I imagine very few people reading this actually ever had to do so, at least as depicted. I, however, have. Because I’m exactly that type of asshole deliberately anachronistic nerd.
All throughout my school career, I used a Sheaffer Targa from the late 1970’s. I still have it. Here it is.
Mine was not the fanciest entry in the Targa series – by far – but even in its basic stainless steel trim it’s a head turner thanks to its very striking and distinctive nib design.
I can hear the screeching from the pen collectors from here. Yes, I committed sacrilege by grinding my antique pen’s point into an oblique nib but, yes, I also have an unmolested original nib in its as-manufactured configuration. Still in its factory packaging, sealed, unused!
I like a good oblique nib, helped moreso because using this pen for all my assignments absolutely annoyed the shit out of most of my teachers. (And if an oblique is not available, I will make do with a plain italic nib instead.)
Because of that, to this very day, my basic handwriting looks like this. It looks absolutely ridiculous if you put a ball point or pencil in my hand, but let me have one of my fountain pens and I can crank out these serifed italics as fast as most people can scribble a regular printed hand. Now there’s a less-than-marketable skill.
I await with interest what all the armchair graphologists will now tell me what’s wrong with me.
This is a really great comment. It has everything. It’s educational, it’s funny, it’s cynical, but also very optimistic with its unabashed display of niche nerddom. Gold star. Ya know what? 3 gold stars!!
I don’t have any vintage Parker fountain pens. I do have one of the re-release 51’s which is a fine enough pen, and I have a Parker Latitude from 2007 that is so terrible the thing seems to have been memory holed entirely and has negative collector’s value.
Oh, and I have about 67 zillion Jotters, both vintage and modern.
Meanwhile I eyedroppered a single preppy and didn’t really have to refill it through 3 years of highschool. I think I added like 2/3rds water once because I was low, but I was using oxblood so it was still dark dark red lmao
I still have, and occasionally use a pen virtually identical to this. Mine is a Sheaffer “Slim pen” purchased 1988, so maybe thinner than yours.
Some years ago, I sent it away for repair. It came back fixed free of charge!
There is a slim version of the Targa, also. I don’t have one, but I am given to understand that it takes weird cartridges that are now unobtanium. I’ve never seen one in person, only pictures online.
Do you meet a lot of armchair graphologists when you share this hobby? Genuinely interested, I never even knew this was a hobby or interest outside of maybe calligraphy. Very interesting post and fantastic handwriting.
I imagine very few people reading this actually ever had to do so, at least as depicted. I, however, have. Because I’m exactly that type of
assholedeliberately anachronistic nerd.All throughout my school career, I used a Sheaffer Targa from the late 1970’s. I still have it. Here it is.
Mine was not the fanciest entry in the Targa series – by far – but even in its basic stainless steel trim it’s a head turner thanks to its very striking and distinctive nib design.
I can hear the screeching from the pen collectors from here. Yes, I committed sacrilege by grinding my antique pen’s point into an oblique nib but, yes, I also have an unmolested original nib in its as-manufactured configuration. Still in its factory packaging, sealed, unused!
I like a good oblique nib, helped moreso because using this pen for all my assignments absolutely annoyed the shit out of most of my teachers. (And if an oblique is not available, I will make do with a plain italic nib instead.)
Because of that, to this very day, my basic handwriting looks like this. It looks absolutely ridiculous if you put a ball point or pencil in my hand, but let me have one of my fountain pens and I can crank out these serifed italics as fast as most people can scribble a regular printed hand. Now there’s a less-than-marketable skill.
I await with interest what all the armchair graphologists will now tell me what’s wrong with me.
This is a really great comment. It has everything. It’s educational, it’s funny, it’s cynical, but also very optimistic with its unabashed display of niche nerddom. Gold star. Ya know what? 3 gold stars!!
Ooh, nice pen! I love the inlaid nib on this model. I also am a fan of the Triumph type nib (I have a Sheaffer Signature with one).
Here in the US we didn’t use fountain pens in school. But there’s a cult following.
My current daily driver is a Parker 45 Flighter with an Octanium nib (stainless steel with fancy marketing me lol).
I don’t bother with cartridges; I use converters instead. Quink Black works pretty well in this one although I have too many other inks.
Fountain pen lovers – there are
dozenstwo of us!OoooOOO.
I don’t have any vintage Parker fountain pens. I do have one of the re-release 51’s which is a fine enough pen, and I have a Parker Latitude from 2007 that is so terrible the thing seems to have been memory holed entirely and has negative collector’s value.
Oh, and I have about 67 zillion Jotters, both vintage and modern.
The new 51s do look nice. I hadn’t heard of a Latitude until your comment. (Maybe everyone memoryholed it lol)
Here’s my $40 pen and 50¢ handwriting!
Nice!
Meanwhile I eyedroppered a single preppy and didn’t really have to refill it through 3 years of highschool. I think I added like 2/3rds water once because I was low, but I was using oxblood so it was still dark dark red lmao
Pretty sure german students have done that last friday
I still have, and occasionally use a pen virtually identical to this. Mine is a Sheaffer “Slim pen” purchased 1988, so maybe thinner than yours. Some years ago, I sent it away for repair. It came back fixed free of charge!
There is a slim version of the Targa, also. I don’t have one, but I am given to understand that it takes weird cartridges that are now unobtanium. I’ve never seen one in person, only pictures online.
Do you meet a lot of armchair graphologists when you share this hobby? Genuinely interested, I never even knew this was a hobby or interest outside of maybe calligraphy. Very interesting post and fantastic handwriting.