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!