If I ever get burned out on writing, maybe that will make me question my pen collecting habits, but in 60 years and counting, that’s never happened. So, all the best to you and thanks for your honesty!
FYI, your video has started a thread on the r/fountainpens subreddit, so I’m gonna post this comment there, too.
good to see a face to the voice. i stumbled upon your podcast a few weeks ago and now you popped up on my youtube feed...cheers
Solid break down of the pen journey. Straight up brilliant. I started with a moon man. Ended up with three Homo Sapiens and three Pineiders. Love them more than anything.
Roy, you absolutely nailed it! It's as if you've been hovering over my shoulder watching me for the past 5 years... It's obscene how many pens I've accumulated, and I'm finding that as I focus on those that I actually love, I'm having a lot more fun.
I have been watching you… that creak sound you wonder about… that “hey, what was that noise…? That’s right. It was all me…
@@PenBoyRoy I KNEW it!
This topic is coming up in the luxury handbag community as well.. it seems across the board people are reconsidering where they are spending their money. What once seemed worth their money and made them happy (material things, the feeling of owning or collecting something highly sought after), now feels different. Not quite wasted value, but the currency has changed. Pens are different than bags, I would argue in most cases pens have more utility than designer/luxury bags. But pens are similar to bags in that I think most of their value is assigned to them by the people who own them. My $60 Lamy Lx Gold is as valuable to me as my $40 The Row knockoff bag… to my husband, he sees both of these things and might think “it’s just a pen and a bag” or literally “a $0.02 Bic pen and a plastic bag have the same value”
I've so enjoyed this episode Roy, I feel like you are talking my secrets. Great show thank you
I’m know for knowing everyone’s secrets .. because I’m so awesome… and humble. lol.
I agree with you, I started a similar journey to you, reviewing fountain pens, always increasing in price. Now I have so many 'beginner fountain pens' which I don't really use. I have accepted I'll use my favourites for penpals and journaling but otherwise I'm no longer in the loop of looking at new releases, of checking the Goulet site my next purchase. I want to continue to make content but will also most likely pivot away from reviews aside from the odd new ink.
Pen pals is my main recommendation to get back to the basics of why you fell in love with writing with a fountain pen and using nice paper. The tactile feel, the slow methodical act of writing someone a letter, it's so personal compared to an email or text. Now I don't care if I'm using a Lamy Safari or Montblanc 149, I just write with what I feel like on the day.
Very thoughtful episode. I appreciate that you are going beyond formulaic pen reviews.
I’ve settled after years of collecting on using “click” fountain pens (Vanishing Points/Majohns) for work and capped pens like Pelikans/Conklins/Kawecos/TWSBIs for planning and journaling. Almost all of them are stub-nibbed, which makes them way better than ballpoints. They are well worth the effort and expense IMO. I view them as a touch of class-not an obsessive hobby. No need to acquire super-expensive grail pens. I’m happy with just these.
What a great topic! I just clicked & looking forward to the rest of the episode. That BENU Pooh pen looks great. Not one that I need but it is quite adorable. :)
Brilliant from a to z. Thank you for sharing these thoughts.
My favorite is "Wow that pen looks cool LET ME WRITE WITH IT RIGHT NOW"
It isn't a complete sacrilege to use Pilot Varsity if you're worried about your good pens or don't have time to take care of them. They actually write just about as well as any of the lower end steel nib Pilots. They come in very nice cplours. They don't need to be cleaned and they never dry out. You can shove one in a drawer, find it 5 years later and it will just write. And it will still be nicer to write with than a ballpoint any day of the week. The disposable Zebras arent bad either.
Each week I rotate 3 fountain pens that I will use during the week. Every day I will start with a new page in my journal and write down ideas, but also any objections I express during meetings. Some people are immune to advice and it’s always the same people that come crying later on. So I write date/time when I objected to a proposal or given advice on another direction. Working from home 100% so that’s a great help keeping me from fountain pen burnout.
That's a great idea!
I should start recording the crybabies I deal with at work too.
Lol. That comment about writing notes a lot and focusing on the writing than the actual shit I was studying, hits home! Thanks for a great first video. Got here from the Fountain pens subreddit. FP Burnout is real and I feel it more with the expenses associated with it. The cost of not only the pens and inks and all that, but generally, the fact that there are always more cheaper pens out there and then there are those pens that only the super rich can afford to have and use - and so many of them.And everything in the middle ... like just too much. I have decided to own, very intentionally, no more than 10 fountain pens. I am very close to that number and feel I will have to give some away, I don't know how or to whom yet. But that stress of wanting more but not giving in to buying more is a very real thing.
