Richard Binder

[acolythe]

Today I received back my Shaeffer Legacy. I sent it to Richard about 4 months ago after dropping it on a tile floor nib first. I asked him at the time if he could repair the gold cap since it had a scuff mark. He replied no, that it was only gold plated. The nib is perfect, I cannot tell it was ever bent. Just like in the before and after pix, no sign of even a little marring. And BEST of ALL , he took out the scuff on the cap. This fellow is a genius. Its just too bad that he is so busy. Or maybe I should say its a good thing that he is so busy otherwise he would be out of a job and then we would be short one genius nibmeister

Richard, where ever you are my heart felt thanks

Barry

Edited April 16, 2008 by acolythe

[inkypete]

PLEASE! No more favourable RB reports until his waiting list reduces. How do people like us ever get our jobs done quickly when people keep telling other people how good he is. I have to wait 4 months for my duofold nibs to be reworked. Oh the pain!

[Rufus]

I'll second (third and fourth) that. Last year Richard restored my father's 1957 P51 to its former glory and fixed a balky nib on my Parker Duofold Centennial and I will be forever grateful to him for his outstanding work. It was worth the three month wait and I would have waited even longer if I had to. I wish I could convince Richard to immigrate to Canada and move next door to me.

[acolythe]

I'll second (third and fourth) that. Last year Richard restored my father's 1957 P51 to its former glory and fixed a balky nib on my Parker Duofold Centennial and I will be forever grateful to him for his outstanding work. It was worth the three month wait and I would have waited even longer if I had to. I wish I could convince Richard to immigrate to Canada and move next door to me.

 

Boy Howdy do i second that

BUT I am sure he would rather be in beautiful BC next to me

b

[kiavonne]

I'll second (third and fourth) that. Last year Richard restored my father's 1957 P51 to its former glory and fixed a balky nib on my Parker Duofold Centennial and I will be forever grateful to him for his outstanding work. It was worth the three month wait and I would have waited even longer if I had to. I wish I could convince Richard to immigrate to Canada and move next door to me.

 

Boy Howdy do i second that

BUT I am sure he would rather be in beautiful BC next to me

b

 

 

Let's just clone him.

[Omegaham]

I'll second (third and fourth) that. Last year Richard restored my father's 1957 P51 to its former glory and fixed a balky nib on my Parker Duofold Centennial and I will be forever grateful to him for his outstanding work. It was worth the three month wait and I would have waited even longer if I had to. I wish I could convince Richard to immigrate to Canada and move next door to me.

 

Boy Howdy do i second that

BUT I am sure he would rather be in beautiful BC next to me

b

 

 

Let's just clone him.

 

Clone him multiple times, and then we can have an enormous pen repair factory! *plots*

[Steven]

I think it is time Richard Binder starts opening franchises to help with the load.

[Waterman]

Richard should have Apprentices, we need more RB's in the future!

 

Brad

[richardandtracy]

Richard should have Apprentices, we need more RB's in the future!

 

Brad

Richard did advertise here a little while back for help.. So maybe that's his intention. It would be good.

 

Regards

 

Richard.

 

[Richard]

Hi gang!

 

This notion of cloning me leaves me rather uneasy. Were I to meet one of my clones headed in the other direction, how could I tell whether I was coming or going?

 

As it happens, I do have two apprentices, Jim and Susan. They've been working with us since early February. Jim is working on general restoration skills while Susan learns nib stuff. She's been working on alignment, flow adjustment, and smoothing. She's progressing nicely, but she's not quite there yet. Once she gets it down, we'll move on to shaping.

[girlieg33k]

I keep having this reoccurring dream that I won Richard on eBay.

[maclight]

Hi gang!

 

This notion of cloning me leaves me rather uneasy. Were I to meet one of my clones headed in the other direction, how could I tell whether I was coming or going?

 

As it happens, I do have two apprentices, Jim and Susan. They've been working with us since early February. Jim is working on general restoration skills while Susan learns nib stuff. She's been working on alignment, flow adjustment, and smoothing. She's progressing nicely, but she's not quite there yet. Once she gets it down, we'll move on to shaping.

 

Richard,

I would be honored if Susan was the one to make sure my Fine VP was up to your standard.

