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http://quillandpad.com/2014/10/10/putting-the-quill-in-quill-pad-introducing-resident-pen-expert-nancy-olson/

A Pen for all Seasons

Fahrney's recently published my essay in one of their holiday newsletters...I thought you might enjoy it, too.

One-Stop Holiday Shopping

What’s compact in size, but big in impact…. reasonable in price, with a luxury look? A pen, of course. Even with the proliferation of today’s virtually instantaneous methods of communication, fine pens have lost none of their luster as writing implements and fashion accessories. And where else can you find a gift that is perfect for both genders and comes practically already gift-wrapped? If that isn’t enough to encourage you to head to your nearest pen shop, consider that a pen is an appropriate gift for a male or a female, comes in a broad range of prices and requires little-to-no sizing. Also, it can be a very personal gift or not, depending on your choice of pen, making it a welcome surprise for either a loved one or a colleague. Sounds like one-stop holiday shopping to me.

So where do you begin? First, decide on an appropriate pen retailer and a general price range. There are wonderful pens in the $100-and-under category and truly fabulous pens if you wish to spend more. But quality should be your first priority. A pen should feel solid in your hand with no wiggly parts, ill-fitting caps or uneven plating. More expensive fountain pens will usually have18-karat gold fountain pen nibs, more luxurious production materials, and perhaps even enhanced collectibility. But a well-crafted steel-nibbed resin pen can be just as enjoyable as its higher-priced counterpart.

Next consider the style, mode, and how the pen will probably be used. There are so many shapes, sizes and hues from which to choose these days that there truly is “something for everyone.” Bigger and heavier pens are more appropriate for a larger hand. A smaller pen might be best for pocket or purse, as opposed to a signature pen that stays on one’s desk. Thematic limited editions or a particular brand might be just the ticket for a giftee with special interests. I am particularly drawn to fountain pens, but rollerball pens, ballpoints and even pencils make great gifts, too. And for as many conservative black and silver pens as there are out there, there are at least as many bright and wildly patterned ones for the more colorful personalities in your life. Finally, hold the pen and try it out if you can. If it feels comfortable and writes smoothly, it will perform well for the lucky recipient.

No doubt you’ll have questions about your new soon-to-be acquisition, and most pen retailers employ knowledgeable salespersons. So ask as many questions as you’d like, including: What type of warranty does the manufacturer/store provide? What is the store’s return policy? What type of refills and inks are appropriate? Can the fountain pen nib be exchanged for a different size?

So don’t get all wrapped up this holiday season. Instead, go to your nearest pen shop and say, “Wrap it, please.”

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!

Karl Lagerfeld and S. T. Dupont join talents

Karl Lagerfeld, the renowned fashion designer, refined collector and admirer of S.T. Dupont products, wished to lend his talent to the creation of a writing instrument collection. A bottle in the shape of a fan was the inspiration behind this collection, named Mon Dupont. The pens are available in two versions: the Chic Collection, in black lacquer and palladium; and the Prestige Collection, in "lotus red" placed lacquer with yellow gold trim. The red lacquer was specifically developed by S. T. Dupont and inspired by Chanel varnish. Mon Dupont includes a fountain pen, a rollerball and a ballpoint. The curved clip is adorned with a garnet-colored agate. The packaging, also designed by Lagerfeld, is a jewel box in the shape of a hand-held fan. A matching lighter is also available.

The loss of the written word?

Several friends brought this to my attention over the weekend. It's from the February 3 edition of the BBC News magazine online. It's entitled, "A Point of View: Mourning the loss of the written word."  It's a wonderful piece of writing and expresses some sentiments I believe we share, as well as some excellent points to ponder. It focuses on the letters and opinions of Virginia Woolf, and referring to Woolf's missives, the BBC author ends with the following: "Today's electronic forms of communication may lack that emotional depth but they do enable us to connect more speedily and efficiently than I at least could manage with pen and ink. Still, when we take advantage of them, we ought always to heed Woolf's warning, never to write carelessly. And, if we can, at least count to 10, and read over what we have written, before we press "send."


Image courtesy of Simon Howden.

Sylvester Stallone designs a pen

Montegrappa is introducing the Chaos pen collection, inspired and designed by Montegrappa brand ambassador, filmmaker, writer and actor Sylvester Stallone. A long-tme collector of Montegrappa pens, Stallone will also serve as the face of Montegrappa in the company's new advertising campaign. Apparently Mr. Stallone drew inspiration for the design of the pen from his film The Expendables. He worked with Montegrappa's artisans to produce it, intending to demonstrate the juxtaposition between Renaissance art and our current technological society. The limited edition pen is made of black pearlized celluloid with an overlay in either sterling silver or 18-karat gold. The overlays are hand finished by Montegrappa craftsman, and they feature an antiqued finish with accents in red and yellow translucent enamel with images of life (reptiles representing the early forms of life on Earth) and death (skull). The pen's clip is in the form of a sword. The Chaos pen is the first in Montegrappa's Cult collection and is available as a limited edition of 1,000 fountain pens and 912 rollerball pens in sterling silver. There are also 100 fountain pens and 100 rollerball pens in 18-karat gold with precious stones. A rock crystal inkwell is also available. The Chaos pen collection ranges from $5,000-$70,000.

