I'm a longtime wannabe pen geek and a novice collector. Ever since childhood, itGÇÖs always mattered to me what I wrote with -- I still vividly recall the revelation of writing with my first Parker Jotter -- but it wasnGÇÖt until last winter that I discovered fountain pens, and pens became a passion.
I have a handful of quality modern fountain pens (some with companion RB, BP, &/or pencil), including the gorgeous "Amber Shimmer" Waterman Carene (M) that's my current purse pen; a black Parker Sonnet set that lives on my desk at work; a lovely copper Sheaffer Targa (M); Pelikan M400 (M) and M600 (OB), a fun, flaming-red Krone (F, with stub on the way), and the breathtakingly beautiful emerald green Aurora Optima (F) thatGÇÖs the flagship of my current collection.
I've also accumulated an alarmingly large collection of vintage fountain pens -- most of little or no collector value and virtually all needing repair, resaccing, etc. -- that I acquired on eBay, where I'm known as "malnpudl". (Egad! However did I get so many so fast?) In time I hope to learn how to do my own resaccing and simple repairs. I've also got a very modest but satisfying start toward a collection of vintage mechanical pencils (several of which actually work).
Recently at the OH Pen Show I bought my first restored vintage pens -- a pretty green Vacumatic Sub-Deb (F); a red & gray striped Duofold with a stub nib (zowie!); a Vac-filled Parker 51 with an italic nib (thank you, Susan Wirth!); and a lovely moss agate Lady Patrician FP & pencil set that was too beautiful to pass up. IGÇÖve now got an incurable case of Vintage Fever.
I pay for my collecting vice by working on the customer support hotline for a major software vendor. My husband Tyronne is another pen fan and fellow "technoid"; he and I are both in our early 40's. We live in the San Francisco bay area with Corey, our geriatric Belgian Malinois. When I'm not working, 'Net surfing, or pursuing my passion for pens, I enjoy reading, gardening, and backyard bird watching.
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