HisNibs.com update -- New Jinhao models and re-stocked pen cases
December 29th, 2012

Greetings everyone,

I hope that this newsletter finds everyone enjoying their pre-cliff holidays!

We have a new model from Jinhao -- the Bevel -- as well as two new versions of the Jinhao Porcelain series...the Horse and Bamboo.

We've also restocked on some items from the last newsletter that sold out almost immediately, including the 48-pen leather cases and the 12-pen wallets, as well as the Dreadnaught, Starry Night and Ivory pens from Jinhao, and the Conklin Endura 2 pens.

As this newsletter goes out to a mailing list of thousands of customers (July marked our 15th year of business), please understand if there's a delay in answering your email queries or orders after one of these is sent. We will respond in order received and as soon as possible!

Join us on our Facebook HisNibs.com fan page which can be reached directly at www.facebook.com/hisnibs1. Come join us for what has become a lively meeting place for news about pens, ink and handwriting.

On the blog...the passing of the 'Needle'.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~in this issue
* Jinhao Bevel fountain pen
* Jinhao Porcelain Horse and Bamboo
* Pen cases re-stocked
* Jinhao Dreadnaught re-stocked
* Jinhao Starry Night re-stocked
* Jinhao Ivory re-stocked
* Conklin Endura 2 re-stocked
* 'His Nibs' page on Facebook
* On the blog...the passing of the 'Needle'

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Jinhao Bevel fountain pen



The Bevel is a slim pen, but full-sized in length, measuring 5-1/2" capped, 6" capped and 4-3/4" with cap held aside. It's a spare, clean design with it's most noticeable feature being its beveled cap top.

The Chrome version has a chrome clip, cap band and cap top, which all nicely set-off the reflective black lacquer of the cap and barrel. The cap band is engraved with 'Jinhao' and '11' (the model number), but it's the raised Jinhao 'Charioteer' logo (upside down in the image) that adds distinction and set on a 3-dimensional honeycomb background.

The Stealth has all of the same design elements, but has more of a matte finish (I suspect it's anodized aluminum, but I can't confirm this), with everything rendered in black. It's perfect if you're an international spy and need to sneak your fountain pen into a den of miscreants.

See more here...http://www.hisnibs.com/bevel.htm

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Jinhao Porcelain Horse and Bamboo



"Just a note to let you know the Dragon pens arrived today safe and sound! They are beautiful! One is to be a gift, but the one for myself was rinsed out and filled right away! Even though they are porcelain, they feel nice in the hand if you use them cap unposted. It writes with a super smooth wet line. Thanks so much for inspecting the nibs before selling them. I can give my gift pen with confidence!"
T. C., Tecumseh, Canada

The Dragon and Sailboat models are now joined by the Horse and Bamboo.

More photos here...http://www.hisnibs.com/porcelain.htm

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Pen cases re-stocked



Well, these didn't last long the first time around.

I don't think I need to spend a lot of time in describing pen cases -- the photos on the website really do the job for me.



Suffice it to say that the 48-pen size is great for long-term storage of a collection or for attending a pen show, while the nifty 12-pen wallet is really great for regular traveling.

See more here...http://www.hisnibs.com/pen_storage.htm

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Jinhao Dreadnaught re-stocked



"Hi, Norman, My new Jinhao Black Dreadnaught arrived today. I was so eager to try it, I dipped the nib in ink and wrote with it before even following your washing instructions. Afterwards, I washed it. It fits well in my hand. I very much like the size and weight of the pen. Also, the nib glided over paper smoothly. I was too late to order it the first time you stocked it -- my bad. I am happy you brought it back, and that I bought it this time. Happily Writing,"
R. D., Melbourne, FL

More here... - http://www.hisnibs.com/dreadnaught.htm

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Jinhao Starry Night re-stocked



"Hi Norman. Oh, these are just beautiful... I have a few nose-bleedingly expensive Japanese raden pens and I've become reluctant to use one of them because the lacquer's pitting. This Jinhao has all the bling and fascination of raden without my having to worry about damaging them in daily use. The nibs are wonderful and the whole pen feels well made and satisfyingly robust. You really can't beat Chinese pens. They never cease to amaze me. Thanks!"
K.T., United Kingdom

This was always a difficult pen for me to photograph. You can see it under different light sources by following the link below.

Read more here... - http://www.hisnibs.com/starry_night.htm

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Jinhao Ivory re-stocked



"Dear Norman, I've been meaning to write and thank you for the service you provide the fountain pen community. I love this Jinhao Ivory. It is wonderfully comfortable to write with, writes beautifully and is completely reliable. Thanks again."
I. S., Philadelphia, PA

More photos here... - http://www.hisnibs.com/ivory.htm

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Conklin Endura 2 re-stocked



Although this re-designed model is officially the Endura line of Conklin pens, I've taken the liberty of calling them the Endura 2, so as to differentiate them from the previous version. There are a number of differences, and to my mind improvements, in the '2'.

More photos here... - http://www.hisnibs.com/endura_2.htm

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'His Nibs' page on Facebook



Join us for daily news updates from around the world about fountain pens,
ink, handwriting and more!

Click here to visit our Facebook page - http://facebook.com/hisnibs1

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On the blog...the passing of the 'Needle'



The name Marty Reisman (oft times called the 'Needle) will be unfamiliar to most of you. At one time he was ranked #3 in the world of table tennis (oh, all right, 'ping pong').

He was odds-on favorite to become World Champion in 1952. That was the year, unfortunately for him, that Hiroji Satoh of Japan entered the Championships with a brand new weapon at his disposal...the sponge rubber racket. This advance (depending upon how you look at it) in racket technology allowed for the production of much greater spin on the ball than with the hard rubber used up until that time. Although not the strongest of players, Satoh tore through the Championships with this innovation, beating superior players...including Marty.

Although many top players made the change to the new racket -- in order to continue to compete -- Marty chose not to do so.

I first met Marty 40 years ago, when he gave me my first 'real' table tennis lesson in his club on 96th Street in Manhattan. That event would have a rather profound effect on my subsequent life, as he also introduced me to my long-time coach Sam Hammond, who was West African Champion from Ghana, and played with the sponge rubber racket that we all did by that time, and which was the foundation for my National Disabled Championships and Paralympic competitions years later.

A brief video of Marty in his early 70's toying with a much younger player can be seen here. A link to the New York Times obituary is linked below.

I will miss him.

Read the December 8th entry here... - http://hisnibs.blogspot.com/

Regards,

Norman Haase
His Nibs.com