The
Pentrace Report: Midland Pen Show, Lichfield, England
- 21st-22nd June 2008
It
is not often one sees the launch of a new pen show in
the United Kingdom, and moreover one which deliberately
aims to be different to what has gone before. Such a
show is the brand new Midland Pen Show, which took place
in Lichfield, England over the weekend 21st-22nd June
2008. As Pentrace's roving reporter in the UK, I was
fortunate enough to be invited to cover the event..
Krone
Galileo Limited Edition The Krone Galileo writing instrument honors
the achievements of Galileo, a mathematician, astronomer
and inventor.
Krone
presents Galileo, an exceptional writing instrument.
A
Renaissance Pen: The Stipula Da Vinci Infinity Limited
Edition Of course, the Da Vinci design is not unique
to the Infinity LE; in fact it is available at lower
prices in several different materials and colours, and
in two sizes with different clip designs. But the version
I fell in love with at first sight was the Infinity,
thanks to the fascinating Stylophiles review and Bill
Riepl’s alluring photographs of the pen therein.
I knew I had to buy one, but what chance was there of
finding a new pen from a limited edition of only 188
which had already been available for two years?
The
last five years of developing FILCAO pen have produced
a series of classic designs in the deco style of the
1920's and 30's with flat tops and taper balance shapes.
The remarkable success of the classic-style COLUMBIA,
ATLANTICA, SYLVIA, NEW LEADER and ROXY have the designs
and features that pen users feel are the most comfortable
in their hands and affordable so they can have more
choices...
FILCAO
is a family-run business based in the small Northern
Italian town of Settimo Torinese, near Turin, in the
industrial North-West of the Country.
FILCAO
started manufacturing fountain pens in the late 1960s.
After 43 years the company is still run by its founder,
Franco Grisolia, who loves and collects pens and can
still be seen, at times, working the lathes, fashioning
a new prototype pen out of a rod of cured celluloid
or acrylic resin. The current product lineup is vast:
over 200 different pen models, in metal, celluloid or
acrylic resin. In addition to fountain pens, there are
mechanical pencils, roller ball pens and ballpoint pens.
FILCAO
was the chosen manufacturer of the 2004
Pentrace Limited Edition fountain pen which was
such an immediate success, the entire edition was sold
out in a matter of hours after introduction.
Krone
TYRANNOSAURUS REX Limited Edition Tyrannosaurus Rex was the supreme carnivore
of its era and represented the highest evolution of
predatory dinosaurs. The name means “tyrant lizard
king” and there has never been a land predator
of its size, speed and power before or after its existence.
Krone
presents Tyrannosaurus Rex, an exceptional writing instrument.
Friday
Night Well, there we were at the Last Chance restaurant
(no grease just good eats) on Friday night. There was
me, Bubba, Joe Bob and the Italian Babe chomping down
on all you can eat catfish. I looked around and surveyed
the situation. Over in the corner was Tommy the tattoo
man sitting with a blue haired lady. Off to the side
I could see Chuckles the clown making balloon figures
for the little kids. Up front Jim Paul and the Texas
Boys were knocking out some Willie Nelson tunes. Even
though we had a full house something just didn’t
seem right. It was like something was missing..
A
new story from Will Thorpe.
The
Stylus 2007 Pen Annual Volume II The Stylus 2007 Pen Annual Volume II is praised
as an "encyclopedia of pens", a must have
for pen lovers and collectors. This is a showcase of
70 pen companies, their histories and latest products
with retailers even using this as a sales tool. For
pen collectors, this is the ultimate “candy store”
magazine where you can visit to view your favorite pen
products and start building your wish list for next
year.
THINK
about it
THINK fountain pens and roller ball pens are a combination
of beautiful materials, excellent design and solid construction
all rolled into a very attractive retail price. Mounted
with quality Schmidt steel nibs and roller ball refills
they are inexpensive enough to treat your vanity with
multiple choices to fit changing moods or simply for
“the pen color of choice for the day”
Read the recent Pentrace
review of THINK pens.
The Nakaya theme is “For Your Hand Only”
as Nakaya produces hand made pens from hand shaping
of hard rubber to decoration and the final shaping of
the nib choice exactly to the owner’s writing
hand.
More
than a few Pentracers have actually visited Nakaya offices
in Tokyo, Japan in their travels and provided us with
their interesting reports. Pentrace appreciates the
support from Mr. Toshiya Nakata, President of Nakaya
and we look forward to their announcements of their
newest products.
Governess
on a Sheep Station in the Outback - Episode 5
[posted 06/25/2006] A short story in seven parts by Chris Chalmers
about her very early and short time as a governess on
a sheep station in far western Queensland in the very
early 60s - it doesn't mention pens - but is a good
read!!
