Baltimore Pen Show 2019 Throwback — A throwback to Saturday at the 2019 BWI Pen Show!

Pen Show Prep 2022: Back to Baltimore!

March 5, 2022

This weekend will probably be consumed by getting caught up on shipping shop orders and cleaning/re-inking pens as I get ready for - you guessed it - my first pen show of the year and one of my favorite stops on the show circuit! The Baltimore-Washington International Pen Show isn’t the largest of the shows, but it’s very well-attended and features a diverse array of vendors and after-hours events. Ever since I had to miss the Philadelphia Pen Show in January, I’ve been looking forward to attending Baltimore. Read on to see how I’m getting ready and how to get in touch if you’re attending the show.

Are You Planning to Attend Your First Pen Show? Here’s a Short Recap of How I Prepare

For a more in-depth discussion of pen shows and why you should consider visiting, check out my previous “Pen Show Primer” series, including Volume 1: Why Visit a Pen Show; Volume 2: Getting Ready for a Pen Show; and Volume 3: Tips for Surviving the Pen Show. Today I’ll briefly run through my favorite tips for making your pen show experience successful.

Check the List of Exhibitors. While the current list of exhibitors who will be attending Baltimore isn’t 100% accurate (it still shows T.G.S. attending as a vendor, for example), it will give you an idea of what to expect and how to prioritize if you have limited time at the show. I highly recommend purchasing the weekend or VIP pass if one is available, since it let’s you attend during non-public hours and get a slight head start on the rush.
Make a Short List of “Must-See” Vendors, Especially Small Makers and Nib Workers. The wonderful thing about pen shows is that they give you an opportunity to see in person those smaller makers and vendors who don’t have a storefront or sell through traditional retail channels. The downside is that quantity is often limited, especially on “show-exclusive” releases, so if there is a vendor who you really want to see, visit them first. For example, Franklin-Christoph releases a tray of prototypes first thing in the morning on each day of the show, and these go fast. Similarly, Schon DSGN often brings new finishes of their Pocket Six and other pens to the show, so if this is a pen on your list and you want to have your pick of colors, get there early, preferably on Friday. The Franklin-Christoph and Schon DSGN tables are often my first stop, after I get on the list for nib grinder(s) if I want to have a nib ground or a pen tuned. (Many nib grinders are now allowing you to make appointments ahead of time, so check their websites to see.)
Set a Budget. It’s REALLY EASY to get overwhelmed and spend more money than you can/want to spend without realizing it. (Trust me on this.) Back when vendors operated on a mostly cash-only basis, it was easier to stay on budget because you had to go to an ATM, and mercifully the ATMs at the show hotels often ran out of money and saved you from yourself. These days, with the advent of payment apps, most people accept credit cards, Venmo, or PayPal and you need to pay close attention to be sure that you don’t find yourself needing to unload a large portion of your pen collection when you get back home in order to pay your show bills.
Take at Least One Seminar or Workshop. One of the reasons I love the Baltimore Show is the range of non-shopping activities that are scheduled throughout the weekend. This year’s lineup includes three calligraphy classes, a Zentangles class, and multiple seminars on pen collecting/repair, in addition to a “Fountain Pens 101” session for those just getting into this hobby.
Save Time, A Little Bit of Money, and Energy for Dinner and After-Hours Events. At night I typically have dinner with friends and then hang out in the hotel lobby/bar area sharing pens, inks, and show acquisitions. If safety concerns permit it, try to spend at least one evening visiting with other attendees and vendors. It’s the best way to not only make friends but to have the opportunity to handle and write with pretty much any pen you could ever want to try. Most people in this community are kind and willing to share their knowledge - I always bring a few cases full of pens for people to try out.

Lochby Tool Roll For Baltimore — The Lochby Tool Roll is coming to Baltimore! The two pens on the far right are vintage Parker Vacumatics I need to have restored. The rest are pens that I currently have inked up that I’m in the process of reviewing and/or will bring for after-hours fun.

