Writing Equipment Show London 2015

[alc3261]

(This is my 6th Conid)

[Tas]

 

This is what I got yesterday from the left -

Laban medium nib, Aurora Ipsilon Italic nib, Omas Ogiva Saft Green (from Sarj), Conid Minimalistica Demo Titanium Stub, Omas Ogiva Cocktail Bloody Mary Fine, Twiss x 2 with a medium and a broad!!

 

Nice haul.

 

(This is my 6th Conid)

 

 

I can see why. Their pens "hum" quality, like a tuning fork, in your hands . . .

[da vinci]

This is what I got yesterday from the left -

Laban medium nib, Aurora Ipsilon Italic nib, Omas Ogiva Saft Green (from Sarj), Conid Minimalistica Demo Titanium Stub, Omas Ogiva Cocktail Bloody Mary Fine, Twiss x 2 with a medium and a broad!!

Wow! Great haul, and thanks for sharing. I took a second look at Twiss Pens - he had some very nice designs. If you like pens from an independent pen maker I also recommend Worcester Pens - I have a very nice pen that they made from a vintage material that I am fond of.

[da vinci]

 

Can't be friendlier guys than Francis and Werner. How they managed to travel from Belgium, set up and survive a full day without sleep is beyond me. Add to that infinite patience, and they're eligible for sainthood!

 

Seconded: the stub on that FPN LE was a dream...

Mongrelnomad, I wondered how you got on in your quest for a Parker Vac? Did you pick one up in the end?

 

I did did look but the choice, and variance in price for almost unnoticeable detail, was just overwhelming in the end. Being risk averse, I decided not to buy.

[twdpens]

Some more photos:

 

 

 

Although I brought a camera along I didn't have time to take any photos myself and neither of the "staff" were willing to help in this respect, apart from those above which were taken during setup (unusual, as they are both talented photographers).

 

Hope you all enjoyed the Show. Anna and I thought it was a bit quiet this year. Any thoughts in this respect from the regulars?

 

Martin

[Tas]

Some more photos:

DSC_0012.jpg

 

DSC_0007.jpg

 

DSC_0009.jpg

 

Although I brought a camera along I didn't have time to take any photos myself and neither of the "staff" were willing to help in this respect, apart from those above which were taken during setup (unusual, as they are both talented photographers).

 

Hope you all enjoyed the Show. Anna and I thought it was a bit quiet this year. Any thoughts in this respect from the regulars?

 

Martin

 

I thought it was the usual "busy" but noticed there was more spying than buying going on.

 

Hope you guys sold well.

There's always a smile from everyone at your table . . .

[Tojusi]

Let's see now...

 

My second London pen show (managed to get there last year as well). Great fun!

 

One of the obvious highlights was to see the Conid stand with Werner and Francis - they were both so enthusiastic about their products, plus all around good guys. Francis was quite excited about describing the design changes in the new CAISO pen. Plus I got to test various Conid products, including the FPN LE pen (which I have already paid for) and Francis's personal CAISO prototype with which he was doing "some test writing", he had a notebook with pages upon pages of text. I did not pick up any Conid pens as I have those coming in the future. This confirmed that I have made good choises!

 

Another highlight was seeing the Yard-o-led stand and the craft that goes into making the patterns on the pens. Odd that they were not selling anything.

 

I also saw silver work of Henry Simpole though I did not get to chat with him.

 

I saw some very beatiful Danitrio and Nakaya maki-e pens... absolutely stunning but I could not even ask about the price. My girlfriend admired them as well but we had to move away lest we faint at the price.

 

I saw Oxonian from afar - I wanted to drop by and say hi, but he was busy so I did not pester him. I'm still happy with the nib work he did for me a year ago.

 

What else... I bought a Parker Big Red (mid-1920s), a red pearl Parker Vacumatic Oversize (1930s), and a red marble pattern Parker Duofold with a fine flexy nib from 1940s.

 

Too bad I did not have time to hang around, ogle, chat, go to pubs (what was that about? the geeks thing you mention?) and so on because unfortunatley I had an afternoon flight back home...

[Zanshin]

I wasn't able to visit the last two London shows but made the show before that which I think was the first one at this venue. This year seemed to be as busy as that one if my memory serves me. The lovely weather made the walk up from Waterloo all the more enjoyable,

 

It was my first show with an actual objective and I'm happy to say I met that with a great bargain on a Pelikan M805 Stresemann, courtesy of Cruzaltpens. I should have left the show at that point, happy knowing I had my grail pen, but then I saw the Omas Milord in Arco brown on the Write Here stand and John let me try his 360 with the extra flessible nib. That has opened up a whole new world of lust, It was just as well I hadn't taken more money with me.

[cobalt]

I'd posted this in the wrong place and thought I'd share my thoughts in the right place...

 

I'd never been to a pen show, and this was my first. I'm a pen user, not a collector, so my eyes did glaze over a bit at the vast trays of pens.

