Old Tools, New Ideas

I have become a big fan of vintage fountain pens. When I saw this lovely Ebonized Pearl WASP Clipper, I immediately fell in love with it. This is quite a rare find. Most collectors won’t even take it out of the cabinet. I don’t buy things to put them in a case. For me, it is all about enjoying them, as often and as long as I can.

Indulge me, on the pen though. This is the largest WASP made; collectors call it OS or Oversize. It is very rare to find these in Ebonized Pearl celluloid. Sheaffer seldom produced WASP pens in the same celluloids as their Balance pens. Ebonized Pearl WASPs are quite unique.

In 1933, Sheaffer created a sub-brand called Vacuum-Fil. It was intended for the initial release of the vacuum filler in 1934 as a means to work out the design and manufacturing process. The first Sheaffer Balance with a vacuum filler appeared in the 1935 catalog. Vacuum-Fil was renamed the WASP Pen Co in 1936.

This is one of the finest restoration jobs I have ever seen. The pen looks brand new and is a pure delight to write with. I have inked it up with J. Herbin Vert de Gris. The Fine-Medium nib is a great way to show off this understated ink. Perfect combination for my morning writing rituals. Or as I like to say, Old Tools, New Ideas!

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“I am searching for a good pair of pants. I never found a pair of pants that I just love. If they’re not right, which they never are, it’s a sadness.”

David Lynch (via)

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So “Archive” is the new “email bankruptcy?” #

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Etc.

If you are short of ideas and want to avoid generative AI, here are 100 ideas for writing a blog post. Many are personal, fun, and surprisingly easy (or difficult). Go ahead, check it out.

Gerry Levin was once the master of the universe. When he died this March, the world barely noticed. “Gerald Levin died. The world will remember him as the architect of the Time Warner AOL merger. But I think of him as a grieving father,” writes Jeffrey Zeldman.

This is disaster class. I mean, CTO of a major disruptor can’t answer a small, simple question. More importantly, hasn’t been trained to evade answering such questions. via

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I can’t stop listening to Nils Frahm’s new album, Day. This is my favorite track.

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March 17, 2024. San Francsico