Has Anyone Heard Of Henry Simpole?

[Truffle Finder]

Quite a while ago, I was sent a Vintage Watermans 20 with the request:- 'Could you put an overlay on this?'

I had done one a few years ago, for myself, but had decided to sell it a while later. Unfortunately, I had not kept the original pattern of the overlay, which I had managed to 'trace' from an original Number 20 some years ago when Johnathan Stienberg was passing through London, on his way to sell the fabulous pen to the 'Belgium Lady' who was at that time buying all the really wonderful pens which came up for auction!

It took me a while before I started working on the overlay for the gentleman who asked me to do it for him, [partly because I had got quite a lot of work on at that time], and I was finding it difficult to get enthusiastic about working out how the 'droplet pattern' looked on the original pens, I looked through a mountain of books, but all the illustrations seemed to show No 20's with clips on them, so consequently were shown with the clip to the front, excluding the back of the pen! Very frustrating!!!

Anyway, while I was at the Little Rock Pen Show a couple of months ago, I found a smaller Watermans overlaid pen with the droplet pattern, and I was able to trace the pattern again, then with the help of a decent photo-copier, I was able to enlarge the drawing.

Well, after several months of waiting for me to get my act together, I have done the cutting out, and engraving, the curling, and the silver soldering, I really do appreciate that the client has got the patience of the proverbial Saint!

As and when I get the pen finished, I will get Neal to do some photographs, and post them here for viewing.

Truffle Finder.[AKA Henry Simpole].

[Chris Chalmers]

Way to go Henry! Genius takes a while longer sometimes!

I'd love to see photos when you get to that stage...............my Waterman 455 just landed, and has that same overlay - how serindipidous is that?

[esterbex]

Way to go Henry! Genius takes a while longer sometimes!

I'd love to see photos when you get to that stage...............my Waterman 455 just landed, and has that same overlay - how serindipidous is that?

 

I would love to see your pen, Chris. I can't seem to find anything on the web regarding that pattern.

[Chris Chalmers]

Way to go Henry! Genius takes a while longer sometimes!

I'd love to see photos when you get to that stage...............my Waterman 455 just landed, and has that same overlay - how serindipidous is that?

 

I would love to see your pen, Chris. I can't seem to find anything on the web regarding that pattern.

 

Thanks Wendi! I have posted this photo in other spaces on FPN - but brain has failed to function today - so here it is again!

http://dxlab.ky1v.com/zzz/455b.jpg

[esterbex]

Quite beautiful Indeed! Thanks Chris!

[Truffle Finder]

Having finished the Watermans20 overlay pen, I have moved on to a project which has been on the 'back-burner' for a long time now, for an American who makes his own pens, and he had told me that he wanted to use red hard rubber for the base-pen, [i think that he has since then found a supplier who has got supplies of a plastic which is a very close 'match' to the 'Carinal Red' hard rubber colour], we both agreed that the early Parker 'Droplet' pattern pens were very attractive [over the Watermans] because the filligree exposed more of the pen's colour.

Anyway, the long and short of it is that I have been working over this last weekend doing the patterns for the overlays for the pen, and have got to the stage of the engraving!

I will keep you posted with some photographs, when I get the opportunity to send the pieces off to Neal for him to 'do the honours!' Hopefully he will be able to 'post' the images here.

STYS, no doubt!

Truffle Finder.

[Truffle Finder]

While talking to someone this morning on the telephone, somehow the subject turned to the 'cardinal' bird, [native to USA] which has a vivid red colour plumage. It made me wonder if anyone knows whether it was the bird, or the colour of a cardinal's robe [or possibly both!] to describe the Cardinal Red colour of the early Watermans and Parker pens.

Does anyone here know?

Truffle Finder.

[esterbex]

While talking to someone this morning on the telephone, somehow the subject turned to the 'cardinal' bird, [native to USA] which has a vivid red colour plumage. It made me wonder if anyone knows whether it was the bird, or the colour of a cardinal's robe [or possibly both!] to describe the Cardinal Red colour of the early Watermans and Parker pens.

Does anyone here know?

Truffle Finder.

