The Universe of Writing Culture
kings of the road Montegrappa Bugatti and more liquid luxury:
inks for every need
in good hands how pen retailers are winning over the next generation
AUGUST 2014 $6.95US $7.95CAN
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AUGUST VOLUME 27, NUMBER 5
ON OUR COVER: Montegrappa Bugatti Pur Sang Duotone
48 60 performance-driven
High-performance cars inspire handsome luxury pens to match.
44 ink for your pens
All fountain pen inks are not created equal.
48 Visker & Scrivener’s A Texas couple adds color to Galveston’s Strand with housemade inks and more.
52 Penman saves Inktopia! One of our favorite cartoon characters will soon get his own graphic novel.
56 52
56 reaching the young
In the absence of school handwriting instruction, pen retailers get creative.
64 take note of this
A new study shows handwriting trumps the computer every time for class notetaking.
68 material world part III Post World War II pen materials brought new excellence and fresh style to penmaking.
72 Moore is more
Morris Moore solved the problem of leaky fountain pens in 1896!
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departments WHAT’S HOT NOW
06 view
20
raising awareness
08 mail
our readers speak
10 news 20 now 30 date
people, places and events
new pens and other products
mark your calendar
32 note 34 getting started 37 shop 40 shop 76 network
pens amid the produce
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ink: what not to use
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Vanness of Little Rock, Ark.
Origami Ink of Asheville, N.C.
classified advertising
78 source
guide to products and services
80 imho
my penned life
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AUGUST VOLUME 27, NUMBER 5
ON OUR COVER: Montegrappa Bugatti Pur Sang Duotone
48 60 performance-driven
High-performance cars inspire handsome luxury pens to match.
44 ink for your pens
All fountain pen inks are not created equal.
48 Visker & Scrivener’s A Texas couple adds color to Galveston’s Strand with housemade inks and more.
52 Penman saves Inktopia! One of our favorite cartoon characters will soon get his own graphic novel.
56 52
56 reaching the young
In the absence of school handwriting instruction, pen retailers get creative.
64 take note of this
A new study shows handwriting trumps the computer every time for class notetaking.
68 material world part III Post World War II pen materials brought new excellence and fresh style to penmaking.
72 Moore is more
Morris Moore solved the problem of leaky fountain pens in 1896!
60
departments WHAT’S HOT NOW
06 view
20
raising awareness
08 mail
our readers speak
10 news 20 now 30 date
people, places and events
new pens and other products
mark your calendar
32 note 34 getting started 37 shop 40 shop 76 network
pens amid the produce
10
ink: what not to use
10
Vanness of Little Rock, Ark.
Origami Ink of Asheville, N.C.
classified advertising
78 source
guide to products and services
80 imho
my penned life
20
32
37
40
view
See you in D.C.! Photo by Philip J. Ross, 2013
T
he Washington D.C.Fountain Pen Supershow is a wonderful place to connect with lots of PW readers and pen lovers. Is it any wonder I look forward to it all year long? It is a truly international event, with exhibitors and attendees from all over the world. If you plan to attend, check out pencentral.com to see what the show has to offer, and at the show, please stop by the PW table to say hello. We’d love to meet you! Thinking about a road trip this summer? Can you imagine taking one in a Bugatti, Maserati, Ferrari, or the like? If that’s out of the question, you might like to test drive the new Bugatti pen by Montegrappa on the cover, or any one of several pens inspired by high-performance cars as seen in Jil McIntosh’s story “Driving Force.” These are statement pens: they capture the look and panache of the cars, perform beautifully as pens and can also be flaunted in the board room! As usual in our August issue, we pack in some extra info on ink. You won’t want to miss Julian H. Kreeger’s “Inky Thoughts,” Nicky Pessaroff ’s “Written in Blood” or John Chandler’s “Renaissance Fare,” about a couple who make all the wares sold in their shop on Galveston’s Strand, including ink. Keith Loria catches up with Gary Blehm, cre-
ator of the Penman cartoons seen in PW for several years, and we make shopping excursions to Vanness in Little Rock, Arkansas, and Origami Ink in Asheville, North Carolina. You’ll also find the next installments from Paul Erano and Richard Binder in their respective series on pen materials and filling systems. In August, we always think of backto-school. When we became aware of the efforts some pen retailers are making to bring pens and kids together, we knew we had to do a story about them. Find out what’s going on in Susan Bowen’s article “Give a Kid a Pen.” (The title is also great gift-giving advice this time of year!) If your child has been pestering you for a laptop using the argument that it will help her take better notes in school, be sure to read Lynne Friedmann’s article “The Pen Is Mightier than the Keyboard.” It provides compelling evidence that writing by hand is better for notetaking. We knew it, but until now we couldn’t prove it! Enjoy your summer as it winds down, and we’ll see you in October with our Annual Fall Preview of Pens.
