The Pear Tree Pen Company

In the Beginning

2012-01-09T12:03:00.006-05:00

Even though the Pear Tree Pen Company is not an active pen seller, my love for all things pen, paper and ink continues to grow. One of the questions I get asked most often is what ignited my passion for fountain pens. As I reviewed the contents of this blog recently, I realized that I have not explained how my interest began - what attracted me to fountain pens in the first place, and how long it took for the interest to grow into an addiction.

It began innocently enough when my wife gave me a fountain pen for a gift many years ago. It was a Waterman Hemisphere that she had purchased from eBay. She had received her very own fountain pen (a Waterman Gentleman) from her father as a graduation gift and enjoyed it. She also thought that every lawyer ought to have at least one nice pen - and I didn't have one. (In case you didn't know - I'm a U.S. based attorney). I remember opening the box and, upon viewing the pen, thought, "what a stupid gift!" (Of course, that sentiment was never voiced out loud.) Like many of the uninitiated, I figured pens were free from my office supply closet, so why would I want to carry this around, especially since I'd probably lose it anyway. Graciously, I said thank you, and brought the pen to my office where it sat on my desk, barely used.

A few months later, my father's birthday rolled around and I was planning to send him a birthday card. Seeing the pen on my desk, I re-inked it, wrote a nice note on the inside of the card and addressed the envelope. I wrote more slowly than usual because I was generally unfamiliar with fountain pens and didn't want to smear ink. My father phoned me a few days later to thank me for the card. To my surprise, he asked me who addressed the envelope and wrote in the card, because the handwriting was too neat for it to have come from me (I have always had notoriously poor handwriting - in elementary school, I consistently got "Ns" (for "needs improvement") in handwriting).

Upon reflection, I realized that the fountain pen had improved my handwriting - probably because I slowed down to write more legibly. This epiphany led me to research pens. Soon, as they say, the hook was set. The more I learned about the effect nib size and shape has on writing, I began to covet different pens with a variety of different nibs. From there, it progressed to learning about inks - different colors, different consistencies, different properties. Within a year, I was full-fledged pen geek.

Now you know my story. What's yours? I'd love to hear what caused you to fall in love with your favorite writing instrument.

Thanks for stopping by.

James

Hello, Goodbye: The Final Day of the Pear Tree Pen Company

2011-09-30T12:44:00.001-04:00

The message I’ve been putting off writing can wait no longer. Tonight at midnight, The Pear Tree Pen Company as we know it will no longer exist. I apologize in advance for waxing nostalgic. I had promised myself I wouldn’t go down that road, and that I would remain upbeat. Yet, today I have an unavoidable sense of melancholy, so I hope you will permit me this one final indulgence. These past 6 years have been a wonderful experience – often exhilarating, sometimes frustrating, yet always rewarding. Many of you are not just my customers – I’m proud that I’ve gotten to know a good deal of you well enough that I consider you friends. Whether we’ve spoken on the telephone, exchanged emails or even shared a drink somewhere along the way, it has been a privilege to get to know you. I think it was this sense of community and friendship that set the Pear Tree Pen Company apart from many of the other, often impersonal, online retailers out there. We always striven to deliver personal service, whether you were a Michigan or Iowa neighbor, or from a strange, far-off and distant land (like New Jersey). We may not have always met our very high standards, but I think we hit the mark far more often than we missed it. And I have plenty of hand-written cards, letters and personal drawings from thoughtful customers across the globe that bear witness to the relationships we tried to foster. I will treasure those always. Anyway, as I said, today is the last day the Pear Tree Pen Company will be open for business on the Internet (for pen sales, at least – I still have a couple of watches I’d like to sell). I wanted to remind everyone of clearance sale. I’ve slashed prices on just about everything and removed the “buy 3” restriction. So today’s deal is take 15% off of the lowest marked price on anything in the “Special Deals” section of the website. Yesterday, we found a whole bunch of Pilot Iroshizuku ink, and we posted that on the site, but I don’t expect it last very long. There are a lots of other deals to be had, too: we’ve got R & K ink for under $10 a bottle, Waterman bottled ink for only $7.95, Rhodia pads for under $2 and even have some Sailor pens for less than a buck! And that's before the automatic coupon kicks in!
Of course, there’s more. Visit the Special Deals page of our site to check it out. But you have to be fast – the stuff is going quickly and the sale ends tonight at Midnight central time. Once again, thanks you to everyone who has written, phoned, posted on Facebook, Twitter, Fountain Pen Network, PenTrace, or any of the several pen fora I have visited over the years. Your words of encouragement have been universally supportive of the decision I’ve made and I am very grateful to you for that. I may no longer be in business, but I will be a member of this community forever.

Kindest regards,

James Partridge

Only 2 Days Left in the Clearance Sale

2011-09-28T11:27:00.002-04:00

As the end of September approaches, so does the last days of The Pear Tree Pen Company. It's no surprise that your response to our massive clearance sale has been tremendous - there are some pretty amazing bargains to be found. And, with only a couple of days left in the month, I've marked down most items even further. Do take a peek.

With the addition of these items and the further markdowns, you now get 1/3 off the lowest marked price on any item in stock - as long as you buy any 3 items in the clearance section. There aren't many things left, but those that remain are one heck of a good value right now. Thanks to everyone who has supported the Pear Tree Pen Company over the years, and in the last week. It's been a good run, as they say.

Thanks for stopping by.

James

Pulling Up Roots - Autumn at the Pear Tree Pen Company

2011-09-20T21:16:00.001-04:00

Almost six years ago, the Pear Tree Pen Company sprouted out of my love of fountain pens and grew to become a relatively successful online purveyor of writing instruments, inks and accessories. During that time, we’ve become a leader and an innovator, not only in the use of social media to communicate with like-minded individuals, but also in the sale and development of new products like the original ink sampler.

While my business grew, the demands of my full-time “day job” multiplied, as did the size of my family. For a while, I was able to juggle these competing priorities and still maintain a small semblance of what passed for a life. In the interim, my children grew, (my oldest child just hit the big 1-0) and the responsibilities of my primary occupation have increased dramatically. So I recently decided it was time to re-examine my priorities. And when I did, I realized that being an online retailer no longer fits into my vision of what I want my life to be. So I have decided to retire from the pen business and close the virtual doors of the Pear Tree Pen Company.

Effective immediately, I am working to liquidate the entire inventory of the Pear Tree Pen Company. I have set up a special section of the PTP Co. website, called "Special Deals". From that page, I am offering substantial savings on different items. The deal, essentially, is this: Receive 1/3 off when you purchase 3 or more items in that section. Right now, I’ve added nearly the entire inventory of fountain pen inks to the section, and more items will be added soon. No coupon code is necessary to get your savings; the discount will be applied when you check out.

This sale will go on only until October 1, 2011. After that, the website will no longer accept orders, so if there’s something you want, this is the time to get it. And if you want something that is in stock but not on the Special Deals page, let me know. I’ll probably make you a deal. I want to put as much stuff in your hands (and get it off my shelves) as I can.

Whatever doesn’t sell between now and October 1 will be available at some upcoming pen shows, including the Michigan Pen Show on October 14 and 15 in Troy, Michigan, and the Ohio Pen Show in Columbus, Ohio on November 3-6.

I have enjoyed being a member of the pen community over the years and will continue to buy, trade and use fountain pens – but it’s time to get back to my roots and do it as a hobby, rather than as a vocation.

Thank you to all who have patronized and supported the Pear Tree Pen Company in one way or another over the past 6 years. It has been an honor to serve you.

And thanks for stopping by.

The Rainbow Connection

2011-07-12T13:19:00.012-04:00

One of our customers, a talented artist named Gentian Osman, sent us some scans of ink colors she created using Platinum's new mixable ink, "Mix-Free". The 9 inks in the set are designed to be mixed together, enabling one to create a unique and personal color, or even to reproduce an old favorite. Of course, the inks themselves are vibrant and quite well-behaved and are capable of standing on their own without being mixed.

To create each of these colors, Gentian mixed one of the colors in the set, Leafy Green, with one the set's other colors. As you can see, she produced some amazing results, and I'm especially blown away by the shading that comes through in the Aqua Blue/Leafy Green combination. Of course, this is but a smattering of what's possible with these incredible new inks.

Of course, you don't need to be an artist to get a similar outcome. Anyone can create spectacular colors with Platinum's Mix-Free Ink. All you need is some creativity and a willingness to experiment. And, to make it easier to access your inner child, The Pear Tree Pen Company offers an economical alternative to the full kit: A "jumbo" sampler set of all 9 inks, & all the accessories needed to mix and store your creation: A trio of our exclusive glass vials (with eyedropper caps!), a Write-Fill Kit, and a full-sized empty ink bottle in which to store your newly created shade. Not to mention a couple of PTP ink blotters tossed in for good measure.

Give it a go - I think you'll be surprised at the beautiful and unique shades within you.

Thanks for stopping by!

Introducing Platinum "Mix-Free" Inks

2011-07-04T12:52:00.005-04:00

The Pear Tree Pen Company is excited to announce the arrival of a new line of fountain pen inks, "Mix-Free" from Platinum Pens. This product represents a huge step forward in ink customizing and will allow users to explore more color variations than ever imagined.

In the past mixing inks was a risky endeavor too often leading to clogged pens or unappealing colors. Even combining colors from the same manufacturer was no guarantee a muddy mess would not result. Platinum Pens has released the perfect solution with inks designed to work together. Using the included color chart for guidance, anyone can create a unique, one-of-a-kind
color or a whole ink collection.

Has your favorite color been discontinued? Now you can replicate that special hue. Want to match a color in nature? This kit will make that possible. Do you fancy a unique signature color? Mix Free will let you combine colors to get that exact shade. This is one time getting carried away is encouraged.

The kit comes with nine colors including Aqua Blue, Aurora Blue, Cyclamen Pink, Earth Brown, Flame Red, Leaf Green, Silky Purple, Smoke Black, and Sunny Yellow. The straight-from-the-bottle colors have a clear and saturated look. By combining equal parts of only two colors, plus the original colors, that's an instant ink collection of over 40 different shades. Simply altering the 1:1 ratio expands the potential combinations into a virtually unlimited number of hues. Each bottle is 60 cc so that is a total of 540 cc or over 18 ounces of ink.

The set also contains a bottle of “reducer” that de-intensifies the color saturation but does not affect the ink's properties. This dilution liquid will step down the color and even make pastel colors an option.

Included are two syringes and a storage bottle along with the color chart that will guide your quest for the perfect shade.

Mix-Free sets retail for $189 but we are introducing them at only $149.95. Individual bottles will become available soon at $20 each. Purchasing the set is a great deal. Once you have used up favorite colors, they can easily be replaced with individual bottles.

Whether you are an artist with a distinct vision of color, someone who likes to show your unique character, or somewhere in between, this is the most promising line of inks ever.

Thanks for stopping by.

The Perdice Bradford Receives a Rave Review

2010-12-27T09:55:00.004-05:00

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?

2010-12-21T13:51:00.005-05:00

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

2010-12-20T09:31:00.006-05:00

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

2010-12-17T07:26:00.002-05:00

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

2010-12-16T10:09:00.010-05:00

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

2010-12-15T19:57:00.003-05:00

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

2010-12-07T11:05:00.011-05:00

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

2010-11-30T14:06:00.008-05:00

Free Shipping: Our Gift to You for The Holidays

2010-11-29T16:45:00.002-05:00

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

2010-11-23T09:20:00.006-05:00

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?

2010-10-09T17:29:00.004-04:00

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

2010-10-04T12:21:00.005-04:00

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

2010-03-15T15:53:00.004-04:00

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!

2010-02-28T13:04:00.002-05:00

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

Initial Impressions of the Cross Affinity Fountain Pen

2009-12-22T11:04:00.013-05:00

A few weeks ago, The Pear Tree Pen Company received its first shipment of Cross Affinity pens. I've been playing with one of the fountain pens ever since and I'm not merely impressed with its quality - I'm blown away. In my line of work, I find that a fine or extra-fine nib is most suitable, since I tend to take a lot of notes and write marginalia. One of the biggest problems with most "european" style fine nibs, is that they're actually pretty wide. That's one of the reasons I really like Sailor pens and other Japanese makes - their nibs run pretty true to size. With the Affinity, Cross seems to have taken a page from its Asian counterparts because the the fine nib writes a much finer line than I thought it would. It is NICE! Fairly smooth, with enough feedback to know you're using a pen and not an ice cube. Excellent ink flow, with no false starts, skips, streaks, or any glitches whatsoever. I filled my Cobalt blue Affinity with one of my favorite inks, Diamine Sapphire Blue, which also compliments the pen's resin finish beautifully. So far, I've written on a variety of different papers to test the nib, including Rhodia, cheap Office Depot legal pads, Post-it Notes, and 20# copy paper. So far, the Cross has performed excellently on all of them.

The pen is nicely weighted - like the Waterman Phileas, it has a resin base with a metal insert for some heft. The Affinity t looks and feels much more solid than the Phileas, however. It is a much more elegant pen and would be at home in a purse, in school and even in a corporate boardroom. In retrospect, the nib doesn't look as small as I thought, but it's not going to leap out at you as being big, either. In length, the Affinity is equal to the Full Size Sailor 1911, but it's girth is more akin to that of the 1911M; a nice balance, in my opinion. The fit and finish really is first rate. It's a bummer that a pen at this price point doesn't include a converter, and comes with two dinky-sized ink cartridges, but at $80, it's still a very good value. But since the Pear Tree Pen Company includes a free converter with every Affinity fountain pen, that should not be an issue for most buyers.

The Cross Affinity is available both as a fountain pen and as a Selectip rollerball. The fountain pen has an MSRP of $100, and the Selectip rollerball has an MSRP of $85. They are on sale at the Pear Tree Pen Company for $80 and $65, respectively.

Thanks for reading.

James

New Design for the Pear Tree Pen Co. Ink Sampler Bottle

2009-12-12T11:31:00.002-05:00

Pear Tree Pen Company sampler bottles
Originally uploaded by Jcpartridge

Recently, the Pear Tree Pen Company decided to re-think the ink sampler bottles we've used for the past few years. Although they were very attractive and we receive many compliments for their style, they had some critical limitations. The most notable of those was the inability to fit all but the skinniest pens into the bottle to withdraw the ink. Many of you wrote to us about this issue, and we worked to try to come up with a variety of creative solutions, like filling the converter rather than through the nib and introducing the eye-dropper cap. But still, it wasn't quite right. And you let us know.

After a lengthy search for a suitable replacement, we finally found something that seems to work well. These new bottles are taller than their predecessor, with a slightly wider mouth. While not every pen's section will fit inside the bottle, I've been able to fill a Sailor Naginata and other pens of similar girth with absolutely no problem. These bottles are considerably more expensive than the ones they replace, but we've made a decision not to raise prices on the ink sampler at this time. Let's face it - fountain pen ink samples are not a huge profit center for us at the Pear Tree Pen Company (in fact, the opposite tends to be true). But we offer the service because we think it's a valuable service to the community of fountain pen and ink enthusiasts of which we are a part.

Before I started the Pear Tree Pen Company, I was a huge ink-hound. I bought bottle after bottle of ink, hoping for the right color, the right shading, the right drying time. But all I had to work with were color swatches or photographs on a computer screen. As I'm sure most of you know by now, neither method is even close to adequate.

A color swatch, even if you're staring at an actual sample of ink on a page, can only tell you so much. But important information is missing - how long did it take to dry? Did the ink flow well? Will it appear the same coming out of my pen, on my paper?

A computer-based image is even worse. Computer monitors need to be calibrated to display color correctly, and not every monitor displays color the same way.

After being frustrated by these problems in my own search for the perfect ink (which I still haven't found, by the way), I devised the ink sampler to help others avoid the same pitfalls I encountered along the road. From the overwhelming response we've gotten since I introduced the ink sampler, I can only surmise you've all found it as valuable as I do.

Anyway - back to the new bottles. Above is a photo I took with my iPhone to give you all an idea of what they look like. What do you think of them? We're always looking for feedback, positive or negative.

FYI, one of the bottles is filled with De Atramentis Steel blue (stihlblau) by Jansen. The other contains Noodler's invisible ink (;-))

Thanks for stopping by!

Cyber Monday is so Last Year

2009-12-01T16:44:00.003-05:00

Howdy, folks!

Sale time at The Pear Tree Pen Company! Starting today, we're offering a week-long sale-a-bration - Get 15% off of your entire order if you use the promo code "holidays1209" (no quotation marks necessary when you enter it in the code box)! It's a one-time use code for every customer (and it won't work with other promo codes), so when you're shopping for that pen person on your list (or for yourself...), make sure you check your list (and then check it twice)! The offer is valid until December 7, 2009, and is valid on all items in our store, including a wide selection of Lum-Tec watches.

We're still fairly well-stocked with Webbies, 2010 Rhodia planners, other notebooks and journals, lots of inks (still a few bottles of De Atramentis left, too!), and some great pens...and more stuff is arriving by the day!

Come 'n get it! :)

De Atramentis Inks Now Available at the Pear Tree Pen Company

2009-11-22T10:26:00.012-05:00

You know there must be something special going on if there are 3 posts in a month on this blog - but it must be extraordinary if there are 2 posts in two days. And it is. I am very excited to announce that the Pear Tree Pen Company now carries De Atramentis fountain pen inks. I was first introduced to this wonderful range of bottled ink a few years ago, and was instantly impressed. Finding them in the U.S., however, proved to be a Herculean task. Recently that all changed and I'm thrilled that De Atramentis Fountain Pen Inks are, at long last, available in the United States - and at the Pear Tree Pen Company.

