======================================================================== Nib Noise * Volume 10 Number 7 * October 2011 ======================================================================== Welcome to Nib Noise. 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 our site: http://www.richardspens.com/?info=nibnoise ------------------------------------------------------------------------ *** Special Auction for the Dogs *** ------------------------------------------------------------------------ A kind greyhound lover in the United Kingdom has donated an Ink-Vue Waterman Lady Patricia to be auctioned off for charity. All proceeds from this auction will go to Greyhound Placement Service of New Hampshire. The auction will end midnight Eastern Daylight Time, Friday, October 7. Bid now! http://www.richardspens.com/?pens=auction ------------------------------------------------------------------------ *** Sneak Peek for Those Attending the Ohio Pen Show Next Month *** ------------------------------------------------------------------------ We've accumulated entirely too many SHEAFFER SCHOOL PENS. Some are new, some are used, but all are in good condition. We'll have 'em in a mug at the Ohio Pen Show, priced at $5.00 each. These pens all use Sheaffer cartridges; they do not accept converters. Come and help us not bring them back to Nashua. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ *** Speaking of the Ohio Show...! *** ------------------------------------------------------------------------ The 16th Annual Ohio Pen Show is coming next month (November 3-6)! Barbara and I will be on hand for all the festivities -- where will YOU be? With Weekenders' events cranking up on Thursday (30 tables) and running all day Friday (160 tables), and two full public days on the weekend, this year's show will be the ideal way to make up your Holiday wish list. As always, there will be exciting new products and more vintage pens than you can take in, as well as two fabulous auctions for those who stay all weekend. This show is one of the grandest of the grand old vintage festivals, and it's really not to be missed. In case you haven't already made your reservation, Terry and his minions will be happy to sell you a Weekend Pass when you walk in the door on Thursday, so you needn't miss out on the wine and cheese party -- or the special "Parts and Found Pens" auction! (There will also be the regular full auction on Saturday, of course. And the spectacular poolside Dessert Party before the Saturday auction.) For much more information, visit the show's Web site: http://www.ohiopenshow.com/ If this will be your first-ever pen show, be sure to read my pen show virgin's guide: http://www.richardspens.com/?shows=firstshow We'll have a selection of pens from the companies we represent: Bexley, Edison, Gate City Pen, Namiki/Pilot, Onoto, and Pelikan. Most of the pens we have at shows are offered at DISCOUNTED SHOW PRICES, with their nibs checked and smoothed -- and you save shipping costs, too. Talk about INSTANT GRATIFICATION! As always, I'll be regrinding and tweaking nibs while you wait. We use a list, like your favorite restaurant, so you can enjoy the rest of the show while you await your turn. (But we don't have those little buzzy hockey pucks...) Bring a pen, and share a little time with friends at our table while I jazz up your writing experience. PLEASE READ OUR "TABLE TALK" FAQ TO LEARN HOW WE OPERATE AT A SHOW: http://www.richardspens.com/?info=shows 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 my studio -- or you can hand them to Ron Zorn of Main Street Pens, one of the best repair guys I know, and have them fixed right there. To find Ron, just look for the traffic light! We look forward to seeing old friends and meeting new ones. We hope to see you there. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ *** What's New at the Gate City Pen & Ink Company? *** ------------------------------------------------------------------------ On Friday, November 4, at the Ohio Pen Show, we will introduce the New Dunn Pen. This pen, the third in Gate City Pen's continuing series of vintage-inspired pens, uses the exact same filling system patented in 1920 by Charles Dunn and pioneered by the Dunn-Pen (produced 1921-1924) and featured more recently on the Omas Extra. The New Dunn Pen is made in U.S.A., and it will be available in two styles: the Standard (all black except the Little Red Pump-Handle) and the "Tattler," featuring a transparent barrel so that you can watch the cool pump filler and also be aware of how much ink is available while you're writing the Great Novel. The New Dunn Pen will be available simultaneously on our site; look for it on November 4. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ *** Nib Smoothing Workshop at the Ohio Pen Show *** ------------------------------------------------------------------------ I will be offering a hands-on workshop on nib smoothing, working directly with participants, at the Ohio Pen Show. The workshop will begin promptly at 9:00 a.m. on Sunday, November 6. In this intensive 75-minute session, I will teach you how to smooth nibs using the tools and methods I use daily at the Nashua Pen Spa. (I cannot guarantee that you will be an accomplished nibmeister at the end of the session, but you will have learned a lot and, we hope, had a good time.) REGISTRATION WILL OPEN ON OCTOBER 17, through this page on our site: http://www.richardspens.com/?page=workshop Registration is limited to 12 people for hands-on assistance. If you don't register, you are interested are still welcome to come and audit the session; we will provide copies of the handouts for you. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ *** Top Sellers at the Nashua Pen Spa *** ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Just for fun, I've been keeping an eye on what's hot this past month. Topping the charts are the Pilot Vanishing Point (especially the eye-popping Pearl Pink), the ever-popular Pelikan M200, the Bexley Corona, and the up-and-coming Edison Collier. In case you'd like to join the fun, here arte links to these four models: http://www.richardspens.com/?pens=nam+vp http://www.richardspens.com/?pens=pel+m200 http://www.richardspens.com/?pens=bex+corona http://www.richardspens.com/?pens=edi_collier ------------------------------------------------------------------------ *** Don's Cigar Box Pen Chests *** ------------------------------------------------------------------------ The equinox has passed, and you're reminded of falling leaves, hot cocoa, and...purchasing much-needed storage for your pens because they've overran your current setup. We've got the answer with Don's economical-yet-beautiful wooden pen chests made from real Spanish cedar. The ultimate earth-friendly fountain-pen storage, these chests started out as actual cigar boxes. Rather than toss them, we've recycled them for another life -- storing your pens. http://www.richardspens.com/?acc=boxes ------------------------------------------------------------------------ *** Time's A-Runnin' Out on the Pearl Pink! *** ------------------------------------------------------------------------ In case you've forgotten, the Pilot Pearl Pink Vanishing Point is the 2011 Limited Edition of this great pen. We've got all we're going to get, and we don't have very many left. If you've been dithering over what color of ink will coordinate best with this pen, you're going to need the pen in your hand for comparison. There's never going to be a better time than how, and tomorrow could be too late. http://www.richardspens.com/?pens=nam+vp Remember, we will donate $5.00 from the sale of each Pearl Pink to support research to find a cure for breast cancer. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ *** Repair Essentials: Handy Pocket Pen Light *** ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Whether you’re at a pen show or a club meeting, it’s always a good idea to have a light source handy. Nothing’s handier than our new pen light. Clip it in your pocket. Clip it on a belt loop. Slip it into a purse or a pen case. Wherever you keep it, it’s there when you need it. Featuring a white LED that lasts for 100,000 hours, our pen light uses an ordinary AAA battery. http://www.richardspens.com/?acc=penlight ------------------------------------------------------------------------ *** Farewell, Aurora *** ------------------------------------------------------------------------ We have closed out our entire stock of Aurora pens. Thanks to all of you who purchased them. They're great pens, and we hope you'll enjoy using them for a long time to come. HOWEVER... We have some factory-stock Aurora nibs left over. We're offering these at HALF PRICE (50% of MSRP). Here's what we have (prices are each). Rhodium-plated 14K nibs are silver colored, unplated are gold colored. Ipsilon gold-plated steel nibs, M, $35.00 Ipsilon gold-plated steel nibs, B, $35.00 Ipsilon Deluxe rhodium-plated 14K nibs, M, $75.00 Ipsilon Deluxe rhodium-plated 14K nibs, B, $75.00 Ipsilon Deluxe unplated 14K nibs, M, $75.00 Ipsilon Deluxe unplated 14K nibs, B, $75.00 88/Optima/Talentum rhodium-plated 14K nibs, XF, $147.50 88/Optima/Talentum rhodium-plated 14K nibs, F, $147.50 88/Optima/Talentum unplated 14K nibs, F, $147.50 88/Optima/Talentum rhodium-plated 14K nibs, M, $147.50 88/Optima/Talentum unplated 14K nibs, M, $147.50 88/Optima/Talentum rhodium-plated 14K nibs, B, $147.50 88/Optima/Talentum unplated 14K nibs, B, $147.50 88/Optima/Talentum unplated 14K nibs, italic, $147.50 88/Optima/Talentum rhodium-plated 14K nibs, RF oblique XF, $147.50 88/Optima/Talentum unplated 14K nibs, LF oblique F, $147.50 88/Optima/Talentum rhodium-plated 14K nibs, RF oblique F, $147.50 88/Optima/Talentum unplated 14K nibs, RF oblique F, $147.50 88/Optima/Talentum rhodium-plated 14K nibs, RF oblique M, $147.50 Aurora oblique nibs are stubbish, and they do show line variation. To purchase any of these nibs, please contact us by email: info@richardspens.com ------------------------------------------------------------------------ *** School Days Are Here, and There's a School Pen on Our Tray *** ------------------------------------------------------------------------ One school pen does not a tray make, though, so there are a few other pretty cool restored pens on the tray. They'll go fast, so don't spend too much time reading this article. Just go there! http://www.richardspens.com/?pens=vint ------------------------------------------------------------------------ *** "Broad Strokes" by Richard Binder *** ------------------------------------------------------------------------ The most common eyedropper filler was very simple: the nib and feed were inserted into the gripping section, which in turn screwed into the barrel. But not everyone was satisfied with what was obviously a less than perfect solution... http://www.richardspens.com/?prof=rider ------------------------------------------------------------------------ *** "Extra Fine Points" by Don Fluckinger *** ------------------------------------------------------------------------ While Don wouldn't dare step into the left-right political debate toxifying Washington right now, he does point out something upon which all fountain pen lovers can agree: We're tree-hugging environmentalists compared to the rest of America, at least when considering how many ballpoints end up in landfills each year. http://www.richardspens.com/?xf=1110 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ *** Pens That Write Right! *** ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Unless otherwise requested at the time of sale, we tune each new pen or nib at no extra charge before shipment. We fill the pen with Waterman Blue-Black ink and write with it on paper from the same fountain pen friendly pads we sell, adjusting as necessary to bring it up to the RichardsPens.com "factory" standard for smoothness and flow. If you order a new pen with a customized nib, I will modify the nib (for an extra charge) and ship the pen immediately instead of putting it into my regular queue. Remember, we are authorized retailers for Aurora, Bexley, Gate City Pen, Namiki and Pilot, and Pelikan. 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! ------------------------------------------------------------------------ *** 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 on our site or by plugging the following URI into your browser or RSS reader: http://www.richardspens.com/richardspens.rss 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/?info=rsshelp ======================================================================== 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 our site: http://www.richardspens.com/?info=nibnoise Note: We will never sell your name or email address. Your privacy is as important to us as it is to you.