======================================================================== Nib Noise Volume 4 Number 12 ======================================================================== 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. PLEASE DO NOT REPLY TO THIS NEWSLETTER! For comments or questions, send email to: richard@richardspens.com Please note that subscribing and unsubscribing are handled through the new Free Email Newsletter page on my site: http://www.richardspens.com/?page=nibnoise.htm ------------------------------------------------------------------------ *** Vanishing Points Are Appearing All Over *** ------------------------------------------------------------------------ The Namiki/Pilot Vanishing Point is too cool. Under continual pressure from clients who love these little click-click retractables, I am now offering preground custom nib units that fit all Vanishing Point (and, outside the USA, Capless) pens made after about 1990. These new 14K or 18K nibs are available for prices only $10.00 higher than my customized steel Pelikan nibs. Along with my Pelikan nibs, they have taken up residence on a new Custom Nibs page on our site: http://www.richardspens.com/?page=sales/newp_nib.htm ------------------------------------------------------------------------ *** Frankly, my dear, I do give a d---! *** ------------------------------------------------------------------------ The Great Southeastern Pen Show is a great show in a great city in a lovely season. Held in Atlanta over the weekend from March 24 through March 26, this year's show promises to be another winner. The sponsors will be presenting exciting products, and the exhibitors of new and vintage pens are always worth spending time with. And (drum roll please) the show has moved to a new hotel! Having outgrown its space in the former hotel, it will be at the Sheraton Buckhead, directly across the street from the prestigious Lenox Mall and Phipps Plaza Multiplex Movie Theaters. The Sheraton Buckhead features nicer rooms and a larger newly renovated ballroom for the show. Nearby restaurants include Maggiano's, Mortons, The Palm, and others, many within easy walking distance. For more information, visit the show's Web site: http://www.gspenshow.com/ If you plan to come and haven't ever been to a show before, you might want to read my article on Your First Pen Show: http://www.richardspens.com/?page=ref_info/firstshow.htm Barbara and I will have a selection of new pens from Bexley, Conway Stewart, Filcao, Pelikan, Signum, and Taccia. THESE CAN HAVE THEIR NIBS CUSTOMIZED WHILE YOU WAIT. We'll have a stock of preground Pelikan M200 specialty nibs, along with demonstrators of them all for you to try before you buy. These nibs fit M200, M250, M400, and M600 pens, including the bright new M620 Piccadilly Circus. If you don't have a Pelikan pen to go with your new nib, We'll be happy to fit your nib with a new M200 pen body in your choice of colors. We'll also be bringing some preground nib units for Namiki and Pilot Vanishing Point pens. As always, I'll be regrinding and tweaking nibs while their owners wait. Bring a pen or two, and share some chatter at my table while I jazz up your writing experience. If you have pens that need repairs other than nib work, we'll be happy to save you some shipping costs by collecting them at the show and bringing them home to the Nashua Pen Spa. Barbara and I look forward to seeing old friends and meeting new ones. We hope to see you there. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ *** Even Without Wings, Our FP Friendly Pads Are Flying Out the Door *** ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Since we announced our improved fountain pen friendly pads -- now in your choice of printed (with photos of vintage pens) or plain -- we've been packing some of them off every time we ship pens or accessories. This paper is so good that we've had several queries from clients who want to have some made for their own companies. Try a pack today: http://www.richardspens.com/?page=accessories/pads.htm ------------------------------------------------------------------------ *** Fountain Pens of the World -- How Many Do YOU Have? *** ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Printed from new plates, on a smooth eggshell-finished paper of higher quality than in earlier editions, the 2005 edition of FPOTW offers superb clarity of both print and photos. Text is easier on the eyes, and the beautiful finish on the paper allows for a tremendous improvement in color accuracy, brilliance, and depth: you can actually see the difference between the two shades of burgundy Sheaffer used for the Snorkel (1952-1956 and 1956-1959). What? You didn't know about the two shades of burgundy? Now you do, and now you can see them without having to track down the pens. And that, in a nutshell, is why the new 2005 edition of FPOTW is worth having: http://www.richardspens.com/?page=bks_txt.htm ------------------------------------------------------------------------ *** Time Marches On, But This Annual Is Always In Style *** ------------------------------------------------------------------------ We still have a good stock of the Stylus 2006 Annual. Where else will you see hundreds and hundreds of current pens by dozens of manufacturers, along with reference information to enhance your buying and using pleasure. Priced at only $20.00 plus shipping ($5.00 in the USA, $10.00 elsewhere), this is 446 pages that every collector needs. We don't have the Stylus Annual on our site yet, so please contact us by email to purchase a copy. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ *** Last Month's Calendar Page Is This Month's Wallpaper *** ------------------------------------------------------------------------ The February calendar page featured a big hunk of jade, in the form of an Oversize 1935 Balance by Sheaffer. This month, that pen can be the wallpaper you drool over every time you sit down at the computer to read Zoss or log into Pentrace or FPN. Along with the Jade Balance wallpaper I've also made a new wallaper of my brandy-new not-sold-in-the-USSA Pilot Capless (Vanishing Point) decimo: http://www.richardspens.com/?page=wallpapers.htm ------------------------------------------------------------------------ *** Black Hard Rubber Is Beautiful *** ------------------------------------------------------------------------ There's a lot of discussion about reblackening discolored hard rubber pens. Obviously, whether to have your pen reblackened is your decision. We offer reblackening using Giovanni Abrate's G-10 formula, which puts the color back into the rubber instead of painting it on. Imprints and chasing are unaffected, and the results are gorgeous. Here's a link to a new article about an interesting pen I just restored and reblackened: http://www.richardspens.com/?page=ref_info/lc_bf.htm If you like what you see, here's a link to our Repair & Restoration page, where we explain about the G-10 process: http://www.richardspens.com/?page=rep_txt.htm#g10 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ *** Personalized Custom Nibs with No Waiting *** ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Unless otherwise requested at the time of sale, I dip-test each new pen that you purchase at no extra charge before shipment, aligning and smoothing the nib and ensuring that it has good flow. If you order a new pen with a customized nib, I will modify the nib and ship the pen immediately instead of putting it into my regular queue. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ "Broad Strokes" by Richard Binder ------------------------------------------------------------------------ These days, *most* pens don't leak and make ugly stains on shirts and blouses. This wasn't always the case; there was a time when leaks were a common happening. Read how pen makers solved the problem. http://www.richardspens.com/?desn=safeties ------------------------------------------------------------------------ "Extra Fine Points" by Don Fluckinger ------------------------------------------------------------------------ What things can the average everyday pen collector try fixing himself or herself? A self-made pen repairman, Ron Zorn, offers his advice -- and passes on some tips he's learned in the school of hard knocks. http://www.richardspens.com/?page=extrafine/xf0603.htm ------------------------------------------------------------------------ *** Subscribe to my RSS Feed *** ------------------------------------------------------------------------ RSS means Really Simple Syndication. You can subscribe to my RSS feed by clicking the link on my site's main page: http://www.richardspens.com/?page=main.html If you're not already hooked up to RSS and what it can do for you, take a peek at my introductory page: http://www.richardspens.com/?page=rsshelp.htm ======================================================================== If you received this newsletter from Richard Binder, you are a Nib Noise subscriber. If it came from someone else, I invite you to subscribe. To subscribe or unsubscribe, please visit my Web site's Free Email Newsletter page: http://www.richardspens.com/?page=nibnoise.htm Note: We will never sell your name or email address. Your privacy is as important to us as it is to you.