News and Updates

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March 11, 2010 - Travel back in time to the late 1880s-1890s with this select group of vintage advertisements for fountain pens, inks and other related items like ink erasers, stationery, amazing typewriters, elaborate pencil sharpeners and desks that were made for writing. You'll find well known early fountain pen makers such as Paul Wirt, Watermans, Shipmans and other less known companies as well. Beautiful framed on your office or pen room walls.

ads



March 11, 2010 - Pendemonium's retail shop in Fort Madison, Iowa will be closed Saturdays through March 13th to attend our granddaughter's show choir competitions. Thanks for your understanding.

It’s Show Choir Season!
We will be closed Saturdays
Feb 6, Feb 13, Feb 20, Feb 27, March 6 and March 13




March 8, 2010 - On Sunday, March 7, the Burlington Hawkeye newspaper ran an article about Pendemonium. It's always exciting to be in the news! Even Chessie and Maddy, our resident cats, approved since they, too, got a mention! You can read the article online. Click Here!




March 4, 2010 - Wahl-Oxford used some gorgeous celluloids on their writing instruments, even though they were sold at a more economical price point in the 1930s. This stunning mechanical pencil costs far less than it's big brother Wahl-Eversharp mates.

ever
Click for details



Please Note: - So sorry to disappoint! There will be no issue of Inky Greetings today, Thursday, March 4, 2010. Not to worry, Inky Greetings will be back next week.




March 4, 2010 - Pendemonium's retail shop in Fort Madison, Iowa will be closed Saturdays through March 13th to attend our granddaughter's show choir competitions. Thanks for your understanding.

It’s Show Choir Season!
We will be closed Saturdays
Feb 6, Feb 13, Feb 20, Feb 27, March 6 and March 13




March 3, 2010 - Step back into the World War II era with a look through some nostalgic Sheaffer advertisements.

ads



March 2, 2010 - There are 7 newly listed Parker 51 advertisements on the website today from 1947 - 1952. My favorite is Parker's Spring Gift Showing, but I think that is because Spring just can't come soon enough and if a Parker 51 Springtime ad encourages warm weather, then yes, it is my fave! Click the ad to see the Parker 51 adverts and everyone Think Spring!

ads



March 2, 2010 - We've changed the mix of dip pen nibs on our Spencerian Dip PenNib assortment. This assortment now includes the No. 28 Congressional and the No. 34 Falcon Stub. Plus 3 other vintage, new old stock nibs. Inexpensive way to try out some great writing Spencerian dip pen nibs.

nibs



We're Back from the
2010 LA Pen Show Route 66 Adventure!

Thank you all for stopping by to see us at the Los Angeles International Pen Show. As always, it was a blast and this show just keeps on growing and getting better each year.

We have started to sort through huge accumulations of orders, mail, emails and all the other things that pile up when you're on the road for almost two weeks. We started shipping orders out on Monday, February 22 and we'll continue shipping orders in the order they were received. Our goal is to get everything out this week and be back on our regular next day shipping schedule next week. You've all been so patient and we thank you so much, we really appreciate it.

We are trying to finish up our LA Pen Show Route 66 Travelogue. Internet connections were not all so wonderful on this trip and to be quite honest, some nights after we pulled into our home away from home on the road, my eyes just weren't up to lots of computer gazing. Several people politely pointed out to me that McDonald's has free wifi in their restaurants, but you have to remember that we tend to be a little off the beaten path at times and the nearest McDonald's might not be very near. Aside from the fact that we really do try to patronize the local spots on our travel adventures. If we don't do that, our local places may not be there the next time we go through and that would be catastrophic!

One of the many stops we made on Route 66 was at Pops in Arcadia, Oklahoma. Pops is even more niche market than we are - they sell soda pop from all around the world. OK, they have some other souvenir t-shirts and the like, but pretty much they just sell pop. Over 500 brands of pop! They're approaching selling their one millionth bottle. So of course we helped them along toward that million bottle mark by bringing pack some soda pop that we had never had before. With 500 plus different ones to choose from that wasn't hard to do! Most nights for dinner, we'll be popping off the bottle cap of one of the bottles of soda pop and giving it a test taste. Tonight we had The Soprano's Amaretto Soda, delicious and not like any other soda I've ever tasted! If you follow us along on Twitter, we'll be tweeting and trying for a photo of each of the different soda pops. I think this is my sub-conscious way of extending our fun journey along Route 66!



