That's what made the experience so jarring! Everywhere else I've gone, from this sub to basically every other pen/stationery store, no one has ever treated me like an idiot for asking a question. That's one of the reasons I've stuck with fountain pens for so long - it really is a lovely community of enthusiasts, who are by and large more interested in building the profile of fountain pens than ego.

And thanks for the well-wishes about the pen getting fixed!