Don't even begin to count the time spent on this. But there are other things - good things - like I will spend for 10-25 minutes at the minimum every day writing with a fountain pen, because I feel that is something that is very important for me to do. And I do it. No excuses. It has made me a bit more disciplined and I'd like to think, a better person - with more notebooks and inks now. :)
Thank for again for doing making this video about this under-the-radar and yet very relevant topic.
I stopped buying fountain pens about four years ago now. I find myself reaching for rollerball pens for their reliability and comfort. I think what left a bad taste in my mouth was observing the fp community get political on various topics. Life is complicated enough. I wanted a hobby to disconnect from life for a while and to connect with people
on a light topic. I really didn’t want to get bombarded with people’s divisive topics while trying to make an expensive hobby work. This is probably the second pen podcast I’ve heard in a long time! Thanks for keeping it light.
You got it Maria. I like to focus on pen entertainment (hence Pentertainment) and reviews cause all that other stuff is anywhere else you look. This is intended to be a time out from that for fountain pen virus infected individuals!
Thanks
PRB, thanks for bringing up EDC devoted pen. Though a rollerball, I took a Parker with me when my apartment building had a fire incident until I could move back in. I wrote with it for a couple weeks, and it was a coping mechanism from the catastrophe.
This day you might not even have the idea what you have just done. Bu t in future you would know that you have helped countless people with this video.
Amen, Roy! Thanks for doing this one. We really get sucked into the rabbit hole.
You are not wrong! The world is going to hell and having an analog means of self expression is vitally important for our mental health. The more digital things become the more important it is to hold on to the tactile and the real that you can touch.
Sorry I'm a little late to the party but wanted to respond because it's such a great topic that I think was really begging to be discussed. You're so spot on and made so many great points. I work from home so I don't deal and have never dealt with mockery plus the people who know I'm a fountain pen geek think it's pretty bad ass so no issue there. The bigger ones are the practical uses: I work in IT so I deal in spreadsheets all day, every day fffs.😄 I love my pens but I have to make a conscious effort to take hand-written notes in meetings over quickly typing them up in OneNote. When I've worked a 12-hour-day, I don't have the energy to sit and journal or write a letter - even though I may want to. I just need sleep at that point.
Going steady with a pen; not spending enough time with one pen; too much, too fast and over-saturation: Over the years I've learned what I love in a pen and I'm a lot more discerning about what I buy BUT I still have a shit-load of pens (like 30-something pens!) I need to sell or destash or whatever - some I've never used or maybe inked once! Why? Because of the over-saturation, there's ALWAYS another new release or exclusive. If I knew then what I know now, right?
Anyway, thanks for starting this thought-provoking discussion.
PS - Your handwriting looked like someone who just wrote with their butt-hole all the time. Nice visual Roy! 🤣 I get it though - I've totally experienced handwriting envy! 😂
Im currently going through a bit of a burnout specifically for a couple of reasons. One, i just got my namiki emperor, and there is nothing out there that interests me more to have another grail to work towards. There are more expensive pens, but honestly, they dont compel me to want them for what they are. The emperor has the urushi lacquer. It has the large gold nib. Its an eyedropper filler. All things i didnt have yet. I also work in a factory now around giant pots of lead, and dont really want, nor am i allowed to take personal items like pens or phones or really anything out onto the floor due to contamination risks. Not that id want to take something expensive out with me around 800-900 degree pots anyway, but i digress.
Where i have been burnt out for quite some time is on inks. Everything "new" has shimmer, and yhats just annoying to have to clean out all the time and clogs every single pen ive put them in very quickly. I DO like a good shader, but those arent coming out quickly. Coupling both of those reasons with the fact that i discovered that you can just get a pallate of CMYK inks from a brand like noodlers and literally create ANY color you want (and even add mica powder for shimmer if you so desire) i just dont see much reason for buying any ink that doesnt have a cool bottle or some property that i dont know how to achieve such as the color changing ones, or sheening inks.
Anyway, sorry for the novel, but this one did hit home with me this week. Im definitely still keeping up with the hobby, its just that there isnt much that excites me about it cutrently.
I totally get what you mean about the burnout. I do try to use my pens everyday. I think burnout happens in a lot of hobbies. You kind of lose your “mojo” for a bit. It helps to have friends who use fountain pens or to listen to a podcast such as yours. I don’t like the people who mock a hobby. I worked with someone who mocked my art ability and I don’t speak with her at all. Oh, are you going to color when you get home? Don’t need people like that in my life. Thanks for your podcasts!
