Has Anyone Heard Of Henry Simpole?

[KatiaF]

Hello there!

 

Just to say...I did indeed meet up with Henry on Saturday. And what an utter pleasure it was to finally see him and his beautiful pens. It is lovely to see pictures of them, but seeing them in the flesh is quite different. Just fabulous!

 

It is true that time flew by. I hope to meet up again with Henry, see him in his workshop. Workshops: those are my favourite placse in the world. I wonder if there is a book about workshops around the world. If not, well, there should be one!

 

Anyway, I digress. Just cannot wait to start making a pen and here is another bit of news: I should start engraving next year for a British watchmaker! So Henry was quite right: guns will probably stop to be the main things I engrave on.

[Truffle Finder]

Good for you Katia!!!

I mean, regarding stopping engraving on guns! Stick to Pens, they're much nicer than guns!

I had a surprise last night, the 'Princess' telephoned me last night, while I was busy in the kitchen cooking supper, and she left me a message saying that she has some presents to purchase for some people that she knows, and would like me to phone her back. I had been wondering why she had not been in touch with me as yet this Christmas time.

I telephoned her this morning, and we have arranged that I will be going over to see her on Tuesday, to deliver two, or possibly three of my overlaid pens.

Later on this afternoon, Lady Frances phoned, to ask me about two of the Parker Acanthus Leaf patterned pens, and she will be coming up to Portobello to pick them up this Saturday!

Life sometimes just gets better, and better!

Truffle Finder.

[Truffle Finder]

Well, my case is packed with a selection of my overlaid pens, and I've put some boxes in the case so that I won't have to make a second visit!

So, I will be leaving fairly shortly to visit the Princess near to Sloane Square. I just hope that the Underground train system is working alright today!

Booted and spurred, I'll be away in a minute!

Speak to you later!

Truffle Finder.

[Ghost Plane]

Love to be a lurker for that session!

[esterbex]

Especially for the boots and the spurs....

[Ghost Plane]

Snicker!

[Truffle Finder]

My trip up to Sloane Square turned out to be somewhat disappointing, but it was nice to see the Princess again, she bought one of the Acanthus Leaf patterned Duofold Pens.

It was funny though, I could have sworn that there was a strange 'presence' in the room, and I am sure that I heard 'snickering' coming from behind the curtains!

No 'lurkers' though! I looked!!!

Truffle Finder.

[Ghost Plane]

No drones here. Nothing to see. Moving along...

[Chris Chalmers]

Bah Humbug Princess...........

[sumoshogo]

This is my first post as a new member!

 

The pictures are of a Dunhill Namiki 1930s fountain pen, after some excellent restoration work by Henry Simpole. The cap had a fine split beginning at the rim, then curving

 

up and around, healing just a few millimeters before it would have reached the rim again. A little more stress and a good-sized piece would have broken away from the cap.

 

You can still see the split - in the third picture it is the dome shaped line below the bottom lily pad. I was surprised just how thin the cap wall is - Henry's restoration includes

 

fitting an ultra-thin gauze-like paper to the inside of the cap to support the joint.

 

I suppose a 'maki-e-shi' could hide the split more with a thin coat of nashiji lacquer, but I'm happy with the pen just the way it is! Henry has provided it with a new lease of life,

 

and the split gives it a personality and a story to tell!

 

http://i779.photobucket.com/albums/yy78/sumoshogo/4994_zps752726d2.jpg

http://i779.photobucket.com/albums/yy78/sumoshogo/4993_zpse0a3acde.jpg

 

 

http://i779.photobucket.com/albums/yy78/sumoshogo/4992_zpsee2e7d62.jpg

 

 

[View from the Loft]

Oh my, another fabulous looking pen that has been brought back into use as a result of Henry's work.

[esterbex]

A new lease on life.....wish my cracks were as easily refurbished!

And I dare say there's more than a thin piece of paper holding the

join.....but a wizard's feats are his own secrets!

Thanks, sumoshogo, for sharing your prize with us and welcome to the forum!

[sumoshogo]

Thanks for the welcome, esterbex! I hope to have occasion to post from time to time, probably on the Japan Pens forum.

 

In fact this is one of three Dunhill Namikis that Henry has repaired for me! The first was 'reported' in this same thread two years ago (post by Chris Chalmers Nov 5, 2011, page 46). That was a truly challenging monumental restoration job! Since the photos that Neal Laver had taken to document the repair appear to be no longer available in the 2011 post, I include some pics of my own. No need for any explanations...

 

http://i779.photobucket.com/albums/yy78/sumoshogo/dunhillpen21edit_zpsd53fb16c.jpg

 

http://i779.photobucket.com/albums/yy78/sumoshogo/IMG_5016_edit2_zpsa816eac4.jpg

 

http://i779.photobucket.com/albums/yy78/sumoshogo/IMG_5021_edit2_zps2cfbbc54.jpg

[Truffle Finder]

I've just woken up, [past 9.00am!] and seen these lovely pictures of these two beautiful Dunhill Namiki pens, thank you sumoshogo for posting them on this thread.

It's nice to be appreciated! And I'm pleased that you are happy with the work that I have done to them!

I don't know when I will be able to start on your latest one, but it arrived safely a couple of days ago, but I have got quite a few pens to do before I get to yours, OK?

Truffle Finder.

[sumoshogo]

A very good morning to you Truffle Finder! There is no rush whatsoever on the latest one - whenever you can get around to it. Keep up the good work!!

[esterbex]

How well I remember that first repair...it was amazing!

Hmmm....odd that those photos are no longer available...

Wonder how many more are like that....

[Truffle Finder]

Yesterday up at Portobello Market, I had the pleasure of seeing Lady Frances, who had come to see me, to pick up her two International sized Parker doufolds, [one with the Acanthus Leaf pattern overlay on] which she had ordered for Christmas presents for her husband.

Also I had serviced 6 of her favourite Parker 51's, which had just required a 'service', she had brought with her some homemade cakes and biscuits, and some homemade Plum jam, and marmalade, it was so kind of her.

The rest of the day went very quickly, with people stopping by to buy themselves a vintage pen, or presents for people that they know.

One way or another, it was a very satisfying day.

Truffle Finder.

[my63]

Hi Henry

I picked up these two yesterday

A De La Rue Onoto with a crack in the cap

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3768/11373410525_90a7437b76_o.jpg

IMG_5995 by my0771, on Flickr

 

And a Marbie Todd blackbird

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3830/11373407176_b3c8deb8e4_o.jpg

IMG_5982_1 by my0771, on Flickr

 

Not my normal Parkers but I liked the look of them and was wondering if you could work your magic on them.

 

Regards

 

Michael

[Truffle Finder]

I could probably be able to sort something out, but I would need to see the pens first, so send them to me if you like.

A word of warning though, miracles and magic don't come cheap!

I take it that both of those pens have got the 'added bonus' of having cracked caps?!

Truffle Finder.

[my63]

Thanks Henry

Only the De La Rue has a crack in the cap the plunger unscrews but does not move.

The Blackbird has no cracks and looks in pretty good shape apart from some white paint, The lever is tight so i have just left it alone.

I would like to find out a little more about them and will send them to you in the new year if they are too expensive to repair I will pass them on to someone for parts.

Michael