Some writing samples of my new pens...[Modem Killer, Dialup Doom..etc]

[Tzarbo]

I sort of respect Mike and his last post... but how can we be sure his Butler didn't post it for him, because he was taking a bath in snowy owl tears and molten silver?

Perhaps it was his butlers butler... or the chamber maid... or the chamber maids butler...

[how1]

Surely a cheap fountain pen would give the same results? I mean, a gifted Caligrapher could do wonders with a cheap Fountain pen! It is the skill of the person, not the quality of the pen. Look at the caligraphy of the monks who wrote in the middle ages etc! And what did they use to write? No expensive pens in those days!!

[Tzarbo]

I'm sure Mike owns a monk or two. It simply wouldn't be cricket for a man of his social status to travel without a fleet (I believe that is the correct term) of monks.

Personally, I am a bit concerned about the treatment of these monks though... apparently they have to share a butler between them.

Surely a butler each would be more acceptable these days?

[Disturbedguy]

I'm sure Mike owns a monk or two. It simply wouldn't be cricket for a man of his social status to travel without a fleet (I believe that is the correct term) of monks.

Personally, I am a bit concerned about the treatment of these monks though... apparently they have to share a butler between them.

Surely a butler each would be more acceptable these days?

Do you always talk such utter dribble?

What is your problem with Mike? The guy has a genuine passion for something, something some people may find interesting, and you post utter tripe for no reason what so ever other than being a complete fool, are you jealous because he has something you don't, are you jealous because he can actualy post something without trying to mock someone?

They guy is posting something other's may find interesting and all you seem to be doing is being a complete tit, others have voiced there opinion's, but then they have posted something meaningfull at some point.

Apologies to anyone if this post is a little ott, but jesus, give the guy a break.

Let's face it Tzarbo, am sure people could make assumptions of you that may well be completely wide of the mark!.

[how1]

I think he is only having a light hearted joke. No need to have a go at him like that!

[Tzarbo]

I think he is only having a light hearted joke. No need to have a go at him like that!

My thoughts are only with the monks.

My father was a monk all his life, man and boy, a career of good honest monking. He was lucky, his Monkerater was a fair man, he always provided a sleeping mat, a cudgel of salt, 3 fish from the Kings personal fish pile, and a pair of slippers every full moon.

All I'm saying is that not all monks are as lucky, and some monks have to do their monking in harsh conditions these days.

Mike, if you are reading this, for the love of Jesus, who was I believe a monk himself in later life - give the monks choccy hobnobs sometimes, don't abandon them to a life of rich tea.

[how1]

I take back what i said Disturbedguy, this guy is off his trolley!!

[samcross]

[DeludedGuy]

I find Tzarbo funny, im sure he is only joking.

Thanks for that link mike, and the explanation, I understand where your coming from, its just a matter of fine taste more than anything else.

I just remembered something I saw yesterday, Ballpoint pen art....some talented guy can draw pictures using just a ballpoint pen.

http://www.crookedbrains.net/2008/09/ballpoint-pen.html

[santa claus]

This is becoming more interesting with every post. I've already said it once but I'll say it again, Mike is an inspiration for his knowledge, passion and, as it turns out, his masterly responses to those who have been less than complimentary. This is not just a thread about pens and handwriting; it is about quality and appreciation for something worthwhile and collectable in this throw away fast food World.

Yes, you can write with a Bic; yes, you can save yourself a whole lot of cash but that isn't the point. It's the style and pride that goes with it. The ownership of a thing of beauty that will represent you for your whole life. The pleasure that Mike derives from using his collection is palpable.

I think it's great to see a thread like this at Hexus. Mike has put a lot of work into preparing and presenting it for our entertainment and information. Surely if anyone has a point to make they can manage to do so without flippancy (although to be fair most comments seem in good spirit)?

I for one am thoroughly enjoying the thread and the video. Thank you Mike .

[mediaboy]

If not for the fact that I use the 99p BIC pens I'd find this useful. It is, however, interesting to watch someone ramble on about something like Fountain Pens whilst keeping it both informational AND interesting.

Now to find some way of bringing this up in casual conversation to affirm my status as 'knower of random knowledge...'

[Main]

<--snip

FYI, I've been using fountain pens since I was eight; then went through a whole mechanical pencil phase and returned to them seriously in 2000 and since then I only use my Anni. ballpen only if needed. Practice makes perfect, and my handwriting has vastly improved over the years thanks to them.

snip-->

This sounds familiar...

My siblings and I learned to write with fountain pens right from the very begining, but all ditched them later at various points whilst at school. Personally the things seemed like too much fuss at the time, given the leaks, mess, changing cartridges and generally having the nibs get bent for no apparent reason. I've been using mechanical pencils since then and as a result my handwriting has been regarded by all (including myself) as being pretty crap.

Since then my brother returned to fountain pens and commented that his handwriting has improved, and I came a across a few at university who used them and they also said they helped their handwriting. It would seem you're another who feels this is the case.

So at some point I'd like to get my hands on a semi-decent (read: not >£10 piece of crap but not costing the earth either) fountain pen and seeing how things go. I can appreciate what a good pen is because I have a tendancy to return to the same writing implements even if others are readily available. Disposable mechanical pencils and pens just feel so naff for prolonged use.

Out of interest Mike, when the price for these pens jumps into the land that many would consider insanity, what's the main cause for that change? Craftsmanship of the cosmetic (appearence) or practical (ie. nib) or is it as dependent on the make and model as everything else in life?

[bsodmike]

Hi Main, I will first respond to your question as it is the most direct...

Out of interest Mike, when the price for these pens jumps into the land that many would consider insanity, what's the main cause for that change? Craftsmanship of the cosmetic (appearence) or practical (ie. nib) or is it as dependent on the make and model as everything else in life?