February 25, 2010 - It's a doozy of a Cursive Italic Day today!

italics
Click for details



February 25, 2010 - We're cruising eastbound on Route 66 on our latest travelogue update. Land of school spirit, Root 66 (yes!) and green dinos.

la




February 25, 2010 - Pendemonium's retail shop in Fort Madison, Iowa will be closed Saturdays through March 6th to attend our granddaughter's show choir competitions. Thanks for your understanding.

It’s Show Choir Season!
We will be closed Saturdays
Feb 6, Feb 13, Feb 20, Feb 27, March 6 and March 13




February 24, 2010 - We've added another installment to our travelogue today. Kingman Arizona to the Pacific Ocean. It's not that far from point A to Point B on day five of our 2010 LA Pen Show Adventure, but it's some of the most picturesque country we travel. High cute factor - check out the baby burros in Oatman.

la



We've also updated the travelogue with our Route 66 adventures from Victorville to Amboy and points beyond in the Mojave. Plus a couple of nice shots of sunset over Lake Havasu.

la



February 24, 2010 -We haven't been from Tucson to Tucumcari (sing along now), but we did go from Grants, New Mexico to Seligman, Arizona on Route 66. New update to our travelogue has been posted.

la




February 23, 2010 -Join us as we travel Route 66 westbound from Santa Rosa through Albuquerque and a little bit beyond. Yes, a new entry on our 2010 LA Pen Show Route 66 Adventure.




February 23, 2010 - As we process and pack the orders that arrived while we were away on our 2010 LA Pen Show Adventure, we're trying to include a little souvenir of our trip in each package. As we traveled Route 66 and a few other roads we gathered some nifty old fashioned roadside brochures to share with you. Perhaps it will inspire trips across America via Route 66. We can't take credit for this idea, our friends at www.vintageroadside.com do this on their trips across the country and we snitched the idea from them!

la




February 22, 2010 - We've been working on a long overdue update to our EsterbrookAdvertisements section of the website. It's not quite completed, but there are many, many new photos added. If you like Esterbrooks, be sure to take a look for a stroll down memory lane in the 1940s and 1950s. Just click the photo and you'll be swept away to Estie-Land!

ads



February 19, 2010 - Greetings from the Mother Road! We're motoring our way back to Fort Madison from the LA Pen Show via Route 66. We've had some late nights on the road, not to mention an aggravating case of the sniffles (one of the not so wonderful things brought back from LA Pen Show!) and had to weigh the pros and cons of getting the travelogue updated and trying for sleep when we pull in for the night. We'll get back on the travelogue updates on our 2010 LA Pen Show Adventure on Route 66 soon. Thanks for all of your patience.

la




February 18, 2010 - Pendemonium's retail shop in Fort Madison, Iowa will be closed Saturdays through March 6th to attend our granddaughter's show choir competitions. Thanks for your understanding.

It’s Show Choir Season!
We will be closed Saturdays
Feb 6, Feb 13, Feb 20, Feb 27 and March 6




February 18, 2010 - They're back!! But... not for long. We have both the 40 pen and 12 pen ballistic nylon pen cases back in stock, however they have been discontinued by the manufacturer. Get them before they disappear, when they are gone, they are gone!

cases



February 15, 2010 - Before we hit the road again, we put some photos from the LA Pen Show on our travelogue. So good to see so many people at the show over the weekend. Thanks for stopping by to see us, we hope everyone enjoyed the show as much as we did.

la




February 14, 2010 - We posted lots of photos and a little commentary to our 2010 LA Pen Show Adventure on Route 66 today. Lots of motels and cars from days gone by.




February 12, 2010 - Today is day one of the Los Angeles International Pen Show. Casual trading, wheeling and dealing as is typical of Friday at this show. We look forward to seeing you. If you need details on the show schedule, hours, times etc, please visit the show website. We're going to try and get some good photos for those of you unable to attend the show this weekend, so stay tuned to Penemonium!