The
Da Vinci Code limited edition pen by TIBALDI On May 19th 2006 Sony Pictures brought Dan
Brown’s The Da Vinci Code, one of the most popular
and controversial novels of our generation, to the big
screen.
Anticipating
the huge success of what will most likely be the media
event of this century, Aquila Brands entered into an
exclusive license agreement with Sony Pictures to launch,
simultaneously with the release of the movie, the one
and only official collection of The Da Vinci Code luxury
writing instruments, signaling the re-birth of the prestigious
TIBALDI brand ninety years after its establishment.
Dateline
KANAZAWA Part III A Japanese Journal by Stan Klemanowicz. This
is the second of four articles based on the journal
posted to the message board by Stan.
Parker
Flighters Oh, you say, a Parker 61 Flighter. Well, maybe.
But it could also be a Parker 65 Flighter. And that's
what this article is all about: Parker's long pattern
of producing pen models that are very closely matched.
Some replaced a previous model. Others, like the 65,
co-existed with its mate. And this pattern of pairs
started with the 61/65, as fair as I can tell...
Dan
Carmell examines the Parker Flighter range
Review:
Fountain Pens of the World, 2005 Edition FPOTW. Pretty much every pen collector past
the “newbie” stage recognizes that five-letter
abbreviation as a shorthand way of identifying Andreas
Lambrou’s compendious Fountain Pens of the World.
First published in 1995, this 448-page coffee-table-size
tome is recognized as one of the indispensable books
that form the foundation of any serious collector’s
library.
Marlon
Brando Tahiti Musume ( Tahitian Maiden ) The art of Maki-e holds a fascination for many
Pentrace readers and over the years we have examined
many different aspects and techniques of this Japanese
form of decoration which dates back to the 8th Century.
In general, much of the maki-e work applied to fountain
pens has featured intricate renderings of wildlife,
traditional Japanese scenes or flowers, but Classic
Pens have taken a unique approach by featuring aspects
of French Polynesia in honor of the late Marlon Brando
in a new Limited Edition maki-e fountain pen to be launched
at the Washington DC Show in August.
Legend
A
short article for Father's Day by Lynn Brant.
Stylo
gurus
Trevor Butterworth investigates the apparent
paradox of the resurgence of the fountain pen in the
age of digital communications. This article originally
appeared in the May 7 2005 issue of FTmagazine, the
supplement to the Financial Times.
Parker
“51” by David and Mark Shepherd Without reservation, this book now stands as
the definitive reference source on the Parker “51”
the world’s most successful fountain pen.
Also featuring at the 2005 Chicago Show..
Pen
Doctor: Richard
Binder answers questions on Parker “51”:
Who’s On First?, Front-End Disassembly and Reassembly
of the “51”
My
meeting with the Pen God
Last
June, quite by chance, I discovered that Mr Nagahara
of Sailor Pens was coming to the UK to hold a pen clinic
at Websters Penshop at the Bluewater shopping centre
in Kent. I have to admit that when I first discovered
that Mr Nagahara was coming to the UK and that I would
have a chance to meet him I was as excited as a six-year
old on Christmas Eve...
Faisel Sadiq reports.
Over
on Pentrace East The
2005 Pen Trading Show in Tokyo Tokyo has two fountain pen shows each year.
One is the event sponsored by the club "Fuente"
in October (which I unfortunately missed last October
due to a schedule conflict) and the other is the "Pen
Trading Show in Tokyo" and is sponsored by the
Pen Collectors of Japan. This is held every March in
a room near Shirokanedai station. This year's Show was
held on March 12 and 13. Russ Stutler reports.
The
Prince Protean Pen Ever since I learned that Mark Twain once
used a Prince Protean pen, I have been trying to find
one. I’d be willing to pay several thousand dollars
for one, but even if you had a million to spend it would
be doubtful you could find one of these very early pens.
And by early, I mean one of the first fountain pens
manufactured in the United States. ....
The
Pentrace LEs have been shipped! Already we have over
100 expressions of interest in the 2005 Pentrace Limited
Edition FP.
Further
updates as they happen.
The 2004
Pentrace Halloween Short Story Contest He never gave a second thought why the pen
was at the yard sale amidst the cast off debris of what
must have been a dirt poor family. “How much?”
he said...
By some ghoulish Pentracers
The
Marco Aurelio Street Pen Meeting Dario Giorgi reports on an extraordinary range
of vintage pens displayed at a meeting in Marco Aurelio
street, not far from the Colosseum in Rome.
