Spirit Of Life design by Henry Simpole

[Miranda]

Good News! The nib has arrived! Had to get it from the post office yesterday, and I left it in the car, so haven't tried it yet. Have a few other things to do at the moment.

Maybe Henry's handwritten address in green ink foiled the modern delivery system.

 

And Mary, thanks. I wasn't trying to reopen old conversations.

[Miranda]

Ghost Plane: Oh dear. I was simply musing how long things took when they had to travel from China to Europe by ground. G

 

Sorry, too Ghost Plane!! Didn't mean to be so curt.. I had to go and check my information before I replied. I've been having a Middle Ages crisis this year. Decided I didn't know enough about the Medieval times, so have been reading quite a bit about it, listening to music from the period, cooking food, burning incense, illuminating letters etc. Have momentarily refrained from dressing the part, but ...

 

Anyway, according to some of the books I've read, the overland spice trail took about nine months from China to Europe. And it was a pretty regular service. Not quite five days for a special pen, but shipments of pens or whatever would be arriving continuously

The Arabs, Chinese and Indians had a very efficient trade network going on and merchandise regularly arrived at Venice. Very peaceful. Apparently at one stage China sent down a huge fleet of ships to see if it was worth taking on India, but decided it was easier just to trade with them. In contrast, the moment the Portugese arrived, they opened cannon fired and started killing the traders.

 

One aspect I find interesting is drawing out similarities between now and then as far as the communities of Arabs, Europeans etc were living together.

 

Which takes me back to another point made pages ago. I'm listening to Medieval music and others are listening to Celtic and Arabic music. They sound similar because their musical traditions come from the same origin or have influenced each other.

 

Enjoying some contemporary oud music at the moment. What are others listening to?

[Mary Burke]

Good News! The nib has arrived! Had to get it from the post office yesterday, and I left it in the car, so haven't tried it yet. Have a few other things to do at the moment.

Maybe Henry's handwritten address in green ink foiled the modern delivery system.

 

And Mary, thanks. I wasn't trying to reopen old conversations.

 

Hi Miranda,

 

I am so very pleased to hear that the nib arrived today and I truly hope it will work to your writing preference.

 

Please let us know once you have inked your pen.

 

.... Don't worry about reopening old conversations, I was sincerely trying to help as I know how frustrating it can be to have a beautiful pen that doesn't behave at it should My collection of pens include many brands and sometimes there are problems with dry starters or ink flow issues.

 

If you want to contact me by email please do so at: maryburke@conwaystewart.co.uk I have already spoken to our Australian distributor just in case we needed to arrange for a nib grade replacement through the Conway Stewart channels.

 

Hoping all goes well for you Miranda!

 

Warmest,

 

Mary Burke

[Chris Chalmers]

What are others listening to?

 

Ravi Shanka's wonderful Indian Chanting. Just so calming - and because I have no idea of the language, it is pure music without any influence from words.

[Truffle Finder]

No doubt everyone here is relieved to hear that the nib has arrived at last!

Hopefully we will find out how well it writes [in the fullness of time], but no rush, we're a pretty patient lot!

This whole project has taken a year!!! :embarrassed_smile:

 

Truffle Finder.

[reprieve]

Good News! The nib has arrived!

 

Yay! I hope you are writing away by now! Fingers crossed!

[Miranda]

Just about to play pen doctor and do a transplant. will let you know how the operation went soon.

 

Now, where is that pen?

[Ghost Plane]

Going to be away from the internet until next week or so. While I'm gone, I have packed 2 books:

The Adventures of Ibn Battuta: A Muslim Traveler of the 14th Century by Ross E. Dunn

and

Sir John Chardin: Travels in Persia 1673-1677

 

Reminds me I need to stick the iPod on and download a different mix :hmm1: Was driving home to "Secret Garden" this afternoon.

[Miranda]

Meanwhile, back on the operating table.

 

The new nib unit thing--the part where the feed and nib are held-- collar, perhaps-- appears to be a different size to the one the pen came with. It doesn't want to fit. The thread is in a different spot, it isn't as wide and is shorter. Should this be a problem? Have I got the wrong nib unit?

 

Can I get the nib and feed out of this one? It seems pretty firm unlike the other one which wriggled out easily.

