Tough Pens for Tough Times

The latest Stylus magazine, Fall 2009, has come out and features an article called "Steel Yourself: Three Moderately Priced Fountain Pens for Tough Economic Times" starting on page 80. Howard Edelstein and Mel Strohminger Road Test the Waterman Phileas, the Pelikan Pura, and the Libelle Chromatic Sport in red.

All three score in the 89 to 92 point range on a scale of 100 points with the Waterman and the Pelikan tied at an average of 91, while the Libelle comes in right behind at an average of 90. Scottsdale Pen carries all three models and can agree that all three models are top performers in their price range ($75- $85).

Montegrappa Arrives and Other Delights

We're very excited to announce the arrival of our first items from Montegrappa, the NeroUno collection. At the same time, Montegrappa announced new, lower pricing, too! You can't beat the Italians for style- the pens from Montegrappa are truly beautiful.

The big hits of the summer were the Pilot M90 and the Pilot Vanishing Point in Vivid Red, both limited edition fountain pens. They came and went in one heck of a hurry. But, no use in crying over spilled milk, let's look forward to the next hot pens...

Coming this last quarter look for the Lamy Dialog 3, a retractable fountain pen. Oh yeah, baby, this is going to be hotter than Phoenix in August. Lamy will also introduce the violet Studio series.

Visconti is bringing out variations on the Divina series including the limited edition Divine Proportions ballpoint, and the Divina Royale. These are going to really jazz up the holiday season. They are also introducing the very limited Knight's Templar fountain pen. For everyday, you'll love the all new value-priced Rembrandt series.

We'll have the new Faber-Castell Ambition Rhombus in engraved precious resin very shortly.

Sailor will be landing here within the next week with new demonstators in the Professional and Sapporo lines. The Procolor 500 series will also arrive in four great colors along with the Sapporo purple!

The Parker Premier series will be at full strength and all three modes will be on display within the next 10 days.

The Cross Affinity collection has arrived at special introductory prices through the end of the year. And in a similar mode, the Pilot Knight collection of value-priced pens are now here at full strength.

Caran d'Ache has just announced the release of their popular office pens in the all new Zodiac series. We'll have this display within the next two weeks. Hey, what's your sign?

And have you seen the Pilot Custom 823 Demonstrator yet? A great fountain pen for everyday with a huge ink capacity!

Wow, that should do it for now. Come and see us soon! Our store hours will expand in October to Monday-Saturday 10am-6pm.

Best of Phoenix 2009

We're proud to announce that Scottsdale Pen has been cited in the September 2009 issue of Phoenix Magazine as one of the 105 "great local businesses that struggle to lure you away from the chains." This is their highly anticipated annual Best of the Valley issue and it is an honor for us to be included after less than two years in business. If you search out the issue, you'll find us on page 108 under the heading "Best Place to Sign Off in Style".

In other news, the Pilot Vanishing Point Limited Edition Vivid Red fountain pen has arrived. Only 650 will be released in the United States, so supplies will be tight. The MSRP is $225. This pen features a lipstick red body with rhodium trim and a rhodium-plated 18K gold medium nib.

Pilot 90th Anniversary M90 Fountain Pen

In celebration of Pilot's 90th anniversary they have released the limited edition M90 fountain pen. Featuring a sleek, brushed stainless, one-piece nib/body design, the M90 appears both retro and futuristic in the same instance. I can say without hesitation that I find this pen design inspiring. If you're looking for something that begs for you to write, this is it!

Limited to only 9000 pieces worldwide and maybe 1175 in the U.S., supplies are going to be very tight. The Pilot M90 was produced in fine and medium nibs only and operates with either a cartridge or converter.

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.

Graf von Faber-Castell Classic Anello Fountain Pen

In the October/November 2008 issue of Stylus magazine, Mel Strohminger and Howard Edelstein teamed up to do their Road Test of the Graf von Faber-Castell Classic Anello fountain pen. On a scale of 100, Mel gave the pen a 91, while Howard marked it was a 90. That looks like an "A" to me!

