One of the wonderful people in the pen community making customized writing experiences and tools more accessible is Les Sheely. His shop, Stylosuite, specializes in nib modifications and grinds to produce expressive writing in fountain pens.
Sheely, a curious explorer who loves solving problems, has been enamored with fountain pens since he was a little kid.
What started out as fascination with his grandfather's pen on a table progressed into an adventure of visiting local stationery shops to browse their selections of pens and inks. These days, with much tinkering and learning along the way, Sheely is considered a nibmaster extraordinaire.
Sheely's interest in pens took on a new focus when he discovered one of his favorites: “A big change occurred when Pelikan introduced the M800 in red and black stripes. I ordered one from John Mottishaw with a custom italic grind. That springy nib with a custom grind was a game changer for me. I loved the resulting line variation that an italic grind with a springy nib made on the page."
Following this experience, Sheely sent many of his pens to Mottishaw, Richard Binder, and Mike Masuyama—three big names in the nibmaster circle—for custom grinds. He sold off many pens along the way to thin the herd but kept his favorites.
Sheely notes, “There was a problem with that strategy: 1 had developed a taste for many different writing styles and pen types. During one visit with Richard Binder at the Philadelphia Pen Show, we were talking about various nib types when he asked if I had tried writing with vintage flexible nib pens. I had not, and that conversation started a whole new journey of exploring pens with flex 1 nibs. A good flex nib pen can be a real joy to write with, but it can take a bit of practice to develop your own style.”
This story is from the December 2021 edition of PEN WORLD.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the December 2021 edition of PEN WORLD.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
25 Years of the Levenger True Writer
The new Anniversary Origins collection celebrates the True Writer's silver anniversary, but its origins are over a century old.
LAMY and uni Unite
The Japanese company behind the Uniball brand and Germany's LAMY are now partners.
Wajima Earthquake: Lest We Forget
The New Year's Day earthquake took lives and livelihoods. The future of Wajima lacquerware is at stake.
Fontoplumo: Filling a Need
Frank van Krieken turned a hobby into a pen store, and he is spreading the gospel across the globe.
Styling and Substance: Sheaffer and Sengbusch, and One or Two Others: An Overview of Dip-less Desk Sets, Part IV
In the second installment of this series, we saw the R. Esterbrook Steel Pen Company get its start in the dip-less business.
The Power of the Pen
A Veterans Administration program in Arkansas turns former warriors into pen makers.
The White Dot Marks the Spot
Production by William Penn, distribution by Kenro: Sheaffer is back to basics.
Manu's Pen Nebula
The Pen Family represents Emmanuel Caltagirone's personal journey. Let's take a short trip through time and space.
Lead, Follow, or Get Out of the Way: An Overview of Dip-less Desk Sets, Part III
Once dip-less desk sets became entrenched in the business world, they naturally proliferated as more companies got into the game.
The Inkwell and the Imagination
A history of the inkwell as a source of inspiration.