If you haven't heard of this brand of hand made inks from Germany, you are in for a real treat. Extraordinarily popular in Europe and known for their excellent flow, as well as their broad range of colors and scents (how about an ink that smells like patchouli?), De Atramentis Fountain Pen Ink is hand-made by Dr. Franz-Josef Jansen in Hardert, Germany. Dr. Jansen runs a gallery there for Asian art and everything else to make a calligrapher's heart jump. In addition to traditional handmade fountain pen ink, Dr. Jansen's De Atramentis brand offers a smorgasbord of special and scented inks, made using recipes from bygone eras. De Atramentis also produces many specialty inks, which he labels "teacher and pupil", "cities", "holidays" and even mythical themes like "witches, sorcerers and demons". One of my favorites is the scented Christmas Ink, "Ink for Well-Behaved Kids," a green ink that smells just like a Fir Christmas tree. Of course, it's safe for all of your favorite fountain pens.

The new US distributor had a very limited supply of De Atramentis, and he told me that his next shipment of this exceptional fountain pen ink will not arrive in the U.S. until after the New Year. So the Pear Tree Pen Co. bought virtually everything he had in stock - which, sadly, wasn't much. We put the ink on the site last night,and the response has been tremendous. It's going very quickly, so if you are interested in inks, don't delay, or you may just have to wait even longer to see what the fuss is about.

Thanks for reading!

The Big Ink-Bottle Yard Sale

2009-11-21T12:37:00.003-05:00

Y'know, it's a funny thing about ink samplers . . . as time goes on, they tend to create two things; happy customers (we hope!) and lots of empty ink bottles. Rather than throw them out or recycle them through conventional methods, we decided to start our own "green initiative" here at The Pear Tree Pen Company and offer them to our customers! Empty ink bottles are really pretty useful; you can use them in craft projects, in the garage for storing bits 'n pieces of stuff that were left over from the last time you took the dryer apart (huh??) ,herb gardens (Private Reserve & Sailor bottles work really well for this!), and lots of other things aside from just storing your favorite inks (although that's perfectly acceptable, too).

So, for the past week or so, we've been running loads of bottles through the dishwasher, cleaning out the caps, and removing the labels. We're not quite done yet, and we're always finding more bottles that we're finishing, but we've got the first batch of them ready. We've got lots of Diamine, Private Reserve, Noodler's, Caran d'Ache (these are FANTASTIC bottles for those of you who want an elegant inkwell for your office), a few Visconti plastic travel bottles for you road warrior types, Waterman, J. Herbin bottles with the great little pen-rest, a couple of Omas bottles (these are also pretty darn elegant), a handful of Aurora bottles, and a few of the Sailor ink bottles, too!

Prices vary between $3 and $6 per bottle, and we've got 'em ready to ship!

Brassing Adds Character to the Pear Tree Pen Company

2009-11-12T11:43:00.009-05:00

The Pear Tree Pen Company is pleased to announce that Ryan Roossinck has assumed management of the day-to-day operations of the successful online retailer. Roossinck is known among fountain pen and ink enthusiasts for his popular internet blog, Brassing Adds Character, where he reviews writing instruments and accessories such as pens, pads, and inks. He is also known for his role as a moderator on the Fountain Pen Network, the largest online community of fountain pen and ink lovers on the internet.

Pen collector James Partridge founded the Pear Tree Pen Company in 2006 as a part-time home-based business. Following the introduction of the Fountain Pen Ink Sampler later that year, business began to boom leading the fledgling operation to seek larger quarters. Pear Tree Pens moved, literally, from the kitchen table to the basement, and shortly thereafter opened a larger retail and order-processing facility just north of downtown Ann Arbor. Despite the tough economic times, the Pear Tree Pen Company continued to prosper, and even hired several staff members to help ship packages to thousands of customers around the world.

Unfortunately, splitting his time between his full-time career as a corporate attorney and managing the burgeoning online establishment began to take its toll on Partridge. "I realized that it’s impossible for me to do it all. I can’t excel in my legal career, grow the Pear Tree Pen Company, and spend as much time with my family as they deserve." Partridge began to explore selling the business, and even considered simply shutting its doors.

Partridge soon had a few offers on the table, but ultimately found the best option lay closer at hand - in Roossinck, a friend and fellow pen collector. "One of his best attributes may well be his talent for ‘reading the minds’ of our customers." Partridge said. "Several times already, Ryan has helped me choose new products that soon became extraordinarily popular. He possesses tremendous knowledge and expertise, and his enthusiasm for the pens, inks and papers we offer is second to none. Add to that his dedication to outstanding customer service and it became clear to me that Ryan would be an asset to the Pear Tree Pen Company – and the pen community."
"James and I hit it off right away," Ryan said. "One of the things I really enjoy most about James is his creativity, and his ability to trendspot. We’ve had a lot of great conversations over the past several years that will undoubtedly lead to some really cool new products that we think that our customers will love."

The future for The Pear Tree Pen Company looks very bright, and includes a lot of great new products and ideas that customers are sure to love, and both Ryan and James are really excited for what comes next! "We’ve got some cool things up our sleeves," says Ryan, "stuff you won’t be able to find anywhere else! The addition of Lum-Tec’s fantastic line of watches is just the start!"

In anticipation of the future, both James and Ryan have their shades ready. Get yours out.

Follow the Pear Tree Pen Company on Twitter

Become a Fan of the Pear Tree Pen Company on Facebook

The Pear Tree Pen Company Branches Out

2009-10-19T13:06:00.002-04:00

I am proud to announce that the Pear Tree Pen Company has become the newest authorized retailer of Lum-Tec watches.

Why watches and why Lum-Tec? I’ve been a watch enthusiast for a little while now, and I recently discovered the Lum-Tec brand. It’s one of the few watches I own that I think is actually a better value than what I paid for it. In fact, I was so impressed with the quality and the value of my Combat B3, that I called the company to let them know. I was on the phone with Chris Wiegand, Lum-Tec’s president, and we soon realized we had a lot in common. For one, Chris is a fountain pen enthusiast. One thing led to another and – BAM! – I’m in the watch business, too!

Here’s a photo of my very own Lum-Tec Combat B3, on a Di-Modell Jumbo strap.

Lum-Tec is family run, USA-based company devoted to bringing you the best quality watches on the market. Its parent company, Wiegand Custom Watch, LLC. has built watches for thousands of customers around the world.

Lum-Tec makes high-quality quartz, mechanical and automatic watches in a wide-range of sizes and styles. Lum-Tec watches are in high-demand, yet are made in very limited numbers, and typically no more than 150 of each style is produced. Review their current offerings at their web-site: www.Lum-Tec.com. I am sure you’ll be impressed.

Chris Wiegand takes extreme pride in every watch his company produces. Each Lum-Tec watch features:

MDV technology® Extreme luminous hands and dials.
Cases made from 316L surgical grade Stainless steel or tungsten carbide.
Thick top grade Sapphire crystals.
Double sided anti-reflective crystal coating.
Top grade straps or bracelets.
Hard PVD bead blasted coatings on some models.
Large case designs. 38mm-50mm sizes.
Exclusivity. All watches are numbered limited editions.
100 meters/330 ft. minimum water resistance.
Full feature heavy duty movements.
Lifetime battery replacement on quartz models.
One year limited warranty.
Highest grade packaging and display box set.
Designed and tested in the USA.

Lum-Tec also prides itself on its service. With service points around the globe, you can be assured that any repair you need will have an unheard-of-fast turnaround time, so you can get your watch back on your wrist fast and enjoy it.

LUM-TEC® takes watch manufacturing and design to a personal level. Like the Pear Tree Pen Company, Lum-Tec freely communicate with its customers through email, phone, and on web forums daily.

The offerings from Lum-Tec will be added to the Pear Tree Pen Company website in the coming days and weeks. In the meanwhile, feel free to contact me by email at sales at peartreepens dot com if you’d like to order one or of you have any questions.

Thanks for looking!

James

Bastille Day Sale Extended Until a Frenchman Wins a Stage at the 2009 Tour de France

2009-07-15T12:50:00.000-04:00

. . . Or until the Tour ends, whichever comes first. Take 10% off any French-item in our inventory, including J. Herbin, Exaclair, Exacompta, Waterman and Rhodia! Use Coupon Code "Bonjour" at checkout! Visit The Pear Tree Pen Company now!

And, because there's an Italian currently wearing the Maillot Jaune (yellow jersey, for the non cyclistas among us), I've added a special interest sale: Take 10% off the price of any in-stock Visconti Van Gogh fountain pen (maxi or midi). This sale will continue until Rinaldo Nocentini no longer leads the General Classification in Le Tour. There's no coupon code needed to get your Van Gogh discount - just add it to your cart and the discounted price should be reflected in the cart at check out.

Vive le Tour!

James

Custom-Embroidered Cycling Caps Now Available

2009-06-03T09:09:00.010-04:00

Here at the Pear Tree Pen Company, my passion for fine writing instruments is surpassed, perhaps, only by my passion for cycling. In fact, the Pear Tree Pen Company is a proud sponsor of Team Kenda Tire, an elite professional women's bicycle racing team.

Although I don't get on the bike nearly as much as I used to these days, I still ride and tour as often as I can. I'll have another opportunity in just a few weeks. My family is soon to embark on yet another week-long bicycle tour across the great state of Michigan - The Pedal Across Lower Michigan - And we can't wait. This time, I'm taking both boys (8 and 5) 250 miles in 6 days Lake-to-Lake across the center of the state. I'm sure it'll be quite the sight, as we'll be riding our sturdy Cannondale tandem, pulling a Burley Piccolo "tag-a-long" bike.

To commemorate the occasion, I had some custom-embroidered cycling caps made up by these folks at Walz Caps. Very old school. The Pear Tree Pen Company's web address is subtly and tastefully embroidered on the cap's lower right side. I figured there were a few like-minded folks who appreciate a good cycling cap like I do, so I bought a few extras to share.

Walz traditional style cycling caps are made from durable, comfortable, medium-weight fabrics and are both stylish and functional. Their unique four panel design offers clean lines for a snug cap that fits nicely under a cycling helmet. This custom-embroidered Walz Racing Stripe cycling caps are handmade from durable, stylish cotton blend fabric. The soft bill liner is flexible and can be worn either up or down. The streamlined two panel design with a bold racing stripe is sleek and comfortable. All caps are individually sewn in the United States.

Each cap features:

Cotton-blend fabric
Racing Stripe
Elastic back creates comfortable fit
Soft, flexible bill liner adds comfort and versatility
Pear Tree Pen Co. URL (www.PearTreePens.com) embroidered on cap's lower right side
Embroidery stitching matches racing stripe

I only have a few of them, in both blue and red, each with a racing stripe. At only $22.99, they're sure to go quickly.

I hope you like them and find them as stylish and as comfortable to wear as I do.

Thanks for stopping by!

Unlimited Ink Samples Now at the Pear Tree Pen Company

2009-03-17T16:37:00.004-04:00

The Pear Tree Pen Company is pleased to announce that it has lifted its restrictions on the number of ink samplers one can buy with a single order.

If you want to buy 2 samplers, go for it. 4 samplers? knock yourself out. Ten Samplers? You bet! The sky's the limit - No more 30-day waiting period, and no need to buy a bottle of ink before you can get a second, third or ??? dose, er, set of ink samples!

Enjoy.

Thanks for stopping by!

The Pear Tree Pen Company is Giving Away $250.00!

2009-02-25T14:57:00.004-05:00

The Pear Tree Pen Company has a few more Visconti Van Gogh fountain pens in stock than we probably should, so we want to move them out. So I came up with a crazy plan to entice you all into buying one of the nicest pens out there (as if you needed any enticement, right?)

Here's the deal: In addition to the already low prices on these very fine writing instruments (so low, in fact, we're not allowed to list the prices on our website!), I'm giving you money to buy them! Huh? Yes, you read right. Sort of. The first 10 customers who order a Visconti Van Gogh Maxi fountain pen will also receive a $25.00 gift certificate to Amazon.com absolutely free! No coupon code necessary.

Order now before they're gone! Ready, Set, Gogh!

Thanks for stopping by!

Huge Savings on all Lamy Products at the Pear Tree Pen Company

2009-02-11T20:35:00.004-05:00

The Pear Tree Pen Company has just slashed its prices on all Lamy items. This sale applies to every Lamy item in our inventory - the Lamy Safari, Al-Star, Accent and even the Lamy 2000 is on sale. Save big on Lamy Scribble mechanical pencils, Lamy T-10 ink cartridges, LT-52 bottled inks, and even M40 and M41 pencil leads! Let's not forget all Lamy and rollerball and ballpoint pen refills, such as the Lamy M63, M16, M66, M21, and M32. Need a new converter? LZ24, LZ25 and LZ26 fountain pen ink converters are also on sale!

As an added bonus, I've also reduced prices on the entire line of Caran d'Ache "Colors of the Earth" inks.

These sale prices are so good, we're only able to offer them on in-stock merchandise. Sorry, no rain checks or special orders at this time.

While the savings are huge, our inventory isn't - so you'd better hurry if you don't want to miss out!

Visit The Pear Tree Pen Company to start saving now!

Thanks for stopping by!

Private Reserve and Noodler's Inks Back in Stock

2009-02-03T11:01:00.002-05:00

The Pear Tree Pen Company is pleased to announce that we have recently replenished our stock of Private Reserve and Noodler's Ink. If you've been waiting for any of these outstanding bottled fountain pen inks, such as Private Reserve's DC Electric Blue, or Noodler's Heart of Darkness, now's your chance to hurry on over to the PTP Co. and stock up.

Head on over to The Pear Tree Pen Company to place your order before we run out again!

And if you've wondered where the heck I've been --- well, let's just say that my day job seems to be secure for the time being.

Thanks for stopping by!

James

Pelikan M800 Demonstrator Fountain Pens Have Arrived

2009-01-20T10:40:00.005-05:00

Apparently I was not quick enough get any of the Pelikan M800 demonstrator fountain pens when they were first released, since they sold out in, like, a millisecond. Luckily, life is about second chances, and I was contacted a couple of months ago to see whether I had any interest in ordering any if Pelikan could be convinced to make another limited production run, I immediately said, "Hell Yeah!" The folks at Chartpak, Pelikan's US distributor must possess extraordinary persuasive abilities because they succeeded and a shipment of the brand-spanking new clear-as-ice Pelikan M800 Demonstrators arrived the other day.

Visit the Pear Tree Pen Company at http://www.peartreepens.com/Pelikan-M800-Fountain-Pen-Clear-Demonstrator-p/964114.htm to order your very own at what I believe to be the lowest price going.

Thanks for stopping by!

Pear Tree Pen Company to Sponsor Professional Women's Cycling Team, Team Kenda

2008-12-09T06:41:00.011-05:00

(Chicago, Illinois – December 8, 2008)–Team Kenda is entering its 10th anniversary of women’s bicycle racing with a roster possessing an impressive list of palmares. The team continues to fuse youth and experience as its formula for success, longevity, and growth of the sport.

Jakie Kurth, two-time Junior National Champion, will return to Team Kenda in her final year of junior eligibility. Espoir riders will include Denise Ramsden, the 2007 and 2008 Canadian Junior National Road Race Champion, Ashley James, who is currently racing for mountain bike powerhouse Lindsey Wilson College, and climbing specialist, Ally Stacher, from the Lees-McRae Collegiate program.

Team Captain Kristin Wentworth returns along with Kat Clark, Krystal McNutt, and 9-year team veteran and Masters National CX Champion, Catherine Walberg. They will be reinforced by capable team newcomers Silke Wunderwald and Christy Keely.

The team welcomes PearTreePens.com and Skins as new sponsors for the 2009 season.

Returning team sponsors include Kenda USA, The Allen Group, Plant Solutions, Blue Competition Bicycles, Vergesport, Rudy Project, LH Thomson, SRAM, LifeSport PT, CycleOps, Ferguson and Associates, Sigma Sport, Zipp Speed Weaponry, Timbuk2, Elete, SportCrafters, Terry Precision Cycling, Headsweats, PowerBar, Deen-Gross Eye Centers, Purple Extreme, Thule, and Moszkito.

Team Kenda will continue to have a local presence with 4 geographically-focused Regional Teams that will help to develop and promote women’s cycling while supporting the sponsors in those markets.

About Team Kenda Women’s Cycling: Team Kenda began in 1999 as Team Ameritech with nine riders who excelled at bicycle racing. Over the years, the team has steadily grown in size and now boasts NRC Elite and Southeast, Mid-Atlantic, Midwest, and West Regional Teams. The team competes in the United States focusing on the National Race Calendar and top Canadian events sanctioned by the Canadian Cycling Association. (http://www.teamkendatire.com)

Celebrate InktoberFest at the Pear Tree Pen Co.

2008-10-01T12:09:00.005-04:00

The first day of October is here. That, of course, means that the liquid elixir of life will be flowing freely at fine establishments everywhere.

