Has Anyone Heard Of Henry Simpole 2016

[Truffle Finder]

No doubt everyone who might be looking in here on this thread would have heard the news that Britain's voters have made it clear that they want to come out of the EU.

I'm not going to say how I voted, but I really can't see anything happening as a direct result of the referendum which is going to have much effect on my business. I'm sure that if fountain pen collectors want to add to their collections they will probably continue to do so!

 

On a completely different note, I have discovered that I will have at least two visitors to my booth at Portobello tomorrow, one of them wants to commission an overlaid pen from me, and the other one just wants to have a browse over my vintage fountain pens, so, I have plenty to look forward to this week.

Truffle Finder.

[esterbex]

Hmmmm.....

[esterbex]

I imagine your sales might be a bit more brisk with overseas buyers since the pound sterling has dropped in value. Maybe I should lock in on a Myrtle now?

[Truffle Finder]

Today's trip to Portobello turned out to be quite productive, I sold two vintage Watermans Pens to a fellow dealer friend of mine, then a Spanish lady came and bought a Mont Blanc 142 for her father's birthday present. Then a young lady came and asked to see an 'everyday type of pen' that was reasonably priced, so I showed her an 'as new' condition Sheaffer pen which I had got priced at £35, she tried it, and discussed it with her mother, and then she decided that was what she wanted! [she told me that she had found out about me from the Fountain Pen Network, so I asked her before she left, to post a comment on here!]

Later on another lady came to discuss a commissioned pen that her congregation want to give to their vicar as a leaving present. I had known about her coming to see me about this from a message that she had left on my answer-machine earlier in the week. Anyway we discussed it, and I gave her a quote, and she wants to go ahead with the project, so that will be good for the 'His Nibs Account!'

All in all, it was a very good day!

Truffle Finder.

[esterbex]

A very good day! The prospect of a new design is exciting! Keep us posted. So far Brexit is of no consequence to His Nibs!

[Truffle Finder]

My dealer/collector friend left a Jade Green Watermans Patrician pen [from the 1930's] when he saw me yesterday. It is a pen which a friend of his had inherited from his grandfather, and as is quite predictable with that model of vintage pen, the clip is missing, and the filling lever is broken, so, I will be quite busy over the next few days, doing that, but it is the type of delicate work that I like to get my teeth in to, so I am quite looking forward to doing it!

Happy days!

Truffle Finder.

[esterbex]

So does that make you a pen nibbling Truffle Finder?

[Truffle Finder]

Nah!!!

I just love messin' around with old fountain pens!

Truffle Finder.

[Truffle Finder]

Today, I've been working on the commissioned design for the overlaid pen.

I have decided to do the monogram, surrounded with sprigs of Woodbine leaves, [some people refer to it as Columbine foliage]

it is actually considered to be a weed, but it is [in my humble opinion] a very attractive plant, no matter how 'low-born' it might be! It is actually a creeper, with white trumpet-like flowers, and it is a very vigorous plant, and once established there is very little that can be done to get rid of it!!! Fortunately that is not a problem with an overlaid pen!

I have got so far as the monogram drawing, and tomorrow, I am hoping to get started on the surrounding pattern.

Providing the pattern is accepted by the lady I should be able to start the piercing out procedure very soon.

Truffle Finder.

[Truffle Finder]

I am pleased to say, that I have completed the design for the commissioned overlay fountain pen.

Hopefully the lady will be coming to see me at my booth at Portobello this coming Saturday, and to let me know if it meets with her approval, or if she would like any changes made,but I'm not anticipating any problems in that direction.

Truffle Finder.

[Truffle Finder]

I had a phone call this morning from a lady in Singapore, who asked me if I still had the Great Exhibition Pen that she had seen in my display cabinet at my booth in Portobello, as she wanted to buy it. Anyway, I told her that it is still available, so she told me that she will be contacting a friend of hers, and hopefully that person will be able to come and see me to pick it up, either this Saturday or next.

It was a rather nice way to start my day!

Truffle Finder.

[Truffle Finder]

It looks as though I might be fairly busy tomorrow at Portobello, the lady will be coming to see me about the commissioned overlay for the Parker pen, and my friend will be coming to pick up his friend's Watermans Patrician pen, [which I must add, is looking pretty fantastic!] and of course there is a possibility that the lady from Singapore might have contacted her friend about picking up the Great Exhibition Pen, but I'm not going to hold my breath on that!

