The book is titled Fountain Pen Patents 1911 to the 50s: An Index Of The Later Pensmiths, ISBN 0978113403, and I am the author. It is the second of a projected 2-volume work, an annotated chronological list of US patents, designs, and trademarks for fountain pens, nibs, penmaking machinery, penholders, mechanical pencils, wooden pencils, inks, ink bottles, inkwells, inkstands, erasers, blotters, pencil sharpeners, and other writing instruments and implements. It consists of three chapters, "Patents", "Designs", and "Trademarks", including those for pens made by Carey, Carter, Chilton, Crocker, Holland, Kraker, Mabie Todd & Co., Montblanc, Namiki, Parker, Pelikan, Pilot, Sheaffer, Swan, Wahl Eversharp, Waterman, Wearever, Wirt, etc. There is an extensive "Bibliography", and an "Index" section to help locate penmakers, companies, and pen mechanisms. There is a frontispiece illustration of a bandless Parker Duofold facing the title page, and images are placed at the beginning of every chapter and section. It is printed on opaque, acid-free, archival 80 lb. paper with 12-pt Garamond type, which is very reader-friendly for tired, old eyes. The book is 320 pages long and is bound in Smythe-sewn signatures between hardback covers for maximum archival longevity. The pages lay flat for easy reading and consultation when the book is opened up and laid down on a desk top.



Here are four examples of the page layout. They show the top half of the first page of the patents, designs, and trademarks chapters, and the index. These images give you an idea of what the pages look like on paper.









And here's a picture of the spine and the binding.



Someone on FPN with the username "Starry Night" explained his or her "depth" theory and how it related to what a good pen-patent resource should be. Let me paraphrase and quote Starry Night. Quantity is good, but to some degree you expect quality and depth as well. It should not be haphazardly prepared, and should not be just a database of patents, in order, by issue number, "without any way to disseminate the information". Depth and quantity should not be confused. What good is all that data, if you are not able to figure out how it all fits together, and if you are not able to "sequence it in the proper order"? "Quality is what I expect in my pen patent research. I want one stop shopping for my patents, the ability to see similar filling mechanisms, or even have the ability to look up who was doing what for whom in the industry." Well, I think I just may have accomplished that with the cross-referencing, contextualization, annotation, and indexing in this book.

While I was preparing the book, I collected a group of favorite patents and goofy images. I wrote some articles about these patents and posted them on various pen message boards in a series I titled "Some Of My Favorite Pen Patents". So if you want to see a few examples of the type of research that this book makes possible, take a look at the 43 links in this thread.

http://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/in...showtopic=13358

I am selling the book for $125.00 US plus shipping, and payment will be by bank money order, or cashier's check. I will mail the book out promptly after I deposit your money order. The book weighs over 3 lbs., and I have had a specially designed and custom-fitted cardboard box made for the mailing. The standard Xpresspost shipping cost and handling charge varies according to where you live. Xpresspost shipping will be $15.00 within Canada, and $25.00 to continental USA, and it includes $200.00 worth of insurance. International shipping will be a bit more, but will be at exact cost, depending upon the distance. Xpresspost within Canada takes 2 business days, and USA and international usually take about 4-7 business days. If you prefer Expedited Airmail, it costs a little less, and it still has online tracking and insurance, but it may take up to 10 business days, more or less. Sorry, no returns.

If you wish, I will place your name on a mailing list for the announcement of the publication of the forthcoming Volume 1.

Sincerely,

George Kovalenko.


The Writing Hand Press
Phone: 306•244•6096
Saskatchewan, Canada
Email: penpatents@canada.com