A Panoramic Shot of the Ballroom on Friday, from in front of the TGS Table.

Baltimore 2020 Pen Show Recap: And It Keeps Growing!

March 4, 2020

The Baltimore-Washington International Pen Show (or “BWIPS” for short or on Instagram), has developed into one of the bigger success stories of the past few years. As the traditional pen show circuit started to become a bit tired, the Baltimore organizers decided to bet on something entirely different, with a show more focused on new attendees and building out the overall pen show experience rather than simply buying, selling, and trading. This year’s show featured a wide variety of classes and seminars running basically every hour, on topics ranging from Zentangles and Urban Sketching to Origami. There were traditional pen-related classes as well, including “Buying and Selling Pens on eBay,” “Fountain Pen 101,” and my own contribution, “Everyday Writers: Choosing The Best Tools for Home and Office.” My own class had between 15-20 attendees, the overwhelming majority of whom were attending their first pen show. (And if you’re now reading this recap, welcome to the pen community and the TGS family!)

Write Notepads was gracious enough to open the doors to their space in downtown Baltimore for an open house that several of us from the pen show attended.

This particular pen show trip also took on a graphite hue: On Friday night, I attended a live recording of the Erasable Podcast, the result of a successful Kickstarter that brought Andy, Johnny, and Tim to the Baltimore Pen Show. (You can check out my photos from Friday here.) On Saturday night, I attended an open house at the Write Notepads bindery co-sponsored by the Erasable crew.

Uh, I’m having major FOMO after missing the preorder on these beauties. I hope they do another run at some point.

The Baltimore show was also especially notable for the large number of new vendors, including small penmakers such as Latitude Pens and Ironfeather Creative. Additionally, I’ve never seen such a large concentration of nibworkers in one place - at one point there were as many as seven working the show, and while they mostly stayed busy, I heard that it was relatively easy to have work done even if you had not booked a slot ahead of time. If you were attending to purchase pens, ink, and paper, vendors such as Vanness Pens, Dromgoole’s, and The Nibsmith had you covered.

Master penmaker Dan Symonds, who previously worked for Franklin-Christoph and has taught nearly everyone how to make pens.

Latitude Pens were set up across the aisle from TGS and right next to Vanness!

The Ironfeather Creative table on Sunday. Check out the detailing!

Emma from InkyExperiments came with a full table and wall of her amazing handwriting art.

An art journal at the InkyExperiments Table.

Hugh and Karol at Kanilea Pen Company brought their usual display, including a gorgeous batch of Kilauea pens, which were the top seller.

And, I was able to accomplish one of the “show goals” that I set for myself: checking out the new Leonardo “Messenger” fountain pen, which Dan Smith had at his table.

My First Year as a Pen Show Vendor

I didn’t get to see much of the show on either Friday or Saturday, since I was behind The Gentleman Stationer table for the first time ever! While I’ve occasionally worked shows in the past for sponsors like Vanness Pens and The Nibsmith, I’ve never brought The Gentleman Stationer to a pen show as a vendor. This year, I was set up directly across the aisle from Vanness, and in addition to TGS “blog swag” and “Daily Writer” ink sample kits I put together in connection with the class I was teaching, I brought products from two brands with me to sell: Write Notepads (which is fast becoming a favorite fountain pen-friendly paper) and longtime site sponsor Pokka Pens. The response was overwhelmingly positive, and I was sold out of all my paper by early afternoon on Saturday. For those of you who asked, I now have both of these products restocked in my online store, the TGS Curated Shop.

By early afternoon on Saturday, nearly all of my Write Notepads stock and certain colors of Pokka Pens were gone.

Takeaways and Final Thoughts

Following the success of last year’s show, many speculated that Baltimore could overtake D.C. and become the premiere area pen event, if not one of the betters hows in the country. The 2020 Baltimore Pen Show has only cemented the show’s status as a “must-see” stop on the Pen Show circuit. Despite being limited to a single ballroom and a somewhat lackluster airport-Marriott location, the show punches above its weight in terms of the variety of products and vendors available, not to mention classes during the day and after-hours meetups. I would describe it as the perfect show for first-time attendees, with plenty to keep the experienced show-goer interested as well. Baltimore has earned a permanent slot in my pen show rotation.

