Forgive me if this post does not make sense, but I am curious so please hear me out…

On a lot of watch forums/groups, there is often a “what do you collect apart from watches” question posed. From what I can observe, two of the most popular answers included tend to be knives and pens.

Now knives do not interest me. I’m too clumsy…

Pens has me interested though. I mean, how much better could an expensive pen be compared to my trusty biro?

So, my question, per the title, if someone like me wanted to dip my toe in to the world of pens, what to the pen world would be like CW to the watch world? By this I mean offering exceptional quality for a relatively affordable price (beyond which might, very arguably, be diminishing returns).

Take care @kev017
I dipped my toe into the rabbit hole of pens once.
They're really really obsessed and bonkers over there! Passion, intensity, naval gazing, fruitcakery - watchies have NOTHING on pen people when it comes to taking physical objects really really seriously
And it's not just the pens - you'll end up sucked into the side-worlds of ink. And paper. And what sort of journal you write in. And calligraphy.... The passion for ink alone could just swallow you up entirely!

Nope - I'm glad to say I escaped with my life. Just warning you before you discover the UK pens forum that I nearly wandered into and never came back out....


(This is all said with love - you know this. I love enthusiasts. I've just never come across a bunch of such passionate obsessed ones )

When I was the final year of junior school (age 10-11 for those overseas) our teacher insisted we all used fountain pens. My memory of them was of leaked ink, smudged handwriting and a lot of faff changing the cartridges. Her aim was that we would all fall in love with fountain pens and never use anything else. However it had the exact opposite effect on me and I’ve never touched one since.

Having said that I do like a nice pen but stick to rollerballs now. I find with these the pen is as only as good as the refill and a good one is always worth paying extra for.

If you go down the same route as me then it will really come down to the style and size of the pen you select as you can always change the refill for a better one if needed. Fountain pens and nibs aren’t something I know much about.

I have a brass Kaweco that I always keep in my pocket. Here it is and you can see the polished section on the pen which is where the lid sits when it is capped and when it is in use. This makes it short enough to carry easily but long enough to write comfortably with. I also use Kaweco refills and find them very good.

TheBeatles wrote: ↑Sun May 12, 2024 8:28 am I have:-

Fountain Pen
Gel Pen
Ballpoint Pen
Propelling Pencil

All the same model made by Cross, very happy with quality.

Dependable and reliable, not sure of their collectibility as a brand tho.

Thanks. I think I once bought my wife a Cross pen which she loved.

Perhaps my use of the word collection was a red herring. I’m more interested in hearing where the sweet spot of high quality/good value is. And maybe Cross is it. If a Biro is a cheap quartz watch (arguable does everything that a watch/pen should do), what’s the Trident Pro 300 (my current fave CW that is exceptional value given the quality, but ultimately still just tells the time )

I would have thought the two everyman brands of pens, that represent proto luxury would be Parker and Papermate. Maybe Shaeffer and Waterman also.

I think if I had a pen company, I would be more than happy for it to be compared to Parker in particular as entry level luxury.

I had never heard of Montblanc pens for instance, until the last 5 years or so, when I became more interested in watches

I think relatively few people must use ink now, so I would say ink pens represent mechanical watches, while ball points and gel pens etc, represent new fangled quartz watches.

To me, there is only a point in collecting pens if you use them regularly.

Back when I was working, and a lot business had yet to be conducted electronically / digitally, I used to sign and post letters (remember them).

I used to take pride in having a legible signature, written with a fountain pen.

As for pens? I would use Parker. I had a solid silver 45 Flighter. Lovely weight and balance to it.

I also had (still have) a rolled gold Yard-o-Lead propelling pencil that had been my Father's.

As for collecting pens? A big rabbit holes awaits you, I fear.

Guy

Sent from my Galaxy S23 Ultra using Tapatalk

I have a nice Cross pen but hardly ever use it. We had to use a fountain pen at grammar school and most lads had a cheap cartridge pen. Posh kids had a Parker. I asked for one for my 13th birthday, and was still using it at university.

