12.13.2013

New Lamy Scala Titanium on the Horizon

 

We just received information from Lamy's US distributor that the Lamy Scala is now available in a rich, Titanium finish. We are expected to receive inventory next week, which is cutting it close for Christmas, but this one is nice enough to wait for.

The pen material is predominantly stainless steel with a hard-wearing, natural titanium plated finish. The heavier weight of the pen compliments the sense of luxury that the titanium and chrome trims exude.


The new Scala line is available in a twist-action ballpoint pen ($175 MSRP), rollerball pen ($190 MSRP) and fountain pen. The fountain pen will be available in either a stainless steel nib ($250 MSRP) or 14kt solid gold nib ($375 MSRP). There is also a mechanical pencil as part of the set, but this one will be a special order from Germany and may take 6 weeks to arrive.

11.20.2013

Winner of 2013 Pen of the Year. We Have a Three-Peat!


The pen-loving public hath spoken and decreed that the Edison Menlo Pump Filler is your 2013 Pen of the Year. With this victory, the Ohio-based Edison Pen Co completes its three-peat of this title, starting in 2011 with the Edison Collier taking the crown. Big congrats to Brian and the team at Edison Pen Co on this historic achievement.


The end results were a staggering landslide for the Edison crew, engulfing the competition with over 50% of the total votes cast. Almost 600 total votes were cast in this year's ballot. The TWSBI Diamond 580 won out the battle for 2nd place honors with 13% of the vote. The Pilot Metropolitan and Pelikan Souveran 800 Brown Tortoise rounded out the top 4.



The Edison Menlo Pump Filler is a Signature Design offered directly through Edison Pen Co that can be customized in any acrylic material you wish. The filling mechanism works similarly to that of a Parker Vacumatic, where ink is "pumped" into the body of the pen by depressing the brass piston revealed under the blind cap. Pushing down on the piston forces air out through the nib. Releasing the piston creates the vacuum that draws up the ink through the nib and into the pen's massive reservoir. Check out the animation below for a detailed look at the filling action.


The Menlo Pump Filler design is not offered as a production model to retailers. You may purchase your custom made Menlo directly through the Edison Pen Co website.

11.16.2013

Like Pens Much?

It's always fun when we have one of our sales reps in the office to show off all the pretty pens. We took a few pictures of the spread at this pen buffet. This post is drool-resistant, so feel free to view with mouth agape.

Bonus : spot the most expensive pen on the table and get a free congratulatory pat on the back.










The last photo is of some luxury lifestyle items that we are contemplating carrying in our online catalog. They certainly make some handsome, high quality items including clocks, pocketwatches and leather wallets. What do you think?

11.11.2013

Vote for the 2013 Pen of the Year



Now that we've voted all the politicians to office, here comes the fun part : voting for your favorite pen released in 2013! We asked for your nominations and received an outstanding response to put together a solid list of nominees that all deserve to be considered for this prestigious honor.

The images below are a reference for each nominee. You may find more information about each pen by clicking the name of the pen.. Click here to cast your vote (via SurveyMonkey).

The Nominees Are :


Please note that you can click on any of the nominees to find a larger pic or more information to help you decide. There is also a write-in option if your choice is not present on the list (Please keep it clean, folks.) Voting will be open until Monday, November 18th at 11:59pm Pacific US Standard time. The winner will be announced next Tuesday, the 19th.

Have fun and cheer on your favorite pen from this year!

11.05.2013

November 2013 Carnival of Pen, Pencil and Paper

Welcome to the November 2013 Blog Carnival!

 

Pen Reviews

Azizah Asgarali presents Kaweco AC Sport Carbon Black Body Fountain Pen - Double Broad posted at Gourmet Pens.

Brad Dowdy presents the Pelikan M205 Review posted at Pen Addict.

youstruckgold presents Ecclectitbits: Pelikan Twist - Pen Review posted at Ecclectitbits.

Inktronics presents a Lamy 2000 Fountain Pen - Broad Nib Review.

Pen Paper Ink Letter Presents a Noodler's Ahab Clear Flex Nib fountain pen review.

Paper & Writing Accessories

Dan Smith presents Monsieur Fountain Pen Notebook Review posted at FP Geeks.