Stop thinking like a college freshman for a minute – I’m not talking about beer – I’m talking ink. the liquid that fuels the pens that fuel our passion for this hobby. Nearly 400 different shades of the stuff are now on sale during the first ever InktoberFest at The Pear Tree Pen Company! Now through October 15th, you will receive 25% off the purchase of 3 or more ink-related items. What's an ink-related item? Any brand of bottled ink, cartridges, ballpoint or rollerball refills, as well as converters and Write-Fill kits. And yes, some may argue that a journal or a pen is, by nature, ink-related, but they're not included in the sale. neither are our trademark ink samples. The sale is limited to in-stock merchandise only, and quantities are limited (i.e, if you want 4 bottles of Noodler's Blue Lightning, you may be out of luck; but if you want 4 Waterman Florida Blue, no problem!). Of course, feel free to select across colors or brands for the same great discount.

Also, I will be offering free domestic ground shipping for all orders over $108.00 (October ’08 - see?).

Thanks for stopping by!

Coupon Code

2008-09-15T10:23:00.001-04:00

In conjunction with the addition of some new pens (including some discontinued Omas 360s at 1/2 off!), and the addition of the "Used, Demo & Vintage" section of the Pear Tree Pen Company store , I am pleased to offer a coupon that is valid for $10.00 off every order over $100.00. Use code BTS08 at checkout. The coupon is valid until 9/30/08, and is valid for in-stock merchandise only.

Pass it on!

New: Used & Vintage Pens at the Pear Tree Pen Company

2008-09-14T20:54:00.002-04:00

I've been working like the proverbial one-armed paper hanger the last few days adding pens and updating the Pear Tree Pen Co. website, in addition to trying to get your orders out to you all in a timely fashion. To say it's been a challenge would be an understatement. But it's been a blast, and that's why I keep doing this.

Today, I was able to add a new section to the site I've been mulling about for some time: The "Used, Demo & Vintage" section. There, you'll find a growing selection of pre-owned pens from a variety of sources: from my personal collection, pens on consignment, or even pens I've taken on a "trade-in, trade-up" basis.

While the steps I took this afternoon are some of the first in a journey I've been contemplating for a long time, but there's a long way to go. So far, I've only added a half-dozen pens (few of which are fountain pens - most are ballpoints or rollerballs, with a Montblanc Oscar Wilde LE mechanical pencil tossed in for good measure). But the journey has just begun, and I've got at least another 50 pens to add that will go into this section. Look for additional items soon, like the classic Lamy 27, a Montblanc 220, several Parker Vacumatics, A Waterman's Ink-Vue, a millenium's worth of Waterman Hundred-Year Pens, a variety of Sheaffer Balances and, of course, the ubiquitous Parker "51." And more.

I hope that many of you who may be considering buying a new pen in the future might consider trading me some older pens you no longer want as part of my evolving "trade-in" program. Let me know what you have, and perhaps we'll be able to help each other out.

Thanks for stopping by!

James P.

Just Arrived: Think Limited Edition Fountain Pens Honoring Mickey Mantle

2008-09-10T13:59:00.005-04:00

The Pear Tree Pen Company is proud to present the Mickey Mantle Limited Edition Fountain Pen, by Think. We just received our shipment and I was quite surprised by how attractive the pens are. If I could be excused for the bad baseball pun, I really believe that Think hit a "home run" with these pens.

The acrylic resin is awesome, and the deep navy pinstripes are as true to Yankee Blue as can be. Of course, the pens come in handsome presentation boxes, specially designed for the Mickey Mantle LE. Think's previous Limited Edition Pen honored Jimi Hendrix. Although the Hendrix pen (in my opinion) wasn't half as nice as the new Mickey Mantle writing instrument, it sold out in a matter of weeks. I would be very surprised if these Mickey Mantle pens last that long.

"After I hit a home run I had a habit of running the bases with my head down. I figured the pitcher already felt bad enough without me showing him up rounding the bases." - Mickey Mantle.

The Mickey Mantle THINK Limited Edition pen honors the most beloved ballplayer of all time. He was the most popular player in the history of baseball and was the best teammate that anyone ever had. He was bigger than life and the true idol of all baseball fans.

The Mickey Mantle pen is artisan made using custom Italian resins. The cap and blind cap are rich swirls of vintage New York Yankees navy. The barrel is made from luminescent ivory resin with navy pinstripes. A three dimensional bat adorned with Mantle's "7" comprise the clip. Mickey Mantle's signature highlights the band.

Accents are silver vermeil. Limited Edition 777 Fountain Pens (Medium nib only) and 777 Rollerballs.

Changes

2008-07-10T10:49:00.002-04:00

The Pear Tree Pen Company began the transition from our old (slow, inefficient) website to a newer (better) website. This site is hosted on a new server, so as we go through this process, we're sure to experience a few bumps along the road. Visitors may experience a variety of issues with the site over the next couple of days. These may include slight delays, or even the inability to access the site altogether.

Our email system has also been affected by the change, so emails you've sent over the past day or so may not have reached me, or may not get returned as promptly as I'd like until get all the kinks worked out.

As an aside, you may wish to update your bookmarks to http://www.PearTreePens.com. The old "shop.peartreepens.com" sub-domain is no longer valid.

Everything should be running smoothly by Monday at the latest. In the meanwhile, I appreciate your indulgence over the next few days as we get this all worked out.

Your patience will be rewarded!

James Partridge
The Pear Tree Pen Company
www.PearTreePens.com
1-888-6789-PEN

Happy Independence Day from The Pear Tree Pen Co.

2008-07-03T16:08:00.004-04:00

In honor of the original 13 colonies that gained their independence 232 years ago, the Pear Tree Pen Company is proud to offer a coupon valid for 13% off of your entire web order of $25.00 or more. The coupon is valid from now until Monday, July 7, 2008, and can be used for all orders totaling $25.00 or more. To earn your discount, please visit The Pear Tree Pen Company and enter coupon code Indy08 at checkout. Please note that the coupon is case-sensitive.

Also, as the Pear Tree Pen Co. gets closer to launching its new website, I'm proud to offer this "sneak peak" at the beta version. One of this new site's many advantages is its ability to accommodate international orders. So for all you customers in Canada, Australia, the UK and elsewhere, you too can get in on the Independence Day savings!

Please note: although orders may be placed through this new site (and the coupon code will work here, too), we are still in the process of adding and updating our inventory status. Consequently, not all items listed on the site are presently available or may be out of stock. Feel free to look around, shop and by all means, comment on things that can be improved. It's my goal to make this one of the most user-friendly pen stores on the net. Please don't hesitate to let me know where we fall short. Oh, compliments will also be accepted!

Regards,

James Partridge

Fresh Fruit at the Pear Tree Pen Company

2008-07-01T09:25:00.008-04:00

Since the new Raspberry Al-Star and Lime Safari were announced several months ago, a number of you have asked me when the new colors from Lamy will be available. Unfortunately, I was unable to give a definite answer other than "5-6 weeks" because Lamy's US Distributor was kept guessing, too. Then, all of a sudden, while I was away on my bike trip (great time, by the way), The Pear Tree Pen Company received its shipment of the new Lamy Al-Star in Raspberry and the Lamy Safari in Lime.

They are pretty cool looking - the Raspberry is more red than the photos would lead one to believe, almost terracotta in some light, and would pair quite well with a Terre de Feu from J. Herbin.

The Lime, to my eye at least, looks more like a Bartlett pear than a Lime. It would look great filled with one of Noodler's highlighting inks!

Pick yours today!

I Want to Ride My Bicycle . . .

2008-06-18T11:08:00.003-04:00

On Saturday, June 21, my eldest son and I embark on a 267 mile bike ride across the State of Michigan along with 698 of our closest friends. It's the 27th annual PALM Bike tour (Pedal Across Lower Michigan). We return on Friday, June 27. Each leg of the 6-day journey will take us across 45 miles (on average) of Michigan's scenic back roads and byways.

While our days will be spent pedaling our green Cannondale tandem (fully-equipped with a Santana Child Stoker Kit and rear rack to carry our panniers), the evenings will be spent camping on the athletic fields of various high-schools along the route. I know many of you don't see the charm in that, but until you've experienced the camaraderie enjoyed by the inhabitants of an instant tent city, you don't know what you're missing. Below is a map of our first day's route.

It's been several years (and more than a few pounds) since I've done a long distance bike tour, and I'm more than a little concerned about the decline in my fitness (and increase in my fatness), but this is a tour not a race, and I'll now have a good excuse to slow down and actually see the sights along the way.

One of the primary reasons I'm posting this, other than to share my excitement and enthusiasm for biycle touring, is to let you all know that, in my absence, the Pear Tree Pen Company will continue to process orders as normal, but emails and phone messages will, in all likelihood, not be returned until we get back to Ann Arbor. I appreciate your patience (and well-wishes) while I'm away.

And, if I can preach for just a moment: When you're driving along in your automobiles, please exercise courtesy and caution when you see cyclists on the road. The life you save may be mine.

&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://www.mapmyride.com/ride/united-states/mi/new-buffalo/926794100"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;27th PALM 1st Day (proposed)&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;br/&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://www.mapmyride.com/find-ride/united-states/mi/new-buffalo"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;Find more Bike Rides in New Buffalo, Michigan&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;

Anticipation

2008-06-02T21:21:00.002-04:00

Available soon at the Pear Tree Pen Company: A quality piston-filled fountain pen with an ebonite feed and a 2-tone nib for under $30. Can you guess the maker?

They're Here: Fieldnotes

2008-05-15T07:36:00.003-04:00

My shipment of Fieldnotes arrived yesterday. I quickly ripped open the box to take a look. First impressions? A little smaller than I had anticipated. But upon reflection, the perfect size for their intended purpose.

I've been writing in it for a bit now and have to admit I'm impressed. So far, nothing more than random squiggles and phrases to get a feel for the paper, but the paper is nice and smooth and takes the ink well. More to come.

Fieldnotes. Get 'em. Use 'em. Enjoy 'em.

James

Fieldnotes: Arriving Soon

2008-05-12T15:38:00.010-04:00

Over the past few months, several of my loyal customers, including blogger Ryan Roossinck, have hounded me about the merits of the Fieldnotes notebooks. When Fieldnotes recently announced they're finally making their stuff available to retailers, I quickly jumped on the bandwagon and ordered some. I'm pleased to say that my order is shipping out today. So, by the end of the week, Fieldnotes ought to be available at PearTreePens.com. Ten bucks gets you a pack of three notebooks, filled with high-quality fountain pen-friendly graph paper. Sounds like a pretty good deal, and Fieldnotes has been racking up the kudos all over the place. Needless to say, I'm pretty excited about the prospects of adding this new brand to the lineup.

Let's all give Fieldnotes a big "welcome to the team" from the Pear Tree Pen Company!

And Cheers to Ryan for bringing this to my attention! Read Ryan's blog, Brassing Adds Character, at Wordpress. He's actually quite interesting.

James

Color Your World

2008-04-29T10:35:00.014-04:00

You can tell it's Spring. Trees are blossoming, flowers are blooming, and the birds have finally returned to the northland. Vibrant new colors are emerging everywhere this season, even in the world of writing instruments. In fact, so many new items have been released recently, it's been hard to keep up. First, there were the new ink colors by Diamine and J. Herbin, then 3 new shades of ink from Private Reserve debuted at the Pear Tree Pen Company: Ebony Black, Ebony Green, and Ebony Purple.

Just yesterday, Sailor got into the act, with the first delivery of the new Professional Gears to Pear Tree Pens! To my eye, these are the most attractive Professional Gears yet. I haven't had a chance to take photos yet but they should be up in the next few days.

As I announced in my last post, there is the new Ebonite edition, available in both rhodium and gold trim. Arriving sooner than expected, but most welcome nonetheless, Sailor also sent me the first Pro Gears in Colors - sunny Orange, warm Ivory, and the juicy Yellow. All have rhodium-trim and a single-tone rhodium plated 21K gold nib. I'll start posting these to the web site in the next few days, but I was so taken aback by how nice these were, that I couldn't wait to share with you all.

One of the best things about the new Sailor Colors pens? They're the same price as the standad black Professional Gear. Better still, they're available now at the Pear Tree Pen Company, so give me a shout if you'd like to learn more.

Of course, I'll have them on display at my table at this weekend's Chicago Pen Show, so stop by to take a look and say hello!

But this isn't all - soon to be released from Lamy are the new Lime Safari and Rasberry Al-Star. Here is an image of Lamy's Lime Safari tantalize you:

Here's one of the Rasberry Al-Star. Delicious!

Thanks for stopping by - See you in Chicago!

James

Another New Professional Gear from Sailor

2008-04-15T21:14:00.006-04:00

It looks like it's going to be an exciting year for Sailor Pens. Hot on the heels of release of the new Sailor Sapporo Colors pens, Sailor has just announced another new and exciting edition of the Professional Gear Fountain Pen - this time in Ebonite! Here's an early "spy" photo.

This pen will be appearing at your favorite Sailor dealer soon (that is, if your favorite Sailor dealer is the Pear Tree Pen Company!).

This pen is slightly larger than a typical Pro Gear, and is the same size as the Pro Gear Mosaic, which Sailor also recently introduced. It is available in gold or rhodium trim and is fitted with Sailor's legendary 21K gold two-tone nib. Slightly larger than the standard Professional Gear, it is sure to be a winner. MSRP is only $775. Contact us for special pricing and to pre-order yours now. I expect to receive the first shipment at Pear Tree Pens next week.

Thanks for stopping by!

Old Friends

2008-04-12T18:16:00.011-04:00

In the past, the Pear Tree Pen Company has focused exclusively on modern writing instruments, and brand spankin' new ones at that. However, I think the time has come to expand our horizons a little bit and find the virtual shelf space for some quality pre-owned pens and pencils.

I still intend to devote considerable attention on the current crop of fountain pens produced by the fine companies we represent, including Waterman, Sailor, Pelikan, Omas, Lamy and the like. Nonetheless, I found it hard to pass up the opportunity to help a friend liquidate his collection of fine writing instruments, most of which were acquired new beginning in 1970 so. There are only a few fountain pens, but there is a sizable cache of very fine mechanical pencils, ballpoints and rollerballs from brands not frequently found at Pear Tree Pens. For instance, I now have available a several ST Dupont, Montblanc, Cartier, Yard O Led, Caran d'Ache, Graf von Faber-Castell, to name a few. Even some very special and hard-to-find limited editions!

I'm in the process of sorting everything out and taking photos, but I thought I'd toss out just a few examples of what is going to be available to help drum up some interest and, possibly, to offer up some good deals before I have to do a bunch more work photographing, writing descriptions, and posting them to my website. In the meanwhile, here are a few photos I snapped over the weekend.

If you see something you like, don't hesitate to send me an email at James [at] PearTreePens.com to make an offer. But, don't forget this is only a sampling of what will be available.

Yard-O-Led

Yard-O-Led "Viceroy" Sterling Silver Mechanical Pencil in the Plain finish
Yard-O-Led "Perfecta" Sterling Silver Mechanical Pencil in the Victorian Finish
Yard-O-Led "Diplomat" Sterling Silver Ballpoint Pen in the Barley Finish

Visconti

Visconti Pericles Rollerball (with Itoya .7mm black refill) in Blue pearlescent acrylic resin with gold trim
Visconti Ragtime Mechanical pencil in green & black acrylic resin with gold trim

Cartier

Cartier Diablo - Rollerball - Black wtih gold trim (needs replacement refill)
Cartier Diablo "mini" ballpoint - black with gold trim (blue Lamy M21 ink refill)

Porsche Design

Porsche Design Arc 1 Fountain Pen - Titanium finish, 18K nib (unmarked, appears to write a fine line) C/C filler - takes standard international converter)

Caran d'Ache*

Caran d'Ache Ecridor Retro Mechanical Pencil - Gold plated
Caran d'Ache Hexaganol Ballpoint - Gold with Blue Chinese Lacquer inserts

* I'm not an expert on CdA writing instruments and have done my best to identify these. But I could be mistaken, so please ask questions if you have any!

All writing instruments are in good to very good condition. Some are even excellent, but all have been used (albeit well-cared for).

Thanks!

James

Incommunicado

2008-02-22T22:54:00.002-05:00

I am heading off to warmer climes in a little while and, until March 3, the Pear Tree Pen Company will be left in the capable hands of my assistants Crystle and Mike. So don't be afraid to order anything while I'm gone, and feel free to call the store at 1-888-6789-PEN if you have any questions. The primary number (734-474-7983) will be unattended as I soak up the sun and the surf on some tropical island. I won't have cell phone or email access, so please don't be alarmed if your messages aren't returned right away.

Of course, this is the annual business meeting of the Pear Tree Pen Company, LLC, so it's all tax-deductible. Isn't it? (And if you work for the IRS, I'm only kidding, so please, no audits!)

See you when I get back. Play nice.

James

New Diamine Fountain Pen Ink Colors

2008-02-19T13:30:00.012-05:00

Diamine's long awaited new fountain pen inks have arrived, and the Pear Tree Pen Company recently received a nice selection of them. I expect several of these inks to be very popular and, if I may say so, it's about time Diamine came out with a nice brown ink. Only they weren't content with just one - they introduced three - Saddle Brown, Burnt Sienna and Raw Sienna! If you've seen the reviews of these new inks on the Fountain Pen Network, Pentrace or elsewhere, you know how nice these new Diamine inks are. So what are you waiting for? Go here to order your bottle today!

