A Walk Among the Tombstones

A Walk Among the Tombstones

As Lawrence Block's film 'A Walk Among the Tombstones' was released on September 19th (starring Liam Neeson), I thought it appropriate to show the beautiful, mint Montblanc Agatha Christie fountain pen that passed through my hands last year when Larry asked me to find an appreciative home for it. This was one of the originals and presented to him as a gift by Montblanc. You can read more of the story (and see more photographs) here, and see a clip of the man himself on the Craig Ferguson show this past week here. Watch the official trailer here rated R).

Interview with CEO of A. T. Cross pen company

The Artisanal Signature

A wonderful interview and photos of Maki-e artisan Michifumi Kawaguchi, the creative force behind the 2012 Namiki Limited Edition Fountain Pen, the Namiki Archer on Horseback.

"Late in the movie Margin Call, Jeremy Irons’ reptilian financial shark schools his team of predators in his business paradigm: “There are three ways to make a living in this business: be first, be smarter, or cheat.” Being first and getting away with cheating often involves a fair degree of luck to and this is something an avowed traditionalist firm like the Namiki Manufacturing Company did without in 1918. Indeed, founder Ryosuke Namiki famously wanted to succeed purely on the merits of his product and the hard work of everyone at the company. To this end, he reportedly opened one of his factories deliberately on the most inauspicious day of the year so that no one could credit the company’s success to luck."

Read the article here.

Incredibly Realistic Bic-Pen Drawings of Animals

"You don’t need special materials to make breathtaking, realistic art. At least, you don’t if you’re as talented as French photographer and illustrator Sarah Esteje, who often uses nothing more than a Bic pen to create stunning work."

See more here.

Handwriting in the Digital Age

A very interesting radio interview on the subject! Just click on the title above to go to the webpage, then click on 'Listen'.

Freedom Pen project lets Thompson honor soldiers, remember son

Freedom Pen project from Mankato Free Press on Vimeo.

Read more about Mr. Thompson's project by clicking on the title bar above.

A modern use of pen, ink and notebook

Presidential signing pens

Many people were fascinated by the ritual of President Obama's signing of the healthcare bill (politics aside). He used 22 pens to sign his name (which is why his signature is far from 'free-flowing')!

The pens appear to be Cross Townsend rollerballs.

How To Leverage the Tactile Lure of Good Paper

One of His Nibs' customers, James Gaskin, has an article in the January 19th issue of ITWorld about the use of quality paper and fountain pens when communicating with business clients...especially in the age of email.

Click the title bar above to read the article

My Pen

Ever felt like this about your pen?

Bookworm Abstract series of fountain pens -- Part 2

A couple of thoughts I left out of part 1! :-)

Bookworm Abstract series of fountain pens

Bookworm has come up with another winning design in the Abstract series of pens. The cap and barrel are lacquer-over-brass design and the pen has a sleek torpedo-shape overall, with a colorful midsection.

Monteverde Charisma pens

Read about the Charisma pens here.

Jinhao Dragon Pearl

Jinhao Dragon Pearl series



Read about the pen here.

...and then we have...

Air Writing: Next Big Thing in Cell Phones?

"Forget fumbling with tiny cell phone keys. A prototype of a new application allows cell phone users to write short notes in the air and send them automatically to an e-mail address.

This represents just one possible step toward allowing people to naturally merge the real world with the information power of the Internet. Travelers and other mobile users could air-write notes to themselves rather than have to text on the run.

"By holding the phone like a pen, you can write short messages or draw simple diagrams in the air," said Sandip Agrawal, an electrical and computer engineering student at Duke University in North Carolina."

Full article here.

...and something of a counterbalance to the post below...

iPhone Cursive Writing App Hits the App Store

"Deep Pocket Series has unveiled ABC Cursive Writing 1.0, a handwriting improvement app for the iPhone and iPod touch. The app was designed to help children learn the basics of cursive writing for the first time, as well as help adults improve their handwriting skills."

Read the full article here.

The Mighty Pen

His Nibs contemplates which is mightier...