Brian Greene presents Slickynotes Self Adhesive Dry Erase and Sticky Notes posted at OfficeSupplyGeek.com.

Heather presents The Next Step: Lamy Z24 Converter posted at A Penchant for Paper.

Pondering about Pens & Pencils

Vadim Koystinen presents Alphabet Pencil Sculptures posted at Bestylus.

youstruckgold presents Ecclectitbits: Why Fountain pens? posted at Ecclectitbits.

TonyB presents Why Do People Say ‘Ink Pen?’ posted at Tiger Pens Blog.


Thanks for reading the November 2013 Carnival of Pen, Pencil and Paper. The next edition will be held by Life Imitates Doodles on Dec 03, 2013. Click here to submit your article for December's Carnival.

11.01.2013

Happy Fountain Pen Day!

Started in 2012, the movement to make November 1st National Fountain Pen Day is catching fire! This year, we've joined in on the fun.


Goldspot Fine Writing and Luxury Gifts is sponsoring this year's Fountain Pen Day with a weekend-long special deal for those who want to celebrate by purchasing a new pen.

Simply purchase a new fountain pen of $99 & up on our website's store between now (Friday) and Monday, 11/04/13 (until 2pm) and we will  include a FREE bottle of Noodler's fountain pen ink (value up to $13.50 Retail). You may select the particular color in the order comments section of the website order form. If no ink is selected, we will include Bulletproof Black by default.

Even if you're not in the market for a new fountain pen, ink up the pens you do have and spread your enthusiasm for writing with your stylo plume! Wear your inky fingers proudly today!

10.31.2013

Noodler's Pinstripe Homage, Brooklyn Brawn and Legal Blue are Available

As some folks in the pen community know, Arthur Brown in New York City had to shutter their doors this year, which left many of their devoted fans and customers shocked and devastated in the wake of their closure. Art Brown was one of the more prominent pen stores in New York City and in the Nation. They carried a number of fine pen brands, including Visconti, Dunhill, Montegrappa, Parker, Delta and son on. Included in their selection was a number of items exclusively sold by their store.

Goldspot was able to obtain the last of Art Brown's inventory of the Noodler's Exclusive colors Pinstripe Homage, Brooklyn Brawn and Eternal Legal Blue.

Crafted in honor of New York City (practically our neighbor, since we are a short Turnpike trip away from the Big Apple), The Pinstripe Homage and Brooklyn Brawn are characterized by the comical catfish illustration. In typical Noodler's fashion, the whimsical drawing on the label is of a catfish slugger in baseball uniform with the Brooklyn Bridge in the background.


Pinstripe Homage could be considered a teal-black. Leaning toward the blue side of teal, this rich color has a moderate degree of shading.

Brooklyn Brawn is a rich brown with an influence of green that shades to a higher degree.


Eternal Legal Blue is a contract quality ink, which resist the effects of time - moisture, humidity, UV light, acids, water exposure, and many common detergents. The blue is medium-to-light toned with less saturation and a good degree of shading.

10.30.2013

Call for Nominations 2013 Pen of the Year


With October comes the changing of the leaves, sipping of the Pumpkin Spice Latte, political campaign mudslinging and, most importantly, the Goldspot Reader's Choice 2013 Pen of the Year. We need nominees from you, the pen-loving public, for your favorite choice of pen that was released in 2013. That could also include new finishes or colors of a pen model that has been around longer than the last year.

We'll sort through your comments to compile a list of nominees to vote on starting Tuesday, November 5th (Election Day). Voting will last one week and will conclude with the official crowning of this year's winner. The Poll & Results will be posted here and on our Goldspot Pens Blog. So, please give us your suggestions and remember, it's all in good fun!

Here are some examples of pens made in 2013 : Lamy Safari Neon Yellow, Cross Year of the Horse, Pelikan m605 Marine Blue, Edison Menlo Pump Filler, Parker Premier Art Deco, Visconti Dali Surrealist, Montegrappa Fortuna Skull, Pilot Justus 95, Pilot Stargazer, OMAS 360 Vintage Ltd Ed Smoky Black, Platinum Cool, Monteverde Intima, etc. Remember, these are examples meant to get the brain juices flowing. Feel free to suggest any other pen, even if you aren't 100% positive it was made this year.

