Login
(Kimberly (she/her) took the express train down the fountain pen/stationery rabbit hole and doesn't want to be rescued. She can be found on Instagram @allthehobbies because there really are many, many hobbies!.)
I’m just got back from the 2023 St. Louis Pen Show (their second one since the pandemic) and have finally recovered enough to gather my thoughts. I spent a lot of time describing last year’s show so that would be a good place to start since I will be doing some comparisons in this recap.
The show was held at the same location as last year, the Sheraton Westport Chalet St. Louis hotel. I love walking down the hallway with all the large displays greeting you as you make your way to the registration desk!
Welcome to the St. Louis Pen Show!
Like last year, Michael and the Dromgoole’s spread were the first things you’d see at the show - lots of pens, stationery and an ink wall too!
The perfect rubber chicken for the one and only Ana Reinart, who was working the Dromgoole’s ink wall.
Opposite the Dromgoole’s tables were Steve and Diane Curnow of Curnow Bookbinding and Leather with their lovely array of notebooks, inserts and leather covers!
I like that there was a map on display so folks could look up where the different vendors were located.
This was a view of the main ballroom on Friday when it was fairly busy.
I don’t have attendance numbers from last year or this year but it felt significantly slower this year. Most of the vendors I spoke with felt the same way. Slow days are much harder on vendors than busy days because the hours just drag on and it just drains a lot of the energy. There were maybe a few more folks on Saturday but it wasn’t enough for some vendors, who decided to pack it up and not return on Sunday.
I also don’t have vendor or table numbers, though this year’s website listed 93 vendors (compared to around 100 last year). I know that there were some new vendors this year but I had also heard that a number of folks did not return after they had a disappointing show last year.
The pandemic has seen a lot of new folks entering this hobby, which is great for making new pen friends, but also essential for a hobby’s growth and continued existence. It feels like I’ve encountered a lot more newer folks at this show than any other show in the past two years. More than once (and at different tables), I heard “I don’t have any fountain pens” or “how do I get ink in the pen?” It’s not a bad thing to have a lot of newbies, but it often means that vendors spend a lot more time and energy explaining their products (or just pens in general). Budgets are often lower since they are still discovering this rabbit hole. So you end up with a lot of vendors competing for fewer dollars (on average) from fewer attendees.
The vendors that did the best were the ones who catered more to this newer crowd. Paper, inks and pens $50-100 were the items that seemed to sell the most. Though I did hear that at least one customer bought a Namiki Emperor from Jimmy Dolive (Jimmy strikes again!), that was definitely not the norm.
Last year the show had two nib workers, which was about right. This year, there were 5. Richard Binder, the Kennedys of Indy-Pen-Dance and Gena Salorino of Custom Nib Studio came this year, in addition to returning nib folks Kirk Speer and Josh Lax. I think 2 nib workers is more than enough for this show, not only because of its lower attendance, but the relative newness of its audience also means that they often aren’t aware of what a nib worker does, let alone want to spend the money on getting a pen tuned or ground.
Gena Salorino working their magic.
What the show continues to have is variety - plenty of modern and vintage vendors in all price brackets.
Love seeing Greg Hardy’s smiling face alongside (literally) the “Crawdaddy” pen he made just for this pen show!
Danny Fudge of The Write Pen is a well-known and well-respected fixer/restorer of pens!
If you need supplies for restoring/fixing or just cleaning/maintaining your pens, Indy-Pen-Dance can help!
Akhila and Nirmal Sheth of Smruti Pens came to the STL show for the first time!
I love that they have vendors who sell other things besides “pens & inks” and some vendors that don’t sell anything at all (like the calligraphy guild or the STL meetup group)!
This father-daughter duo of Lincoln’s Leathers makes notebooks and other items out of Michigan!
Keith McCleary and his family brought all their 3D-printed goods, as well as stickers and other fun stuff to the show!
Look at these cool creations from War Pony Forge!
Slapme? No,Slap U! The St Louis Area Pen Users (SLAPU) has regular meetups named St Louis Area Pen Meet & Eat (SLAPME)! I’m pretty sure no actual slapping happens, but don’t quote me on that, lol! Just follow the St. Louis Pen Show IG to find out about the next meetup.
There were two of these ink testing stations in the middle of the ballroom - perfect for ink play while taking a rest break.
Members of the St. Louis Guild of Calligraphers were present to write your name in calligraphy for free and to talk about all things calligraphy!
If we’re going to talk calligraphy, then you have to mention the master penman, Michael Sull, who was busy making and embellishing his gorgeous calligraphy prints!
Sitting next to Mr. Sull was a tray full of old letterpress “stamps”. For free. These were used to print handwriting exemplars for cursive books. You neve know what treasures you’ll find at a pen show!
There were a good number of classes/seminars this year, but not quite as many as last year, which was fine given the lighter crowds at the show this weekend. Still, the variety of classes was great - “Your Name - Your Signature”, Back to Basics Bullet Journaling, Celtic Knots, as well as American Cursive Handwriting, Vintage Pen Buying for Beginners, and more – there really was a wide range of classes/seminars to choose from.
I barely made it in time for the Journaling Social on Friday afternoon and there were still plenty of people gathering, chatting and working on their journals!
Look at these gorgeous Namikis at the Pilot USA table!
On the other end of the spectrum, look at this “bargain” of a pen! I love it when vendors have a sense of humor!
I love this Nahvalur Voyage: Pride 2023 Pen, with a portion of proceeds being donated to It Gets Better Project!
This is the blackest black ink ever made by Platinum - Chou-Kuro. Apparently, it is 43% darker than Platinum Carbon black!
Luxury Brands of America’s exclusive Retro 51 is not only a good looking pen, but proceeds also benefit the Rainforest Trust!
As always, I had a good time after hours at the show. The bar staff was painfully slow on Thursday afternoon/evening, and didn’t pick up until Brian the bartender showed up with his amazing energy and great service on Friday. I heard that the show organizers asked the hotel to keep the bar open late, which they did on Friday and Saturday nights (yay!). Security did come by around 10pm on Sunday to (very nicely) ask us to vacate the lobby because it was past their quiet hours.
Discovered that the Schnickelfritz Bavarian style Weissbier is really tasty - I may have had a few this weekend!!
A few of the die-hards at 1:45am Sunday morning!
Last year I said “it is a well-run show that might need to scale back on the vendors/tables. There is such a thing as “too big” when it comes to pen shows, especially if you don’t have the attendee numbers (and resulting sales dollars) to support it” and sadly, that is even more true this year. This is already a very well-run show, so there isn’t much to improve on from that perspective. There are great shows that are much smaller than STL (Colorado comes to mind, but I’ve also heard great things about Orlando and Arkansas), so I hope that they consider pulling back the number of vendors they ask to come to this show. This way, the vendors can have a successful show, which in turn, brings more attendees to the show.
Clockwise from the left: matte blue Platinum Curidas (Luxury Brands), Colorverse Indigo Blue (Smruti Pens), 2023 St. Louis Pen Show ink Missourah Crawdad by KWZ, Rainforest Retro 51 and Endless notebook clip (LBA), washi tape and New Pen Day stamp from InkyConverters, and STL notebook inserts (Curnow Bookbinding), all atop the Col-o-ring Folio (Well-Appointed Desk). Not pictured: a pen tuned by Gena Salorino and two of the letterpress stamps (which need to be thoroughly cleaned before I handle them again).
I was fairly restrained at this show since DC and SF are right around the corner. I spent most of the time at the show spending time with pen friends, old and new, which is the best part of any pen show. Until DC, stay safe and stay inky!
(Kimberly (she/her) took the express train down the fountain pen/stationery rabbit hole and doesn't want to be rescued. She can be found on Instagram @allthehobbies because there really are many, many hobbies!.)
After a whirlwind pen show weekend at the Baltimore Pen Show a few weeks ago, I was ready for a slightly calmer experience. I don’t know if it’s the southern hospitality, the early night hours at the bar or the size of the show and crowd, but the Atlanta Pen Show feels less frantic than others, which is a good thing.
As I mentioned in my recap from last year, the Atlanta show is spread out amongst three ballrooms: small, medium, and large. I spent a good portion of my weekend in the medium ballroom behind the Franklin-Christoph table.
View of the small ballroom where several pen makers were located including Jonathon Brooks, Ironfeather Creative and Hinze Pens.
Mark Bacas was busy all weekend working on nibs - so glad I made it on the list!
Shea Brooks (that’s Mrs. Carolina Pen Co to you, lol) and cutie patootie Lupin, who is one of the bestest behaved doggos ever.
