It's all about the written word...
Celebrating three years in publication. Thank you for visiting often!
Two new pens from Omas, sure to capture your imagination, are the Burl Wood Celluloid Vintage Paragon and the Red 360 Demonstrator, both available within the next few months. The Paragon comes with either a 14-karat extra-flex nib (extra fine, fine and medium) or an 18-karat nib (extra fine, fine, medium and broad). There are 80 pens each: with rose gold trim, yellow gold trim, hi-tech silver trim and ruthenium trim. Nibs must be pre-ordered through your favorite retailer; price is under $1,000. The fabulous 360 Demonstrator in red is really hot. This limited edition--there are only 360 available worldwide, with 180 slated for the US--features "hi-tech" silver trim. It is priced at $750. I'm in love.
The latest Sheaffer Prelude Signature Collection, which includes fountain pens, rollerball pens and ballpoints, features Gunmetal Ceramic with palladium-plate trim, Gold Plate with a Diamond Square Pattern and gold-plate trim, Silver Plate with a Snakeskin Pattern and 22-karat gold plate trim, and Palladium Plate with an Imperial Pattern and palladium-plate trim. Moderately priced and marvelously attractive, this collection will be in pen shops in April.
The cherry blossoms are just about at peak bloom right now, and once again this year Fahrney's of Washington, DC, has teamed up with Retro 51 to celebrate this wonder of nature. And even more exciting, this year is the centennial celebration of the cherry blossom in DC, since the first trees were gifted to our nation's capital in 1912. In that year, the city of Tokyo bestowed 3,000 cherry trees upon the city, and they have survived to this day. This is the sixth collection that Fahrney's has offered honoring the lovely blossom, and this year's original design captures the delicacy of the blossoms at day and night, with an intricate rendering of the White House wrapping around the base of the barrel. The steel barrel features multiple layers of black and white enamel with a touch of pink on the blossoms. The capless retractable rollerball/ballpoint is a twist-action pen. It is priced at $49. The Cherry Blossom Festival begins tomorrow, and runs through April 27.
ACME, based in Hawaii, is paying homage to Frank Lloyd Wright with a few of its latest introductions. The Taliesin Anniversary cartridge- or converter-filled fountain pen is based on the architect's Teliesin in Wisconsin. Taliesin, which means "shining bow" was the Welsh name that Wright bestowed on his home, which he designed in 1911. Available now, the etched pen is a limited edition of just 1,911 pens, each with a steel nib. A fountain pen and rollerball set is available for $250 and comes in a collector's box. The new Frank Lloyd Wright architect's pencil is ACME's first-ever architect's pencil (or lead holder). It features the Ennis Block pattern on the grip and includes Wright's signature on the red background. Priced at $60, eraser and refill leads are included. Apparently red was Wright's favorite color.
Hey, Delta pen company fans. Airline International--that great pen shop in El Paso, Texas--has an exclusive on a fabulous and forthcoming new Delta Roma Imperiale Demonstrator fountain pen. It is a limited edition of just 25 pieces and, to my knowledge, it is the largest demonstrator pen every produced. The body and cap are crafted from clear hand-polished resin and the details are in vermeil. It features a large 14-karat gold nib (size 8) with an ebonite feed; the pen is piston filled. It's a handful at almost 6.5 inches (closed) with a barrel circumference of 2.28 inches. The pen will be available in about two weeks, I understand, and it's priced at $1,395. The artist's rendering shown offers a pretty good idea of the pen's appearance, but I'll post a photo as soon as one is available. I'm a huge fan of demonstrator pens, and this looks like a fun one to own, produced by a respected Italian firm.
S. T. Dupont is introducing the Dragon Limited Edition in celebration of the Chinese New Year. The Premium Collection comprises a Neo-Classique large pen and the iconic Line 2 lighter engraved with a pale gold dragon on black Chinese Lacquer. Each pen and lighter is numbered in this edition of 888 pieces each. The Prestige Collection is limited to 88 pieces each item (Neo-Classique President fountain pen, Line 2 lighter, matching solid bronze ashtray), created in collaboration with French artist Philippe Tournaire. Red rubies light up the dragon's eyes. There are just six pieces each in the Dragon Diamond Collection (shown) of pens and accessories, all embellished with diamonds and rubies. Tournaire hand sculpted the pen base and the ashtray, which comes as a set with the Line 2 lighter.
The Delta Peace Pen, crafted from solid gold, enamel and 105 diamonds, was recently presented to Pope Benedict XVI. The Unione for Christian Onlus (UPC) commissioned Delta to produce this one-of-a-kind pen designed by Ciro Matrone, one of Delta's partners. The pen is embellished with the word "peace" written in various languages. It was presented to the Pope in a white lambskin and gold box designed by another Delta partner, Luigi Muscente. Due to the level of interest in this project, Delta has decided to custom manufacture this pen in sterling silver and enamel for anyone interested in owning this bit of history.
Acme is introducing new watch designs for spring. Abbey Road, from the Beatles Collection, is available in black for men and white for women in a limited edition of 1,000 pieces. The wristwatches are water resistant and have stainless steel case backs, rubber straps and a manual wind movement. They are priced at $160 for the men's piece and $150 for the ladies'. The Beatles pen collection was first introduced last year, and Abbey Road watches are a nice addition to the array of pens and card cases.
