Greg Minuskin

I have received some inquires about how to best send nibs and pens to me for repair Below are some photos of how I recently sent back a few nibs (be sure to move your cursor over each photo and click on it for a closer look) to a very good client in Israel. (By the way, the turn around time for his large retipping order was only 3 days!) There were a total of 14 nibs in this package. As you can see in the photos, the use of small zip plastic bags works well, and a sturdy plastic box was ideal for this shipping situation. Finally, lots of packing material and then strong paper packing tape that has those fiber threads running through it seals the box very nicely and is tamper resistant.
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This box was then placed in an Express Mail envelope and then the appropriate paperwork was filled out. If you live in the U.S., always mail your pens/nibs to me by Priority Mail, Insured for the value you think your items are worth, with Delivery Confirmation, or Registered Mail, which takes longer but is more secure. If you have any questions please feel free to contact me at greg@gregminuskin.com and I will be happy to advise you on what sort of mailing options are best for your particular needs.

Okay, so you are ready to send off your pen or nib to me for repair/restoration. I suggest that you use bubble wrap around your pens in a very sturdy box, and to pack the box well so your items do not rattle around.

I recently received two pens in the mail, in plastic tubes, and the ink was not drained! The pictures below show how I received them as they leaked in transit. I suggest that you wrap the pens as well with tissue so that they do not rattle around in the plastic tubes. Make sure the pens are well drained before mailing.

Steamy in there!

Just received this email below from a prospective new client.

Hello Greg,

I have been talking with a couple of folks here in Ontario and we all 
have some nibs that need re-tipping. I was wondering if it would be 
possible to do a group shipment to you.
I would be more than happy to look after the payment to you and 
collect from the people here so that it wouldn’t turn into an 
adventure for you.
If international shipping is an issue I also have a US address that 
could be shipped to as a last resort.

Thank you so much for your time with this.

All the best

Philip

What impressed me about “Philip” is that he was well informed about shipping from out of country, along with the procedures for payment. It is sometimes difficult to receive packages from another country, or send them for that matter. What has worked for me with 100% delivery is using the U.S. Registered Mail system which affords the best possible safety as well as tracking for packages. Sure, it may take a bit longer, but in the end the package arrives safely without issues.

I suggest that when you nibs and pens from outside the U.S. to me, it is best to send it as a registered package, in the manner that your country allows. During non-holiday times the longest I have had a package from overseas come to me (I am referring to a Montblanc 149 from Croatia!) the mailing took only 10 days. 

I welcome all overseas clients to send me their work with the full assurance that using the U.S. Registered Mail system, that their pens/nibs will be going back to them in the best and most secure form of transport.

People ask about how to ship me the pens. I always have said Priority Mail, Delivery Confirmation, Insured to the value you think is the value. With this shipping, I get the pens in about 2 – 5 days, depending on the distance, holidays, and weekends. Current turnaround is approximately 2 – 3 weeks.

Finally, I have worked on over a thousand pens in the last twelve months, and probably won’t remember the details of your pen. A note describing conversations and parameters insures best service. Always include 1) the pen being sent, 2) your name and 3) shipping address in your note.

Should you have further questions with regard to the best methodologies email, or give me a call.

Contact info:

Greg Minuskin
P.O. Box 1277
Tustin, CA 92781

Phone: (310) 753-2349

Packing properly seems to be an issue; I get pens in all sort of ways, from very well wrapped, to an envelope with a stamp. I would strongly suggest that you utilize bubble wrap inside a sturdy container for transport.