She’s toxic. That was totally unnecessary. I’m glad you avoid her.
I feel you, my mom is like that, she was born in the 50s and was raised in a family that uses toxicity and criticism almost as currency. That's one of the reasons I don't believe in fake moral values that most conservatives preach.
Just do your thing, enjoy it and don't give a f*k about other people's opinions 😉
Hey Roy. I can't help but think that at the most fundamental level, our discontent is 100% on each of us individually. The market, pen manufacturers, the weather, our co-workers (etc) are not responsible in any way for how we feel about our pens or ourselves. They have effects, but they are not responsible. That you might have burnout after having researched and bought hundreds of pens and made hundreds of videos using up who knows how many hours of waking time--and all of it on top of all the other important parts of living life in the presence of our immediate surroundings and relationships--is no surprise. It's inevitable, from the choices you have made. We all must titrate our interests to sustain them, and letting them wax and wane may be how to sustain them long term.
Forgive me for making two comments but you're so right I get marked all the time by friends and family for spending anywhere near $50-$100 on a pen, they ask me what's so special about it? How do I answer that to someone who doesn't collect pens or gives them a second thought? One person looked at my Mont Blanc skywalker and asked if it lights up😅 this video is spot on
Prior to joining the fountain pen hobby, I actively collected pocket knives. I still have dozens, and I always carry one. But I stopped acquiring some time ago when I got tired of paying too much money for what are essentially flat pieces of steel and G10 cut into specific shapes. Now 5 years into this hobby, I have 200 pens and at least one each of most of the iconic pens (CH823, M805, 149, MZG 2.0, CH743, 3776, 2000, and etc.) Now I’m not after after very many of those “must haves;” I’m after the interesting ones that speak to me.
As for some of the factors that may contribute to burnout. I don’t give a rat’s ass about what anyone says about my hobbies- not a single iota. I like what I like because I like it, not because anyone else approves of it. (My unofficial nickname is Honey Badger.) I also happen to have an office job (mostly), so I’m blessed with the opportunity to always have at least one handy.
Yeah, I used to have a job where I had to take handwritten notes, but since moving to a different job I don't have the same opportunity to really use my pens at work anymore. I usually try to find time on the weekends to do handwriting practice. But as for burn out, I collected a bunch to try and see what different experiences exist, I've experienced most of it, sold off pens I didn't enjoy using, and now I'm just kind of content with my collection. If something new comes out that catches my eye I might pick it up, but I'm not really going to just buy a new color of the same pen.
so true, gonna wait until we get our grail pen and start writing the book which is gonna cause waves on the multiverse and infinite psyche of beings. New matrix update, so big changes coming, some clarifications, lore to origin, explanations, etc.
Great talk! I think this can happen in any hobby. Best way to overcome it in my experience: Sell. Get rid of stuff you don’t care about anymore, keep what makes you happy, continue from there.
I’ve only just came across you- how did UA-cam not suggest you before now?!
Because UA-cam is a poopy pants at times.
Great episode Roy! I don’t think I’ve suffered burnout yet but this is the second time I’ve fallen down the rabbit hole.
The first was many years ago when my wife got me into fountain pens. It didn’t stick, because quite honestly I didn’t write much at the time, and I hadn’t learned about good quality paper. Writing with fountain pens on cheap office store note pads is not a pleasant experience.
This time I am enjoying it more, but do find the constant releases of special and limited editions exhausting. I don’t have a problem buying a pen multiple times if I think it’s attractive, but the constant FOMO will eventually get old.
You know, I have been using 2017 and so excited. I finally got my grail and I was good.... and I think it's more consumerism than burnout for me. I decided need to reflect on my love of fountain pens so I have what I have but if there is something I want I usually wait to the pen show. To avoid over consumption or burnout, I pair my pens with a purpose and assign a TN or notebook with it.... that way I'm always going to use all my pens and avoid burnout ....ex:: franklin christoph flex italic nib with my letter discbound bible study.....or pocket omni journal with my pilot decimo fine nib.... and such.... so I'm always using my pens and notebook and avoid fomo
I write pen pal letters. I’ve been doing this for 40 years. I always have a reason to use multiple fountain pens. I’m also an avid journaler.
40 years of pen pal letters is a wonderful thing. Happy writing for another 40!
I suppose my fountain pen journey is altered by the fact that, as a visual artist, pens are just as often a drawing tool. Also, teaching first year students in an architecture school I taught lettering and drawing to 60 students a year. I was always testing inexpensive pens to help students make choices. By the way, my grail pen turned up when I bought a Leonardo Momento Magico. It was a perfect fit for my hand and had all the traits I loved. I immediately bought a second one (this with a gold nib) they both make me happy nearly every day. I have a raft of fountain pens that I use routinely (I practice writing alphabets with 5 or so pen and ink combinations as a daily routine). After a life that involved type, I settled into my own version of the Renaissance humanist hand that most would call ‘printed’. I’m old enough (73) that I wrote with fountain pens all through my education. I think you’re on the right track with the dating yourself via pens and writing. I bought a Mont Blanc back in the 80’s when I was an art student in Germany. Great pen but not me. That was the beginning of my fountain pen adventure that led me to land on the Leonardo. I maintain around 18 pens that I love owning. I permanently loan the rest to people I like. Because I painted and sold art for 50 years I accumulated a lot of ways to make marks. Thus my pens are a small part of my larger studio supplies which helps me keep acquiring more pens in check. It also adds perspective if despite having more costly tools one still draws regularly with a 40 year old bamboo pen that cost two dollars. I appreciated your sentiments. Thank you for sharing them.
I’ve been experiencing fountain pen burnout too. I started fighting it by cleaning most of my pens - from over 30 inked to less than a dozen. I’ve also started using some of my favorites more. My next grail pen arrives tomorrow - a Pelikan M1000. I’ve stopped buying pens just to have the new color (especially TWSBI Ecos). I’m going to start saving up for my next-level grail pen: a Nakaya Dorsal Fin 2.
I’ve had my M1000 almost a week now and it’s a gusher! I got an EF but it puts out a TON of ink. I had to put Pelikan Edelstein Aventurine in it match, and my cheap journal can’t handle it. Even my better paper bleed through to the next page. The nib is so soft, it’s hard to tighten the gap (I need to try your brass shim trick). I also need a much drier ink. But the pen is great!
I got into fountain pens about six months ago. Started with a pilot varsity, and now have a dozen different fountain pens. Funnily enough, fountain pens made me appreciate cheap bic pens as well. Just want to stop buying pens for a while and actually use the ones I have, and go through all my inks as well.
Roy, I understand what you're saying, but speaking for myself I wouldn't call it 'burnout': rather 'satiation' or 'maturity'. I have about 70 fountain pens now, use only seven of them regularly (wait, that's not really true: sometimes I feel like using the green version, sometimes the brown…). Still, the vast majority have served their purpose, namely: I tried them out and learnt about myself and my preferences. (I've learnt that pens can be a tool for meditation and self-understanding: why did I buy it? what attracted me to it? how did I feel when I got it?) I now know what nibs I like, which feeds are good, what the weight, length, girth should be, and details like a loaded clip and metal threads. As for the unused pens: I sell them, or give them away, and in parting I'm grateful that I had them and that I learnt from them.
Great video! Like many others here I can totally relate to a number of points if not all of them. Your comments about loving the handwriting more than the actual words sounded so right and I do suffer when I have an actual thought and I get lost in the process of writing it down. But I don't want to blame the instrument and I agree with Umberto Eco: it's a matter of discipline not the tool you use. I find myself doing that no matter what writing instrument I am using, being a pencil, a ballpoint, or my favorite fountain pens. As for the mockery, I have a rather healthy disregard for what other people think of my taste and how I spend my money. I'm surrounded by people that drive to work with Teslas, my boss has a different outfit and purse everyday, my ex-wife was buying expensive shoes on a regular basis. They all feel like they are users and might judge me as a frivolous collector even though I am not. The bias is on them: I like pens, not shoes, and I won't feel any guilt about it because of their optics. I go to meetings with my $200 Tibaldi Perfecta FP, my toss-in-the-bag ballpoint is a Visconti Homo Sapiens; if I do not lose them (although it happened, I'm 55) they will last 30-40 years and a couple of them will become family hairlooms. People with a $1,400 IPhone should not raise any eyebrowse.
I think we are getting over saturated. How many Al Stars, Safari's, or Sailor PGS variants are really needed? Kaweco's too.
I'm starting to really limit my shopping for pens. Partly it's financial but the rest is, Do I need this? I've got a decent collection although nothing above $175 US. My pens make me happy, too many would cause anxiety.
You PenBoy describe my exact journey, and probably familiar for many. My first round of fountain pen fever came in Y2K when sick of computers I went to a pen show. W O W, who knew such beautiful pens existed! I only knew of FPs as the black/gold cigar shape, boring and mostly a man’s pen. Then I found my gorgeous Monteverde “tiger eye” Olympia (med nib) and fell in love. I still have it and judge other pens by its comfort and smooth nib. Nearly 25 yrs old now, it doesn’t cap well, dries out fast and that dear Pen Boy, is what put me on this current wild ride for a new Grail Pen. In 2022 I bought my White Tiger Pilot Metro (M) medium nib, loved it and thought I was “done" until I searched for some ink info on youtube. O M G!
Given the algos I’m now well acquainted with the Goulet Pencast, Figboot, Tom Oddo, Hemmingway Jones, and YOU (to name a few) and the never ending "quest for the best." gadz. (more below)
I too had promised myself not to cross the $100 line on this journey, then did for a gold nib. Another Pilot M nib, the beloved e95s, on discount. Soon after that I splurged on the Benu Earl Grey for $157. All these new pens were a bit too juicy, including an Eco model of Visconti Rembrandt (M) nib I got for 1/2 price on eBay. So yes I had been pondering… not the HomoSapien but a $300 Van Gogh set. It’s possible to speak using pen jargon and no one could possibly follow other than this online FP community. 😏 Anyway, I was also eyeing Pelikan's M series (just like you) especially the Souverän M400 and literally LOL when you described yours! That's why I'm commenting. 2/3
Oh no, I just deleted (closed w/o saving) my final thoughts. I said you talked me off the ledge, from spending TOO much and regretting it. I already feel "shame" for the MANY I've bought. (I said 20, but you know it's more counting Preppies and knock-offs.) For now I'm done after acquiring the flashy rainbow version of Monteverde Innova M Formula with black trim and the fantastic black Omniflex (Jowo) nib. It's a dream writer. OH, and I confessed to ordering the Moonman (Moonblanc) "homage" to the Boheme... it's enroute from China should be here in a few days. I blame Hemingway Jones for addicting me to the unique Boheme which I cannot justify. So, this is hopefully my last enticement. But, who knows. Blessings as I just discovered your loss. Off to post on #195 🕯
Thank God, MB came out with a SE Napolean fountain pen selling upwards $11K, highly unobtainable, but desirable, imo. Promoted by Appleboom, it snapped me out of attainment, and having me appreciate what I had. Unless there is degrees of difference from pens in my collection, I enjoy the content as entertainment. Instead, I appreciate the meta of fountain pen writing, and now on my fountain pen writing journey, migrated from a fountain pen journey.
wow, I totally agree with all the things that you said... but as you said, keep keeping on when you experience burnout. Switch it up, go on a non pen buy stretch, appreciate the pens you have and work with them one at a time. Stop and really think what pens you want to invest in rather than wanting to have every colour in one brand... or trying to keep up with the Joneses.... And they are totally expensive... Thank you for this video, I thought I was kinda the only one having a bit of a fountain pen burnout. 😀
My experience of burnout came the first time I felt like I’d o.d.’d on sugar after placing a fountain pen order.
There are three cheap pens I want, that might become two cheap pen (they’re in ‘a’ cart). I have to wait until the day when I’ll feel like I do after a normal dessert-not like at the end of a day at the fair, after 2 cotton candy thingies, 4 sno cones, a rootbeer float, and a whole mess of fries with ketchup and COPIOUS salt.
In re, mockery: I’m always ready. ‘Yeah, I still have handwriting and want to continue to have handwriting. And it’s not like I ever throw a fountain pen away…’
In re. Printing: Mine isn’t where I’d like it to be either-the forms are ok but I’m not as consistent as I’d like, and my ‘kerning’/spacing/pitch isn’t where I’d like it to be. For help, I recommend a UA-cam search on ‘hand lettering’ or ‘lettering’. Has to be tons out there.
To fight the burnout, I mainly hang at work with two Kakunos, and my Pilot Custom 74 (which I carry in a pen sleeve neck-lanyard). I am also spending less by maximizing enjoyment for journaliing at home by completing some things-i.e. finally buying a replacement nib for a pen whose nib I don’t like-and buying a packet of repair parts for some favorite Chinese pens. Super economical and most importantly, UNexciting.
How my great mentor I never met says (Dan S. Pena) “Tough times don’t last - tough people do!”
It is because we are groomed by the industry to accept these prices as a result of artificial luxury. There is absolutely no reason that acrylic monteverde with a steel nib should sell for the price that a gold nibbed sailor sells for on the Japanese market other than the fact that in Japan to some extent these are still treated as tools as opposed to artificial luxury items as is done on the US market
I can totally relate. !!
