Hello from Raleigh

[freddygirl]

Hello everybody! I am a refugee from FPN since they've been down the last few days and the thought of actually WORKING while I'm here at the office is quite upsetting. Anxiously awaiting the start of the Triangle Pen Show, which will be my first time. I've read Richard Binder's articles on what to expect but I'm still a little intimidated by my relative "newbie-ness".

I do need some advice from someone who's been there before. I've got two items I want to deal with while I'm there: 1) a Parker 51 Vacumatic that I would like to have restored (if I can't have it done there, I'll probably send it off to Tyler Dahl) and 2) I got a handmade FP from my mother for my birthday with an IPG nib and would like to have it ground into a fairly fine cursive italic or stub. Who will not turn up their nose at an IPG nib and happily grind away for me?

I was considering having the Parker nib ground as well, but I've been informed that the broad nib that it has is quite sought after and more valuable than F or M, so I think I'm just going to keep it the way it is.

Any advice is greatly appreciated.

[KrazyIvan]

First of all welcome to the board. If you ever get stopped by a Wake County Sheriff's Officer, ask him if he has a fountain pen. If he says he does not have one, but his brother does, well, that's me. :D :p

I don't think any nibmiester would turn you away. I have not done business with any other than Tyler and communicated with Greg Minuskin, but that is the impression I get from reading about the different nibmiesters out there.

[eriquito]

Hello Freddygirl!

Welcome!!

You will have a great time at the pen show. If Mike Masuyama is there (mikeitwork.com), take your handmade FP to him and he'll fix you right up. While you're at his table, ask him where you should take your Parker 51. If anyone is doing on-site repair, he'll know.

I wish I was going to the show. But I'll be happy to live vicariously through you =)

[BiggieD]

Hi Freddgirl! I'm from Raleigh -- I'm heading over now to see if anyone is trading -- I will be there tomorrow and possibly Saturday as well. Ron Zorn (Main Street Pens) is great at restoring pens and does it while you wait. Pendleton Brown, Mike Masuyama, Deb Kinney and Richard Binder all do amazing custom nib work. All five will be at the show. Deb is local. While you're there also stop by Ross McKinny's (Ross Pens) booth - he runs the local pen club.

The Raleigh show is a great show to get started with, it's much smaller than say the DC Supershow in (which is a great 2nd show - it's coming up in August and is only a 5 hour drive from Raleigh!)

Enjoy!

[freddygirl]

Update: Had my Parker 51 restored by Martin Ferguson and had Mike Masuyama do the nib grind on my other one. Yay! Very happy with both of them. Then, even though I SWORE that I had plenty of pens and I can stop any time I want to, I couldn't resist picking up a little something-something over at Pendleton Brown's booth. A beautiful Cesare Emiliano (never heard of those before) with a super smooth stub nib. Had a great time looking at everything that's out there and definitely plan to go next year (unless they have 12-step programs for this pen-buying addiction and I have to stay away from my "triggers"):alcoholic:

[Bogon07]

Hi Freddygirl and welcome,

I thought two fountain pens would be more than enough. How wrong I was and joining FPG & FPN didn't help either.
Best of luck with your PBA.