Blue inks from Toronto Pen Show plus

So our club took to the road last Saturday for the Toronto Pen Show.  The show was well attended by both dealers and people like us.  Of course, the show is small by U.S. standards but size isn’t everything – quality counts for something!

Here is a scan of the inks that I purchased from Sleuth & Statesman at the TPS plus a writing sample of Sailor Chushu ink that came with my new Sailor Realo fountain pen (this ink was distributed with the first 500 Realos sold – lucky me!).  The paper is 80 g Rhodia graph paper.

By the way, I had writing sample ready to be scanned this morning, however, as I was a bit rushed to get to the London Pen Club meeting at 9:30 am, I decided to wait and scan it when I returned home.  I passed the scan around the meeting table for everyone to look at (fwiw, Noodler’s Polar Blue was the consenus favourite).  One vintage collector was looking at the writing sample, put it down and then started playing with my Sailor Realo, not realizing that it is a piston-filler. That’s the problem with these vintage people, they think every pen has a lever!  Anyway, he (who shall remain unidentifed except to those present) is the person responsible for the blob of Chushu in the last sample.

Pen Show Fever – Mark your calendars!

The calendar of events listed in the August 2009 issue of Pen World, just off the press,  indicates that the 20th Michigan Pen Show (MPS) will take place on October 3, 2009  (a Saturday) at the Westin Southfield-Detroit while the Toronto Pen Show (TPS) will be on October 11, 2009  (a Sunday) at the Hilton Airport.  The MPS appears to have changed locations (from the Troy Hilton – a quick Google map shows that the Westin is about 20 miles south on I-75 and then west on I-696 from the Hilton); however, the TPS is in the same place.  Neither the Michigan Pen Club nor the TPS website have current information, at the date of this post.

Canadian readers should also take note that the TPS takes place over the Thanksgiving weekend, with Monday, October 12 as our statutory holiday for Thanksgiving.

Fooling around with ink and paper

I recently received a truckload of ink from our friends at Swisher Pens.  I also decided to buy a few pads of the Staples Bagasse paper – made from sugarcane – which seems to be the rage on pen-related discussion boards.

One of the things that I had noticed was the significant drying time for ink used on the Bagasse paper – it just seemed to stay wet forever (imho).  So with Rick ready with his Timex, we compared two inks (Noodler’s Dark Matter and Private Reserve Fast Dry Midnight Blues) on Staples bagasse paper and Rhodia graph paper (from a notebook).  You can see that the Dark Matter took quite a bit longer to dry on the bagasse paper – over 1 minute – compared to just over 15 seconds on the Rhodia paper.  Interestingly, the Fast Dry Midnight Blues lived up to its billing – it dried very quickly on the bagasse paper – less than 15 seconds - and almost immediately on the Rhodia paper.  I should also note that the PR Fast Dry ink was laid down on the paper with a Sheaffer’s Legacy medium nib that has flow like a firehose so we were most impressed with the fast dry qualities of this ink – it was really quite amazing!

One of the other items that has come up for discussion is the apparent difference in the colour of Pilot blue ink – from the bottle and in their V pens.  The proof is in the pudding – as you can see below, the Pilot blue bottled ink appears to be much lighter in comparison to that used in the V pens. 

Finally, I was asked to do a comparison of light blue/turquoise coloured inks for someone on the FPN – here are some of the main brands and the colours on Staples bagasse paper.  I tried to use a blotter on the Dark Matter ink used to label the various blues – you can see that there is a faint line running down the right hand side of the page (yet more proof of the slow drying time of this paper!).

Cambridge, Ontario: A hotbed for people who love fountain pens!

Six members of the London Pen Club hit the road on Saturday, June 13 for a one-hour drive to Cambridge.  We left London at 7:15 am and were in downtown Cambridge at Phidon Pens Limited by 8:30 am.  While the store does not open until 10 am on Saturdays, the owners of Phidon, Baldeep and Mano Duggal, were kind enough to invite us in for a private viewing and light breakfast.