Most people in You Tube seem to be pen collectors. I am a pen user. I don't want more pens that I can use. I have 10 pens inked on a tray at my desk. Each pen has its particular ink (or ink mix I have made for it) and twice a year I rotate the pens on the tray, so I use 10 for Spring-Summer and 10 for Autumn-Winter. I don't understand why people buy so much ink that they won't be able to finish in 500 years! Each pen I buy has to be very special, and substitute one of the ones I have. This way, my little collection keeps improving and adapting to my taste and needs. I still spend many hours looking at pens and inks online. It gives me great satisfaction and helps me choose what I want next.
Well said! Thanks for sharing your perspective. I agree; there is a distinction between pen collector and pen user. I often wonder how some go through so many pens so quickly. I now realize they fall into the first camp while I exist in the second.
My first pen was a Montblanc Elvis Presley Limited Edition fountain pen with medium nib. I ended up buying a second pen (Montblanc Around the World in 80 days Solitaire with fine nib) but only because I had to send the Elvis Presley in to be serviced and they told me it would take 4 months to get it back. I’d rather have two amazing pens than 50 mediocre ones.
Indeed, Roy, we're heading in that direction!!!
p.s. Agree with you about the often exorbitant cost of pens. I am still loving my pens, but have put myself on a pen and ink buying moratorium. I have most of mine inked up and take them out every few days and use all to scribble. Use a different one every day to journal and do a gratitude journal. Thanks again.
PRB, take a vacation to Japan & Germany, and talk to pen shops while you are there. In those places, fountain pens have flourished as they had when the first ballpoints flooded the world with cheap pens. Tell you a secret.. the market never saturated.
It feels like you've read my mind or took notes from my life from the last few months lol
I did… by the way, you didn’t take the garbage out.
This video speaks the truth! I experienced everything you spoke of. With regards to the mockery, I’ve always had my own style though. In a world of Apple Watches, I prefer mechanical watches with ridiculous complications. In a world where people use their keys to open packages, I carry a pocket knife. And in a world of disposable BIC pens, I carry a fountain pen.
New sub. Great vid. Love the channel !
Thanks for the support. I really am appreciative
You have made some valuable and valid points. Over saturating the market strikes an exposed nerve with me. Changing the color scheme and charging $100.00 more for a pen adds to this. The pen writes exactly the same if it is pink instead of black, and while writing with it matters not at all. I want a different pen for a difference in writing experience. I’m putting this badly. Buying online adds another layer of difficulty. So I spend time, time, time watching pen reviews, make a decision, save up to buy my next bright and shiny and find what! You no longer have the right nib size. Circle around. This needs to be fixed and should be. It’s time wasted that I could use to write in my journal.
needs to be fixed if you are charging premium prices.
Fountain pen users are a weird bunch, including me. We're so picky and idealistic. Grounding ourselves to reality would lessen the chance for burnout in my opinion.
These are ways to help lessen fountain pen burnout, I think.
1. Think that fountain pen is a tool. It's beautiful, but it's a tool. It would help you to use your grail pens instead of just admiring them.
2. Not being a purist. A lot of use hate using ballpoints or pencils, but there is a time and place for everything. Schneider Rave XB is the ballpoint pen that feels fountain pen like the most. So when there's a time that I need to use a ballpoint pen, I will use Schneider Rave XB. I also use a mechanical pencil when I need to draw stuff and explain the drawing to someone.
3. Find a way to prevent FOMO. For me, there's two ways of preventing FOMO.
3.1. Buying second hand pens.
3.2. Buying only new pens with inks and/or paper that has a theme. For example, I bought Bungubox Alice in Wonderland which is basically Sailor Profit Jr special edition with Wearingeul Alice. So it's an Alice in Wonderland theme buy.
I have a few low cost fountain pens from Pilot and TWSBI. I am more of a rollerball and gel pen fanatic. I wish I can experience pen burnout. I love pens. I buy so many that I end of gifting or donating them. I haven’t purchased a grail pen yet. The ones I want costs thousands. I think my next fountain pen 🖋️ will be a Benu, they are cute and colorful.
This video is informative and hilarious. 😆 Thanks for tackling this “taboo” topic in the FP community. It’s about time someone made an in depth video about this topic.
