No this topic is not about Shakespeare and "whether 'tis nobler to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune", etc, etc.
I'm interested in hearing (reading) your opinions on whether to post the cap on your fp or not, when writing.
I know there are some pens that are prone to cracking caps when posted, and there are others that are rather short and need to be posted to make the pen a decent length to write with.
Are fountain pens designed to be posted, or is it just a habit we've gotten into?
Thanks.
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If you are what you eat, then I'm easy, fast and cheap!
To me a posted pen just feels too long & off balance. I also prefer not to post for a reason you touched upon. Some pens like the sheaffer balance & some BCHR pens are prone to cap lip cracks & outright breaks. Pens with metal caps & plactic/celluloid barrels are prone to getting scratched & marked up from the harder metal rubing the softer material.
Now having said that, there are exceptions to the rule. Parker 51's & their like (VS, VP etc etc) and the eversharp skyline, and parker 45 are others I have to post to be able to use. The balance from being posted just suits my hand better.
FWIW, my wife is a posted only kind of girl. She prefers large OS flat tops & when her pens are posted it's like trying to write with a telephone pole...lol.
I'm interested to hear what everyone else thinks.
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Tu ne cede malis sed contra audentior ito ~Yield not to misfortunes, but advance all the more boldly against them
One of my earliest (since pen collecting) acquisitions was a drop dead gorgeous transparent red Waterman's 100 year pen. While writing with it posted at my desk, I inadvertently knocked it to the floor. When I picked it up the cap lip had cracked.
Since then the only pens I consider posting are those with threads onto which the cap can be screwed on for posting.
My fountain pens are users, not treasures, so if it makes the pen more comfortable to write with, I'll post it. Most of my pens are more comfortable when I post them, a few are too heavy, notably Dukes and my Sensa.
Clearly, most pens were designed and engineered assuming folk would post the caps. However, while pens were designed and engineered to be sturdy and look good, they weren't designed and engineered to look good and write well for 50+ years. That many of our vintage pens still look good and write well is a credit to their designers, engineers, and most importantly, their owners.
Andy
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Andrew M. Hoffman San Diego, California Torrey View is Andy's Blog