Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

A Japanese Pen Maker Anticipated the Fountain-Pen Renaissance

bloomberg.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

41–50 of 129 posts

Re: A Japanese Pen Maker Anticipated the Fountain-Pen Renaissance

#41

Post by manarth »

winter_blue wrote: post #21
nabla9 wrote: post #19

Nakaya pens are prime example of Veblen good - luxury goods for which the quantity demanded increases as the price increases. The old desire of building your identity around what you own instead of what you do is not going anywhere. Good for them picking up the extra money people have. Of course Nakaya pens are good writing pens, but the quality of pen as a tool levels around $50-$70 price mark. Extra is just collect…

> The old desire of building your identity around what you own instead of what you do is not going anywhere. Good for them picking up the extra money people have. That's really spot on. We could have an incredibly fulfilling life while living frugally. Writing books, making art, creating new software, doing research, etc. Creating and understanding yourself better can be healing. Physical possessions like this pen is…

  Physical possessions like this pen is just so vain, shallow, and meaningless.
Have you thought this through, to the point where you have a cut-off?

Is it the cheapest? Is a 12-cent biro vain, because there's a 10-cent biro?

Is it a $10 fountain pen, because you could have bought a cheap BIC? Is a $30 fountain pen OK, but a $50 fountain pen is shallow and meaningless? Where do you draw the line?

Re: A Japanese Pen Maker Anticipated the Fountain-Pen Renaissance

#42

Post by nabla9 »

Moru wrote: post #36

I believe kids in Germany are still learning to write with fountain-pens.

Everybody should learn to write using either fountain pen or at least good gel ink pen (like 3-5€ Pilot G-2 gel ink pen). Using standard ballpoint pen makes you hate handwriting.

The idea of fountain pen is to put the pen down on the paper and move it around without the need to press the pen against the paper. Invention of ballpoint pen was move backwards in ergonomy and most people don't realize that this happened, they just hate writing in general.

Re: A Japanese Pen Maker Anticipated the Fountain-Pen Renaissance

#43

Post by sg47 »

tolien wrote: post #27
KC8ZKF wrote: post #6

I enjoy a good fountain pen. If you are interested in an inexpensive practical fountain pen, you should look into the Lamy Safari. It is easy to maintain, writes smoothly, and feels good in the hand. It is my every day pen. Quick drying "document" inks are also good for everyday use. They don't fade or smear.

Used to use Parkers and Watermans (Watermen?), got a Safari a few years ago and upgraded to a 2000 (rather more expensive piston-filler). Now I've got 3 (in a mix of nibs and stainless steel/Macrolan).

Watermans is correct. Lewis Waterman invented the capillary fountain pen.

Re: A Japanese Pen Maker Anticipated the Fountain-Pen Renaissance

#44

Post by Clubber »

I have a Montblonc fountain pen that was my father's and made in West Germany :). It's neat to write with, but extremely messy (I'm a lefty). I wrote a few sentences with it about 20 years ago and haven't used it since.

Honestly, I'd like to try a feather and inkwell just to see how people wrote way back when, but haven't ever gotten around to it.

Re: A Japanese Pen Maker Anticipated the Fountain-Pen Renaissance

#45

Post by CaliforniaKarl »

KC8ZKF wrote: post #6

I enjoy a good fountain pen. If you are interested in an inexpensive practical fountain pen, you should look into the Lamy Safari. It is easy to maintain, writes smoothly, and feels good in the hand. It is my every day pen. Quick drying "document" inks are also good for everyday use. They don't fade or smear.

Question for the Lamy and TWSBI users: Does it work as an "in-your-pocket" pen? In other words, can I use it on the go, or is it meant to be kept at a desk?

Re: A Japanese Pen Maker Anticipated the Fountain-Pen Renaissance

#46

Post by Emma_Goldman »

manarth wrote: post #41
winter_blue wrote: post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> The old desire of building your identity around what you own instead of what you do is not going anywhere. Good for them picking up the extra money people have. That's really spot on. We could have an incredibly fulfilling life while living frugally. Writing books, making art, creating new software, doing research, etc. Creating and understanding yourself better can be healing. Physical possessions like this pen is…

Physical possessions like this pen is just so vain, shallow, and meaningless. Have you thought this through, to the point where you have a cut-off? Is it the cheapest? Is a 12-cent biro vain, because there's a 10-cent biro? Is it a $10 fountain pen, because you could have bought a cheap BIC? Is a $30 fountain pen OK, but a $50 fountain pen is shallow and meaningless? Where do you draw the line?

