Paul Bankston, Eddy McDonald, Frank Rice, David Ranson and Don Nelson
These biographies are shown in the order in which they were received. Use Previous and Next at the top and bottom of each page to move through them, or pick a name from the list of all biographies.
Paul
Bankston
My name
is Paul Bankston, I'm a boomer of 1947 vintage, and have been
in love with fountain pens since my mother showed me how to
write with the scritchy-scratchy steel-on-wooden-holder pens
when I was six. That's a lie. Actually, I hated those pens
and loved pencils infinitely more. Less mess.
My first
pen love (or lust, rather) came in 1954 when my brother received
for Christmas a Sheaffer Snorkel pen, a beautiful blue thing
that wrote like nothing I'd ever encountered before. (I confess;
I sneaked the pen and wrote with it without his knowledge or
consent; I was seven.) My dear brother was very protective of
his treasure (15 dollars, a handsome sum for a pen), but was
generous enough to show me how well it wrote when HE was doing
the writing. Fair enough; I would have been as protective. My
mother, in her wisdom, gave me a cheap ballpoint to play with;
amazingly enough, in retrospect, ballpoints were cheap by that
year. I was fond of taking things apart (clocks, toy guns, ballpoint
pens), so this was a very effective sop. After six or so years,
my mother finally gave me her Parker 51, which I dearly loved
and (sigh) lost.
My next encounter
with fountain pens came in college, when I became enamored with
calligaphy; and Osmiroids (at around 3 dollars) became my passion
(aside from mathematics, that is). By the time I hit graduate
school, I had definitely become partial to FPs, my favorite
workhorse being Sheaffer cheapies. They never let you down.
In the early 1970s, I had discovered moderately-priced Sheaffers
and Pelikans (around $7.50), and was hooked. I remember remarking
to someone or other that the Montblanc Diplomat (at the handsome
price of $39) would appeal to me more if it were a tad smaller.
(The MB 146 came out shortly after, no thanks to me.)
I am now
53 years old, I have been married for 31 years, have two wonderful
girls (aged 20 and 18) who are both doing art-related degrees.
I, a mathematics professor at a midwest Jesuit university (Marquette),
am astonished at this; my older daughter loves her Sensa (that
I gave her for high school graduation), and my younger loves
her Sheaffer Targa stub-nibbed FP that came from my (recently
deceased) father, who was a portrait artist. They both hate
mathematics. Just as well.
My collection,
if you can call it that, consists of a small number of vintage
pens that came to me from family members and a few antique forays,
plus several new-pen acquisitions over the years since the middle
80s. Such is my story regarding pens. My greatest challenge
to me these days, aside from mathematics, is the learning of
the Welsh language. In my day, I had no difficulty with Latin,
French or German; but with Welsh (I actually live in Wales much
of the year), I have a major difficulty. Such a beautiful language,
so impenetrable.
Eddy
McDonald
I'm Eddy
McDonald, a freelance photographer specializing (though not
exclusively) in dance and theater photography. Please feel
free to visit my website.
I blame my
pen addiction on Levenger. For many years I tried one felt-tip
pen or rollerball after another, always searching for a smoother
writer. Then one day I saw in the Levenger catalog a Parker
Sonnet Black Lacque fountain pen. Levenger's marketing hype
is almost as good as Mont Blanc's, so they piqued my interest.
But I was not sold until I discovered that a close friend was
a fountain pen collector, and asked him for advice. He took
me to a couple of pen shops, showed me a few different models
and explained their differences.
So my wife
gave me the Sonnet for my birthday present in 1995, and I was
hooked. My collection is about 55% vintage, 45% new pens. My
favorites are Parker (especially Vacumatics), Waterman, Omas,
and Pelikan.
Personal
data: I'm about to turn 50 (event which will NATURALLY require
the acquisition of a very special new pen!); married for 29
years to a beautiful and very patient woman who is a teacher
and artist; have six dogs and seven cats; love to read books,
both fiction & non-, especially anything having to do with
mythology & religion, nuclear & astrophysics, psychology,
or the Meaning of Life. I never watch television except for
the evening news. I enjoy writing letters, so am enjoying the
Snail Society very much, as I am a Pen User, not a collector.
Don't have a decent photo of myself at the moment, but will
be posting one later (don't worry, you're not missing much!)
Frank
Rice
I was
born 19 January 1933. I was graduated from High School in
1951, and from college six years later. I had to crowd four
years of college into six since I worked full-time to pay
for my education. I joined the Air Force intending to do my
4 years, and get out. But, lo and behold, they made me a pilot,
and flying is the only way to go! So I stayed 20 years. After
retiring from the AF I worked for Angelo State University
for 6 years, and then worked 13 more years for the Air Force
as a "Civil Servant". I am now fully retired, and enjoying
every second of it. I flew several different aircraft in the
Air Force, but the B-52 was my "bailiwick". Transferring to
the SR-71 was my downfall. They found arthritis, and my flying
days were over. I spent the rest of my career flying desks,
pens, and computers, which was not nearly as much fun. When
I was young, fountain pens and pencils were all one had to
use, unless you were fortunate to have a typewriter (I didn't).