February 11, 2010 - We're slowly but surely making our way down Route 66 toward the LA Pen Show. We found sunshine in Arizona this morning. Of course we also found lots of snow in Arizona yesterday, too! We've updated our 2010 LA Pen Show Adventure with some photos and commentary from Oklahoma and Texas. Come join us for the ride!




February 11, 2010 - Pendemonium's retail shop in Fort Madison, Iowa will be closed Saturdays through March 6th to attend our granddaughter's show choir competitions. Thanks for your understanding.

It’s Show Choir Season!
We will be closed Saturdays
Feb 6, Feb 13, Feb 20, Feb 27 and March 6




February 8, 2010 - The first day of our LA Pen Show is on our travelogue. Not only did we make it to Route 66, but we found Sheaffer Persian Rose Skrip, too!

la



February 4, 2010 - Pendemonium's retail shop in Fort Madison, Iowa will be closed Saturdays through March 6th to attend our granddaughter's show choir competitions. Thanks for your understanding.

It’s Show Choir Season!
We will be closed Saturdays
Feb 6, Feb 13, Feb 20, Feb 27 and March 6




February 2, 2010 - We filed two books today on our cyber-library shelves. An autographed copy of The Incredible Ball Point Pen and a very limited supply of the Pen and Pencil Gallery's reprint of the Sampson Mordan1898 catalogue. Perfect for winter reading and learning.

sampson mordan



January 28, 2010 - We just got in a big shipment of Private Reserveink, most colors restocked and waiting to be loaded into your favorite fountain pen! Private Reserve ink is made right here in the USA in Zionsville, Indiana.




January 27, 2010 - Our friend, and the friend of many of you who visit here, L. Michael Fultz passed away this afternoon. Fultz has always been a pen collector! He was a walking encyclopedia of obscure patent dates and pen history and chances were if you needed an answer or some information, Fultz would know. He was one of the organizers of the Chicago Pen Show and owner of Chicago Gold. My heart aches for his wife, Martha. Rest in peace Michael.

Fultz, Chicago, 2009



January 26, 2010 - We'll be traveling to the Los Angeles Pen Show via Route 66, The Mother Road again this year. One of our traditions in keeping the spirit of writing alive is to send postcards from the road and we'd love to send one to you. Send us an email and include your name and postal mailing address. We'll mail you a postcard while on our 2010 L.A. Pen Show Adventure. Remember to wear warm clothes when you walk out to the mailbox!




January 25, 2010 - January 23rd was National Handwriting Day, it's on January 23rd because that was John Hancock's birthday. But we've discussed all of that on recent issues of Inky Greetings. I decided that this year I would randomly select 23 different people from our customer list and mail them a hand written note in observance of National Handwriting Day. Got a little behind as seems to be the norm for me these days, but my 23 handwritten notes are going in the mail box today. I used my ca. 1980s Platinum Urushi fountain pen with an extra fine nib and some sepia colored ink from a Guatemalan ink company that we've been testing out. I had a very enjoyable time writing the 23 notes. In each one, I explained why I was writing and mentioned that I hoped they would take a few moments to write a note card to someone to remind them of the power of the pen. Now it's your turn.




January 22, 2010 - Thanks to all of the good people in Fort Madison and the surrounding area who stopped by for It's Everybody's Business Thursday evening. Great turnout and nice to have a little time to chat with people while they're not at work. We're proud to be members of the Fort Madison Chamber of Commerce.




January 21, 2010 - Not many desk sets are being made these days and this is rather sad because it is so convenient to have a pen ready to use on your desk and always in the same place. We've listed a Parker desk set today, and have many other brands as well.

parker



January 20, 2010 - Thinking about ice skating today? Come on over - Fort Madison is glazed this morning. Shiny and very slick! I'm hoping for no interference on phone and cable lines today, all of which are above ground. If you email and don't hear back in a timely manner, please be patient, Frank may be out back chipping the ice off the lines. Just might be a good day for a little bit of letter writing!