View of the medium ballroom from behind the Franklin-Christoph table. Dromgoole’s Federalist Frank, Jimmy Dolive and others were in this room.
Speaking of Jimmy Dolive (the show organizer) and his daughter Suzanne always have some tempting products at their table!
Jimmy’s niece had these killer disco mushrooms which were a huge hit! They sold out pretty quickly!
Franklin-Christoph made an exclusive Model 02 and pen show ink that was only available from Jimmy Dolive!
Scott B Jones draws something with his fountain pens every day and has published several volumes of his work.
Always a pleasure seeing Michael & Olivia Dromgoole, but it was lil Miss Laurel that stole my heart with her darling smile! She definitely helps sell pens! (Posted with permission fromthe Dromgoole's)
Got a couple of sweet nib grinds from Mike Masuyama (left) and Matthew Chen (right).
The large ballroom housed the remaining vendors, both large and small. This room had the widest aisles and made browsing the tables very comfortable.
Looking left as you entered the large ballroom.
Straight ahead at Joe Cortner, organizer of the Orlando Pen Show.
And to the right, including Pendemonium and Pilot USA.
Frank and Sam Fiorella of Pendemonium with some cool (and affordable) vintage finds at their table!
Ryan Krusac always has sweet looking pens - there was an L15 that caught my eye made from some kind of burlwood from Arizona.
Look at all these colorful pens from Karas Kustoms.
Jimmy plans some fun events for the Atlanta show including the cookout on Friday night for vendors and weekend pass holders and a Saturday pizza night. Unfortunately, there was a scheduling/communication breakdown for the pizza night so folks who planned to have pizza for dinner were left scrambling for alternate dinner plans, oops. The intent was to have the pizza event flowing right into the Pen Shows After Dark event but the kitchen didn’t get that memo and served up pizza early, which, in turn, got gobbled up early. That’s ok, try again next year, Jimmy!
Great weather for the Friday night cookout where folks got a chance to mix and mingle while enjoying their dinner.
The pen fun continues after dinner (this is adjacent to the bar area opposite the restaurant). Even the Bossman was spotted enjoying a beverage (or two)!
Cary Yeager of Kenro Industries and Fountain Pen Day, explains the history of FPD as well as Pen Shows After Dark before raffling off prizes.
The crowd (including me) is hoping to get their raffle tickets picked.
There were lots of Rickshaw Bagworks fans at the show - this is only what 8 of us had with us!
As you may recall from my recap, as well as Brad’s past comments on the blog and podcast, Atlanta is notorious for a “not late” after-hours scene, with the hotel staff kicking folks out of the bar and adjacent areas. They literally turned off ALL the lights on us last year and we had to use phone flashlights so we could pack up. This year, they were actually very respectful, gave us a heads up and then gently told us again when it was time to go. No yelling, no lights getting turned off. In fact, on Friday night, one of the staff gave us a 5 minute heads up and Marty Henderson said “Can you make it 7 minutes so it’s an even 11:30?” and the guy said yes! So thank goodness they got the memo that they didn’t need to yell and be mean. And I’ll be honest, getting “gently kicked out” of the bar area at an earlier hour actually made it easier to not stay up insanely late like I usually do, lol.
Things weren’t all fun and games at the show though. Unfortunately, several vendors were hit by theft this weekend. Vendors may not all love each other, but they will watch each other’s back when it comes to theft. There was word that an attendee that has previously had “sticky fingers” was at the show so vendors spread the word to keep an eye out and some even followed them around to make sure nothing was taken. It is sad that theft is a part of this hobby but also heartwarming that people are watching out for each other and making sure no one gets hit. As one person said, “we don’t have to like everyone, but none of us deserve to get stolen from.” People volunteered to watch each other’s table when they needed to use the restroom or take a break. This is what the community is about. If you see either of these items posted for sale, please let the respective vendors know. And if you know of other thefts, please spread the word.
Things were much quieter on Sunday and many vendors began packing up around 3pm (instead of 5pm when the show ended) since there were so few attendees. After helping the F-C crew pack up, I was able to spend some time chatting with Stacy Robinson of Penz by Design. What a gem of a gentleman with a beautiful philosophy on pens being more than just pens, but something that makes you feel a connection. He also has a wonderful laugh (I may have made him cry when I was trying to get a Wifi signal and said “Wifi God, can you hear me?”). I was also able to commiserate with Akhila Sheth of Smruti Pens about Instagram’s ever-changing algorithms.
At most of the other shows, I often am bouncing around from table to table with just a few seconds here and there to take photos or ask questions. And during after hours, it’s like there are so many people and pens and things that it’s hard to spend a lot of time with everyone. Atlanta is a little different because it is a smaller (but not small) show, so I was able to spend quality time with more people. Sunday evening was chill and relaxed as we got to hear “pen origin stories” from folks like Matthew Chen, Ana Reinert, and others. Being able to have this time with friends, old and new, was really good for the soul.
”There is something seriously wrong with you.” said Stacy Robinson as he flipped through my scribble and doodle notebook. Truer words have never been spoken. 😃
Had the pleasure of meeting Akhila Sheth who is the driving force behind Smruti Pens with her “assistant” (and husband) Nirmal and their two kids. She’s one heck of an awesome momma too!
Last but not least, the haul. As usual, I don’t include stuff that I get from Brad for future reviews (I can’t WAIT to review them!). As you can see, it was a fairly modest haul.
Left to right: Signed post card by Scott B. Jones (including the coordinates and temperature of the show), Franklin-Christoph 14k gold BB SIG, Retro 51 Sprinkle Ops and Montblanc Golden Yellow Ink from Dromgoole’s, Sheaffer Skripsert pens from Judd’s Pens and Pipes and Wearingeul Swatch Book and Dr Jekyll/Mr. Hyde notebook from Vanness Pens. Not pictured are the pens that I got ground by Mark Bacas, Mike Masuyama and Matthew Chen.
Thank you to kind friends who dropped off goodies so I wouldn’t be hungry! That bag on the right was stuffed when I got it; it definitely came in handy!
Then I ended up watching Jimmy’s table Sunday afternoon when he left his table unattended on Sunday, and saw this beauty…
Darn it, I got Jimmy’d after all! Montblanc 146 Glacier. Time to sell some pens!
Thank you, Jimmy Dolive, for a great show. Thank you again to Franklin-Christoph for allowing me to represent you at this show. Thank you to all the pen friends, old and new, that I was lucky enough to spend some time with. Boy is my wallet ever empty, but my heart is so full. Until next time (Chicago in 4 weeks!), stay safe and stay inky!
(Kimberly (she/her) took the express train down the fountain pen/stationery rabbit hole and doesn't want to be rescued. She can be found on Instagram @allthehobbies because there really are many, many hobbies!.)
After almost 6 years in this rabbit hole, it may come as a surprise that I still enjoy “entry-level” or budget-friendly pens very much. I still use a Pilot Metropolitan every day to write the day/date in my bullet journal, while Platinum Preppies, Lamy Al-Stars (Team #AlStarAlways), and others are also in regular rotation. I’ve asked the Bossman to keep me in mind whenever these kinds of pens come up for review. And when Pen Chalet sent us the Pilot Explorer for review, I jumped at the opportunity.
Released in 2019, the Pilot Explorer enters a fairly crowded budget-friendly steel nibbed fountain pen field, especially since several of the pens in that field are also made by Pilot. Other Pilot pens in this range include the Kakuno, Plumix/Pluminix/Penmanship and of course, the Metropolitan (the Prera is just on the cusp of budget-friendliness).
The Pilot Explorer that I am reviewing today is the clear one, but it also comes in a total of 12 colors (hmm, is Clear a color?) ranging from Black Matte to Blue, Silver or Turquoise, etc. which are metallic finishes. All of them come with a black clip and black finials. The snap cap has an embossed Pilot brand and logo and inside is a black inner liner - which is very obvious with the Clear model - which prevents ink from drying out in the cap. After inking it and writing with it on/off for several weeks, I deliberately left this pen untouched for over a month - thank you, Fountain Pen Companion for keeping track of this - and it wrote up right away without any issue.
Hard to tell but the logo is the same color as the cap, which in this case, is clear.
The Pilot Explorer comes in a metal tin and depending on where you buy it, may or may not include a Con-B squeeze converter. (Tip: if it does include the Con-B, do yourself a favor and use anything else but that converter because you can’t see if there’s any ink in it, can’t tell if it’s clean, etc.) It can also fit the Con-40, Con-50 and is also long enough to use the Con-70 if you wish to do so (it’s my second least favorite converter). Resist the urge to eyedropper this pen because there are small holes/gaps at the base of the barrel which will leak - I’m glad I tested this with water over my dump cup because the leak was immediate and messy, lol.
