2016 Commonwealth Pen Show - Sunday, September 25Th!

[PaganArcher]

If anyone at the show could manage a favor for me, I'd greatly appreciate it. Nathan will have an ink at the show called North Star Liberator. I'd truly love a bottle and am willing to pay if anyone could snag a bottle for me. He has two others that I'd love but alas, money doesn't grow on trees.

[RonLyke]

 

I'll try

[Gloucesterman]

Yes!

Special inks from Nathan. I will be there early so I can be close to the beginning of the line!!!

 

Thanks Nathan... you are the Best!

 

Remember to bring the kids...

Edited September 24, 2016 by brgmarketing

[vjones]

"Proctor's Ledge" looks interesting. Too bad I can't make it. I live in NYC and could take the train, but I'm busy tomorrow. I gotta get to one of these pen shows some day.

[Lloyd]

I'd love to know how the characteristics of that blue ink compare to BSB. Does it stain, fade, "play badly" with others? Is it alkaline?

[RonLyke]

I'd love to see the picture! I'm a little infatuated with him.

[RonLyke]

Her he is

[wildblueroan]

Just back from this show and it was jumping! So crowded I couldn't even see Nathan's booth which was doing gangbuster business. Very glad to see so much interest! And of course I snagged some treasures.

[inkstainedruth]

So, what colors do they turn out to be? I'm at my brother-in-law's and the wifi here is a bit spotty, so I can't really watch videos at the moment. (Plus, I'm currently on my husband's laptop because I don't have the wifi password set up yet on my computer....)

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[0xabad1dea]

So, what colors do they turn out to be? I'm at my brother-in-law's and the wifi here is a bit spotty, so I can't really watch videos at the moment. (Plus, I'm currently on my husband's laptop because I don't have the wifi password set up yet on my computer....)

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

 

Proctor's Ledge: a black with a pink haze in it which glows fiery under blacklight, in memoriam of women hanged for witchcraft

 

North Star Liberator: bulletproof blue themed after the underground railroad, apparently has extremely rare ingredients and he can't make more

 

Suffragist Carmine: a dusty pink which glows in blacklight. He related a story he was told when he was young about how when women got the vote, in Holyoke Massachusetts they were made to write their ballots in carmine ink, but they embraced it.

[Lloyd]

Got a bottle of North Star Liberator. Supposedly, it is pH neutral and behaviorly similar to the (awesome) bulletproof black.

[Cyber6]

 

Proctor's Ledge: a black with a pink haze in it which glows fiery under blacklight, in memoriam of women hanged for witchcraft

 

I understood from Mr. Tardiff.. that is supposed to be a very dark brown...

[woleizihan]

 

I understood from Mr. Tardiff.. that is supposed to be a very dark brown...

It's actually very close to regular black.

[0xabad1dea]

You could call it extreme dark brown I guess. You could look at my swab which I photographed in direct sunlight today. To me it reads as a black which has a pinkish element that doesn't quite mix.

[Smithman]

Many thanks to David and all the others for a great show. This was my second year, and I was pleased to be able to get nib work done by Richard Binder each time and to acquire new and interesting inks from Nathan Tardiff. Though I am not able to spend much money, I appreciate that each year I have been able to pick up a couple of modest pens to expand my collection, as well as to find notebooks that I don't see online.

[Cyber6]

You could call it extreme dark brown I guess. You could look at my swab which I photographed in direct sunlight today. To me it reads as a black which has a pinkish element that doesn't quite mix.

 

 

Lovely swab... Thanks !!!.. :wub:

[MGB]

Had a great time at the show today. It was my first pen show and I just happened to be on holidays in the area (all the way from Ireland) with some good friends. Had a lovely chat with Richard and Barbara Binder - it was great to speak with folks who have such a love for pens. They were so welcoming!

Got some work done on a few pens and also picked up the Noodlers limited edition inks.

All in all, a great day with old friends and new friends. Our love of pens is something that transcends culture and nations

Thanks to all who organised the gathering.

[TSherbs]

One of my sons came home for the weekend, so I did not go. But these inks have no interest for me, so I didn't miss anything in that regard. Having a pen nib worked on might be nice, though. But there is plenty of time for that if I decide to pull the trigger as a present to self.

 

The cult of personality around Mr. Tardif is weird.

[oculogyric]

Had a great time yesterday at the Commonwealth pen show. It looks like even more people than last year, but it would be interesting to know how the actual numbers compare. I got a lovely old travel dip pen with a gold flexi nib in its original box. Not very practical for everyday use, but I can't resist the old stuff, especially if it's made in a clever fashion! What did other people get?

[Otter1]

I had a great time as well--and yes it looked better attended than last year--I was there from 10:30 -1 and the exhibitors seemed busy the whole time.

 

Of course, the best part of the show, apart from what treasures you find, is chatting about pens with other folks--both buyers and sellers. I saw several overwhelmed customers guided towards good solid pens that met their pocketbooks and their needs. It was nice to see a bunch of first-timers there.

 

For my part, I usually buy vintage, so picked up a semi-flex waterman's Hundred Year and an oversize parker vacumatic--both have been on my wish list for awhile and being able to handle them was what closed the deal for me. I always pick up a flexible pen or 2 from Pier Gustafson as well, and this year was no exception---great nibs in not so fancy bodies for not a lot of money.

 

-Otter1