Disclaimer: This post contains links to paid sponsors and affiliates.

TGS-Baltimore-Washington-International-Pen-Show-2020

Scenes from the 2020 Baltimore Pen Show: Day One

February 29, 2020

The full recap of this year’s Baltimore Pen Show will be up next week, but for now enjoy these photos from Day One, which included Friday night’s live recording of The Erasable Podcast. (Yes, pencils at the pen show!) I have a table this year, directly across the aisle from Vanness Pens, and I will have a bunch of stuff available for purchase, including TGS Swag Packs, Everyday Writer Ink Sample Packs, Write Notepads, Pokka Pens, and even some fountain pens. Stop by to check it out or just to say hello and chat for a while! I’m also teaching a free class at 2:30, titled “Everyday Writers: Choosing the Best Pens for Home and Office.” Check out the official pen show website for more details!

I couldn’t be happier with how my table turned out! We still have plenty of Write Notepads paper, Pokka Pens, and TGS-branded goods, including testers.

The No. 2 Pencil Podcast recorded a live episode

The live Erasable episode featured several guests, including Ana from Well-Appointed Desk, Brad from The Pen Addict, and Dade from Weekly Pencil.

Nock Co. arrived with some eye-searing goods.

Everyday Writers: Choosing the Best Pens and Pencils for Life

February 22, 2020

If I had to declare a mission statement for The Gentleman Stationer, it would be to help people find the best tools that inspire them, both personally and practically. In the context of pens, you’re mostly talking about selecting the best “everyday writer,” or to use my own preferred term, “workhorse.” This year, for the first time ever, I’ve been asked to host a seminar at the 2020 Baltimore Pen Show, and I couldn’t think of a better and more timely topic. If you’re attending the show and are around at 2:30p.m. on Saturday, please stop by for my class “Everyday Writers: Choosing the Best Tools for Home or Office”. It’s 100% free, and all are welcome.

The past several years have seen an explosion in terms of the variety of pens, inks, paper, notebooks, mechanical pencils, woodcase pencils, pencil sharpeners, pen cases - hell, even run-of-the-mill office supplies like sticky notes and paper clips. In an era where the pen is supposedly “dead” (remember THAT article?), or where handwriting should no longer be taught in schools (that one didn’t last either), I get multiple e-mails a week from readers who express a sense of overwhelm trying to make sense of the ever-expanding variety of nibs, inks, and paper when all they want is a high quality but-not-too-expensive set of versatile writing tools that can be used in everyday life situations.

These everyday writers will be making an appearance at The Gentleman Stationer table at the BWI Pen Show. Stop by and try one out!

The “Workhorse Pens” Series as a Guide to Choosing an Everyday Writer

Over the years I’ve written a loosely connected series of articles that I refer to as the Workhorse Pens series, which I like to think of as a catalog of my best fountain pens for everyday writing. So far, these have included the Lamy Studio, Lamy Safari, Faber-Castell e-Motion, Lamy 2000, and the Montblanc 146, with the list expanding as I continue my own personal explorations. I even wrote a separate piece on how you can choose your own workhorse, with some additional pen recommendations. Finally, some of the most popular content published on the blog has included “Five Best Fountain Pen Inks for Everyday Writing,” and “Five Best Pencils for Everyday Writing.” In Baltimore, my goal is to bring this aspect of the blog to you.

I will have most, if not all, of the “Workhorse Pens” available for readers to experience in person, as well as some favorite ballpoints, rollerballs, multipens, and mechanical pencils - all tools that I regularly use in my own life. While I probably can’t bring multiple bottles of ink for testing, I may try to scrounge up some donations from vendors at the show. Woodcase pencils are much more portable and I plan to have some at the table.

I don’t want this class to actually be a class - I’d much prefer it if show organizers abandoned the traditional pen show “lecture” format, complete with a podium and rows of tables, in favor of a roundtable that promotes sharing and discussion. I’m going to do what I can to make the experience much more approachable and hands-on.

