The Perdice Bradford Receives a Rave Review

The first review of the Perdice Bradford from respected publisher Nancy Olson is in, and we are ecstatic!

Now that the first few Perdices are in the hands of their new owners, we can't wait to hear what you all think, too. Send us your comments!


Thanks for stopping by!

James

Are You Dreaming of a White Christmas?

In keeping with the spirit of the season, today's "12 Days of Christmas Sale" item from the Pear Tree Pen Company is an Iceberg White Omas 360 Fountain Pen. We have a few of these beautiful pens in stock, in either a fine or medium nib. The triangular Omas 360 Collection is considered the flagship of Omas' model line and represents one of the most advanced writing instruments of our time. The 360's triangular body is based on ergonomic principles, and combines a perfect grip and nib angle to permit fluid, uniform writing with uninterrupted ink flow. The 360 is streamlined and aerodynamic and equipped with a rhodium-plated 18K gold nib and features Omas' "hi-tech" rhodium-plated trim. The Omas 360 is available with Omas' innovative ACS (Advanced Cartridge System).

The retail price of these pens is $595, but today we're offering them only $299.99.

Thanks for stopping by!

12 Days of Christmas Sale - Monday, Dec. 20

Today's "12 Days of Christmas" Sale item, "Mabie in America", should be on the shelf of every fan of vintage fountain pens. Author and fountain pen historian David Moak relates the fascinating story of the Mabie-related pen companies in astonishing detail, from John Mabie's first entry into the work force through the closing of the American company in 1941.

Containing nearly 250 pages and 750 illustrations, this volume represents the most complete history of a single pen company in print. This 3rd and final edition of this important work contains a considerable amount of new information and many new illustrations.

"Meticulously researched . . . lavishly illustrated." - Michael Fultz

"The well-written text is carefully annotated, and profusely illustrated with color pictures of pens and other products of the Mabie companies. While Mabie in America may appeal most of all to pen collectors, it is also an important contribution to New York business history and to the history of the Mabies and allied families." - The New York Genealogical and Biographical Record"

Every page surprises you with the scope of the research and the wealth of information. It makes you wish that every pen maker had a book like this." - Ron Dutcher

Normally $45.00. On sale at the Pear Tree Pen Company for only $26.99.

12 Days of Christmas Sale - Day 3

Today's item is the "Journey" Notebook from Exacompta, with either a brown or black leather cover. MSRP is $14.00 - Now they're only $4.75!

The Exacompta Journey is a field notebook for all those who long for the trail. This design by Rafbet Garcia and Caroline Pruilh is in the old Japanese tradition of woodblock carving for printing.

Exacompta "Journey" Notebooks feature:

* Real leather cover
* Clairefontaine paper - extra white, exceptionally smooth satin finish
* 90 g acid-free, pH neutral for long preservation
* Black elastic closure
* Elegant round corners
* 96 ruled sheets

Sewn binding for extra security and flexibility

Each Wild Ducks "Journey" notebook is 4" x 6" and is available with a brown or black leather cover.

12 Days of Christmas Sale - Day 2

At the 12 Day of Christmas Sale from the Pear Tree Pen Company, we're offering Rhodia Academic Planners - and they're nearly free!

Well, not really, but they are more than half off, and that's a deal that's hard to beat.

These 12-month 2010-2011 academic planners feature high quality Rhodia paper and are available with an either orange or black cover, and in both the larger 6" x 9" and smaller 4" x 6" size. They run from August 2010 through July 2011.

12 Days of Christmas Sale - Day 1

Well, apparently we can't count, because there are only 10 days until Christmas. (Holy cow - where does the time go?)