January 19, 2010 - This ca. 1930s Pilot eyedropper filled fountain pen has three great things going for it - collectibility, large ink capacity and it's a lovely writer.

dip
Click for details



January 18, 2010 - MacNiven & Cameron had the most interesting names for their dip pen nibs! This one is the Hindoo nib, very desirable, a great writer for ornamental penmanship and we're including a holder, too.

dip
Click for details



January 15, 2010 - Like most of you reading this, we've been following the crisis in Haiti. The devastation to this already struggling nation is almost beyond my comprehension. The outpouring of monetary and emotional support for the Haitians warms my soul. I remind myself to live each day as if it were my last because we really don't know what tomorrow may bring. Keep the Haitians and the people in Haiti for rescue and aid work in your thoughts.




January 14, 2010 - An early invitation to join us at the Los Angeles International Pen Show February 12-14 in Manhattan Beach, California. This is one of the biggest pen shows in the USA and a great place to look at new fountain pens, vintage fountain pens and meet and talk to fellow pen aficionados from around the world. We hope you'll mark Saturday, February 13 at 3PM for the Think Ink seminar presented by yours truly. Visit the LA Pen Show's official website for details: www.lapenshow.com .

For many years now, we've been traveling Route 66, taking lots of pictures and doing quirky things on our way to and from the Los Angeles Pen Show. Yes, we're going to do it again this year. The photos and commentary for both the road trip and the LA Pen Show will be at http://pendemonium.blogspot.com. We have a few preliminary comments there and will be updating it more often as we get closer to the 2010 LA Adventure!




January 14, 2010 - Yes indeedy, it is Cursive Italic Day at Pendemonium!

italics
Click for details



January 5, 2010 - Mark your calendars today!

January 21, 2010 - Pendemonium will host the Fort Madison Chamber of Commerce monthly Business after Hours event. Join us for beer, wine, appetizers and socializing with local business people from 5-7 PM. This is not a pen event, but if you stop by, we'd be pleased to give you a tour of Pendemonium.

February 13, 2010 - We will be presenting a seminar, "Think Ink" at the Los Angeles Pen Show. Join us at 3PM at the Manhattan Beach Marriott for a short talk about all things fountain pen ink.




January 4, 2010

Freeze Warning!!

Many of you reading this are in a cold zone like we are and are experiencing some rather frigid temps. Just a reminder to you that ink & pens and cold are NOT a good mix. Keep your pens inside folks, don't leave them in your car, if you must take them outside, keep them warm in an inner pocket and give them time to adjust to room temperature before using. If your ink should become frozen, just let it thaw at room temperature, it will be fine.

We ship ink and pens all winter long with a little extra insulation. It is best at this time of year to have ink and pens shipped to an office address or PO Box. Not a good idea to leave them sitting out on your front porch at home all day. Cracked pens are not a pretty sight and this kind of arctic cold can do that in a heartbeat.

And for those of you reading this in warm zone, PLEEEEZE send some of that warmth our way!!



December 31, 2009 - These vintage Eversharp metal lead containers put modern plastic tubes to shame!

lead



If you like Parker red ink cartridges, boy, have we gotta' deal for you!!!
organizer



December 30, 2009 - Sterling silver "Vintage" Sheaffer mechanical pencil. Nice addition to your collection and a steal for a hallmarked sterling writing instrument of any kind these days!

sheaffer
Click for details


As if you haven't already guessed, we've been sorting dip pen nibs lately. Just a few days ago we added a number of nibs and updates quantities in our big, long list of Dip Pen Nibs and today, we've added a few more mini boxes of vintage nibs on our Dip Pen page. For those of you who enjoy writing with a dip pen, we hope you'll check out our selection.
dippen



December 29, 2009 - Keep it next to your landline phone (yes, some of us still have a few of those!) or put it on your reception desk to add a touch of class. This desk set has a classic look for just a little bit of money.

deskset



One of the coolest old desk organizers we've come across in some time. This one dates to the 1920s.
organizer



December 28, 2009 - For those of you looking to add a super nice vintage pen to your collection, this Parker comes with a bit of history from England and is in great condition, too.

parker
Click for details



December 28, 2009 - For those of you who prefer restoring your own vintage fountain pens, be sure to take a look at our Pen Repair Supplies aisle for parts, sacs and all sorts of handy tools. We've listed some fountain pen nibs today, along with some gold plated washer style clips.

parts



December 27, 2009 - The early Esterbrook DipLess pens used a single DipLess nib and feed instead of the more common later Esterbrook Renew Points, We've added a wide variety of the early single DipLess nibs to our Esterbrook section today.

esterbrook



December 26, 2009 - We want you to have complete confidence when you order something from Pendemonium. We could toot our horns (or ring our cow bells!) until the cows come home, but our customers say it best. We hope you'll check out our unsolicited feedback.