editor@penworld.com
Driving BY JIL MCINTOSH
Montegrappa’s Bugatti Pur Sang Duotone writing instruments, shown in indigo/silver and pearl/rose gold
n the automotive world, some names always stand out. You may not be able to tell the difference between a Honda and a Hyundai, but you undoubtedly know names like Bentley, Bugatti, Ferrari, Lamborghini, and Maserati. These marques represent the ultimate in performance and luxury, so it’s only fitting that they have teamed up with top pen brands to create pens that reflect their values: Bugatti with Montegrappa, Maserati and Lamborghini with Omas, Ferrari with Sheaffer, and Bentley with Tibaldi.
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“By co-branding with automobiles, we’re able to broaden the community of pen enthusiasts,” says Joel Blumberg, president of Kenro Industries, the U.S. distributor for all the aforementioned pen brands. “Among the people who are interested in cars, some of them will be interested in pens.” All of these automakers produce relatively few cars: globally last year, all five combined sold just 1.2 percent of what General Motors delivered in the United States alone. But it’s that exclusivity that helps to make them so appealing, and these lines of fine writing instruments—which won’t be showing up in every pocket or briefcase—will be equally attractive to those who want to make a statement when they take notes or sign their names.
Among these storied nameplates, Bugatti is both the oldest and the newest. The company was founded in 1909, but closed its doors in 1956. The name was revived on the 1991 Bugatti EB110, and more recently on the Veyron supercar, the model that forms the basis of Montegrappa’s Bugatti Pur Sang Duotone writing instruments. The name pur sang is French for thoroughbred, which is how Ettore Bugatti originally described his cars. And what a thoroughbred this one is: the Veyron Super Sport holds the record of world’s fastest production car, at 268 m.p.h. As with most of the Veyron car models, the Pur Sang Duotone pens are two-tone, offered in four color combinations: indigo or jet grey
trimmed in silver, and pearl or argus pheasant brown with rose gold. The metal surfaces are engraved with a “dynamic quilting” pattern similar to that of the car’s leather interior, the cap ring is inspired by the shape of the headlights and Bugatti’s famous oval logo tops each cap. On fountain pen versions, the quilting and logo are carried over onto the nib. Ferruccio Lamborghini began production of his sports cars in 1963, and today, his powerful fighting bull is among the world’s most identifiable logos. Omas renewed its partnership with Lamborghini on the automaker’s fiftieth anniversary, producing the 2013 limited edition fountain pen and rollerball. This design evolved from the Omas 2009 limited edition and the 2011 Lamborghini Aventador, both of which were based on the triangular Omas 360 pen. The 2013 limited edition departs from that with an original hexagonal shape, a hallmark of Lamborghini’s angular styling cues, and with sharply cropped edges on the pen and cap. The edition contains 500 fountain pens and
500 rollerballs, each made entirely of titanium, including the nib or rollerball tip, and finished in PVD coating and matte trim. The cap top and knob are made from Forged Composite, a trademarked carbon fiber material jointly developed by Lamborghini and golf club manufacturer Callaway, and used by both companies in manufacturing their products. The cap top is hand-engraved with Lamborghini’s fiftieth anniversary logo, while the knob carries the Omas logo and the pen’s limited edition number. Omas’s master craftsmanship also goes into its Omas for Maserati limited edition, part of the relationship the two companies share in their “Made in Italy” line of products. Maserati celebrates its centennial this year, commemorating the day in December 1914 when brothers Alfieri, Ettore and Ernes Maserati opened their first car repair workshop. They initially built racecars, but today, Maserati’s vehicles are unique blends of Italian high-horsepower performance with smooth-handling luxury, as appropriate on the daily drive to the office as on a track.
From left—The 2011 Lamborghini Aventador ($850–995) and the 2013 limited edition made for Lamborghini’s fiftieth anniversary ($2,250–2,400), both by Omas.
