Has Anyone Heard Of Henry Simpole 2015

[tenney]

Many of us wish that the prop master for "Mr. Holmes" would have come to you for era appropriate pens.

[Truffle Finder]

We do indeed Tenney!

Sadly, when I chatted with him this morning, I asked him if he could tell me the name of the Film that the pens would be used for, and he told me that he definitely could not possibly divulge such information!

The trouble is that the film companies are very hot nowadays about their Intellectual Rights of Ownership! And that coupled with things like Facebook, and various other Social Media Sites, [such as this one!] which can spread facts and rumour alike as quick as any other means [if it is 'juicy enough'! Explains why he was reluctant to tell me anything about the film.

Sorry about that!!!

Truffle Finder.

[my63]

That is a shame Henry but what pens did he buy? or are you sworn to secrecy

[Truffle Finder]

I'm pleased that you asked me that my63!!!

[i'm getting to the stage whereby due to my advanced years, it takes me a while to relax for a while, having trekked across London, and got a nice mug of tea down me before I do much constructive work!

He bought two Black Hard Rubber pens, one a Watermans 52 and the other a 'No-Name' pen, both with quite broad italic nibs, [which he was quite pleased about in case they wanted to get shots of someone actually writing with them!] He also chose a Green Marbled Conway Stewart Pen, and a red hard rubber Sheaffers Ladies Pen.

I got the impression that he would be in touch again should he need more pens for the Film Industry! I hope so, anyway.

Truffle Finder

[Truffle Finder]

As I pointed out on the previous page, I had been contacted by an old friend [Don Yendle of Conway Stewart 'revival' fame!] asking me if I would be willing to check over, and sell, the remains of his personal collection of both vintage, and 'modern' Conway Stewart pens.

His son came to see me at my stand at Portobello the Saturday before last, and we had a good conversation while he was with me, mainly talking about the sad demise of Conway Stewart last year.

Because I hadn't been warned about his visit before that Saturday, I had to leave the pens in my booth for a week, until I could bring a larger 'wheel-type' case with me to transport them back here to the workshop.

I have spent a time looking them over, and they are a very varied selection of pens from Dinkies to the large Churchill models. Indeed, some of them are quite possibly 'unique', but I do not presume to be so knowledgable about all the Modern Conway Stewart range of pens, but there are some patterns of plastic which I have never seen before.

It will be a very interesting process, sorting them out with the help of some of my 'dealer' friends.

I will keep you posted as to progress!

Truffle Finder.

[Ghost Plane]

Churchills! Yum!

<settles in the corner to wait>

[RMN]

When I visited their factory some 6 yrs ago in Plymouth, their stash of various resin and casein rods and sheets was baffling....

I understand since then they have been clearing that with a series of Colour-LEs a few yrs back.

 

 

D.ick

[Truffle Finder]

As is quite normal at this time of year, I haven't got a clue what tomorrow has in store for me up at Portobello.

Truffle Finder.

[Truffle Finder]

Well, it turned out to have been a rather quiet day up at Portobello on Saturday, which I had expected! As I had said earlier, it is usually quiet at this time of year!

There weren't many vintage pens on offer during the course of the day, [i am quite lucky in that respect, some of the general antiques dealers tend to keep them back for me to see] but on Saturday there was nothing. Still that's the way it goes sometimes.

Yesterday, a very good friend of mine [who is a collector/dealer of vintage fountain pens], came over to see me, and do some trading. He selected a few nice pens from me, and while I was looking through some of the boxes in the workshop, I came across a Swan eye-dropper with a silver overlay, in a snail pattern, which had been languishing inn one of the boxes for goodness knows how long!

One way or another, it was a good day yesterday!

Truffle Finder.

[Truffle Finder]

Yesterday afternoon, I went out as usual to have lunch, and for a change, I decided to drive a few miles further away, where there are several Charity Shops in one quite small 'High Street'. I haven't been there for quite a few months, so, it was a nice change to go and have a browse around.

I didn't find anything unusual enough to buy, except at the Save the Children shop, where I found a good kitchen utensil, and when I went to the desk to pay for it, I casually asked the man if they ever got given old Fountain Pens. His facial expression changed, and he told me that they did, [about a fortnight ago!] "there were apparently three or four of them, and they were still in their original boxes!"

They had obviously been sold, so, I suggested that if any more pens came in in the future, perhaps they could let me know! And I left one of my business cards.

You can't get them all!!!

Truffle Finder.

[Truffle Finder]

Good morning!

Yesterday up at Portobello, turned out to be a very quiet time, so I did read a great deal of my book during the course of the day!

A good friend of mine came along to pick up 4 vintage pens which had needed some tricky repairs doing to them, and we chatted for quite a while, before he had to rush away, to avoid a parking ticket!

