What do you write with all those pens?

[Rusty Blade]

I know some of you have large collections of fountain pens. And several of you keep a few inked up up at any one time. What do you write with all those pens? Journals, recipes, post it notes, class notes, prescriptions, grocery lists, meeting notes, dream diaries, important thoughts, romantic poetry, love notes to a certain someone? I am curious...

 

[Tirvine]

Grocery lists, journals, and the increasingly rare check. OBTW, I only use the Pelikan with blue black since retiring.

 

[Hercule]

Sadly, I write very little anymore. I've tried to keep a journal but it tends to quickly digress into a stream of consciousness of complaining and griping, "woe is me" etc. Cathartic as it may seem (and it really should be) it never lasts very long. So my pens, some quite nice vintage ones, sit inked ready to go but unused in my brief case. (I really should give them a cleaning) Never having cause to write much, my handwriting is crap - akin to an EKG strip - I'm left handed and it was never great to begin with. I've tried, but I just don't have a need to write extensively.

As an academic, I think the last time I wrote a draft of paper by hand was probably '96 or so while in grad school. I didn't have a lap top, so I worked on it while on a flight to San Francisco to do a Christmas gig. Even then, that was in pencil.

Given the poor quality of paper in the wild, using a fountain pen exclusively is exceedingly difficult.

 

[Ted A]

I journal daily. Frequent pen pal letters. To Do. Grocery lists. Quotations and poems. Calendar entries

 

[Whilliam]

Crossword puzzles and more crossword puzzles. Brilliant fountain pen ink makes things easier to see. I also sorta' keep a journal for projects-in-progress, though I generally do so in pencil (but fret not, it's a Kaweco).

 

[Hercule]

Crossword puzzles and more crossword puzzles. Brilliant fountain pen ink makes things easier to see. I also sorta' keep a journal for projects-in-progress, though I generally do so in pencil (but fret not, it's a Kaweco).

.

Holy feathering! What ink do you use? Crosswords are usually news print or cheap paper.

I love crosswords, but don't do them so much since Merle Regal died. I've done most of his and haven't found a good replacement. I like hard ones that I can chew on for days at a time. Regal's motto was "Twisted but fair." Stupid hard for the sake of being hard need not apply.

 

[nemo]

Journals, recipes, post it notes, class notes, prescriptions, grocery lists, meeting notes, dream diaries, important thoughts, romantic poetry, love notes to a certain someone?

Yes.

Well, no prescriptions.

 

[Dominic]

Crossword puzzles and more crossword puzzles. Brilliant fountain pen ink makes things easier to see. I also sorta' keep a journal for projects-in-progress, though I generally do so in pencil (but fret not, it's a Kaweco).

The ink doesn't feather badly or bleed through on the crossword puzzles?

 

[jherm77]

The same things you do. We all have our own unique curiosities in life, I'm glad to share mine with you.

 

[Toothpick]

Yes.

Well, no prescriptions.

It’s been months since I’ve gotten a love note from you…

 

[Whilliam]

.

Holy feathering! What ink do you use? Crosswords are usually news print or cheap paper.

I love crosswords, but don't do them so much since Merle Regal died. I've done most of his and haven't found a good replacement. I like hard ones that I can chew on for days at a time. Regal's motto was "Twisted but fair." Stupid hard for the sake of being hard need not apply.

When I do them on newsprint, I use light touch with a pen with a fine nib. But these days, I just print them out from the New York Times' website, so feathering is even less of an issue. My ink, by the way, is Edelstein "Sapphire."

 

[TexOkie Shaver]

When I do them on newsprint, I use light touch with a pen with a fine nib. But these days, I just print them out from the New York Times' website, so feathering is even less of an issue. My ink, by the way, is Edelstein "Sapphire."

When you print are you using an inkjet or laser jet printer? Also, what paper do you print on?

 

[Whilliam]

When you print are you using an inkjet or laser jet printer? Also, what paper do you print on?

I use a laser printer. Paper is whatever Staples has on sale by the case. I'm using Hammermill copier paper now.

Biggest expense is a puzzle subscription to The Times. It's $35 a year, which sure beats subscribing to their damn online paper. That $35 buys you a lot, though: daily and Sunday puzzles, plus unlimited access to the puzzle archive going back thirty or forty years. It's a good deal.

 

[TexOkie Shaver]

I use a laser printer. Paper is whatever Staples has on sale by the case. I'm using Hammermill copier paper now.