Truffle Finder.

[Truffle Finder]

A very good day at Portobello, yesterday!

The lady who commissioned the silver overlaid pen came and approved the design that I had done, she is very pleased with it, [i'm happy to say, but I would have been surprised if she hadn't been!]

My friend who had dropped off the Watermans Patrician last week for repair, was delighted with how beautiful it looked when I handed it to him yesterday.

Then later on, a lovely young lady came to my stand, to collect the Great Exhibition Silver overlaid Pen! Which she quite happily paid for in cash, which was very welcome!

I was offered quite a few vintage pens during the course of the day, nothing of great note, but nevertheless, good 'basic stock', so I will have plenty to do over the next few days! I also bought a 1930's Dunhill pocket lighter, covered with Shagreen [shark's skin], which will give me great pleasure restoring.

I also had a visitor from Lithuania who came with his fiancee, and told me that he had been reading a lot about me on FPN, for quite some time, he had fun looking over my selection of pens, and so I showed him a few of my 'Pension Scheme Pens', which he seemed to like! He actually took a few photographs of some of the pens, and one of him and me standing in the booth, so hopefully he will be posting them on this thread when he gets back home!

Truffle Finder.

[Truffle Finder]

It is rather difficult for me to describe the detail of the design of the overlay that I have been working on for the past week or so, but to cut a long story short, I will try to explain how far I have got so far.

There is a monogram [made up of several letters], which is surrounded by Woodbine leaves, and immediately underneath the monogram, there is a thin strip of silver. The lady who commissioned the overlay has told me that she wanted the words:- CLAY HILL engraved along this strip! [Clay Hill is the area that her church is situated].

This strip measures 1.5cms X 2mms! So the problem I was presented with, was how I was going to get the engraving done!

I thought about it for a while, and then I had the thought that I ought to get in touch with a lady named Sheila, [who works at the Assay Office, laser department!] anyway, I phoned the Assay Office, and I was relieved to hear that she was still working there! She recognised my voice after I told her who I was, and she then said:- 'Oh! Henry the Penman! How can I help?'

Anyway, I described the overlay design, and explained about how small the strip was, but she just said 'yes, I can do that!'

Needless to say, that I filled in the forms, and took the 'flat overlay' up to the Assay office, and dropped it off there [marked :- For the attention of 'Sheila'!]

I can't wait to collect the piece when it has been done, but when I do, I will report back with the news.

Truffle Finder.

[Kenlowe]

Nice story Henry, thank you. I am embarrassed to say that I didnt know what a woodbine leaf was and I was thinking of the cigarettes of an earlier time, Park Drive, Senior Service, Wills Whiffs etc.

 

The artwork sounds delightful, I hope that we can see some photographs before it is sent to its new home.

[Truffle Finder]

I had a fairly productive day yesterday.

The Assay Office E-mailed me during the morning, to inform me that the overlay was ready for collection, so I 'Tootled' up to town, and picked it up.

I am very pleased with it, and Sheila has done a very good job getting the inscription on the extremely thin strip underneath the monogram; so, I think that I will phone her later, to thank her.

Hopefully, some images will be posted on this thread soon.

Truffle Finder.

[Truffle Finder]

As is very often the 'norm' on Saturdays recently, I have had very little information regarding who might be coming to visit me at my booth at Portobello market today.

I have restored all the vintage pens which I had bought last week, so, there are plenty of additions to put into my stock today.

I am reading a very good book by Bill Bryson at the moment, so, even if nobody turns up today, I think that I will be quite content!

I'll keep a positive attitude, anyway!

Truffle Finder.

[mallymal1]

A positive attitude is always the best way.

 

Have a good day.

[billydo]

Here's that latest cap design that Henry has recently been describing...

 

 

 

[Truffle Finder]

As usual, Neal, your photographs are exemplary!

These are of a commissioned piece that I am currently working on. The Monogram depicts the letters:- J, & L, and ST, which represents the Church of St Luke and St John, with the upside down extra T representing the cross!

I think that you would agree, that Sheila did an excellent job, by inscribing the 'Clay Hill' on the slim strip underneath the monogram.

The next stage of the project will be to clean up the design, and carefully cut the two strips of silver along the two sides, and curl it with the hope that my measurements were accurate, so that when it is curled and silver soldered, it should fit the barrel of the pen!

I live in hope!

Truffle Finder.