What to Bring to a Pen Show

This is pretty straightforward and doesn’t change too much from year to year:

A bag that's comfortable to carry, and shoes that are comfortable to stand in all day. You will likely spend a lot of time on your feet, and unless you have a room at the hotel, space to sit will be limited in the ballroom and there won’t be a safe place to set your bag down. (Unfortunately, there has been a rash of pen show thefts this year, so I would not recommend leaving your pens or bag unsupervised anywhere.)
Water and Snacks. Food at hotel restaurants can be expensive, and since many pen shows are located in hotels near the airport, there aren't great options for shopping nearby. Bring a couple of snack bars, a bag of nuts, or whatever high-energy food you prefer. Please don’t forget to eat and hydrate!
Paper to test inks and pens. Some vendors will let you test a pen before you buy it by dipping it in ink, and all nib grinders/tuners will want you to write with the pen they are working on. I carry two types of paper with me to pen shows: Tomoe River paper and a Write Notepads spiral notebook, not just because they are guaranteed to be ink-friendly, but because it’s the paper I tend to use for most of my writing.
Pens that you want to share, trade, or have worked on. I typically bring a dozen or so pens with me to shows, though I know people who bring many more. For pen show travel, I’ve carried both pen cases and pen rolls, though I’ve been leaning more towards pen rolls lately.

Dip Pens for Ink testing — This year I’ll likely bring dip pens to test inks if people are willing to share. Shown here are the Drillog and a Kakimori Brass Nib.

What’s on My Radar for This Year’s Baltimore Pen Show?

Baltimore will be my first pen show of 2022, and I have several things I want to check out, including the new Schon DSGN Anniversary Edition Ballpoint, and of course the full-size fountain pens that I missed seeing in person when I couldn’t attend Philadelphia. I’m also looking for several additional Laban Greek Mythology Inks, and a few vintage pens to add to my rotation.

If you’re going to the show, hit me up via e-mail (joe@gentlemanstationer.com) or Instagram (@gentlemanstationer). I’d love to say hello! While I won’t be attending as an exhibitor this year due to work and family commitments on either side of the weekend that don’t leave me enough time to get ready, I plan to be there in my personal capacity Thursday afternoon through Sunday morning.

Schon-DSGN-Pocket-Six — Looking to grab the latest release from SchonDSGN? Get to the table early!

Get Your Shop Orders in This Weekend

Fair warning: Because I’m attending the show next week (among other commitments), I’ll be on the road from Thursday, March 10 through Friday, March 18 and shipping will be a bit slower than my usual three business days. If you’ve had your eye on anything in the shop, or need anything to arrive the week I’m away, be sure to get your orders in by Tuesday just to be safe. I will make one shipping run Thursday morning and then I’m off to Baltimore. See you there!

This post does not contain paid third-party affiliate links. The Gentleman Stationer is supported entirely by purchases from the T.G.S. Curated Shop and T.G.S. Patreon Program, which offers access to online meetups, exclusive discounts and pre-orders, and more!

A somewhat empty ballroom early Friday morning. It was much busier for a while on Saturday, but Friday and Sunday remained slower than normal.

2021 Chicago Pen Show Recap: Back to Normal ... Slowly

October 6, 2021

Nothing made me happier than to see pen shows return for 2021, and so far I’ve had the opportunity to visit the Washington, D.C. Supershow in August, the San Francisco Pen Show for the first time later that month, and just this past weekend, the Chicago Pen Show. Despite some initial apprehensions, I was pleasantly surprised at both the level of attendance, the efforts by show promoters to keep the shows safe, and the graciousness with which attendees dealt with difficult travel conditions and the necessary masking and other safety precautions in hotel ballrooms that could, at times, be a bit “stuffy.” (Fortunately, in most instances the shows were able to convince the hotels to crank up the A/C, eventually.)

A case of vintage Sheaffer WASP Vacuum-Fil fountain pens.

The D.C. and San Francisco shows saw attendance that approached pre-pandemic levels, even though there were fewer out-of-town attendees, resulting in slower-than-usual Fridays. Chicago, on the other hand, was hit with the double whammy of being rescheduled from May to the weekend after the Dallas Pen Show, in addition to rising COVID levels and increased travel hesitancy. As a result, it was somewhat distressing to see fewer vendors and attendees at what I understand is typically a fairly large show. Saturday got decently busy by the middle of the day, but Friday and Sunday remained slow. It’s therefore difficult to write an accurate show report, since I’ve never attended the Chicago Show in an “up year” and can only rely on discussions with others at the show about how this year compared with years past.

Anyone know what that creepy-looking green pen in the center is?

Because Chicago will return to its normal early May timeslot next year, most of these issues should resolve themselves. Many vendors simply couldn’t turn around inventory/travel arrangements/life in time to do the Dallas show one weekend and Chicago the next. (I know I couldn’t.) If more vendors return - especially large draws such as Vanness Pens and Franklin-Christoph - attendance will also increase. I currently plan to attend Chicago again in May 2022, and it will be interesting to compare the “real” show to other large shows such as D.C. and San Francisco.