BOB HANGS UP HIS PENS AFTER A LABOUR OF LOVE

"A RETIRED school teacher, who has hand-written the church electoral roll in Horsted Keynes for the last 20 years, is hanging up his pens.



Bob Cullens, 82, of Highbrook, took up the job of listing all the names and addresses of parishioners at St Giles' Church after attending an evening class in scribe work.

Though his predecessor had typed the list of 130 names, Bob said he got a lot of pleasure from his writing and every year he re-wrote the document by hand using a variety of nibs and a pot of ink.
Bob said: 'I was never good at typing, and hand-written script is one of the things I've always wanted to do.

'With all the various fonts you can get with a PC, you can get some splendid work but there was something about having it hand done. We like hand-made things, like hand knitted jumpers.'

Bob, who also makes and decorates ornate cakes on request, said he used to spend more than five hours in half hour sessions on his labour of love which could often be frustrating.

He said: 'You have to think a long way ahead because it has to be completed before a certain time and there are always people who don't think about putting their name forward until the last week, so often names have to be added at the end.'

Bob finally decided to pass the job on so he could look after his wife. He said: 'I don't think my writing is as good now. My hand is fairly steady but I'm past my prime. I decided to give up because my wife was ill and I have to spend my time with her. So I no longer go to church regularly and I'm getting out of touch.'
The role will now pass to ex-postmaster Jim Brimfield of Horsted Keynes. Bob said: 'It's up to Jim how he will present it but I expect he will type"

Putting pen to paper

"You would think that the pen, with the advent of the computer, was going the way of the quill-no way! There still is an aura around writing instruments, with clubs and magazines and societies devoting much passion to these instruments.

There continue to be pens with legendary names, which, to the aficionado, are as renowned as Rolls Royce, Aston Martin or Lamborghini. And for pens of this kind, connoisseurs will go to truly extraordinary lengths."

Click the title to read more

A fountain pen for Gandhi: The story of a celebrated pen

"Great Indians ranging from Mahatma Gandhi to Indira Gandhi, Rajendra Prasad to Shankar Dayal Sharma, S. Kasturiranga Iyengar of The Hindu to Ramnath Goenka of Indian Express, had one thing in common: they used pens supplied from this town in coastal Andhra Pradesh. Ratnam pens, known as `swadeshi' pens, during the freedom movement, brought laurels to Rajahmundry and the pen-maker K.V. Ratnam.



The pen has many unique features. And you can order one of your choice.
During the swadeshi movement, after Gandhiji gave a call to boycott foreign goods, Ratnam, who was until then involved in making lithographic blocks, met Gandhiji in 1921. Gandhiji advised him to make something that would be useful to the common man and that was inexpensive.

Ratnam and his brother, basically goldsmiths, made a golden nib and presented it to a sub-judge who needed it. Then in 1932, Nyapati Subba Rao Pantulu, one of the founders of The Hindu, ordered the first pen. It was made of silver.
Nyapati Subba Rao (Junior), a grandson of Subba Rao Pantulu, said: 'It is true that the first pen was purchased by my grandfather. He used only Ratnam pens. They were made to order and gifted to VIPs visiting Rajahmundry. I was told that my grandfather personally delivered Ratnam pens to Sri Kasturiranga Iyengar several times.'

One for Gandhiji

Ratnam made a pen made in ebonite material and sent it to Gandhiji, who wrote to him commending it. Gandhiji wrote from Wardha: 'Dear Ratnam, I must thank you for the fountain pen you sent me... I have needed it and [it] seems to be a good substitute to the foreign pen, once in the bazaar. Yours sincerely, M.K. Gandhi, 16.7.1935. '

The pens retained their popularity after Independence and remained status symbols. In the 1950s, a Ratnam golden pen (22 carat gold) cost Rs.55: now it costs Rs.30, 000. Prices now range from Rs.35 to Rs.40,000.

K.V. Narasimhacharyulu and K.V. Ramana, Ratnam's two sons, assisted their father in the business. In 1959, Mr. Narasimhacharyulu went to Germany and on his return started a ballpoint pen manufacturing unit, for the first time in India in Rajahmundry. The brothers run the pen business today.

A Ratnam pen takes at least two days to deliver — custom-made, to individual taste."