Here are some old fountain pens… Me and ink pens go back a long way (thanks to my dad who has lovely handwriting – impossible to read though… “Yes I know Dad, you find my handwriting hard to read too!!!”)

From L to R (a very humble collection)

(Sadly the old blue parker pen that dad gave me and I used as a teenager must have been thrown out!)

• A cheap Sheaffer pen that I bought when I was 17 – lovely flow. I used it during my first 2 years at uni. My tutor used to use it when he was reviewing my work and then keep it all day because he loved it so much. (I also had a calligraphy pen … I was into that in my late teens as well)
• 3-5th year of uni I used a Rotring art pen – that is now more but I now have a new one (see my current pen photo))
• A parker pen that I bought with Xmas money from work in the mid-90s. I used a fountain pen at work for years and the secretary used to fill up my cartridges with a syringe! (last night I put noodlers in it and am giving it another go)
• Another Sheaffer (branded Colorbond) We were given these at an architecture conference in 2000 in the sample bag – every pen had a tiny crack in the barrel near the nib so we all got ink on our fingers. 2 months later we were all sent a replacement pen and an apology.
• One of the original rapidograph set I bought (it is a Staedtler brand as I liked the cute case that the set came in)
• I soon realised that Rotring were better so this is the trusty .25 I bought back 3rd or 4th-year uni.

Not sure if anyone is interested in these details (I did this mainly for my own amusement)

But I do have a question… Why do we all rave about Lamy pens??? I used to LOVE the cheap Sheaffer nibs and they gave me such a consistent flow of ink.