“Daddy-O”: Krone
takes a look back at the 1950s Daddy-O is a cool new collection from Krone
that is reminiscent of my mother’s 1960 kitchen
linoleum floor and the curvaceous design elements of
that time. This was the first time I was able to recall
great looking and genuine fake marble and stone laid
into plastics...
By Len Provisor
Sheaffer Secretary
— Not Just Red Radite! Somewhere around 1923 Sheaffer introduced a
new line of pens — the “Secretary”. Sheaffer
saw the need to have a pen that was not guaranteed that
could be marketed at a lower price. The name Secretary
also suggests that Sheaffer was addressing the need
of secretaries...
By Roger Wooten
Try
our NEW RSS Feed!
We
now have an RSS feed up and running. The logo's below
link to the RSS file. For these to work, you need to
have an RSS reader for your computer, or are using an
online feed reader. Check this
link for a basic explanation of how RSS works.
Pentrace
Photo Competition
All
the entries for the competition can now be viewed at
the above link. The images are being sent to our judges
Terry Clark and Eddy McDonald for review and critique,
with a view to nominating a winner. There is still time
to get your entries in!
Parker 100 —
an Evolution and a Revolution in Design When I first saw the new Parker 100 last year
I had mixed feelings. The Parker “51” has
been one of my favorite writing instrument for many
years and this new visitor appeared to have an attitude... Len Provisor reports.
The Fountain Pen
Hospital LE, by Stipula Since 1947, FPH has been serving the pen community.
They've done it again, with a great Limited Edition
pen by Stipula. Len Provisor reports.
Over
on Pentrace East The
Maruzen Limited Edition Parker Duofold Rashin I went to the Maruzen Department store in Nihonbashi
this afternoon and saw a new pen there that was so interesting
it merited an article. It is made by Parker for Maruzen
to commemorate Maruzen's 135 year anniversary. Russ Stutler reports.
Slippery
When Wet Poetry
from Pentracer Paul Neilan, recently
published by the East on Central group.
Aldo It
was the North Texas Pen Collectors annual one day show
of 2001. The crowd had been pretty good in the morning
but now it was late afternoon and the rush was slowing
down. I was sitting at my table half asleep paying no
particular attention to anything. Suddenly I saw the
eyes...
Will
Thorpe recounts the story of Aldo.
Saint
Patrick- Krone Limited Edition "This is a significantly large fountain
pen with an extraordinarily brilliant decoration that
commands an immediate presence. The barrel is a luminescent,
brilliant colored painting in the fashion of 15th Century
engrossed illuminations that are found on rare biblical
documents and books. Each pen is hand painted over the
hand turned ebonite barrel material. The brilliant transparency
of the painting re-creates the glowing stained glass
from the cathedrals of the period". Len
Provisor reviews the Saint Patrick LE.
The
Colonel's Parker The Colonel pounded his keyboard in livid rage,
broken keys flying everywhere as alien beeps and squawks
emitted from the computer's speakers. DO NOT SHOOT THE
MONITOR! Do NOT shoot the monitor! O.K... O.K... o.k….
The cause of the Colonel's rage had wafted up out of
the ether just seconds ago. The stark black letters
on the screen mocked the Colonel's perseverance, mocked
his concentration, his intellect, mocked his very manhood:
AUCTION CLOSED
YOU WERE OUTBID
David
Mason brings us a tale of auctions and sniping!
A
Tale of Christmas
Richard Binder brings us an unabashedly
sentimental fable set in the time and place of the author’s
childhood, presented for the reader’s edification
and, it is hoped, pleasure.
Marilyn
Monroe - Krone Limited Edition
The
name, the myth and the legend. Len Provisor
reviews the latest Krone Limited Edition dedicated to
the memory of Marilyn Monroe.
Discovered
: Shakespeare’s Sonnet to a Fountain Pen This
article, originally submitted to the Zoss list, is reprinted
here with slight editorial changes. It raises interesting
questions about whether William Shakespeare had, or
made plans to have, a fountain pen. The sonnet in question,
if it is indeed Shakespeare's, would be grounds for
pre-emptively concluding that he was fountain-pen capable.
I'm sure that both pen aficionados and Shakespeare scholars
will want to weigh in.
By Bernard Glassman
Pelikan
100/100LE - a comparison Felipe Jordão compares two pens, the
vintage Pelikan 100 and the modern “Originals
of their Time” re-issues of the same. He also
discusses a custom nib unit that can be added to the
modern pen to essentially transform it into a ‘new’
vintage pen.
Pelikan
History - Part IV The concluding article of
a four part series by Rick Propas that traces the history
of Pelikan, focussing on the years of pen production,
1929-present. (see "Pentrace
online Pelikan Chat" below)
A
slide show of images from the show are also available
here, courtesy of Maryann Zucker.
