Triangle Pen Show

[fountainpenlady]

I haven't thought that far ahead yet. But given that I have to be someplace the first weekend in June (and haven't made hotel reservations for *it* yet -- let alone event reservations), plus Raleigh is a freaking long drive from Pittsburgh, I'm thinking about skipping this year. I had a great time the two years I went -- got some awesome pens that had been on my short list, got some other pens repaired, and (last year) got to show off a pen that four different guys would have bought off me pretty much on the spot (and no, it STILL isn't for sale -- sorry guys). But this year I'm feeling somewhat poorer (and don't have the one-time-only special pen shopping budget I had last year). So I think I'm gonna be a no-show.

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstained

 

Perhaps next year, or the years to follow. Having attended Pitt, I know the distance is far from there to NC. I tend to applaud you and your husband for coming that far away to attend the Triangle Pen Show. Having gone to the Atlanta one recently, merely going b/c I have not thought of any alternative plans now that the tourist season has begun at all the beaches I imagine. Also, I do want to see what is the difference since it is going to be held at another hotel starting this year.

Otherwise, I kind of nearly tapped out in ATL. The journey, hopefully meeting others who enjoy my passion will suffice this year. The rarity of meeting someone in person who also enjoys writing with a fountain pen and loves the accouterments of doing so in a place with a military base and a community consisting of both southern urban and rural communities can become tiresome.

Well, hope you enjoy wherever you are the first of June. Warm weather should be in full swing then. Perhaps someone planning on attending this year will update and it will be almost like you did attend and other than fend off the prospective buyers for your pen and purchase some goodies to take back the 'Burgh, you did not miss much.

Be well,

Edited May 1, 2018 by fountainpenlady

[akrohn2010]

Thanks all for the thoughts! Going to be wothdrawing cash and making a short list of wanted items to keep my spending in check.

 

The hardest thing for me to decide is whether or not to get a nib ground - fairly happy with most of mine but could order a spare for one of my pens to get a needlepoint or architect or something unique.

 

Decisions...

[fountainpenlady]

Thanks all for the thoughts! Going to be wothdrawing cash and making a short list of wanted items to keep my spending in check.

 

The hardest thing for me to decide is whether or not to get a nib ground - fairly happy with most of mine but could order a spare for one of my pens to get a needlepoint or architect or something unique.

 

Decisions...

If at this point that is your only dilemma, you are doing really good. Can't recall which time, but I was interested in the six pen Penvelope by Franklin-Christoph. Since I had planned to attend the Triangle Pen Show also that year, decided to wait to actually see it in person and feel it before buying one. I happened to enter the ballroom in the exact same corner where the Franklin-Christoph table was right in front of my view. First folks I saw after the Chocolate man in the right-hand corner seemingly behind the door. Well, ended up buying the penvelope, leather journal cover, two inserts for it and an Intrinsic 02. I had not been to that Pen show 15 minutes. I went to a workshop after that and since it was so fast, could not remember whether I received a receipt It was then I was introduced to the fact you can get your receipt emailed to you instead of being given a paper copy. Guess that went along with signing your name on that little screen after they swipe your card through that little piece attached to it. Isn't technology grand? Thank goodness! So, from me to you, if you are thinking about getting a new nib tuned, you will see several nibmeisters there for your choosing. Just remember to look for the list. I believe other then Mike Masuyama, the others will be there. Maybe, type in the search for a thread on Nibmeisters to get a sense of which one you want to have tune your nib. Can't hurt, the more information you have the better. Being impulsive could cost you. Glad you have somewhat of a solid idea of what you will spend. Believe that did not work for me. We live and learn, we live and learn. I still enjoy all of those purchases to this day, so not all bad at all.

Edited May 1, 2018 by fountainpenlady

[akrohn2010]

Ive been warned about something just like that happening - probably will walk the room at least once before getting my wallet out.

 

If you dont mind my asking a few more naive questions - are there usually any vintage experts/sellers at the tables or are they only sold at the auctions? And are prices on goods in general comparable to normal retail or higher/lower? Some sites claim you can bargain with most but could this be offensive?

 

Looking forward to this - mostly just for the atmosphere and actually getting to try/feel pens and paper before buying - Ive ordered everything of mine online.

[fountainpenlady]

Ive been warned about something just like that happening - probably will walk the room at least once before getting my wallet out.

 

If you dont mind my asking a few more naive questions - are there usually any vintage experts/sellers at the tables or are they only sold at the auctions? And are prices on goods in general comparable to normal retail or higher/lower? Some sites claim you can bargain with most but could this be offensive?

 

Looking forward to this - mostly just for the atmosphere and actually getting to try/feel pens and paper before buying - Ive ordered everything of mine online.

