======================================================================== Nib Noise Volume 3 Number 5 ======================================================================== Welcome to Nib Noise. This newsletter is a joint effort of Richard Binder and Don Fluckinger. We hope you'll enjoy reading this month's issue. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ *** The Washington D.C. Fountain Pen SuperShow Is Coming! *** ------------------------------------------------------------------------ I'll be regrinding and tweaking nibs at the Washington D.C. Fountain Pen SuperShow in Tyson's Corner, Virginia, over the weekend of August 12-15. Bring a pen or two, and share some chatter at my table while I jazz up your writing experience. This is exactly what its name says, a SUPER SHOW, and it'll be a great opportunity to learn about pens, buy pens, and just have a good time. For more information, check the show's Web site: http://www.pencentral.com/penshow/ If you have pens that need repairs other than nib work, I'll be happy to save you some shipping costs by collecting them at the show and bringing them home to my studio. I'll have a stock of my preground Pelikan M200 italic, oblique, and stub nibs, with demonstrators of them all for you to try before you buy. These nibs fit M200, M250, M400, and M600 pens, including the attractive M620 City series. If you don't have a Pelikan pen to go with your new nib, I'll also have M200 pens. I'll also have a few pens for sale, including (I hope) the Columbia and New Leader by Filcao, and the Academia by Columbus. I look forward to seeing old friends and meeting new ones. I hope to see you there. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ *** The Italian-Japanese Connection *** ------------------------------------------------------------------------ The Academia is a gorgeous Jade Green celluloid pen that was designed for Columbus of Italy by the late Japanese master Yamazaki. It's a sweet pen, with a great feel in the hand and a smooth gold-plated steel nib that will leave you wanting to write more. I have Academias in Medium and Broad, and both nibs are admirably suited to customization -- just ask some of the folks who are walking around with stubbed Academias in their pockets. (Can I say "Richard Jarvis" here? Or how about "Dennis Bowden"?) Price: $110.00. Check them out here: http://www.richardspens.com/?page=newp_oth.htm And don't forget my selection of Filcao pens: http://www.richardspens.com/?page=newp_fil.htm Unless otherwise requested at the time of sale, I dip-test each new pen before shipment, aligning and smoothing the nib and ensuring that it has good flow. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ *** Pelikan Citroenpers Limited Edition M200 *** ------------------------------------------------------------------------ I have two pale yellow Pelikan M200 pens from the 1200-pen limited edition made in 2002 for Citroenpers Publishers of the Netherlands. These beauties come with innovative packaging, in the form of a real book containing a charming little illustrated story along with the pen and its box. Price: $200.00. Check them out: http://www.richardspens.com/?page=newp_pel.htm ------------------------------------------------------------------------ *** Customized Pelikan Pens and Nibs *** ------------------------------------------------------------------------ I have Pelikan M150 pens in five different colors, with your choice of customized nib, either 0.9-mm cursive italic or 0.6-mm stub. Note: M150 pens cannot use M200 nibs. And don't forget my wide selection of customized M200 nibs that will fit all M2xx, M4xx, and M6xx pens (including the M620 City Series, M700 Toledo, and Originals of Their Time limited editions). Check them out: http://www.richardspens.com/?page=newp_pel.htm ------------------------------------------------------------------------ "Broad Strokes" by Richard Binder ------------------------------------------------------------------------ I'll probably be sorry for this; I've watched the prices of Wearever pens climb after Don wrote about them a couple of months ago. But I'll do it anyway. I recently became fascinated with Sheaffer's Tuckaway, the little pen nobody loves. Except me, and probably, now, you, too. Here's my profile of the Tucky: http://www.richardspens.com/?prof=tuckaway ------------------------------------------------------------------------ "Extra Fine Points" by Don Fluckinger ------------------------------------------------------------------------ What good is a fountain pen if it just sits in one's collection? Forget the sticker, just use it. http://www.richardspens.com/?page=extrafine/xf0408.htm ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Pens for Sale ------------------------------------------------------------------------ I've found some very nice and unusual pens this month. As it happens, entirely independently from Don's "Extra Fine" article, I bought a few NOS, still-stickered pens from an old stationer's shop, most of them with boxes. Give them a look! Pens are graded according to the following condition scale. Within a grade, I use + or - to indicate shades of variation; for example, a pen that is B+ falls into the B grade and shows so little use that it is only marginally not A2. Condition Description A1 Mint (uninked). Shows no signs of use. A2 Mint (inked). As for A1 but may have been dipped or inked. N New Old Stock (NOS). Unsold dealer or manufacturer stock. Not dipped or inked but may show shop wear. B Excellent. All parts original and showing only very slight signs of use. Very slight surface scratching; very minor discoloration or brassing; crisp imprints; no significant dings. C Fine. All parts original. Some discoloration and brassing; light or worn imprints; small dings to metal or scratching on plastic. D Fair. Some parts possibly not original; significant brassing or discoloration; very worn imprints; dings and scratches. Maybe a good writing pen or usable for parts. Esterbrooks for sale: http://www.richardspens.com/?page=sale_est.htm Parker ------ 1976 American Bicentennial Commemorative Limited Edition 75 with Accessories. Condition: N. (No. 3246 of 10,000) Price: $600.00 Parkers for sale: http://www.richardspens.com/?page=sale_pkr.htm Sheaffer -------- Black Connaisseur, M nib. Condition: N. Price: $125.00 Mandarin Orange Valiant Snorkel set, M nib. Condition: N. Price: $125.00 Burgundy Admiral Snorkel set, M nib. Condition: N. Price: $100.00 Pastel Green Craftsman Tip-Dip set, F steel nib. Condition: N. Price: $65.00 Sheaffers for sale: http://www.richardspens.com/?page=sale_she.htm Others for sale: http://www.richardspens.com/?page=sale_oth.htm ------------------------------------------------------------------------ In the Reader's Corner ------------------------------------------------------------------------ My site's Reader's Corner features a monthly pick, a book that I like and think that you might enjoy, too. This month's pick is one of the all-time great reference volumes, a book whose contents I seem never to get enough of: http://www.richardspens.com/?page=acc_txt.htm#readerscorner My monthly pick also appears as a link on my welcome page. ======================================================================== If you received this newsletter from Richard Binder, you are a subscriber. If not, you can subscribe by sending a mail message to richard@richardspens.com with SUBSCRIBE in the subject line, or by clicking on this link: mailto:richard@richardspens.com?subject=SUBSCRIBE To unsubscribe from this newsletter, send a mail message to richard@richardspens.com with UNSUBSCRIBE in the subject line, or click on this link: mailto:richard@richardspens.com?subject=UNSUBSCRIBE Note: We will never sell your name or email address. Your privacy is as important to us as it is to you.