Hi Bill,

Good to know that you tried out the Pilot Metro. It's a sweet pen.

Your adventures into fountain pen "archaeology" sound fascinating. I think I remember this model, the Parker 21: it was one that was popular in the 1960's I think. It has a partly "hooded" nib, with only the front part showing, I believe.

I have been cleaning out some of my pens recently. Disassembling them and leaving them to soak in warm water with a tiny drop of dish soap is the recommended way to loosen the dried ink. Brushing the nib and the feed underneath with an old (soft) toothbrush can help. In some cases, removing the nib and feed is very helpful, if it *is* removable of course.

Hey, I think there's at least one other HPR show here. You want to recount your experiences?