Testimonials
When I decided to crawl into the 21st century and put up a website, I needed some testimonials for a page entitled, oddly enough, “Testimonials”. Here are some from an assortment of my customers.
“You often have to compromise when you choose a pen expert. You look for someone who is… hopefully reliable, honest, straight forward, prompt, fair, objective, reasonable, OR has unlimited expertise in pen restoration and repair of all brands. With Rick Horne you don’t have to compromise to get it all. Rick, has been restoring my high end Parkers, Watermans and Montblancs for more than a decade. Every result, from finish to filling system, from eyedroppers to pistons, has always exceeded my expectations!
“Rick approaches pen restoration as a superb craftsman as well as an artist. I trust him and his judgment without reservation.”
Fred Gorstein, Philadelphia, PA
“Rick Horne is not one of the names you see constantly batted around the Internet. I like to think he’s one of the better kept secrets of pendom. Over the years I’ve acquired many a fine pen for my collection from Rick. From a Waterman #2 to a Parker Black Giant, a number of nice Wahl Deco Bands, Parker Duofolds and oversized Vacs, to Waterman Patricians just to name a few. The key to buying from Rick Horne is in the quality. Every pen I’ve ever gotten looks like it just came out of a time capsule. If you want the best, he’s one of the tops in the field.
“Every now and then I’m lucky enough to encounter a rare find in the wild to which he’ll retort ‘even a blind squirrel occasionally finds an acorn.’ Of course not all those rare finds are in great shape. Sometimes they need a nib straightened or hard rubber blackened or gold plating. With a keen eye for detail, Rick’s restoration skills continue to amaze me.”
Larry Shelton, Jacksonville, FL
“Rick is the first person I would think of, if my late grandfather’s precious fountain pen needed repair. Trusted completely…”
Scott Franklin, Ellijay, GA
” I met Rick a couple of years ago at a pen show. Ever since he has been one of my best and most reliable friends in the USA. He is my preferred reference point whenever I need information on American pens and need to have them repaired. He is a precious source of knowledge and I like sitting next to him during pen shows. There is always something interesting to learn from him.”
Letizia Jacopini, Grosetto, Italy
“Rick repaired a crack in the barrel of a Swan Black & Pearl and the crack is not visible even with a loupe. He did the same thing with a Mabie Todd ringtop which actually had a chunk broken out of the barrel. The repair is absolutely invisible.
“Rick blackened an A. A. Waterman hard rubber pen that was completely brown and is now completely black. I didn’t actually recognize the pen for a moment when I got it back.
“Rick repaired a Wirt overlay which had a small split in the seam of the overlay and needed replating. The repaired pen was absolutely stunning.”
David Moak, New Orleans, LA
” Rick Horne has done several repairs for me ranging from minor to major. I find the quality of his work to be exemplary , it has been done in a timely manner and his integrity is of the highest level. Two words come to mind with Mr. Home; fair and effective.”
Sam Knechel, Casselberry, FL
” Rick has provided top notch repairs for me for the last 4 years. His work has always been of the highest quality, and included only historically correct parts. Whether it is just to spruce up a neglected item, or to do a complete overhaul, Rick is the obvious choice.”
Scott Gnau, Atlanta, GA
” Over the past several years Rick has done some outstanding repair jobs for me. These jobs have included plating, color restoration and replacement of hard to find parts. I have been highly satisfied with his work. However, what I like best about Rick is his integrity. I first met Rick in Atlanta when both of us were buying and selling pens at a local antiques market. Often, people come in off the street to sell things. One day a man came by and offered me a pen that I felt was [priced] too high. When he refused my counter offer I called Rick, who promptly shelled out the asking price. Two weeks later, I received a nice check from Rick as my part of the profit. When I returned the check because I hadn’t earned it, Rick promptly sent me a nice pen. From that day forward, I have known that I could always trust Rick to work in my best interest, whether it be buying, selling, advice or repair.”
Chuck Canning, Powder Springs, GA
“The Southern Scribe’s plating work is outstanding, and when it comes to general pen repair, they don’t get any better than Rick.”