In any event, for those who can forgive us for this little imperfection, we've got something special in store for you. Every day from now until December 25, we will a spectacular item in our store slash its price. But you need to hurry, because supplies will be limited to in-stock inventory and the savings will only be good for 24 hours! Today's item is, we think, a wonderful way to start the savings: The Rohrer & Klingner Glass Dip Pen Gift Set. This beautiful handmade dip pen set is a perfect way to explore the 2 bottles of fantastic R & K inks that the set contains, but also make using the Pear Tree Pen Ink Sampler a breeze. And, of course, it's a great gift for any of the inkophiles on your list!

We're Giving Away Platinum Fountain Pens

The Pear Tree Pen Company is giving away a Platinum Plaisir Fountain Pen (or two - or three ...).

Here's how you can enter the contest for your chance to win. The rules are super easy.

Step 1.: [a] Go to the Pear Tree Pen Company's Facebook page; [b] hit the "like" button; and [c] write on our wall!

Step 2: [a] Go to the Pear Tree Pen Company's Twitter page: [b] Follow us; and [c] tweet the following message: "RT @PearTreePens: On the first day of Christmas, my true love gave to me a Perdice from the Pear Tree."

That's it. Easy. Just make sure that I know your Twitter ID and FB ID so I can make sure both conditions were satisfied.

Winners will be selected at random from those who complete valid entries. The contest is open until December 25 and I'll contact the winners individually to make delivery arrangements. Void where prohibited, Taxes are your responsibility, yada yada yada.

Thanks!! Have fun. Play hard.

James

A First Look at The Perdice Bradford Fountain Pens

Free Shipping: Our Gift to You for The Holidays

From now until December 6, 2010, The Pear Tree Pen Company is offering free Priority Mail shipping (within the US) on all orders over $30.00. To make it simple, you don't need to enter a coupon code. But there is one little quirk: to take advantage of this offer, select Free Shipping (7 Day Ground) at checkout, and we'll automatically upgrade the shipping when the order is processed.

It's our little way of saying "thanks" for helping make the Pear Tree Pen Company part of your life.

Happy Holidays, folks!

And, as always, thanks for stopping by!

James

Introducing the Perdice Bradford Limited Edition, Exclusively at the Pear Tree Pen Company

In my last post, I revealed that the Pear Tree Pen Company was in the midst of designing and producing its very own fountain pen. We encountered a few minor setbacks along the way, but nothing that couldn't be overcome and certainly nothing that would quell our desire to bring what we believe to be a fantastic design to the wonderful community of fountain pen lovers around the world.

Now, it is my privilege to introduce Perdice, The Pear Tree Pen Company's new brand of deluxe writing instruments. Perdice (Italian for "Partridge") combines the essence of classic fountain pen design with modern craftsmanship. The Bradford Limited Edition, the first pen in the lineup, grew from a collaboration between the heads of PearTree pens and the Edison Pen Company.

The Perdice Bradford fountain pen is made from an extraordinarily scarce acrylic made famous by the highly sought-after Sheaffer Balance II. Not much of these intensely colored acrylics is commercially available any longer, and the Pear Tree Pen Company was fortunate to obtain what is believed to be among the very last pieces left in the world. As a result, the production of the Bradford LE will extremely low, with less than 10 serially-numbered pieces available in each of the five (5) patterns: Amber Glow, Cobalt Glow, Crimson Glow, Jade, and Tiger Eye.

Each Perdice Bradford is lovingly hand-crafted by the Edison Pen Company in its U.S. based studio, located in Milan, Ohio. Each Perdice Bradford will feature an 18K gold nib, in your choice of fine, medium or broad tips. Custom-ground extra-fine or italic nibs can be special ordered for a slight upcharge. The pens will accept standard international cartridges, or you can use your favorite bottled ink using the supplied converter.

The Bradford is expected to begin shipping the week of December 13, and will be available in time for the holiday gift-giving season. After its release, the Perdice Bradford will sell for $325.00, but for a limited time, you can pre-order your Bradford LE for a special price of only $299. We expect sales to be brisk, so order soon and get a Perdice from the Pear Tree.