Baldeep & Mano Duggal, Owners of Phidon Pens Limited

The store is a very cozy but chock full of every type of pen, ink, paper and leather goods that you can imagine.

Looking from inside front door to back of Phidon Pens

Looking from back to front window

Many of us brought shopping lists and these were quickly filled – plus extras.  I bought several bottles of ink – Private Reserve Fast Dry Midnight Blues, Diamine Umber, Parker Quink Green and Pilot Blue – a funky fountain pen that was recently released by Faber-Castell – the Mondoro – some Miquelrius paper and finally some art supplies for my daughter.  We were all suitably impressed by the quality and selection and even more so by the attentive and friendly service of Baldeep and Mano.  Mano and Baldeep are just about the friendliest people you will ever meet and try exceptionally hard to make you happy.  Unfortunately, because of time (and monetary) constraints, we had to leave just after 9:30 am; however, we will be back!

Several more pictures can be found here

Next stop, just five minutes away to the Galt View Restaurant for a hearty breakfast and hook-up with the Cambridge Pen Club.  Actually, it took almost as long to find a parking spot at the restaurant as it did to drive there – the Galt View is a very popular spot on Saturday mornings.

Inside, to the back we joined up with between 15-20 Cambridge regulars who were in the midst of enjoying a great breakfast and pens, of course.  The room was a hive of activity with the waitress buzzing in and out and lively conversation, show and tell, sampling inks, you name it – it was busy, busy, busy.  The Cambridge regulars were very happy to see us, with many approaching us to say hello and introducing themselves, showing us their pens and asking us about our interests.  We could not have felt more welcome!  The downside – just not enough time to renew acquaintances with those we knew and meet everyone else.  The only solution is to come back again – very soon!

The Cambridge Pen Club meets once a month.  If you are interested, I suggest that you send an email to Terry Shepherd at terryshepherd@rogers.com.

Chatterley Pens and Pen Time, LLC

As part of the whole fountain pen experience and culture, we have the opportunity to meet and deal with many, many people.  It could be a chance encounter at a pen show, an exchange on a discussion board or a business transaction.  I know that I have learned an incredible amount about those individuals who are reliable,  consistently deliver great service for fair value and most of all, have integrity.  I consider people with these qualities to be the “gold standard” and I will give them my repeat business.  Just as important as my own business, I will refer my friends and colleagues to them.  I don’t do this lightly because when I make these referrals, both of our reputations are on the line.

The list of “Good people to deal with” at the bottom of this blog are people who meet my gold standard.  Another person who meets  my qualifications – whom I have watched for some time on the Fountain Pen Network (FPN) and finally done business with myself - is Bryant (Bry) Greer of Chatterley Pens and Pen Time, LLC.  I recently bought a tan and black marbled celluloid (calico) Platinum 3776 with a music nib (picture below\from Bry) from him and am in the process of buying a Conway Stewart Duro in dartmoor (start here to find out about his May special on certain Conway Stewart bespoke pens – you won’t be disappointed).

Chatterley Pens and Pen Time, LLC has a website and Bry is a regular contributor to the For Sale forum of the FPN.  Not only does Bry provide that rare combination of service and value, he has an entrepreneurial streak.  Working with The Bexley Pen Company, he recently commissioned his second LE pen, the Dionysus in red and green Tibaldi celluloid (pictured below/from Bry) and based on the Bexley Poseidon Magnum.  The first commissioned LE pen, the Romulus (in teal pearl blue and based on the Bexley Poseidon)  sold out quickly.

Ink – a fluid or viscous substance used for writing

Ink – the lifeblood of a pen.  When vintage pens were modern, it was “the black liquor with which men write”, then blue and blue-black.  Today, it’s a completely different ballgame altogether - you can get virtually any colour of the rainbow and with different characteristics – fast-drying, eternal, scented,  and so on.  At the current rate of innovation, I predict it won’t very long before we are able to order our own “custom” ink.