Cross, Parker, Shaeffer and Waterman spring to mind as good standard brands.

Slightly at a tangent, my weakness lies in the world of mechanical pencils. I have.....a lot. Uni Kuru from Japan which rotate and sharpen the lead as you feed the lead through. Caran d'Ache for a bit of practical style and thicker leads for longevity. Watermans Carene for a touch of luxury ( poor pencils though) and many Ohto and Faber-Castels.

As a side note my researching and wider reading led me to How To Sharpen Pencils by David Rees. Possibly, alongside the Stephen Potter lifemanship books, the funniest read I have enjoyed. The book's subtitle suggests the levels of minute detail that thrills obsessives: A Practical and Theoretical Treatise on the Artisanal Craft of Pencil Sharpening for Writers, Artists, Contractors, Flange Turners, Anglesmiths and Civil Servants.

Martin wrote: ↑Sun May 12, 2024 9:26 am The book's subtitle suggests the levels of minute detail that thrills obsessives

You mean you don’t get enough of that on watch forums?

Martin wrote: ↑Sun May 12, 2024 9:26 am
As a side note my researching and wider reading led me to How To Sharpen Pencils by David Rees. Possibly, alongside the Stephen Potter lifemanship books, the funniest read I have enjoyed. The book's subtitle suggests the levels of minute detail that thrills obsessives: A Practical and Theoretical Treatise on the Artisanal Craft of Pencil Sharpening for Writers, Artists, Contractors, Flange Turners, Anglesmiths and Civil Servants.

I love this, but this is exactly one of those rabbit holes that might have swallowed me up if I'd known it was there! I gave up pencils quite early because of the sharpening problem, used mechanical pencils unsatisfactorily for years. Discovered Uni Kuru pencils a few years ago

Oh boy... !!

I am certainly an appreciator of marking instruments! Although I do not consider it a collection, now that I think about it, I do have quite a multitude, and although not anything high end, certainly of practical quality. I do value a precise mark...
While my time gages reside in a displayed collection, my marking instruments are scattered all around the house and shop. While I consider watches an esthetic accessory, pens, pencils, markers are more like tools to me. And like all tools, quality and practicality are important. I do take pleasure in their use, briefly admiring their esthetics and the marks they leave behind. Many have unique uses or are assigned particular purposes and relegated to certain tasks and places.

I will try to snap and post some photos of my collection as I go about my days, ... For now, while having coffee this morning, here is the communal catch-all collection in the kitchen... It's supposed to be a grab and mark stash, but having 3 kids around, the mark part is not always guaranteed

My late mother-in-law passed down a beautiful Waterman pen, which I use at my desk, every day.
I also have some Parkers , but the Waterman is by far the best of several.
LOL - I think that's as far as I dare venture down this particular rabbit hole.

Martin wrote: ↑Sun May 12, 2024 9:26 am Slightly at a tangent, my weakness lies in the world of mechanical pencils. I have.....a lot. Uni Kuru from Japan which rotate and sharpen the lead as you feed the lead through. Caran d'Ache for a bit of practical style and thicker leads for longevity. Watermans Carene for a touch of luxury ( poor pencils though) and many Ohto and Faber-Castels.

As a side note my researching and wider reading led me to How To Sharpen Pencils by David Rees. Possibly, alongside the Stephen Potter lifemanship books, the funniest read I have enjoyed. The book's subtitle suggests the levels of minute detail that thrills obsessives: A Practical and Theoretical Treatise on the Artisanal Craft of Pencil Sharpening for Writers, Artists, Contractors, Flange Turners, Anglesmiths and Civil Servants.

Stephen Potter. Now you're talking. . I like the bit where they decide to stop the gamesmanship, and just "play tennis".

I would include Three Men In A Boat as well in the humour bracket.

My Mum never knows what to buy me at Christmas or Birthdays, so last year I said I needed a decent pen for work.
I make quite a lot of notes, and quite fancied the idea of a nice pen.
Below is what she got me ! Not exactly what I was after, my daughter then bought me a Parker pen, which is very nice to use.

Regards Steve