Great curves

Always one to buck tradition with amazing new shapes and materials, Jean-Pierre Lépine elevates penmaking into a realm much closer to sculpture than anything else on the market today. His recently introduced Sunday Afternoon ballpoint pen, while not yet available in the US, is a gentle curve of a pen that required, according to Lépine, special tools and mechanisms that he produced himself. Lépine's manufactory is in the Jura region of France, a picturesque place I visited many years ago. Its pastoral setting and long winters have been conducive to watchmaking and, at the hand of Lépine, pens. The Sunday Afternoon is aluminum and will be available in various lacquer finishes.

Tibaldi honors Michael the Archangel

         The Sanctus Michael Archangelus limited edition of fountain pens and rollerball pens is trimmed with either sterling silver or gold. The silver version comprises an edition of 324 pens each; the number represents the earliest reference to Saint Michael in the Old Testament. The solid gold version comprises 50 pens each to represent the 50 angels in Christian and Islamic tradition. The pen has a hand-painted resin body; the fountain pen nib is 18-karat gold. The sterling silver fountain pen is priced at $10,500 and the gold, $37,900. The silver rollerball is priced at $10,050 and the gold, $43,700. Tibaldi was founded in 1916, with headquarters in Florence, Italy.

Bring out the biker in you! The new Harley-Davidson collection from Retro 51 is available in matte black with orange pin stripes or brushed charcoal with textured etching. The magnetically capped ballpoint has a sculptural metal mid-ring design; it uses an Easy-Flow refill. The pen comes in a canvas pouch and is priced at $60. Also new from Retro 51 is the Stroker--a click-top ballpoint that also comes in two styles: Ivory Eagle ($25) and Pink Exotic, with 19 Swarovski crystals in the clip ($30). Finally, the new Flathead ballpoint, with its unique rectangular body, has an extra large clip and shiny chrome accents. It is priced at $22.50.

Dunhill does it again

Looking back to the brand’s heritage of outfitting grand tours, dunhill presents the second Sentryman Explorer pen. Three interchangeable nibs, each with a bayonet closure, provide the owner with the choice of an18-karat gold fountain nib, pencil or ballpoint depending on mood or demand. However, the true magic of this particular writing instrument is the fact that it is also a torch.  Simply remove the tip of the barrel, and let there be light! This design is a clear reference to the “bag light” that Alfred Dunhill created and patented in the early 1900s. In an attempt to assist his wife to find her lipstick during the ballet, he created a device whereby when the bag was opened a light would automatically come on. (Wow...just like my refrigerator!) The pen is made from a patent pending gunmetal grey PVD-coated carbon fiber. Limited to 150 pieces, each dunhill Sentryman Explorer II is numbered and presented in a black lacquered Alfred Dunhill box with a limited edition certificate. It is priced at $3,400.

Bexley Corona Collection--you decide!

The Bexley Corona collection comprises four new colors:  Lemon Meringue, Blueberry Cream, Summer Storm, or Summer Sunset. All models come with black grip sections, and black accents at the top of the cap and bottom of the barrel. You may choose either gold-plated or rhodium-plated trim--and, you get to choose your filling system, too: a piston-filled system or a cartridge- or converter-filled system. But wait...the choices don't end here. Would you like a gold-plated two-tone stainless steel nib in fine, medium or broad size, or an 18-karat gold nib in fine, medium, broad or broad stub size? A rollerball version in any of the colors and trim choices is also available. The fountain pen with a steel nib is priced at $185 and the rollerball, $169.

Dromgoole's defines hospitality...

And another great pen event at Dromgoole's last night... David Oscarson was in Houston to formally introduce his new Harlequin collection, and Larry Dromgoole hosted an enjoyable evening at his store to showcase the pens. Larry is the quintessential host, visiting with his many guests with attention and warmth. And David is the perfect face of his brand, since each of his products is an expression of his design sense and ethos. The David Oscarson Harlequin collection is a natural, following the Pierrot and Pierrette collection of several years ago. You may remember that Pierrot, of Commedia del Arte fame, was left heartbroken after Harlequin stole the heart of his love Columbine. The collection is available as a fountain pen or rollerball in sapphire, onyx, pearl, emerald and ruby (pictured). Dromgoole's has been a pen mainstay in the Houston area for many years, and the store carries all the major pen brands. It also carries William Henry knives (and pens) and a broad collection of stationery and agendas. The staff exemplifies southern hospitality at its finest. And the pizza was good, too.

Chilton 1923

The second new pen collection from Chilton, which will be released in August, is the 1923. Available in navy blue, Regal Burgundy and Sunrise Yellow, the collection is available in a fountain pen with a steel medium nib and a ballpoint pen. The fountain pen is priced at $110 and the ballpoint, $90.The 1923 joins the Chilton Stylewriter as the brand's late summer introductions, both of which may be seen at the upcoming Washington, DC, pen show.