All the pens that Pierre from Desiderata Pens brought to the Chicago Pen Show.

So with that out of the way, what did I think of Chicago 2021? For what turned out to me a smaller show, vendor-wise, it ended up as a great weekend. I attended in my personal capacity, just for fun, and enjoyed hanging out at a pen show for the first time in a while. Going forward, I’ll need to pick one or two shows a year just to visit as an attendee, because it offers a perspective on the pen community and makers that you don’t get sitting behind a vendor table for three days.

The Desiderata Pens Show Special, featuring Carolina Pen Company Acrylic.

Vendors and Makers at the Chicago Pen Show

Vendor-wise, the main retailers were Atlas Stationers, Papier Plume, Lemur Ink, Federalist Pens, The Pen Show (Jimmy Dolive), Toys from the Attic, and Crazy Alan’s Emporium. Independent and smaller makers included Ryan Krusac, Desiderata Pens, Ironfeather Creative, Hardy Penwrights, The Chicago Pen Company, and Hinze Pens. The show also featured a fairly large array of vintage traders. Kirk Speer (Penrealm) was the only nib grinder present. Finally, there was a massive ink testing station, with two separate blocks of tester pens filled with some rare and unusual Montblanc and Parker Penman inks.

One of two ink testing blocks at the Chicago Pen Show! These things can both cost and save you money. I personally always end up discovering new inks I like, while realizing that I don’t like other inks as much as I thought I would.

My Ryan Krusac Scrimshaw “Navigator” fountain pen. Look for additional photos of this one in the days to come.

My Show Pickups: Classic Additions to the Collection

This year I’ve made a concerted effort to purchase fewer mass-produced fountain pens for my personal collection (especially high price-point limited and special editions) and invest instead in handmade and smaller-run pieces from independent and smaller makers. In D.C. and San Francisco, I picked up several pens from Schon DSGN, as well as some hand-turned pens with vintage nibs from Peyton Street Pens. In Chicago, I continued that trend and acquired a Ryan Krusac Scrimshaw “Navigator” (Check out the inlaid abalone and mother of pearl constellations in the cap!) and a Chicago Pen Company “Sheba” in a flecked Erinoid acrylic. I’m looking forward to getting both of these pens into rotation soon. I also picked up two bottles of Anderillium Ink (“Cuttlefish Brown” and “Shoebill Stork Grey”, and a bottle of the Sailor x Tinterías Podcast “Homemade Tortillas” collaboration ink.

The “Sheba” model from The Chicago Pen Company. Check out that Contoured Cap!

Anderillium Ink “Cuttlefish Brown” (which dries to a grayish-sepia, appropriately), and my Chicago Pen Company Sheba in a leather sleeve.

A Friendly Reminder: Support Your Small and Local Independent Retailers and Makers

Somewhat sparse crowds at Chicago did remind me of one thing: How important it is to support smaller retailers and makers as we head into the holiday season. We’ve already lost C.W. Pencil Enterprise, and I sadly suspect it won’t be the last closure. While pen shows have returned, things are far from “normal,” and most of your favorite small businesses have been deprived of a big chunk of income for the past two years. It’s more important than ever for them to have a strong year-end close, and I can personally vouch for the stressful nature of having to make huge inventory purchases during the slower summer months just to have enough stock to meet the (hopefully) increased demand of November and December. Whether its shopping at the T.G.S. Curated Shop, one of my friends on the sidebar, or somewhere else entirely, please make conscious choices about who you support, especially if you value having independent retailers and makers available to you for the long term. To the extent you can attend a pen show (and feel safe doing so health-wise), both the Detroit Pen Show (Oct. 29-31) and the Ohio Pen Show (November 11-14) remain on the calendar, and the organizers and vendors would greatly appreciate your support!

The Gentleman Stationer is supported by purchases from the T.G.S. Curated Shop and pledges from the T.G.S. Patreon Program, which offers access to online meetups, exclusive discounts and pre-orders, and more! Ana over at the Well-Appointed Desk recently featured a timely post on the importance of supporting your favorite creators, which I would highly encourage you to read, not only for support but to discovery new faces in the stationery community.

The Chicago Pen Show features this bright atrium - a huge plus for viewing pens.