 

Some highlights for me included: (and please, there were many who also deserve mention, but this is my shortlist)

• Meeting Cliff who likes Wahl/Eversharps as much as I do and hoping he can source a Gen1 Symphony as he said he had lots!
• Seeing Auroras, lovely pens and history of innovation.
• Picking up the no-name pen from Mark at Vintage Fountain Pens, that I'd sent for some TLC and getting it back with a working Eversharp nib; it was not possible to rip out the vandalism done by the previous owner who allegedly 'restored' the ink feed. Oh well, got to be more careful on ebay....
• Meeting the owner of Von Moos pens and trying them out: so smooth! The nibs are superbe.
• Worcester Pens were there and I honestly forgot to go back and buy the pen I'd held and liked. I will definitely put that right, though.
• Bought a leathercase for 12 pens (from Vince), getting home and finding out I have more than 12 pens. I had no idea that FPs reproduce in the dark.
• Seeing all the new Conklin's in one place; I own a Duragraph which writes really well and is one of my workhorse pens.
• Conid Pens were there from Antwerp, Belgium with their incredible designs. They were displaying Akkermann ink, too. BTW, glass marbles in bottles are called Codd Stoppers. Next time I'm in Brussels, I think I'll make a trip up to Antwerp to visit them.
• And of course all the collectors and sellers with their specialties and expertise, too many and too much to take in completely, but exhilerating nonetheless.

I did appreciate the amazing expertise and opportunities. All in all, a worthwhile experience -- to learn to appreciate what I did not fully understand. Meeting new pen dealers was good as I've expanded the list of people I can contact.

[peterg]

I went but couldn't make the Geeks Lunch, although I saw some of them in the cafe,. Far too many bargains to hunt down to leave the show and ended up spending far more than I had anticipated.

 

Wasn't prepared to pay for early bird's admission, so I don't know what bargains I missed out on.

[mongrelnomad]

(This is my 6th Conid)

 

I bought my fifth at the show (a demo slimline) and am waiting for my sixth (a CAISO). I thought about buying a Minimalista instead of the slimline (it is a far far more impressive product in the flesh than it appears in images), but was seduced by the huge ink capacity and minuscule size of the smaller pen.

 

Mongrelnomad, I wondered how you got on in your quest for a Parker Vac? Did you pick one up in the end?

 

I did did look but the choice, and variance in price for almost unnoticeable detail, was just overwhelming in the end. Being risk averse, I decided not to buy.

 

Not in the end, no. I perused a few tables but quickly got befuddled. The sticker price of the interesting ones, and indeed variance, was truly frightening for someone not nearly knowledgeable enough to feel confident in his choices. I fully intend to learn more however, and eventually take the plunge...

Edited October 6, 2015 by mongrelnomad

[da vinci]

I bought my fifth at the show (a demo slimline) and am waiting for my sixth (a CAISO). I thought about buying a Minimalista instead of the slimline (it is a far far more impressive product in the flesh than it appears in images), but was seduced by the huge ink capacity and minuscule size of the smaller pen.

 

 

 

Not in the end, no. I perused a few tables but quickly got befuddled. The sticker price of the interesting ones, and indeed variance, was truly frightening for someone not nearly knowledgeable enough to feel confident in his choices. I fully intend to learn more however, and eventually take the plunge...

I wish you every success!

[Tojusi]

(This is my 6th Conid)

 

 

 

I bought my fifth at the show (a demo slimline) and am waiting for my sixth (a CAISO). I thought about buying a Minimalista instead of the slimline (it is a far far more impressive product in the flesh than it appears in images), but was seduced by the huge ink capacity and minuscule size of the smaller pen.

 

Holy moly! Sixth Conid, fifth Conid with sixth already lined up? Now I do not need to feel bad about ending up with two or three in the near future!

[pavoni]

Wow alc3261 and mongrelnomad!. Fantastic collections. Love to see them side-by-side (please). If we ever get a Conid forum, one of you will surely be the Moderator

 

Actually, when I got my first Bulkfiller, I was a wee bit frustrated at how my reliance on this excellent pen had effectively limited my opportunity to use the rest of my pens within my collection. I certainly didn't think I would need another Bulkfiller!

 

However, this view quickly changed when I discovered the true flexibility of the Bulkiller - that I could have the best of both worlds - a near perfect pen (great ink capacity; easy filling; safe to carry/fly; super balance in the hand; fabulous looks; convenient modular build; easy cleaning; and brilliant customer service) carrying one of my favourite vintage nibs

 

So now, I need more than one Bulkfiller; one carrying my best (John Holland size 6 wet noodle) nib for daily letter writing, where this particular nib's thirst for ink is more than matched by the Bulkfiller's huge ink capacity; and another Bulkfiller (CAISO ) carrying a slightly more sensible everyday nib (Waterman superflex size 8).

 

The London Show and wonderfully patient Werner and Francis gave me the ideal opportunity to try out the CAISO for real and satisfy myself (which it did) that my pre-order for a second Bulkfiller is justified. I've just got to try now to explain this to Mrs Pavoni Any tips?

 

Pavoni.

[alc3261]

Mr alc3261 has no idea so I can't really help you!!