It comes in Fine and Medium nib sizes and is the same size steel nib as the Pilot Metropolitan, Plumix/Pluminix, Penmanship, Prera; and Kakuno (though the Kakuno has irresistibly cute faces on it), and they are interchangeable if you wanted to swap nibs. Just gently pull the nib/feed straight out to remove them. This means that the writing experience will be the same as with the other models if you’ve already tried them before. This one is a Fine and writes just like my Metropolitan Fine which I use every day. I inked the Explorer up with a Pilot Mixable Blue Black cartridge and it wrote right away without any issue. As expected, the writing experience is good - the nib is firm, no flex, and the nib lays down a fine line without being scratchy.
Yup, writes just like a Pilot steel nib fountain pen should.
The Pilot Explorer and Kakuno are the two pens in the steel lineup that are the most similar to each other. The Explorer weighs in at 0.42 ounces (11.9g), with the cap weighing 0.20 oz (5.39g) and the rest without converter or cartridge is 0.22 oz (6.24g). The Kakuno is 0.39 oz (11g), cap 0.13 oz (3.69g) and the pen 0.26 oz (7.37g). The Metro is almost double the weight.
Left to Right: Pilot Kakuno, Explorer, Metropolitan - you can see that the Kakuno’s grip section is a little girthier than the other two.
The Explorer and Metropolitan have more similar grips. Both are flared near the nib to prevent your fingers from sliding forward. The Explorer does not have the step near the barrel that the Metro does - this step is one of the things that some users don’t like about the Metro. The Kakuno, Metro and Explorer all have snap caps.
Comparison L to R: Pilot Metropolitan, Pilota Kakuno, Pilot Prera, Pilot Explorer, Pilot Pluminix, Pilot Plumix, Pilot Penmanship, Platinum Preppy, Platinum Prefounte, TWSBI Eco.
The Pilot Explorer retails for $25, and whether a Con-20 or Con-B is included is up to the retailer, so be sure to check what is/is not included with your purchase. The Kakuno, on the other hand, sells for around $15. The Kakuno doesn’t have a clip, doesn’t include a converter and its color combinations may not look and feel as “professional” as the Explorer but I’m not sure that either of those things justify the near double price tag. I will admit that comparing two Clear pens doesn’t help the Explorer because the metallic finish does look and feel nicer than the plastic versions. The Explorer is priced about the same as the Metropolitan, which feels much more substantial and has a more traditional style, and also the TWSBI Swipe or Eco, both of which have a much larger ink capacity.
All in all, the Pilot Explorer is a good pen, but at its price point, it really doesn’t compete with the Pilot Metropolitan in looks and heft or with the TWSBI Eco in function and ink capacity. Nor does it compete in price with its cuter sibling, the Kakuno or with the Platinum Preppy or Prefounte. But if you like how the Metro writes, but don’t like the step or the weight (or both), the Explorer might be the pen for you.
(Pen Chalet provided this product at no charge to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)
(Kimberly (she/her) took the express train down the fountain pen/stationery rabbit hole and doesn't want to be rescued. She can be found on Instagram @allthehobbies because there really are many, many hobbies!.)
As soon as Lauren Elliott, AKA FlygirlElliott and Lucky Star Pens posted about the latest addition to the Lucky Star Colorverse lineup, I knew I had to buy one, which is exactly what I did at the recent Baltimore Pen Show. Colorverse Lucky Galaxy is the third exclusive release for Lucky Star Pens and was created to celebrate its 3rd anniversary. The prior two releases were Lucky Star and Lucky Star II. Like the other two before it, Lucky Galaxy is a shimmer ink, or what Colorverse calls “Glistening”. The ink comes in a 30ml glass bottle and sells for $20.
The 3 Colorverse x Lucky Star Pens inks: Lucky Star, Lucky Star II and Lucky Galaxy.
I inked up my trusty TWSBI Go with a Medium nib and used that for the writing samples on the Col-O-Ring cards. For the other writing samples, I used the Kakimori steel dip nib with 52 gsm and 68 gsm Tomoe River and Cosmo Air Light 75 gsm papers.
In large swatches, Lucky Galaxy leans more red than pink.
Writing sample on 52 gsm Tomoe River paper.
68 gsm TR.
Cosmo Air Light 75 gsm paper.
In the writing samples, the pink is more pronounced.
The shimmer is there but not in-your-face, which I like.
The turquoise/blue shimmer can make it look kind of blurple but what you see near the nib is the real ink color.
Lucky Star Galaxy had an average flow when writing but definitely took a while to dry on 68gsm TR. Dry times may be a bit slower on 52gsm TR or faster on papers like Rhodia, copy paper, Cosmo Air Light or with drier or finer nibs. The ink has blue/turquoise shimmer, minimal shading and no sheen.
Inks similar to Lucky Galaxy are Diamine Pink Glitz (gold shimmer), Diamine 2019 Inkvent (Blue Edition) Candy Cane (no shimmer), Sailor Ink Studio 731 (no shimmer but gold sheen), Colorverse #49 Felicette (no shimmer), and Diamine 2021 Inkvent (Red Edition) Pink Ice (silver shimmer.)
While I have similarly colored inks in my collection, it’s not often that non-gold or silver shimmer is used so I’m glad that Lucky Galaxy has a different shimmer. This ink sells for $20 per 30ml bottle on the Lucky Star Pens website, which is about the perfect amount for a bottle of ink.
BUT WAIT! There’s more!! Just when you thought this article was over, it’s not over!! I thought I’d share something new that I decided to do for ink reviews - chromatography! Basically, chromatography is a way to show the various components of a mixture (in this case, ink) as different parts get drawn up the strip via capillary action at different rates. As it relates to ink, this means chromatography allows you to see the colors that make up the ink.
What you need to do ink chromatography
Wine glass (cuz I’m bougie that way), binder clip, chromatography strip, paintbrush.
Strip is on the outside of the glass so I can see if it will touch the water.
Testing this outside the glass so I can add/remove water as needed.
You can see the ink line is above the water line and is already beginning to “move up.”
Roughly 4 minutes in.
I waited until 5 minutes when the ink “stopped moving” before removing it from the glass. Duration of wait time will vary based on how quickly the ink is separating up the strip. If you wait too long, the colors may get too diluted and be harder to detect.
Letting the strip dry on a paper towel (no, those aren’t blood stains, just Lucky Galaxy!)
Closeup reveals a hint of shimmer at the base where I drew the line and basically pink ink throughout.
Contrast that with a multi-shading ink (or chromashader) like Sailor Manyo Fuji which shows shades of magenta/pink and blue, with a bit of yellow above the pink.
While chromatography isn’t necessary to enjoy inks, it is a fun way to see how similarly colored inks may have underlying differences that aren’t as noticeable in writing samples or ink swatches. I can’t wait to see my future ink chromatographies.
(Disclaimer: I purchased Lucky Galaxy ink at regular price from Lauren Elliott at the 2023 Baltimore Pen Show.)
(Kimberly (she/her) took the express train down the fountain pen/stationery rabbit hole and doesn't want to be rescued. She can be found on Instagram @allthehobbies because there really are many, many hobbies!.)
If the San Francisco Pen Show wasn’t already my favorite show, I would have to pick the Baltimore Pen Show because it’s right up there as one of the best shows I’ve attended. As I’ve said in the past, I always have a great time at this show and this year was no exception. This recap won’t be too different from last year’s review so I will try (and probably fail) at keeping this one short…-ish.
This year’s Baltimore Pen Show kicked off with an “after hours” scene that actually started before hours on Thursday afternoon and well into Thursday evening/Friday morning (yes, I clearly haven’t learned my lesson and stayed up later than I should on Thursday night, despite flying in on a redeye).
Anabelle, John Albert, Klarissa, Alyson, Sue and her friend were among the many that were hanging out Thursday night.
View from behind the Franklin-Christoph table on Friday morning.
Always honored to work at the Franklin-Christoph table, especially with these lovely ladies (Mandy, me, Lisa, Audrey).
I was so happy to see Lisa Vanness of Vanness Pens (with helper Dan Hoizner) at the show!
You can count on the Gillett’s from Luxury Brands of America having fun at a pen show!
Just a few of the tables that Dromgoole's had at the show - Jesi, Larry and Michael were busy all weekend! Not pictured were the Retro 51 tables or the ink wall!