China Blue

Washable Blue

Saddle Brown

Burnt Sienna

Raw Sienna

Vermillion

[No image yet]

Amaranth

Coral

Please Update Bookmarks/Links to the Pear Tree Pen Company

2008-02-15T14:45:00.002-05:00

The Pear Tree Pen Company has been working on a major overhaul of its website and shopping cart. We are nearly finished, and expect to "go live" sometime during the first week of March. With that project comes a completely new web host and server. Our primary domain, www.PearTreePens.com, will continue to function, but the subdomain to which many of you link (http://shop.peartreepens.com) will cease
operation within the next few weeks. Therefore, to avoid "dead links," you may wish to update your bookmarks to reflect the proper site name. www.PearTreePens.com will continue to point to the subdomain until the switch is finally made, so there should be no interruption in your ability to access the site for all of your shopping needs!

Thanks!

James Partridge
The Pear Tree Pen Company
www.PearTreePens.com

Noodler's Baystate Blue - Should I or Shouldn't I?

2008-01-24T13:42:00.001-05:00

Noodler's Ink has just announced the release of a brand new fountain pen ink: Baystate Blue. The ink is based upon a colonial style blue ink that was made at the end of Warld War II in Boston, Massachusetts. Similar to a cobalt blue, "Baystate Blue" is Noodler's conventional version of the classic colonial era blue. Nathan Tardiff, the creative mind behind Noodler's, based this ink upon how the original formulas behave on the page while taking into account the color intensity of the later 1940s version. At the same time, he managed to avoid the acidity of the earlier inks through the use of different/modern components.

Noodler's Baystate Blue is on its way and should arrive at the doors of the Pear Tree Pen Company in the next few days. Once it gets here, the ink sampler page of our webiste will be updated so you can try it yourself.

There's always a lot of excitement whenever a new ink hits the street, and rightfully so! In the past few months, not only has Noodler's introduced several new fountain pen inks, but Diamine recently introduced some new colors. J. Herbin has announced that it will release 4 new shades of ink in the near future. I love it when the available palate of fountain pen inks grows!! Inevitably, though, with every new release come the questions about whether any has tried the ink in their fountain pen - How fast does it dry? Does it feather? How does its color compare to that of my current favorite?

Sure, there are ink reviews on various websites, and color swatches are available on the internet; however, reviews are subjective and internet color swatches are notoriously inaccurate. I've found that there is no substitute for getting the ink myself, and writing with it in my pen and on my paper. But plunking down $10-$15 of hard-earned cash for an ink that may ultimately disappoint can be a deterrent for someone interested in discovering a new color, or exploring a never-before-tried brand.

With the launch of Noodler's new Baystate Blue, I wanted to take this opportunity to remind everyone that there is an inexpensive solution: The Pear Tree Pen Company Ink Sampler. For $4.00, you can try up to 4 different inks and use them at your leisure and in real-world conditions. If you like the ink you've sampled, - great! But if not - at least you've not laid out nearly 3 times the price of the sampler for something you'll never use.

Thanks for stopping by!

Luring a Marlen

2008-01-22T15:51:00.000-05:00

One of the things I love most about owning the Pear Tree Pen Company is being in a position to discover interesting pens from innovative companies the world over. Of course, there are so many great pens out there, both modern and vintage, I'll probably have to use a different fountain pen every day for the rest of my life before I'm able to try them all. But that's a sacrifice I'm willing to make.

Several of the pens I've been hoping to add to the "tried that" list are from an Italian company called Marlen. While it is dangerous to generalize, Italian fountain pens have always been a favorite of mine, largely due to the the Italian's seemingly unmatched flair for design. Marlen is no exception, and they offer a plethora of interesting designs along with a range of filling systems sure to satisfy even the most discerning fountain pen afficianado.

Yet, it hasn't been easy to obtain a Marlen here in the U.S. market. While Aurora, Omas and Visconti have a solid foothold, other Italian brands like Ancora, Tibaldi, as well as Marlen, are often conspicuously absent from your local pen store.

Luckily, one of my distributors now imports Marlen pens. I therefore seized upon this opportunity to evaluate several of Marlen's fine writing instruments. I just placed an order for the Marlen E-Com, Basilea, HTF Geneve and the Odysseus. They haven't arrived yet, but I was so thrilled have the chance to write with these pens that I couldn't wait to blog about it. And, given the praises I've heard other fountain pen enthusiasts shower upon Marlen, I have very high expectations. But you can bet that when they do arrive, I will put them through the proverbial wringer myself. If I'm satisfied with the way they behave, I'll order more so you can experience them for yourself.

Thanks for stopping by.

A Convenient Truth

2008-01-18T10:10:00.000-05:00

Esteemed blog reader(s?),

As I mentioned in earlier posts, I am in the process of migrating all of the Pear Tree Pen Company's shopping cart functions to a new host and new software. The process is slow and tedious, but we are making progress.

One of the new features of this cart is the ability to offer a "hidden" sale price. This is very useful as several of the pen companies whose products I sell (such as Visconti and Omas) do not permit their authorized retailers to advertise discounts on their products (with certain exceptions). I've currently handled this situation by asking shoppers to send me an email asking for a better price. While that has solved the immediate problem, I certainly was not the ideal solution.

The new "hidden price" feature allows the store owner (me) to select one of two options. The first would allow the shopper to request a price quote by email (which would be realtively instantaneous). The second option , simply displays the price once the shopper has placed the item into their cart.

My question to you pen buyers is: Would you prefer to receive an email price quote, or simply to be able to see the item's price once it has been added to the cart? What is the reason for your preference?

I would greatly appreciate any help you can give me to help make your shopping experience a more enjoyable one.

Thank you!
Regards,
James Partridge

Hey, Have You Seen Sumgai Around Here?

2008-01-11T08:24:00.000-05:00

I have recieved a couple of questions from some astute folks who have noticed there hasn't been a Sumgai Sundai these past few weeks and who wondered whether these popular sales will return. The answer is a most emphatic "Yes!" However, I'm taking a temporary break until I can resolve the website glitches that developed when my web company decided to "improve" the code in its shopping cart software.

I'm now in the process of migrating all of my cart functions to a new host and a new cart platform. Not being a computer techie, and wrestling with the demands of being a full-time attorney and father in addition to running the pen company, the transition is a slow one. With luck, I should be up and runnning again on a new system by the end of the month. The Sumgai Sundais will resume when I get everything worked out then. I'll keep you posted and, to those who wrote, thanks for noticing their absence.

James

Ahem. The Envelope Please . . .

2008-01-07T09:59:00.000-05:00

Last month, I announced a contest for the creation of song lyrics to the tune of the "12 Days of Christmas" that incorporated references to the Pear Tree Pen Company in one way, shape or form. I received a flurry of entries and posted the 5 finalists to the Marketplace section of the Fountain Pen Network and here on my blog.

I then invited my readers and members of that illustrious forum to vote for their favorite. Today, the day after the traditional "12th Day of Christmas," I'm proud to announce the winner. But first, a word from our sponsor.

OK, just kidding.The winner of the first ever "12-Days-of-Christmas" Lyric Writing Contest goes to: Entry No. 4 and its author, the pseudonymous Blueiris!

Let's all give her our congratulations for an outstanding entry. For those who missed it, the winning entry is:

On the 12th line of my wish-list from Pear Tree Company:
- 12 Parkers Duofold-ing-
-11 Charlestons dancing....
- 10 Gatsbys THINKing....
- 9 Mega Ink Balls rolling....
- 8 Omases bling-ing....
- 7 blotters rocking....
- 6 kits for mixing....
- 5 Sailor Kings!....
- 4 Pelikan birds....
- 3 French-ruled pads.....
- 2 tortoise pens
and a cartridge from James P.!

And let's not forget to thank our contest finalists. Thanks for playing and I have some prizes for each of you waiting backstage. Seriously. So each contest finalist, please contact me with your name and contact information so I can pop something in the mail to you. I appreciate the wit and the sense of humor of each of you, and you deserve something for your effort and your creativity.

Regards,
James P.

The Cure for FPAD

2007-12-24T13:14:00.000-05:00

A short while ago, I was stricken with a nasty outbreak of fountain-pen-acquisition disorder (FPAD). During that hazy period of my life, I acquired about a dozen pens in the span of a few weeks. I am pleased to say that the Omas Arco Milord has, I believe, cured me of that horrible affliction.

The Arco is, quite possibly, the most beautiful pen ever created. The celluloid is haunting in its luminescence, and I can look at it, hypnotized, for hours as I rotate it over and over in my hands. The patterns seem to swirl and change kaleidoscopically as the pen turns.

It's gold nib is soft and springy and, thanks to its ebonite feed, the pen never falters when it writes. When loaded with Visconti Sepia, it appears as if the nib leaves a trail of the arco celluloid behind as it glides across the paper. The weight and size are perfect in my hands, regardless of whether the cap is posted.

I never need buy another pen again as I have reached fountain pen nirvana.

The 12 Days of Christmas - Pear Tree Pen Co. Style!

2007-12-20T12:21:00.000-05:00

Recently on the Fountain Pen Network, I announced - rather informally - a little lyric-writing contest at the Pear Tree Pen Company. The object? Come up with some lyrics to the tune of "12 Days of Christmas" that incorporated the Pear Tree Pen Company. Below, I've copied the last lines of the 5 finalists. Each will receive something nice in their stocking this year, courtesy of, well, me. The Grand Prize Winner is up to you. I've deliberately left the entrants' names off the list to protect the innocent. So pick your winner with impunty. Submit a vote for your favorite by December 26 and I'll declare the winner shortly afterwards. Ready . . . Set . . Vote!

Entry No. 1:

On the twelfth Sumgai Sunday the Pear Tree sent to me
Twelve Minuskin Nibs
Eleven Ink Converters
Ten "Think" Sahara's
Nine Naginatas
Eight M400's
Seven Parker Duo's
Six Van Gogh Midi's
Five White Lamy's
Four Platinum Koi's
Three Rocker Blotters
Two Monteverde's and
A Submariner by Bexley

So if you're ever in the mood to buy one pen or three
shop at The Pear Tree Pen Company!

Entry No. 2:

On the twelfth day of Christmas,
my true love sent to me:
Twelve drums of Noodlers,
Eleven Sailor Sapporos,
Ten leather pen cases,
Nine Visconti Van Goghs,
Eight Monteverdes,
Seven Hints for Sumgai,
Six Clairfontaines,
Five Omas Bolognas,
Four ink samples,
Three Watermans,
Two Lamy Al-Stars,
And an ink cartridge from the Pear Tree!

Just don't add up what it cost her!

Entry No. 3:

On the twelfth day of Christmas here’s what came from Pear Tree…
Twelve Rhodias
Eleven Lamy Logos,
Ten blotter papers,
Nine Bexley beauties,
Eight Clairfontaines,
Seven Conway Stewarts,
Six Pelikans,
Steve Lehto Books!
Four sampler inks,
Three Platinum Pens,
Two Duofolds,
And a lyric writing prize for me.

Entry No. 4:

On the 12th line of my wish-list from Pear Tree Company:
- 12 Parkers Duofold-ing
- 11 Charlestons dancing....
- 10 Gatsbys THINKing....
- 9 Mega Ink Balls rolling....
- 8 Omases bling-ing....
- 7 blotters rocking....
- 6 kits for mixing....
- 5 Sailor Kings!....
- 4 Pelikan birds....
- 3 French-ruled pads.....
- 2 tortoise pens
and a cartridge from James P.!

Entry No. 5

On the twelfth day of Christmas, the Pear Tree sent to me…
Twelve Waterman Charlestons,
Eleven Pelican Epochs,
Ten Think Mojitos,
Nine Monteverde,
Eight Conway Stewarts,
Seven Sailor Sapporos,
Six Omas Bolognas,
FIVE….Visconti…pens…,
Four books on murder,
Three Clairefontaines,
Two Moleskine journals
and a J Herbin bottle of Vert Pre

Sumgai the Sixth at the Pear Tree Pen Company

2007-11-11T13:00:00.000-05:00

Sumgai the Sixth is now underway. I got off to a late start, but the bargains I’ve come up with today are, I think, well worth the wait. In fact, some of the items I placed on sale today are priced below wholesale cost.

Here's a head start.

Good hunting!

James

It's Showtime!

2007-11-03T07:37:00.000-04:00

We're here and, it seems, so is everyone else. Here, in case you don't know, is the Ohio Pen Show, just outside of Columbus, Ohio. It's billed as the fourth largest show in the United States and while I can't verify the claim, it would come as no surprise given all the activity I've seen since yesterday.

Craig and I arrived yesterday around noon. When we wallked into the bourse, the trading activity already seemed to be going full swing and the excitement was palpable. Within a few minutes, we had come across a number of people we've met at previous shows, and were finally able to put faces with the names of dozens of those with whom we've communicated either on the telephone or email. Friends from the Zoss list, The Fountain Pen Network and Pentrace were all present and accounted for.

There's a lot of work involved in attending a pen show, at least from the vendor side, so we spent the next few hours arranging and organizing our tables to best highlight the hundreds of pens and accessories we brought along. Among were them wre the new Lamy Ocean Blue Al-Star and Lamy Studio in Pearl White, which arrived just in time for the show. We also just received a shipment of the cotton resin version of the Omas Bologna. Although our Omas shipment was incomplete, we did get a fair sampling of fountain pens, ballpoints and even a mechanical pencil.

The new Lamy Al-Star is, without a doubt, my favorite of the Al-Star colors. The clip and nib are a brightly polished chrome, which is a nice complement to the bright and vibrant blue. Being a Lamy, the quality is a given and one of these will definitely make it into my pocket. The Studio is no slouch, either and the new pearlized white reminds me of an extra-cost option on some of the luxury cars I've seen on the road. Very nice indeed!

More to come later. It's Saturday morning now and the show begins in earnest with the first public day. I'll try to update the blog a little later tonight after I set up the Fifth of Sumgai Sundai sale.

Thanks for stopping by.

James

So, you wanna be Sumgai?

2007-10-07T08:36:00.000-04:00

We've all heard the legend of the Sumgai who mysteriously appears at the garage sale moments before you arrive and manages to walk away with some fabulous pens at unheard of prices. Haven't you always wanted to be that Sumgai? Well, if so, Sundays could be your lucky day!

It's been a while since I've had a sale at the Pear Tree Pen Company and I'm in the mood for one. But not just any old "get X at Y% off!" sale. That would be boring! I want to have a little fun, so I thought I would try something new.

What I have in mind is the first-ever "Sumgai Sunday," and here's how it's going to work:

Each Sunday, I will put a different item on sale at a very special "sumgai" price. It could be a fountain pen, rollerball, journal, ink or anything else I have in my store. It may be something I carry all the time, or it may be a special item. It could be modern or vintage. Whatever it is, the price will be great! Each week, the pen (or other item) will change. There will be a limited quantity of that item available - in fact, there may be only one. Like I did on my "Surprise" birthday sale back in March, I will hide the item somewhere on my website and, if you're interested in a deal, it'll be up to you to find it.

If it's successful, I hope to make it a regular event. So, be prepared for something innovative and, hopefully, something fun.

To kick things off, I've listed 3 different items at special sumgai prices. Making things easy in the early round, I'll even tell you that one of the items is a fountain pen, one of the items is a writing instrument (but not a fountain pen) and the other item is not a writing instrument of any sort. In total, I have 5 pieces at these prices.

Here's a link to help you find your way.

I did not include the word "sumgai" in the text of the sale item, so there'll be no relying on the ol' search engine (at least for that word, he he he he).

If I'm having enough fun, I may add other items during the day, just to keep things interesting, so check back early and often.

Thanks for stopping by!

James

A Space Oddity

2007-09-24T14:26:00.000-04:00

I'm told Pelikano recently sponsored an internet competition for young people, entitled "Color your own Pelikano". So, just what was the favorite color for the popular school and young people's fountain pen in 2007?

The envelope please . . .

. . . and the winner is: Deep Space Black.

The barrel and clip of this newest Pelikano is as black as can be, while the glittering silver-coloured stainless steel cap shines all the brighter in contrast. The appearance is just as forward-looking as the modern technology and clever details of this writing instrument: the ergonomic profile of the grip, the dynamic clip and the sturdy, smoothly gliding nib are exemplary features of a design that has been thought through to the smallest detail. (hey, I don't write all of this stuff myself, ya know).

The "Deep Space" black limited edition Pelikano is offered individually, or as part of aa special "value pack," comprising one "Deep Space" Pelikano, one Super-Pirat ink eradicator and a TP/6 six-pack of royal blue ink cartridges.

The new Deep Space Pelikano is only available with a medium nib.

By now, I'm sure you're wondering where you can pick up this new space oddity. The answer's as plain as day: The Pear Tree Pen Company®, of course! Get 'em while you can!

Pretty in Pink

2007-09-04T09:39:00.000-04:00

When I think of pink birds, thoughts tend to fly to the flamingo - either the real ones I've seen only in zoos, or the ubiquitous Floridian lawn ornament. Recently, however, I discovered another pink bird that's both more beautiful and more practical: the Pink Pelikan.

Huh?

Yep, it's true. Pelikan recently introduced a limited edition Pelikano that is oh so pretty in pink. And we've got a small flock of 'em. They're probably not going to last long, and they're only available in a medium nib.

Take a gander at the the photo (another bird reference, get it?) to see how neat it is. I'll replace this tiny photo with a larger copy a little later, but at least you can get an idea of what it looks like.

And, to get yours before they fly away, visit the Pear Tree Pen Company website, or come see us live at the Michigan Pen Show, September 7-8,2007 at the Troy Hilton.

Thanks for stopping by!

