Esterbook, New Fountain Pen Users, And A

[alaskazimm]

I have a (very) small soap making business in western Alaska in my town of 550. I mainly sell to the locals during Christmas bazaars, Fourth of July fair, etc during the year. I make enough to cover my expenses and keep my family in "free" soap; which is all I intended for this business. Now that I'm into fountain pens and seem to like the vintage pens better, I was hit this morning with an idea - refurbish a few fountain pens and sell a few alongside the soaps. I'm thinking mainly Esterbrooks J series or Dollars since the sac replacement (and even j-bar if needed) seems like a very simple fix; and the pens are cheap enough to see a small profit.

 

Now here's the question - there aren't many locals who use fountain pens, so is going from ball point to lever fill from a bottle too much of a leap? I know it's possible to make the leap, especially for someone who really wants to vs an impulse buy. Am I setting myself up for trouble down the road with ham handed users who might want free parts, tech support etc? I would of course provide instruction on how to fill, maintain, and use the pen.

 

So what do you all think - decent idea or trouble brewing?

[gweimer1]

Well, from the start, I can ask two questions.

 

1. Do people write a lot in your little town?

2. Where will they get ink?

[alaskazimm]

Good questions.

 

1. I would say probably around the same amount of writing as anywhere else in this electronic age. Of course there are some who have jobs that require more writing, eg - at the school district office. Maybe there may be some high schoolers who might be interested.

 

2. I was thinking along with the pens have a couple jars of a safe ink like Lamy blue or black. After that, I'd steer them to any of the vendors we like.

 

The first was something that I hadn't considered so thank you for bringing it up for consideration.

[gweimer1]

Part of the ink question involves cost and shipping. Even I find myself factoring in shipping as a cost of ink. For that reason, I will likely not order ink online. I have two locations (one local, and one off a frequently traveled route) where I can buy direct. I just stock up (Sheaffer is available locally, and Waterman further out).

 

I think your idea of stocking safe blue and black inks is a good idea.

[alaskazimm]

Unfortunately there aren't any local ink supplies, even Anchorage doesn't have any ink that I've found (or even pen shops for that matter); so it's all mail order here. Lots of amazon orders for up here and adding a bottle of ink wouldn't be a hardship for most people.

[fireant]

A dumb question, but won't you also have to be careful about freezing weather there if you bring ink in via mail? It might be something to consider if/when you do an order to resell.

[OcalaFlGuy]

Get yourself a bunch of the ink sample vials and order some good Blue, Black and Red ink in the largest bottles you can get

them in.

 

Include sample vials at say $2.50-3.00 each when they buy a pen. A full sample vial would be good for 4-5 Estie fills. If a latte

is "worth" $4-5, a couple weeks worth of ink use should be "worth" $3.

 

I have saved myself metric asstonnes of money using ink samples before buying bottles.

 

Bruce in Ocala, Fl

[alaskazimm]

A dumb question, but won't you also have to be careful about freezing weather there if you bring ink in via mail? It might be something to consider if/when you do an order to resell.

 

Yes it could possibly happen but in the 10 years I've lived here, I can't recall any time something has frozen in transit.

 

Get yourself a bunch of the ink sample vials and order some good Blue, Black and Red ink in the largest bottles you can get

them in.

 

Include sample vials at say $2.50-3.00 each when they buy a pen. A full sample vial would be good for 4-5 Estie fills. If a latte

is "worth" $4-5, a couple weeks worth of ink use should be "worth" $3.

 

I have saved myself metric asstonnes of money using ink samples before buying bottles.

 

Bruce in Ocala, Fl

 

That's a good idea. Thanks Bruce!

[welch]

Re cold-weather and fountain pens: my first thought is similar to my thought every time someone says that they need a special ink because they live someplace hot and humid, or that they live in Seattle where it often rains. People in Washington, DC, Seattle, and Alaska used fountain pens and dip pens before the world switched to ballpoints.

 

I suspect that people in Alaska wrote in warm offices or houses.

 

If Alaskazimm can make a small profit, considering Estie prices now, then this is a great idea. Maybe the local school can be persuaded to teach handwriting...and it is better to learn to write with a fountain pen than a ballpoint!