I love the latest addition to the Esterbrook desk accessory family - the Tree Frog desk clip - alongside the new Rainforest Estie!
I love seeing local vendors at their home shows - especially since many of them don’t have tables at other shows!
Last year I was so busy taking pictures of the beautiful pens from Kanilea Pen Co that I forgot to take pictures of the people! This time I remembered to take a picture of Hugh and Karol with troublemak…ahem, helper, Jason!
Of course, I HAD to take a picture of their latest release Punakea!
Baltimore locals Evan and Julian Rosenberg of Penquisition with their fun pen accessories, pen cases from Rickshaw and …is that Jigglypuff?!?!?
The Baltimore Pen Club has a table at the show too!
And some “might as well be local” vendors too!
Pennsylvania in the house!!! Newly coifed Ian Schon of Schon DSGN and lots of pretty (and awesomely engineered) pens!!
Kathryn Pokalo (PA) of Pleasant Valley Textiles makes some lovely (and soft!) products out of fabrics, felt and wool!
Helen of Helen’s Creations NJ (with her son, Dom) has some wonderful pen cases/kimonos, as well as glass dip pens, inks and more!
This is a great show for both newer and veteran pen fanatics alike. I also love the mix of vendors - it’s not all big distributors or huge shops and it’s not just individuals selling their pens either. You’ve got modern, you’ve got vintage, you’ve got new, you’ve got pre-owned, and budget-friendly to budget-busting pens and everything in between. And there’s also the “other” stuff that I love seeing at shows, more than just the pens.
Joe Crace, aka The Gentleman Stationer, brought a fun selection of Lochby inserts and covers as well as Traveler’s Company products and washi tapes (which I may have broken my self-imposed wash tape ban for)
The Write Stuff had a fun selection of stationery sets, pens, shirts and even sassy cat pen holders!
Jonathon Brooks of Carolina Pen Company doesn’t need any fancy displays for people to go crazy for his gorgeous creations!
Glad I got a chance to try some more pens at Les of StyloSuite’s table - might be placing an order soon!
Speaking of budget-busting (kidding!), you can count on Rick Liebson to have some amazing limited edition pens for sale, including Nakayas!
Andrea and Brian Gray of the Edison Pen Company and their eye candy-filled display!
Managed to get a shot of Jim Hinze (left) and his business partner Francisco Lopez of Hinze Pens before the crowds came in.
What a pleasure it was to finally meet Tom Forsythe (left) and his husband Panos Trilianos of Sugar Turtle Studio!! I “met” Tom on IG 3 years ago and love all the awesome stationery themed items in the shop!
Like these mugs! Why yes, I am extra fine, if I do say so myself, lol!
I love the name of these 3D-printed Autopoint pencils from Jonathan Veley!
So good to see Martin Ferguson of Martin’s Pens back at a pen show and doing repairs again!
Look at these gorgeous laser-etched pieces from Harrington House Designs and journals like this one!
Ticket prices remained the same as last year ($10/day, $15 for 2 days or $20 for the weekend), though special VIP Passes cost $75 this year (and limited to 75 people), which got holders the weekend pass, early bird access on all three days and a bunch of other goodies like a custom name badge & lanyard, mug, etc.
While there weren’t quite as many nib workers as last year, there were still quite a few there - at least 5!
Friday at the show felt a bit on the slower side. It wasn’t dead on Friday but it didn’t feel like hoards of people, which made it a little easier for me to walk around and take some pictures. Saturday felt quite a bite more busy, with a fairly constant stream of people, especially in the morning and early afternoon. A few of the vendors said that it’s interesting to see which shows are busy on Fridays versus Saturdays - Baltimore is definitely a Saturday busy show.
Disclaimer - The below paragraph is literally copied from last year’s recap because I just can’t say it any better, lol.
“You can tell Bert Oser, the show organizer, really cares about this show from making sure folks get the discounted room rate (as mentioned above) to organizing a Pen Shows After Dark Event with Cary Yeager, to gathering volunteers from the DC Metro Pen Crew to make the show run smoothly and offer help to anyone who needs it. It really makes it feel more friendly and approachable. In addition, there was a Share the Wealth table, where folks can donate their pens, papers, inks and things in hopes that they find new homes; it was so good to see this generosity from the pen community.”
One thing I will add about this year is that I really liked getting emails about the show in the weeks and months leading up to the show. It started as early as October 2022 with an FAQ email about the show, then subsequent emails about booking a room, VIP tickets, different classes, etc. It really helped to (1) get the word out, especially the rapidly filling up hotel room block, (2) highlighted classes and instructors and (3) really got me excited and hyped up for the show.
The website also included a banner telling folks to look out for bright orange shirted volunteers at the show. While it would be pretty obvious to attendees who the volunteers were, it’s a nice addition to the website to let folks know in advance.
Friendly faces in neon orange shirts greeted you at the registration desk. Folks from the DC Pen Crew were ready to help make sure you’re having a great time.
I love that there is a “Share the Wealth” table at this show where folks could leave behind no-longer-used products for others to take.
One of the reasons this is one of my favorite shows is because of the opportunities for hanging out, penabling and socializing. There are lots of tables and chairs in the bar area, as well as couches in the lobby and more couches and tables in the “side area” around the corner/behind the bar.
This year’s Pen Shows After Dark event was on Friday night and brought out a lot of folks (including me) who were eager to win pens and things that were donated by several of the vendors. Following that was some stand-up comedy by Michelle Malizaki (aside from being a stand-up comic, Michelle also works for Maruman)! And after that? More socializing, pen fun and enjoying the company of other pen people.
Folks getting ready to attend the Pen Shows After Dark event and hoping their numbers are called.
Cary Yeager (left) of Kenro Industries and also Fountain Pen Day with Bert Oser, BWIPS show organizer, are picking and announcing raffle prize winners.
Michelle Malizaki doing some stand-up comedy right after!
Random thoughts:
Many of the vendors I spoke with said that they had a really good show sales-wise, which is always good to hear. And everyone I talked to said they had fun, even if they didn’t sleep as much as they wanted to, or didn’t buy as much (or too much).
Pen Show Haul - Chocolate covered peanut brittle from Jinji Chocolate, a Franklin-Christoph Pocket 20, a second hand Pilot Vanishing Point, Bungubox Energeia, washi tape from The Gentleman’s Stationer, Colorverse Lucky Galaxy ink from Lauren of Lucky Star Pens, and stickers from Sugar Turtle Studio.
The best part about pen shows is spending time with pen friends. Just a few of some of my favorite people that I’m so lucky to call friends.
Including this guy 🙂
A huge thank you, Bert Oser, for putting on a wonderful show! I can’t wait to come back next year! Until the next pen show (which would be Atlanta for me in two weeks), stay safe and stay inky!
(Kimberly (she/her) took the express train down the fountain pen/stationery rabbit hole and doesn't want to be rescued. She can be found on Instagram @allthehobbies because there really are many, many hobbies!.)
Knowing that I was going to the Philadelphia Pen Show earlier this year, several friends suggested that I visit the nearby stationery shop Omoi Zakka, since it is only a couple miles away from the show hotel in the Old City neighborhood. Since it was a bit chilly in mid-January for this California girl to walk there (and back), I took a Lyft for the short trip instead.
Omoi Zakka, or Omoi for short (it rhymes with “oh boy”), is a stationery and lifestyle products shop that has been around since 2006. I highly recommend you check out their About Omoi page to find out more including a brief history of the shop.
This cute storefront just beckons you to go inside!
One step into their store and you will see that it is neither too big nor too small to house a wide variety of products ranging from pens, inks, papers, stickers, and other stationery goodies to bags, clocks, books and more.
What a wonderful sight to behold when you walk in the door!
Is anyone surprised that I spent the most time along this wall?
Some of the fun stickers and ephemera.
Some Sailor, Y-Studio and TWSBI in this case but there are more pens in the shop!
Kawecos and Kakunos with inks, paper and some pouches from The Superior Labor.
Ferris Wheel Press inks and Tomoe River paper pad as well as the Yamamoto Paper Collection.
Midori, anyone?
10th Anniversary Stalogy notebooks/pads.
MOAR paper!!!
A nice selection of Bellroy bags and accessories to carry all your pens and paper!
In addition to stationery goods, Omoi has a bunch of “lifestyle” products like books, home decor and more.
Lots of cool products along the right side of the store.
Candles, slippers, lamps and more!
I love the “not typical” selection of books that they had.
Tick tock!