Now, I can only tell you what I remember seeing both in past years and in the one I recently attended in Atlanta last month. There are many vintage sellers and I will paste and copy perhaps some information which may help. The short answer is they have both sellers and people who can appraise. As I only collect new pens, I can only share what I observed.

 

Here is a link which is to the Triangle Pen Show for this year and perhaps this confirms yes, they do have sellers and appraisers. Now, in terms of the second question, perhaps someone else who has been can answer the bargaining. What I have found is that pretty much many of the vendors who sell new items, like some who make pens, box stores who send representatives and set up tables, you may just pay the price for the item. Yet, not all the time and not every vendor, some do charge you taxes. It may be different on Sundays the final day of the Pen Show, I have never been there till the final moments and it may be then since they may not want to carry all of their stuff back with them. Don't know and that is a general statement as someone who has gone to other conferences which sell stuff.

 

Now, for pens, it might be different. If the pen is from say the vintage dealers or like I think Anderson or somewhere like that you might be able to get a deal. Along with selling new items, you may be familiar I think the husband also has a tray or two of pens which he is selling alongside the inks and tuning supplies the wife or the woman who comes with him is selling. In any case, if it is done, (bargaining) I do not have any direct knowledge. I only remember for instance being interested in a pen which is no longer in production and being told that the person would give me a good deal. For places like Franklin-Christoph, which is here in North Carolina, you may just not have to pay shipping or tax. Ryan Krusac, also a wooden pen maker, for lack of a better description, charges taxes as I purchased one of his pens recently at the ATL Pen show and was charged NC tax.

With vintage pens, you might indeed be able to bargain, depending on how shrewd you are and how much the seller wants the pen to be sold.

Here is this year's information. There are also workshops offered.

 

http://www.trianglepenshow.com/

 

The organizer info is on the contact page of the site. Tim is really amiable and may be able to answer better. He has been organizing it for 15 years and this year it will just be held at a different hotel. You can call him, or email him and perhaps find out definitively.

I too purchase all of my items online. Goulet, Anderson, etc. I go, including this year upcoming to simply see some stuff which I may have wanted to get a better look at after seeing it online. Also, simply to be around others where ALL of this does not seem peculiar. You tell someone you just bought a pen and perhaps what you paid or it has a particular favorite nib you enjoy, or some ink, etc. and you don't get the eye roll as if it is the strangest thing ever. Hope in all this rambling something of value is found. I too am excited, I am trying hard to not make any frivolous purchases beforehand in the hopes I might purchase yet another bottle of red or purple ink. No pen though, covered that one last month.

[akrohn2010]

Thank you for the help! I think I might jump down the vintage pen rabbit hole at this show. I have held off on vintage pens due to my lack of knowledge and not knowing what I like - this seems like a great chance to fix both!

 

High on my list right now are a Parker Vac and maybe a couple of Esterbrooks...but will have to see what is for sale there and how things look in person.

Edited May 9, 2018 by AK-47

[fountainpenlady]

Thank you for the help! I think I might jump down the vintage pen rabbit hole at this show. I have held off on vintage pens due to my lack of knowledge and not knowing what I like - this seems like a great chance to fix both!

 

High on my list right now are a Parker Vac and maybe a couple of Esterbrooks...but will have to see what is for sale there and how things look in person.

Great! I wish you well and happy hunting as we like to say. I can hardly wait myself. Having gone to the Atlanta one, I will be happy to return to attending one which is smaller and perhaps less congested. The aisles for perusing, hunting, looking, seeking can get pretty congested with people so try to not take something along like a backpack which takes up additional room. The space for walking is pretty narrow as you try to see much, if not everything being offered. I can never understand why people who attend bring along their old school backpacks to a place where with the aisles set up with tables and people alike they hinder others. One of my pet peeves as you can probably tell. In any case, do enjoy and I hope you find exactly what you are seeking. The vintage tables will be easy to spot. Unless it has changed, you should find several on the perimeter outside of the main area, as well as at a few tables inside. Take Care

 

fountainpenlady

[fountainpenlady]

AK-47,

If you are still getting this thread, found this on Facebook and since you plan to look at vintage fountain pens, hope this is of help.

 

Indy-Pen-Dance shared a post.

8 mins ·

Brian has a great post here and something to consider when buying pens. Unless you buy from a restorer that you know and trust their work, consider all pens you purchase to need restoration. You should also consider that when negotiating price as well. The word restored is quite ambiguous, and someone could consider polishing a pen as restored without regard to the inside.

‎Brian McQueen‎ to Fountain Pens

October 30, 2016

Public Service Announcement from the Repair Bench:

ALWAYS restore pens found in the wild if you are planning to use them.