Chris Odgers, California
“Rick’s repairs demonstrate his knowledge of each pen’s original design, his craftsmanship, and his meticulous attention to detail. The results certainly speak for themselves. With regard to pen sales, he is knowledgeable of the market, fair, and unquestionably honest.”
Jim Nahrwold, Indianapolis, IN
“In that I specialize in Parker 75’s it is unusual to find one that needs metal work done to it. In the past year, however, I have sent or given Rick several Australian 75’s; and a Presidential in 14kt. gold that were dented, as well as pens that needed tassies or clips replaced. An associate of mine sent in a Parker 75 Keepsake in the smooth sterling pattern that was dented and was I extremely pleased with the result.
“Rick’s work has always been of the highest quality; reasonably priced; and well packaged for the return.”
Lee Chait, Atlanta, GA
“Rick Horne has extraordinary skills when it comes to repairing pens. He will review the repair procedure with you and advise which repairs will increase the value of a pen prior to accepting a job. He has recently repaired several high end pens (a Conklin ‘Stars and Bars’ and several early Parkers) for me, all with outstanding results. Rick is the person to come to whether you require repair of that rare ‘one of a kind in the world pen’ or cleaning and resacking of that Parker 51.”
Bryan A. Chin, Auburn, AL
“One of the finest overlay pens in my collection needed to have the black hard rubber darkened in order to best replicate it’s appearance when new. My pen was a bit off color and after Rick performed a bit of his magic, you can’t tell the pen was ever used! Rick’s technique to restore black hard rubber is the best work out there and I highly recommend him.”
Marv Stone, Detroit MI
“I couldn’t believe how different my Waterman’s filigree pen looked after you blackened it. The hard rubber looked almost olive green under the silver filigree before I sent it to you. Now it’s black as coal, and one of the best looking pens in my collection.”
Labron W. Miller II, Milford, OH
“I have an Aurora Novum oversized fountain pen from Italy in an unusual blue and bronze celluloid. When I bought it, the cap lip was badly damaged on one side …. cracked and a bit “Delted” at the edge by a previous repair…. plus, the gold cap bands were badly damaged, too. I usually avoid buying pens that need major surgery but this one was rare and beautiful. Rick has repaired dozens of pens for me, so I bought it hoping that he could bring it back to its former glory.
“I showed the Novum to Rick at a pen show and asked if it was beyond repair. He told me it could be done, but said it would be expensive. He showed me a repaired Parker Duofold cap in Pearl & Black celluloid. The cap lip had been cracked in 2 places, and a piece about the width of a match stick had come out. Rick had welded in a celluloid patch that was incredible. The pattern in the patch matched the surrounding material. When I looked at it under 4X magnification, I couldn’t see where it had been repaired. The patch was indistinguishable from the rest.
“When I got my Aurora Novum back, I saw that he had done the same magic on it. The marbled pattern in the celluloid was perfect, and the repair was invisible.
“It was expensive ($275) but Rick’s artistry increased the value of the pen by at least twice the cost of the repair.”
Jack Leone, Batavia, OH
“You worked wonders with restoring the caps on my Parker 51 set. The dings have disappeared. They look terrific. Thanks!”
Doug Kennedy, Cincinnati, OH
“Just received my Duofolds back with new ink sacs. I’d intended to polish them up after you fixed them, but was pleasantly surprised to find you had already done it for me! Thanks for such a great job.”
Ann Patterson, Wichita, KS
“After I inherited my grandfather’s pen, a friend told me that I should send it to you to be refurbished. When you sent it back I was surprised to see that it wasn’t plain brown, but gold and brown striped with nice gold bands. It was a terror to write with before, but now it pumps ink like a fire truck, and writes as smooth as a baby’s bottom! Thanks.”
Cyndie Schlagel, Fort Madison, IA
“Thanks for doing a great job of replating my gold John Holland ‘Grip Clip’ for me. The roughness from the bit of corrosion is gone, the imprint on the clip wasn’t disturbed, and the color of the gold clip is the same as the gold filigree. These clips are hard to find, and most were nickel plated not gold, so it would have taken an eternity to find another proper gold one. I’m glad to have the pen complete and correct.”
Jack Leone, Batavia, OH