Myrna and I, here at gopens.com, are featured in the current edition of Pen World, Volume 28, #1. Pen World has been publishing for more than a quarter century, bringing together the writing culture and sharing new pens, vintage pens, paper, and more. Myrna and I talk about what we collect, how we started, and even suggest some hints as to which pens you may want to consider collecting. Let us know what you think …
Did you know we offer vintage pen slotter boxes for sale on our website? They’re perfect for storage and travel – keep those pens accessible and organized. They can hold both pens or pencils, too. There are a few insert colors to choose from; light gray is the most popular, dark gray, and beige. Red, green, black, and blue are available through special order. The dividers help stop pens from rolling and protect the finishes …
The holidays are coming up fast! Need some help picking pens? The December 2014 Catalog #73 opens 11:00 am on December 2nd, for subscribers, and December 8th for non-subscribers. You can always browse the other active Catalogs #72, #71, #70, #69 and #68 (10% off Catalogs 68 through 70). Do you like 1930’s Pelikan 100’s and 100N’s? See the photo below. Click here for more information on becoming a subscriber and getting first dibs on the catalog goods.
Catalog #70 still has some really beautiful pens available. One such specimen is #179, a Montblanc Model 642 piston filler in the rare Green Stripe. It has a Brushed Silvexa stainless steel cap with gold-filled trim. The nib is a two-toned medium nib that is fully flexible. The stripe pattern is stunning; the two-tone scheme of the nib and cap a perfect complement. The pen is in near mint condition, with some minor cap surface …
A lot of the modern ink bottles in use today are reminiscent of vintage ink bottles. One in particular that gets a lot of attention are the ink bottles (and inks) produced by P.W Akkerman in The Netherlands. Jif-Waterman was a French subsidiary of Waterman who produced this long neck reservoir ink bottle we all love today. The neck reservoir is filling by tilting the bottle and the glass marble in the neck traps the …
Following up on a recent post about the Waterman Signagraph machines: what are those lock boxes about? The lock boxes that accompanied some of the machines were designed and used for storing the fountain pens and inks that were used in the signagraphs separately from the machine itself. The purpose of the boxes was simple – it was a security measure; by having the pens locked away from the machine itself, a corporation could more likely prevent …
The Signagraph machine is a unique and intriguing item. It was meant as an early office labor saving device because it allowed a user to sign from five, ten, or twenty checks at a time. The machine follows the motion of the hand of the user and all the other pens write as one. The Signagraph had eyedropper of lever-fill pens that were mounted into a wooden carrying case. There were some Signagraphs in which …
If you sell, lend, or borrow pens, a safe way to ship them to and from owners is using our protective shipping tubes. Several several features make them a better choice over, say, a chunk of PVC pipe! Twist lock action holds vintage pen securely in position in the tube. Perfectly transparent so vintage pen can be easily seen. Infinitely variable length extension to 8 3/4″ through twistlock mechanism. Hexagon end prevents rolling. Durable and reusable. Sturdy; …
I recently posted about our Catalog #70 sale (10% off remaining items), which includes three Waterman Ink-Vue demonstrator fountain pens. There are a variety of filling mechanisms available on fountain pens and these Ink-Vue demonstrators are designed to show off Waterman’s vacuum-fill mechanism, their answer at the time to Parker’s Vacumatic-fill pens. The Ink-Vue employs a lever near the bottom of the pen which is unfolded and then pumped. Each stroke depresses a press-bar which in turn evacuates air from a diaphragm (aka …
As avid fountain pen lovers, we want to wish you a warm and inky Fountain Pen Day! We hope you are able to celebrate this fine day with a smooth nib and a nice bottle of your preferred ink! Warm regards, Gary & Myrna