I only bought one pen during the day, but sadly it was only a silver Dunhill ball-point, so at some point this week, I will Google Dunhill, and try to find out about purchasing a few replacement re-fills for it. I'm sure that it's selling potential is lost unless there are a couple of brand new re-fills in the box with the pen!

Hopefully, next Saturday will be a better one than yesterday, but it will still be August, so I am not holding my breath!

Truffle Finder.

[Truffle Finder]

I have been trying to find out what was the cost of Conway Stewart Dinkie pens were in the early 2000's, in other words shortly after the company was 're-started', but certainly by 2004.

Does anyone on here happen to know what the RRP for these pens was then? Ball points as well, if anyone knows the answer!

I really would appreciate it if someone can help.

Thank you.

Truffle Finder.

Edited August 23, 2015 by Truffle Finder

[Truffle Finder]

Thankfully, further to my request for the retail prices of Conway Stewart pens between 2000 and 2004, a good friend of mine has come up with a complete price list for that time period!

Problem solved, I count myself very lucky to have such friends!

Truffle Finder.

[Truffle Finder]

I've just had some good news!

Another 'Film Prop Buyer' has just been on the phone to ask me about the time that I will be at my stand at Portobello Road this coming Saturday.

She wants/needs a fountain pen which a 'German' Soldier would have been using, during the latter stages of the 1st World War.

I did explain to her that it would be quite difficult to find a fountain pen of that era, which was recognisably German! But still, I'm sure that I will be able to sort her out with something that will 'pass muster'!

We'll have to wait and see how it goes, but I won't be holding my breath, [as it it is still August!!!]

Truffle Finder.

[Truffle Finder]

As was fairly predictable for the last Saturday in August, things were pretty quiet up at Portobello yesterday. A couple of people came to collect their repaired fountain pens from me.

The Film Prop Buyer did turn up, and she looked at plenty of fountain pens, and took many photographs of some of them, but didn't actually buy anything, but she has told me that she will return once she has discussed it with her bosses! We'll have to wait and see!!!

Probably the most significant thing that happened, was a visit from a gentleman who wanted to sell a 'Henry Tate' Mont Blanc Limited Edition fountain Pen, which [after a great deal of discussion], I am now the proud owner!

Another gentleman, [from the Middle East] came to see me, and left me with 6 Vacumatic Parker 51's, all of which need servicing, and nibs replacing, so that will definitely keep me pretty busy during this coming week!

All in all, it was quite a productive day at Portobello Road.

Truffle Finder.

[View from the Loft]

The last weekend in August is always going to be pretty quiet, what with some people leaving town to avoid Notting Hill Carnival, others swapping their weekend around to enjoy carnival, and harassed parents suddenly realising that offspring have grown it of school uniform over the holidays and then rushing around to acquire more.

 

After a long day at work yesterday, I arrived home to find that a large parcel from Pelikan had been delivered, so anyone signed up to attend the London Pelikan Hub can be assured that their goodies will arrive.

 

Productive days all round then!

[Truffle Finder]

Whilst I can actually appreciate the reasons behind the need for security nowadays, I do wish that things were made to be more 'user friendly' than the procedure that I have just gone through!

It has taken me nearly an hour to 'recover my password', [or my user ID, or my validation key!] I really cannot remember now which one of these things was incorrect in the first place! I was sent three E-mails from FPN before I at last managed to get back on this thread!

I do realise that there are a lot of 'funny people' about who seem to gain pleasure from breaking into web-sites and causing trouble, but I am certainly not one of them, but does it need to be quite so complicated to re-instate one's right to be on here?

Such was my concentration, I have completely forgotten why I came back on here!!!

Truffle Finder.

[View from the Loft]

Oh I share your pain with that one. And I detest security questions where some smart alec decides that they know better than you where you were born (because administrative changes mean that county no longer exists) and smugly tell you that you can't have been born there because it's not on their list.

[Truffle Finder]

Most peculiar!

I have managed to go through the rigmarole of the security checks, and I am now signed in!!! Hoorah!!!

I don't know about anybody else on FPN, but over the past two months or so,, I have been confronted with a flashing sign informing me that I am the 100,000th person to come into the FPN! [i must have been told that this is the case at least three or four times!]

Surely it doesn't take Sherlock Holmes to work out that this is just a hoax! It is actually a 'cunning plan' to get people to sign up to a supermarket, [they want your E-mail address actually] and the prize is several £££££'s worth of goods from the store of your choice.

I nearly fell for it, but I stopped as soon as I realised that I might be inundated with advertisements from them!

Let this be a warning to us all!

Truffle Finder.

[Ghost Plane]

That's one of the nasty ads that Wim is trying to weed out.