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OFFICIAL WEBSITE OF THE NEW ENGLAND PEN SHOW
The 21st Annual New England Pen Show
Sunday, April 13, 2008
10 am to 4 pm
Admission $6
NEW! INFORMAL
PREVIEW, Saturday, April 12, 2008
9 am to 5 pm
Admission $15
Somerville Holiday Inn, 30 Washington Street,
Somerville, Massachusetts 02143
directions
and hotel information
617-628-1000
show info
and exhibitor info
Rob Morrison robmorrison@charter.net,
828-712-2145 (cell)
N E W S ------ N E W S
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 GoPens.com "go"-ing to the New England Pen Show
Gary and Myrna Lehrer were among the first wave of collectors to discover the world of vintage fountain pens, and since becoming full fledged
dealers they've continued to lead. First with a print catalogue, then moving to the web with their quarterly www.gopens.com sales, their offerings
have always been of excellent quality and startling breadth. To visit their table is to take a short course in pen history: every major maker
is represented, most major models, and some exotic items you may only have heard about but never seen. Except where a pen's rarity warrants the
presence of a lesser example, they're all pristine, and they're all working and ready to write. I personally have been amazed at the variety of
rare vintage Montblancs, Pelikans and Soenneckens the Lehrers have managed to find in the last few years. But it's the completeness of their
stock that's remarkable. If you're looking for something in particular---if you've decided to finally spring for a mandarin Duofold, or if you've
been bitten by the Sheaffer Carmine Red bug---check the Lehrers' table. 
Richard Kleinhenz's creations return
Rich is the proprietor of Wappingers WoodWorking, and he'll be with us again with his beautifully hand-wrought fountain pens, rollerballs
and ballpoints. Using ingenious combinations of rare and exotic woods, he makes all his writing instruments on his lathe, one at a time,
with no mechanised duplicating equipment. Each one is therefore slightly different from every other, even if it's the same model.
In addition to the fancy wood used in the caps and barrels, he's very careful about the metal trim parts, employing the most attractive
and durable plating materials and methods, so that his creations can give years of use. Shown here, the Statesman Junior 'Piano' pen,
in African blackwood with inlaid holly wood. You can also visit him at
www.beautifulhandmadepens.com.
Nathan Tardif returning
again this year
Just had my annual chemistry lesson, otherwise known as a phone call with Nathan regarding the pen show and Noodler's Ink. I'm happy to announce that mad scientist of writing fluid will be back again, Sunday only, for the New England Pen Show. You'll want to see what he's brought. No new Boston Brahmin Blue for this
year---we'll have some of the amazing 2007 variable-color limited edition on hand---but he'll have a selection of his newer efforts. Among them: Bay State Blue, a color so intense that when it's used on white paper, Nathan swears you'll have to cover your
eyes. Hey, that's what he says. It comes in a large bottle, 4.5 ounces, and better yet, it
has its own integrated eyedropper. So it's perfect for those early eyedrop-filling pens, and to ladle into Speedball or other specialty calligraphy nibs. The label has a slightly obscure anti-tax message, so libertarians, bring your magnifying glasses. Trivia question: in Nathan's campaign for reasonably priced ink, what major ink company is he spoofing with his new product, Borealis Black? Hint: the company charges $24 for its product, which contains forty cents worth of ink. If you know the answer, don't tell anybody, just buy
Noodlers!
 What IS
in those boxes? Isaacson and Erano selling a collection
Paul Erano---author, publisher,
newslettrist, and purveyor of fine vintage fountain pens (and some nice watches too)---has teamed up with
Vacumatician and occasional physician David Isaacson to acquire a substantial collection of pens, which they'll be selling at the show. They're
playing a bit against type here, as most of these appear to be modern or semi-modern, but Paul and David are nothing if not well rounded. Some
highlights: a Parker Snake limited edition, Parker Mandarin Duofold limited edition, a Parker Centennial Blue "100 year" limited edition,
several Duofold Mosaics, some conventional modern Duofolds, some Parker 100s, Parker 51 Special Editions, Parker Sonnets, a Bicentennial Parker
75, Watermans including an Edson in sterling, other Edsons, a Letalon, some out-of-production Rotrings, and some Sensa ballpoints in exotic,
out-of-production colors. This is in addition, of course, to the excellent
selection of vintage items that both bring to a pen show.
 Jim Rouse, formerly of Bertram's Inkwell, to offer
collection
For years pen show attendees
have looked to Jim Rouse's table for great deals on modern and limited-edition pens,
which he sold for Bertram's Inkwell. Now Bertram's is reorganizing into one store and Jim is selling on his own. He will
offer his 15-year collection of ephemera and display materials: some contemporary,
some vintage---all fascinating. Look for items only the dealers ever saw, like Aurora white gloves (for use displaying pens), large Montblanc signs, Pelikan displays, original repair
manuals. There will be lots of rare and exotic ink bottles: Pelikan's originals and its own reproductions of the bird-shaped
'30s bottle, large Sheaffer ink-making crocks, several of the famous Carter 'Cathedral' ink bottles. Pens won't be neglected: look especially
for older Cross models.
 Dealer Spotlight: Andy Beliveau
Andy Beliveau, Milton resident and long-time pen collector, has been displaying at the show practically from the beginning, and
many will recognize him. What you may not know is that Andy's career has been largely as a research chemist, specializing in
polymer engineering and polymer chemistry. I don't know what that means exactly, but it reminds me of a word I do know---plastic.
And it's true, Andy is something of an expert in those materials that are near and dear to the hearts of vintage pen collectors,
celluloid and hard rubber. And in recent years Andy has branched out into another important pen
area---silversmithing. He has done everything from repairing vintage sterling overlays to creating complete
accommodation pen clips to be added to vintage clipless pens. Andy will be offering his inventory of delightful vintage writing instruments, some sporting additions and modifications in his own distinctive
silver work.
 Atelier Gargoyle coming to New England
Atelier Gargoyle proprietors Ward Dunham and Linnea Lundquist teach calligraphy in San Francisco and sell the implements of their trade:
pens, inks and materials, and also more exotic items like sealing wax---which, used with one of their beautifully-wrought vintage or modern
seals, makes personal correspondence even more personal. Their lettering style eschews the frilliness of copperplate for the solidity of
Black Letter: very elegant, and very medieval. We're happy to announce that for
a couple of days in April, the atelier will have a pied-à-terre
at the New England Pen Show, and east-coast fans will be able to see their delightful work first-hand, and purchase some of their gothic items.
 Roger Cromwell of Penopoly returns
As he has most years, Roger Cromwell of Penopoly will be at his corner location diligently repairing pen-show finds for attendees, so that they
can use their new acquisitions right away. Get in line early, though, since he's bound to be busy! In addition to his pen restoration wizardry,
Roger always brings a large selection of vintage pens, most---if not all--fully restored and working. Definitely worth stopping by if you are
looking for something in particular. If not, you can trust him to have something very rare, specialized, and interesting. The pen world was
fairly stupefied by the horde of extremely rare red-banded Parker 51s he unearthed a few years ago, and he hasn't lost the magic, always
managing to turn up great pens.
 New $15 Saturday Informal Preview---Join the dealers where they do
their shopping!
The show has always been open to the public on Sunday for the normal admission price, but it has also always had an informal preview day
on Saturday, where the only people allowed were exhibitors, and collectors who'd paid a whopping $50 to be weekend traders.
Why was it worth so much? Because Saturday was when you might find a rare item
or a bargain, and it's the day when the dealers troll the tables for items that
they can buy at a good price and sell to the public. This year we're reducing the
admission for the Saturday preview to $15. So if you're serious enough to pay a little more for an earlier shot at the
bargains, or if you can't make it on Sunday, you might consider coming to the preview. Things to keep in mind: on Saturday, dealers
can come and go as they please; there are no assigned seats, and they don't have to remain set up all day. So you may not see your
favorite dealer at any particular time. Their displays may be smaller, since the show has less square footage for Saturday.
 SCHEDULE
Pre-Show:
Friday, April 11, 2008 (Exhibitors and Weekend Traders only---registration
available at the door)
5:00 pm
Welcome beer and snacks.
Rob's
suite
Informal Preview: Saturday, April 12, 2008
9:00 am-5 pm
Trading area open. Exhibitors may use ½ table for every
table they have for the show. Ballroom
The Public Show, Sunday, April 13, 2008
8:00 am-10 am Dealer setup.
Exhibitors and Weekend Traders only. Ballroom
10:00 am-4 pm
New
England Pen Show
open to
the public $6 admission.
Ballroom
 
Photos from
the 2005 show, courtesy Jim Liggett
   
   
 
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Photos from the 2004 show, courtesy of Neville Bedford
    
    
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