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DECEMBER VOLUME 28, NUMBER 1
ON OUR COVER: Knights of the Round Table by Phoenix Lacquer Art
45 40 knights to remember
Revisit the days of King Arthur with a new collection from Phoenix Lacquer Art.
45 make your list
and check it twice. Shop our Holiday Gift Guide!
34 made in Vermont
Solid metal handcrafted pens come from Enosburg Falls, Vermont.
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36 fashion meets passion
Edelberg teams up with Chronopassion’s Laurent Picciotto.
63 pen of choice
One man’s love affair with Paper Mate—or is it Papermate? or Paper-Mate?
67 go-to guy
When it comes to vintage pens, Gary Lehrer is on the short list of go-to guys.
73 the best intentions
Things don’t always go as planned when pushing the boundaries of pen technology.
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The Greatest Gift
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In the
Spirit magazine editor’s life is lived in advance. We began work on this holiday issue three months before it will mail out; by the time you receive it, our February issue will be well on its way to completion. If you did the math, you noticed that with six issues a year and a preparation period of three months, we’re also working on more than one issue at once. It can be confusing: sometimes I feel I’ve already lived a holiday or an event before it arrives. I have to make a conscious effort to slow down if I want to savor the holiday itself—and not just the preparation that leads up to it. I’ve been in the holiday spirit now for a long time, and now I’m ready to just savor. Are you? The exquisite Knights of the Round Table pen you see on our cover is only one in a fabulous set from Phoenix Lacquer Art, the Netherlands-based company that specializes in Russian miniature painting. The entire set comprises nine pens, each of which tells a story from Arthurian legend through the impec-
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cably detailed hand-painting. Read all about them in our story “Knights to Remember.” David Bowen gives the scoop on the recently established Vermont Pen in his story “An American Original” and we report on a new pen by the Swiss maker Edelberg, designed in collaboration with Laurent Picciotto, a trendsetter in the world of watches. Read about this collaboration and the resulting pen in “Watch Out!” Aspiring calligraphers will find inspiration in Deborah Basel’s profile of Jake Weidmann, the youngest person to earn IAMPETH’s master penman designation. Lefthanded writers will no doubt see themselves in Nicky Pessaroff ’s witty “We Are the Ten Percent.” Nicky also profiles Paradise Pen, which, as a chain retailer, occupies a unique place in the U.S. penscape. Collectors will enjoy Jeffrey Scheuer’s article on the Paper Mates of the past, Barry Gabay’s review of Rösler and Wallrafen’s new Collectible Stars I, Julian H. Kreeger’s profile of vintage pen dealer Gary Lehrer and
Richard Binder’s thoughts on two pens from the recent past that missed the mark. A substantial chunk of this issue is devoted to our Holiday Gift Guide, where you’ll find plenty of holiday candy—eye candy, that is, including pens and other items we thought would be of special interest to PW readers. Enjoy choosing gifts for your loved ones! Greg Moore ends the issue on just the right note with his IMHO submission “The Greatest Gift.” If you can read it and not be touched, then I pronounce you a Scrooge indeed. Just remember there’s hope for you— Scrooge comes around in the end, to become the most joyful and generous among Christmas celebrants. However you choose to celebrate the holidays, we wish you a heart full of merriment, the warmth of family and friends, and joy that lasts all year round.
editor@penworld.com
to Remember s t h g i Kn
from
Phoenix Lacquer Art BY JOHN CHANDLER
ing Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table have stoked the imaginations and creative powers of artists since the earliest publications of the Arthurian legends appeared around the twelfth century. And now, in the twenty-first century, Phoenix Lacquer Art has created a set of pens inspired by the knights and their heroic deeds. Only three sets— and they will be sold only as sets—are available of the meticulously handpainted pens. Sir Thomas Malory’s Le Morte d’Arthur—based on earlier works by the priest and historian Geoffrey of Monmouth and the Norman poet Maistre—is considered the standard “history” of the court. The romance epics of the knights are largely attributed to Chrétien de Troyes, but the Arthurian stories come from an abundance of sources, ranging from Celtic, Welsh and Irish, to French and
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German. Each emphasized different aspects of the legends and characters as befitted their differing cultures. While the tales and character names vary, the basic story remains. Arthur, the illegitimate son of the king of Britain, is raised by a nobleman as squire to his knighted son. Arthur is recognized as the rightful heir to the throne when he removes a sword that has been imbedded in stone. Under the tutelage of the court magician, Merlin, he initiates a reign of chivalry that redefines the role of a knight. After finding his queen, Guinevere, Arthur establishes his Order of the Round Table, attracting, supposedly, the greatest knights of the realm. Probably the best known of the Round Table was Lancelot, whose alleged adultery with Guinevere would bring about the end of the reign and life of King Arthur.
