Comments for Miscellany & Cacophony

Comment on Mmmm Vacumatic! by Mary Garavaglia

Mary Garavaglia — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 18:08:18 +0000

Nice pen. Great find. Thanks for the info on Dan Smith. Will definitely keep him in mind for future restorations.

Comment on Mmmm Vacumatic! by Dan Smith

Dan Smith — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 04:29:20 +0000

Hey, nice photos you have there. I had a great time working on that pen. It’s definitely a beauty.

The mismatched jewels are actually pretty common on these second gen pens. If it has a black section it’ll most likely have a black blind cap jewel. The first gen pens with the section made from celluloid should have matching jewels.

Dan

Comment on Mmmm Vacumatic! by reginald golding

reginald golding — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 04:13:20 +0000

Thanks for sharing! I’m in love with the Vacs too, but only have a couple. Good shape on the clip diamond too, yay.
It’s my understanding that it’s not terribly uncommon to see pens that have had bits replaced over time; maybe explains the mismatched jewels?
Some that knows more than me may be able to say for certain; but I’m assuming that the blind cap had a striped jewel to start with, which was broken or otherwise lost, then replaced with what I presume to be a more readily available black jewel.
Either way, great find for the money! I’m jealous.

Comment on Review: Custom ground italic Pilot Varsity by Deb

Deb — Sat, 16 Jan 2010 18:23:26 +0000

LOVE your handwriting. I only wish I could be so neat and stylish with my own penmanship.

Comment on Review: Custom ground italic Pilot Varsity by Sailor Kenshin

Sailor Kenshin — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 01:03:50 +0000

I sure would love one.

Chicken scratch? Never. Very nice hand indeed.

Comment on QOTW: What’s your pen collection focus? by Sailor Kenshin

Sailor Kenshin — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 01:02:33 +0000

My focus was on cheap ‘n’ cheerful fountain pens, with the occasional foray into a pen costing more than $10.

Most of the more expensive pens disappoint. Now my immediate focus is on any pen with a ‘fude’ nib.

I also use a lot of gel pens but wouldn’t say I ‘collected’ them.

Comment on Review: Clairefontaine Basic Notebook by dannzeman

dannzeman — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 22:51:24 +0000

I love these notebooks. The paper is awesome and will take on any ink without a fuss, even from my wettest flex nibs.

Comment on QOTW: What’s your pen collection focus? by Dani K.

Dani K. — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 01:54:48 +0000

Late response, but just came across your blog. Focus? The best I can get for cheap. Much as I would love to test drive/own some of the high end pens available, it’s just not feasible yet. Aside from that, I have a variety of pens: Asian fountain, Sakura Microns, various Sharpies, gel pens, etc. Waiting for some dip pens to arrive in the mail, too.

Comment on Review: Quo Vadis Habana by Dani K.

Dani K. — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 01:50:27 +0000

Nice review. I love Clairefontaine paper and this notebook looks great… However, I’m a sucker for smaller notebooks. I write small and want to be able to lug around more than one at a time. I loved my Habana planner, and having that size of a notebook would be splendid. I shall have to keep an eye out for these…

Comment on Review: Custom ground italic Pilot Varsity by dannzeman

dannzeman — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 17:07:07 +0000

Thanks for the review. You flatter me!
I haven’t sold the Varsities before, as you stated I usually include them as gifts to people who use my restoration services, but if someone really wanted one I’m sure we could work something out.

@Charles, I find an easier way to refill the Varsities is by using pliers to pull the nib and feed out of the section. Rinse the pen out, fill with your favorite color, and put the feed and nib back in. It usually snaps into place when you’ve got back in properly. I’ve done it a couple of times and the hardest part is getting the feed and nib out; it takes some force.