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.

=============================================================

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.”