[Hobiwan]

If Alaskazimm can make a small profit, considering Estie prices now, then this is a great idea. Maybe the local school can be persuaded to teach handwriting...and it is better to learn to write with a fountain pen than a ballpoint!

 

+1 for Education. Interest and fascination is the key to coaxing people away from their convenient stick pens. A few thoughts:

 

FP users today seem to be from different sources. The first would be old hats like myself, who grew up with handwriting (called "penmanship", no PC considerations then) lessons in school using dip pens with inkwells built into their school desks. Next, I'd say, are ballpoint-oriented students who became fascinated with FPs because their parents used them. New 21st Century kids might need some education as to the history of writing with pen & ink from the days of reeds to the goose quill, into the era of metal points, then the idea of carrying one's supply of ink inside the holder.

 

Graphic artists and calligraphers use pen & ink as well. Some calligraphy samples and current graphics might help. Kids like to doodle and a FP makes it more significant than a BP - there's that "something" about applying wet ink ....

 

You might want to have pens with fine, medium and broad points for customers to test write... stuff like that.

 

The "trouble down the road" is that you'll be a lot busier selling pens. You know the new ones are gonna ask questions, etc. Soap is soap, and pens is quite a leap. But I'd say Go for it, on a gradient that's comfortable for you to handle, and see where it leads. What's the worst that can happen, eh?

[bbycrts]

I love Chesterfield inks (repackaged Diamine seems to be the consensus). They are very reasonably priced and come in 25ml nalgene bottles (they are available in larger bottles as well). You could pick a blue and a black and offer them for a price that will cover your costs and it still won't be super expensive - and it is quality ink.

[OcalaFlGuy]

I wonder if you could make any money tutoring cursive handwriting.

 

It sure would be a good outlet for the pens. You have to do the handwriting lessons with a FP.

 

Bruce in Ocala, Fl

[kbrede]

If you're going to get into fountain pen refurbishing, why limit yourself to your community? Start start selling online as well.

Kent

[alaskazimm]

Yeesh, I just noticed I forgot to complete the thread title

 

If you're going to get into fountain pen refurbishing, why limit yourself to your community? Start start selling online as well.

Kent

 

That may be a possibility, but I have a day job, limited space for supplies and to work, and the antique shops are a plane ride away in Anchorage and they don't typically have much in the way of pens. So there's some logistics that need to be thought through.

 

Having thought of this some more last night, I couldn't come up with many who might be interested so I'm thinking I'll probably move no more than 3 - 5 pens a year, which is ok. My wife is trying to get me into one or two craft type shows in Anchorage and that might be the place to really move some pens.

[alaskazimm]

Maybe the local school can be persuaded to teach handwriting...and it is better to learn to write with a fountain pen than a ballpoint!

 

 

I wonder if you could make any money tutoring cursive handwriting.

 

It sure would be a good outlet for the pens. You have to do the handwriting lessons with a FP.

 

Bruce in Ocala, Fl

 

Now this is an idea that may be workable. I think it would have to be just a few students who are interested and not the whole school, at least initially. Of course that means I'll have to improve my own chicken scratch

 

What's the worst that can happen, eh?

 

I come into a bunch of nice Esties for my very own?

[OcalaFlGuy]

 

 

 

Now this is an idea that may be workable. I think it would have to be just a few students who are interested and not the whole school, at least initially. Of course that means I'll have to improve my own chicken scratch

 

 

 

I can see it being possible that you could be a good handwriting teacher and have not so good writing yourself.

 

A little less likely perhaps, but possible.

 

Bruce in Ocala, Fl

[PaFitch]

Yeesh, I just noticed I forgot to complete the thread title

 

 

That may be a possibility, but I have a day job, limited space for supplies and to work, and the antique shops are a plane ride away in Anchorage and they don't typically have much in the way of pens. So there's some logistics that need to be thought through.

 

Having thought of this some more last night, I couldn't come up with many who might be interested so I'm thinking I'll probably move no more than 3 - 5 pens a year, which is ok. My wife is trying to get me into one or two craft type shows in Anchorage and that might be the place to really move some pens.

I've visited the large outdoor market in Anchorage a few years ago (hope to visit it again in June) and enjoyed looking at a booth full of turned pens (most used Alaskan materials including antler & horn materials). The dealer had the fountain pens reduced but the price was still around $50+. Some working vintage Esterbrooks should attract attention.