A good "beginner" brand of FP are those Lamy pens many kids use in school; I too had a Lamy Safari back in the day. It had a rather boring white plastic cap and barrel, stainless steel nib that wasn't very pretty but remained functional and a metal wire looped around the cap to form the clip.

Now, consider for a moment, the Parker Duofold Centennial FP. It's a solid writer, with much history and retails (or used to at least before the credit crunch driving all the prices through the roof) in the lower band of &#163;200 to &#163;250. The noticeable differences are: 18k gold nib, usually plated in rhodium after being engraved and then iridium tipped. Gold plated rings throughout the pen and a even a handsome clip.

One must also note that these pens tend to have a far more elaborate feeder system, to ensure constant flow of ink to the tip. The iridium tip also needs to be ground by hand to perfection. Some pens are heavier, as manufacturers use brass as a base material as some like a bit of heft in their pens ~ this can again drive the cost up.

At this price point, to answer your question, I would say it's a bit of both; you get form and function. A gold nib will not rust, but they are indeed soft. You would NEVER want to put down the same pressure like you would on a ballpoint onto a FP nib The price alone does not always dictate the quality of the nib, as for example a more expensive pen in solid sterling silver or gold, could still have an "OK" writing nib.

Finding joy and pleasure in a nib is once again a personal matter - I will come back to this later. The Montblanc 149 is in the &#163;400-500 range, and with this pen you definitely get one of the largest, sexiest and best writing nibs on the planet (you can tell I'm a fan!). Kennedy had one, Hitler had one ~ It was a signature pen those days.

You then also have Limited Edition pens that are usually far more ornate, precious metals, hand engravings and other highlights that can easily run the cost for these pens into the &#163;20,000+ range.

When I was in Harrods last week, they had the Max von Oppenheim LE pen going for &#163;1,500 in one model and &#163;5,000 in solid 18K,



When it comes to the LE market, these companies are not simply selling you a pen, a watch, a unique "Louis Vuitton" one-of-a-kind Paris Hilton-pink, diamond encrusted, poodle whip of 88 pieces worldwide ~ you are also getting the chance to have something rather limited (limited taste in this case :laugh), and this will command insane to crazy prices. To those interested, their interest will justify the cost. You got to be able to pay to play I guess

I would suggest that if you're looking to get back into FPs and you do not want to shell out too much to give them a try (as most would be concerned that they would simply give up in a short while), go for a Lamy...



The last I checked, these go for a little over 12 quid retail with VAT. It will definitely not have the smoothest nib out there but you can try and compensate by using wetter inks and trying different paper.

However horrible someone else may think your handwriting is, I think, it should be firstly be readable to YOU. Back when I was in school, I had to have my butler call up our personal detective to decipher my notes....it was that bad (I could only make out my numbers). I'm really liking what I write now and my main problem is rushing a piece, like those posted in the initial post, and I recall my hand trying to run off the page in a hurry.

If you look at my YouTube video, I was much more relaxed and you can see my writing seems to have improved a bit in comparison, to the earlier samples. Mindset, thoughts, quality of paper and posture will all affect ones writing. Calligraphers have years of experience as "artists"; my passion is more towards fine writing instruments and the personal pursuit of improving my penmanship.

[bsodmike]

Good morning!

I take back what i said Disturbedguy, this guy is off his trolley!!

Definitely! His comments have been giving me a good chuckle throughout and I think I even let a tear slip with that last one about "chambermaids" having butlers themselves... heh

I think it's great to see a thread like this at Hexus. Mike has put a lot of work into preparing and presenting it for our entertainment and information. Surely if anyone has a point to make they can manage to do so without flippancy (although to be fair most comments seem in good spirit)?

I for one am thoroughly enjoying the thread and the video. Thank you Mike .

Thank you once again for the kind words Santa. Um, mind sharing your real name with us? I feel right silly writing to Santa, and no, I'm not 12 and yes I've been bad

With regards to some of the harsher comments, I'm not sure if you recall what most people said when I posted (way, way back) about a similar obsession of mine with mechanical wristwatches. Every other post included pictures of pink quartz watches and other mockery.

It is great though to see some folks actually peeking their head through the mustard gas and asking credible questions - to which, I'll always do my best to give a sensible answer

If not for the fact that I use the 99p BIC pens I'd find this useful. It is, however, interesting to watch someone ramble on about something like Fountain Pens whilst keeping it both informational AND interesting.

Now to find some way of bringing this up in casual conversation to affirm my status as 'knower of random knowledge...'

Glad you at least found the concept of my ranting interesting. I wonder what pick up lines you're trying to fashion now

[bsodmike]

...Actually, I do lie a little, I have never been able to stand louis vuitton stuff. It's just a bit too over the top for me!

Hi Jim! Thing is I enjoy a bit of variety in my collections and however pretentious the staff and majority of LV customers may be - they do make some very nice leather goods, in select lines. I really like their Utah leather collection as the leather is quite thick, very supple and has a great comfortable texture.

The Daimer and Monogram canvases are very much like a hard "tarp" and personally are not those I appreciate. Thankfully, Montblanc have recently (since late '08) launched a line of supple leathers of which I just got a pen case. I think the wallet in the same leather would be sublime.

[Whiternoise]

I'd love to get into fountain pens, but my handwriting "technique" is such that i always end up smudging the ink. I've taken to using Parker Rollerballs which is a good compromise - fairly free flowing ink, and it dries instantly

I really do want to see everyone else's handwriting now, just to see if you can back up the claims - at the moment it's turning into a YouTube commentary

However, everyone saying that they're fine with a 99p BIC - i can't stand cheap biros. They break easily and aren't that nice to write with, i'd spend a little bit more and get a Parker ballpoint any day.