Ink was the theme of yesterday’s pen club meeting.  We have had terrific attendance and participation with the themes and yesterday was no exception.  I for one enjoyed seeing such a large quantity and variety of ink (modern and vintage).  Plenty of discussion about the characteristics and quality of different colours and brands.  I am also sure the other customers in Williams raised their eyebrows and shook their heads as they watched us sniffing ink like it was a fine wine – was this ink still good, smell this Solv-X, doesn’t this FPN Brown smell like paint, etc.  And let’s not forget the assortment of ink bottles – Parker Penman, Levenger, etc.  All in all, another terrific meeting.

As the member of our club who is believed to have the largest collection of ink (especially if it is blue), I was asked a number of different questions about the inks that I prefer, etc… and I suggested the best way to describe my addiction to ink is that it is a cheap thrill – very inexpensive relative to most new pens but the possibilities are endless – you can write with it, sketch with it, mix it and even trade it for another kind.  To me, it is analogous to those who collect Lamy Safaris – very nice pens, wide range of colours and nibs – what more could you ask for?

Finally,  I wanted to mention a number of terrific blogs that feature ink.  I really enjoy reading their comments and marvel at their creativity in presenting the many colours of ink that they are using/demonstrating.  Here is a list of ink- related blogs that have caught my eye – if I have missed one, please let me know.

Ink Quest – brilliant narrative!

Inkophile – amazing imagination and presentation!

Spiritual Evolution of the Bean – The name seems to capture it perfectly!

The Harmless Dilettante – has a digital ink sampler with over 160 reviews!

The Laurel Tree – the latest on Japanese ink and pens!

I posed a question to the author of Inkophile about how they were able to ink so many pens and keep them all clean – http://inkophile.wordpress.com/2009/05/22/how-do-you-keep-up-with-all-those-pens/ .  The author will be happy to know that I ordered my ultra sonic cleaner after I read their response – I have been on the fence about one for some time, the author just pushed me over.

Until next week or sooner!

YIPPIE,

Mike

Levenger Perennial Six Pack of Inks

I have wanted to get my hands on the relatively new Levenger inks for awhile.  Since I just happened to be ordering a retirement gift for a business colleague, I used the opportunity to treat myself to their perennial six pack of inks.  Below are two scans made from on a test page on Nava Notes paper and a glass dipping pen.

A few things to consider when viewing the scans:  

1. I decided to show the back because of the significant bleedthrough.  In my view, it is the paper and not the ink (except for the Skies of Blue as explained below).  
2.  I used a glass dipping pen.  To be honest, I have never had much success or liked using glass dipping pen.  I have tried to smooth the nib without success.  As you can see, my results are mixed, at best.  For some reason, I could not even get the glass dipping pen to write with the Skies of Blue; at one point, a giant blob dripped off the pen, and well, you can see what happened (sorry)!!

I would be interested in hearing which one(s) are your favourites, do you detest, are surprised by, etc.

Some Recent Repair Q&As

Here are a couple of recent repair Q&As exchanged by club members:

Question – Every now and then I seem to get a little bit of paper stuck in one of my fountain pen nibs when I’m writing. I was wondering if anyone else has that happen and any suggestions for cleaning it off.

Answer – I did a bit of research and thinking (based on my own experience) regarding the “paper” in your nib problem.  I think there are a number of possible explanations as set out below:

• How hard do you press on the nib – if it happens on all different types of paper, try lightening up your pressure, let the nib glide along the surface of the paper.
• Check the nib – if the nib is aligned well and smooth, the paper fibers should not get stuck.  So check the nib alignment first – is the slit off-center?  Then with a loupe, check for rough spots, craters, or sharp points on the tipping – it should be smooth and shiny all around – and then check to see whether the inside of the tines have a sharp edge (if so, they may need to be smoothed – don’t try this yourself unless you know what you are doing!).
• If your pressure and nib are fine, you should check the nature and quality of paper that you use – crappy or cheap paper will fiber up and also the coating on “coated” paper specifically for use with Ink jet printers will eventually begin to “clog” the nib.
• It could also be your writing style – some nibs will simply not tolerate significant variations from “standard” writing angles. If you have a writing style other than the typical right handed 50 degree angle, the nib may never work for you properly and needs to be swapped.