I didn’t intend to stay very long since I was tired from my red-eye flight but I ended up spending over an hour discovering fun new things every time I revisited different parts of the store. As with many brick and mortar stores, you will be paying retail prices but being able to check out products not found in typical stationery stores as well as the quiet, laid back atmosphere makes it worthwhile.
I picked up the Traveler’s Company Diner set for a friend and also got two Omoi postcards as well as their zine, “Heavy”.
You can find Omoi Zakka at 41 S. 3rd Street, Philadelphia, PA (between Chestnut & Market Streets), (215) 454-6910, or online at OmoiOnline.com. The store is open Monday - Saturday from 11 am - 7:00 pm and Sunday from 12 pm to 5 pm (any last minute hours would be posted on their Instagram Stories.) Note: While there is no mask mandate currently, the staff continues to mask for their own as well as their customers’ safety. I appreciate that they also offer complimentary masks for anyone who needs one.
(Kimberly (she/her) took the express train down the fountain pen/stationery rabbit hole and doesn't want to be rescued. She can be found on Instagram @allthehobbies because there really are many, many hobbies!.)
Color me shocked when the Bossman sent me a pen for review and it was orange! It was the Kilk Orient - I had never heard of the brand Kilk, so I was eager to check it out and see how it performed.
Kilk is a pen company that was founded in 2012 in Istanbul, Turkey. They have several models of fountain pens in addition to the Orient.
The pen comes with a steel “V2 nib” (per Goldspot, it is a #6 Bock) engraved with the Kilk logo and nib size. The pen also comes with a screw-in standard international converter as well as a polishing cloth for cleaning the silver band and instructions on how to care for the pen. The pen comes with a 2 year warranty against manufacturing defects.
The first thing I noticed was how distinctive the shape is. It has its own look and doesn’t really look like other pens out in the market. The second thing I noticed was the silver band and trim, as in 925 silver, not just silver colored. You don’t see actual silver accents on a pen in this (or any) price point very often. The band design is classy and detailed without being overly intricate or busy.
The cap is quite large and has an almost bulbous shape to it. The clip band sits a little lower down from the tip of the cap (reminds me a little of vintage Pelikan caps) and the clip point is very pointy, maybe a little too pointy. The clip works well and easily slides over my binder’s elastic straps as well as over shirt pockets. The metal band is not on the cap, as is often the case with other pens, but on the barrel of the pen. To me, it looks a little odd but this is definitely personal preference and does not affect writing performance since the band sits between one’s fingers and the crook of the hand. The barrel of the pen is also a bit curvy, with a slight flare at the nib which prevents fingers from sliding down. The taper on the other end also allows you to post the cap fairly deeply without making it too back-weighted.
Pen still feels fairly balanced when posted, though it does extend a ways back. Of course, I would prefer this one (and all pens) unposted.
The Orange Orient is made from a beautiful bright orange acrylic that has swirls of chatoyance and is slightly translucent. You can just barely see the converter if you look carefully. The material is highly polished and can feel a bit slick, especially if you live/work in a more humid environment. The Kilk Orient is well-made and doesn’t feel cheap or flimsy in any way even though it isn’t a heavy pen.
Slightly translucency of the material.
Comparison to similarly sized pens (L to R): Opus 88 Halo, Leonardo Momento Zero, Kilk Orient, Pelikan M800, Pilot Custom 823, Visconti Homo Sapiens.
You can really see how much girthier the Kilk Orient grip and body are compared to the others.
Despite it’s girth, it is the shortest pen when posted.
As I’ve mentioned in past reviews, I know it’s good advice to rinse/clean pens prior to first use but honestly, I’m lazy and too eager to try out new pens, so I went ahead and inked it up with Visconti Cafe Terrace at Night without any cleaning. The Fine nib was smooth but the writing experience felt a bit dry. Hard to tell if it was the nib or the ink so I flushed out the converter and nib and put in good ol’ Waterman Serenity Blue.
The nib didn’t perform much better with Serenity Blue. It wasn’t hard starting or anything like that but the ink just didn’t seem to flow very well. I used my loupe to check for any misalignment or baby’s bottom and there wasn’t any but since I wasn’t sure my loupe handling skills should be trusted, I took it to the Philly Pen Show to have it looked at by a professional. I asked Gena Salorino of Custom Nib Studio to take a quick peek (without making any nib modifications) and they agreed that it was a bit on the dry side, so phew, it wasn’t just me. The nib is usable as-is but I think it would be so much better with a little bit of tuning. According to Goldspot, the nibs are tested and tuned in the Kilk workshop before being exported so maybe they don’t tune them as much for a wetter flow.
The Kilk Orient fountain pen costs $260 USD with a steel nib and is available from EF to BB. A gold nib option is available from the Kilk website for $380. The aesthetics of the Kilk Orient fountain pen aren’t really my jam, but I appreciate that it is a different design that doesn’t look like every other pen out there. I also like that it has real silver accents, which does add to the price, though it is still in the range of many custom pens. Given its unique styling, the Kilk Orient pen may not be for everyone, but if you like how it looks and appreciate the addition of real silver trim, this might be a good addition to your collection.
(Goldspot provided this product at no charge to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)
Enjoy reading The Pen Addict? Then consider becoming a member to receive additional weekly content, giveaways, and discounts in The Pen Addict shop. Plus, you support me and the site directly, for which I am very grateful.
Membership starts at just $5/month, with a discounted annual option available. To find out more about membership click here and join us!
(Kimberly (she/her) took the express train down the fountain pen/stationery rabbit hole and doesn't want to be rescued. She can be found on Instagram @allthehobbies because there really are many, many hobbies!.)
The LA Pen Show took a back seat this year because they were unable to secure a hotel for the show. The folks behind the California Pen Show were more than ready to step in its place for 2023. If you read the recap from 2022 LA Pen Show, you would know that while I had a good time and still bought lots of things, it was utterly painful to watch and even worse to relive the experience while writing the recap. This year, I worked behind the Franklin-Christoph table (they haven’t been back to LA since 2018), so I didn’t have a lot of time to take as many pictures as I’d like. Everyone, including me, wanted to know if the California Pen Show would fare better. Let’s see how it did.
Considering this was the first ever California Pen Show, I wasn’t sure how big a show it would be. I would say that this is maybe a mid-size show, maybe a touch smaller than past LA shows, but a good size for a first showing. From what I understand, there were over 200 tables for around 80 vendors and 150 VIP passes were sold beforehand. The show was housed in a single large ballroom on the lower levels. Aisles were fairly wide with lots of room to browse and wander. Sizewise, it felt a lot like Baltimore, especially with the single large ballroom. This show is known for a good variety of both modern and vintage pens, and there were plenty of vendors with ink and paper too.
It was really good to see a lot of international vendors at the show including Sarj Minhas (UK), St John’s Pens (UK), Miro Tischler (Croatia), Urso Pens (Italy), and more.
Score: 7/10
Sterling silver BICs? Don’t see that every day, but you can at St. John’s Pens.
Always good to see Jonathon Brooks, but look at all those colorful pens and rods!
Adolphus Smith of Darail Penz is such a lovely gentleman and his pens are lovely too!
Looking for vintage Japanesse pens? Then you gotta see Dayne Nix.
Ana, Jesi and Christine were busy all weekend at the Dromgooles’ 10+ table spread!
This was Retro 51’s first time at an LA show! Stacy Hills is chatting with Joe Corona from Retro 51 about a yellow pen that looks like a great match to his shirt!
A couple of cool Karas Kustoms pens with specially designed cases for the show!
Ryan Krusac was happy to be back in LA and also donated some pens for the raffle!
Great to see John Phelan of Lemur Ink at a pen show!
Dale Beebe of Pentooling.com has all your parts and repair needs!
Casey and Eru of Pilot USA had their array of pens and also the new Iroshizuku cartridges too!
Zach of Skogsy Pens had a beautiful setup for his pens!
Hard to resist stuff from Traveler’s Company!
Ah, Los Angeles, it was a beautiful weekend with mostly sunny skies albeit a bit breezy on Sunday and Monday. A lovely respite from the cold winters of the east coast and abroad! The show is ridiculously easy to get to if you fly in as it is a couple miles from the LAX airport. Lots to do, see and eat in the LA area, including beaches, shopping, museums and of course, Disneyland!
Score - 8/10
Ryan Finnegan and Jeremy Saumure of LA-based Flax Pen to Paper brought so many cool products to the show (including notepads from Yamamoto paper and Troublemaker inks.)