Through the shattered order, however, the quests and adventures of the Knights of the Round Table continued, siring influences that have passed through the centuries and remain with us today. The concept of a just realm, where “right was might” and knights nobly served their king and their fellow man, have as much appeal today as ever. The Arthurian influence can be observed in our culture from the obvious—in Malory, Mark Twain and John Steinbeck—to more subtle presentations in the work of numerous contemporary authors the likes of J. K. Rowling, Robert Jordan and Stephen King. Even Steven Spielberg acknowledged that his famed relic-pursuing archeologist was an apt “grail knight” (a knight who has taken up the quest to find the holy grail, which is sometimes identified as a chalice holding the blood of Jesus) in Indiana Jones
A close look at the intricate detail on the nib.
and the Last Crusade. The Kennedy-era White House’s identification with the Camelot of the Lerner and Loewe musical remains today. Richard Wagner’s operas Parsifal and Tristan and Isolde are based on Round Table legends. There could certainly be no question of the basis for Monty Python and the Holy Grail or its musical cousin, Spamalot. From the sublime to the humorous, the hold exerted on us by King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table is unlikely to diminish. The Knights of the Round Table set of pens produced by the artists of Phoenix Lacquer Art bear the images of King Arthur, nine Knights of the Round Table and some of their respective lady loves. Phoenix Lacquer Art, based in Amsterdam, has specialized in pens decorated in the Russian miniature art traditions since its inception in 2010 as an offshoot of the Inna Kaufman Gallery. Kaufman, whose work up until that time involved the creation of museum-quality objets d’art, including intricately hand-painted lacquered boxes, had developed relationships with some of the finest artists of the Russian schools. After facilitating requests from other companies for artists to create hand-painted pens, she determined to create her own line of pens, and Phoenix Lacquer Art was born. Visconti produces an exclusive powerfiller pen for the company—large, to provide a bigger canvas for the artists. The two-tone gold nib is a piece of art unto itself. Kaufman and her creative crew have produced exclusive limited editions and a few one-of-a-kind pens. Building upon the strengths of the various schools of Russian traditional painting, Phoenix Lacquer Art has produced pens with themes ranging from myth, folklore, religion and nature, to historical figures. The Knights of the Round Table set is done in the style of the Palekh school.
King Arthur and Guinevere
Often noted for illustrating folklore, myths and fairy tales, the Palekh school is generally distinguished by elongated figures with golden embellishments against dark backgrounds. The set consists of nine pens with the following themes. King Arthur and Guinevere These are the most central figures in Arthurian lore. Arthur, son of Uther Pendragon, becomes king as a boy when he extracts a sword from a stone. In a marriage arranged to make a political alliance, Guinevere becomes his queen. Establishing his reign and the Order of the Round Table, King Arthur redefines the role of knighthood and initiates the quest for the Holy Grail. Although the kingdom falls and the order is destroyed, the hope of Camelot lives on. On this pen, the royal couple are shown against the backdrop of an idyllic Camelot, while the cap bears an image of the Lady of the Lake (see Sir Bedivere) with Excalibur, Arthur’s legendary sword. Sir Percival and Blanchefleur Raised by his mother, Percival is kept from any knowledge of knighthood, but his natural abilities as a knight bring him to the Round Table and his beloved Blanchefleur. Percival is one of three grail knights who succeed in the quest for the Holy Grail. In some accounts he becomes “keeper” of the grail. The Percival and Blanchefleur pen features an image of the knight and, as he was a grail knight, it also bears an image of
Percival and Blanchefleur
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Gavin and the Green Knight
the Holy Grail vision. A longship indicates the journey he will take on the quest, and an image of his lady, Blanchefleur, embellishes the cap. Sir Lancelot and Elaine Probably the best known among the knights, Lancelot falls in love with Guinevere, who becomes Arthur’s queen. His love for Guinevere allows him to be seduced twice, as Elaine feigns being Guinevere and bears Lancelot a son. In some accounts, Elaine drives Lancelot to insanity, but cures him by bringing him a vision of the Holy Grail. The son they share grows up to become Sir Galahad, the greatest among the grail knights. The Lancelot and Elaine pen depicts the valiant knight engaging a fire-breathing dragon. The Lady Elaine, attended by several ladies, is seen on the cap of the pen, with a castle in the distance. Lancelot and Elaine
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Sir Gavin and the Green Knight Sir Gavin, more commonly known as Sir Gawain, is one of King Arthur’s leading champions. When a green-clad knight challenges the court, Gawain accepts his challenge and makes a compact with him that sets him on a quest.