The Perdice Bradford LE will be available in the following varieties:

Amber Glow - with gold-plated trim and matching 18K gold nib
# Cobalt Glow - with rhodium-plated trim and matching 18K gold nib
Crimson Glow - with gold-plated trim and matching 18K gold nib
Jade Green - with rhodium-plated trim and matching 18K gold nib
Tiger Eye - with gold-plated trim and matching 18K gold nib

The Bradford's Dimensions are:

Length capped - 5.5"
Length uncapped - 5"
Length Posted - 6.75"
Cap Diameter - .580"
Barrel Diameter - .515"

Photographs will be available soon!

Thanks for stopping by!

Is there a Pear Tree Pen in your Future?

When I first started the Pear Tree Pen Company, all I wanted to do was share my love of fountain pens and ink with the rest of the world. For nearly 5 years, I've been doing just that and loving every minute of it. Had you asked me back in January 2006 whether Pear Tree Pens would ever design and sell its own brand of pen, I probably would have laughed out loud. I guess a lot can happen in 5 years, because we're getting ready to launch our very first Pear Tree Pen.

This project began rather unexpectedly, when I was presented with a rare opportunity to acquire a small supply of some very scarce Sheaffer rod stock in 4 highly sought-after patterns: Cobalt Glow, Crimson Glow, Amber Glow and Jade. We weren't able to get a lot of it, but there was enough available to make a handful of pens in each color.

Once we had this in our possession, we wanted to create a design that was worthy of the material and work with a reputable manufacturer to make it a reality. We think we achieved both and are now ready to unveil the first concept pieces. We're still working on the final design, but it is nearly complete. The barrel, cap and clip are pretty much final, but the section still needs a little bit of tweaking, I think.

As you can see, I've prepared two very poorly done PhotoShop mock-ups of the design so you all can get a feel for the shape and a couple of the acrylic patterns we will be using. I'm a terrible PhotoShop artist, and I assure you that the real thing will be a million times nicer, but I couldn't wait to unveil these.

A couple of things: The pens will be available with either a stainless steel or 18K gold nib, and a Rhodium-trimmed clip will also be available. Quantities are going to be extremely limited, since the rod stock is in very short supply and rather expensive to boot. We expect there to be somewhere between 40-50 pens in this limited series. The ETA hasn't been set yet, but we do hope to have at least one or two of the production pieces available at the Ohio Pen Show in Columbus next month (assuming we can get a table - we're still working on that). Delivery in time for the holidays seems pretty assured.

As for dimensions, the pen will be be a very manageable 5 1/4" uncapped and 6 1/2" posted, so it should rest comfortably in most hands. The girth will be about 1/2" - 9/16". It will be relatively light as well. These dimensions, you will find, are very similar to some of the better known pens of the late 1930s and early 1940s. That is by design.

Pricing hasn't yet been determined. But, given that these pens are hand made out of some scarce (meaning "expensive" acrylic material, they're probably going to run in the mid $100s for a pen with a steel nib; an 18K gold model will probably be closer to $350.

I hope you like them as much as I do.

And, of course, stay tuned for more information, like how and where to order yours.

Thanks for stopping by.

Inktorberfest 2010

It's the first week of October. That, of course, means Fall has begun in earnest, a new session of the Supreme Court, the Renaissance Festival season is winding down and a very important celebration involving one of the most important liquids ever developed. No, it's not beer (although that's pretty good, too.) I am talking about ink, without which the development of civilization itself would have been halted in its tracks.

At the Pear Tree Pen Company, we revere ink so much that we carry nearly 400 different shad es of the stuff, from manufacturers large and small. Waterman, Visconti, Aurora, Noodler's, Parker Quink, J. Herbin, Private Reserve, Pelikan's new Edelstein inks and, of course, Rohrer & Klingner inks are but a few of the many brands we stock. And there's never been a better time to stock up than at our Inktoberfest celebration.