Report from Chicago: Pen Show Highlights from Friday

October 2, 2021

This weekend marks the first time I’ve attended the Chicago Pen Show. As with San Francisco, I’ve taken the opportunity to visit yet another new show, all of which have their own personalities and quirks. Chicago is a traditional 3-day show (though some would argue the show starts with pre-show trading on Thursday night). The show opens to the public at noon on Friday, and as I’ve observed with other shows this year, the non-public days have been pretty slow due to a smaller number of people traveling in from out of town. I expect the public days - which attract more of a local crowd - to be busier and I’ll be sure to report back.

The main ballroom in Chicago (right after the show opened to weekend pass holders on Friday).

Due to rising Covid numbers, a lot of vendors had to pull out of Chicago at the last minute. Therefore, this year’s show feels a bit smaller and more local than usual, which isn’t a bad thing. Vendors I visited included Atlas Stationers, Papier Plume, Ryan Krusac, Good Made Better (Penwell), Desiderata Pens, Keith from Randomthinks, and more! Friday night featured an auction featuring 100 different lots, and some people walked away with very good deals. As for me, I’ve not purchased anything yet, since I came more to just socialize, but as always there are a couple of things I have my eye on. Stay tuned!

The Pencil Spiral: another Randomthinks creation!

A case full of vintage Waterman pens in exceptional condition.

Burl + Acrylic pens from Ironfeather Creative.

And, of course, since Chicago is one of the great American food towns, I can’t leave you without some culinary shots from the Chicago Pen Show, which has some of the best dining options within a 10 minute drive of any show on the circuit.

As I mentioned yesterday, since I’m on the road, all Curated Shop orders placed Thursday through Sunday will ship Monday upon my return. For today and tomorrow (the two days I’ll be walking the show!) take an extra 10% off orders of $50 and up using the coupon code “CHICAGO21” at checkout! While I don’t have a table at this year’s show, I might have a few of the T.G.S.-exclusive Sunderland Pens with me, as well as smaller fun items like the new enamel pins I received this week. If you want to say hi at the show, the easiest way to get in touch is via e-mail at joe@gentlemanstationer.com, or just send me a DM via Instagram.

The T.G.S. Curated Shop discount code excludes TWSBI and Sunderland, per my agreements with those manufacturers.

Chicago Pen Show 2021: It's Pen Show Weekend!

October 1, 2021

As you may have seen on my social media accounts, I’m at the Chicago Pen Show this weekend! Look for show content, including pictures and videos of all the goings-on, as well as updates on new releases and show-exclusive products.

Since I’m on the road, all Curated Shop orders placed Thursday through Sunday will ship Monday upon my return. For today and tomorrow (the two days I’ll be walking the show!) take an extra 10% off orders of $50 and up using the coupon code “CHICAGO21” at checkout! While I don’t have a table at this year’s show, I might have a few of the T.G.S.-exclusive Sunderland Pens with me, as well as smaller fun items like the new enamel pins I received this week. If you want to say hi at the show, the easiest way to get in touch is via e-mail at joe@gentlemanstationer.com, or just send me a DM via Instagram.

The T.G.S. Curated Shop discount code excludes TWSBI and Sunderland, per my agreements with those manufacturers.

Pen Show Vendor Swag, courtesy of Rickshaw Bags!

San Francisco Pen Show: The Big Weekend Recap

September 1, 2021

What a weekend! The only other pen show I have attended that I can compare to the San Francisco Pen Show is Baltimore, and that’s because the focus remains on ensuring people have a positive experience, as opposed to cramming in as many people and vendors as possible. I’ll certainly return to the San Francisco Show, and next year (fingers crossed) I plan to have my own table. I met so many readers and customers over the weekend, and it was wonderful to match names (and online handles) with faces!

A little Pen Shows After Dark on Saturday night.

Some General Observations from the Weekend and What I Loved about the San Francisco Pen Show

It’s Truly “The Fun Pen Show”! As I noted above, you can tell that the organizers focused on ensuring that everyone had a good time, with events organized most nights for vendors and weekend pass holders. Highlights included a vintage pen auction on Friday night (rare these days), and live music on Saturday. The Pullman San Francisco Bay is also one of the nicer pen show hotels on the circuit, with breakfast available in the morning, an espresso bar (key!), and a bar with good drinks and excellent food.