[Tas]

Mr alc3261 has no idea so I can't really help you!!

 

It's better that way . . .

Edited October 7, 2015 by Tas

[Francis_Rex]

It was my first pen show. To be candid I did not know what to expect.

I went to see if I could pick up a Rotring 600…and I ended up buying a Conklin Crescent filler, a beautiful mint Omas Paragon 557/f from the 1990s, a bottle of Iroshizuku ink (tsuyu kusa) and a cartridge filling kit (syringe, bottle etc.). I took in £250 and spent it…and got out of the place, before I spent anymore!

I am not yet at a stage in my FP obsession that I collect one brand. I am quite catholic in my tastes at the moment and I have price ceilings I would be uncomfortable at breaking. However, a lot of people at the show appear to focus in on particular models, editions or series and are very knowledgeable and are clearly prepared to pay up for special models. Some tables had thousands and thousands of pounds worth of pens on display. There are also some very affordable bargains to be had, so it was not all high-end gear.

I kept my credit card to my wallet otherwise, there was a fluted Sheaffer Targa in beautiful condition I really liked. Some beautiful Parkers Vacumatics. I liked the look of the state of the art Conid, the new Lamy Imporium looked great. I could go on…there was so much to covet.

The lesson I also learned was if you see it and like it buy it, before someone else does. I saw a Pilot 95 Justus in a tray for sale at £95. I ‘ummed’ and ‘arrhed’ and walked on. I then thought I should get it: and it was gone: he who hesitates loses the pen.

I also did not allow myself enough time to get dealers details and really drill in to what was on display.

So as Arnie said, I will be back. If you can make a show like that and you have the addiction go along.

My one beef was I did not see that Rotring 600 I want. Back to EBay!

F

[ianpw]

I am looking forward to it also - particularly a visit to the Conid table!

 

Haven't seen much info about who else will be there though...

A unique opportunity to chat with Werner of CONID in your own home!

As part of the very popular webinar series that the Writing Equipment Society organises we are pleased to welcome Werner of CONID to speak to us about the CONID bulk filler. These are live events so you will have ample time to ask Werner any questions that you may have. Normally these webinars are open to WES members only but in this case I have persuaded the 'powers that be' to open this particular webinar to FPN members as well. There is a small cost involved of £5 to cover the cost of the webinar transmission service. Places are very limited so if you want to take advantage of this opportunity please contact Jeremy on librarian@wesonline.org.uk

Ian

[ianpw]

Wow alc3261 and mongrelnomad!. Fantastic collections. Love to see them side-by-side (please). If we ever get a Conid forum, one of you will surely be the Moderator

 

Actually, when I got my first Bulkfiller, I was a wee bit frustrated at how my reliance on this excellent pen had effectively limited my opportunity to use the rest of my pens within my collection. I certainly didn't think I would need another Bulkfiller!

 

However, this view quickly changed when I discovered the true flexibility of the Bulkiller - that I could have the best of both worlds - a near perfect pen (great ink capacity; easy filling; safe to carry/fly; super balance in the hand; fabulous looks; convenient modular build; easy cleaning; and brilliant customer service) carrying one of my favourite vintage nibs

 

So now, I need more than one Bulkfiller; one carrying my best (John Holland size 6 wet noodle) nib for daily letter writing, where this particular nib's thirst for ink is more than matched by the Bulkfiller's huge ink capacity; and another Bulkfiller (CAISO ) carrying a slightly more sensible everyday nib (Waterman superflex size 8).

 

The London Show and wonderfully patient Werner and Francis gave me the ideal opportunity to try out the CAISO for real and satisfy myself (which it did) that my pre-order for a second Bulkfiller is justified. I've just got to try now to explain this to Mrs Pavoni Any tips?

 

Pavoni.

A unique opportunity to chat with Werner of CONID in your own home!

As part of the very popular webinar series that the Writing Equipment Society organises we are pleased to welcome Werner of CONID to speak to us about the CONID bulk filler. These are live events so you will have ample time to ask Werner any questions that you may have. Normally these webinars are open to WES members only but in this case I have persuaded the 'powers that be' to open this particular webinar to FPN members as well. There is a small cost involved of £5 to cover the cost of the webinar transmission service. Places are very limited so if you want to take advantage of this opportunity please contact Jeremy on librarian@wesonline.org.uk

Ian

[ianpw]

 

 

 

Holy moly! Sixth Conid, fifth Conid with sixth already lined up? Now I do not need to feel bad about ending up with two or three in the near future!

A unique opportunity to chat with Werner of CONID in your own home!

As part of the very popular webinar series that the Writing Equipment Society organises we are pleased to welcome Werner of CONID to speak to us about the CONID bulk filler. These are live events so you will have ample time to ask Werner any questions that you may have. Normally these webinars are open to WES members only but in this case I have persuaded the 'powers that be' to open this particular webinar to FPN members as well. There is a small cost involved of £5 to cover the cost of the webinar transmission service. Places are very limited so if you want to take advantage of this opportunity please contact Jeremy on librarian@wesonline.org.uk

Ian