My Mom, the teleshopaholic

October 13, 2009

My Mom buys tons of stuff from teleshopping. In the last 2 years she bought a foam pillow, this mop, some Spanx-like underwear thingies, a “magic” frying/roasting/steaming pan, a set of stainless steel pots and pans, and that’s just what I remember from our long conversations.

 

Last weekend she dropped another bomb on me! She said she’s really tempted by a set of iridium tip fountain pens. That would’ve been fine, except she hasn’t used a fountain pen in maybe 20 years. Let’s face it, who uses them anymore in this world of BICs and Papermates?

When I told her Mom, do you know how much trouble it is to put ink into a fountain pen, do you know the ordeal you’re going to put yourself through? you know what she said? She said ‘Yes, I know. But do you know that these pens have iridium nibs? and… AND! THEY CAN CUT THROUGH METAL!’.

 

That was what my Mom, the physician, said. She needs a pen that can cut through metal. Because maybe she plans on carving the prescriptions for her patients in soda cans.

 

This whole thing seemed so familiar as I went over it in my head. Then it hit me: the Ginsu knife!

Posted in Life, universe and everything

4 comments

Alexandra - October 15, 2009 - 9:22 pm

–@ Phil: You seem like the true pen connaisseur, Monsieur!
Actually I agree with you. My handwriting is getting worse each year! I used to write with a fountain pen up to my final year in University. Then after I started my PhD, and the only chance I got to practice my handwriting was when jotting things down in my lab book. And considering that some misfortunes (spilling buffer solutions, EtOH, or yukky sticky glucose solution) happen quite frequently in the vicinity of said lab book, ink fountain pens are forbidden!

Phil - October 14, 2009 - 4:12 pm

Here’s a demonstration of how fast it is to refill a Lamy 2000. One refill will last a long time…maybe a week+ with several pages of writing every day—though it helps that I use an extra-fine nib.

Phil - October 14, 2009 - 4:07 pm

Most of my day is spent writing. And I only write with one pen, a German Lamy 2000, which is a fountain pen without cartridges (fill via piston).

> When I told her Mom, do you know how much trouble
> it is to put ink into a fountain pen,

It takes me about 20 seconds to fill mine from a bottle.

> Let’s face it, who uses them anymore in this world of BICs and Papermates?

I think the replacement of fine writing instruments by ballpoints (which, by the way will contribute to degrading handwriting) is one of the great tragedies of life. Writing with a fine fountain pen on good paper is akin to writing on soft butter. It’s almost painful for me to write with ballpoints nowadays because they require so much pressure.

> But do you know that these pens have iridium nibs? and…
> AND! THEY CAN CUT THROUGH METAL!’.

Most (quality) fountain nibs are made of gold, chosen for its flexible and corrosive-resistant properties, then the tip is plated with platinum (such as iridium) to make it more resistant to wear.

That being said, I doubt very much the pen could cut through metal without being severely damaged. A lot of pen connoisseurs will send in their fountain pens to experts who will align the tiny twines for optimal smoothness—we’re talking about a teensy, teensy adjustment making a big difference. You’d have to be an idiot to damage or risk maligning the nib.

If your mom is a physician and needs something to write while constantly on the go, I would recommend something like the Pilot Vanishing Point.

Graethel - October 14, 2009 - 3:16 am

Hey, I use fountain pens! I love fountain pens! … And it’s because all those tidy notebooks the female (and sometimes male) students in France had. And the most of them wrote with fountain pens. So that’s how I started using one :P

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