Locals Stacy Hills of Paper Wants a Pen (right) with wife, Jill and daughter, Faith (not pictured) had a lovely selection of pens, jewelry, pen cases, stickers and more.
LAX is not too far for the Yafa folks to get to! Good thing too cuz they had quite a few tables at the show!
The California Pen Show was held at the LAX Marriott, which is very close to the airport. The rate was $149 per night which is actually a good price for a decent airport near the hotel. Despite its proximity to the airport, I didn’t really hear a lot of airplane traffic, unless you were outside. The free hotel shuttle ran pretty regularly, approximately every 15-20 minutes. Parking is usually $50/night but was discounted to $25 for show attendees. Unfortunately, the parking did not allow for multiple exit/re-entry, so it was steep for folks not staying at the hotel.
The hotel itself is quite nice and modern - the lobby is very spacious, with several restaurants on the main floor. There were plenty of places to sit and wait for a shuttle, or have a beverage while watching the many screens by the bar. There was also a Starbucks that closed at 5pm (so glad it didn’t close early) as well as a decently sized hotel shop where you can buy souvenirs as well as drinks, snacks, magazines, toiletries, etc. The rooms themselves were typical, the gym was nice and they had a large pool as well. Folks with certain levels of Marriott Elite status had a swanky lounge atop the 18th floor where they could get breakfast, snacks, and drinks.
I personally experienced and heard positive things about the hotel staff in general; they were friendly, polite and helpful. The food at the bar was tasty (I had shrimp tacos which were good and quite a few folks enjoyed the bacon cheeseburger) and folks told me the restaurant food was good as well.
Score - 8/10
I may have spent an hour or four in this area all weekend, haha.
Tickets were $15/day or you can get a VIP All-Access pass for $69 which includes access to all the days, including access to the show one hour before General access. All-Access pass members received goodies including a Retro 51 RB, pocket notebook, and show pin; they were also automatically enrolled in the VIP raffle of a Nakaya!!! There were also raffles held throughout all three days, which is always fun for attendees.
Show hours for the weekend were Thursday 1pm-5pm for Dealers and All-Access Pass only, and Friday - Sunday 10am - 5pm (with Dealers and All-Access folks having access at 9am). You could also purchase a 2-day pass for $25, which would grant you access to two days of your choosing. I liked that passes could be purchased online ahead of time, or at the door.
Oh, and since what I just wrote sounds perfectly normal, let me make it abundantly clear – there were THREE PUBLIC DAYS!!!! The previous LA Pen Shows only had ONE public day on Sunday, and forced people who couldn’t go on Sunday, to pay $55/65 for a weekend pass. It was so nice and NORMAL that people could pay a reasonable price to go on a Friday or Saturday.
I am giving it a 8/10 because I really want to highlight how important it is for a show to have multiple public days, and the ticket prices were reasonable.
Score - 8/10
Smiling faces were at the front desk to help you get your tickets!
Classes
To my knowledge, there were no classes or seminars, which is a bit of a bummer since there were a LOT of other smaller ballrooms next to the show ballroom. I was told that this was one thing the organizers regretted not putting enough energy behind, but plan to rectify in the future. I know the scale is 0-10, but I really have a hard time giving any score lower than 5, so this is my compromise.
Score - 4/10
There were a good number of nib workers at this show. It seemed like they were busy all weekend, so that’s always a good thing. I think this was about the right number of nib workers but they may need 1-2 more if the show continues to grow. Folks are listed in alphabetical order by first name.
Score - 10/10
Taku and CY setting up Friday morning before the crowds (PC: Taku)
Gena working their magic and testing the nib for smoothness.
Kirk is bringing some serious style to the show!
Matthew is hard at work while…
Mike is hanging ten, lol (true story, Mike loves to surf!)
People had a great time at the show. Both vendors and attendees alike were happy to be there from the start. It was not overly crowded on any of the days. The busiest and most lucrative day seemed to be Friday, followed by Saturday, and then quite a drop on Sunday (either due to the Super Bowl in the afternoon or typical Sunday slowness). Some vendors did “alright” and others did “great”, but all of them told me they were having a good time and were glad they came.
Vendors were relieved not to have to move every day and attendees enjoyed being able to show up any day they wanted and have a nice, comfortable shopping experience. Sure, there were some bumps, as with any show, but right out of the gate, people felt the organizers did a really good job with the show, and that set the stage for everyone to have a good time.
Score - 8/10
Saturday morning was hopping! Still lots of room for people to walk around and shop comfortably.
Two of my favorite people, Ian Schon and Paul Erano. Modern and vintage. Both talking about pens, both with big smiles.
Speaking of Ian, here he is being recorded by John Foye of St. John’s Pens, who traveled from the UK for his first time at an LA show!
Ikkaku is Nahvalur Pens’ newest release with urushi and raden!
Big news from the weekend - OMAS is back! In a partnership with Frank Zhang (of Nahvalur), Jorge Mejia (pictured) and Manu Caltagirone, OMAS released the new Ogiva Extra Blue Saffron at the CA Pen Show.
Food
As mentioned above, there were 3 restaurants and a Starbucks at the hotel and most folks had their meals there because it was convenient and the food was good at typical hotel prices. I heard that there were some food trucks and other casual dining spots not too far from the hotel, offering Hawaiian, Thai, Mediterranean cuisine and more. For something more in the middle, you’d have to take a short Lyft/cab ride to get pretty much anything you’d want to eat.
Score - 8/10
Starbucks and two of the 3 restaurants in the hotel.
The after hours scene was a good one given all the spaces available in the lobby and near the bar area! People gathered on the couches, tall and short tables and were passing around pens and showing off their goodies. This started on Thursday afternoon and lasted into Sunday for the folks like me who were still in town. Of course, this gal was having such a good time every night that she forgot to take pictures until Sunday night. (Mental note to self, don’t stay up til 1:30am on Thursday night of a pen show weekend, haha!)
Usually things are slower on Saturday night in LA because everyone is waiting for the crazy Sunday crowds but since there were 3 public days, plenty of folks were hanging out Saturday night too! There were folks watching the Super Bowl on Sunday as well and were happy to relax after a long weekend show.
Score - 8/10
Adjacent to the bar were high tables and couches and plenty of room for people to gather, show off pens and chat. Good times!
I spent most of my recap from last year explaining how weird the LA Show is compared to all the other US shows I’ve attended. And I can’t tell you what a relief it was for me and for everyone around to experience it as a regular pen show. Were there hiccups and things the organizers can improve on? Absolutely (and I’ll talk about that in a bit). But from the get-go, vendors were happy because they knew where they would be all weekend. Ballrooms were locked at 5pm, not unlocked and unsupervised until 11pm. Attendees could pick which days they wanted to go and pay a very reasonable price. This really put everyone in a good mood heading into the pen show weekend.
Thursday - I didn’t spend much time talking about Thursday afternoon, which is typically reserved for vendors and weekend pass holders to get a first look at each other’s pens and things, as well as for non-vendors to sell some of their own pens to fund pen show purchases. This was held in one of the smaller ballrooms as access to the main ballroom wasn’t available. It’s pretty common for some of the vendors to buy/sell/trade on Thursday to prepare for not only this show, but for future shows too. Not all pen shows do this, but the ones with a good number of vintage dealers will have Thursday trading hours.The previous LA shows had Thursday trading hours (in the main ballroom), so it was nice to see the CA Pen Show continuing this tradition.
Thursday afternoon and people were already shopping, selling, wheeling and dealing! (PC: Shane Glynn: chiefnoofficer_ on IG)
Thefts - It is sad when there is theft at a pen show. The LA Pen Show has had a notoriously bad reputation for thefts; most recently a whole suitcase being stolen on Thursday, as well as trays at Sarj Minhas’ and Ray Walters’ tables among others. At this show, there were a few items stolen from several different vendors, but it was much less than in past years. Is that because thieves didn’t know the show was happening? Not sure, but the security at the front were pretty vigilant about making sure people had wristbands or badges before entering. When I left my badge at the F-C table, I was escorted to my table where I showed my badge. Over the top? I don’t think so. I hope that it was enough of a deterrent to keep the thefts low.
In other theft-related news, the folks from Urushi Pen had their rental car broken into while in LA after the show (not at the hotel) and had all their luggage stolen, including a lot of Danitrio and ShiZen pens. Please be on the lookout for sales of these pens. Just another sad reminder to be careful of leaving valuable stuff in your car, even if it’s in the trunk.
