2018 Baltimore Pen Show?

[MightyEighth]

Craig,

 

Thanks for the great report, and I'm glad you also enjoyed the show. The collector-dealer I bought the Parker 51 from also took notice of my jacket because he served in the 8th Air Force, though it was after WWII and in the Far East. A few others also stopped me to comment on the jacket, and I would have certainly welcomed a chat with you. Next time for sure! My next planned show will be DC in August so I'll be wearing something much lighter, though, likely a rayon Hawaiian style shirt. Maybe the one with diner signs if I remember. I'll make a note.

 

- Marc

[StrawberryJam]

I too had a great time at the Baltimore Pen Show. I have only attended this show once before, a few years ago when it was still by the airport. I have also been to Philly once, and DC twice.

 

I was impressed that this show was bigger than the last Baltimore show that I attended. This time there was one large double ballroom and another small ballroom, plus the hallway. The last time I went to Baltimore it was just a single room.

 

I got some pens worked on, bought some pens, bought some accessories, bought a lot of ink (shout out to the Vaness folks who brought all that colorverse ink with them!), and ate some pay-it-forward cookies as I contemplated how much ink to donate to Oscar's mission for the next pen show. I also got to meet Chet Herbert and Jonathan Brooks, which was really fun to get to see what custom options are available.

 

The hotel itself was very friendly to guests, which was very nice. I agree that parking in the hotel garage is expensive, but as others have pointed out, there were non-hotel options that were much more affordable.

 

Thanks to Bert for having such a well-organized show!

Edited March 5, 2018 by StrawberryJam

[EricTheRed]

I also had a great time at this year's show. I was feeling plucky so I avoided the high priced garages and parked for free on the street close to the Lexington market (admittedly a shady area but I left nothing of value visible in the car) and briskly walked about 6 blocks to the show. The show on Saturday morning had a lot of people in attendance. After speaking with numerous vendors, and looking around the entire show I ended up purchasing a great old enormous glass Levenger inkwell, a bottle of Noodler's Marine Green ink, a cool Write Notepad, some much needed Fountain pen Flush, and had an Aurora nib expertly tuned and smoothed by Linda and a Shaeffer Vac resaced and polished by Mike, both of Indy Pen Dance. The Aurora, which had a lot of tooth, now writes smoothly and flawlessly and the 1942 Shaeffer looks and writes like it is brand new. Linda and Mike are incredible. I also spoke with a large number of articulate, interesting and friendly pen people and less importantly got to see a large number of beautiful pens. Eventually, I went back to the Lexington Market where I concluded the afternoon with a tasty Jumbo crabcake at Faider's. I departed Baltimore about four and a half hours after arriving.

 

Bert - Thanks for the best Baltimore show to date!

[EricTheRed]

My bad, I had a Parker Vac repaired, not s Shaeffer Vac...

[CraigN]

Eric,

 

I saw you while your pens were being worked. If I remember, you said they you like Aurora pens but not their toothy nibs. Marilyn and I were the older couple that may have looked like we were playing musical chairs , waiting for our turn. We were possibly #18 and 19 in the line while you were around 15. I think you also had a brown Parker Vac. It was good talking with you.

 

I forgot to mention one other purchase. We cannot attend this or the DC show without buying a sample of chocolates from the Modern Chocolatier, Brandon Lee. We did this both days that we attended but have yet to begin enjoying the goodies.

 

I'll keep an eye out for you and Marc at future shows. Take care!

 

Craig

[MightyEighth]

Eric,

 

I saw you while your pens were being worked. If I remember, you said they you like Aurora pens but not their toothy nibs. Marilyn and I were the older couple that may have looked like we were playing musical chairs , waiting for our turn. We were possibly #18 and 19 in the line while you were around 15. I think you also had a brown Parker Vac. It was good talking with you.

 

I forgot to mention one other purchase. We cannot attend this or the DC show without buying a sample of chocolates from the Modern Chocolatier, Brandon Lee. We did this both days that we attended but have yet to begin enjoying the goodies.

 

I'll keep an eye out for you and Marc at future shows. Take care!

 

Craig

 

The chocolates! Yes! Unlike you, Craig, I was ready to enjoy them immediately. Just my luck, though, for each of the two times I made a purchase someone decided to strike up a conversation with me as soon as Brandon handed me the bag. It was SO hard to concentrate on communicating when all I could think about was the chocolate I was craving.

 

Marc

[inkstainedruth]

The chocolate guy goes to other shows.... I keep being really tempted by some of his flavors (although I tried a sample of the new spicy one and it was a little much -- had to temper it with a sample of the key lime... ).