 

Or does it need a real pen person? Mary, I may have to send it off to your people in Melbourne rather than all this international travel stuff.

 

I think I need lunch.

[Mary Burke]

Meanwhile, back on the operating table.

 

The new nib unit thing--the part where the feed and nib are held-- collar, perhaps-- appears to be a different size to the one the pen came with. It doesn't want to fit. The thread is in a different spot, it isn't as wide and is shorter. Should this be a problem? Have I got the wrong nib unit?

 

Can I get the nib and feed out of this one? It seems pretty firm unlike the other one which wriggled out easily.

 

Or does it need a real pen person? Mary, I may have to send it off to your people in Melbourne rather than all this international travel stuff.

 

I think I need lunch.

 

Hi Miranda,

 

No probs...please don't worry, we will take care of the nib exchange. There is no need to send the whole pen to our distributor, please just send the front section with the nib/feed assembly that Henry sent to you.

 

Below are the details of our Australian distributor and I will let Andrew know to expect to receive your front section.

 

ANDREW GRAY

Old Post Office Pens

Old Post Office

102 High Street

PO Box 177

Berwick 3806

Victoria

Australia

Tel (03) 9707 5581

acg@oldpostofficepens.com.au

 

I will also ask Andrew to test write your nib to make sure that there are no issues before returning the front section and new nib/feed assembly back to you. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact me through FPN or by email at: maryburke@conwaystewart.co.uk

 

With kind regards,

 

Mary Burke

[reprieve]

Meanwhile, back on the operating table.

 

The new nib unit thing--the part where the feed and nib are held-- collar, perhaps-- appears to be a different size to the one the pen came with. It doesn't want to fit. The thread is in a different spot, it isn't as wide and is shorter. Should this be a problem? Have I got the wrong nib unit?

 

Can I get the nib and feed out of this one? It seems pretty firm unlike the other one which wriggled out easily.

 

Or does it need a real pen person? Mary, I may have to send it off to your people in Melbourne rather than all this international travel stuff.

 

I think I need lunch.

 

Oh dear. Miranda, that is so disheartening. Again. I know exactly how you feel: my pen (not the Spirit of Life pen (which I do not own), but a different Simpole design) is on its way back to the seller due to further issues that developed.

[Anne-Sophie]

Please keep us posted on the progress, Miranda.

 

Rooting for you!

[Ghost Plane]

A quick update to let everyone know that my Spirit is home! Mike Masuyama worked his magic and the nib glides, it swoops, it's luscious...

 

Be patient please. I'm not where I can grab a camera or scan in the verse in my execrable scrawl, but the feel is absolute PERFECTION! :notworthy1:

[Chris Chalmers]

Looking forward to seeing some results when you are in the vicinity and have the time for - photos of your wonderful nib.

 

Swoops and glides............very lovely descriptive words for a nib!

[Ghost Plane]

The handling certainly puts me in mind of the difference between a top heavy Cessna trundling along versus a lovely aerobatic craft executing a lovely series of wing overs, crazy 8s, and loops against a summer sky, with occasional cloud popping strictly for fun. Your mental image may vary :roflmho:

 

Or, after a fast page in my journal...WHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

[Ghost Plane]

Got a fast 5 pages off this nib in one sitting and I'm totally thrilled. Currently using Herbin's Bleu Nuit as that's the ink I have available at the moment.

 

I can't wait to fire up some 1670 and sit down at a proper desk with decent paper and see what I can do. Maybe next week. :hmm1:

 

Now THIS is the pen I was dreaming of around this time last year...

[PianoMan14]

We want a review! With pictures! 

 

or else...

 

 

 

 

 

[Alice L]

We want a review! With pictures! 

 

or else...

 

+1 :meow: purrrrty please ... just sitting here quietly, patiently waiting .......

[Ghost Plane]

Will do. Just have to get to a time and place when I have time and technology together in the same place. Realized seeing the Spirit next to the lesser pens that I need to line up a Churchill and a 149 and a Visconti Ripple next to it so you can see the physical size difference of the pen next to the other large pens in my collection. Which means I'll have to be where I can lay them out.

 

It looks so big, but then it handles so well... :clap1:

[Ghost Plane]

Got some new inks incoming, so I should be in range of a camera and inky goodness in the next week or two. :clap1: