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HisNibs.com update -- Cloisonné and Bookworm

May 31st, 2009

Greetings all,

This update brings two new collections from
China, and a price update.

The price update relates to the new Duke 962
series, introduced in the last update. These
lovely pens were mispriced at $30.00. They're
actually $25.00.

New from Bookworm...the Abstract series.

You want cloisonné pens? We've got cloisonné
pens!

On the blog....Decoding antiquity: Eight
scripts that still can't be read

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~in this issue
* DUKE 962 series
* Bookworm Abstract series
* Chinese cloisonné series
* On the blog...Decoding antiquity: Eight scripts that still can't be read

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
DUKE 962 series



These Duke pens appear very different due to
their very distinctive
patterns-under-lacquer. It's something of an
optical illusion that held side-to-side, they
seem to be different models. The Autumn
Impression tricks one into thinking that it
has a greater girth than the Woodgrain, all
due to its more flamboyant and busy
coloration. I also have a very hard time
believing that the Woodgrain isn't made of
wood, as the apparent grain and coloration is
very convincing.

See more here... - http://www.hisnibs.com/duke_962.htm

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Bookworm Abstract series



Bookworm has come up with another winning
design in the Abstract series of pens. These
slender beauties measure 5-3/8" capped,
5-3/8" posted and 4-3/4" with cap held aside.

The cap and barrel are lacquer-over-brass
design and the pen has a sleek torpedo-shape
overall. The first design element that
attracts one's eye is of course the colorful
midsection, which immediately put me in mind
of some abstract paintings I've seen.

Removing the pen's slip cap displays the
steel hooded nib and section. I would
rate these nibs as being a typical western
fine, although erring a bit on the wider
side. It's always nice to find a model with a
hooded nib, and I think this was a good
design choice for the overall look and shape
of this pen.

More photos here... - http://www.hisnibs.com/abstract.htm

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Chinese cloisonné series



These colorful and inexpensive writers are
fun to collect and make great
starter pens, especially when introducing
someone to fountain pens.

Removing the cap on these wild pens reveals
another wild aspect...the gold-plated steel
nib. What's wild about the nib is not that
I'd rate it a western light-medium -- meaning
between a typical fine and medium -- but
rather that the nib is engraved with the name
Parker! Now,
I can assure you that these nibs were never
within a thousand miles of a Parker
factory...but the name is still magic in
China...from 60 years ago when Parker did
have a factory there.

More here... - http://www.hisnibs.com/cloissone.htm

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
On the blog...Decoding antiquity: Eight scripts that still can't be read

"WRITING is one of the greatest inventions in
human history. Perhaps the greatest, since it
made history possible. Without writing, there
could be no accumulation of knowledge, no
historical record, no science - and of course
no books, newspapers or internet.

The first true writing we know of is Sumerian
cuneiform - consisting mainly of wedge-shaped
impressions on clay tablets - which was used
more than 5000 years ago in Mesopotamia. Soon
afterwards writing appeared in Egypt, and
much later in Europe, China and Central
America. Civilizations have invented hundreds
of different writing systems. Some, such as
the one you are reading now, have remained in
use, but most have fallen into disuse.

These dead scripts tantalize us. We can see
that they are writing, but what do they say?"

Read the entire article here... - http://hisnibs.blogspot.com


Regards,

Norman Haase
His Nibs.com
Website: http://www.hisnibs.com
Blog: http://hisnibs.blogspot.com
Twitter: http://twitter.com/HisNibs1
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