Now, A Few Words From Susan Wirth And Associates

[Shamouti]

 

Dear Pen Community, Fountain Pen Geeks, FPNers, collectors and enthusiasts of writing instruments:

I am John Martinson, of Susan Wirth and Associates.

As this sad month begins to close, I would like to say a few words on behalf of our fellow Associates, The Wirth Family, and my partner, the "Queen of Ink," Susan Wirth: Thank You.

Your kindness, generosity, passion and love for Susan will always be remembered. Over the nine years we've been together, we've traveled to 12 cities throughout the year. Sometimes two in each month, selling fountain pens with special nibs to return customers and new ones. Our Italics, Flexible, Oblique, and Needlepoint nibs have been purchased by hundreds of satisfied customers venturing to pen shows across the nation. Manufacturers, with a little trepidation, would periodically ask Susan for advise on their new pens, and without hesitation, Susan would tell them exactly what they needed to hear. In fact, the most frequent request we'd hear from everyone is, "Why only Fines and Mediums. Why don't the companies listen?" Well, they didn't have to, because many of them thought writing with pens; antiquated. Tools used from the past, and to be thrown away if they didn't work anymore. Disposable and unloved. Little did they know about us.

We, at Susan Wirth and Associates, have been extremely proud, loyal, and fiercely vigilant in the pursuit of using fountain pens, not merely collecting them. Our founding principles date back to 1970, when Susan wrote a letter to the Parker Pen Company in Janesville, Wisconsin. Susan wanted to find more nibs to replace a bent one for her beloved Red Coronet Parker 45. Henry A. Schlichting of Parker, sent back TWO nibs and another Parker 45 for free. Enclosed was a letter to Susan:

"We don't make these odd nibs available to people in the US for there's no market for them. But once you've found out, we'll accommodate you...And the Parker Pen Company will always take care of our own."

Henry Schlichting's letter changed Susan's life forever. Susan became insecure about the supply of Parker 45 nibs, and felt, since Parker may still be difficult to deal with, she had to find every single one.

She hunted for hundreds of Parker 45 nibs all over the cities and states for years, and liked it. Musty, dusty pen stores, pharmacies, jewelry stores, and antique shops all had treasures for Susan to discover. Then it was when she started trading, that things became interesting. Susan became so well known in the little pen hobby, that Cliff Lawrence profiled her in the 1979 Pen Fancier's Club Newsletter.

 

But it was in the early 1980's that UWM Prof. Harvey Rabinowitz enhanced Susan's life more. He persuaded Susan to drive down to a little known gathering of pen enthusiasts, at the Maywood Park Harness Track in Illinois. That was the start of what would become, the Chicago Pen Show.

Being the only woman in the room who bought, sold, and traded pens for so long, she took a lot of flak from the male collectors. But she outlasted and out-shown them all. Susan Wirth taught us how to live, eat, drink, and breathe fountain pens, at each show she attended. She educated us to understand that Italics, Flexibles and Obliques were NOT for the calligraphers, but for all the people! Beautiful writing can be had by all for everyday use.

We advocated special nibs for every hand, and sometimes for the other hand. Our best customers were Left-handers; some, who were forced to write using their right hand, when their left hand was tied behind their backs. Our best customers were the children, who did not know what a pen or a pencil or even a ballpoint was even for, because their school boards threw out Handwriting for semester English to save taxpayer money. Our best customers were those who had a name engraved gold fountain pen, who cried when their pens were revived by writing with wet ink. Our best customers were patrons, who would sit and stand for hours, listening to Susan ramble and throw pens across the table, fascinated, to find their true selves, writing line after extraordinary line. Our best customers were the old, the young, the sick, the poor, the wealthy, the healthy and the benevolent, who wanted something simply to write with and enjoy.

When she died, there were two pens in her pockets; a flexible Gold Mabie Todd and a Hand Ground Fine Italic Chartreuse Pilot Prera.

Because of this, and to honor the wishes of our fair pen maven, we will continue on as advocates for fountain pen use. It's something Susan would of wanted, and I am sure you probably would, too. We hope you will find yourself one day coming to a pen show in the near future, where 133 different pens, loaded with ink, can be picked up to try.

Our pen show calendar will also be updated along with our website, because for too long, people wanted to know why Susan kept the side door open from her house in Winter! We'll show you, and it will be of wonderful things.

One note I need to add: to those customers who's repairs, nib adjustments, and restoration work which Susan promised, let me repeat what Henry Schlichting of Parker Pen said to Susan:

We will always take care of our own!