The Anello fountain pen is a cartridge/converter fountain pen sporting a semi-flexible 18K gold two-tone nib and features a matte black ebony barrel with platinum-plated rings. The fluted cap has Faber's fabulous spring-loaded "S" clip. A sampling of comments includes "uniformly well made" and "smooth consistent writing. This pen carries a limited lifetime warranty and is priced at $495. http://www.scottsdalepen.com/fabercastell-classic-anello-fountain-p-1722.html

Conway Stewart Dandy Heritage

Please take a couple of seconds to view the beautiful Conway Stewart limited edition Dandy Heritage fountain pen with sterling silver fittings. Only 200 pieces are being released!
http://www.scottsdalepen.com/conway-stewart-pens-dandy-heritage-c-221_293.html

Pasguale Pagliuca Passes

Hello Fellow Pen Enthusiasts,

This morning I received the unfortunate news that Paquale of Pens International has passed away. Many of you know Pat from his roughly 18 years of devoted service to the pen industry, much of it from his wonderful little shop at the corner of 24th and Camelback. Pat had not been well for a number of years, and a fall and resulting injuries this past December put him into a nursing home situation. His wife Mary has been running the shop part-time during the last few months.

Karen and I visited with Pat before we opened our shop. Pat was very encouraging and often referred customers to us. Regardless of him being a bit rough around the edges, I think his actions speak volumes about the kind of person he was. The pen world will miss Pasquale...


Pagliuca, Pasquale P.of Phoenix, Arizona died on March 10, 2009 at the age of 66. Pasquale was born to Mary and Patsy Pagliuca in Buffalo, NY, March 7, 1943. Pasquale enjoyed sharing his love of fine pens and views on life with all who came into his shop. Pasquale was a wonderful husband, father, son, brother, grandfather and friend to all. He will be greatly missed by his family whom he loved dearly, his wife Mary, children Morgan, Page, Dominic, Anthony, Andrea, Patricia, Rico, Rocco, seven grandchildren, his mother Mary, and brothers John and Ross. Services will be held on Tuesday, March 17th at 10:00 am at St. Simon and Jude Cathedral, 6341 N. 27th Ave., Phoenix, AZ. "Thank you and arrivederci". Arrangements by Hansen Mortuary.

Sledding

Snow in Arizona is often a hit or miss proposition, and when its a hit you have the downside of not knowing how long its going to stick around. Last week Arizona had a major winter storm dumping about 2" of rain in the Phoenix metro area while leaving up to three feet of snow in the higher elevations of the state.

Yesterday, Wednesday, February 18th we closed the store to go sledding. Located about 10 miles northwest of Flagstaff, Arizona is the Wing Mountain Recreation Area, managed by the state. The skies were clear and blue and the sun was shining brightly over the acres and acres of glistening snow- nice and powdery on the approach to the sledding zones, but perfectly packed for fast rides down the hills. We found our best rides were had on an inflatable tube rather than on our plastic sleds. Wow, what an amazing time we had! I'll admit that a 300 mile roundtrip commute is a bit much to go sledding for 1 1/2 hours, but you can't measure the pleasure in miles. I hope we have more snow soon...

Happy Valentine's Day

Do you remember when you were in elementary school and celebrated Valentine's Day? Do you remember the excitement- addressing cards for the entire class and giving away candy hearts to everyone? Of course, the most exciting part was receiving cards and candy from everyone else and trying to read meaning into their little notes. Or even better, reading meaning into the little saying on the candy hearts! And then even better yet, eating the candy hearts!!

OK, so we don't have pens with cute inscriptions, nor are we going to send out Valentine's cards to everyone, but we do wish you and yours a Happy Valentine's Day. Since pens are us I will mention that we have red pens in stock from Aurora, Caran d'Ache, Cross, Lamy, Monteverde, Pelikan, and Retro 51.

Recent & Upcoming Developments

January is the big month for auto auctions in Scottsdale in the forms of Barrett Jackson, Russo & Steele, and Kruse. With this in mind, we have brought in a special selection of fine pens from the Aquila Group and Tibaldi in Italy, makers of Bentley, Ducati, Jaguar, Mercedes, and Smart brands. All feature metal construction with lacquer finishes providing a solid-in-the-hand feel. We also have the Omas for Maserati limited edition rollerball for you to eyeball.

The Pelikan display has new additions including the Special Edition Mt. Everest, the Zircon Silver Epoch, and both the Ductus Gold and Ductus Silver, all in fountain pens. We've also added the famous Pelikano and Pelikano Junior lines. In Lamy, you'll discover an expanded selection from the Accent series, and in Visconti there are some Opera Specials that you'll have to check out- very limited availabilty and super low prices.

Coming very soon, the first-class Conway Stewart limited edition Dandy Heritage and Duro Heritage fountain pens with silver fittings.