Past winners include:
Can Edison complete a 3-peat with this year's Menlo Pump Filler fountain pen? Or will a new pen rise to the challenge? YOU, the pen fans, DECIDE!

Please leave a comment below with the pen(s) you feel should make the 2013 Pen of the Year ballot.

10.18.2013

Submit your Links to Our Upcoming Pen Carnival


We are currently accepting links of fresh content to present on the Blog Carnival of Pen, Pencil and Paper that will be hosted on our blog on November 5th. Click here to submit your article. Please note that you must have a BlogCarnival log-in to submit an article, but if you want to by-pass that, leave a comment below with the link to your article and it will be submitted just the same.

We've been host to the Blog Carnival of Pen, Pencil and Paper a few times now and have really enjoyed the congregation of content from all corners of the internet pen blogosphere.

The Carnival is a great opportunity for bloggers to get their content seen by a wider audience with the possibility of gaining new readership. It's also a solid roundup of content for the pen enthusiast to digest, complete with product reviews, displays of pen geekery and all other pen ephemera.

So, if you would like to contribute to this Carnival, please do so by November 3rd. If you are interested in reading the Carnival once it is published, subscribe to our blog or follow us on Facebook or Twitter.

10.16.2013

Filofax Malden Sighting


Filofax Malden Organizers aren't just hard to come by, they are nearly impossible to get a hold of, especially the personal size. They are almost as rare as the Sasquatch, with only whispers of its existence. Our customers have been looking high and low for these elusive organizers, but have been put on a backorder / waiting list since July. Finally, there seems to be some light at the end of the tunnel.

We received information from Filofax USA this morning that the Malden personal organizers are due to arrive in on the following dates :

Personal Ochre : November 15th
Personal Aqua : November 15th
Personal Purple : November 21st

However, as anyone who has hunted the Filo-Squatch knows all-to-well, the Malden can evade capture and has done so in the past. After all, we were told in the summer that they were supposed to arrive in August. Then, when August came, we were told October. However, only one thing can console the hunter, and that is the Filo-Squatch WILL be captured. Our hope is that, with the 4th quarter here and the peak Holiday season looming, there is enough pressure on Filofax to deliver these organizers to the US market prior to Thanksgiving.

Are you hunting for the Malden? We feel your pain and anguish. We will dutifully e-mail all of our Filofax customers the moment we receive the Malden Personal in-stock. Sign up for our e-mail list today. Alternatively, you can be put on the shortlist of those who choose to wait for the backorder to arrive by placing an order on Goldspot.com. Placing your order with your credit card will allow us to immediately ship you the organizer the moment it arrives and before the inventory goes public on a first-come, first-serve basis. As per our store policy, we do not authorize the charge on your card until the backordered items arrive and your order is ready to ship.


10.10.2013

Winner of our October Social Giveaway


Last week, we kicked off our fourth Social giveaway because our Goldspot Newsletter giveaway prize went unclaimed. We opened up the contest to our Facebook fans and Twitter followers. We also sweetened the pot by including a second pen to the giveaway. Out of over 40 possible entries on Facebook and Twitter..

...the Winner is @ghers2686 from Twitter. Congrats!

We have contacted the winner via Facebook to arrange shipping this new Cross Classic Century 14K Rolled Gold Ballpoint Pen ($137 retail value) and the ACME P2-C Pentagram Rollerball Pen ($90 retail value).



 Thanks to everyone who entered, tweeted and Liked! We still haven't had a response from our most recent newsletter winner for September's giveaway, so there very well may be another social giveaway in early November. If you would like the first chance at our monthly giveaway, please sign up for our e-mail newsletter.

10.01.2013

Pens that Contribute to Breast Cancer Awareness

October, as we all know, is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Most companies and organizations will do their part to contribute to donating toward this social cause by donning pink uniforms, using pink in their marketing design colors and creating pink products, etc. This year, three pen manufacturers are creating noteworthy pens that also help by donating the proceeds to charity.
Parker is now offering a Pink Ribbon Jotter ($7.35 retail) that donates 10 cents of every sale to the City of Hope Breast Cancer research, treatment, and education. The Jotter is a classic ballpoint pen that is possibly one of the most recognizable pens made since the 1950's. Jotters have been created in a wide array of colors over the years and have become an affordable collectible for pen enthusiasts. The Pink Ribbon Jotter would be a nice idea to include in a donation basket for silent auction, or as a giveaway item to donors that participate in an awareness walk or as a simple "thank you" to charity volunteers.

