in this issue
Tools of the Trade - Shellac
Shellac is my brew of choice for attaching sacs, sealing 51 shells, and tamper-proofing sections. It has the distinct advantage that light heat will release it easily (around 140ºF/60ºC).
After years of regularly spilling my jar of shellac, or leaving the cap off and drying it out, I finally decided it was time to improve this important tool.
The solution was easy; a cleaned out old ink bottle with a plastic cap and a micro-brush. I picked the smallest (a little goes a long way) heavy bottomed bottle I could find. This was filled with shellac flakes, and then topped up with methylated spirits. A small hole drilled in the top to fit the micro-brush tightly finished the job. The excess shellac is wiped off as the brush is withdrawn. This excess then seals the bottle from evaporation.
FREE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! With your first order for sacs from our "Repair Supplies & Parts" page, we will supply a micro-brush and shellac FREE. All you need then is a small bottle and some methylated spirits, to make up a valuable repair tool.
Repair Supplies & Parts....
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| Dear ******,
As usual, this letter is to inform you of the launch of a Melbourne Vintage Pens website update. There are now pages for Parker English Duofolds, Watermans and Watches (a little thin).
Highlights include a 14ct Gold Sheaffer Nostalgia, Waterman Red 100 Year, Parker T1, Conway Stewart Broad Double Band #60L in Red Herringbone and a Mordan Pen/Pencil c1834. Other items of interest are a Pilot Silvern from 1968 and a stunning recently released Pilot Mandarin Capless.
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Parker 61 Capillary Conversion
 If you have a Parker 61 Capillary Filler that you find doesn't work or isn't reliable, consider having it converted to a Cartridge / Converter Filling system. We offer this upgrade on our "Repairs" page; note that prices on this page are expressed in Australian Dollars.
Don't keep this elegant pen in a draw, have it converted now for every day use.
Repairs... »
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Desk Pens
 Desk pens come in all shapes, sizes, and combinations, but have one thing in common; they are all undervalued and therefore CHEAP! Maybe it's because we all want to wear and show off our pens (jewellery?). They were definitely undersold compared with their pocket counterparts and so it's certainly not their lack of rarity.
I use a double desk set (Parker 51's) daily, one pen with black ink to address parcels, the other with my current favourite colour to write notes. They are not only convenient to use, but how else would you expect me to address parcels and thankyou notes. If I had more room on this cluttered desk, I would probably have another two!
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Pen Shows
My flight to and from the Chicago Pen Show went off without a hitch, but it's a loooooooooong way! The show seemed poorly attended compared to previous shows; war, terrorism and SARS are taking their toll. It was, however, still a great show and trading between dealers at least was brisk.
The next show I will be attending is likely to be Washington DC in August, followed by San Francisco in October, and for the first time, the Columbus Show in November.
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Quotation
No one ever hurt their eyesight looking on the bright side of life and If you can't see the bright side, polish the dull side.
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