Pendemonium
wishes you
the very best of
the season!

Our retail shop will close at Noon CDT December 24th and will be closed on December 25th to spend Christmas with our family. We will be open on Saturday, December 26th and shipping will resume on Monday, December 28th.

holiday houses




December 22, 2009 - VS=Vacumatic Successor. VS pens are far harder to find than their predecessor, the Vacumatic. We have just listed a few Parker VS Fountain Pens that came out of old store stock. Each has been fully restored, the sacs had gone bad over the last 60 years, not a big surprise. Parker VS pens were only made from 1946-1949 and they were one of Parker's less than stellar performers in the sales arena. What that boils down to today is that since they were made for a very short time, they've turned into quite desirable pens. Great writers, big gold nibs, easy to use button fillers. A very classic look.

parker
Click for details



December 21, 2009 - Art Deco is in and so are these 50-some year old Esterbrook mint green & teal desk sets!

esterbrook



December 19, 2009 - Vintage boxed dip pen nibs added to our listings today. Esterbrook Drawlets and Hunt Speedball Flicker pen nibs, both are excellent for drawing and lettering and not easy to find today.

nibs



December 18, 2009 - Many artists, illustrators and cartoonists prefer crow quill nibs for their extra, extra fine lines and the flexibility they offer. We turned up not only a nice batch of vintage crow quill nibs, but some antique Esterbrook crow quill dip pens to hold them!

dippens



December 17, 2009 - Do your fave fountain pens need a home on your desk? Click to view!

rack



December 16, 2009 - Lots of vintage pencils leads added to the website today - Listo, Autopoint, Scripto, Eagle and Eversharp, along with some Vacuum brand vintage leads that we see rarely, great Art Deco packaging on the Vacuum cylinders.

leads



December 15, 2009 -

New Mini PenMemo Pads are a Pendemonium Exclusive!

Ink friendly Mini PenMemo tablets feature vintage pen and ink designs and are perfect for the pen and ink aficionado! Four designs currently available.

penmemos
Click for details



December 14, 2009 - This pen will never walk away from your desk!

esterbrook



December 13, 2009 - More oldies, but goodies added to our Sheaffer Pen selections today, including a 1996 Holly Holiday edition fountain pen set.

sheaffer
Click for details



December 12, 2009 - These brightly colored Parker Jotters were made for the European market. Great little gifts that will brighten anyone's day!

eversharp
Click for details



December 11, 2009 - PaperMates bring up recent memories for many, especially during the holidays, they were a popular gift. A group of vintage PaperMate ballpens have been added to the site, these date to the 1950s-1960s.

other pens
Click for details



December 10, 2009 - For the non-fountain pen people on your holiday shopping list, we've just listed two Sheaffers that will be sure to please. You needn't worry that your gift recipient will find 5 or 6 of these under the tree on Christmas morn!

sheaffer
Click for details



December 9, 2009 - Sheaffer made hundreds of different desk sets over the years and we've listed seven of the models today. Several in original boxes and a true rarity, a figural Liberty Bell desk set.

sheaffer



December 8, 2009 - Pen ephemera is much harder to find than the pens themselves and often tells us a lot of info about our collectible pens and the companies that made them. Check it out. Two new items added to the list today.

dippens
Click for details



December 8, 2009 - Thanks to all who stopped by the last two weekends to partake in our Holiday Open House event and do a little pen shopping. We have a big box full of non-perishable foods and some nice donations that people brought by and we'll be delivering these items to the Fort Madison Food Pantry on Friday morning. Thanks to all for your generosity.