Known for their fine crystal patterns, Waterford's fine writing arm offers the Arcadia Pink ballpoint pen ($30 retail). With each purchase of the twist-action, pink-lacquered ballpen, Goldspot will donate 10% of each sale to Breastcancer.org. Complete with a Waterford gift box, the Arcadia could be a nice raffle prize at a charity event or a special gift a charity event organizer.


While NASA takes the day off today due to the government shutdown, Fisher Space Pens is up and flying through the wild blue yonder with this Pink BCA Bullet Pen ($27 retail).  Goldspot will also be donating 10% of each sale to Breastcancer.org. Compact and convenient, the Bullet pen is supplied with Fisher's patented pressurized ballpoint ink. This Fisher Space Pen is capable of writing upside-down, under water and in harsh temperatures. It will also look great in your purse or in your organizer's pen loop.

All the marketing and advertising aside - Breast Cancer is one of the most prevalent cancers that affects our society as a whole. Everyone knows someone who has been diagnosed or has succumbed to breast cancer. Contribute to research and treatment in whichever way you can, whether it be participating in a walk, donating to a charity or buying a pen. The more we can invest now in trying to solve this disease, the better off we can all be in the future.

9.20.2013

Coming this Halloween - Montegrappa Skull Pens

] Whether you're into Ed Hardy, Harley Davidsons or the macabre themes of Halloween, the new Montegrappa Fortuna Skull Pen Design should be right up your alley. Due to arrive right around All Hallow's Eve, this Montegrappa pen gets dressed up with a pattern of engraved skulls around the acrylic resin barrel of the pen, and a large skull emblazoned on the top cap portion, positioned 180 degrees from the location of the clip. The cap band, trim and clip are all dark gunmetal colored to match the "black" theme of the pen.

The Montegrappa Fortuna Skulls design will be available in three standard modes : twist-ballpoint pen, screw-off capped rollerball pen and fountain pen fitted with a black, stainless steel nib that fills via cartridge converter.

We were just informed by our Montegrappa US distributor that the prices on these pens will come in significantly less than originally anticipated at the $600 level (fountain pen). Prices are not official yet, but we are being told the price of the fountain will be in the high $300 range, which is far more reasonable.

9.18.2013

Sneak Peek at New Parker Pens for Fall 2013

As Summer comes to a close, new colors are usually brought to us by the changing of the leaves.  In the pen world, new colors take the form of new pen designs. Parker has brought to us the first bushel from the harvest with a new extension from their popular and affordable IM and Urban collections.


The Parker IM and Urban collections are known for their contemporary design that honors the prestige of the Parker brand for a new generation of writers. The new Premium extension of the IM and Urban pens accomplish this goal with vibrant color and style. The cap and barrel are finished in anodized aluminum to provide a satin-like tactile feel to the metallic surface. Each color was chosen as an homage to historical Parker Pens.




I'll let our readers guess the names of each of the colors. The hint is each one of them are named after a popular, historical Parker Pen.

These will be available at our store Goldspot.com at the beginning of November. We will begin to add them to the site soon to allow pre-orders.

The Urban Premium will be available as a twist-action ballpoint pen, capped rollerball and fountain pen (in medium point only, stainless steel nib). Prices will range from $37 for the ballpoint, $46 for the rollerball and $60 for the fountain.

The IM Premium will be available as a click-top ballpoint pen, capped rollerball and fountain pen (in medium point only, stainless steel nib). Prices range from $45 for the ballpoint, $57 for the rollerball and $75 for the fountain pen. Prices indicated are MSRP. Final sale prices have yet to be determined.

In case you were wondering, these new finishes engrave fantastically and make great gifts. Below is an example of our laser engraving on the Urban fountain pen.


9.17.2013

Goldspot Giveaway Winner for Cross Classic Century 14K Gold Ballpen


Last week, we kicked off our third Social giveaway because our Goldspot Newsletter giveaway prize went unclaimed. We opened up the contest to our Facebook fans and Twitter followers. The Likes and ReTweets were a little slow for this giveaway, with under 30 total eligible, but that only means the folks who entered had a much better chance of winning this beautiful 14KT gold Cross Pen.