Three Vanness-exclusive Robert Oster inks: Blue River, Hemp, and Hickory Aflame. (Charred Hickory, the non-shimmer version of Hickory Aflame, sold out quickly).

A Diverse Array of Vendors. The best pen shows, like San Francisco and Baltimore, feature a balance of large and small retailers, independent penmakers, vintage traders, non-pen artists and craftspeople, and even national brands. San Francisco mixed everyone together well, and the show was organized in a way that encouraged you to walk the entire layout. Vendors I saw at San Francisco who I’ve not seen at other shows included Curnow Bookbinding & Leatherwork (creators of the “Backpocket Journal”), Peyton Street Pens (from whom I acquired two custom pens with vintage nibs), Japanese stationery specialists Maido/Kinokuniya, Rickshaw Bagworks, and international brands Pilot, Traveler’s Company and Plotter (more on them below). You can view the full list of exhibitors here.

J.C. Ament was grinding away on Sunday morning!

LOTS of Options for Nib Work. If you came to the San Francisco Pen Show looking to get a nib ground, you were in luck. Mike Masuyama, Gena Salorino (Custom Nib Studio), Kirk Speer (Pen Realm), and J.C. Ament (The Nib Tailor, in his first show as a full-time nib grinder) were all present, and most had walk-up availability.

My Plotter planner and Curnow Coptic-Bound journal with a stork pattern.

Less Crowding. While I suspect traffic was down from prior years due to a combination of circumstances (pandemic, fires, etc.), a lot of people still came through the door, Pen shows with wider aisles and vendors spread out over multiple ballrooms are more pleasant to walk (not to mention to work). Not only do you not get pushed and shoved by the crowds when you’re trying to look at a pen at someone’s table (L.A., anyone?) but it’s even more important today when everyone is already a bit less comfortable due to the ongoing pandemic and the fact that masking and other precautions are required to ensure these events can happen safely.

OK, So What Was the Coolest Stuff I Saw This Weekend?

In addition to my two custom pens from Teri at Peyton Street Pens, I picked up a pair of Ultem Fountain Pens from Schon DSGN, a Galen Leather 12-pen hardshell leather pen case from Vanness, a Parker 51 for an exceptional price from vintage dealer John Strother, a couple bottles of Kiwi Inks, and some handmade coptic-bound journals from Curnow Bookbinding & Leatherworks, which I brought home as gifts. Perhaps the most interesting, for me personally, was a planner set I was offered by Plotter USA as part of a pilot program they are running to test their planner system prior to a U.S. release later this year. Plotter is owned by DesignPhil, the same company that brought us Midori MD and Traveler’s Notebook, and the brand accordingly features a similar aesthetic, but uses a ring binding system with the same six-hole layout as Filofax and other brands (so your hole punches and other accessories should work). I received the “Narrow” size, which is approximately the same dimensions as a Kokuyo Sketch Book - a size below my lovely B6 slim Cafe Note. I’ll be providing Plotter with feedback on the system over the next few months, and of course posting photos here.

Not technically a pen show picture, but the Platinum Preppy Wa’s are awesome and worth a look!

Otherwise, I enjoyed visiting with friends new and old, from the team at Kenro where I saw the Pininfarina PF2 for the first time, to the crew at Luxury Brands, who are helping to promote the launch of the latest from Platinum, the limited edition Platinum Preppy Wa (that’s right - a limited edition Preppy), which is really cool and as you would hope, priced in a way that should be accessible to most everyone. I also got to meet with the new owners of Retro 51, and I’m excited to see what they have in store for the future. Despite a somewhat rocky start (exacerbated by the pandemic and accompanying economic uncertainty), the new team seems enthusiastic and excited to make Retro more visible to the at-large community of pen enthusiasts, including attending more pen shows.

The Plotter (“Narrow”) compared against the Nanami Paper Cafe Note in B6 Slim (left).

Plotter is a brand that I think I’m going to enjoy exploring - it’s quite customizable with different inserts and accessories. Shown here are paper folders that can be used to organize notes by topic.

In short, San Francisco has made my list of “must-attend” pen shows, and I really want to spend more time with West Coast pen friends! If you missed my Friday/Day One Recap, you can check it out here.

This post does not contain affiliate links. The Gentleman Stationer is supported by purchases from the T.G.S. Curated Shop and reader donations. If you would like to support us even further, please consider checking out the T.G.S. Patreon Program, which offers access to online meetups, exclusive discounts and pre-orders, and more.