I'd heard that Frank was very sick, but I kept my fingers crossed that he'd get better
I first met Frank & Sam at the old Portland Pen Show in 2004. I'd bought a few things from Pendemonium online but I never met them in person before, so I was a bit nervous to meet a couple of pen world "celebrities" . Well, I needn't have worried as they were both so friendly and welcoming (it was my first pen show and I was a bit overwhelmed). I wound up buying a burgundy lacquered Pilot Vanishing Point (with a nib modified by their in-house nibmeister Letta) from them -- the very first new pen I ever bought at a pen show! I can't remember if they were at the 2008 Portland Show but if they were, I know I stopped by their table to chat. I did see them again at the 2015 Los Angeles Pen Show and snapped the photo below. I picked up a couple of very cool vintage ads from Frank & Sam as well as the Parker '51' book. I knew from one of their "Inky Greetings" newsletters that Frank loved reading and was a big Beatles fan, so I bought a Beatles bookmark for him here in Vancouver and a Route 66 souvenir (in L.A) for Sam and gave it to them at the show. They were as warm and helpful as always, and I'm glad I saw them at the show. I did a Pentrace post about the 2015 LA show and it was posted on the Pentrace homepage
(The 2015 Los Angeles Pen Show)
Part 3 of that long pen show report was entitled "Old Friends" and I consider Frank & Sam just that. My heart goes out to Sam and their family on Frank's untimely passing.
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