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HisNibs.com update -- Purple Heart Clip & Lotus Blossoms
October 5th, 2013

Greetings all,

We've introduced a couple of purple pen models in the last two newsletters,
including the Purple Celluloid
http://www.hisnibs.com/purple_celluloid.htm from Jinhao and the Royal Purple
version of the Arrow Clip
http://www.hisnibs.com/arrow_clip.htm from Baoer.

As these have been a big hit, I'd be remiss in not reminding everyone of the
purple Monteverde Artista Crystal
http://www.hisnibs.com/Artista_Crystal.htm, the Uranus 621 series Purple
Passion http://www.hisnibs.com/uranus_621.htm
and let's not forget my favorite ball/roller/gel pen, the Monteverde Purple
Island http://www.hisnibs.com/charisma.htm
and the Poquito mini-ballpoint/stylus in Purple
http://www.hisnibs.com/poquito_stylus.htm too. And who could forget the
Jinhao Colonel 163 Purple Passion http://www.hisnibs.com/colonel_163.htm?

Not enough purple yet? Well, don't fear, as this edition brings the Duke
purple Heart Clip pen, detailed further on in the newsletter.

Also new -- and not purple -- is the lovely Lotus Blossoms pen from
Yongsheng.

We're pleased to introduce a new entrant on the Writers page, Leonard
Borman, who extols the virtues of using a fountain pen while composing his
science fiction novel.

On a sad note, we mark the passing of Terry Johnson of Avalon Pens. For many
of you, he was the originator and creative force behind Private Reserve
inks, which we've proudly carried as are main ink line on His Nibs.com for
more than a decade.

As this newsletter goes out to a mailing list of thousands of customers,
please understand if there's a delay in answering your email queries or
orders after one of these is sent. We will respond in order received and as
soon as possible!

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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~in this issue
* Duke Purple Heart Clip
* Yongsheng Lotus Blossoms
* Writers page: Leonard Borman
* Rest in Peace Terry Johnson
* 'His Nibs' page on Facebook
* On the blog...Join PIMZ

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Duke Purple Heart Clip



This slim beauty measures 5-1/4 inch capped, 5-1/4" posted and 4-1/2" with
cap held aside.

You may notice the lovely purple/lavender color of the pen first from a
distance, but as you get closer -- or if it's sticking out of a pocket --
there's no escaping the gracefully swirling clip with the suspended heart at
its terminus. In fact, with the clip set so high on the cap, the heart and
almost-sinuous clip leave the impression that it's a pin attached to your
pocket.

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

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Yongsheng Lotus Blossoms



It's hard to assign a color to this pen. The closest would perhaps be shiny
gunmetal gray, but under some light it even looks black or dark
copper-colored. It's an ideal background for the gold color of the clip and
band, cap band and barrel band. Of course, it's main function is to provide
contrast for the highlight of the model...the slightly raised artwork of the
lotus blossoms!

Removing the slip cap, which re-seats with a secure click, reveals the
tapered black section and the intriguing design of the semi-hooded nib. The
steel nib is equivalent to a typical western fine in size.

See and read more here... - http://www.hisnibs.com/lotus_blossoms.htm

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Writers page: Leonard Borman



From Leonard's entry:

"...Yet, I'm happy to announce that fountain pens will not suffer the same
fate as pay phones. Fountain pens are forever. For me, they are very
relevant. They aided me in my writing. By way of background, John Steinbeck
drafted his manuscripts using a fountain pen. What may not be commonly known
was Steinbeck kept a portfolio of notes which he wrote with a fountain pen
before beginning to write text on a given day. He said that writing notes
and text by hand, stimulated his thinking and kept his mind focused.
Clearly, his brain's right and left sides worked in tandem, and produced
memorable novels.

His methodology to awaken his creative mind was a good model. I did however
chose to modify his example. A fountain pen was essential. I started each
day with a composition book opened to a blank page, poised to write about
250 words, with a favorite fountain pen. My methodology insisted that after
beginning my writing, I did not permit myself any editing. Whatever I wrote,
stayed as originally written: no rearranged sentences or paragraphs, no
correction of any spelling or grammatical errors. My pace demanded thinking
and composing before I wrote the first word. My mind filled with thoughts,
and I couldn't hold back. I roared out of the starting gate, unleashing the
power of my fountain pen. Throughout the exercise, I was able to reign in
the ideas I generated, inserting them in sentences and maintaining
cohesiveness."

Read more of Leonard's contribution here... -
http://www.hisnibs.com/writers.htm

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Rest in Peace Terry Johnson


photo courtesy of Len Provisor

Except for the addition of Monteverde inks a couple of years ago, Private
Reserve has been the only brand I've carried at His Nibs.com. Excellent
inks, excellent colors and produced by an excellent man and staff.

I always enjoyed talking with Terry over the past decade or so, and loved to
hear of his new ideas for colors. He always stood behind his products, and
when I contacted him a few months ago about a clogging problem with the
then-new Vampire Red ink, he immediately stopped its sale and investigated
the problem...shortly coming up with a new formula that eliminated the
problem and re-creating this blood-red ink.

I know that he will be missed by many in the fountain pen community, and of
course by his co-workers, friends and family. Although we never met
face-to-face, I was enriched by knowing him.

Len Provisor, of Pentrace.com, said:

"He deserves and has earned his peace and rest. A charming man, fascinating
on so many levels, the colors of his vintage guitar collections inspired him
to create and name the colors of his Private Reserve inks. Terry was a long
time sponsor of Pentrace. Before and after the annual Ohio Pen Shows his
shop was a favorite stop, just off the main highway to points North and West
as we always seemed to meander back to Zionsville from IL, WI and MI. Many
of us would surprise him with impromptu visits and he was delighted, always
a warm host at the drop of a hat. He was a big fan of Blues guitars, I
jokingly called him my Boogie Woogie man. Terry will always be fondly
remembered with a smile and good warm feelings. Rest in Peace."

Len also re-posted a wonderful article of his visit to Terry:

The Alchemist of Zionsville, IN
http://www.pentrace.net/article111401_132.html

Terry obituary can be read here
http://flannerbuchanan.tributes.com/obituary/read/Terry-W.-Johnson-96462369,
and his partner and best friend Susan Schube informs us that both Avalon
and Private Reserve will continue in honor of Terry.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
On the blog...Join PIMZ



Join PIMZ (PEN IS MIGHTIER than the ZOMBIE)!
(September 28th entry)

See other blog entries here... - http://hisnibs.blogspot.com/

Regards,

Norman Haase
http://www.hisnibs.com