MoonFighter from Romaine Jerome--the sky's the limit!

Romain Jerome has created the MoonFighter pen: a writing instrument that is part Back to the Future and part Space Invaders--with a splash of whimsy thrown in. The pen is entirely made in Switzerland, although it looks as if it has just emerged from a NASA lab or from the desk of Major Boothroyd, the iconoclastic inventor of the James Bond accessories. This tribute to "third millennium design" features moon dust encapsulated in the cockpit bubble and a carbon-finished docking station. MoonFighter is available in three versions, Heavy Metal, Black Metal and Vintage, and each is adorned with 48 hand-applied rivets. The pen comes with a leather pouch for transport in pocket or purse. Available as a fountain pen with titanium nib or a rollerball, this pen will surely take you away.... 

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.

Pure Elegance

The new Porsche Design Pure is a great-looking and sporty fountain pen with an 18-karat gold nib. It is available in Pure Black with a matte black finish ($525), packaged with a keepsake leather paperweight reminiscent of a Porsche 911. The Pure Titanium Deluxe limited edition fountain pen offers just 200 pieces worldwide ($2,800). Also with an 18-karat gold nib, the Pure Titanium Deluxe is sleek in look and comfortable in the hand. Chartpak, which also distributes Pelikan in the US, has recently been named the distributor of Porsche Design.

A pen will never let you down...

Cold. Everywhere. I just returned from a trip to New England, where snow and ice storms stopped traffic, chilled us to the bone, and caused intermittent power outages--which meant no computer. I returned to Houston, where ice storms re-routed traffic, put stress on our overworked heating systems and caused power outages. Again, no computer. Acceptance has become a big part of my personal ethos these days. But acceptance doesn't mean going belly up when things go awry as they invariably sometimes do. It means doing what you can, keeping a sense of humor and making the best of things. So I pulled out a bunch of pens and took the time to reacquaint myself with a few models that I hadn't danced with in a while. The storms stayed outside, I lit a few candles and put on a sweatshirt. I had a blast.

Score another one for the handwritten word

Last week, the online Wall Street Journal business section featured an article entitled, "How Handwriting Trains the Brain." In it, author Gwendolyn Bounds outlines the many reasons that writing by hand is good for kids (it can improve idea composition and expression and may aid fine motor-skill development, among other things) and why it's good for adults--it can keep the cognitive abilities of aging baby boomers on point. It seems that neural activity in the brain is different when we consciously form symbols as opposed to simply choosing a whole letter on a keyboard. So the next time you take out your favorite pen and paper and start to write, remember that you are doing your brain a favor.

When we lose our signature, do we lose our identity?

Ever scribble your signature completely incomprehensibly just to see if you can make the electronic credit card swipe machine tilt? Read Alex Kuczynski's hilarious tale in the New York Times: Identity Crisis.

Electrifying...

Michael's FatBoy limited edition TeslaCoil is machined from a solid bar of aluminum and features tightly wound copper wire to simulate the windings found on an electric motor. All of Michael's pens are made in the U. S., and the company has garnered much attention for this and other reasons since its inception less than 10 years ago. The TeslaCoil is available as a fountain pen, rollerball, ballpoint and mechanical pencil. They are priced accordingly: $495, $295, $195 and $195. I like Michael and his products--fun, well-made and unpretentious.

Inspired by a watch

Dunhill's new Revolette Skeleton pen is inspired by skeleton-style watches. This limited edition pen (888 pieces) is a "three-in-one" style, comprising a black ballpoint, red ballpoint and pencil. It is made from brass, ruthenium plate and clear resin, and it is priced at $1,650.

New from Cartier

Cartier's Roadster Collection includes three new designs: a circular-grained decor, grid decor and rays decor (pictured). Each is available in a fountain pen, rollerball and ballpoint. The pens are priced from $540 to $1,000.

For the Collectors Club...

Conway Stewart’s Wordsworth model in a classic cardinal ripple ebonite is a stunning addition to the company's Collectors Club offerings. Just 100 pieces will be produced, and orders will be fulfilled on a first-com-first-served basis. This color will not be repeated on this model again, and it will not be available as a bespoke pen.  The fountain pen is priced at $690.

IW magazine on sale now...

Don't miss the fall (September) issue of IW (International Watch) magazine, also published by Fine Life Media, with the first-ever Stylus magazine insert. This abridged version of Stylus includes an extensive new pen product section, a "news" page with pen show calendar and a cover story about Dani-trio maki-e pens. It is already in the hands of IW subscribers, and it is on sale now at various book stores around the country. The full-feature online Stylus will be posted this week.

I'll take two bottles of Sapphire, please...

Pelikan's new Edelstein inks (see my earlier post, "If Pelikan makes it, I buy it") are now available in sets of eight bottles for $160. A set contains a bottle of each color: Ruby, Mandarin, Aventurine, Jade, Topaz, Sapphire and Onyx, as well as an extra bottle of Sapphire. Don't forget to flush your fountain pen before changing colors!

A lot of clams

Here's a glimpse of a brand new pen created by Dante DelVecchio of Visconti for the Oceanographic Museum in Monaco. It is a very limited edition of just 100 pieces, all of which were initially slated for the museum. But I now understand that a very few pieces will be available in the US. The Oceanographic fountain pen is priced at $2,650.