Biggest expense is a puzzle subscription to The Times. It's $35 a year, which sure beats subscribing to their damn online paper. That $35 buys you a lot, though: daily and Sunday puzzles, plus unlimited access to the puzzle archive going back thirty or forty years. It's a good deal.

Does that include cryptoqotes?

 

[Whilliam]

Does that include cryptoqotes?

I don't know.

 

[tankerjohn]

Oh boy, the short answer is everything. I take a lot of handwritten notes at work. I have taken up journaling, both for productivity and to just write down thoughts, gratitudes, etc. I have found that having some nice pens that I enjoy using makes a big difference in writing things down more and being more mindful about sending thank you notes and greeting cards. I had it in mind to get back in the habit of writing letters, but am starting with letterpress cards. The cards are just less intimidating and take less time to write. Plus, handmade letterpress cards are works of art in their own right. I would recommend to anyone that if they have a letterpress printer nearby to patronize their craft, and if not, there are lots of printers on Etsy and other websites. Letterpress cards are really so much better than the cheesy Hallmark cards at grocery stores.

If you'll permit me to get a little philosophical, when I started wetshaving, it was out of the desire to take an unpleasant daily chore and turn it into a delightful ritual that I looked forward to every morning. I mean, being in the Army, I had to shave anyway, so I figured I might as well make it fun. I would say wetshaving has been a rousing success and is a hobby that I deeply enjoy. Getting into fountain pens is an extension of that logic. I have to write stuff down anyway. I want to do better at showing gratitude to people who do me kindness and appreciation to those I love. I want to be deliberate about planning my time and tracking my tasks. Ordinarily, all of that would be a drudgery, but with a fountain pen, its a joy. Making it into a hobby takes it up to the next level. Its fun to use different nibs and different inks and connect with old timey ways of doing things, even if its just for a grocery list or to jot down a phone number.

 

[Whilliam]

The ink doesn't feather badly or bleed through on the crossword puzzles?

See my reply to TexOkie Shaver above.

 

[jherm77]

Oh boy, the short answer is everything. I take a lot of handwritten notes at work. I have taken up journaling, both for productivity and to just write down thoughts, gratitudes, etc. I have found that having some nice pens that I enjoy using makes a big difference in writing things down more and being more mindful about sending thank you notes and greeting cards. I had it in mind to get back in the habit of writing letters, but am starting with letterpress cards. The cards are just less intimidating and take less time to write. Plus, handmade letterpress cards are works of art in their own right. I would recommend to anyone that if they have a letterpress printer nearby to patronize their craft, and if not, there are lots of printers on Etsy and other websites. Letterpress cards are really so much better than the cheesy Hallmark cards at grocery stores.

If you'll permit me to get a little philosophical, when I started wetshaving, it was out of the desire to take an unpleasant daily chore and turn it into a delightful ritual that I looked forward to every morning. I mean, being in the Army, I had to shave anyway, so I figured I might as well make it fun. I would say wetshaving has been a rousing success and is a hobby that I deeply enjoy. Getting into fountain pens is an extension of that logic. I have to write stuff down anyway. I want to do better at showing gratitude to people who do me kindness and appreciation to those I love. I want to be deliberate about planning my time and tracking my tasks. Ordinarily, all of that would be a drudgery, but with a fountain pen, its a joy. Making it into a hobby takes it up to the next level. Its fun to use different nibs and different inks and connect with old timey ways of doing things, even if its just for a grocery list or to jot down a phone number.

Ditto. Retired USAF here.

 

[Vespasian]

I just finished editing a novel. My first two-three passes on any particular section are always done in pen-and-ink, on hard copy. Kaweco Sport Classic (black plastic), fine nib. I exclusively use J. Herbin Violette Pensee carts. Then I transfer my notes/suggestions/corrections to my computer to send back to the author. I must be the last editor alive who doesn't edit directly on a computer.

 

[FarmerTan]

I use a laser printer. Paper is whatever Staples has on sale by the case. I'm using Hammermill copier paper now.

Biggest expense is a puzzle subscription to The Times. It's $35 a year, which sure beats subscribing to their damn online paper. That $35 buys you a lot, though: daily and Sunday puzzles, plus unlimited access to the puzzle archive going back thirty or forty years. It's a good deal.

I wonder if my brother knows about this? He never misses the Times Sunday puzzle.

I, on the other hand, have trouble with "search a word" puzzles. And Dot to Dots...
Dyslexia!