Gawain beheads the Green Knight, who, astonishingly, retrieves his head and leaves, compelling Gawain to find his castle and complete the compact. The Gavin and the Green Knight pen shows a winding path going into the distance towards a castle, Gavin with his helmet and the Green Knight holding his battle axe, with his lady beside him. Sir Bors and Sir Lionel are brothers and are also cousins of Sir Lancelot. Sir Bors adheres so devoutly to chivalry that he opts to rescue a maiden in distress while his brother Sir Lionel is captured and tortured by a sadistic villain. Sir Lionel escapes, but is so filled with wrath against the brother who abandoned him that he attempts to kill Sir Bors, who refuses to defend himself. Lionel kills a hermit and another knight before divine intervention forces him to relent. Sir Bors became one of the grail knights due to his perseverance and succeeds in the quest. On the Bors and Lionel pen, Bors is shown under a grail vision, attended by a lady. A winding path leads into the distance, again indicating the quest. His brother Lionel is portrayed on the cap being captured by two knights. Sir Gareth and Lynette Gareth, the younger brother of Sir Gawain and of noble birth, follows his brother to Arthur’s court but initially serves in the king’s kitchen at his mother’s request. After his mother gives her approval and sends his armor and a letter explaining his identity, he is knighted in secret by Lancelot. Lady Lynette comes to King Arthur
requesting that Sir Lancelot rescue her sister, Lyonors, who is being held captive in a castle guarded by four knights. Much to her dismay, Gareth, apparently a kitchen-boy, is given the quest. Gareth sets off, with Lynette mocking him through various trials, until he ultimately defeats all foes, winning Lyonors’s freedom and Lynette’s respect—and, of course, her heart. The Gareth and Lynette pen shows the youthful knight, the couple on horseback on their journey and Lynette on a castle balcony.
Gareth and Lynette
Sir Geraint and Enid Sir Geraint attempts to avenge an insult to one of Queen Guinevere’s ladies-in-waiting, who has been struck by the servant of a haughty young knight. Geraint rides to a village where a newly built fortress faces a crumbling castle and is unable to find lodging. He is welcomed into the old castle by its master, an earl, and his lovely daughter, Enid. Geraint is taken by Enid’s character as much as her beauty and learns that her father’s wealth has been stolen by the young knight whom he seeks. To face the knight in the annual tournament, he must fight in the name of his lady love. Geraint proclaims his love for Enid and she for him. In the tournament he faces the young knight known as the Sparrow-Hawk and after a prolonged trial defeats him. In victory he restores the earl’s wealth, takes Enid to Camelot to wed and dispatches the SparrowHawk to apologize to Guinevere, after which the Sparrow-Hawk repents of his misdeeds and becomes a worthy knight of renown. The Geraint and Enid pen bears images of the knight and his lady, the two knights jousting and Enid holding the victor’s Sparrow-Hawk trophy. Sir Galahad The greatest of all knights and son of Lancelot, Sir Galahad undertakes the grail quest as the knight designated to occupy the seat at the Round Table known as the Siege Perilous. Pure of heart, Galahad receives the Shield of the Red Cross on his quest only fifteen days after being knighted. The only knight reputed to have bested Lancelot in a joust, he comes to the aid of Sir Percival against an overwhelming force before journeying with Sir Bors and Sir Percival on the grail quest. The three knights travel to the city of Sarras, believed to have been in Babylon, where, after being imprisoned for a year and after the death of the ruling king, they are released. At the bidding of an ethereal voice, Galahad is made king and with Bors and Percival receives the perfect vision of the Holy Grail, at which point his soul leaves his body and enters directly into Heaven. On the Galahad pen, you can see an image of the Holy Grail and a lady, Sir Percival’s sister, bearing a sword. This may be a reference to the tale of Galahad arriving at Camelot sans sword or shield. He receives a sword via a boulder in the middle of the river. Sound familiar? Geraint and Enid
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Sir Bedivere A companion and cupbearer of King Arthur, Sir Bedivere undertakes heroic exploits with the king and Sir Kay, and is the last surviving knight of King Arthur’s final battle. Bedivere is charged by the dying king to cast the sword Excalibur back into the lake. After failing twice to carry out his charge, he casts the sword over the water only to see the arm of the Lady of the Lake retrieve it and bear it under the waves. Upon hearing the report of this, Arthur dies and Bedivere shortly thereafter leaves the order of knights and enters a hermitage until his death. On his pen, Bedivere stands, spear in hand, surveying the swords and shields of the fallen from Arthur’s final battle. The Lady of the Lake is shown on a vessel gliding upon the waves, near a sword in the water.
Galahad
The Phoenix Lacquer Art Knights of the Round Table collection incorporates images of knights, ladies, damsels, horses, swords, shields, wild game, ships, dragons and the Holy Grail—a collection that will definitely provide many “knights” to remember. Visit phoenixlacquerart.com. JOHN CHANDLER is a contributing editor of PW, residing in Houston, Texas.
Bedivere
The lid of the chest that holds the set of pens is decorated in the same style of the pens and by the same artists.
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Bors and Lionel
The MR Animal Collection adds a touch of the exotic to every word. Impeccable craftsmanship with a stainless steel nib reà ects your professional side while an array of accent prints unleash your inner animal. It’s a striking value at $18.75.
PowerToThePen.com/MR
The Knights of The Round Table
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