The blog since 2013
262 posts since September 2013 by Nathaniel Cerf: how to start collecting, what happens at the repair bench, inks under the sun, fake Montblancs, and the pens of presidents and writers. "It is a space dedicated to pen lovers old and new."
January 11, 2025 · How Do I Start Collecting Pens?
A couple weeks ago a person reached out asking how to identify fake Parker Sonnet pens. The first thought that crossed my mind was, “Who would want to fake a Parker Sonnet?” Don’t get me wrong. Sonnets are very nice pens. But, there are a ton of used authentic ones out there for very, very…
January 4, 2025 · Ink Reviews
A new year means a new look at different inks. As such, here are 11 more inks by the vaunted Noodler’s brand. We test 11 more inks by Noodler’s Inks to see how well they handle UV light in a sunny window and to see how well they test with our pH meter. Today’s inks…
December 4, 2024 · Pen News
These are the United States Postal Service’s recommendations for timely holiday shipping inside the United States. With a late Thanksgiving in the United States, it seems as if this will be a short holiday shopping season. In a unique quirk of the calendar, Hanukkah starts on December 25. As such, the Christmas shipping deadlines sent…
November 8, 2024 · Notes from the Work Bench
EDITOR’S NOTE: Polishing a vintage pen can be a surprisingly dangerous exercise in vintage pen restoration. If you use the wrong method on the wrong material, you will ruin your pen. If you overdo it with the correct method and correct material, you will ruin your pen. We will not be held liable for any…
October 31, 2024 · Original Stories
EDITOR’S NOTE: This is chapter 2 of my on-again-off-again novel “Westenra Memorial.” You can read Stave I from last Halloween with this link. Stave II This photo of a spring peeper frog has nothing to do with this story. I’ve just been meaning to use it for years. Shambling in through the front door of…
October 19, 2024 · Notes from the Work Bench
This is a new old stock Parker Vacumatic Maxima in the “Golden Pearl” design. Check out the barrel clarity! When it comes to vintage Parker pens, Parker Vacumatics are my favorite. I love their stunning art deco designs and over-complicated filling system. The pens have some quirks, too, but, I still love them. As the…
September 5, 2024 · How Do I Start Collecting Pens?
One of the greatest screen beauties in golden-era Hollywood was Swedish-born Greta Garbo. She expressed a bold, raw sexuality uncommon in America in the 1920s and ’30s, and she maintained a famed “mystique.” Unlike so many who sought fame, Garbo famously said, “I want to be left alone,” though she was often misquoted as “I…
June 19, 2024 · Original Stories
It has been a little while, but I have a new story in Pen World Magazine! In it I uncover not one but TWO pen heists that targeted the Parker Pen Co. in the late 1940s. This story is reproduced here with permission from Pen World. Please click on the individual images to see the…
June 15, 2024 · Ink Reviews
For your writing pleasure, we have tested 10 more Noodler’s-brand inks. In Part I we delved into the various controversies, merits and problems with Noodler’s Ink. To read about that, please click on the Part I link. 10 Noodler’s inks are on display here as a color-fast testing measure. The sheet on the left has…
May 27, 2024 · Famous People & Pens
Samuel Clemens, better known as Mark Twain, owned this house with his wife Livy in Hartford, Conn. Way back in 2013 I wrote a post called “Was Mark Twain the First Pen Pitchman?“. It was the oft repeated story about how author Samuel Clemens, who wrote under the pen name Mark Twain, advertised his support…
April 9, 2024 · Notes from the Work Bench
Fixing a Sheaffer TouchDown filler can be easy with a little practice. Personally, I love the functionality and simplicity of the design that uses pneumatics to collapse an ink sac and allow its natural vacuum to draw ink back into the pen. Most of what you need to fix a Sheaffer TouchDown filler is right…
February 18, 2024 · Pens & Writing
Sending a thank you note after a job interview is an excellent way to help yourself get ahead in this world. It can be difficult to stand out in the job market, but one great way to get a little extra attention is to send a hand-written thank you note after you have an interview.…
