Colibri launch

From the Colibri Equinox collection

I just got back from a vacation of sorts--visiting my home on the East Coast and enjoying the environs' beautiful beaches. While there, I got a call from my old friend Les Mann, whom I've known for almost 20 years. Our paths have frequently crossed due to our mutual and varied incarnations in the pen business. Time and experience have taught me that Les knows pens, so I was thrilled to learn that he's in charge of the introduction of the new Colibri writing instruments and accessories, including lighters, cigar cutters and cufflinks. I met him at his headquarters in RI, and I got to see the collections "hot off the press." My first impression? The pens and other accouterments are attractive and well packaged, affordable, and varied--with something for the conservative businessperson as well as the more adventurous. Keep an eye on Colibri products...I predict they will find their niche as well-designed and moderately priced accessories and as great gift ideas, too. The new collections will be in your favorite pen, gift, jewelry or smoke shop soon.

Faber-Castell Pen of the Year 2012

Faber-Castell's Pen of the Year 2012 combines gold leaf and ancient wetland oak to create an extraordinary limited edition writing instrument. All of the metal fittings are 24-karat  gold plate, and a faceted citrine crowns the cap. The 18-karat bicolor gold nib of the piston-filled fountain pen is available in fine, medium and broad widths.

Wetland oak wood has a deep texture, due in part to the fact that it has been buried for many years in bogs and marshes. In the process of making the pen, gold leaf is carefully applied by hand to each wooden barrel using a squirrel-hair brush. Artist and painter Ernst D. Feldmann, who studied Venetian gilding techniques, is responsible for the unique gilding of the pen wherein layer upon layer of 24-karat gold leaf is applied. Embedded in resin, a unique pattern emerges. 

Each pen comes in a deep black wooden case with a certificate signed by Mr. Feldmann attesting to the 24-karat gold leaf, the 1,700-year-old wood and the limited edition of 1,500 pens. The pen is priced at under $5,000.

Easy writer...

Retro 51 is introducing more Harley Davidson ballpoint pens: Flathead, Stroker, Vintage Rider and two Full Throttles: one in black and orange stripes and one with an antique finish. All priced at under $50, they make great gifts for the biker in your life.

Guest blogger on CrazySexyLife.com

Photo credit: Danielle Civello

Please check out my latest post as a guest blogger today on CrazySexyLife--it's about pens. But then again, it's always about pens!

I never inhaled...

THINK pens is getting its groove on with a brand new collection called Hippie. This limited edition includes 888 each, fountain pens ($275) and rollerballs ($250). The hemp-inspired resin pens are accented with silver vermeil, and the clips are in the shape of a cannabis leaf. The phrase "Absolf*ckinlutely" is highlighted on the matte silver bands. I'm just tellin' you what they told me...

Tie-dyed Hippie pen box

Swann inaugural auction

Swann's inaugural auction of Fine and Vintage Writing Instruments will be held in New York City on September 13, 2012. Including over 400 lots featuring vintage Chilton, Montblanc, Pelikan, Parker pens and many more, as well as a fine selection of modern limited editions, the auction will take place at 1:30 pm, with an exhibition schedule beginning September 8. For more information, take a look at the exquisite 3-D auction catalog.

Krone's homage to Churchill

Krone is introducing the Winston Churchill writing instrument collection in honor of the eponymous British prime minister. The tortoise-colored Italian resin is reminiscent of Churchill's signature cigar, and the British Lion, as he was known, in raised sterling silver relief decorates the cap; "Winston Churchill" is engraved on the cap band, which also features a piece of Churchill's own cigar. The barrel's overlay frames two hand-painted images: a portrait of Churchill flashing the victory sign and an artist's rendition of the British Lion. Churchill's quote, "Never, never, never give up" underscores both miniature paintings. There are 38 piston-filled fountain pens ($5,900) and 38 rollerballs ($5,700) available. Nib choices include fine, medium and broad.

Sheaffer and Ferrari--a racy duo

Sheaffer, in partnership with Scuderia Ferrari, is introducing the Ferrari Official Licensed Writing Instruments. Comprising four collections, these pens are inspired by the instantly recognizable racing red of a Ferrari auto. The collections include the Ferrari VFM, Ferrari 100 (also includes a black version), Ferrari 300 and Ferrari 500, each with the world-renowned White Dot symbol of Sheaffer's commitment to quality and design. The Ferrari VFM and 500 comes in a ballpoint; the Ferrari 100 and 300 collections include a fountain pen, rollerball and ballpoint; the Ferrari 100 also comes in a ballpoint/pencil set. Each fountain pen has a steel nib. Prices range from $24.95 to $85. 

Limited edition from Retro 51

Dallas-based Retro 51 is offering a palette of colorful lacquered metal barrels on its popular Tornado rollerball. The limited edition collection utilizes the latest ink technology and is fitted with a smooth rollerball refill retracted with a patented knurl twist-top. It is priced at $32.50.

David Oscarson Exclusive from Airline International

Airline International of El Paso, Texas, is offering an exclusive David Oscarson limited edition in fountain pen or rollerball. Les Quatre Couleurs (The Four Colors or the Four Suits) Canary Yellow Limited Edition of just eight pieces for the world (there are only two remaining) incorporates multiple levels of guilloche engraving and a combination of translucent and opaque hard enamel. The entire body of each pen is first cut to the level of the background, leaving the outer and inner lines of the four suits and decorative filigree motif in high relief. Translucent and opaque enamels are repeatedly kiln-fired and filed by hand, resulting in the beautiful finish of the true hard enamel. While the origins of playing cards can be traced to China, India and Persia as early as the seventh century, it wasn't until the fourteenth century that they were introduced to Europe. The four suits now used in most of the world – Spades, Hearts, Diamonds, and Clubs – originated in France about 1480. The spade represents nobility and aristocracy; the heart represents the church and clergy; the diamond represents merchants and the wealthy, and the club represents peasantry with its reference to the clover, the food of swine. This exclusive fountain pen is priced at $5,400; the rollerball, $5,200.

A friend in need

Stan Pfeiffer, pen collector, multi-year host of the LA Pen Show, attorney and friend passed away on July 27. This weekend, at the Washington DC Fountain Pen Supershow, raffles will be held to defray some of Stan's medical expenses from his lengthy illness and the damage to his house from a fire that nearly destroyed it. The drawings will be held at the end of the show on Sunday, August 12, and you need not be present to win. Raffle tickets are $5, and prizes include pens, ink, journals and hardbound copies of the Stylus Annual. Stop by the Shaw Pens table to purchase tickets throughout the weekend and to get more information.

Washington DC Supshow Seminar

On Saturday August 11, 2012 composer/musician/mutli-media artist and author Michael Kovacs will be giving the seminar "The Art of the Personal Letter: Keeping it Alive and Well in the Digital Age." The seminar will be held from 3 to 4 PM at the Washington D.C Fountain Pen Supershow, at the Sheraton at Tyson's Corner, 8661 Leesburg Pike, Vienna, Virginia. Kovacs will include such topics as: a Brief History of the Personal Letter, Basic Form and Structure, How to Improve One's Personal Writing Style, and Simple and EASY Tips on Making Your Own Stationary. Examples of good letters will be provided as well as free gifts to those who attend. "It is almost guaranteed that everyone who attends the seminar will come out being a better writer as well as having a new appreciation for the handwritten word," says Kovacs, who studied economics and music composition at Rutgers University.