Don't be fooled into thinking you don't have to restore a pen when you find one in the wild and it fills. Case in point, a Sheaffer Snorkel that is on my repair bench right now. This pen still had the nib grade sticker on the section, but had clearly been used a couple of times. It fills perfectly and writes. But, having experience with pens like these, I knew I had to take it apart. Below is a picture of what the sac looks like when you squeeze it. If I had decided to use this pen, it would have only been a short matter of time before these cracks ripped open and ink got all over the inside of the pen, potentially ruining a shirt and rusting the metal parts inside the pen.

LikeShow more reactions

[akrohn2010]

Just like buying a used car, eh? Assume everything you cant see might be broken. Thank you for the link!

[fountainpenlady]

Just like buying a used car, eh? Assume everything you cant see might be broken. Thank you for the link!

 

True. Yet, with a tad bit of chagrin on my part, we know one of the things we look for even in a new fountain pen is not to have to have a Nibmeister tune it right out of the box if possible.

We can also have issues with a brand new pen made by a manufacturer more recent than a vintage. In all of my year's loving fountain pens, I have only come across one fountain pen which I would consider perfect right out of the box. I stand corrected, I have had two pens, but only of one of them was not a fountain pen, it was a Montblanc ballpoint.

I tend to stay away from the vintage fountain pen table, simply because maybe two vintage things may not be ideal at this juncture in my existence, let alone the fountain pen.

Edited May 11, 2018 by fountainpenlady

[inkstainedruth]

For a Snorkel, I always assume that it should at least be checked out by a pro before testing. If you have a problem, you can wind up with a rusted spring (in other words, a WORSE problem).

For other vintage pens, it depends. If it's a Parker 51, I'll likely have a Vac model checked out -- but an Aerometric? I'll just flush it really well because I expect that's all it's going to need. Lever fill pens where the lever doesn't move? That's a repair job -- the sac has clearly ossified. But one where the lever moves freely? I'll test with water and see if the pen takes up liquid. Stuff with more complex fill systems, like button fillers, I'll have checked out if I know that they haven't already been restored -- especially if it appears to have a lot of corrosion around the button mechanism. Vacumatics I've gone both ways on -- both assumed they worked and assumed they didn't.

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[MG66]

I'll be at the show. My first pen show ever, and it's in my home town! Can't wait.

 

I visited the F-C factory a few weeks ago and picked up my new 19 and 66 models, and am very pleased with them. Can't wait to see what else I'll find at the show.

 

 

C

[fountainpenlady]

I'll be at the show. My first pen show ever, and it's in my home town! Can't wait.

 

I visited the F-C factory a few weeks ago and picked up my new 19 and 66 models, and am very pleased with them. Can't wait to see what else I'll find at the show.

 

 

CT

Too wonderful! Since this is the first time it will be held at this particular location, it will be like the first for many of us so we are all on the same fountain pen nib tines, in terms of newness this year. Envious. Visiting the F-C factory is on my bucket list. However, since the journey will be a couple hours, time enough to dream and drool, once I arrive there, plenty of minutes to dream and drool, spend $$$, I am resisting temptation for now.

Upon returning home, plenty of time to play with what was acquired, yet, continue to drool and dream some more about items left behind...

Well, you get it, too much dreaming and drooling for now. I'll simply go to the T.P.S. and know it will be far too crowded with others who even sharing the same passions as I do, dreaming is acceptable, however, drooling is rather unsightly indeed!.

[akrohn2010]

Have FPN members in the past made or worn name tags with our avatar from the forums, or some other way to recognize each other? Just an idea, would be interesting to meet those of you going.

[fountainpenlady]

Have FPN members in the past made or worn name tags with our avatar from the forums, or some other way to recognize each other? Just an idea, would be interesting to meet those of you going.

It would have to be our screen names here since we do not know our actual names. You get a paper sticky back name tag to put on your clothing after paying your entry fee. One year a couple of us did either describe ourselves or wore something which would identify us to each other. After that year, we did briefly discuss getting permission the following year to meet each other in a designated spot. The organizer gave permission when I asked him. However, there was no further follow up so the idea was either forgotten or abandoned.

[GardenWeasel]

I commonly write GardenWeasel below my given name. And I will be there.

[fountainpenlady]

I commonly write GardenWeasel below my given name. And I will be there.

I'll update you again on whether I will be wearing a hat this year for identification, o.k. and fashion more so purposes. I'll have to plan the outfit around it of course and make sure my fountain pens are all filled and match! Everything red, of course, no purple hat so far in my chapeaux repertoire.

[akrohn2010]

I commonly write GardenWeasel below my given name. And I will be there.

Sounds like a good plan!

[MG66]

I'll be the guy who looks like my avatar...

[Federalist Pens]

Look forward to this great show!

 

See you there!

 

Frank