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Omas for Maserati limited edition, $2,750–2,950
The Omas for Maserati limited edition is equally comfortable as a showpiece or a daily writer. Made of .925 silver, it sports Maserati’s unmistakable grille from the GranTurismo on top of the cap, while the hexagonal knob— which operates the piston filling system on the fountain pen—carries the automaker’s trident logo. The satinfinish barrel and cap feature incisions that emphasize the pen’s shape, with a contrasting shiny clip and section, the latter also engraved with Maserati’s logo. The edition is limited to 1,200 fountain pens, featuring rhodiumplated 18 karat gold nibs, and 714 62
rollerballs. Add them together, and you have 1,914 pens, commemorating the Maserati brothers’ initial venture. Perhaps the most famous of the Italian sports car companies, Ferrari has teamed with Sheaffer to produce the line of Ferrari official licensed writing instruments. As a volumepriced pen, and available in gift sets with journals or key rings, the pens are a must-have for fans of the “prancing horse” that adorns every Ferrari. As well, each pen carries Sheaffer’s trademark white dot, and fountain pens use stainless steel Sheaffer nibs. The pens come in six variations, starting with the Ferrari VFM ballpoint in red or black gloss finish. From there, fans can choose the Ferrari 100 in fountain pen, ballpoint or pencil; the thinner Ferrari 200 Rosso Corsa ballpoint; the Ferrari 300 in fountain pen, rollerball, or ballpoint with unique black accents; and the wonderfully chunky Ferrari 500 Red ballpoint, with the Scuderia Ferrari logo shield at the end of its elongated clip. The top-ofthe-line is the Ferrari Intensity Carbon Fiber, exclusively in black, in fountain pen, rollerball and ballpoint. A Brit among these Italian bluebloods, Bentley was founded in 1919 and initially famous for its racing cars and its triumphs in Le Mans. Today it is known for its performance, luxury and stunning styling, all of which translate into the Tibaldi for Bentley Collection. It’s certainly an historic venture, as the pen brand Tibaldi was established three years earlier, in 1916, and the two have collaborated since 2006. Each pen has signified an important Bentley model or event, and the
Tibaldi for Bentley GT fountain pen in silverlake blue ($1,250) and ballpoint in silver tempest ($600)
newest, the GT Series, represents Bentley’s spirit and elegance and is named for the Continental GT. The pens, offered as fountain pens, rollerballs and ballpoints, are brass with rhodium plating, and the sides of the partially lacquered barrels are textured.
The solid 18 karat gold nibs on the fountain pens are embellished with Bentley’s trademark wings, and the four available colors in the collection—beluga black, silverlake blue, St. James red, and silver tempest—are the four most popular shades ordered on the cars. All of these fine writing instruments have one thing in common: while they’re naturally popular with people who own the actual vehicles, they’re equally coveted by those who may never have the chance to drive one. “These are among the top automobiles in the world, and they’re part of an image,” Joel Blumberg says. “It becomes a lifestyle, and people want to be associated with them.
“The pen is relevant, and we’re bringing something that’s interesting and exciting. You’re with people, and you take this out of your pocket, and you’re part of that bigger world.” Find info about all pens at kenropens.com or at their various manufacturer websites. JIL MCINTOSH is a Canada-based freelance writer and pen collector who writes extensively about the automotive industry.
Tribute to Ayrton Senna With another new pen, Montegrappa pays tribute not to a car but to one of the best and most famous drivers who ever lived: Formula One racing legend Ayrton Senna (1960–1994). The young Brazilian was a three-time Formula One world champion and was leading the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix when he was killed in a tragic accident. Montegrappa first honored Senna with a pen in 1995; the new collection marks the twentieth anniversary not of his death, according to the company, but of his legacy, which lives on through the humanitarian work of the Instituto Ayrton Senna. The cabochon at the top of the pen recalls the yellow of his helmet; the clip, shaped like a Formula One race car, has been fitted with a rear “spoiler” bearing Senna’s double-S logo, which also appears on the nib. The rings at both ends of the cap are engraved with tire tread patterns. The Legend series in black resin with sterling silver trim is available in fountain pen, rollerball and ballpoint ($2,315–3,450). The Champion series, in solid sterling silver engraved in low-relief, comes in fountain pen and rollerball ($3,890–4,325). Both series come in even more exclusive gold versions. The collection is part of Montegrappa’s Icon series, which has previously produced pens in honor of Muhammad Ali, Bruce Lee, Frank Sinatra, Elvis Presley and Quincy Jones.
Sheaffer’s extensive Scuderia Ferrari collection includes the 200 Rosso Corsa ballpoint ($50) and the Intensity Carbon Fiber collection ($75–100).
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An exquisite palette of twenty-four vibrant inks inspired by nature. Color your writing, color your life. www.pilotpen.us
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