My Annual Pen Porn arrived...

[Keith with a capital K]

The FPH 2005 catalogue arrived today and although there are no centrefolds or engaging articles, there sure are a bunch of lovely pics of some pens that I will never be able to afford.

 

If there was a centrefold it would have to be the Namiki Emperor "Carp on Waterfall" maki-e which retails for a paltry $8500.00. And it's even an eyedropper filler... how could anyone resist? Oh wait... $8500.00.

 

The Omas Arco sure is a pretty pen and it only costs a tenth of the Namiki. Oh wait... that's still $850.00

 

This is better... the Aurora Optima. What a drop dead gorgeous pen. the Afrika isn't too bad a looker either. What I like is that Aurora also offers pens that mere mortals might afford like the Ipsilon and $95.00 - $100.00 for a pen with a 14k nib is a pretty good deal in my books. I like the solid yellow.

 

Visconti Wallstreet... mmmmmm! I love that striped celluloid.

 

Ugh... the Krone page. Better blast past that quickly lest I am forced to rinse out my eyes.

 

Ah, that's better. Pelikans. Pretty little birds aren't they?

 

And Sheaffers... not nearly enough of those in here.

 

This Retro 51 makes some pretty eye candy and a Toronado in Blue Curacao is only $26.95 (on sale). I think most will think you paid more than this.

 

Parkers... more pretties. The Sonnet in the sterling Ciselle is pretty stunning and the terra cotta and gold should be making more than a few people I love that cap.

 

Pretty pens these Conklins and a good buy too. Someone in Canada is going to have to start dealing in these.

 

Ya know... that Monteverde Regatta is a fun looking pen and all their models seem pretty affordable.

 

Hmmm... that Yard o Led Retro is pretty swanky looking and it really looks retro.

 

I better stop... but look at all the LE's !

 

It would seem that Mont Blanc still doesn't get the Le thing as I don't know who considers a run of up to 25,000 to be a limited edition of anything.

 

Now that Divine Comedy by Visconti is pretty cool and there was 1 of the 388 in Calgary since I got to fondle it some time ago.

 

I stand corrected on those Krones...

 

The Duke Ellington pen is mighty interesting and it doesn't look like they did anything stupid like seal in any of the Duke's DNA or chop up a piano or manuscript.

[slt]

On the 3rd Day before Christmas, my mailman gave to me . . . a trio of catalog(ue)s that I am hard put to put down, either in the physical or aesthetic sense. One, of course, is the fabulous FPH tome, the other a Victoria' Secret catalog (really, hon, I only read the articles) . . . and the other is one that I requested from Joon, my original one having been purloined by my well-meaning offshoot (she's 17) who wanted to buy me a holiday gift. The gift never materialized in the form of a pen because she decided to buy me yet another collectible mania of mine, an Akubra hat.

 

Yes, the FPH catalog(ue) is certainly pen porn . . . and today (December 23rd) I will visit Warren Street, no matter how hard it rains, and ask to view (with all due reverence) several of the pens which will never, ever grace my desk. I'm sure I'll come home with something, although I'm not sure what. Does one carry pen porn in a plain brown wrapper?

 

This is becoming a fascinating endeavo(u)r, the amassing of pens. But I'm in it for the writing . . . I have begun writing notes and letters, but have yet to find anyone to whom I can send them, because most of my friends and colleagues, despite their professed affection and affinity for the written word, prefer to digitize their thoughts. I could, of course, get back at them by writing a letter that contains only the numbers 0 and 1, daring them to translate the computer "on" and "off" signals into meaningful prose. But I won't (and I digress).

 

You have all been kind to this newbie, even pointing the way to information that I was too ashamed to request (such as Richard Binder's pages).

 

By the way, my wife, who is smart, witty and wise in her own way, refers to pen collecting as "investing in the past." "Knock yourself out," she says . . . at least you're not into antique cars!

 

Best wishes to all for a wonderful New Year!

 

Sheldon Tarakan

Long Island, New York

[KendallJ]

...

Ugh... the Krone page. Better blast past that quickly lest I am forced to rinse out my eyes.

...

I stand corrected on those Krones...

methinks Keith doesn't like Krone... Pray tell why, Keith?

[Titivillus]

...

Ugh... the Krone page. Better blast past that quickly lest I am forced to rinse out my eyes.

...

I stand corrected on those Krones...

methinks Keith doesn't like Krone... Pray tell why, Keith?

Justin,

have you really looked at the aestetic travesties that are called Krone pens?

 

 

Kurt H

Proud user of Rearden Metal

[KendallJ]

I own 2. I kind of like em. In fact I wrote a review of the Geometrik.

 

Some are over the top, but which ones qualify for the esthetic travesty label?

 

http://pagesperso.laposte.net/fpnet/1p3p1F...p?showtopic=457

[Keith with a capital K]

Kendall -

 

Krone actually does make some nice looking pens but some of their LE's and Special Editions are truly hideous... of course that's just my opinion.

 

I have a thing against hacking up important bits of this and that to insert in any item like pieces of people, artifacts, etc.

 

Don't get me started on Georges Vezinas goalie pads and a certain hockey card company.

[Maja]

Don't get me started on Georges Vezinas goalie pads and a certain hockey card company.

Yeah, that was InTheGame Inc., right? They are run by the hockey players' union, the NHLPA too, aren't they? I guess they needed more cash in their coffers

Yes, that was a travesty....Those pads belonged in the Hockey Hall of Fame.

 

Anyway, thanks for the heads up on the annual FPH catalog, Keith. I just placed an order for mine online; hopefully they will have still have some copies left....The catalogs are a great reference resource for looking up older pen lines/models that may not even be found online anymore.

 

Looking forward to getting my copy in the mail.....

[Maja]

So there is hope, it seems- Yay! Thanks, Roy.

You are fortunate to have a spouse who is also into fountain pens....*sigh.....Mine doesn't understand, but at least he is using his late grandfather's Parker 51....

[Titivillus]

I own 2. I kind of like em. In fact I wrote a review of the Geometrik.

 

Some are over the top, but which ones qualify for the esthetic travesty label?

 

http://pagesperso.laposte.net/fpnet/1p3p1F...p?showtopic=457

I should have qualified that they do make relatively expensive standard issues but the special and limited editions are odd.

 

As for Aestetic travesty:

 

Forbidden City

Saint Patrick

Moses

Maralyn Monroe

Patton

John Handcock

Babe Ruth

Apollo 11

William Shakespeare

 

The Lincoln is a nice looking pen but having synthetic DNA gathered from a dead president goes too far toward a reliquary pen for my taste.

 

Kurt H

Proud user of Rearden Metal