Writing
Instruments Manufactured in Israel : Part II - Other
Brands
Israel
ben-Sinai, dedicated pen collector from Israel and member
of the Israel Pen Club, PCA and WES presents the story
of his research and collections of writing instruments
made in Palestine and Israel.
Mabie
in America - Writing Instruments from 1843 - 1941 Len
Provisor reviews the CD from author David Moak which
presents what is arguably the most authoritative history
to date of this well known pen maker, the family of
John Mabie, and their business associations.
Every
year, thousands of pens come to New York and L.A. hoping
to make it big -- as a professional pen model.
These pens, some of them not more than 14 or 15 years
old, come from the heartland of America, from places
like Iowa, and Indiana, and Illinois, and other states
that begin with "I" -- like Wisconsin. But
the truth, unlike the pens, is not pretty.
Few make it.
Too
Much Excitement
Steve Massey’s voice came floating across the
lawn one hot summer evening. “Hey, Tom,”
it said, “there’s an exhibition game gonna
be over at the ballpark. Grab your mitt, let’s
go!”
“No
thanks,” I hollered back, “I don’t
think I can stand that much excitement tonight.”
I had just come back Stateside from eleven months chasing
Hitler’s armies back to Berlin, and I was still
getting used to being able to loaf around without getting
shot at...
Read
the short story by Richard Binder.
Conway
Stewart Custom Pens It would appear that one of the favourite methods
employed by Conway Stewart for boosting their sales,
especially during the 30s, was to produce special pens
for commercial companies or stationery retailers. In
the former case they would probably have been give-aways,
while in the latter case they were often imprinted with
names chosen by the retailer and sold as "special
editions".
Jonathan
Donahaye explains.
Pen
Photography - Part III Terry Clark concludes his series with the
third of his three practical columns. This week the
subjects are "The Beauty Shot", Exposure,
White Balance and the Evil of Flare.
FAQ
now online! The FAQ compiled by Burt Janz is now online
- try the link here or the FAQ menu item on the Reference
menu at the top of the page.
New
Biography Pages
The new bio pages are currently in test, with a few
new bios input, the old page is still available here.
Namiki
2003 Limited Editions Pentrace presents the Namiki 2003 Limited
Editions that were introduced at the recent Frankfurt
Paperworld exhibit. These Limited Editions will be presented
here exclusively on Pentrace over three weeks. This
week - The Yukari Collection and the Pilot Vanishing
Point Manderin Yellow
Profile:
Sheaffer’s Snorkel During World War II, the German navy adopted
a device called a Schnorchel (often spelled “Schnorkel”
in English-language writings), which was a tube that
could be extended above the ocean’s surface by
a submerged submarine, allowing the submarine to draw
in fresh air without surfacing. In 1952, Sheaffer’s
Snorkel TM appeared on the market, superseding the very
successful Touchdown TM line. Richard Binder profiles a classic.
The
History of Casein Use In Writing Equipment. - Part 4 David Wells, vintage pen collector and dealer
of primarily British writing instruments presents this
discussion on a delicate material used by several pen
companies in the past.
The
concluding article examines the use of "Ivorine"
by the Parker Pen Company
Pompeian
Brown
George Kovalenko investigates
the mysterious Parker Pompeian Brown Duofold.
Gaudí
Commemorative Fountain Pens
Kurt Hammerbeck profiles the great Catalonian architect
Antoni Gaudí, the inspiration behind no less
than six different pens from six different companies.
Who
is Joe Cali?
Maryann Zucker introduces pen designer and collector
Joe Cali, who has become a regular at many pen shows.
The
History of Casein Use In Writing Equipment. - Part 3 David Wells continues his discussion with details
of Conway Stewart's use on the material, including current
production techniques and a commentary from Conway Stewart
President, Don Yendle.
The
History of Casein Use In Writing Equipment. - Part 2 David Wells continues this discussion on a
delicate material used by several pen companies in the
past. This installment shows how to identify casein
and shows some of the problems associated with it.
The
History of Casein Use In Writing Equipment. - Part 1 David Wells, vintage pen collector and dealer
of primarily British writing instruments presents this
discussion on a delicate material used by several pen
companies in the past.
True
Believer 4
David Mason (aka StubHead) continues his tale of the
unexpected. All characters and events are fictitious,
although some of the pens bear a strong resemblance
to real ones. You have been warned! Previous
Chapters..
![[Valid RSS]](article-images/legacy/ad_images/valid-rss.png){kind=small}
Richard
Binder answers questions on Parker “51”:
Who’s On First?, Front-End Disassembly and Reassembly
of the “51”