Michigan Pen Show

2007-08-29T14:10:00.000-04:00

The Pear Tree Pen Company is proud to be a sponsor of the 2007 Michigan Pen Show, which will be held on Friday, September 7 and Saturday, September 8, 2007 at the Troy Hilton. Although the venue is the same as last year, the format is going to be somewhat different, I'm told. Perhaps the biggest change is that the show will be open to the public on Friday!

As compared to last year, our presence at the show will be expanded, both in terms of real estate and the number of products on display. In addition to our standard offerings of fine writing instruments from Sailor, Visconti and Monteverde, a not insignificant portion of our 3-tables will be devoted to value-priced modern pens from Pelikan, like the Pelikano, the Future or the Pelikano Junior, and from Lamy, such as the Safari and Al-Star. These are great every-day writers that give incredible bang for the buck.

As always, bottled fountain pen ink will be a Pear Tree Pens mainstay, and inks from Diamine, Omas, Private Reserve, J. Herbin, Noodlers(and more) will be available for you to test and, of course, to buy. We're especially excited to present Noodler's new highlighting ink, the Year of the Golden Pig, and its new white ink, the Whiteness of the Whale.

See you at the show!

Traveling . . . Again

2007-07-18T12:49:00.000-04:00

I just realized it's been over a month since the blog has been updated, and now I'm going away again . . . I'll try to do better in the future.

Nonetheless, you all deserve to know that the Pear Tree Pen Company will be on the road from July 19 until August 1, 2007. Although you may still (and, in fact, are encouraged) to place orders during that time, shipping will necessarily be delayed until we reopen our virtual doors. We appreciate your patience and look forward to serving your fine writing needs when we return.

Thanks for writing!

James

Goin' Down the Road Feelin' Bad . . .

2007-06-14T13:18:00.000-04:00

Friends,

The Pear Tree Pen Company will be largely incommunicado for the next 3-5 days, as I will be out of town on personal business. All orders received as of June 13, 2007 have been processed and shipped (unless something was backordered, in which case your order will ship when I receive the item you ordered from the distributor). Shipping and order processing will resume when I return. I will have, at best, sporadic access to the internet, so email inquiries will likely go unanswered for a short while as well.

I apologize for the inconvenience, but rest assured, we’ll be back sometime next week with the same commitment to customer service you’ve come to count on from the friendly neighborhood folks at the Pear Tree Pen Company.

Thanks for understanding!

James

They're Back!

2007-05-20T14:29:00.000-04:00

After a too-long hiatus, the Pear Tree Pen Company's ink sample program is back! The inventory of available inks has grown (although I still have to add Omas and Caran d'Ache to the list). Unfortunately, so has the price. It seems that the cost of everything keeps going up, including ink, postage, supplies and now I have to add labor to the mix. I was faced with a choice of charging for shipping/handling and keeping a nominally lower price posted, or to keep shipping free and increase the price. I opted for the latter, but let me know if you all think it should be otherwise. I do listen to your suggestions.

To offset the price increase somewhat, I have decided to add more ink to the vials, so now there should be about 2 ccs of ink for you to all test and play with. I figured that's more than enough to give you a good idea of how the ink will look on different papers and how it will perform in different pens. Again, I'm open to suggestions on this. Despite the price increase, I still think this is one of the best values around - why bother buying a bottle of ink only to find out it's not what you had hoped for?

On another note, I received word from Private Reserve yesterday. The price on Private Reserve Ink is going up, but they are also introducing a new color, Tropical Blue. I hope to get some in the next few weeks. Pelikan has also just informed me that they've raised wholesale prices as well.

Luckily, the price of Sailor fountain pens has held steady. Perhaps as a result, The Sailor Sapporo seems to be selling faster than I can get them in, and I find myself back-ordered on several different nibs, so if you want one, you'd better act fast or call first to see if I have it in stock.

As you know, the Sailor 1911 and 1911M have long been the workhorse pen in the Sailor line, but they have recently been discontinued. Luckily, I managed to secure a nice supply of full-size 1911s and 1911Ms. I've got them in all colors and size nibs (except zoom - I'm told they're on the way). Unlike most closeouts, I suspect the price on these pens is only going to go up, so get them now because once they're gone, well, you know the rest. I've said it before, and I'll say it again. Dollar for dollar, Sailor pens are very possibly the best fountain pen you can buy.

Also, if you're interested in some really special pens from Sailor, I managed to secure three Nagahara Limited Edition pens - the Taishi-Tsu "Black Forest" edition, the Sailor Mosaic and a Dragonfly "Tombo." The nibs on these pens are absolutely unbelievable - the Cross-Emperor (with collector), the Cross-slit nib (same as Cross-Emperor, but with no collector), and the Nagahara Naginata nib in medium. These nibs have to be seen to be believed. Remind your loved ones that Father's Day is coming.

Lastly, I have a number of products available for sale that haven't made it on my website. For example, I have some Lamy Persona rollerballs in black titanium oxide with gold trim, as well as a Lamy Persona fountain pen in titanium. It features gold trim and a gold-colored oblique medium nib. If you're interested, email me for pricing and photos. Lamy ballpoint refills are also in stock. Everyone loves Lamy, and a quality pen makes a great graduation gift!

Jac Zagoory pen stands are also in stock. These are really cool. I need to take some of my own photos of these, because Jac, while being a great designer, doesn't seem to grasp the need for this little marketing aid.

I'll do my best to get my site updated soon.

If you don't see what you want on my site, in most cases, I can get it for you, so please don't hesitate to ask.

Let's see - what's coming? New pads and journals from Rhodia, Exacompta and Clairefontaine. More on this when the stuff gets here. But suffice it to say that the Exaclair line has introduced some promising new products and I'm eager to try them out. Simply put, this is the best paper I've ever used.

Thanks for writing!

Chicago is a No Go!

2007-05-03T22:50:00.000-04:00

For personal reasons, I am unable to attend the Chicago Pen Show this weekend as I had originally planned. My feelings about this are mixed. I was really looking forward to the show both to see old friends and, of course, to experience the excitement of the oldest vintage pen show in America. But I admit I am also very eager for a break after the past few weeks - I attended the New England Show a few weeks ago (driving for over 30 hours, much of it in near-blizzard conditions), then worked like a dog to get the Fountain Pen Network Limited Edition pens out this past weekend. All 114 of them!

Undoubtedly, Chicago would have cost me some dough to attend. Since I won't be incurring those expenses, I thought it would be a nice gesture to pass the savings to you, my (hopefully) loyal readers/customers(and those who I hope will become loyal readers/customers).

So I've decided to have a special sale this weekend. For this weekend only, I'm offering a savings of 11.4% off the lowest listed price on my website. A minimum purchase of $20.00 is required to get the discount. Now, 11.4 may seem like an odd amount, but I thought it was fitting given the number of limited edition pens that went out on Monday.

To get yourself this discount, all you have to do is enter NoGo2007 as a coupon code in the appropriate box on my website. Remember, I take PayPal, AmEx, MasterCard, Visa and Discover.

Although I can't go to Chicago, I'll be there in spirit. Now, go and save yourselves some cash at my web store!

The Load Out

2007-04-17T16:41:00.000-04:00

I just got back from Boston, and boy are my feet tired!

I wanted to say thank you to everyone of you who came by and said hello while we were at the New England Pen Show. There were a lot of familiar faces, and lots of new ones, too. It was wonderful being able to put a face with the name (and to hear all of the delightful New England accents!). In fact, I actually had the pleasure of meeting what just may be my sole blog subscriber. And you know who you are!

As I reported earlier, I got into Boston (Woburn, actually) on Friday afternoon. Within a few hours of unpacking, I was on my way to Newton to have dinner with some distant relatives who heard I was in town and wouldn't take no for an answer. Which, as it turned out, was lucky for me, because the food was excellent and the conversation, like the wine, seemed never to stop flowing.

The next day, I groggily woke up and got ready for the show. Unfortunately, in my haste to leave Michigan the day before, I forgot to bring my own home-roasted coffee and had to make do with the swill from Folger's that was "compliments" of the hotel. Yecch!

Craig and I made it to the show shortly after 8 am and began setting up our tables. Ron Zorn and Richard Binder were the only ones there, so we chatted for a bit while Craig did all the heavy lifting (ain't it grand being the boss?). This seemed like a good time for Ron to repair some pens for me as well, so I had him work on a few for me - a Parker "51", an Esterbrook, a Vacumatic and a Skyline all needed varying degrees of restoration. If you've never done business with Ron, you owe it to yourself to do so - he's not only an excellent pen repair person, but he is a true gentleman. Visit Ron's site at www.mainstreeetpens.com

Saturday was mostly trading amongst other dealers. Since I sell new pens, this meant that my tables were unnervingly slow on the financial side. But this also gave me the opportunity to catch up with old friends and meet new ones. A couple of notables were Susan Wirth and her assistants Neville and Ian. Ian graciously agreed to pull guard duty so the vendors wouldn't have to break down Saturday night and set up again on Sunday. Thanks, Ian! Ian is an accomplished blogger in his own right, so check out his stuff at http://danandsteveshow.com.

I also got to meet Krysta and Artur from the New England Pen People and Off the Bench Furniture (www.offthebenchfurniture.com). Art is a furniture maker who has recently started offering outstanding hand-made pen chests. Not only does he offer some "stock" pieces, but he'll do custom work to accommodate any of your pen needs, from a desk top case holding 10 pens, to a stand-alone chest that can hold a thousand of them. His workmanship was top notch and I was really impressed by a couple of his designs. You never know, I may just start offering them for sale at the Pear Tree Pen Company!

Also on Saturday, I had the pleasure of meeting one of my customers who flew in from California, ostensibly to show his son some college in New York, but I know he was really there for the fountain pens.

Saturday night, all of the pen folks were gathering for a group dinner, but I had another social obligation that prevented me from attending. We headed out to Framingham for dinner at Legal Seafood, while the rest of the group went elsewhere.

Sunday came and we started all over. When the doors opened at 10 am, it was chaos - a wonderful, exciting chaos, but chaos nonetheless. I didn't sit down until at least 4 or 5 pm. Many lucky people walked away with fantastic deals on pens such as the Sailor Sapporo, Lamy 2000, or Visconti Van Gogh, or on paper from Clairefontaine, Exacompta and Rhodia. Bottled fountain pen ink from Diamine and Omas was also extremely popular.

As I said, we were busy. Really busy. In fact, we were the last table to break down and people were still trying to buy paper, pens and ink while Craig loaded up the van for our long trip home (again, that boss thing!).

Driving out of Boston on Sunday was relatively easy until we hit the Berkshires - the rain started before we left the city, but up at that altitude, the temperature dropped pretty quickly and the roads started to get icy. We pushed on for a while before we finally decided to call it a night somewhere around Utica, New York. The next morning, we woke up to about a foot of snow on the ground and all we had on our feet were sandals (we tend to pack lightly at pen shows). We drove on through near blizzard conditions until the storm finally broke west of Rochester, New York. After that, it was smooth sailing.

It is good to be home, but now I have to unpack the van and fill the multitude of orders that came in while I was away. And get ready for the Chicago show in two weeks.

See you there!

James P.

Oh! Mas!

2007-04-09T14:22:00.000-04:00

Because you keep asking, here's a sneak peak at the new line of writing instruments I'll be debuting at the New England Pen Show. Omas Inks are now available at the Pear Tree Pen Company as well.

Weekend In New England

2007-04-09T12:14:00.000-04:00

I'm off to the New England Pen Show this week. The Pen Show is being held at the Somerville Holiday Inn (30 Washington Street, Somerville, MA) on Saturday April 14 and Sunday April 15, 2007. I'm looking forward to it now that the stress of finding a place to stay has been lifted. I was surprised to find that the hotel had filled up so early!

I've always been fond of the New England Pen Show, since it was the first pen show I ever attended. It's large enough to have a nice selection and variety, yet small enough that you can really get a chance to talk to the exhibitors and try out the merchandise. It looks like it's going to be yet another great show.

This year, my setup has expanded, and I'll have two tables full of lots of new and exciting stuf. I'm bringing with me a fleet of Sailors, including the new Sailor Sapporos and Sapporo Minis, as well as several Kings of Pen and the discontinued Nagahara Limited Editions with the Nagahara nibs. If my luck holds up, I'll have a few of the new Black Diamond Waterman Edsons to debut as well.

Unlike my trip to Columbus, this time I actually prepared in advance and have a whole gaggle of Pelikanos and Pelikano Juniors for the young and young at heart.

And, for something a little out of the ordinary for me, I just received a shipment of pen holders and crystal inkwells from Jac Zagoory designs. The pen stands are pewter, and are made in the U.S.A. They're a really nice way to keep your favorite pen handy when you're at your desk.

So stop by, bring your kids and bring your Visa card, because I won't take no for an answer (but I will take American Express!)

James P.

New Pens from Parker & Waterman

2007-03-20T16:52:00.000-04:00

I just learned of two pens that are going to be released on April 1, 2007 from Parker and Waterman. The first is a new shade of Waterman Edson, the Diamond Black Edson. If the pictures are a true representation, this is one beautiful pen, with a gorgeous classic black barrel coupled with platinum-plated cap and trim, and a luscious inlaid rhodium-plated 18K gold nib. As seen here:

Not to be outdone, Parker will relaunch a new Duofold in pearl and black and which features a two-tone 18K gold nib. Here's a quick and dirty image:

From what I understand, the pearl and black Duofold was discontinued several years ago as material supplies dwindled and none of the available substitutes were up to snuff. Apparently, Parker has resolved that problem, and the new Duofold is, to my eye, absolutely gorgeous. I have wanted one for a long time, but none of the checked patterns really did anything for me. Not this one - this goes on my "Must Have" list right away!

MSRP for the Edson is $1,000, and the Duofold Centennial Edition's MSRP is $500. The Duofold will also be available in the International size, priced at $450. The only stock nibs available are fine and medium, but I've been fortunate enough to work out an arrangement with a phenomenal nibmeister, Greg Minuskin, who offers his services to Pear Tree Pen Company customers at a reduced rate.

If anyone is dying to be the first on their block to sport one of these new pens, as an authorized dealer of Parker and Waterman, I would be happy to help you out. Send me an email at Sales@PearTreePens.com and I'll give you an unbelievable price.

Thanks for looking!

James P.

Ink Sample Program Temporarily Suspended

2007-03-09T12:52:00.000-05:00

Ladies and Gentlemen of the Fountain Pen Community,

As many of you know, I recently took a holiday that required me to be out of the "shop" for a little over a week. When I got back home, I couldn't believe the volume of orders I had waiting for me. I was, and continue to be, overwhelmed by the support and encouragement I receive from the fountain pen community, especially those on this forum.

The success and growth of the Pear Tree Pen Company over the past year has been completely unexpected (although not unwelcome). One of the linchpins of that success has been the Pear Tree Pen Company Ink Sample Program. Due to the tremendous popularity of that program, however, I have begun to fall behind in fulfilling orders. This, I believe, is unfair to those who are in the "queue," and is a disappointment to me, because I cannot provide you, my customers, with the level of service you deserve, and which I demand of myself.

Some of you may not be aware that I am a one-person shop, and as much as I enjoy the Pear Tree Pen Company, it is not my primary occupation and does not come close to paying the bills. So, in order for me to regain a degree of sanity and to process the orders I've received on a timely basis, I find it necessary to temporarily suspend sales of ink samples. Sales of ink, pens and other items in the store will, of course, continue as before. All pending orders for samples will be filled - I have just stopped taking new orders as of today.

I expect this hiatus to last approximately one week, perhaps two. But rest assured, the Pear Tree Pen Company Ink Sample Program will be back.

Again, I sincerely apologize for the inconvenience this may cause, but thank you all for your support and understanding during this time.

With much appreciation,

James Partridge

Hey PayPal, Thanks for Nothing!

2007-02-21T09:31:00.000-05:00

I recently found out that PayPal is offering a rebate of $15.00 on purchases of $30.00 or more. That sounded like a good deal to me, so I did a little checking and ended up upgrading the The Pear Tree Pen Company account so my customers could take advantage of that offer.

Then, I discovered that not everyone is eligible for this rebate. From what I've been able to learn, this promotion was open to everyone until last week, when PayPal changed the terms and conditions of their offer to require an express invitation.

So, to make it up to you, my loyal customer (you know who you are), here's what I'm going to do - I'll make up part of the promotion by offering 10% off any purchase of $30.00 or more until March 31. Enter coupon code "YNotMe" at check out to receive your discount.

And, just to tick off PayPal, use your American Express!

Ya know, it just occurred to me that this discount, coupled with the free shipping on the Monteverde Mega is one heck of a deal!

Happy Shopping!

Spring Break

2007-02-21T08:40:00.000-05:00

The Pear Tree Pen Company will be taking a brief holiday from February 23rd through March 5, 2007. Any orders received after 5:00 pm on February 22nd will be filled when we open up again on March 6, 2007. It is unlikely that I will have cell phone access and even less likely that I will have (or want, frankly) access to the internet while I'm away.

So get your order in now if you want it to go out before Friday!

I apologize for the inconvenience that this may cause. I wish I could have someone working to fill orders, answer the telephone, or answer email while I'm gone, but my business isn't quite there yet. Yet.

But it's only a week. Y'all can wait a week, can't you?

Thanks everyone and play nice while I'm gone!