We will sell pens at the DC Supershow in Falls Church, Virginia this August 3rd to August 6th at the Falls Church Marriott Fairview Park Hotel. Please click on Susan Wirth's Pen Show Calendar for more info. Don't forget, when you book a hotel room, ask for "The DC Pen Show Rate". You'll be glad you did.

We look forward to seeing you in person or online. Never forget that we will always be there for you, our dear friends, and for your pens. Susan Wirth loved you all, and we do, too.

Sincerely,

John Martinson
Susan Wirth and Associates
5300 W. Garfield Ave
Milwaukee, WI 53208

 

Edited June 1, 2017 by Shamouti

[OCArt]

Bravo, keeping her good ideas and deeds alive is the best memorial.

[jmccarty3]

Thanks for this wonderful tribute to a magnificent lady!

[lacquerpen1]

Very well said, John. Take care.

[penhappy]

Beautifully written John. Great memories for so many people.

 

Best to you John.

[mmg122]

John...Beautiful words for a beautiful soul. I bought my first vintage pen (a cedar blue Parker 51 with a medium italic nib) from Susan in 1986 at the Chicago Pen Show. I attribute my love of vintage pens and extraordinary nibs to her love of same which rubbed off on me. She was first and foremost an educator and I will be forever grateful for the many things she taught me about pens, nibs, inks and paper. The photo of Susan with the kids is so apropos! I fondly remember the time she spent helping my young grandkids find the "perfect pen" at a Chicago Show. My family and I send our condolences...she will be missed. She certainly was much loved.

 

Thanks, John, for sharing your thoughts with us at this difficult time.

 

Mary

[kkshadow]

Thanks, John. You made this old goat cry, remembering Susan and her flying pens. See you in DC Thanks for the continued love.

 

Ken

[pen2paper]

There will never be a pen show without warm shared Susan Wirth memories.

John, glad to know you're carrying on - hoped you would. Take Care.

[amberleadavis]

John, I am so pleased to know that you are carrying on Susan's fine tradition and the tradition that you have worked on for so long too. She will be missed, AND I'm glad we are not losing you too.

[Asian8640]

Hey, John, if you see this, is there any way I can contact you? I cannot message you on this forum and all I have are Susan's email and phone number, presumably neither of which work anymore. This would be regarding the DC Pen Show. Please get back to me at your earliest convenience.

[The Write Pen]

Lovely tribute John. My deepest sympathies to you and yours.

 

Kind Regards,

 

Danny Fudge

[amberleadavis]

Hey all we probably need to get John some extra paying work before he goes to get a regular job.

[inkstainedruth]

Somehow I missed this thread before now.

Susan would have absolutely wanted this. I couldn't make DC this year due to the date change, but hope to be able to stop in and say hi and give hugs at some show in the near future.

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[wvbeetlebug]

Your kind words are spot on. I am loving this picture of Susan with the two children. This is a perfect picture of her spreading the love of fountain pens on to the next generation. She will be dearly missed.

[liston]

I would have loved to have met her, what an inspiration.

 

Liston

[Anne-Sophie]

 

What a lovely tribute to such a wonderful person!

 

Susan Wirth table was a beacon, even at the busiest show, in the U.S.

 

She was very understanding, even after realizing that I was clueless about specialty nibs and after trying them out, none felt as comfortable as a round nib.

 

Thank you for sharing some of her history.

 

 

[Fuzzy_Bear]

I never met but often saw her at the Dallas show. Looks like I missed out.

[Misfit]

I've only been to one pen show in Chicago in 2014. I was so focused on the Edison table that I don't know if I ever encountered Susan. My loss. But could she have been at a table opposite Edison with vintage Parkers? My brother showed me one, and I have a hazy memory of a woman being there at the table. At that time I hadn't experienced the satisfaction of a vintage pen.

 

Your tribute to this incredible woman was beautiful. How nice to know she was an early champion of interesting nibs. Give me an italic over a fine any time.

 

I hope to get to a pen show again. I'll look for your table this time. Thank you for carrying on this great work.

[Sholom]

John,

Thanks for the info and remembrance. I met Susan once at a Boston Pen Show and ended up walking away with a Parker 45 A nib that she was surprised a person my size would be comfortable writing with (it's been in use ever since). Do you have more 45 nibs or are they all gone? I could be persuaded to get a couple more.

[jmccarty3]

The Dallas show this weekend just wasn't the same without Susan. Everyone was missing her.