Interesting insights. I don't have a grail pen and never have had one. I just enjoy writing with them whenever possible l know not all situations call for using them. Where I'm having my problem is with ink. I don't see the point in having all these shades of a color from different manufacturers. Some shades being so close to one another that you can't tell which ink is which. Then there's shimmer, sheen and shading which is another branch of the rabbit hole. I'm done buying ink bottles and only buy samples and at that rarely purchase full bottles from the samples.
"that's some old school shit, son..."
You know, a couple of years back I started to get a little bummed because now it looks that everybody is offering their pens with a Jowo nib, it's almost becoming a monopoly now 😕 Now I try to stay away from Jowo and look for other different options, thank God there's manufacturers still using Bock, Schmidt and in-house nibs. Manufacturers should also give us the option to buy nibless pens and just install whatever nib we like.
Another thing that gets me pi**d off is the hype that brands build around themselves by releasing limited or temporary editions of the same pens over and over, offering nothing new except for some "special" acrylics and charge a lot more for them. To make things worse, those pens will never be available again.
By the way, Homo Sapiens is latin, so its pronunciation should not be as if it was english.
I changed my whole way of life when I entered the fountain pen world, I bought an obscene amount of 52gsm Tomoe River paper, changed my planner system for the paper, . Yes, I started with $20 pens and quickly went up the ladder…. $40, $60, $100, $160 😱… SLLLLLLIIIIIDDDDDEEEEEE…… $250, $350. $500, 800, $1200…. OMG STOP!!!! Now i have a pen collection of over 200 pens and find myself trying to find ways to use them.
In Turkey it's normal to ask how much your house is or car is or rent or dress.. There is no decorum there. Jokes aside great video. We were discussing earlier about burnout issues. I saw your reference from karyna. It clicks so well. I write everyday. I'm a researcher. I was writing so much before fountain pens. Still i don't need so many fountain pens. I mean, i knew i could finish 2.5 gel pens on a 80 page school notebook. We don't have enough to finish.
You are spot on!
I cannot even count how many times I’ve gotten a new pen and the first thing I’m asked is “How much was that?”😒
It is hard for me since I’m on a stipend, but this is the only hobby I have left after I had to give up everything else. I feel guilty and ashamed, but I know I’ll use them and I love them! So why can everyone else get a haircut every 6 weeks or go get their nails done every 2 weeks, and I can’t get a pen every quarter or so for less than $40? I understand everything you said and I still struggle.
I agree with you, brother. When i did administrative work for a while, it was awesome to use my fountain pens, but each time my coworker saw my pens it was always the same question and want to see what i write and how much it cost. Yes i know it's not a car, chain, sneaker, ect, but i always had to explain i just like collecting them and using it.
I’m again commenting mid video.. so I have one more comment. When people ask why I have these pens and these crazy colored inks, I tell them that we’re slaves to reality. Sometimes we feel like beasts of burden when the work load out wages our freedom.. I say that the pen is a reminder that I’m more than that worker. In a weird way, it’s a way to cheer me up in the middle of my slave shift. I also think of that star wars quote about lightsabers.. “This is the weapon of a Jedi knight. Not as clumsy as a blaster. An elegant weapon for a more civilized age.” In a weird way, I think without thinking of that quote, it why we all use one. The reason feels the same
I can related to this, Im now into chinese fountain pens because they are cheap, write well and have nice colours. I own also some pilots, Lamy 2000, Sailor pro gear or Leonardo Momentos. Last time I bough (because I wanted and could affort it), a pilot koushi sterling silver 18K. Then I took it to my job (engineer) and the secound question was:... How much did it cost?...I explained that I have pleasure in writing with it and therefore 400 euros were reasonable for me. Some spend money on watches, clothes, cars oder expensive restaurants and I like to spend some money of fountain pens because I get grate satisfaction in writing with it. Of couse I would also like to own a Visconti Homo sapiens, but I also have my boundaries and would not spend 800 dollars on it, not because I could not but because I dont feel the value of 800 dollars in it. I think this is what helps me to stay reasonable.
It is also the case that the variety of different manufacturers and models makes it difficult to decide on just one fountain pen. This has been proven in studies.
What's more, in these days, nobody wants to wait any longer, they have to have everything and preferably immediately. This also leads to stress because you don't have the necessary patience. You should first enjoy what you have and remember what it was like when you were waiting for it.