I Like the Cut of Your Nib, Sailor

2007-02-12T15:58:00.000-05:00

I don't think I've made much of a secret how much I enjoy using Sailor pens. In fact, because I like the way they perform so much, when I opened the Pear Tree Pen Company, Sailor was the very first pen line I signed up with.

There does seem to be a little bit of confusion regarding this brand, however, and one of my customers recently wrote me, stating "Also, am considering a Sailor pen. I must admit I am confused about this line of FPs. Have heard they come in piston filler, but never seen them. Also, some seem to have the anchor logo, some don't. Some are medium, some are full, some are "older design.

Can you tell me what you have available in black, clarifying the above?"

I guess he liked my response, and he encouraged me to post it, figuring others may be equally confused. So, here it is, with some minor modifications. :)

[Ahem]

To celebrate its 95th anniversary, Sailor made a limited edition pen, called the Realo. That was Sailor's first and only piston-filler, and it was limited to 600 units (500 for the Asian market, numbered xxx/500, and 100 for the European and North American market, numbered xxx/100), all of which are sold out (at least on the retail level).

The Realo is based on Sailor's King of Pen. Primary differences included the filling system (Realo is piston-filled, K.O.P. is cartridge/converter), and material (Realo is resin, K.O.P. is ebonite). The Realo also had gold trim, whereas the K.O.P. is generally unadorned.

The full-size 1911 pens with the anchor logo on the cap were imported into the US before 2006. In early 2006, Sailor's US distributor split up, and there was a 2-3 month period where it was almost impossible to get a 1911 here in the States. From what I've been told, only the US-imported 1911s had the anchor logo on them (they also had a "blind cap" that matched the barrel color). In an effort to stave off a price increase, the new US distributor and Sailor agreed to produce the same 1911 around the world, rather than have a slightly different pen in the US market. As a result, the end caps are now universally black, and the anchor logo on the cap has also been replaced with a black domed cap, giving an overall torpedo-like shape. The other change to the design involves the trim ring - in previous iterations, there was a metal trim ring at the end of the section nearest the nib. The new edition has a thinner trim ring moved up on the section and is now situated just below the barrel threads.

At that time, Sailor also discontinued the burgundy and green version of the 1911.

There is also a smaller version of the 1911 that is available, called the 1911M (for mid-sized). It used to be known as the "colors" series pens, but that doesn't fit anymore, since the full-size 1911 is now available in the same colors. The full-size 1911 (or FS) has a 21K gold nib that 's somewhat larger than that on the M. The M's nib is 14K gold. The M is shorter in length and smaller in circumference than its larger sibling.

They come in the same colors -- Red, Blue, Yellow and the clear Demonstrator. In the full-size, black is also available, but black isn't offered in the M-sized version. The black version comes in either gold-plated or rhodium trim. Both are in stock.

Also, the M doesn't have a zoom nib or a medium-fine. In the FS version, the demonstrator is also available in gold or rhodium trim, but the M's demonstrator is only available in gold.

I have the black 1911 FS in black in all nib sizes - EF, F, MF, M, Music and Zoom. I don't have any broad nibs in stock, but they can be ordered and delivered very quickly if necessary.

Phew!

I think that about covers it.

Let me know if you have ay more questions and I'll do my best to answer them."

I hope that was helpful and thanks for stopping by!

James

After the Rain

2007-01-29T16:29:00.000-05:00

Into every life some rain must fall. Never has that old adage held more true than it did last week.

As many of you probably know, my computer fried itself into oblivion last week when all I was trying to do was fiddle around with its innards to make it better, stronger, faster (I was attempting to make the world's first Bionic computer). That's gratitude for ya!

Luckily, I was able to access the internet to receive orders and respond to emails, but my order processing, inventory tracking and accounting software was all kaplooey (don't worry, it's backed up; I just couldn't access it).

Then the Pear Tree Pen Company had one of the busiest sales weeks in its history, with orders seemingly coming in every few minutes. It got so bad at one point I had to leave the office, because I couldn't take the hearing the little "beep" that signals a new order anymore! On any other week, that wouldn't be so bad, but not being able to process the orders as quickly as they were coming in was making me nuts!

Finally, the piece de resistance (sorry, I can't do accents) - my long-awaited order of Diamine arrived! I received about a hundred pounds of ink on Friday, and the second wave is on the truck scheduled to be delivered later today. So now I get to clear out that long back-log of orders from my ill-fated "Buy-One-Get-One Free Sale."

Let's just say that my weekend was a little busier than normal. I am pleased to say, however, that I did clear out about 80% of those back-orders, and the rest will be going out in the next few days, while at the same time, keeping other orders moving through the system - albeit at a reduced pace.

But the good news is that my new PC is slated to arrive tomorrow (thanks, Dell, for expediting my order!) and I should be up and running at full strength again by Wednesday or Thursday.

Just in time for my "one-year anniversary" sale! Stay tuned . . .

Lamy Price Increase on the Horizon

2007-01-14T11:13:00.000-05:00

We recently received word from FiloFax USA that a general price increase will become effective on January 25, 2007. This price hike affects Lamy fountain pens, rollerballs, ballpoints, (including the extremely popular Al-Star and Safari) as well as Lamy refills and fountain pen ink. Other brands FiloFax USA distributes will also be affected, such as Yard-o-Led, Lett's of London and Filofax.

If you've ever been interested in buying any of these quality pens or inks but have hesitated for some reason, you might want to get your order in now to lock in the lowest possible price.

We will ship out all Lamy products in stock on a first-come, first-served basis, and will take pre-orders as long as possible. But orders must be placed soon, so please act quickly if you'd like to take advantage of this before the higher prices take effect.

While we don't have any Yard-O-Led writing instruments in stock, we'll happily place a special order before the price increase takes effect.

New Ink On the Block: Colfer's Imperial InksTM

2006-12-14T09:49:00.000-05:00

For the past few weeks, I've been messing around with a couple of inks from the veritable "new kid on the block," Colfer's Imperial Inks^TM Having first learned about this start-up venture on the Fountain Pen Network, I contacted Sean Colfer, the inventor, to inquire about becoming a guinea pig and he promptly obliged me with samples of four different colors.

Colfer's Imperial Inks^TM are billed as the "World's Only Adjustable Ink." What this means is that these inks will be available as concentrates - permitting the user to adjust the color density and other attributes by adding more or less distilled water to the concentrate. The concentrates will be sold in varying sizes, including the one-ounce eyedropper bottle, an "EZ-Uze^TM" package, that makes 2-ounces of ink, and an "EZ-Trav^TM" vial, which will yield 1/2 ounce of ink.

Don't have the necessary supplies to mix ink concentrates? Sean has thought of that, so Colfer's Imperial Inks^TM will also be sold in a complete kit, with everything you need to mix your ink - except distilled water, of course. The inks will also be available already mixed in a 2-ounce Redi-2-Uze^TM package. (Sean seems to really enjoy using cute-sy spellings coupled with the ^TM symbol, such as "EZ-Trav^TM" and "Redi-2-Uze^TM," to identify his products - he must have an intellectual property lawyer in the family). As for me, it's getting to be a pain in the posterior to keep coding the superscript, so I think I'll stop now. But to all you would-be trademark infringers out there - you've been put on notice!

As for me, I've got a lot of things on my plate at the moment and I didn't want to fool around with mixing inks so I asked Sean if he'd just send me the pre-mixed inks. This also gave me the opportunity to see the inks as envisioned by their creator.

The inks arrived shortly after Thanksgiving. I received four different colors: Blue Spruce, NY Central Jade, Cotes de Nuit and Sovereign Blue. I've had a chance to put the Blue Spruce and NY Central Jade through their paces, so to speak, but have only dip-tested the other two.

The executive summary is that I've been very pleased and impressed with the ink. So pleased, in fact, that I decided become an authorized retailer of Colfer's Imperial Inks.^TM Not that has anything to do with my review; rather, the opposite is true - it was my review of the inks that spurred my interest in becoming a seller.

Surprisingly, my personal favorite turned out the be the NY Central Jade. I filled my Hero 616 with it and the ink started flowing without a hitch (typical of that pen, I have to say). The color is a nice true green, bright without being garish. I wish I could make a good scan, but my cheap HP scanner is notoriously unreliable when it comes to color reproduction. And the color chart I posted on my website seems lighter the ink displays when you're up close and personal. Of course, monitors vary, and you may see it as it really is. The ratio of concentrate to water that Sean used may also explain the variance. In any event, the ink I used was considerably closer to J. Herbin's Lierre Sauvage than to Diamine Woodland Green, if that helps anyone visualize the color.

I tried the ink on several different papers, ranging from good quality to garbage, and it behaved well in every situation. It dried quickly and there was no feathering or bleed-through. It did smear a little when wet, but then again, it's not billed as a waterproof ink.

The next ink I used was the Blue Spruce. I was really hoping to love this color - the Blue Spruce is one of my favorite trees. Confession time: I haven't used this ink in a fountain pen. Instead, I filled my Monteverde Mega Ink Ball with it. The "nib" on the Mega writes a fine-to-medium line, and although the ink flowed really well, the color just didn't grab me at first. In fact, I was downright disappointed. I have to admit, however, that after using it consistently for the past few weeks, it's really starting to grow on me. I still like the Jade better, but I think in a pen with a broader nib, it'll be really nice.

One noteworthy thing: To address mailing labels, I have been alternating using this pen and ink combination with a Pelikan 140 filled with Diamine Woodland Green (my current favorite green ink, by the way). I was astonished to see how badly the Diamine feathered on the Avery labels in comparison to the Colfer's. And Diamine didn't feather all that badly - but feathering was virtually non-existent with the Colfer's.

I have dip-tested two other inks that Sean sent and I'm eager to try these out, too. The Cotes de Nuit is a perfect match for a burgundy pen and appears close to Herbin Pousierre de Lune.

I dipped my Waterman Liaison with a broad nib into the Sovereign Blue and it was an extremely dark blue - not at all what I expected. But I used it on the most inexpensive of papers so it is likely not truly representative of what the ink will look like in actual use. And again, diluting the concentration with more distilled water would likely yield a lighter blue.

I hope to write a review of those inks after I've had a chance to use them more extensively.

Visit the Colfer's section of my website to view the Colfer's color chart. And, if you're so inclined, feel free to pre-order these inks, in any of their various incarnations, at a special pre-introductory price.

Thanks for stopping by!

Buy One Get One Free?

2006-11-24T07:55:00.000-05:00

To celebrate the holiday season, the Pear Tree Pen Company would like to offer its customers something special - something rarely seen in the world of online pen retailing. So, it (come on, who are we kidding? I) decided to offer select items at an unheard of "Buy one, Get One Free" price."

The problem is, I have so many wonderful things in stock that I can't decide what to offer at this price! Sure, I'd love to be able to do that for all the items in my store, but I have a family to feed, too!

So I've decided to let YOU choose the items from my inventory to make available at this unbelievable discount.

So - here's how it's gonna work: Each week from now until the week before Christmas, one item from my inventory will be offered on a "2 for 1" basis. All I ask is that you all let me know what you'd like me to put on sale. I'll select the winning item from the votes received, either online or via email, at 2Fer@PearTreePens.com. (All sales prices will be based on MSRP, by the way.)

You would be well-justified in asking, "Is this some sort of marketing gimmick?" Of course it is! But I'm flush with Thanskgiving turkey and a whole lot of liquid lubrication and my otherwise sound judgment may be slightly impaired. But I still think it's a pretty good deal, and the ultimate winner will be you!

So, let's get the ball rolling - visit my website and let me know which of the items I have available you'd like me to put on sale. Beginning Monday, November 27, 2006, the item with the most votes that week will be listed for sale on my website.

While you're poking around the site, check out what else I have to offer - this could be the best time to buy that ink, journal or pen you've always wanted - for a limited time all orders over $100 get free shipping and you can take an additional 10% off all orders over $25 (see my homepage for details).

And don't forget to tell your friends to vote and look around the site. Click here to visit the Pear Tree Pen Company website.

Waiting for Columbus*

2006-11-01T15:22:00.000-05:00

Tomorrow I leave for the Ohio Pen Show, which is billed as the 4th largest pen show in the nation. The show is held in the belly of the beast - at least as far as University of Michigan fans go - Columbus, Ohio. Yet I remain undeterred.

In fact, I am actually pretty excited, as this will be the first time the Pear Tree Pen Company will be exhibiting at the show. I've been making preparations for weeks now, yet believe it or not, much remains to be done. Taking the management concept of "Just in Time Delivery" to dizzying new heights, some of the new products I've ordered still haven't arrived - which is causing me some degree of stress, as you might imagine. And, although I am resigned to the fact that some of the things I had hoped to accomplish will most likely not be done, I still think I'm in pretty good shape overall.

For starters, my staff and I will have new shirts embroidered with our fancy-schmancy new logo, which should make us pretty easy to spot - on the concourse and off. We also just received our new promotional ink blotters, imprinted with contact information as well as the "Partridge in a Pear Tree" logo. Come by and pick one up.

I've also made sure we ordered new inventory so there will be plenty of pens, paper and inks to sell. Making their debut at the Pear Tree Pen Company will be new pens and inks from Pelikan, including some of the unusual Pelikan Level 5 fountain pens, as well as Pelikan's new 364 Epoch "Wood Nut" fountain pens, which are made from hand-polished walnut wood. If all goes according to plan, we hope to have a large selection of Pelikan student pens available for the young attendees and, of course, the cliched "Young at Heart." As one of the newest Authorized Platinum Pen dealers in North America, The Pear Tee Pen Company will also be displaying for the first time its new assortment of Platinum fountain pens, which will be available in a variety of colors and nib sizes.

Lamy pens continue to be well-represented among our products, and we will have a large array of Al-Stars, Safaris and Vistas, as well as some of the pens a little higher up in Lamy's line, like the Brilliant Accent and the 2000. We'll also have the Lamy Studio, which has just added a cool new blue color to their line-up.

In response to many of your suggestions, The Pear Tree Pen Company has also partnered with Greg Minuskin, an extremely talented nib "guru" and one of the rising stars in the field, to bring you several pens with custom-ground stub and cursive italic nibs. Greg has performed his magic on a select group of Sailors, Bexleys and Lamys, and these pens will be available to try and to buy only at the Pear Tree Pen Company.

So, if you are in Columbus this weekend, please come by our table and visit. And if you're not in Columbus this weekend, please understand why I won't be responding to your emails and orders with my typical alacrity. Shipping will resume once I recover early next week.

Thanks, and I hope see you at the show.

James P.

* My apologies to Little Feat for stealing the title to one of the greatest live albums of all time.

More Ways to Take Your Money

2006-10-27T10:39:00.000-04:00

You learn something new every day, and today I learned all about secure socket layers and internet payment processing gateways - stuff that'll curdle milk and put most sane people to sleep in moments.

I've put all that learning to good use, too. I have been working diligently to configure the Pear Tree Pen Company's shopping cart to accept credit cards - securely - and I finally got it working, so I'm a bit excited.

So - to make things more convenient and more secure for you, my dear reader and potential customer, the Pear Tree Pen Company is proud to announce it now accepts MasterCard, Visa, American Express and Discover - all online and all through the convenience of its web shopping cart. PayPal is good - but choice is better!

Now that I've made it easy for ya - Go Buy Something!

Thanks for stopping by!

James

It's Not About Winning - It's About Trying

2006-10-04T11:42:00.000-04:00

I lifted this post from a report I received from Ryan Levinson, a truly incredible athlete who competes at the top level of his sport despite being challenged by a form of Muscular Dystrophy known as FSHD or "Facio-Scapular Humeral Dystrophy." Ryan inspires me. I hope he inspires you, too.

Thanks for stopping by!

James P.

_______

Late Season Results:
New York City Triathlon (USAT PC National Championships)- 2nd
Solana Beach Triathlon- 1st
Nautica Malibu Triathlon- 2nd
Xterra Tahoe US Championships- 1st

Late Season Media:
Max Sports and Fitness Magazine- 1/2 page article with 3 photos (including contents page and a full page spread).

KUSI Television- Athlete profile. (It ran during evening, prime time, and morning newscasts over labor day weekend).

KUSI Television- “San Diego People”, interview (ran on Sunday morning).

Jerry Lewis MDA Telethon- Co-hosted and was interviewed.

Report:
The blood on my shoulder and legs had dried, there wasn’t really that much, and most of the mud had fallen off my body as I approached the log crossing in the final mile of the Xterra USA Championship. To win now all I had to do was finish, but I was nearly an hour past when I had estimated I would finish and I was in survival mode…

We started the swim with the pros and regional champions. The water was clear and cold. It was a unique experience to be swimming with a helicopter hovering overhead and SCUBA divers filming from below. Within the first ten minutes I realized I had way misjudged the impact of the altitude. Some people were panicking because it was so difficult to breath. A few people were pulled out for hypothermia, but my Zootsuit and neoprene cap kept me warm. By the second lap of the swim I could feel my face again and exited the water with a near PR for the distance.

The bike was harder than I anticipated. I reached the 8700’ summit, after two hours, three stream crossings, and 2000’ vertical feet of climbing on sandy switchbacks. The only real break from the climbing was a surreal four-mile section of singletrack called the Flume trail. Imagine a sheer rock cliff rising on your left (sometimes curving over your head), three feet of trail, and a hundred foot drop on you right. There were rescue people standing around with climbing gear ready to help people who flew off the cliff. Framing it all was an incredible view of lake Tahoe, now a thousand feet below.