A few thoughts (which I will also share with the organizers, Frank Zhang of Nahvalur (formerly Narwhal) Pens and Mario Campa of Toys from the Attic):
I think this show had a lot going for it, namely two organizers who wanted to do better than what had been done in the past, and vendors who were more than ready for it. That said, there is room for improvement (hence this score) and I think they should be more than able to build on this first admirable effort.
Score - 7/10
Report Card:
0-50 Oof, do not attend
51-70 Show is alright
70-80 Show is solid
80-90 Show is pretty darned good!
91-100 REALLY good show and not to be missed
The first ever 2023 California Pen Show scored 76/100, which is actually a decent score, when you consider that the lowest score was due to lack of any classes/seminars. Everyone was glad to be there from start to finish and said they look forward to coming back next year.
My relatively modest haul included the Bellroy Tokyo Tote (Flax Pen to Paper), two Winnie-the-Pooh Retro 51 FPs (Dromgooles), CA Pen Show ‘23 “Sunset” ink by Robert Oster, two Franklin-Christophs, vintage painted Platinum and tea cup from Traveler’s Company. Not pictured were two pens that I had ground to Cursive Italics by Mike Masuyama.
I’m off for a little vacay next week, but look forward to the next pen show in Baltimore. Until then, stay safe and stay inky!
(Kimberly (she/her) took the express train down the fountain pen/stationery rabbit hole and doesn't want to be rescued. She can be found on Instagram @allthehobbies because there really are many, many hobbies!.)
The other day, I was listening to the AskTPA portion of Episode 549 when a listener asked how Brad and Myke store and keep track of the various converters, cartridges, etc. and I got all excited because I could share my own crazy solution - IKEA Alex drawers! Well, not all of the drawers, just one in particular (Drawer #2), is where all the little bits and pieces go. Sounds like a junk drawer to me, Kimberly. I swear, it’s not!! Unlike the usual stuff you’d find in the other drawers like staplers, tape, and Post-It notes, Drawer #2 keeps almost all of my pen-related accessories corralled within arm’s reach. Converters, cartridges, clips, tools, you name it and it’s probably in there.
Ok, it does look a little like a junk drawer, but it’s actually full of useful pen stuff!
I won’t go through everything that’s in the drawer cuz I’m trying to keep this short (yeah, right), but you can see there are cartridges, converters, little bottles of ink (mostly J Herbin 10 ml), clips and other items. Let’s take a closer look at some of the stuff inside the drawer.
I keep proprietary or branded cartridges in their own little baggie. Pro tip: write on the sticky side of a Post-It so that you can see what it says when you stick it to the inside of the bag.
Way more standard international converters than a normal person should have, along with a few threaded ones, a spare Parker converter, and some Lamy converters.
I clean and store empty cartridges after I’m done with them; they are particularly useful with proprietary cartridges so I can use any ink I want.
The left one houses a variety of standard international cartridges, the top has Montblanc carts which are standard international-ish. And the bottom bag has a variety of Pilot, Platinum and Lamy and other carts.
The 3 major Japanese brands have proprietary cartridges and converters so I have separate bins for Pilot, Platinum and Sailor. Bins of various sizes help organize different products/brands, at least until they are overflowing.
The Pilot bin overfloweth.
Aside from cartridges, I also have a bunch of different Pilot converters (Con-40, Con-20, Con-70, the discontinued Con-50), as well as metal cartridge caps for the Vanishing Point/Decimo, and blue squeeze pipettes for cleaning Pilot Parallels.
Drawer #2 also houses miscellaneous accessories and tools such as cotton swabs (useful for cleaning small inky messes, Parafilm (for sealing up ink samples), colorful standard international converters, piston tools, TWSBI Pipe, adapters, o-rings, clips, rollerball attachments, small syringes, you get the picture.
Some of the stuff you should probably keep but don’t know where to put them. Ok, maybe this sounds a little like a junk drawer.
The cartridges, converters and other tools pretty much take over Drawer #2, so I need another drawer to store nibs. I have a lot of pens that use removable nib/nib units like Jowo, Bock, Schmidt, etc. So I generally remove the nib units from those pens and store them separately; this way I don’t have to uncap a bunch of pens to look for a particular nib.
One of the test tube racks that house my Franklin-Christoph nibs - these are for Jowo #6 nibs.
I use Avery round labels on top to note the brand, size (5, 6, 8, etc.), nib size (F, M, B, etc.), grinds like SIG, CI, etc. There are rectangular labels that have the same info on the body of the vial.
I have a few nib racks filled with other sizes like Jowo 5, or other types like Bock, TWSBI, Lamy, Retro 51, etc. When I need to pick a nib for a certain pen, I will enter it into the Fountain Pen Companion (FPC). As I mentioned in the FPC article, I use FPC to track my currently inked as well as pen/ink usage. This allows me to enter a pen with a particular nib and grind, which is how I know what nib is in what pen. Then I store the empty vial on the side of one of the racks (along with the other empty vials), until I have cleaned the nib and am ready to put it back inside the vial in its proper spot in the rack.
Pro tip: when cleaning nibs/nib units, keep them next to the pen barrel so you know what nib went with which pen. Pro tip, part 2, don’t put pens with similar nib sizes next to each other so they don’t get mixed up. I will often clean a Jowo 6 nib and then a Jowo 5 nib or a non-Jowo nib before cleaning another Jowo 6. Pro tip, part 3, don’t let your cleaning pile get out of hand so you can avoid nib mixups in the first place (note to self, pay attention to this tip, lol).
All of these little tips and tricks, along with bins and baggies, help me stay organized and able to find accessories and nibs easily. Hope you found some of these tips helpful!
(Disclaimer: All products shown are my own, purchased and accumulated over the past 5+ years in this rabbit hole.)
(Kimberly (she/her) took the express train down the fountain pen/stationery rabbit hole and doesn't want to be rescued. She can be found on Instagram @allthehobbies because there really are many, many hobbies!.)
I know that it’s already a few days into February but did you know that February is a month that celebrates letter writing?! International Correspondence Writing Month, or InCoWriMo for short, is basically a month-long opportunity for folks to hand-write and mail something every day.
The idea of InCoWriMo was born 10 years ago on January 25, 2013, with the first InCoWriMo in February 2013, so this is going to be the 11th InCoWriMo with people from all over the world writing notes to each other! There are more details on the InCoWriMo website, but people basically try to write and mail one letter/note/postcard every day of the month. And if you can’t do it every day, that’s ok too! It’s just a great way to connect with folks via mail as well as catching up on reply piles (yes, that’s directed at me, lol).
There is an InCoWriMo address exchange if you want to share your address. Note that since you are commenting with your address on the page, it is available for people to see. I am not a member of the website and I’m able to see addresses, so if privacy is a concern, read on for other options.
If you are in any pen or stationery (or other) enthusiast groups, whether on Facebook, Slack, Discord, etc., you may want to search for snail mail channels, groups, etc. If you are on the Pen Addict Slack, there is a #snailmail channel. There is also a fountain pen penpal group on Facebook called Fountain Pen Friends where I’m one of the moderators. I actually started my penpal journey in that group 5+ years ago and have since added more from the PA Slack. There are also groups like PostCrossing that connect folks who want to swap postcards too.
If you are not in any groups, or you’re uncomfortable with sharing your address with strangers, you can always start with friends and family. Maybe folks on your holiday card list, or folks that send cards to you that you might want to check in on, or people you haven’t talked to since your graduation, last job, wedding, Vegas trip, etc. Don’t forget vendors and businesses that you interact with (and presumably like, lol)! In short, pretty sure everyone likes to get happy mail that isn’t spam, ads and bills!
A writing instrument (pen of any kind, but you know me, I’m gonna use fountain pens for my letters), paper, an envelope and stamps. You can also use postcards if the thought of writing a letter or card is too daunting. Check your local postal service for prices on stamps, but in the US, a “forever” stamp costs $0.60 and is good for sending up to a one ounce letter anywhere in the US. For most people that’s plenty; even for a long-winded person like myself, I rarely need two stamps. The cost to mail to international destinations is $1.65 per ounce. You can also send a postcard for $0.44. Pro tip: “Forever” stamps are worth the current value regardless of how much it was worth when you bought them. So stamps from 2018 cost $0.50 but are worth $0.60 now. If you plan on doing more letter writing, it’s worth buying extras, especially if a price hike is coming up (the most recent one took effect a couple weeks ago). Forever stamps exist for regular mail, postcard and international mail.
You don’t have to be a philatelist (aka, stamp collector) to get started with letter writing.
You can write about anything but if you are stuck, you can go with something simple like this:
Recipients will be thrilled to get snail mail, so try not to sweat it too much. And if that feels like too much, a postcard is great because you can just say hi and talk about the postcard and wish them a nice day.