...And the Winner is Alan Portman from Facebook. Congrats!

We have contacted the winner via Facebook to arrange shipping this new Cross Classic Century 14KT Gold Ballpoint Pen ($137 retail value).

 Thanks to everyone who entered, tweeted and Liked! We still haven't had a response from our most recent newsletter winner for August's giveaway, so there very well may be another social giveaway in early October. If you would like the first chance at our monthly giveaway, please sign up for our e-mail newsletter.

9.12.2013

Sneak Peek at the NEW Pilot Justus 95 Fountain Pen

 The new Pilot Justus 95 adjustable flex fountain pen will be hitting our existential shelves very shortly and we wanted to share our excitement for this unique fountain pen designed for the hardcore writer. The special feature of the Justus 95 is a tension adjuster to change your writing experience from a hard to a semi-flex nib style.


Easily turn the adjuster in the pen's section and find your writing "sweet spot" and vary your writing based upon the task at hand. If you are writing small, technical notes or mathematical equations, go to the firmest setting. If you are writing a thank you note or love letter, dial up the flex to obtain more line variation in each stroke.


For a demonstration, check out this YoutTube video below (in Japanese) to see the Pilot Justus 95 in action.


Excited about the Justus95 as much as we are? Pre-Order it NOW at Goldspot.com for a special first-come, first-serve price. We do have limited inventory coming in from Pilot that we expect shortly (Estimated date of arrival 9/18) and will ship your order as soon as they arrive.

8.30.2013

A New Pelikan Green Demo + Labor Day Coupon

Hopefully this catches everyone's internet purview before the long weekend. I know we'll be looking to head out earlier today to beat the traffic. But before we do, we wanted to introduce a new Pelikan pen and announce our Labor Day store-wide sale that will be active throughout the weekend.


The Pelikan m205 Duo Highlighter in Shiny Green

After the success of the m205 Duo Highlighter in Yellow that has been available for a little over a year (still a current item), Pelikan has released the same pen design concept in a lively green tinted demonstrator. This piston-filling fountain pen is also fitted with a double broad, stainless steel nib that is meant to be used with the included bottle of green highlighter pen ink. With the easily interchangeable Pelikan nib, you could easily switch out the double broad for another Pelikan Nib size and be able to go back to the double broad for highlighting purposes.

The m205 Duo Highlighter retails for $175, but we currently offer the pen for $139.95. The additional bottles of Pelikan green highlighter ink are available for $16.50 and Pelikan stainless steel nibs that fit the m205/215 are available for $58.00 each.

SAVE 10% and get FREE Shipping with our Labor Day Weekend Sale Coupon


Indulge your exceptional taste in fine writing instruments and get an additional 10% off your order with free shipping (within the US only) with our special Labor Day Coupon. Order the m205 Duo Highlighter with an additional bottle of the Pelikan ink, or an additional Pelikan nib to qualify for the discount ($150 min. order). This coupon is good for our products store-wide. You must have an order total of $150 or more and use the promo code LABORTEN in the order form to receive the discount.
Expires Tuesday, September 3rd, 2013 at 12:00pm.

We will be enjoying some well-deserved time off on Monday and will catch up with your e-mails and phone calls again on Tuesday. Have fun this weekend and remember to laugh, relax and take it all in.

8.13.2013

Goldspot Giveaway Winner for Lamy Safari Fountain Pen Bundle


Last week, we kicked off our second Social giveaway because our Goldspot Newsletter giveaway prize went unclaimed. We opened up the contest to our Facebook fans and Twitter followers. Likes and ReTweets totaled over 100 entries, twice the number as in our previous giveaway. Awesome job, everyone! People must like Lamy pens, or something...

...And the Winner is Mark M. from Facebook. Congrats!

We have contacted the winner via Facebook to arrange shipping this new Lamy Safari Fountain Pen Starter Bundle ($60 retail value).


Thanks to everyone who entered, tweeted and Liked! We still haven't had a response from our most recent newsletter winner for July's giveaway, so there very well may be another social giveaway in early September. If you would like the first chance at our monthly giveaway, please sign up for our e-mail newsletter.