I’ll also have blog swag for sale, along with a few other choice items.

What to Expect at the TGS Table at the 2020 Baltimore Pen Show

In addition to the class, 2020 marks the first year that I’ve ever booked a table at a pen show, and I honestly have no idea what to expect. First and foremost, I just want a predictable place to sit down and make it easier for people to find me and say hello. I’ll be there to take requests, answer any questions readers may have, or just visit. In terms of things available for purchase, I plan to have some TGS-branded goods (stickers, coasters, and buttons) along with a handful of gently “loved” pens from my collection and possibly some special surprises. While it’s never been my intention to be a full-service stationery retailer, I’ve been on the lookout for opportunities to collaborate with makers and offer my readers a curated set of goods that furthers the philosophy driving this blog. Baltimore may be a start.

I’m looking forward to seeing everyone as pen show season kicks off in full force!

UPDATE: Since I ended up with enough buttons, coasters, and stickers to fill all the Patreon Orders and my suitcase for Baltimore, I have a limited number of full Swag Packs and Stickers ‘N Button backs available for purchase in the TGS Store. If these run out I will restock after the show.

Note: Any pens that remain in the TGS Store as of Wednesday of next week will be packed up and taken to the Baltimore Pen Show for sale. If you have had your eye on anything, grab it now. Also note that this post contains affiliate links.

2020 Philadelphia Pen Show Recap

January 22, 2020

The Philly Pen Show is relatively modest in terms of the numbers of vendors and attendees. While not a purely regional show like the Arkansas Pen Show, it’s still smaller than Atlanta. To illustrate, apparently this was the first year where the show took up two ballrooms. Vendors present included retailers such as Dromgoole’s, Fountain Pen Hospital, Lemur Ink, Federalist Pens, Total Fine Writing, Bertram’s Inkwell, and Bittner; makers such as Franklin-Christoph, Matthew Martin Custom Pens, Schon DSGN, and Hinze Pens; and pen repairers and nib workers such as Mark Bacas, Custom Nib Studio, JJ Lax Pen Co., and Jim Baer (Monomoy Pens). Distributors such as Coles of London (Visconti, S.T. DuPont) and Luxury Brands (Platinum, Colorverse, Noodlers) were also in attendance. The one thing that the Philly Pen Show noticeably missed, in my mind, was one more larger ink and paper dealer such as Vanness or Anderson Pens. Both normally attend but could not this year. :(

I tried to do panoramic shots of both ballrooms at the Philly Pen Show. This is the first ballroom, where you entered the show. The top photo is the second ballroom, containing most of the vintage vendors.

Overall, crowds seemed a bit thin on Friday, though from what I heard, those who were present came ready to spend after going months of pen show deprivation. Attendance picked up on Saturday despite blustery winter weather, and though I couldn’t stay to attend on Sunday, others reported that the show saw steady traffic. Whether or not vendors make money attending shows is the key factor driving growth, and Philly remains a show to keep an eye on for future expansion.

Check out Saturday’s post for more pictures of the show layout and various vendor tables.

Classes and After-Hours Events

Retail is only a part of what makes a pen show “great” or not, and like last year’s Baltimore Pen Show, what made this one exceptional was the range of classes and after-hours events available to attendees. In particular, Salman and Azizah of the Toronto Pen Company held various workshops all day Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, ranging from a Comprehensive Intro to Fountain Pens to “Pilot Parallels 101” to more advanced lettering classes. I took the Pilot Parallels 101 class and thoroughly enjoyed it, and have to admit (somewhat embarrassingly) that despite 10+ years in the pen world I had never used a Parallel. They’re a lot of fun, are a great way to test out inks, so I highly encourage you to pick up a set to play with. The Toronto Pen Company also sells Pilot Parallels modified to write like ruling pens, as well as several folded nibs and some forthcoming inks. Check out their store for more details.

Check out those inks! Both are from the Toronto Pen Company, though they aren’t on sale yet. Stay tuned.

I’m looking forward to having fun with my Pilot Parallels, and possibly incorporating them into future ink reviews.

Other seminar options included a “Casual Uncial” class with Michael Ward, a Schon DSGN open house on Friday night, and the Saturday Night “Pen Mixer.” I didn’t get the opportunity to attend the Uncial class, but both of the other events were two of the best times I’ve had at a pen show. Ian Schon’s workshop is something else, and it offers a new appreciation for what it takes (in terms of both personal skill and machinery) to design and create quality pens on even a modest scale. The “Pen Mixer” offered the opportunity for registrants to spend 15 minutes at various tables with individuals such as Brad Dowdy (The Pen Addict), Ryan Krusac, Mark Bacas, Dan Hoizner (@Dandon), Azizah Azgarali (Gourmet Pens/Toronto Pen Company), and Scott Franklin (Franklin-Christoph) learning about their individual businesses, handling some of their favorite pens and inks, and discussing anything else they wanted to share about their careers and lives in the pen business.

This picture gives you an idea of the scale of the Schon DSGN workshop!

My newly purchased Schon DSGN Pocket 6 joined me for a little Pen Shows After Dark.

Philadelphia Pen Show Purchases

I didn’t exactly meet my stated goal of attending a Pen Show without buying anything, but I did manage to make these purchases on a “one-in, one-out” basis, meaning that I picked up a few pens and sold the same number (to Patreon members who I was lucky enough to meet up with through the weekend). My first purchase happened ten minutes after walking through the show doors on Friday, when I snapped up an OG1 fountain pen from Matthew Martin Custom Pens in a combination of zirconium and blue anodized titanium. I’ve been looking for the right MCM pen to add to my collection ever since I first saw these in Atlanta of last year, and I finally found it in Philly. While Matthew was setting up to charge my credit card, I moved on to the Schon DSGN table next door, where I purchased the one pen I actually had planned on acquiring at the show: a Pocket Six fountain pen with a JoWo nib section (coming soon to the Schon DSGN site). The specific color I chose was a blue/purple/black swirl that sold out quickly - as in, within the first hour of the show.

My Philly Pen Show haul, clockwise from top: Montblanc Irish Green ink from Dromgoole’s; Franklin-Christoph Model 31; Schon DSGN Pocket Six; MCM OG1; and my Pilot Parallels I received for attending the Toronto Pen Company Seminar.

That did it for Friday (which was enough damage). The only thing left on my list was a handful of ground nibs from Franklin-Christoph, which I put off until Saturday morning in order to see the available prototypes. I wanted a Masuyama-ground needlepoint nib, which is only sold with a pen, so I chose a prototype Model 31 in a transparent Amber acrylic with a Cinnamaroon finial. I added an EF SIG nib and a Steel Flex nib to pair with my other Franklin-Christoph pens (as well as my other JoWo compatible pens), so look for reviews of those nib grinds in the future.

Takeaways and Final Thoughts on the Philly Pen Show

I had a great time in Philly, and plan to add the city to my annual pen show rotation as long as my day-job schedule cooperates. The Philly show continued a promising trend that I first noticed last year in Baltimore - an “updating” of the workshops and after-hours events that make pen shows more than a three-day shopping spree. I’m interested to see if other shows follow suit, and I may consider doing hosting a class or seminar myself in the future. If there’s something you’d like to learn more about, feel free to hit me up with suggestions.

Next, on to the 2020 Baltimore Pen Show, where I plan to have a table! Stay tuned for more details.

Disclaimer: This post contains links to paid sponsors and affiliates.

There used to be three of those blue-patterned pens on the bottom left….

Scenes from the 2020 Philadelphia Pen Show

January 18, 2020

I’ll have more of a write-up later this week, but I wanted to post some pictures from Friday at the 2020 Philadelphia Pen Show. Highlights included getting to hit up both the Matthew Martin Custom Pens and Schon DSGN tables first thing, and getting to visit the Schon DSGN shop later in the evening. I didn’t exactly survive Friday without purchasing anything new, but I did manage to unload a few pens to Patreon members I had the opportunity to meet in person. I’m still “in the negative” and moving towards my overall goal of fewer pens overall!

I’ll be at the Philly Show for Saturday but not Sunday, and plan to attend the “Pen Mixer” tonight. Stop by and say hello if you’re there!