One of the great things about making pens, is seeing a square piece of wood turn into something that could become an heirloom fountain pen.
As you can see in my bio, my son and I have been turning pens on a lathe since 2008.
Whether we are using some exotic hardwood, such as Honduras Rosewood, or a unique colorful acrylic, we continue to get a lot of enjoyment out of it.
We have been fortunate enough to turn our hobby into a nice little business.
Collecting fountain pens is a natural spin-off from making them and it does not have to be an expensive proposition.
There are still many different older pens that are available in flea markets or on eBay where if you are lucky, you can pick up some for just a couple of dollars.
You can start out with some very inexpensive models like Esterbrooks and then move on to higher quality pens like Mont Blanc, Waterman, or Parker.
Typically, vintage pens that are considered to be collectible are made prior to 1965, which is really not that long ago.
There are some antique fountain pen books that are an excellent resource to educate yourself with.
A nib is typically made from either steel, gold, or titanium and the nib is split along the midsection which aids in the flow of the ink to give you the smooth writing that is associated with a fine quality pen.
Believe it or not, a few of the early pen designs were made from glass, however various plastics soon became the popular choice.
While the most expensive fountain pens were made using gold or platinum plating, the cheaper pens were manufactured using plastic or resin compounds.
Speaking of the most expensive fountain pen, there is a diamond-studded Mont Blanc that sells for $160,000.
00.
Want to know what was advertised as the "world's most wanted pen"? That was the Parker 51 fountain pen, which today continues to be a highly desirable collectable.
The George S.
Parker company introduced it in 1941 and it was the most popular pen during that time period.
One thing to keep in mind, there is no standard grading system that is used for collecting vintage pens.
Terms such as good, very good, and excellent can mean different things to various sellers.
It becomes very important to be able to closely inspect any potential purchase to make sure there isn't any irreparable damage.
The fountain pen cartridge that you find on pens made today, dates back to the 1950s.
When collectors get together, they will usually discuss such things as the advantages of using converters over piston and lever fillers or maybe that rare 1929 Wahl Coral Deco Bands.
Some of the conversations can sound a little strange, but over time, you'll recognize what they are talking about.
The nib of the fountain pen is the most distinctive feature and is also the reason why many people continue to use them.
Pen nibs arrive in totally different thicknesses, from really fine to pretty thick.
It all depends upon your writing style and which width you feel the most comfortable with.
The older pens were often cigar shaped and considerably bigger than pens we used today, but there are also smaller and narrower pens such as the vintage Parker Duofold fountain pen that is shaped more like today's ballpoint pens.
I have used computers most of my working life, and one of the unfortunate aspects of that, is my cursive writing looked worse as the years went by.
At times, I could not even read my own writing.
That is, until I picked up a fountain pen.
It forced me to take my time and my writing improved.
As a result, I have developed my own style which is actually different from using a ball-point pen.
Since I started using it, I love having one instead of always typing on a keyboard.
As you can see in my bio, my son and I have been turning pens on a lathe since 2008.
Whether we are using some exotic hardwood, such as Honduras Rosewood, or a unique colorful acrylic, we continue to get a lot of enjoyment out of it.
We have been fortunate enough to turn our hobby into a nice little business.
Collecting fountain pens is a natural spin-off from making them and it does not have to be an expensive proposition.
There are still many different older pens that are available in flea markets or on eBay where if you are lucky, you can pick up some for just a couple of dollars.
You can start out with some very inexpensive models like Esterbrooks and then move on to higher quality pens like Mont Blanc, Waterman, or Parker.
Typically, vintage pens that are considered to be collectible are made prior to 1965, which is really not that long ago.
There are some antique fountain pen books that are an excellent resource to educate yourself with.
A nib is typically made from either steel, gold, or titanium and the nib is split along the midsection which aids in the flow of the ink to give you the smooth writing that is associated with a fine quality pen.
Believe it or not, a few of the early pen designs were made from glass, however various plastics soon became the popular choice.
While the most expensive fountain pens were made using gold or platinum plating, the cheaper pens were manufactured using plastic or resin compounds.
Speaking of the most expensive fountain pen, there is a diamond-studded Mont Blanc that sells for $160,000.
00.
Want to know what was advertised as the "world's most wanted pen"? That was the Parker 51 fountain pen, which today continues to be a highly desirable collectable.
The George S.
Parker company introduced it in 1941 and it was the most popular pen during that time period.
One thing to keep in mind, there is no standard grading system that is used for collecting vintage pens.
Terms such as good, very good, and excellent can mean different things to various sellers.
It becomes very important to be able to closely inspect any potential purchase to make sure there isn't any irreparable damage.
The fountain pen cartridge that you find on pens made today, dates back to the 1950s.
When collectors get together, they will usually discuss such things as the advantages of using converters over piston and lever fillers or maybe that rare 1929 Wahl Coral Deco Bands.
Some of the conversations can sound a little strange, but over time, you'll recognize what they are talking about.
The nib of the fountain pen is the most distinctive feature and is also the reason why many people continue to use them.
Pen nibs arrive in totally different thicknesses, from really fine to pretty thick.
It all depends upon your writing style and which width you feel the most comfortable with.
The older pens were often cigar shaped and considerably bigger than pens we used today, but there are also smaller and narrower pens such as the vintage Parker Duofold fountain pen that is shaped more like today's ballpoint pens.
I have used computers most of my working life, and one of the unfortunate aspects of that, is my cursive writing looked worse as the years went by.
At times, I could not even read my own writing.
That is, until I picked up a fountain pen.
It forced me to take my time and my writing improved.
As a result, I have developed my own style which is actually different from using a ball-point pen.
Since I started using it, I love having one instead of always typing on a keyboard.
SHARE