By the time I reached the summit my pre-race nutrition and pace strategies were out the window. I had estimated about two and a half hours for the ride and was already at two hours ten minutes. My first crash was about 10 minutes later during the descent on a technical boulder strewn section of trail. I had just passed a woman lying semi-conscious near the trail, with medics working to stabilize her, when I had to lay my bike down to avoid slamming into a large boulder.

After the crash I looked at that section and could not figure out how the heck people rode through. A guy sitting off-trail next to a broken bike asked if I was ok. That’s what is unique about Xterra -- loosing focus during a road triathlon will make you slow, during an Xterra it can make you bleed. My Specialized Epic is a dream machine and helped saved my ass on that descent.

By the time I started the run my life consisted of pain, forcing down gels, and focusing on avoiding injuries. I had been here before, Xterra Temecula kicked my ass too, but this time I had to finish for more than personal satisfaction. If I failed, there would be no challenged athlete on the podium to represent the challenged division in the first year Xterra included the division. When I crossed that final log during the run I was overwhelmed with emotion. I was going to be the 2006 Xterra US Champion for my division, but that was only a small piece of the puzzle.

For me, over the past five years, competition has evolved to be more about the process than the result. Of course the final result is important, but this season I’ve learned, through some measure of desperate pain and tearful exhilaration, that there is no lasting fulfillment solely from standing on a podium, be it at a local race or a world championship. The search for meaning in triathlon is a much deeper pursuit, yet it all boils down to striving to swim, bike, and run to the limits of your ability.

So why compete? Besides social benefits, the value of competition comes from providing a standard by which to measure your athletic success. Sure there is satisfaction in placing in the top three and discovering that you are better than your peers, but that pales in comparison to the satisfaction that comes from realizing, regardless of your place, you have improved as an athlete. Placing mid-field after the race of your life can be more deeply rewarding than finishing first after a sub-maximal effort.

But if the primary reward from triathlon comes from improving yourself as an athlete, why not just time yourself, download your powermeter, record your heart rates and pursue life as a robot striving for faster programming? Computers and stopwatches can help measure athletic ability, but finishing higher in your division, from one year to the next can be a more meaningful measure of improvement than simply seeing faster times on a screen.

This is why divisions in the sport of triathlon are so valuable. Divisions allow you to be measured against your peers. It is more meaningful to determine athletic progress relative to peers rather than a stopwatch. There is no doubt that the very essence and value of competition is the ability it provides you to measure yourself against others, but more importantly, against yourself.

But what if you have no peers? What if you are young, but like an aging athlete, you have reached a threshold where your times will almost certainly decrease regardless of effort? If satisfaction in competition stems from the ability to measure yourself against your peers, can there still be satisfaction in competing if you are the only one in your division?

The answer is yes, but you have to embrace the fact that at times you will be racing with lonely desperation so that in the future people like you will have a division of peers, or at least a relevant standard, to measure themselves against. Because of the efforts of challenged athletes before me, the New York City Triathlon this year hosted more physically challenged athletes than pros.

At New York, after a disgusting swim in the Hudson and a PR on the bike, I started the run with a comfortable lead over my friend and fellow USAT PC National Team member, David Kyle, a man I beat at the World Championships last year by about two minutes. The race was mine to loose and I ran conservatively figuring there was no way David would catch me. But he did, with one mile to go, and we ran side by side until about 200 meters to go. David kicked, but I matched it and we went into the twisting finish shoot like two crit riders fighting for the final sprint. He kicked again but this time I couldn’t match. I jogged the final stretch and watched David win by a few seconds.

I came home with a sick feeling in my stomach. Only later did I realize that it was largely because I had lost focus about why I race. I had begun racing more for place than performance. When I thought I had New York won I pulled back. When David caught, and then dropped, me in the final 100 meters, I realized I was not going to win and I jogged in rather than continuing at max effort. Despite posting an Olympic distance PR, and placing second at USAT Nationals, I had essentially quit.

Then two more pivotal things happened. First, I began another stage of relatively rapid muscle loss (my disease tends to progress in stages), but this time I was loosing key cycling muscles. It is increasingly more difficult to hit target wattages during low cadence force-related efforts. Second, I tried out for San Diego City lifeguards, but despite two attempts I was not fast enough. Working as a first responder can be incredibly rewarding, and I enjoy working as an EMT, but my heart is in the water and serving as a lifeguard has been a long time goal.

These two events were significant because they represent the first time in a few years that, despite my efforts, my physical ability took a big hit. I was like the aging athlete posting slower times despite increased fitness. This realization, combined with my experience at New York, threw me into my lowest point of my season.

But then, thanks largely to feedback from my coach Kevin Purcell, I decided to approach racing from the perspective that what matters most is ensuring that I finish each race having given maximum effort, leaving everything on the course. Kevin’s mantra during races is, “what are you saving it for?” I used to tell Kevin I was going to crush skulls, but he helped me realize that to find satisfaction in racing, the main skull I need to crush is my own.

With this in mind I entered the Solana Beach triathlon and blazed to a PR in the swim (per hundred meters) and a season PR for the run (per mile). I won the division, but more importantly I pushed harder, longer, and with more conviction than ever. It felt good. I wanted more, and got it a month later at the Nautica Malibu Triathlon.

The Malibu Triathlon was the final event on the USAT PC National Team’s schedule. This was going to be my first chance to race against David Kyle, current national champion, since New York. I had been sick in the weeks leading up to the race, but entered the race with the calm confidence that comes from knowing that during the race pain will kick your ass but you’re going to give it the fight of its life.

I had an ok swim and finished near the front of the PC field. After a good transition, I rode solid and steady, did not blow any minds, but made up for weak climbing with a bonsai approach to the twisting sections and with an aero advantage on the downhills. By T2 I was in first with just over a minute on David. Regardless of my final place I was determined to run harder than ever before. By the halfway point David had not caught me and I was on a PR pace.

The pain was good, a familiar place you only briefly visit but never forget. I pushed harder, increased my pace, one mile to go, still not caught, was at my limit but holding the effort, saw the finish, felt a twinge… I might win. Then, with a few hundred meters to go, David caught and passed me. But this time I didn’t hesitate, I kept it nailed, flat out, max effort, crossed the line in second place spent, but satisfied knowing I had given a max effort.

A month later I was again at my limit, running across that final log in Tahoe, overwhelmed because not only had I raced to my potential, but because Xterra had, for the first time, opened a division for challenged athletes and by finishing I was about to ensure that the new division was represented by at least one athlete. I am deeply grateful to the challenged athletes that raced before me in other events so that I may now race with peers, and it is an honor to be a part of that ongoing process. I’m not the first challenged athlete to complete a full Xterra, there are a number of incredible athletes including guys like Willie Stewart, Matt Henderson, and Mike Hicks. I’m just the first to complete an Xterra championship in the new challenged athlete division. Hopefully in future years there will be a stacked field of PC athletes toeing the line.

This is how my season ended and this is why I race.

-----------------------------------------------------
Special Thanks (in no particular order):

To the athletes who came before me, especially guys like Dan Rock who were a part of the birth of triathlon and who still warmly welcomes countless people into the sport, and guys like Jon Beeson who work tirelessly to ensure that athletes with disabilities will continue to have a place in triathlon.

And…

B&L Bike and Sports for believing in me from the start. Coach Kevin Purcell for keeping me in line and guiding me to new limits. Zoot Sports for the fastest, most comfortable, best looking wetsuits and clothing available. Limar helmets rock. Light, comfortable, fast, if you have not tried one on you are missing out. InfinIT Nutrition- Its funny watching people mix all kinds of concoctions when they can just go to InfinITnutrition.com and get it custom made how they like. Vittoria tires, the first tires I raced on in the early 90s and still my favorite. Zipp Weaponry wheels speak for themselves. Nothing faster. Profile Design bars, especially the T2+, love ‘em. Rudy Project Sunglasses are now more versatile than ever with all the new lenses and frames. Challenged Athletes Foundation for advocating for a place where we belong and providing the support for us to get there. USAT for encouraging events to include PC athletes and for providing national team support for those that accept the challenge. Mizuno Shoes- who epitomizes ‘athlete’ more than the Rouses? Mizuno epitomizes the best in running gear. They are a perfect fit (pun intended). Specialized Bicycles continue to blow my mind. How is it possible for one company to make such a diverse line of incredible cycling gear? From their bikes to their shoes to their MTB tires and even gloves, Specialized gear is an integral part of my efforts. Pear Tree Pen Company provided my good luck pen, a Kurt Kinetic Trainer, but more importantly, is owned by another athlete with Muscular Dystrophy who cared enough to contribute to the tribe. West Coast Kiteboarding for continuing the dream and providing web space. And to my friends, family, and the many other people who have shared their love and support, especially Nicole Lippert (soon to be Levinson), she is everything.

www.ryanlevinson.com

Changes Afoot

2006-09-26T09:58:00.000-04:00

I want to thank everyone for all of the great feedback I've gotten on the ink sample program. I'm trying to incorporate all of your suggestions and do whatever I can to improve the program.

One thing I feel I absolutely have to mention - and I hate to do it. Effective at 12:01 a.m. on Thursday, September 28, the price for the ink samples will increase to $2.95. If you notice on my website, the old price of $1.75 is now identified as a "sale" price.

I really don't want to have to raise the price, but I simply can't keep the program going at the old price - the cost of the vials, supplies and postage (not to mention PayPal fees) cost me more than I was charging. I am hoping that people believe that the value of getting the ink samples still exceeds the relatively small charge and recognize that this increase is, unfortunately, necessary in order to keep the program alive.

I thought I ought to at least give people a heads up and an opportunity to order some ink samples before the price goes up.

Thank you all for your support and encouragement. I really do appreciate it!

Thanks for stopping by!

James

In the News . . .

2006-09-11T11:33:00.000-04:00

A reporter from the Legal News recently interviewed me when he discovered the Pear Tree Pen Company was one of the sponsors of the 17th Annual Michigan Pen Show, coming up on September 16-17, 2006.

My mother is so proud!

Thanks for stopping by!

James

So Much is Happening!

2006-08-31T09:44:00.000-04:00

All I can say is "Wow!"

I have had such tremendously positive feedback from everyone regarding the Fountain Pen Ink Sample program that I haven't had the time to update this blog in weeks! I'm not really sure where to begin, there's so much I want to share.

First, I have to give kudos to whoever hired our new law clerk at my law office. The first day she was here, she was given a tour of the office. When she got to the supply room and our paralegal showed her where to get the firm's stock of pens, she replied, "No, that's OK. I bring my own." Then she reached into her pocket and pulled out some beautiful fountain pens - including a nice vintage Parker "51." As you might expect, the paralegal immediately pointed her in my direction.

I've also wanted to write about about my latest folly: training for ODRAM, the "One Day Ride Across Michigan." Patterned after the Race Across America, ODRAM is a test of physical (and mental) endurance, as participants ride their bicycles 152 miles from the shore of Lake Michigan to the edge of Lake Huron. ODRAM is September 9, 2006 (a little over a week away), and I'm worried I'm not ready. But I'm riding for a good cause - raising money for Muscular Dystrophy research and awareness - so hopefully that will provide the incentive to keep me going. Please contact me if you're willing to make a tax-deductible contribution to this worthy cause.

On the pen front, I have good news and some bad news. The good news is that the variety of ink in stock has just increased considerably. The Pear Tree Pen Company just received a shipment of Diamine ink. Some colors were on back-order so I didn't receive the complete order, but a very nice selection is still available. The balance of the order, including the long sought-after Diamine Umber, is expected in about two weeks.

Also, due to popular demand, I've expanded my inventory to include the complete line of J. Herbin fountain pen ink - 26 colors! These are now in stock and ready for immediate delivery.

In addition, Aurora inks are on their way - in about a week or so I expect to receive a sizeable shipment of both the Aurora Blue and Black ink.

Lastly, I received a few bottles of "Jentle" ink from Sailor. Initial tests have been very positive, and I'm excited to be carrying this premium line of fountain pen ink.

Speaking of Sailor, I've been writing with a new "international style" Sailor 1911 fountain pen for the past month. I haven't yet found the time to sit down and write my review of it. Suffice it to say that the 21K medium nib helps make this one of the best writing pens I've ever used. And, while I'm on the subject, Sailor has recently introduced its 95th Anniversary Limited Edition fountain pen, the Realo. Only 100 numbered pens have been exported from Asia, and only 30 are destined for North America. I have been lucky enough to be awarded 3 of them. The Realo is Sailor's first (and only) piston-filled fountain pen. If you'd like to learn more about the Sailor Realo, send me an email.

Now for the bad news. I am out of sample vials! The supply I expected to last for months was exhusted in a little over two and a half-weeks! Although I just placed an order for another batch of vials, I'm sorry to report that I have to temporarily suspend shipment of samples until those come in.

That's all for now.

Thanks for looking!

James P.

Try Before You Buy? Ink Samples Now Available!

2006-08-09T11:41:00.000-04:00

I can’t tell you how many times that I have bought a bottle of fountain pen ink after reviewing a seller's online color chart, only to end up disappointed when the ink finally arrived. Imperfections in computer monitor calibration or the inability to assess the shading or flow characteristics of whatever ink I’m considering are among the major problems with buying fountain pen ink over the internet. I've often thought how nice it would be if I could only get my hands on a small sample of the ink to try for myself before committing to a purchase.

With the introduction of The Pear Tree Pen Company's new new ink sample program, now you can. The program is really very simple: You can choose up to 4 different inks in any of the nearly 400 shades in stock. The approximately 1cc samples are packaged in a small vial, which are then vacuum sealed to prevent leaks. When they arrive in the mail, you should have more than enough ink to be able to decide whether you like the ink.

To help defray the costs of postage and packaging materials, there is a nominal fee of $2.95, which can be paid with PayPal for your convenience. I also accept Visa, MasterCard, Discover and American Express, so you can pay with your credit card if you want. There is absolutely no obligation to buy anything.

To help keep costs down and to prevent abuse, each person is limited to 4 samples of ink per month. If, however, you buy any bottled ink before that time is up, I'll reset the clock, so to speak, so you can request another 4 samples.

The Pear Tree Pen Company attempts to stock the complete line of all inks it carries. Currently, we carry bottled inks from Aurora, Diamine, J. Herbin, Lamy, Noodler's, Pelikan, Private Reserve, Sailor, Waterman, Visconti. We also carry the new line of Caran D'Ache "Colors of the Earth" series of bottled fountain pen ink, which comes packaged in a beautiful glass inkwell.

This pilot program will be run on a trial basis for a month or two. If response is good and I don’t lose my shirt (or my mind!), I’ll keep it going. If I’m mistaken and the feedback I get suggests the pen community does not think this is a valuable program, I’ll discontinue it.

I apologize to my many international customers, but during the trial period, I can only ship samples to the continental United States. I will, however, evaluate the pros and cons of shipping ink samples internationally and make a decision in the near future.

To see the complete selection of inks that are currently in stock, visit this link to the "Ink & Refills" section of the Pear Tree Pen Company's website.

Thanks for stopping by!

The Results Are In

2006-07-26T16:59:00.000-04:00

In what many pundits are calling the most dramatic and suspenseful Tour de France in decades, American Floyd Landis stood atop the final podium in Paris, winning the 2,272 mile race by a mere 57 seconds. In so doing, Floyd became only the third American to don le Maillot Jaune in Paris, following the tire tracks of Lance Armstrong and Greg Lemond.

In a marginally less exciting contest, Memphis, Tennessee Attorney Sam Blaiss claimed the coveted “Stylo Jaune” in the Pear Tree Pen Company’s inaugural Tour de France contest. Predicting that Landis would win by 1:22, Mr. Blaiss not only guessed this year’s Tour winner, but came closest to predicting the overall margin of victory.

For his prognostic abilities, Mr. Blaiss has won a brand new Waterman Charleston fountain pen, valued at $155.00. Sam has opted for a medium nib, in 18K gold.

Why a Waterman Charleston? Why, it's French, of course. And, they’re available in yellow!

The Pear Tree Pen Company would like to thank all those who participated in this year’s contest. Next year’s edition promises to be better, with more prizes and more fun. So start handicapping now!

Thanks for stopping by.

What a Nice Note!

2006-07-18T16:40:00.000-04:00

I recently received the following message from a customer in Canada who purchased a Conway Stewart Churchill from me. It's notes like this that remind me why I do this!

The Churchill arrived late this afternoon! It is really something special. I think it looks very elegant in green and is quite impressive in the case as well. I am very pleased.

I also want to thank you once again for the superb customer service. Your interest, advice and concern set you apart from many of the other people I have dealt with on-line. Any concerns I might have had about buying a costly and special item from someone in another city with whom I had never spoken evaporated in the face of your exceptional attention to my situation and my needs. Best of luck with the new website, I'll be checking in from time to time, and also reading your blog with great interest. Suffice it to say, my future pen purchases will most likely be made through you.

Cheers,
Simon

Fountain Pen Review: Waterman Phileas

2006-07-13T21:34:00.000-04:00

Lest anyone accuse me of being anything less than honest, let me get this disclosure out of the way before I begin this review: The Pear Tree Pen Company recently became an authorized Waterman dealer. Our Waterman inventory at the moment consists of Waterman Phileas and Charleston models, in all available colors and modes - fountain pen, rollerball and ballpoint. We also have genuine Waterman inks in stock.

Despite the fact that I'm a retailer of Waterman products, I think this review is still unbiased and presents an objective view of this pen. Contrary opinions are welcome.