 

It seems that the master/apprentice style of passing on information and mentoring is all but lost in today's society. I realize for you it serves a business need, but I would not be surprised that passing on the information brings some real personal satisfaction.

 

Thank you for sharing so that we all will benefit from your knowledge and skill.

 

Mike Crain

[grimakis]

I saw an episode of Star Trek where they were able to create a robot clone of Kirk just by spinning him around on a table REALLY fast. Android clones have all the same skills as their human counterparts. Better yet they can survive in your basement without food and water. If we all chipped in, I bet we could afford one of those fast moving tables.

[I am not a number]

Yes, but what would happen if we created an Evil Richard (cf the Evil Spock episode)?

 

What if the goodness and exquisite craftsmanship of the original Richard were somehow turned to the Dark Side (yeah, I know, I'm mixing SF metaphors).

 

Shudders and resolves to stop watching the Twilight Zone and eating strong cheeses before bedtime...

[Martius]

Yes, but what would happen if we created an Evil Richard (cf the Evil Spock episode)?

 

What if the goodness and exquisite craftsmanship of the original Richard were somehow turned to the Dark Side (yeah, I know, I'm mixing SF metaphors).

 

Shudders and resolves to stop watching the Twilight Zone and eating strong cheeses before bedtime...

 

Be careful. If it happened, the universe would surely be out of balance. For instance, when you go up to Evil Richard at a pen show (he can be identified by a vague smell of sulfur if you really pay attention), and ask for an F regrind, he cuts a violin F-hole in the middle of your nib and makes the tip just oblique enough that you can't write with it. (He knows exactly what you DON'T want.)

[Italicist]

Yes, but what would happen if we created an Evil Richard (cf the Evil Spock episode)?

 

What if the goodness and exquisite craftsmanship of the original Richard were somehow turned to the Dark Side (yeah, I know, I'm mixing SF metaphors).

 

Shudders and resolves to stop watching the Twilight Zone and eating strong cheeses before bedtime...

 

Be careful. If it happened, the universe would surely be out of balance. For instance, when you go up to Evil Richard at a pen show (he can be identified by a vague smell of sulfur if you really pay attention), and ask for an F regrind, he cuts a violin F-hole in the middle of your nib and makes the tip just oblique enough that you can't write with it. (He knows exactly what you DON'T want.)

 

Then the Evil Richard would choke off the flow of ink such that the nib would clog instantly with anything thicker than distilled water. But in the nick of time, the Good Richard would appear with a solid silver Yard-O-Led to plunge through the heart of the Evil Richard [warning: further mixed metaphors being introduced], all wrongs would be redressed, etc.

 

I think that there's a great short story here, just waiting to be written: I nominate IANAN and Martius to write it.

[D.C. in PA]

If no one minds, I'll return to the focus of this thread - that being that those of us who care enough about the experience of writing, and who appreciate the proper device for that writing, are pleased that Richard has spent the time and energy to learn the skills necessary to make fountain pens sing (read: lay down a proper and expressive line, flow well and predictably, not spit up on us, and look like the fine instruments they are).

And now, he has found two folks who are willing to learn from him and, hopefully, follow in his footsteps - another investment of time and energy on his part that may serve the pen community for years to come. Our thanks to the "new crew" for diving into the process of apprenticeship.

The only problem - they've got the job I wish I had!

Janet's and my best to Richard and Barbara and the "New Crew".

D.C. in PA

[Fountainbass]

I tell ya...if I lived near Richard, I'd be willing to be an apprentice as well. I love the idea of masters passing on their crafts to younger generations in order to keep it alive!

[sumgaikid]

I tell ya...if I lived near Richard, I'd be willing to be an apprentice as well. I love the idea of masters passing on their crafts to younger generations in order to keep it alive!

 

Ditto here! If I only didn't have the problem of being able to afford to move and find a good paying job up there....

 

John

[Escribiente]

This notion of cloning me leaves me rather uneasy. Were I to meet one of my clones headed in the other direction, how could I tell whether I was coming or going?

Richard, for entirely selfish reasons, and ignoring all the ethical issues involved, I would not object some cloning in Nashua. Unfortunately, unless there is a mind-dump procedure associated, the clones wouldn't be of much help in the realm of nib grinding. Apprentices are a very good second option, and I'm glad there will be more expert nibmesteirs in the future. Best wishes in this new stage.