 

You may want to post this same query in the Parker and Waterman's forums. Someone there is sure to have a more than educated guess.

Cardinal Red is one of my most favourite colours.

[Truffle Finder]

For someone who considers himself to be a confirmed 'anachronism', I have made one step closer to owning a mobile phone.

For my 60th birthday this week, I was given a 'rover-phone', I suppose it is called, complete with a 'head-set' which I can 'wear' if I choose to, and amazingly I have discovered that I can walk all around the house while talking to someone without lose of clarity, although I don't think that I will be wearing it very often during the course of the day!

Where I think that it will come in handy, is when I am working on the overlays at my work-bench, and it will be so nice to not have to remove my glasses [fitted with extension lenses!] putting them on the side, putting on my normal glasses, and answering the phone before the answer machine clocks in, only to find that it is just a 'cold-call' from somebody wanting to sell me something that I don't want! Then going back to my work space, take my glasses off and put the other ones on, and get back to work!!!

I am very grateful to the person who gave me the phone, not least because I have taken a step into the comparatively 'modern world!' Although I am still adamant that I do not 'need' a mobile phone!

The perimeter of the house and garden is as 'mobile' a facility as I want, Thank you!!!

Truffle Finder.

[Chris Chalmers]

Heave - Ho! Henry!!! That is the song being sung whilst dragging you into the 21st century - if you get my meaning!

 

I hope you find your present wearable phone a huge help - and yes! you DO need a mobile phone for when you are out of your house!!! Just think of the possibilities............ :roflmho:but not while you are driving your car please.

[chipg]

Quite a while ago, I was sent a Vintage Watermans 20 with the request:- 'Could you put an overlay on this?'

...

As and when I get the pen finished, I will get Neal to do some photographs, and post them here for viewing.

Truffle Finder.[AKA Henry Simpole].

 

So, Henry, when do we get to see it?

[Truffle Finder]

I am sorry about my tardiness in getting pictures of the Watermans20 overlay, I was hoping to get it to the Assay Office for Hall-marking last week, but it seems that the Gods were against me, and I didn't make it up there! I am planning to take it up there today, and hopefully it will be done by tomorrow, and Neal will get it by Wednesday or Thursday, so hopefully it will appear here by the weekend!

Truffle Finder. :embarrassed_smile: :embarrassed_smile: :embarrassed_smile:

[Truffle Finder]

CHIPG!

Sorry about the delay!

I am picking the Watermans 20 up from the Assay office today, and sending it off to Neal for photography, also the droplet pattern pen overlay.

So it shouldn't be long now.

Truffle Finder.

[Maethelwine]

Awesome. One more very persuasive reason to hit Shanghai and start selling off body parts.

[esterbex]

Awesome. One more very persuasive reason to hit Shanghai and start selling off body parts.

 

Just in case one needs any more incentive [though your suggestion is a bit harsh].....

Spirit of Life

[Truffle Finder]

I can report that the overlays are on their way to Neal as I write this, [he should receive them this morning, all being well] so the images should be on this thread very shortly!

Such was my enthusiasm yesterday when I got back from the Assay Office, that I worked on 2 new designs for overlays that will go on the 'Myrtle' size pen, one is very 'angular' the other one is 'swirly', but both are almost 'geometric' in style! I was in an Oxfam Bookshop a week ago, and found a book about Islamic design, it was quite inspiring!

Truffle Finder.

[Ghost Plane]

Uh oh. Save some of those designs for bigger pens [and give me a chance to sell some body parts that aren't already in hock/damaged/under repair]

[Chris Chalmers]

Places everyone!!! Here we go again................wheeeeee!!!!

[esterbex]

Deja vu anyone?

[Daximillian]

Just back from London after buying 9 beautiful pens from Henry in Portobello Market - far more than I intended, but they are such beauties, such good writers, and were at such a decent price, that I couldn't just leave them there. :embarrassed_smile:

Those two trips to Henry's stall were the highlight of my trip, and I just opened a savings account for one of his gorgeous overlays. They are heavy and I have a small hand, but after seeing them again in person, I just couldn't resist. I keep dreaming of mermaids and tendrils and swirls of silver.

Edited July 20, 2011 by Daximillian