OK, now on to the review.

Waterman's "entry-level" fountain pen, the Phileas is one of those pens that gave many pen enthusiasts their first taste of what a fountain pen could be. And why not? For about $50.00 (MSRP), you get an attractive pen that's comfortable, well-balanced and writes, uh . . . right.

As I said, the Waterman Phileas got many a collecter started in the hobby. I wasn't one of them, however, and this is the first Phileas I've had the chance to hold and use. To say I was skeptical about the Phileas is an understatement. As much as I love fountain pens, I've had a hard time falling in love with Waterman. It's certainly not for a lack of trying, and I own a lot of Watermans. While their quality has almost always been good, many of Waterman's pens are lacquer over brass, which makes them too heavy in my book. Some people prefer a heavy pen, but I don't, especially for long writing sessions. My hands are small and after a while, heavy pens really start to cause me a lot of hand fatigue. Moreover, in my opinion, Waterman's nibs lean toward the bland. Don't get me wrong - they work well enough, but the one's I've used lack a certain je ne sais quoi. Imagine my surprise when I discovered that the Phileas is unlike those Watermans I've used in the past.

First of all, it's light, but not so light that it feels cheap. Waterman accomplished this by building the Phileas out of plastic, rather than lacquer-coated brass. But Waterman inserted a small brass sleeve into the upper portion of the barrel to give the pen a bit of substance. It feels nice in the hand, and I was able to write several pages without even the slightest hint of fatigue. The pen is also nicely balanced, and is exceptionally comfortable with the cap posted or unposted.

Of course, the true test of any writing instrument is how well it writes and this is where the Waterman must have put its R & D money, because the Phileas excels in this department. When I first inked up the Phileas I honestly wondered if I was setting myself up for disappointment. Not a chance!

I filled the included converter with Noodler's Black ink and less than a minute later, I was ready to go. I pulled off the slip cap and started to write. Much to my surprise, the two-tone stainless steel nib was buttery smooth. I mean really smoooooooooooth. Although it still lacked some of flair that comes with more exotic nibs, the line it laid down was consistent and even. It was neither too wet nor too dry - it seemed to lay down the right amount of ink at all times. Oh, and did I mention it was smooth?

Every single letter was perfectly formed (to the best of my ability, that is), and there was not a single moment's hesitation, skipping, streaking or any of the other potential pitfalls of pendom. Vertical lines were as smooth and clean as horizontal ones. I left the pen uncapped for about an hour and it started immediately when I picked up. It wrote perfectly after sitting on my desk overnight.

I did not detect any tooth to this nib at all. Some people may find that disconcerting, as they prefer to get a little feedback from the nib as they write, so if that sounds like you - be forewarned. My medium nib was true to size, which was also unexpected, since Waterman nibs have a reputation for running a hair wide.

Appearance wise, the Phileas is an attractive pen. The model I tested is a red marble acrylic. The red is a nice deep, almost burgundy, red with black swirls stirred in. The pen is decorated at the ends with black on the cap and a black "blind cap" to match the black plastic section. Gold-colored trim rings separate the black pieces from the red marble, and a gold clip finishes the package. The nib itself is two-tone stainless steel and looks quite rich as well.

On the fit and finish side, it's obvious that this is an entry-level pen. On close examination, the luster of the pen's plastic just doesn't match that of more expensive pens, but when viewed from a distance, it's not as apparent. One of the things that sets many expensive pens apart is attention to detail, and the Waterman Phileas is lacking in this area as well. The biggest "flaw" to my eye was the trim ring at the end of the barrel - it was not a solid ring that encircled the pen barrel; rather, it appeared to be a clip that was a few millimeters too small to complete the circle. I don't know why Waterman would skimp in that area. It's one of those tiny details that few will ever notice unless they happen to be looking for something to criticize, though. And I was.

The Phileas measures 5" from the tip of its nib to the end of the black plastic blind cap. That number stretches to 5 5/8" when the cap is posted and 5 3/8" long when capped. Not a large pen by any stretch of the imagination, but certainly not a small one, either.

The pen comes in the familiar blue clamshell box, in which is a blue Waterman ink cartridge and a converter for using bottled ink.

I have to confess, I almost chose not to publish this review. Because the Wateman Phileas may just well be the last pen you'll ever need, I was worried I'd go out of business! Lucky for me that fountain pens are often more about desire than need.

To wrap up, the Phileas is a terrific pen. It looks good and performs far better than one would expect for a pen at this price-point. It's not perfect, but the flaws are primarily cosmetic and easily overlooked when one factors in the outstanding performance. It's easy to see why so many fountain pen enthusiasts got hooked after using one. It really is that good.

Thanks for stopping by!

James P.

Le Stylo Jaune Sale - Just in Time for the Tour de France!

2006-06-30T13:00:00.000-04:00

The Pear Tree Pen Company, in keeping with the time honored tradition of awarding a yellow jersey to the leader of the Tour de France, is proud to announce its first ever “Stylo Jaune,” or yellow pen sale. During the Tour’s three week run from July 1 – July 23, every yellow item sold at the Pear Tree Pen Company will be sold at 10 percent off the already low prices. This sale includes all yellow pens from Sailor, Bexley and Waterman, as well as inks in shades of yellow from Noodler’s and Private Reserve.

The inspiration behind this event comes from CEO and founder of the Pear Tree Pen Company, James Partridge. An active cyclist and bicycle advocate, Partridge has turned what was once a means to get in shape into a passion he has incorporated into his daily life. His enthusiasm for cycling has come a long way from its humble beginnings when he didn’t know the difference between a departments store’s “clunker” bike and the high-end carbon-fiber road bike at his local bike shop.

Partridge has now developed a keen eye, not only capable of procuring fine writing instruments for his thriving online business, but also bicycles to suit his every need. At present Partridge is the proud owner of seven bicycles.

“Each bike I own is designed for a specific purpose, like cyclocross, road racing, or mountain biking,” said Partridge, “you need to have the right tool to do the job.”

Partridge goes on to explain that like bikes, not all pens are created equal. “One would not expect the same performance from a pen that comes in a blister pack, as you would from a pen that comes with a hand-tuned nib made from solid 14, 18 or even 21K gold and carries a lifetime warranty.”

Partridge explains that like a bicycle, a pen should fit its user’s needs. While an artist may prefer a finer nib for the clean lines of drawing, a lawyer signing documents may prefer a broad nib for a bolder signature. A high-quality pen can actually lend flair and distinction to one’s handwriting, just like a good bike may help improve one’s cycling.

Alongside the yellow pen sale, The Pear Tree Pen Company will be running a contest. The person to correctly predict the winner of the 93^rd Tour de France will become the proud owner of a new Waterman Charleston fountain pen, valued at $155. The pen is, of course, available in yellow. The Waterman Charleston comes equipped with an 18k gold nib in the winner’s choice of Fine, Medium or Broad size.

Both the sale and the contest will run their course with the Tour de France beginning July 1 and ending July 23, 2006. Entrants should email their predictions to TdFContest@PearTreePens.com. In your entry please include the name of the rider you think will win the Tour, and the winning margin.

For more information about the Pear Tree Pen Company, the Stylo Jaune Sale, and the contest, visit www.peartreepens.com.

Fountain Pen Review: Sheaffer Intrigue

2006-06-20T15:12:00.000-04:00

I decided to purchased a couple of NOS Sheaffer Intrigues after reading about its new-fangled filling system. I had heard several people comment that the complexity of the filling system contributed to the pen's demise in the marketplace, so I had to see what the fuss was about. It is the first Sheaffer fountain pen I've ever had, although I have owned other varieties of Sheaffer pens in the past.

I received the pens yesterday afternoon. Both are the "Silken Bark" pattern and are equipped with Sheaffer's very nice looking medium sized 14K gold inlaid nib. So far, my overall impressions have been quite positive.

Before I inked one of the pens, I gave it the old visual "once over." The packaging was a little on the chintzy side. Futuristic looking, but an overabundance of flimsy plastic. The pen itself is solid-looking and it has the heft to back up its appearance. It is a heavy pen for its size and is fairly top heavy when posted. Removing the cap from the barrel end cures that problem, and the pen feels much better balanced when writing unposted. But it's still no lightweight.

The fit and finish are good. The seams are visible where Sheaffer attached the cartridge/converter drawer (blind cap?) and the "piston" knob, but they're not obtrusive. I do wish that Sheaffer had taken more care to align the lines of the "bark" on the barrel with their counterparts on the knob where the drawer unscrews. No matter how I try to align them, they're still a bit off. But that's a pet peeve of mine with several pen lines and odds are I'm the only one who'll ever notice or care.

The inlaid 14K nib looks great. I really like the streamlined look such a nib gives a pen and I'm glad that Sheaffer has continued that look with its recent Valor pen as well.

The section is smooth and provides a fairly comfortable grip, with no slippage. It is a hair fat for my smallish hands, though, and I felt my hand becoming a little fatigued as I wrote my review.

But you all want to know how it writes, don't you?

Exceptionally well! I understand MSRP was around $140.00 for this pen. It can be had for considerably less if you look around. So far it has written better, smoother and more consistently than several pens costing several times as much.

I filled the pen with Lake Placid Blue from Private Reserve, my current favorite blue ink. A word about the the filling system. Despite what I'd heard, it really wasn't that complicated - You just insert the converter through the drawer that slides out of the top of the pen instead of by removing the section. And, rather than have the twisty-knob built into the converter, Sheaffer put it on the pen itself so it works and looks more like a traditional piston-filler. Pull out the little knob on the end and twist. Snap it back into place when you're done. Nothing to it!

The pen lays down a smooth and somewhat wet line. After I inked the pen last night, I scribbled a few lines and let it sit in my pen tray overnight (capped, of course). When I picked it up this morning, it started right up with out a moment's hesitation. I even left the pen uncapped for 40 minutes this morning and the pen performed without missing a beat. Well, actually there was a brief skip on the down stroke of my first letter, but the Intrigue recovered quickly.

The nib is rigid - there's nary a hint of flex here, and the line is completely uniform - this isn't the pen for you if you're looking for line variation. Although I'd be willing to bet that a qualified nib meister can make this nib quite expressive.

Overall, I'd have to give this pen good marks. It looks good and writes even better. The filling system worked without a problem. It is a bit on the heavy side, so if you're sensitive to that, this pen may not be for you. But otherwise, I'd suggest looking into picking one up, especially since they seem to be going for around half of their original MSRP.

NB: The Pear Tree Pen Company is not a retailer of Sheaffer pens.

Thanks for stopping by!

James

Am I an Old Dog?

2006-06-06T17:00:00.000-04:00

They say you can't teach an old dog new tricks. Over the next few weeks, I'll be conducting a little experiment to see if there's any truth to that statement.

For the purposes of this experiment, we will, of course, have to make some factual assumptions that don't necessarily comport with reality. For example, (a) I'm not a dog, and (b) I'm not really old.

By now you're proably wondering, "what is this new trick?" The answer: Penmanship. Ever since I was a child, my handwriting has been the subject of much derision. In elementary school, I routinely received the politely euphemistic grade of "N" (for "Needs Improvement") in the subject. My parents, ever the optimists, eagerly prepared me for a career in medicine. To their chagrin, I went to law school instead. Throughout my career, my assistants insisted upon additional insurance for optical coverage to repair the damage my illegibile scribbling caused to their eyesight.

Fortunately for me, and my law partners, that all changed when I discovered fountain pens. I'll save the story of how I got started down the path from respectable local barrister to proprietor of The Pear Tree Pen Company for another entry. For now, suffice it to say that fountain pens are irrefutably responsible for those small improvements to my handwriting in the past few years. I readily admit, however, that my handwriting would likely still merit the grade of "N."

Last week, though, I took a step that I hope will help bring that grade out of the basement. I enrolled in a series of classes by noted handwriting expert and instructor, Kate Gladstone. While I have been familiar with her work for a few years, I had never seriously considered enrolling in a handwriting improvement program. But she recently began auctioning her services on eBay and I do love a good auction (Maybe one day I'll tell the story of the Salvation Army, George the Giraffe and the Children of Washtenaw County. But you have to ask nicely and promise not to tell the I.R.S.). So I placed a ridiculously low bid for a one-hour lesson and, lo and behold, a few short hours later, I was declared the auction winner.

Yesterday, I finished my first session, which was conducted by telephone. I can honestly say that I got far more than I bargained for in the auction.

Kate (whose eBay handle is KateGladstoneItalicLady) reviewed a sample of my handwriting I had previously scanned and sent to her by email. She graciously told me that my handwriting isn't actually all that bad for short stretches. The problem, it seems, is that my form deteriorates as my writing speeds up or as I get tired. So one of the things we worked on was ways to be more consistent.

I realize that handwriting repair is not something that can happen in a single one-hour session. It is something that I'm going to have to work on and practice. I'll continue to consult with Kate over the next few weeks, sending her handwriting samples as we progress. I'll do this publically, too, posting examples of the scans I send to Kate, so you can let me know if you detect any improvement over time. So, let's see if this old dog can't learn a new thing or two about handwriting.

If anyone's reading this thing, I'd love to hear your comments, both about this experiment and the blog in general.

Thanks for stopping by.

James Partridge

Handwritten Theatre

2006-05-29T20:18:00.000-04:00

Like most of my writing these days, this blog entry was originally composed with pen, paper and ink. It may seem a bit quaint, old-fashioned even, but it works for me.

Apparently I’m not alone in my belief that writing should begin with, well, writing. Recently, while doing research for a project I’m working on, I came across a website promoting a podcast called “Handwritten Theatre” -- a “series of short dramatic pieces originally composed in a small black notebook, with a fountain pen.”

Handwritten Theatre and its accompanying website are the brainchildren of Joseph Dougherty, a talented writer whose work on the groundbreaking television series thirtysomething earned him an Emmy. He has also written and produced several movies, including The Attack of the Fifty-Foot Woman, starring Darryl Hannah. Among Mr. Dougherty’s most recent work is the novel Comfort and Joi, available at Amazon.com.

"How cool," I thought. Despite all the high-tech, wiz-bang gadgetry that’s out there these days, here was someone who put pen to paper and let the words literally flow onto the page. And not a fountain pen collector, either, but an ordinary human being, using a pen as it was intended.

Intrigued, I downloaded the first episode of Handwritten Theatre, “What Do You Want Me to Tell You?” The format was compelling. A brief introduction by the author, then a dialogue between two characters, followed by a few more words from the author. No more than 12 minutes overall. I lack the expertise to critique either the writing or acting, but I will say this: I have now listened to each of the nine episodes that have so far been published on the web, and I eagerly await the next installment. Draw your own conclusions.

By the way, if anyone’s interested: This entry was originally composed using a Visconti Van Gogh Midi fountain pen, with a fine nib and filled with Private Reserve Lake Placid Blue ink. If you haven't checked out one of these pens, I highly recommend them.

Thanks for stopping by.

Introduction

2006-05-19T13:38:00.000-04:00

Since this is the first post to the Pear Tree Company's blog, I figured I'd explain a little about the company and what I'd like to accomplish by posting here.

The Pear Tree Pen Company is an online retailer of writing instruments and accessories. Writing instruments is just another way of saying things that write, like pens and pencils. While I sell a wide variety of pens, including ball point and rollerballs, the emphasis, and expertise, is fountain pens. My website is located at www.PearTreePens.com.

I started the Pear Tree Pen Company in January 2006 because I love fountain pens and wanted to share my knowledge and experience with others. (Sure, it's a bit geeky, but who doesn't have their geeky side?) While many pen stores try to sell you on how "luxurious" or "prestigious" it is to have a fine pen, I believe that approach is fundamentally flawed. In my book, pens are tools, plain and simple. And while it may be really nice to have a gold hammer, odds are it doesn't drive a nail any better than the one you can buy at your local hardware store.

To be sure, some hammers may do their job better than others, and so it is with fountain pens. But more "bling" doesn't necessarily make the ink flow any better or the writing experience any more enjoyable. What's important is getting the right pen for you and what you want to do with it. Do you need a pen to sign correspondence and want a big, bold and dramatic signature? Do you need a pen so you can take notes all day? Do you prefer large pens, small pens, or something in between?

At the Pear Tree Pen Company, I strive to create a place where you can feel free to ask questions and, hopefully, get a pen that fits you, your needs, and your lifestyle -- not some marketing company's idea of what's luxurious or prestigious. And, while some of the pens I sell are, indeed, beautiful (and undoubtedly expensive), they're more than fancy "pocket jewelry." They're genuinely good writers. If they also happen to look good and increase your stock among friends and colleagues, well, I guess that's OK, too.

On the other hand, some of the pens I sell may not have the cachet, or the price tag, of some of the more well-known "executive" pens, but neither will they let you down when you need your pen to perform most. Because sometimes, you just need a pen that writes, right?

In the days and months ahead, this blog will feature some of my musings on fountain pens, inks, and papers. There will also be a generous smattering of tidbits about people who use fountain pens and why, with a small helping of some tangentially related items, like the Pear Tree Pen Company's sponsorship of Ryan Levinson, a professional athlete who competes (and wins) in triathlons despite being challenged by a form of muscular dystrophy known as FSH (Facio-Scapular-Humeral) Muscular Dystrophy. To learn more about Ryan and to read his complete race reports, visit his website at www.RyanLevinson.com

I'm looking forward to this, and I hope you'll come back and visit again.

Thanks for stopping by.

James Partridge