Henry's passion for pens
Being a product of the 1950's I can well remember being given a Conway Stewart Dinkie Pen and Pencil set in blue marble resin, as a Christmas present by my grandmother. Exactly what eventually happened to the set I 'm afraid I have no idea, but I should imagine that I like most people at the time, put the fountain pen away, and became used to the convenience of the ball-point pen.
Having said that, I was always taught as a child that you didn't write important letters with such an instrument, and many years later when I had some important letters to write, I remembered my Conway Stewart fountain pen lost somewhere. I was in a local Charity Shop at the time, and I asked the assistant if there were any fountain pens, "Oh! Yes, I think there are a couple in there if you would like to have a look at them," she pointed towards a pint beer-mug sitting on the counter, filled with ball-points, felt- tips etc: we tipped the mug up, to reveal the contents, there were in fact a number of fountain pens, and I told the lady that I would like to buy them all.
We did the deal, [not a huge amount of money changed hands, but we were both happy with the transaction!] I went home and set to work on the pens, getting two of them to work just by flushing them out with cold water. I put the other pens in a safe place, and wrote my important letters. I was immensely pleased with the two working pens, and from then on, whenever I was in a charity shop, or second hand shop, I would always ask if they had fountain pens.
That was over twenty years ago now, I have been restoring pens for most of that time, and I now run my own business repairing, buying and selling vintage fountain pens. During the last ten years, I have become an artist, working with gold and silver; making overlays for my own fountain pens but also for Conway Stewart who have commissioned me to make four designs for them.
It is amazing really how a thought whilst I was in a charity shop eventually changed my life around. I still enjoy my work restoring vintage Conway Stewart pens, and I am very proud of the work that I do on the pens that I make.
Henry Charles Simpole
London, England