======================================================================== Nib Noise Volume 5 Number 3 ======================================================================== 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 To subscribe or unsubscribe, please visit the Free Email Newsletter page on my site: http://www.richardspens.com/?page=nibnoise.htm ------------------------------------------------------------------------ *** Let's Rally in Raleigh *** ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Sorry, I couldn't resist that title. It's only a week to the Raleigh Pen Show, and things are seriously heating up here in Nashua. I'm looking forward to getting in the car to head south -- maybe the weather will be cooler there, right? North Carolina is a pretty nice place any time, but with a pen show in the offing, it's even more attractive. The show begins Thursday, June 8, at the truly deluxe Embassy Suites (free breakfast and Happy Hour, woo hoo!) in Cary, just outside Raleigh, and it runs through Sunday the 11th. Public days are Saturday and Sunday. Terry and Sonia Mawhorter run a great show, and it's probably one of the best shows for both experienced showgoers and pen show virgins. 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 For more information, visit the show's Web site: http://www.raleighpenshow.com/ I'll be there to regrind and tweak nibs. 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, I'll be happy to save you some shipping costs by collecting them at the show and bringing them home to my studio. Barbara and I will also have a selection of new pens from Bexley, Conway Stewart, Filcao, Pelikan, Signum, and Taccia, as well as a stock of my pre-ground Pelikan M200 and Vanishing Point specialty nibs, along with demonstrators of them all for you to try before you buy. The Pelikan nibs fit M200, M250, M400, and M600 pens, including the M620 City series and the new Piccadilly Circus; Vanishing Point nibs fit Namiki and Pilot Vanishing Point pens. If you don't have a Pelikan pen to go with your new nib, I'll be happy to fit your nib with a new M200 pen body in your choice of colors. I look forward to seeing old friends and meeting new ones. I hope to see you there. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ *** Go North, Young Man. Woman. *** ------------------------------------------------------------------------ If Raleigh doesn't work for you, start planning now for the Toronto Pen Show on July 30. Toronto is a world-class city, with more amenities than you can shake a stick at and a dollar that's worth only 91 cents at the moment. (Smile, Canadians, I'm trying to convince people to come up there!) ------------------------------------------------------------------------ *** America the Beautiful! Bexley's New Equi-Poised Pen Is Great! *** ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Years ago, Bexley had a model called the Equipoise. It was very nice, I have to say, but the new America the Beautiful is truly an Equi-Poised pen in the tradition of the Wahl-Eversharp pen that gave us the name. It's perfectly balanced, and its smooth barrel curve is something I could have designed myself. (In fact, I did. Take a look at the Filcao Columbia!) These new pens are really striking -- Don Fluckinger, who contributes an Extra Fine Points column every month, was drooling over the Strawberry. I myself am having a hard time resisting the Black model with its Rose Gold plated furniture. Check 'em out: http://www.richardspens.com/?page=sales/newp_txt.htm From there, click on "Bexley." We'll have a full selection of America the Beautiful colors at Raleigh. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ *** Signum Carina -- Pretty Please! *** ------------------------------------------------------------------------ It's been only a couple of weeks since I received my first shipment of Signum's new Carina, but I've had to reorder twice already. "Carina" means "pretty," and it's no lie. Drawing on Classical forms, the Carina features a round barrel and a 12-faceted cap, with furniture that isn't precisely restrained but isn't over the top either. Colors are really scrumptious. All the Carinas have sterling silver furniture, with three silver colored and three vermeil -- we're seeing lots of enthusiasm for the Cappuccino and the Rose Mist, which I want. I have a thing for Rose Gold, and the Rose Mist Carina features true Rose Gold vermeil: http://www.richardspens.com/?page=sales/newp_txt.htm From there, click on "Signum." We'll have a full selection of Carinas at Raleigh. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ *** Coming Soon from Taccia *** ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Rumors have been brewing about something new at Taccia, and I can confirm that they're true. Two new models, the Intrepid and the Silhouette, are very near to release. Shu-Jen Lin, Taccia's founder, had prototypes at Chicago, and these are a couple of very nice looking pens. I'll have more to say as soon as I have firm dates and prices for you. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ *** 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. And, of course, if this happens at a show you get the dubious privilege of sitting there and watching to be sure I do it right. Remember, we are authorized retailers for Bexley, Conway Stewart, Filcao, Pelikan, Signum, and Taccia. We don't always have a complete line up on the site, but we can get anything our manufacturers offer -- if you don't see it, just ask! ------------------------------------------------------------------------ *** Last Month's Calendar Page Is This Month's Wallpaper *** ------------------------------------------------------------------------ The May calendar page featured a Conway Stewart 100 in the lovely Brown Whirl color. This month, that pen can be wallpaper for your computer. Along with the Conway Stewart wallpaper I've also made a new wallaper featuring the Glenmore House in Jefferson City, Tennessee, sharing space with a Waterman 12-1/2VS, a Beaumel cone-cap, a Rival overfeed straight- cap, and a Gravity stylographic pen. http://www.richardspens.com/?page=wallpapers.htm ------------------------------------------------------------------------ "Broad Strokes" by Richard Binder ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Is it, or isn't it? It looks sorta like a fountain pen, and it's a lever filler, but that funky tubular tip, I dunno. Learn how a stylographic pen works, and decide for yourself: http://www.richardspens.com/?desn=stylos ------------------------------------------------------------------------ "Extra Fine Points" by Don Fluckinger ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Calling all the vintage fountain-pen veterans for this research project -- have you come across a thing called "Parker Penmanship" in school or in the ads you've collected as a pen hobbyist? Or, as Richard suspects, is this just someone mis-remembering "Palmer" penmanship? http://www.richardspens.com/?page=extrafine/xf0606.htm ------------------------------------------------------------------------ *** What's a Cabochon? Look It Up! *** ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Like any other specialized item, the fountain pen has amassed a lexicon of terms that are unique. And like other jargon languages, fountain pen jargon can be cryptic or confusing. My glossary continues to grow and evolve -- it now explains more than 500 terms and includes nearly 250 illustrations. http://www.richardspens.com/?page=ref_info/glossary/A.htm ------------------------------------------------------------------------ *** Subscribe to my RSS Feed *** ------------------------------------------------------------------------ RSS means Really Simple Syndication. You can subscribe to my RSS feed by clicking the orange RSS button at the top of any page of my site. 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 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Vintage Pens for Sale ------------------------------------------------------------------------ It's been a struggle, with my backlog and with the increase we're seeing in new pen sales, but I've found time time to restore some vintage pens, and there are some really nice ones here. I've just put 26 pens up on our site, the largest contingent ever in a single month. I hope they will all find new homes. 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. Esterbrook ---------- Red M2, 9968 nib. Condition: N. Price: $55.00 Gray M2, 2968 nib. Condition: N. $50.00 Green J, 1555 nib. Condition: B. Price: $45.00 Black J, 1555 nib. Condition: B+. Price: $45.00 Brown J, 1554 nib. Condition: B. Price: $45.00 Green single-jewel SJ, NOS 2556 nib. Condition: B. Price: $65.00 Black LJ, 1555 nib. Condition: B. Price: $45.00 Esterbrooks for sale: http://www.richardspens.com/?page=sale_est.htm Parker ------ Navy Gray "51" Slender (aerometric Demi), matte Lustraloy cap, F nib. Condition: B. Price: $100.00 Midnight Blue aerometric "51", Converging Lines GF cap, XF nib. Condition: B-. Price: $135.00 India Black Vacumatic-filling "51" desk pen, M nib. Condition: B. Price: $90.00 Black Televisor, F nib. Condition: B-. Price: $75.00 Olive Green 45, brushed cap, 1.0-mm Binder stub steel nib. Condition: B+. Price: $55.00 Black 45, GF cap, 14K F nib. Condition: B. Price: $35.00 Navy Gray 45, steel F nib. Condition: B+. Price: $25.00 Black "21" Mark I, matte Lustraloy cap, F nib. Condition: B. Price: $40.00 Parkers for sale: http://www.richardspens.com/?page=sale_pkr.htm Sheaffer -------- Black PFM III, F nib. Condition: B. This pen is from my personal collection. Price: $200.00 Burgundy Snorkel Statesman, PdAg XF nib. Condition: B. Price: $90.00 Golden Brown Striated Lifetime short Balance, c. 1936, 14K B nib. Condition: B. Price: $100.00 Black 1949 Touchdown Statesman, two-tone F nib. Condition: B+. Price: $90.00 Black Touchdown TM Statesman, two-tone XF nib. Condition: B. Price: $80.00 Sheaffers for sale: http://www.richardspens.com/?page=sale_she.htm Others ------ Black Pearl Waterman 94, Red No. 7 nib. Condition: B. Price: $200.00 Dubonnet Red Eversharp Skyline Demi, red/green striated cap, flexible M stub nib. Condition: B. Price: $100.00 Marine Green Eversharp Skyline, M nib. Condition: B. Engraved C. M. GROVER in gilded block letters. Price: $75.00 Dubonnet Red Eversharp Golden Symphony (second generation), F nib. Condition: B-. Price: $80.00 Early Burgundy Moore Fingertip, M nib. Condition: N+. Price: $125.00 Blue marbled Inkograph No 70 stylographic pen, M tip. Condition: B. This pen is from my personal collection. Price: $65.00 Other Pens for sale: http://www.richardspens.com/?page=sale_oth.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 the Free Email Newsletter page on my site: 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.