On Tue, 10 Sep 2013 12:51:07 -0700 (PDT), merryb >
wrote:

>On Monday, September 9, 2013 4:56:38 PM UTC-7, Brooklyn1 wrote:
>> "l not -l" wrote:
>>
>> >Brooklyn1 wrote:
>>
>> >
>>
>> >> I'll spend a Grand to plant a tree
>>
>> >> or on a fountain pen before I'll go out to dinner at fancy schmancy
>>
>> >> joints...
>>
>> >
>>
>> >So, what is you preference in ink? I prefer to fill from a bottle,
>>
>> >mostly Sheaffer's Peacock Blue (old formula) and Waterman's Florida
>>
>> >Blue.
>>
>>
>>
>> I have a bottle of just about every color/brand of ink available...
>>
>> two of my favorites are Parker emerald green and mocha. I like Omas
>>
>> inks too, all the colors. Nowadays inks last a long time, hardly
>>
>> anyone writes anymore, I used to have lots of pen pals but now it's
>>
>> all email. Today's youngsters are incapable of writing long hand, all
>>
>> they can do is tweet, they can't converse either. It won't be much
>>
>> longer pens won't be made anymore and people will just grunt like
>>
>> Neanderthals.
>
>I agree- handwriting is a lost art. Signatures used to be beautiful! Do either of you do any calligraphy? Do you use these pens for everyday things like shopping lists, or are they more for "letters to the editor"?

I don't do caligraphy nor is my penmanship anything special, but a
quality nib can improve anyones handwriting tenfold. I started
writing to penpals more than sixty years ago, I still exchange
missives with a few folks I've never met in person but whom I know
extremely well through writing... I think writing is far more
personable than email or even telephone... after communicating for
many years it's difficult, no, impossible to hide ones emotions with
the written word. Email is not nearly the same as pen and ink... it's
not possible to write a love letter on a keyboard. I also use very
expensive hand laid papers, and I have a huge collection of wax seals
and waxes. My checkbook pen is an original 1900 Parker Snake, in 1950
I paid $40 (a huge sum for a seven year old), today I can easily sell
it for well over $40,000. Everytime I write a check I draw an
audiance, naturally I don't tell them what that pen is worth, I don't
want to get mugged on the way home. You can buy a limited edition
reproduction for about $3,000, if you can find one. Original fountain
pens are very valuable.
http://www.parkerpens.net/luckycurve.html