You could use a number of items – a piece of brass shim stock (0.002″ thick, available in hardware stores, Lee Valley, etc…), a piece of overhead transparency, a piece of film – all nicely washed in detergent – to floss the nib.

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Question – Do you have any suggestions on how to remove a jewel from a Parker cap (Vacumatic and Parker 51)?  I have a few that have loose clips and find it very hard to remove the jewel to tighten the clip.  What tools do you use?

Answer – Well, I’ve heard of a few things to try but didn’t have any success on the “51″ I had with a loose clip.  I think someone had set the jewel with some sort of adhesive; I probably should have tried a little gentle heat before attacking the cap jewel.  In the end, after recognizing my own shortcomings, I had John Culmer fix it up for me – he had to break the old jewel and replace it with another.
Here’s what I tried for removing a Parker cap jewel:

• Slide a piece of a drinking straw over the clip to keep it from scratching the cap as it turns.
• Try a soft pencil eraser.  Put the eraser on your table or bench and press the cap jewel into the eraser and turn the cap.   The idea is that the soft eraser grips the jewel and allows you to turn it out.
• Try some sticky tack/blu-tack used for hanging papers or posters to a wall.  Put a piece of sticky tack/blu-tack into the freezer for a few minutes to firm it up and then press the cap jewel into the sticky tack/blu-tack and turn the cap.
• Here is what “The Complete Guide To Repair & Restoration” by Frank Dubiel aka “Da Book” says about Parker caps:
  • “The Parker jewel must come off for clip removal.  In theory the jewel is pressed firmly against a rubber surface which is supposed to grip the jewel as the cap is turned.  The jewel may be in too tight.  Heat will help.  An ultrasonic cleaning may help.  Using super glue or contact cement to glue the jewel to a rubber pad and twisting it loose once dry will usually work at the risk of damage to the jewel.”

Fancy pens!

Review of Renaissance Art Folder Holder (by KR)

So, my friend kindly sent me a bottle of Old Manhattan. I fell madly in love with it and absolutely had to find the right pen for the job. Decided that it had to be something black and subdued and preferable not shiny, just like Old Manhattan. Since said friend knows better than I do, he sent me this for my 40th birthday:

Yellow Omas Emotica in the process of being attacked by a snake!

(The pen, not the snake. The snake is in love with the pen. Long story, but the pen is extremely lovely.)

So. We now have the perfect pen/ink combo. Now what? Hm. I seem to have a separate Apica notebook for everything that interests me. I have a New Music Canada/CBC Radio 3 notebook and a History notebook and a NY Times crossword notebook where I write unfamiliar words for further study so that I can kick tail at the 2010 American Crossword Championship and an “Interesting Things I Hear on the Radio” notebook and… You know where I am going. An absolute nightmare to go to the library lugging all of those notebooks.

Enter the Renaissance Art Folder Holder! Excellent! Rather than a whole notebook dedicated to one subject, I can have all of my subjects, plus work, meal planning, grocery shopping, household chores, calendar and personal goals folders with me at all times, everywhere I go. Sweet.

Drat! I use Rhodia pads and they won’t fit in the traditional Folder Holder! No fear, as Arthur the Magnificent from Renaissance Art kindly just made me one that would accommodate A4. Two days later it was in my hot little hands.