Congratulations to Christopher F! We drew Christopher's name in our grand prize drawing for a $100 Pendemonium gift certificate.

holiday houses




December 7, 2009 - These fun three-pack sets of vintage dip pens are perfect for the budding artist on your holiday shopping list.

dippens
Click for details



December 5, 2009 - Inkwell-mania! Take a little stroll down our antique inkwell aisle, many new additions made today, including a bill spindle if you want to stab those incoming bills!

inkwells



December 4, 2009 - On Saturday, December 5th, we'll draw for a $100 Pendemonium gift certificate! Stop on by the shop for Holiday Open House, a little coffee, some tempting chocolate treats and of course to browse our pens and writing things! You can scratch Chessie's ears a little for good luck!!

chessie



December 4, 2009 - Be sure to take a walk down our Other Pencils aisle! Filled with unusual vintage mechanical pencils like the miniature pencil below, for the non-pen people on your shopping list. It's a perfect fit for smaller appointment and address books!

pencils
Click for details



December 3, 2009 - It's Cursive Italic Day!

italics
Click for details



December 2, 2009 - Looking for a practical, yet attractive gift for the upcoming holidays? A Parker Frontier Flighter may be just the ticket, or perhaps an English made pink Jotter or a lovely Parker VS in rust!

eversharp
Click for details



November 30, 2009 - Perfect for 10 of your favorite fountain pens, plus extra space for nibs and ink!

nibs



November 29, 2009 - Always reliable with a classic look, the Esterbrook J Series fountain pens. And a mint green Desk Set, for good measure!

esterbrook
Click for details


Don't pass by our Other Pens offerings! Always unusual things here, including three additions today - an original Reynolds International, High Class out of Japan, and a US made Cross Century set.

cross
Click for details



November 28, 2009 - If you must use a ballpoint, why not make it vintage?

eversharp
Click for details



November 27, 2009 - We've been busy over in our Pen Paraphernalia aisle today!

We've added a multitude of Sheaffer Service Pins - Sheaffer treated their employees well and on 5 year anniversaries, the employees would receive a service pin or medallion. One of the more collectible Sheaffer items! Check them out:

sh
Click for details


More treasures from the Feb 2007 Sheaffer Industrial Auction

sh
Click for details


And last, but not least, the perfect item to celebrate your latest inkwell acquisition!

sh
Click for details


And After a hard day hunting for pens, you can hang your hat and coat here!

rack
Click for details


For our vintage ink bottle collectors - a few new ones added today!
bottles
Click for details



November 27, 2009

openhouse



November 25, 2009 - With the scores of great vintage Sheaffer pens and pencils we added today, there's bound to be something for everyone! Look for all the New! notations

sheaffer
Click for details


Our Eversharp aisle has been restocked with two early Eversharp BPs and a cool 1950s fountain pen & pencil set in original box .. flex nib, too, and a Wahl Oxford also with a flexy nib!

eversharp
Click for details



A charming early 1920's Conklin and 1930's ringtop pencil in an unusual deep teal color added today.

pencils
Click for details



The photo below is of a Waterman No. 12 eyedropper style fountain pen from ca. 1905-1910 - beautiful condition and an ultra flexible Waterman star nib in case you decide to use it. Click on the photo for details.

waterman
Click for details



November 24, 2009 - It's Cursive Italic Day with six new custom ground pens!

italics
Click for details



November 24, 2009 -This coming Thursday's issue of Inky Greetings will contain a very special limited time shopping offer for our subscribers. If you already subscribe to Inky Greetings, tune in to your email for this issue Thursday morning. And if you don't subscribe, you have until noon Wednesday to get signed up for this not to be missed issue of Inky Greetings!




November 23, 2009 - We've added almost three dozen pens to our Other Pens page today: stylos and fountain pens from Pilot and Osmiroid and others, including the Conway Stewart shown below, and roller ball and ballpoints from Monteverde, Yafa, and others. Some are even on sale!

other
Click for details



November 21, 2009 - The Dallas Pen Show has announced show dates for 2010! Click here for details on the 2010 Dallas Pen Show along with many other pens shows coming up in 2010.




