======================================================================== Nib Noise Volume 5 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. 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 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ *** It's SuperShowTime! *** ------------------------------------------------------------------------ August is here! And what does that mean? It means Washington, DC, Super Show. Oh, it means Dog Days and other stuff, too, but nothing rates like the Greatest Pen Show On Earth. With the pre-show starting on Friday, August 11, the show will be open to the public on Saturday and Sunday, August 12 and 13. Washington is one of the world's great tourist cities, so if you have family members who aren't as insane as you are about pens, you can turn them loose at the Falls Church Metro stop and forget them while they see the sights in town. you don't even have to take them there -- that's what hotel shuttles are for! This show is so-o-o big, and so-o-o good, that you may face a legitimate worry about having a panic attack when you walk in the front door of the hotel. Yes, the pen show fills the lobby, too! 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.pencentral.com/penshow/ Barbara and I will be there for the whole show, from the Overture on Thursday afternoon to the final curtain on Sunday. We'll have a good selection of new pens from Bexley, Conway Stewart, Filcao, Pelikan, Signum, Taccia, and -- we hope! -- our newest line, Platinum. All will have special low show prices. We'll also have a stock of my preground Pelikan M200 and Namiki/Pilot Vanishing Point specialty nibs, 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 series, currently featuring the Piccadilly Circus, which is a *lot* prettier in person than in pictures. 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. As I've done each year since 2002, I'll be regrinding, tweaking, and repairing nibs. Bring a pen or two, and share some chatter at my table while I jazz up your writing experience. I'm fresh off Toronto (July 30), and my hands are hot, man, hot. Oh, and please read our "Table Talk" FAQ to learn how we operate at a show: http://www.richardspens.com/?page=tabletalk.htm This year's show features nibs, and I'll be giving a seminar on Sunday that will be a walk through nibs from A to Z: flex nibs, nails, round tips, stubs, steel, gold, titanium, and whatever else I can think of. This is your opportunity to get answers for those questions that "every- body already knows" the answers to. 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. We look forward to seeing old friends and meeting new ones. We hope to see you there. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ *** November Will Be Extra Busy This Year *** ------------------------------------------------------------------------ I was sorry to learn that there will be no New York City show this year, but the Long Island Pen Club saw the need for something to assuage the pangs of longing that New Yorkers will be suffering, and they are going to sponsor the First Annual Long Island Pen Show at Hofstra University, in Hempstead. The show will run Friday and Saturday, November 17 and 18. We're already signed up! Check it out on the shows brandy-new site: http://www.lipenshow.com/ The First Annual part is hopeful thinking on my part, and it's up to everyone on the right side of the Big Muddy to see that I'm not disap- pointed. Be there, okay? ------------------------------------------------------------------------ *** Swisher Pens Goes Brick and Mortar *** ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Chuck Swisher and Chun Lee have been a fixture for years among the best Internet pen dealers. Now they've taken the big step of planting roots in the Norfolk, Virginia, area. The new brick-and-mortar Swisher store will open after the Washington show. Check it out: http://www.swisherpens.com/brick_and_mortar_store/brick_and_mortar_% 20store.htm (Make sure the address above is all on one line in your mail window!) Chuck stuck out his neck to support me when I was just getting started as a nib technician, and I'd like to get even by sending some custom his way -- if you can, go see 'em, and buy something while you're there! ------------------------------------------------------------------------ *** Own a Luxury Italian Pen with an 18K Gold Nib for Under $200.00! *** ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Signum's exquisite Orione Collection features lovely resins and furniture plated in sterling silver. This masterfully crafted pen is every bit as good as it looks; it uses a piston filler, and the rhodium-plated nib is 18K gold in your choice of fine, medium, or broad. Each Orione pen includes a fabric-lined two-pen case made of genuine hand-tooled Italian leather. **** $190.00 ** $190.00 ** $190.00 ** $190.00 ** $190.00 ** $190.00 **** We made a special purchase to bring you the Orione at the unbelievable price of only $190.00, a $45.00 whack down from the $235.00 we've sold this model at. No, the Orione is not this week's fad pen. That's all the more reason to add one to your stable. How long will we be able to offer this price? We don't know. Get your Orione now: http://www.richardspens.com/?page=sales/newp_txt.htm From there, click on "Signum." ------------------------------------------------------------------------ *** Don't Miss Taccia's SST and Ta-Ke Collections *** ------------------------------------------------------------------------ in June, Taccia released two great new collections, and we were the first retailers to be able to offer them for sale. We sold a bunch of them, and things don't appear to be slowing down. Don't let the incredible prices fool you -- these two babies are amazing bargains. Comfortably sized gunmetal and chrome barrels, astonishingly light and nimble in