You should know, right up front, this has no sports in it. In fact, I have no reason to think you will have any interest in this at all. But when has that stopped me? This might come across a little bit here… I have something of an obsessive personality. It’s something I get from my mother, who has spent a lifetime obsessing over countless hobbies* and television shows and whole bunch of other things.
I’ve been into fountain pens off and on for about 20 years, and reading this convinced me to bite the bullet and get a Pilot Namiki Vanishing Point I’ve been wanting for awhile now. Got it today, and just want to write everything with it, including this comment if I could!
By the way, surprised there weren’t many Bob Ross comments. Memorial Day weekend live stream marathon on YouTube going on now. I always loved Bob Ross, but couldn’t tell you much about him, every show seems pretty much the same but it’s soooo peaceful. It’s been a big joke with my wife as for some reason her smart TV defaulted to Bob Ross whenever an actual channel wasn’t selected, so I buy her Bob Ross gifts every Xmas.
Well, you have a lot of wall space in your office. I would love to replace your boring Casablanca posters with my beautiful diamond painting art. The love of pens must come from your dad.
This discussion of serial obsessions makes me feel seen.
Especially the part about not having to actually do the thing (play chess, paint paintings). For me, it's the urge to understand a thing completely. Whether it's the rules and strategy of a game, why something is the way it is, or the characters on a TV show. Once I've searched that as deep it will go, I still like the thing but am free of the obsession
Joe- another thing in common. Browns; chess learning and fountain pens. I’m currently in anguish because a beautiful Aurora fountain pen my wife gave me as a gift has been misplaced. Don’t give up on your scratchy pen. It can be tuned to write perfectly!! Goulet Pens sells a great tuning kit and you can watch their tuning tutorials.
Yes, this. In my experience with fountain pens, the pens are actually the gateway into the ink and paper obsessions (with a side rabbit hole down into productivity/bullet journaling...).
Between Joe’s post and the comments, this was a fun and relatable read. I have been a collector of many things since I was a young child. When I start collecting something I get pretty passionate and I try to learn everything I can about it. YouTube has been a great source for information in abundance on pretty much every possible collectible.
I'm starting a new job next week for the first time in 15 years. Now I feel like I need to get a fountain pen to just make the new job feel like a whole new experience.
Books about sportswriting? I'm gonna need a list of your favourites. Off the top of my head mine would be No Cheering in the Pressbox and Frank DeFord's memoir.
P.S. Will a fountain pen make my handwriting legible?
P.P.S. My friend Elton Witt was a space shuttle engineer, is an excellent songwriter, and wrote a hilarious song called "I'm Obsessive-Compulsive." If you want I can send it to you.
There is no obsession like guitars (and amplifiers, if you're an electric guy). There is an actual formula for the correct number of guitars to own: x + 1, where x equals the current number of guitars owned. I own guitars I never play, and have my eyes on three more as I write this. And boy, is THIS an expensive obsession to have.
Joe, you are clearly obsessed with writing about almost anything, and I’m obsessed with reading almost anything, including the stuff you write. But there are worse things I could be wasting my obsessions on.
Makes me thing of the old joke “today I am a fountain pen”
I’ve been into fountain pens off and on for about 20 years, and reading this convinced me to bite the bullet and get a Pilot Namiki Vanishing Point I’ve been wanting for awhile now. Got it today, and just want to write everything with it, including this comment if I could!
I got it at Dromgoole’s here in Houston, which is a fountain pen Mecca for me. https://www.dromgooles.com/products/pilot-vanishing-point-decimo-fountain-pen-black
By the way, surprised there weren’t many Bob Ross comments. Memorial Day weekend live stream marathon on YouTube going on now. I always loved Bob Ross, but couldn’t tell you much about him, every show seems pretty much the same but it’s soooo peaceful. It’s been a big joke with my wife as for some reason her smart TV defaulted to Bob Ross whenever an actual channel wasn’t selected, so I buy her Bob Ross gifts every Xmas.
I'm late to this. But Joe, if you buy a lathe and some tools, you can turn your own fountain pens.
Well, you have a lot of wall space in your office. I would love to replace your boring Casablanca posters with my beautiful diamond painting art. The love of pens must come from your dad.
This discussion of serial obsessions makes me feel seen.
Especially the part about not having to actually do the thing (play chess, paint paintings). For me, it's the urge to understand a thing completely. Whether it's the rules and strategy of a game, why something is the way it is, or the characters on a TV show. Once I've searched that as deep it will go, I still like the thing but am free of the obsession
Joe- another thing in common. Browns; chess learning and fountain pens. I’m currently in anguish because a beautiful Aurora fountain pen my wife gave me as a gift has been misplaced. Don’t give up on your scratchy pen. It can be tuned to write perfectly!! Goulet Pens sells a great tuning kit and you can watch their tuning tutorials.
Just wait until you get into inks
Yes, this. In my experience with fountain pens, the pens are actually the gateway into the ink and paper obsessions (with a side rabbit hole down into productivity/bullet journaling...).
Between Joe’s post and the comments, this was a fun and relatable read. I have been a collector of many things since I was a young child. When I start collecting something I get pretty passionate and I try to learn everything I can about it. YouTube has been a great source for information in abundance on pretty much every possible collectible.
I'm starting a new job next week for the first time in 15 years. Now I feel like I need to get a fountain pen to just make the new job feel like a whole new experience.
My favorite that I have is this one: https://acmestudio.com/archive-writing_tools-pens/Frank_Lloyd_Wright/PLAYHOUSE_Standard_Roller_Ball_ARCHIVED/PLAYHOUSE_MULTI|/PW01R/ with the fountain pen converter. All the pens at Acme Studio are magnificent.
Books about sportswriting? I'm gonna need a list of your favourites. Off the top of my head mine would be No Cheering in the Pressbox and Frank DeFord's memoir.
Man, when do you sleep?
P.S. Will a fountain pen make my handwriting legible?
P.P.S. My friend Elton Witt was a space shuttle engineer, is an excellent songwriter, and wrote a hilarious song called "I'm Obsessive-Compulsive." If you want I can send it to you.
There is no obsession like guitars (and amplifiers, if you're an electric guy). There is an actual formula for the correct number of guitars to own: x + 1, where x equals the current number of guitars owned. I own guitars I never play, and have my eyes on three more as I write this. And boy, is THIS an expensive obsession to have.
“Mother Blues”-Ray Wylie Hubbard
One of my favorite quotes, from Dave Mason:
"My biggest fear is that when I die, my wife will sell my guitars for what I told her I paid for them."
Lol!
Joe, you are clearly obsessed with writing about almost anything, and I’m obsessed with reading almost anything, including the stuff you write. But there are worse things I could be wasting my obsessions on.
A paean to fountain pens by the guy who still has not written the iPad review: