======================================================================== Nib Noise * Volume 17 Number 3 * June 2018 ======================================================================== Welcome to Nib Noise. I hope you'll enjoy reading this month's issue. PLEASE DO NOT REPLY TO THIS NEWSLETTER! The robot that sends it out hasn't yet learned to read. If you have 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/?info=nibnoise ------------------------------------------------------------------------ *** Meet Us In Saint Louie! *** ------------------------------------------------------------------------ The First Annual St. Louis Pen Show will be happening from June 29 to July 1 in, you guessed it, St. Louis, Missouri. And we will be there. The organizers really have their stuff together, and we're expecting a wonderful show with a chance to meet many of our Midwest friends who just can't make it farther east. A squad of highly qualified repairers will be in evidence in the persons of Mike Kennedy, Joel Hamilton, Sherrell Tyree, and others. I will be working on nibs, and nib worker Linda Kennedy, my former student and now a pro in her own right, will also be there. As always, Barbara will be making sure I keep my nose to the grindstone. PLEASE READ OUR RECENTLY UPDATED "TABLE TALK" FAQ TO LEARN HOW WE OPERATE AT A SHOW: http://www.richardspens.com/?info=shows 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/?shows=firstshow The list of exhibitors who have registered is amazing! Find out more about the show -- and make your reservations today! For more informa- tion, visit the show's site: http://www.lipenshow.com/ We look forward to seeing old friends and meeting new ones. We hope to see you there! ------------------------------------------------------------------------ *** The Glossopedia *** ------------------------------------------------------------------------ A major feature of my website is the Glossopedia, a hybrid between a glossary and a single-volume encyclopedia. With more than 1500 defini- tions and descriptions, more than 900 illustrations, and more than 2100 cross-references, it's the most comprehensive of its kind on the Web. Each month, Nib Noise includes a randomly chosen Glossopedia entry. -------- Addipoint. A pen model sold by Sheaffer under the WASP brand; featured a user-replaceable nib sold as a screw-in nib/section assembly complete with a sac. The Addipoint may have been an attempt to compete with Esterbrook’s Re-New-Point, introduced in 1932. See also WASP. -------- To immerse yourself in the Glossopedia, follow this link: http://www.richardspens.com/?gloss= -------- To create links to specific single entries in the Glossopedia, follow the instructions in the new "How to Bookmark or Link to Pages" page described above. For example, here's the link to the Addipoint entry: http://www.richardspens.com/?gloss=addipoint ------------------------------------------------------------------------ *** Broad Strokes *** ------------------------------------------------------------------------ In 1915, the Wahl Adding Machine Company bought a controlling interest in Keeran & Company, makers of the Eversharp pencil. A year later, it entered the writing instruments business for itself by buying Keeran’s company. The rest is history, but you should still read it and see the pens: http://www.richardspens.com/?prof=wahl_pen To help you find reference articles on our site that have been edited recently, there is a handy heading right at the top of the reference index, listing the five most recently added or edited reference pages. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ *** The Pen Doctor *** ------------------------------------------------------------------------ The Pen Doctor is a regular visitor to the Nashua Pen Spa, and every so often he puts a few prescriptions up in our site's reference section. Each month, I reprint one of his prescriptions here. -------- Q: The piston in my Pelikan is tight, and I’m afraid I’ll break something if I keep using it. Can I lubricate it? How? A: If the pen has a plastic piston seal (not a cork), you can lubricate it. You must first find some 100% silicone grease. In the U.S.A., this grease is sold for use by divers (to lubricate SCUBA gear) and by restaurateurs (to lubricate food processing equipment). Some online pen dealers also carry it. Do not use any silicone grease that contains even the tiniest amount of petroleum distillates! To lubricate the piston, empty the pen completely and flush it with water until the ejecta are clear. Draw the piston back up, as if filling the pen, and remove the nib unit. Twist the corner of a paper towel into a point (often called a “twizzle”), insert it into the open end of the pen barrel, and use it to absorb any remaining droplets of water from the inside of the barrel. Put a tiny amount of grease on the end of a wooden toothpick or match. Insert the toothpick or match into the open end of the barrel, and apply the grease around the inside of the barrel as close to the piston as you can get it. Now run the piston down and back up a few times. It should move very easily after the first stroke. Reinstall the nib, fill the pen, and write! -------- To read more of the Pen Doctor's prescriptions, follow this link: http://www.richardspens.com/?pendoc= ------------------------------------------------------------------------ *** Sharing the Wealth *** ------------------------------------------------------------------------ I think sharing information is a good thing, and I note that many people post links to my articles on websites such as the Fountain Pen Network and various pen groups on Facebook. To encourage such sharing by making it easier and more uniform, my site has a page titled, "How to Bookmark or Link to Pages on This Site," showing what I call the "best practices" way to do it. It's quick and easy, and it creates short, snappy links that are easy to remember, like this one: http://www.richardspens.com/?page=linking ------------------------------------------------------------------------ *** Follow Us on the Internet with Facebook *** ------------------------------------------------------------------------ RichardsPens.com would like to be liked on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/NashuaPenSpa ======================================================================== 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.