November 19, 2009 - We've posted an eclectic batch of vintage Parkers today: 1940s Duofold, 51, 61, 45, 25, Classics, Big Red and a 1920s Duofold Pencil. Enjoy!

parker
Click for details



November 16, 2009 - Dip pen nibs from Des Moines!

nibs



November 16, 2009 - From the ever-so-talented Joe Cali, 3 new fountain pens. Cali is an amazing pen artist! Each Cali crafted fountain pen is unique.

cali
Click for details



November 13, 2009 - Inkwells come in all shapes, sizes and a wide range of styles, perhaps even one that is just right for you! My personal favorite is the white French porcelain pump inkwell, take a look.

inkwell



November 12, 2009 - PLEASE NOTE: Hopefully, no interference here, but in case our website is a little sluggish, our server provider will be performing maintenance Thursday 11PM ET through Friday 4AM ET. We are anticipating no interruption to service. (I always cross my fingers just in case!)




November 11, 2009 - Dozens of collectible Sheaffer pens and pencils have been added to the website today. Look for the New! notations for pens ranging from the funky Stylist fountain pens to new old stock bright red Cadets, many added today were made right here in Ft. Madison!

sheaffer
Click for details



November 11, 2009 - Today is Veteran's Day in the USA. We salute all of   the Vets and those of you who are currently serving in the Armed Forces as well.

Because it is Veteran's Day, the US Postal Service is closed today meaning no shipments go out today. Shipping resumes on Thursday.




November 10, 2009 - We got back in from the Ohio Pen Show late Monday night. Perfect Indian Summer day for driving across the heartland. Harvest time in full swing with all farm equipment out well after dark tonight. I understand "Share the Road" signs as they apply to bicycles, but have a whole new appreciation for sharing the road with monster sized, alien looking combines and such now!

While we were at the Ohio Pen Show we confirmed receipt of all orders and inquiries via email. We are in the process of doing the same for orders and inquiries that we received after 6AM Monday morning. Please bear with us, we're emailing as fast as our fingers can fly across the keyboard - we have to take them out of driving mode and put them into office mode again!

We will begin shipping a few orders on Tuesday because the USPS will be closed on Wednesday, November 11 in honor of Veteran's Day. My best projection at this point in time is that we'll get the bulk of the orders packed up on Wednesday and shipped off to you on Thursday when the post office re-opens.

Many thanks to all of you who stopped by to visit and shop with us at the Ohio Pen Show over the weekend. It was a great show and the pizza party on Friday night was a blast!




Join us at the Ohio Pen Show!

We'll be exhibiting all weekend at the Ohio Pen Show. Stop on by to see our selection of fountain pens, inks, pen repair supplies, pen books, inkwells. For those of you who are regulars at this show, we'll be set up in our usual spot in the main ballroom against the back wall.

We will have some very special desk sets at the Ohio Pen Show. These are each unique and have been made from industrial steel tooling that was once used to make Sheaffer pens. You could be the owner of a one of a kind desk set with origins at the Sheaffer Pen factory in Fort Madison, Iowa.

Our retail shop in Fort Madison will be closed Thursday, Nov 5 thru Monday, Nov 9. The shop will re-open Tuesday, Nov 10th at 10 am and we will resume regular hours.

While we are at the Ohio Pen Show, we will acknowledge all orders and email inquiries. Shipping will be suspended. We will resume shipping as soon as we return from the show. Please be patient, email replies may be delayed.

Thanks! See you at the Ohio Pen Show November 6-8.



November 6, 2009 - Our selection of pen repair supplies and parts is ever changing so we hope those of you who are into repairing your vintage pens will check out this area of our website often. Waterman parts added today.




November 5, 2009 - It's Cursive Italic Day!

italic
Click for details



November 3, 2009 - Don't be alarmed, it's all good news! We've been doing a little housecleaning and minor construction work on our Inks and Refills section of the website today.

Just a brief recap of the work we've done which we hope will make things easier for those of you searching for inks and refills.

NEW: Other RB-BP Refills button to link to any ballpoint & roller ball refills we have that are not a name brand listed already. You'll find Schmidt and some others here now. We did this because while Schmidt refills are very popular and fit oodles of different pens, not everyone is familiar with the name Schmidt.