Now through October 15th, you will receive 20% off the purchase of 2 or more ink-related items. What's an ink-related item? Any brand of bottled ink, fountain pen ink cartridges, ballpoint or rollerball refills, as well as converters and Write-Fill Kits. And, for the first time ever, our trademark ink samples are eligible, too! Because we're taking a pretty broad view of "ink-related," this year, we're even tossing in glass dip pens and pen sets from Rohrer & Klingner! And yes, some may argue that writing instrument such as a rollerball, ballpoint or fountain pen is, by nature, ink-related, but they're aren't not included in the sale. The Inktoberfest sale is limited to in-stock merchandise only, and quantities are limited (i.e, if you want 4 bottles of J. Herbin "1670", you may be out of luck; but if you want 4 Edelstein Sapphire, no problem!). Of course, feel free to select across colors or brands for the same great discount.

While you're visiting our website, check out some of the other neat items we have in store, such as the newly revised 50th Anniversary Edition of the Pelikan Pelikano or our growing collection of fine used, demonstrator and vintage items. We even carry fine timepieces, made in the USA by Lum-Tec with the highest-quality components, or the popular Swiss-made Prometheus line. Whether it's a beautiful pen, some vibrant new ink, or some of the smoothest writing paper around, you'll find what you're looking for at the Pear Tree Pen Company.

Thanks for stopping by!

Rohrer & Klingner Ink Now Available

You may recall that a few months ago, the Pear Tree Pen Company was able to obtain a small amount of Rohrer & Klingner Fountain Pen Ink, which we offered as samples to the fellow inkoholics in the fountain pen community. The response and the feedback we received from those who were able to get their hands on this ink was really nothing short of overwhelming.

As a result, we concluded there was certainly enough interest to risk importing a sizable supply of this ink into the U.S.

Now I’m pleased to report that hundreds upon hundreds of bottles of R & K fountain pen ink have recently cleared customs and are now stocked neatly on the shelves of the Pear Tree Pen Company’s Iowa location.


In addition to the complete lineup of Rohrer & Klingner inks (18 varieties, including two iron-gall inks), we wanted to offer something a little special, so we also obtained a small number of gift sets, each containing two bottles of R & K ink and a glass dip pen. but you may have to wait a day or so before those are available - we've been so focused on adding the inks to our website, that these gift sets have had to take a bit of a backseat. But they should be up and available in a day or so. Another neat R & K product that we brought in is Rohrer's Spezialreiniger, a fountain pen cleaning solution, which is available in 250 ml bottles. It's a pretty neat thing to have, and I'm pretty sure we're the only US source for it.


Visit the Pear Tree Pen Company website to purchase your bottle of Rohrer & Klingner fountain pen ink, pen cleaning solution, or a special glass dip pen gift set. You will not be disappointed!

Thanks for reading!

The "MyRewards" Program is here: Earn 10% with Every Purchase!

The Pear Tree Pen Company is pleased to introduce you to its brand-new program designed to save you money and earn points that you can redeem for free pens, inks, paper - anything we carry. It's called "My Rewards" and this program has been high on my wish list for ages. Thanks to our newly updated website, it has finally become a reality. Simply put, you can now earn points worth 10% of each item you buy at the Pear Tree Pen Company! Accumulate enough points to redeem for free merchandise, or just apply the points you've earned for credit on future purchases. Basically, it works like this. For every dollar you spend at the Pear Tree Pen Company (excluding taxes and shipping), you earn 10 Rewards Points, which you can later redeem for merchandise credit at the Pear Tree Pen Co. For every 100 points you earn, you will receive $1.00 worth of merchandise credit. You must earn a minimum of 1000 points before you are eligible to redeem Rewards Points. Of course, you can't earn any points on the points you redeemed.

I've wanted to find a way to be able to reward the Pear Tree Pen Company's thousands of loyal customers ever since we first created the website in 2006. It took a while, but it's finally here and I'm really excited about it. I hope you are, too!

James