It is probably difficult for non- fountain pen hobbyist to fathom the common anxiety of choosing the pens to bring with on a road trip. A road trip, usually spans a few days to a week or so, ideally visiting a place that we have not been to or haven't visited for decades. Given that context, those of us who likes to journal, sketch, or both, are faced with the dilemma of which pen(s) -- and ink, and notebook/sketchbook/paper/etc. -- to bring from our collection. Naturally, the more pens we collect, the harder it would be for us to decide. I have many fountain pens, most of them are vintage (made in the eras when fountain pens were common household item ca.1880-1960s), which I bought and restored to be usable again today. I even have a website where I find new homes for some of my pens. The Road Trip So here is where the chronicle began. Last week my family and I trekked the Pacific Northwest in search of nice Summer weather, hiking trails, and awesome vistas. So which pen did I b
Reviving the Green Introduction This pen needs no introduction to those who like vintage pens, but for those are not yet familiar, it is a 1930s Conklin Endura in Verde celluloid color. The "verde" or green, came in many different shades. I've seen some that has very light, pistachio green, to this one, which is darker. This pen also came to my workbench with two major problems: The tines are on the verge of divorce. I don't have the photo showing that unfortunately, so you just have to take my word for it. If you look at the nib from the top (where you can read the engraving and the tines pointing up), the tip of the right tine was about 1mm above the left one. That's how messed up the nib was. The lever slides up and down its place in the barrel. Fortunately, the Conklin lever fillers were top notch and does not rely on a C ring sitting in a groove inside the barrel, instead, it hinges on a tiny pin that can be replaced. Unfortunately, replacing it is tricky. R