NEW: Other Converters button to link to converters that are not a name brand listed already. Here, you'll find Monteverde mini converters and Schmidt standard international converters. Both of these fit a wide variety of fountain pens.

NEW: Other Inks button links you to fountain pen inks and cartridges that we don't normally stock and have limited quantities of. Good place to check for good deals, too.




November 2, 2009 - Piston filling Reform with great 2.3mm italic nib added today. We just have one, so don't dilly dally!.

reform
Click for details



October 28, 2009 - Five lovely vintage mechanical pencils have made it our pencil aisle today. These include a Conklin, Everfeed and Monitor amongst others. Our antique pencils are always fully restored and in working order.

pencils
Click for details



October 27, 2009 -Waterman C/F Fountain Pen listed today, thankfully complete with a working converter which is very difficult to find.

waterman
Click for details



October 26, 2009 - The Fall issue of Stylus Magazine has arrived! We have limited copies available for those of you who may not subscribe. This is filled with articles on new and vintage fountain pens, plus Stylus' usual drool-worthy photography!

stylus



October 23, 2009 - It is Legacy and Crest day in our Sheaffer aisle today! Many nice, high end ballpens to match your favorite fountain pens.

vic
Click for details



October 22, 2009 -We have found it necessary to raise our custom nib grinding prices just a little bit to help cover costs. This prices changes take effect today, Thursday, October 22, 2009. We know that some of you have pens for custom grinding enroute to us and of course, we have some of your pens here in the grinding process. We will honor our old prices on all nib grinding enroute to us that is postmarked today, Thursday, October 22, 2009 and on all nib grinding already in house.

We've added some additional nib grinding information to the info already there and hope that it will help you in determining which custom grind you would like. There are also details on how to ship your pen, how much it costs and I hope everything you need to determine your nib grinding preferences.

Thanks so much for all of your custom nib grinding business. We appreciate it!




October 20, 2009- Apologies! Our server was once again down for about 12 hours between 1AM and 1PM CT today taking our website and our email with it. All of your emails during that time have come through and I've replied to all now and have just few recent emails pending. Orders that you placed via our secure order form seem to have all come in now, too, judging from the time stamps. Some of the orders placed during the night are being shipped today, Tuesday. Most are on tap to be shipped to you on Wednesday, you'll receive a confirmation within 24 hours. If for some reason, your email confirmation does not arrive, please email me and I'll double check on your order.

I know this is annoying and frustrating to you as it is to us. Rest assured that we are researching what I hope are some more sound and reliable alternatives. Thanks for hanging in there with us!

sam




October 19, 2009 -We popped up a nice Victorian Pencil on the website today, but not just any 'ol Victorian Pencil! This is an early Mabie pencil with 1854 patent, the first known Mabie patent.

vic
Click for details



October 16, 2009 -We hope you'll keep us in mind when you're looking for custom nib grinding services. Read what our customers have to say, then you make the call!




October 15, 2009 -It's Cursive Italic Day!

cg
Click for details



October 14, 2009 - We've added a few Parker and Sheaffer vintage caps to our parts listings today. Take a peek, one of them might be just what you need to finish restoration of a pen in need of a cap!




October 13, 2009 - Do your pencils need a refill? We offer a wide range of vintage pencil leads to keep your antique mechanical pencils up and writing. This section of our website also has some helpful hints on unraveling the mysteries of pencil lingo, too! Things like lead diameters as well as what HB and 2F might mean in the pencil world.

esterbrook



October 12, 2009 - Check out the latest Sheaffer Pens and Pencils. Only one of each of these available!

Lady Sheaffer Skripsert
sheaffer

Sheaffer Agios in discontinued finishes
sheaffer

Sheaffer Preludes in discontinued finishes
sheaffer



October 9, 2009 - Step right up! We have Esterbrooks for everyone and those of you who remember back to the 1940s-50s know that there was an Esterbrook for every hand. They don't come any cleaner than this DipLess Pen in original box, shown below. Never used, perfect condition.

esterbrook



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Pendemonium's retail shop in Fort Madison, Iowa
April 2003






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