I got my first fountain pen from my Grandmother when I was
in the 7th grade. I got a Parker "51" set from my parents
for Christmas 1949. I still have the set, although it is worse
for wear. I used it for 1 1/2 years in High School, all of
my college years, and most of my Air Force years. The set
no longer works, but has an honored place in my pen collection
- I wouldn't sell it for $500.
I spend my
retirement time setting on my front porch when the weather allows,
and stink up the neighborhood smoking my pipe, I read "Pentrace"
and "iKon Pen" every day, but it seems like "iKon Pen" is on
the way out. Don't let that happen to this place, please. I
have made many, many friends here, and on "iKon" and wouldn't
want to lose any of you. I enjoy your posts, and your "Snails."
Thanks for taking me in, and showing interest in me.
David
Ranson
Born and
raised in Vancouver, I now reside in the lovely seaside city
of Victoria. I'm 34 years old and have been married for 11
of those to my best friend. I'm the exhausted but proud father
of 2 very young boys who take up most of our time and energy.
By profession
I'm a lawyer, but I got tired of collecting debts in one form
or another and I turned policy wonk. I now work for the Ministry
of Environment, Lands and Parks where I work on the drafting
and amending of environmental laws. It's a wide-ranging job
which has me dealing with everything from grizzly bears to sewage,
pesticides to parks, water rights to air emissions. You never
get too comfortable with any subject matter and it's never dull
in my office.
My fascination
with pens began some 20 years ago in junior high school when
we all went nuts for Parker Jotters. That fascination spread
to other stationery paraphernalia and then to my first fountain
pen, a no-name Parker. Well, at least I never paid attention
to the name. I meandered my way through high school and university
using that pen on and off. Then about 5 years ago I was in Seattle
and decided to visit Seattle Pen and buy a new fountain pen.
Wow! I knew nothing when I walked in and I left with a bit of
knowledge and a Lamy Safari. For 4 years that was my daily pen
until I decided to upgrade and buy myself a new fountain pen.
I checked the internet, found the iKon pen community last winter
and thus began my obsession. I have a modest collection of fountain
pens which grows slowly, budget and spouse permitting. I consider
myself a user rather than a collector per se. I oscillate between
vintage pens and modern ones depending on my mood. Just when
I think I'm leaning towards one, another one grabs my attention
and fascination.
My other
interests include calligraphy, reading and books. I've always
been fascinated and interested in writing, bookmaking, printing,
book collecting and other such matters. I have a background
in English literature and count as some of my happiest times
the period when I put myself through university as a research
assistant working in bibliography and archival research. I think
I was meant to be a librarian, but somehow went to law school
by mistake! I'm also a year round bicycle commuter and avid
cyclist, and I try to stay involved in bicycle activism. Other
passions come and go. I enjoy all these as time permits, but
I always make time for snails!
Don
Nelson
Hi, I
am Don and I am a pen junky. Like Dave I was born a feral
child, much to my parent's chagrin. After 45 years of wandering
the planet I am still feral though hardly a child any more.
My first encounter with fountain pens was the cartridge filled,
transparent barrel Sheaffer that my father used when I was
in school. While in college I started using a fine point Targa
but this was still on the fringe for me. During college and
medical school, my best friend was a pen freak, so much so
that we all called him Scripto. Because of him I bought a
couple of MB stick pens, the Noblese series I believe, however
fp's remained a side item. Early last year I stumbled upon
acpp and renewed my interest in fountain pens. Then I found
my way to IkonPen, I was definitely hooked then. My first
purchase was an Omas Paragon with a sterling silver cap, I
was in deep. I tried the vintage route but have never found
the pen that I could use for long notes or letters. I admire
the beauty and quality of many vintage pens but in the end
they are not my cup of tea. While some may consider me a collector,
I am really a user. If there is a pen not in use it is because
of an inkflow/nib problem waiting on repair. Being "dimensionally
challenged," as Daniel Pinkwater would put it, I find that
larger pens are more to my liking. My bear size paws were
not meant to hold a 555/f Omas or a Pelikan 200 for more than
a signature. My pen preferences are Italian celluloids and
ebonites thought the large Pelikans hold a dear place in my
pen stable.
I practice,
hopefully sometimes getting it right, Internal Medicine, Infectious
Disease and Geriatrics in a small town in south central Ga.
Married to my best friend and the greatest mother in the world.
I am the dolting father of the most beautiful 21 month old girl
in the world, her name is Alia. Everyday thankful for the things
I have been given, the friends that I have here and the chance
to help people.
Love to read
but my daughter's books are not that challenging. Enjoy the
outdoors, yard work, crafts, ... My primary interest at this
time is in parenting. Although it is a physical challenge to
be 45 with a 21 month old, I feel like my age allows me an appreciation
of my family that I probably would not have had if I were only
20.
Grateful
to be part of this community and of the Gastropod Gazette, sorry
about the handwriting but I promise you that I see much worse
everyday.
Keep your
nibs dry and your fingers clean. May your ink never feather,
run or clump.