the hand, anchor the SST Collection, with hand-picked Swarovski diamond crystals adorning the cap. These great pens are priced at only $72.00 with a steel nib or $147.00 with 18K gold. Oh, by the way, a true miracle occurred at the Toronto show: I actually won a door prize! It's a gunmetal SST, and if Barbara thinks she's going to make me sell it, she has several more thinks coming. This one is MINE! Named after the Japanese word for bamboo, Ta-ke takes its inspiration from this treasured plant of one of the world's most revered civilizations. Known for its strength and longevity, bamboo is regarded in many Asian cultures as a symbol of luck, friendship, and long life. Taccia's Ta-ke Collection embodies these values in its unique design, combining the natural beauty of bamboo with sleek modern lines to create an undeniably attractive writing instrument, priced at $57.00 with a steel nib. (Also, check out the "last Month's Calendar Page" article below.) Pens That Write Right! Unless otherwise requested at the time of sale, I dip-test each new pen 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. For full info including Ta-ke color chips with a new and exciting twist, and to be the first on your block to flourish one of these outstanding new pens, follow the link below: http://www.richardspens.com/?page=sales/newp_txt.htm From there, click on "Taccia." ------------------------------------------------------------------------ *** Coming Soon from Platinum *** ------------------------------------------------------------------------ After a short break, Platinum pens are being reintroduced to the USA with Tryphon Enterprises as distributor. Backed by a reliable support network and a solid warranty, the pens of the "New Platinum" are very much worth investigating, owning, carrying, and enjoying. We have set up our Platinum page to give you an idea of where we're going -- follow the link below: http://www.richardspens.com/?page=sales/newp_txt.htm From there, click on "Platinum." We will be carrying the Platinum pens we think will most appeal to our clientele. Although we'll normally stock just the models shown on our site, we'll be able to obtain any currently available Platinum pen for you; if what you want isn't shown on our site, please contact us by email. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ *** Last Month's Calendar Page Is This Month's Wallpaper *** ------------------------------------------------------------------------ The July calendar page featured a Bexley Submariner Grande in the lovely Blue Pearl color. Now you can download that image as a 1600x1200 desktop wallpaper file for your computer. Along with the Grande, I've also made a special wallpaper featuring a blue Taccia Ta-ke. Barbara and I were visiting our son and his wife a few weeks ago, and they have a flowerpot that could have been made with the Ta-ke in mind. I couldn't resist. http://www.richardspens.com/?page=wallpapers.htm ------------------------------------------------------------------------ "Broad Strokes" by Richard Binder ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Pen manufacturers like to ring changes on a successful pen, but nobody's ever done it with more pizzazz than Parker worked into the fabulous 45. http://www.richardspens.com/?prof=45 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ "Extra Fine Points" by Don Fluckinger ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Some little things have been piling up in our intrepid reporter's desk drawer, and it's time he cleaned some of them out. http://www.richardspens.com/?page=extrafine/xf0608.htm ------------------------------------------------------------------------ *** 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, Platinum, 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! ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 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 ---------- Green J, 2668 nib. Condition: B-. Price: $40.00 Red SJ, 9668 nib. Condition: B. Price: $45.00 Esterbrooks for sale: http://www.richardspens.com/?page=sale_est.htm Parker ------ Red hard rubber Duofold Junior, XF nib. Condition: B+. Price: $200.00 Golden Brown Pearl 1945 Vacumatic, XXF nib. Condition: B+. Price: $100.00 Forest Green "51" Special, XF Octanium nib. Condition: B-. Price: $75.00 Black "21" Mark I, F nib. Condition: B. No Price: $45.00 Green 45 CT, brushed cap, F steel nib. Condition: B. Price: $35.00 Parkers for sale: http://www.richardspens.com/?page=sale_pkr.htm Sheaffer -------- Burgundy Snorkel Statesman, PdAg F nib. Condition: B. Price: $90.00 Silver Pearl Striated Wire Band Admiral, 14K XXXF nib. Condition: B. Price: $80.00 Golden Brown Pearl Striated Lifetime Balance set, c. 1936, two-tone F nib. Condition: B+. Vacuum-Fil pen, packing restored. $90.00 Sheaffers for sale: http://www.richardspens.com/?page=sale_she.htm Others ------ Dubonnet Red Eversharp Skyline Demi, red/green striated cap, M/F nib. Condition: B. Price: $75.00 Dubonnet Red Eversharp Skyline, XF nib. Condition: B. Gold Filled cap, Dubonnet Red derby. Price: $75.00 Blue Waterman Phileas, 0.5-mm cursive italic nib. Condition: C+. (Yes, I know, it's not a vintage pen.) You are not buying this pen to show off, you are buying it for the handcrafted specialty nib. $45.00 Other Pens for sale: http://www.richardspens.com/?page=sale_oth.htm ------------------------------------------------------------------------ *** Subscribe to our RSS Feed *** ------------------------------------------------------------------------ RSS means Really Simple Syndication. You can subscribe to our RSS feed by clicking the orange RSS button at the top of any page of our site. If you're not already hooked up to RSS and what it can do for you, take a peek at our 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 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.