If writing a letter seems too daunting, a postcard is a great option! I always end up buying more postcards than I send out - time to fix that!
”Dear Bossman…”
Since we are Pen Addicts here, I wanted to share some fountain-pen friendly options as well as other things you can do if you want to be a little “extra”. You can get started with any pen, any paper and any envelope, so don’t let lack of these items hold you back!
Clockwise from left: Italian stationery kit, Clairefontaine Triomphe, Midori Cat letter set, G Lalo paper/envelopes, Unicorn card set from Peter Pauper Press.
Envelope decoration
Plain and simple gets the job done, right, Mr. Downdly? 🙂
A little bit of washi adds a nice touch
Stickers - Another super easy option for envelope decoration, stickers are an inexpensive way to spruce up your envelope. You can even reuse free stickers from vendor packages or Trader Joes, or get inexpensive stickers from the dollar store.
Rubber Stamps - Another rabbit hole is that of rubber stamps! You can even get snail mail-themed stamps!
It’s fun picking random stamps to fill in the gaps.
You can put stickers and stamps on the front too!
Melting some wax beads (be sure to do this in an area without flammables nearby.)
Probably could’ve used a wee bit more wax but it turned out alright!
This seal is from one of my penpals and it survived the journey to my mailbox!
Having the opportunity to slow down and have written conversations with friends from all over is such a treasure in this hustle and bustle world. Whether you decided to jump into InCoWriMo and write 28 letters in 28 days or you just want to write a few postcards, I hope you give it a try. Good luck and happy writing!
(Kimberly (she/her) took the express train down the fountain pen/stationery rabbit hole and doesn't want to be rescued. She can be found on Instagram @allthehobbies because there really are many, many hobbies!.)
Sorry not sorry about the earworm but if you don’t have any idea what I’m talking about, Mahna Mahna. Anyway, read on...
When I first saw IG stories and teasers about the in-house nib that Ian Schon of Schon Dsgn was making, I knew that I wanted one. Now, let’s be clear, I’m less of a “nib person” than others. I am not too picky as long as it writes out of the box and doesn’t write like pants. I am also not usually an early adopter. After a career in Quality Assurance in software, I came to the conclusion that it isn’t always the best to be the first to market, nor to be the first to own it either. But then you throw in the fact that Ian and his team make some absolutely great products and I changed my tune!
I pre-ordered the Monoc in December and picked it up at the Philly Pen Show two weeks ago. After immediately inking up the pen and writing with it for a while, I wanted to chat with Ian to better understand his latest creation. And since pictures are worth a thousand words, I decided to handwrite this review so you can see writing samples.
The Monoc is the name of the in-house nib and feed system designed and created by Schon Dsgn. The nib is cut from a rod of titanium and the feed is made from Ultem, which is an extremely durable engineered plastic. Making the nib from a rod of titanium versus stamping from a sheet means that you can have the nib and housing as a singular piece, so there is no need for a separate housing to hold the nib and feed as a unit.
You can unscrew the nib and feed for use in any Jowo 6-compatible pens.
The name “Monoc” is derived from monocoque construction which is more common in car racing and airplane manufacturing. Basically, it means that it is made from a single “shell” of material which provides strength, giving it a technical advantage from being single piece versus being constructed from multiple parts.
While known mostly as a machinist and engineer, Ian is also a designer and an artist of sorts. Maybe not in the Van Gogh kind of way (although this nib is a work of art), but in the way he approaches product ideas and designs. The Monoc is not out to solve some nib or writing experience problem; it’s about “bringing something new and different to the pen world.” The whole process around coming up with a new design, workflow, cutting out the nib from a rod of titanium versus sheets, figuring out how to angle the nib and feed so that it flows well, making something unique, even if it is extremely difficult, expensive and time-consuming - this is what gets Ian jazzed up. While he loves all the products that he makes, the Monoc is really his passion project.
If you use a standard international converter, you just dip the nib into a vial or bottle of ink and use the converter to draw up ink as usual (which I just had to do because I was writing the pen dry at the bottom of the previous page) and you’re ready to write as the feed is already primed with ink. If you’re using a cartridge, however, you will need to get the ink to flow to the feed and saturate it so it can start writing. To do so, orient the pen nib down after inserting the cartridge until you see ink flowing to the tip of the feed and nib, then invert it nib up for about 5 seconds. Repeat a few times, blot and you should be good to go. More detailed instructions are included with the nib.
The Monoc is a wet and smooth writer, with just a hint of feedback; not wet like a fire hose but definitely not a dry writer. Widthwise, I would describe it as a “wet medium”, almost broad. Ian designed this nib to give you “a consistent, predictable writing experience.” Traditionally, titanium nibs (most notably by Bock) were bouncy and prone to being sprung if you bounced them a little too hard. The Monoc is made from a different grade of titanium, which is stronger, and the nib is also thicker than stamped nibs. This makes it a much stiffer nib than gold, titanium or even steel nibs, such that when you put it to paper, you won’t get as much tine movement (at the microscopic level), resulting in a more consistent writing experience for a wider range of writers. Because it is a firm nib, do not expect it to be bouncy or flexy. If I had to compare it to something already on the market, I would say it has the stiffness of a Jowo steel nib, with the wetness of a Pelikan gold nib and the slight feedback of a Platinum gold nib.
Here are some writing samples with nibs of different nib sizes/grinds.
Yes! You can use a bulb syringe or converter to clean the nib, like you would with any other cartridge/converter fountain pen, but Ian and team have included a specially-drilled syringe since most syringes don’t fit on the end. You don’t have to use it, it just helps with cleaning if you don’t already have a bulb syringe. Because the nib and feed are hand-set and tuned, do not try to take the nib and feed apart. For this reason, I would advise against using shimmer inks with the Monoc.
Right now, there is an introductory price of $400 for the nib, which includes a black, full-size aluminum Schon DSGN pen. You can also get a different pen body and apply $100 towards the purchase of that (please read the website for more details on the offer). I picked the black Ultem feed and blue anodizing for the nib engraving. At some point, the nib will be offered separately, but right now, this is a good deal since this price includes a pen. Lastly, the nibs are made to order, so you won’t get your nib & pen right away. There is a limited number of nibs that can be made each month, so you will need to select a month for future delivery (currently, February and March are available delivery options).
Yeah, $400 for a nib. It is a lot, but why so much? Nibs like this aren’t easy to make. Designing and engineering a new nib and feed system is a lot of work, requiring a lot of design and manufacturing time, making and testing prototypes, not to mention taking away resources from making other products. In addition to the R&D and manufacturing time, each nib is individually (and manually) inspected, assembled and hand-tuned - does it even write, do all of them write correctly, are the feeds delivering ink properly? Once it is put together and all tuned up, every nib then needs to be cleaned, polished, anodized, and all of that takes a lot of time. Each nib takes countless hours post production to make. To put it into perspective, Ian said they can only make hundreds of these nibs each year, not thousands.
First of all, this is definitely not a product for everyone. It is an expensive purchase. It will not miraculously make your handwriting stunning (though with regular practice, it certainly could help). You would get this not only because it writes well, but because it is a gorgeous nib. Because it is a technical marvel. Because titanium is cool, but also because this titanium nib won’t spring on you. And I’ll be honest, because it is sexy as heck. It’s like the Pilot Myu or Murex - people don’t love them because they are necessarily the best writers out there, but because they look and feel amazing. And while I really like how the Monoc writes, I love how it looks even more. This is definitely an emotional purchase as opposed to a functional one and I have zero regrets.
If you are looking for a Fine, Extra Fine or Needlepoint, the Monoc is not for you, though one can hope that other nib sizes will be offered in the future. Ditto if you’re looking for a flexy nib or an inexpensive “instabuy” product. But if you value creativity and ingenuity of this project, the pushing of boundaries of what one man and his team can do, the inevitable “holy crap, that’s gorgeous” or “oh wow, this is nice!” responses that you’ll get when you bust it out at a pen meetup, as well as a really nice writing experience, the Monoc just might be for you.
(Disclaimer: All products shown were purchased by me, at regular prices. I preordered the Monoc from the website in December and picked it up in January.)
Enjoy reading The Pen Addict? Then consider becoming a member to receive additional weekly content, giveaways, and discounts in The Pen Addict shop. Plus, you support me and the site directly, for which I am very grateful.
Membership starts at just $5/month, with a discounted annual option available. To find out more about membership click here and join us!
FreshRSS 