Pelikan Souveran 400 Tortoise Celluloid

The Pelikan Special Edition Souveran 400 tortoiseshell celluloid has arrived and its a delicious fountain pen for your collection. The main draw is, of course, the wonderful barrel material that varies in shading from cream to tan to brown and is alluringly transluscent allowing you to see hints of the plunger filling system in action.

Keeping with the color scheme, all parts are a deep, dark, brown highlighted with gold-plated trim. The nib is 14K yellow gold.

This pen will be available for a limited time only.

Father's Day is June 21

Hard to believe, but Father's Day is upon us, coming up Sunday, June 21. We've got the perfect gift for dad with pens to fit almost any budget. We recently added in some new Jack Georges briefcases, too.

We've also been adding to our bottled ink selection with some new colors from Noodler's and Private Reserve. Visconti is now in stock, and a selection should be arriving shortly from J. Herbin and Caran d'Ache, too.

As of Sunday, June 21 Scottsdale Pen will be closed on Sundays through the summer months. Store hours will be Monday through Saturday 10am to 6pm.

Pen World Reader's Choice Award Winners

The Pen World 15th Annual Reader's Choice Award Winners have been announced, and here is a list of the winners:

2009 Pen of the Year: Sailor, Tale of Genji Mikado Collection

Incredible Value: Diplomat, Excellence Collection

Creative Use of Materials (tie): Faber-Castell, 2008 Pen of the Year, and, Jean-Pierre Lepine, Titanic DNA

Metal Mastery: Conway Stewart, Evolution

Fine Art: Sailor, Arita Koransha Komari

Best Maki-e: Sailor, Tale of Genji Momiji-no-ga

Most Glamorous: Laban, Diamond Series Totality

Finest Tribute: Montblanc, John Adams

Cultural Theme: Delta, Capri- The Blue Grotto

High Style: Monteverde, Sleeping Beauty

Transportation Theme: Tibaldi for Bentley Continental

Best Contemporary Design: OMAS, Arte Italiana Wild- The Paragon

From the above winners, Scottsdale Pen is an authorized dealer for Conway Stewart, Delta, Faber-Castell, Monteverde, Omas, Sailor and Tibaldi.

Time for Moms, Dads, and Grads

Yes, it's that time again to start thinking about Mother's Day, Father's Day, and Graduation, too. There aren't too many gifts that can fit all three like the gift of a fine writing instrument. A fine pen can last a lifetime and is a cherished gift. We are offering numerous in-store specials including 40% off on selected Conklin, Parker, and Visconti models.

Another fun gift for your mom or dad is My Autobiography Novella from Phoenix resident Deborah Ehlert. This clever patent-pending idea includes a journal with removable pages and 99 sentence idea cards to help the writer get their life on paper in an organized fashion. Only $39.95.

Time is running out, so don't delay. Come in now to select your gifts for those special people and occasions in your life.

Visconti Ragtime Road Test

The Visconti Limited Edition Ragtime fountain pen was issued in celebration of Visconti's 20th anniversary in 2008 and is a more refined and updated version of the original design released in 1988. It features a special 14K gold anniversary nib that is "rigid but smooth", and double solid gold bands on the cap. The material is a somewhat translucent resin milled from a single rod with colors swirling in tans, golds, whites and browns.

According to Howard Edelstein and Mel Strohminger in the December/January 2009 issue of Stylus magazine, "The pen is relatively lightweight, but well-balanced..." Further comments included, "Fit and finish are superb", and "Long and thin- looks good- the clip is very retro..." Their combined score was 87/100, a solid "B".

The Ragtime is a serial numbered limited edition of on 1988 pieces worldwide. It is a cartridge/converter fountain pen with an msrp of $575.00. Click for more details on the Ragtime collection...http://www.scottsdalepen.com/visconti-pens-ragtime-c-38_315.html

Pilot Custom 74 Clear Fountain Pen

Demonstrators are always a popular addition to any collection, and the Pilot Custom 74 should be on your list. At only $190.00 msrp with a 14K gold nib its an excellent value.

In the February/March 2009 issue of Stylus magazine in the Road Test article, Howard Edelstein and Mel Strohminger drive the 74 and come up with an averaged rating of "90" on a 100 scale. "A handsome pen and an excellent value", "...the ink flow was steady and smooth", and "The converter is almost as good as a true internal filling mechanism" are some of the comments in the article. Further, "...a high-grade, medium-sized fountain pen that looks good, feels good and writes well."

I have stocked the medium and the broad nib, which tend to lean towards being about a half a step finer- typical with Japanese nibs. Check it out at:
http://www.scottsdalepen.com/pilot-custom-demonstrator-fountain-p-1415.html

Platinum #3776 Music Pen

In the Spring 2009 Stylus magazine, Howard Edelstein and Mel Strohminger review the Platinum #3776 Music Pen. We've sold a number of these and the feedback has always been very positive.

This fountain pen features a unique nib with two slits rather than the usual single slit and enables the user "to write thin horizontal lines and broad vertical lines with the same nib." Further, "it gives solid performance at a moderate price. The nib will even most likely appeal to the everyday fountain pen user who just wants to introduce a little flair into his or her writing."

Strohminger rates the pen 88/100, while Edelstein gives it an 84/100, a solid "B" average. The main rub is the plain styling of the pen, but you have to weigh that against the very, very reasonable cost, $170.00 msrp, for a fountain pen with a specialty 14K gold nib. To quote Mel, "As the music nib breaks in, the owner will be rewarded with unique line quality and shaded handwriting."

Check it out at http://www.scottsdalepen.com/platinum-3776-music-fountain-p-1204.html.