There is no cut-off line because symbolic capital is not something that has a mathematical formula. The ways in which people express status varies from social group to group, and from situation to situation. The idea that a claim is only valid if it is a closed proposition that applies under all circumstances is a bad one. You need to undertake an ethnography, sociological study, etc., to understand how commodities function in cultural hierarchies in any particular case.

Re: A Japanese Pen Maker Anticipated the Fountain-Pen Renaissance

#47

Post by dizzystar »

arkitaip wrote: post #40
dizzystar wrote: post #12

Oh my, this brings back memories that still impact me today. Growing up, finding that perfect pen was sort of a hobby and artform. I suppose part of it was growing up in the 90s, trying to do Pen & Ink drawing, calligraphy, and writing all day. The current analog is searching for the perfect keyboard. While wasteful on first blush, it truly is the most utilitarian decision you can make when measured for optimizing to…

"The current analog is searching for the perfect keyboard." Sounds like we have been on a similar journey (typing this on a Corsair K95). I still enjoy finding a really good pen, but they rarely cost more than 10-20 usd and I mostly use them for sketching UI. If only there was a keyboard equivalent to The Pilot G2 0.7.

I'm fond of felt-tip pens.

I used Liquid Expresso pens back when I was a bike messenger. Every secretary would try to steal them, and often beg me to leave one for them.

Re: A Japanese Pen Maker Anticipated the Fountain-Pen Renaissance

#48

Post by huntie »

AhtiK wrote: post #35
huntie wrote: post #30

I used to write with a fountain pen a lot, they're really nice to write with. Most of my writing now is math though, and I've found that fountain pens aren't the best for that. I really like the Sakura Pigma Micron pens though. I think that they're made for artists, but I've found them really nice as a general pen. I specifically get the 05.

Which angle can you still use to reliably write with an 05 Sakura Pigma Micron? I had one and had to hold it almost upright, otherwise started to skip and scratch. Copic Multiliner SP range didn't have this issue. Maybe I just had a defective/dried up Micron.

I've never had issues with writing. I've doodled with one occasionally, and have run into issues then. Checking it now, it seems fine at a 45d angle. It does require more pressure at smaller angles, but my normal writing pressure feels fine. I normally write at a 70d angle for reference.

I didn't know Copic made pens. I've heard really good things about their markers so I'll have to try one out.

Re: A Japanese Pen Maker Anticipated the Fountain-Pen Renaissance

#49

Post by ijonas »

CaliforniaKarl wrote: post #45
KC8ZKF wrote: post #6

I enjoy a good fountain pen. If you are interested in an inexpensive practical fountain pen, you should look into the Lamy Safari. It is easy to maintain, writes smoothly, and feels good in the hand. It is my every day pen. Quick drying "document" inks are also good for everyday use. They don't fade or smear.

Question for the Lamy and TWSBI users: Does it work as an "in-your-pocket" pen? In other words, can I use it on the go, or is it meant to be kept at a desk?

I’ve got both and they’re both excellent workhorses. I use Lamy mostly with Twsbi as alternatives for different inks.

Paper is a bigger issue with fountain pens. Avoid Moleskine, choose Rhodia.

Re: A Japanese Pen Maker Anticipated the Fountain-Pen Renaissance

#50

Post by ijonas »

Xophmeister wrote: post #31
tachion wrote: post #25

What other quality pen could one recommend if I would like to get one and not spend a fortune on ones like these? By no means they look and feel probably great, but I'm simply not in their target market. However, from my young years I remember owning few Parker pens, few Pelikan and one or two Waterman. I remember enjoying ones with a 'buttery smooth' writing feeling most (don't really know how to describe it other w…

Lamy make pretty nice fountain pens. I have a Lamy 2000 (my go to fountain pen) and a Lamy Dialog (I think; the one with the retractable nib, which is a neat trick).

+1 to the Lamy 2000. It’s a glorious timeless classic. It’s like a Porsche, useable as an everyday workhorse.
Post reply on HN