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."
June 21, 2020 · Original Stories
Queeg the Insidious by Art Cerf This is a pretty yellow flower I shot on the forest floor of Rib Mountain in Wisconsin. It has nothing to do with the story. I just thought it was pretty and eye-catching. Far beyond our view in a space ship cloaked by Neptune, an alien race looked down…
June 13, 2020 · Pen News
International Shipping has seen significant delays due to the lack of international air travel. Several of our international orders lately have gone noticeably late in arriving. I spent more than two hours on the phone today trying to track down a shipment that was 28 days late in arriving. What I learned from the United…
June 5, 2020 · Original Stories
Gladys & Cora By Art Cerf Just a great spring photo to share. It has nothing to do with the story, it is just. an evil ploy to attract your attention. Gladys and Cora were best friends. Note the emphasis on were. They grew up together, trading dolls, clothing and their deepest secrets. And as…
May 30, 2020 · Notes from the Work Bench
We are by no means done with the Decameron 2020 Project. However, I felt like getting back to pens for a posting. If you’ve been mostly coming for the storytelling, who knows, maybe you’ll get a kick out of a deeper dive into old fountain pens. Here is a Conklin Crescent 2NL fountain pen in…
May 27, 2020 · Original Stories
Pestilence by Art Cerf If statuary can wear a mask, so can you. This pandemic is still in its early stages, folks. Hello. Let me introduce myself. I’m Pestilence, one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. Death, of course, is our leader. War is a bit of a blowhard but is always busy. Both…
May 23, 2020 · Original Stories
Leo Ledbetter by Art Cerf This is a chipmunk, not a squirrel, but it is still cute. Leo Ledbetter started his day like any other since his wife, Miriam’s, passing last summer. He’d shower, have a little breakfast and then dress in his suit and tie. From there, he’d take a train and then two…
May 18, 2020 · Original Stories
Nope, again this has nothing to do with the story, but it is a beautiful swampy nature preserve in Wisconsin. Mrs. Peebles loved her first-grade class. Each of her 20 students was a clever little sponge soaking in knowledge, exploring and learning in their own ways. High-energy and mostly adorable, she wished she could protect…
May 16, 2020 · Original Stories
The Story of Job: Part 2 by Art Cerf Here’s a photo of a birch tree that is quite lovely and has nothing to do with this story. I just felt like sharing. God and Satan were having their weekly meeting and would banter about who was the best dresser, who had the best haircut…
May 13, 2020 · Original Stories
Caleb Connor by Art Cerf Just another bird photo that has nothing to do with the story. Looks nice but is meaningless, just to catch the eye. Nah-nah. Caleb Connor had the visage of a young man. But he was there when the pyramids were built. He marched with Roman legions and sailed with Vikings.…
May 11, 2020 · Original Stories
Exponential Splat By Bill Meelayter This is just a pretty photo to catch your eye. It has nothing to do with the story. Sorry. Splat! The broom-flattened moth dropped to the kitchen floor as a brown-gray powdered clump the size of a nickel, leaving a dark stain on the ceiling. That’s weird, I got one…
May 9, 2020 · Original Stories
Well, my friends, we’re two months into quarantine/lock down/self-isolation…whatever you want to call it. By now, you’ve caught up on all of your TV shows. You’ve binged watched your favorite movies. You’ve read that book that’s been collecting dust for a few years that you’ve been meaning to read. Household projects are getting completed. What…
May 7, 2020 · Original Stories
Jason Turnberry By Art Cerf Jason Turnberry was a jerk, but he had a marvelous cat name Hector. Well, actually, Hector belonged more to his wife, Mary, who adored him. The cat and Jason kept a wide berth of each other. Yet, if anyone else came into the house, Hector was happy to greet them…