You are so correct in what you say about burn out. I worked 40 years in healthcare. When I began in the late 70s I would write off, histories and 'scripts. By the time I retired in 2015 all recordings of all of these were via computer, there was spno need of any writing vehicle let done a fountain pen. My question is what are pen habit people actually writing with all thrir pens? You can only write, The quick ... so many times. Ok journaling. Corrcting student papers? Do tell. I've come to realize It's all about the nib. So I search out moderately priced pens with different nibs, whether EF, F, BB, Stub, Architect. I'd love Visconte Homosapien, can't do it. Yet I did find on sale a Visconte BrEeZe for $39. I got the funky clip. I'm happy, it rights well. Great vid. thanks.
I'm a vintage collector, and I'm just now starting to collect modern acrylic pens. It's pretty amazing what can be done these days.
I very much enjoy knowing the handmade process that goes into my pens. I can always swap out a "boring" nib.
If I want a quality nib, I'll reach for one of my vintage 18ct ST Dupont or a Parker...
As long as it writes correctly, I'm fairly easy to please. I just want a pretty pen with quality craftsmanship.
I will have that Pooh pen!
Came here for the subject matter, stayed for the potty mouth 😂 I don’t trust anyone that doesn’t throw a few around, I’m convinced that they are serial killers on the down low. That shits not natural.
I have had a case of the FP burnout for a few months now. I always have a couple inked because I dig them, but I also loves me some bitchin ballpoint pens. One of the things that created that burnout was seeing everyone buy the same fountain pens blindly, then seeing them flood my social media all at the same time. I just CAN’T with that. I realized through that, that I have to step away and let what needs to be mine make its mark on me organically. I don’t like owning a bunch of things for the sake of owning a bunch of things and, as someone else stated, it’s even more ridiculous to spent that kind of money on the same nib on a variety of different bodies. Same for excessive ink collecting. I hit my wall with all of it a bit ago and I’ve shaved down a lot of channels that I use to enjoy because I realized that much of it is a bad influence on me and my FOMO. No hate to anyone that always buys the latest pens or inks, it’s no longer content that I can watch and not be influenced by. It’s fine that it exists, it comes in handy on the day I come to learn about a pen organically some 4 years later.
I art with my pens and I happily journal with my pens. I also write a lot so everything gets used. I’m done collecting pens and I made an effort the last 2-3 years to only purchase pens that have easily interchangeable nibs to get different sizes if I want that variation. I mix my inks regularly to get different colors so I don’t buy ink anymore. Literally the only ink I have repurchased is my waterproof inks for my artwork.
I’m loving this conversation and I hope others take this and speak on it as well.
Oh my gosh, this *ENTIRE* comment!!!
Flooding my feed: I swear I NEVER see anyone post anything but Sailor's now. I am so sick of seeing them 😒 I feel like everyone is buying them because, well, EVERYONE is buying them.
I refuse on principle alone. If they're popular, they're not for me. Nope. I won't ever get something just because someone else has it.
I thoroughly enjoyed your comment. I also don't trust people who don't swear 🤭😆
@@menm_91 🤣
Hey Roy, great podcast. You had me laughing, nodding my head & smiling in agreement and thinking gosh how did life get so busy.
As fo being infected with the fountain pen virus, I attribute that to PenBoyRoy. 🙂 hahaha
No you're not talking out of your backside. This may not be quite on topic, but I have been thinking that I need to do some thinning out of the fountain pens that I probably won't use in the future. There are some fountain pens that I will hang on to because they are either considered a "grail" type pen or have some other special meaning to me. I don't know if it's the same as your "burn out", but I have been hesitant at buying any new fountain pens until I resolve the issue of having too many fountain pens that I probably won't use.
I've always wanted one of the Visconti Homo Sapiens black lava pens. In doing some research Tom steered me to the Waldmann Titan and I am so glad I made the decision to go with the Titan. It definitely a grail worthy pen that will not disappoint.
Know that the only person you need to impress is yourself
Great subject. I experience fp burnout.
Limit thyself!
My double case with Impressa with NEW EF nib (freshen up) and a matching rollerball (for that Other paper) - I’m quite satisfied with the set for months now.
A gold nib on my Safari for my grail!
Why fight burnout? I’ve spent more than $50K on all my pens. I’m damned well going to get over it and love my pens again. And I DO love them!
Also, second comment. I just got the new Magna Carta stacked resin fountain pen with their flex nib. It's magical. That nib flexes with zero effort. Highly recommend taking a look.
Your comment on "how many times can you review a JoWo nib" kind of brings me full circle - I first got interested in fountain pens when I was a kid because when looking at fancy ballpoints, it seemed weird that no matter how much you spent on a pen, you were still writing with one of 3 identical refills. The initial draw of fountain pens was that nibs from the various brands were all (at least somewhat) different.