Enter the Renaissance Art Folder Holder

The leather is fabulous. Hands down, the nicest leather I have ever seen. It even smells good. For those who ride motorcycles, this leather has the same feel as a Hein Gericke jacket. The stitching and everything exceeded my expectations. Bliss. Now to fill it with lovely, useful things. Because it was purchased to 1) make life easier and 2) look (absolutely!) fabulous with the Emotica and the ink and the Rhodia, yellow, black and orange would figure exclusively.

What a hat trick - Folder holder + Emotica + Rhodia!

I do use different little useful things depending on where I am going, but the folders generally stay the same. When I have finished a page of, say New Music, I take the page out of the folder and put it in a matching folder in my desk. That way, I don’t fill up my Folder Holder too much. There is ample space for extra folders and a Behance Action Pad, which I carry everywhere in case a spontaneous meeting erupts. If you haven’t tried this stuff, you should. Very cool.

Check out the Behance in that folder holder

Anyway, I usually have a Clairefontaine Age Bag address book in the middle pocket (yes, I know my address book is black, not brown. Noodler’s Heart of Darkness and a Q-tip fixed that little problem), Behance Action Pad in orange and a Crane 3×5 card case with a Behance Action Card in the CD pocket. My Mikado fits snugly and happily in the business card pocket (I used to carry a Visconti traveling ink pot there but because of the Mikado’s ink capacity, I no longer run out). The Emotica fits securely and happily in the large pen loop and the material used to make the loop doesn’t stain the yellow rubber. Bliss. Because of a recent development (details below) I now carry a Preppy eyedropper highlighter filled with (wait for it) Noodler’s Orange highlighter ink in the pen loop. Oh. The Rhodia pads have yellow paper. Sigh.

Okay, now we’re cooking. I had a part time job at our local Farmers’ Market and the good bathrooms were upstairs so I used to pass by and chat with an artist who worked up there. Very nice man. One day, I linger a bit longer and take a really good look at one of his little tiny paintings (I had glanced at it every time I went up there, but I hadn’t really looked at it).

Photo otherwise known as “The Gang’s All Here”.

Enter the missing link: Jim Pescott is his website. Amazing stuff and those of you who get the Unicef Christmas cards may see his work this year, as he was selected to participate. This is a very great honour and I am proud to know him.

Now, as all such adventures go, I found that I needed another piece of the organization puzzle. I am a notoriously bad housekeeper. I don’t plan well and I forget that things need doing, such as taking library books back on time, sending birthday cards and cleaning the kitchen. That one constantly falls out of my head. I was using a folder for it in the Folder Holder, but I’d keep forgetting to look in it to tell me to do things like clean the kitchen. I needed something more “in my face”.   Enter the 3×5 card case with composition book!

And gimme one of those card cases too!

While I am not thrilled with the leather used on this one (I got spoiled by the batch used to make my Folder Holder) it is a well made and thoroughly well designed item. I’ll get used to the leather (nothing wrong with it, but I don’t like shiny leather). I scoured the city and have found some composition books that might work. I am still in the process of finding exactly what I want. I may end up cutting the covers of my Apicas and putting those in (the opening is a bit too small).

Everything in its place - Oops, where are my glasses?

So. The Folder Holder and his little brother, the card case have changed everything. Seriously. I can now have all of my various hobbies documented in one place and it is effortless to drop one subject and pick up on another very quickly. I have orange folders for my personal hobbies and yellow for my work projects. The card case serves as a constant reminder of what needs to be done when and how. It is impossible to open it and not see that my copy of Spaced needs to be back to the library on the 25th. I have a running shopping list in there and a myriad of other lists and doodads, with a composition book that is for note taking and is also perforated so I can dispose of my ramblings.

Renaissance Art has been fabulous to deal with (slow answers to emails aside-their spam filter is apparently too efficient) and there is no denying the quality of their goods (shiny leather aside). The Folder Holder and his little brother are extremely cool tools in quieting the frenetic mind (I think the expression is “mind like water”). I have never been more organized, although the kitchen is still a mess. I lost that card, I think. Oh, well.

Thanks to LPC member KR for writing this and taking the great pics!