Only one pen for me this time (a cute little 1980s era Pelikano), and no repairs. But lots and lots of ink, including bottles of KWZI IG Gummiberry Lamy Vibrant Pink, and Iroshizuku Kon-peki, and a bunch of samples (including the freebie samples of Krishna inks being handed out at the get-together/mini-classes thing happening Friday evening in the back hallway.

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[EricTheRed]

Eric,

 

I saw you while your pens were being worked. If I remember, you said they you like Aurora pens but not their toothy nibs. Marilyn and I were the older couple that may have looked like we were playing musical chairs , waiting for our turn. We were possibly #18 and 19 in the line while you were around 15. I think you also had a brown Parker Vac. It was good talking with you.

 

I forgot to mention one other purchase. We cannot attend this or the DC show without buying a sample of chocolates from the Modern Chocolatier, Brandon Lee. We did this both days that we attended but have yet to begin enjoying the goodies.

 

I'll keep an eye out for you and Marc at future shows. Take care!

 

Craig

It was great talking with you to Craig and also thanks for graciously letting me use the chair when I came back to check out the completed repair work on my Parker Vac! Great to put a face with a name. Hope you were equally pleased by the work done on your pens.

[hatedmind]

The Pen show was great fun, it being my first I was a bit overwhelmed, at first I just went around looked at the tables, and grabbed some business cards. Which of course leaves me with a few questions Im hoping someone can answer. There was an amazing gentlemen with a table FULL of shaeffers set up and even pictures from Shaeffer Canada, his father was I believe CEO of that division. Unfortunately I dont know which business card was his, or how to contact, I ended up not getting a pen from him ( i wanted to but my list of pens to get ended up not including a shaeffer at the time) and of course now I regret it! If anyone knows his site-who he was that would be amazing to me!

I ended up of course spending Way too much money but ended up having the time of my life. My Wife had so much fun, she wants to go to the DC show this year, and says this time we have to stay over night to go to the meet ups etc. (She was so so on the fountain pen hobby, now she is full blown into it, made me change the inks in her pens last night!)

 

Bert was a great host, and even remembered me from visiting his store, kudos to him for putting on a excellent show!

[inkstainedruth]

Did you look at the show website? There's a link called something like "Meet the Exhibitors" and the guy you're looking for might be in the descriptions. I know there were a couple of guys there specializing in vintage Sheaffers (one guy in the middle of the big ballroom -- the guy with all the Vac fillers -- and the other along one of the end walls in the same room). I don't remember the Vac filler guy's name but I've run across him at other shows (I seem to recall him being from central PA, if that's any help).

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[Laura N]

The Pen show was great fun, it being my first I was a bit overwhelmed, at first I just went around looked at the tables, and grabbed some business cards. Which of course leaves me with a few questions Im hoping someone can answer. There was an amazing gentlemen with a table FULL of shaeffers set up and even pictures from Shaeffer Canada, his father was I believe CEO of that division. Unfortunately I dont know which business card was his, or how to contact, I ended up not getting a pen from him ( i wanted to but my list of pens to get ended up not including a shaeffer at the time) and of course now I regret it! If anyone knows his site-who he was that would be amazing to me!

I ended up of course spending Way too much money but ended up having the time of my life. My Wife had so much fun, she wants to go to the DC show this year, and says this time we have to stay over night to go to the meet ups etc. (She was so so on the fountain pen hobby, now she is full blown into it, made me change the inks in her pens last night!)

 

Bert was a great host, and even remembered me from visiting his store, kudos to him for putting on a excellent show!

 

You're talking about Bob Everett, I believe -- the Sheaffer dealer. I don't know if he has a website. I do know that he'll be at the Chicago Pen Show in May, if you can't wait till D.C.

[hatedmind]

Awesome thank you Laura!

 

 

Do you know when the DC show is? I haven't seen any updated info on it? (my wife is hooked, she said right after we left from our day trip to Baltimore, so when is the DC one , we are going to stay the weekend on that one)

[StrawberryJam]

Awesome thank you Laura!

 

 

Do you know when the DC show is? I haven't seen any updated info on it? (my wife is hooked, she said right after we left from our day trip to Baltimore, so when is the DC one , we are going to stay the weekend on that one)

 

According to Indy Pen Dance and Richard Binder, the DC pen show this year is August 3 - 5 at the Marriott Fairview Park in Falls Church, VA (same location as last year I think)

[MightyEighth]

 

According to Indy Pen Dance and Richard Binder, the DC pen show this year is August 3 - 5 at the Marriott Fairview Park in Falls Church, VA (same location as last year I think)

 

That's right. There's a flyer out which was at the show and was posted on another thread. https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/uploads/imgs/fpn_1518971821__img_4095.jpg

[StrawberryJam]

 

That's right. There's a flyer out which was at the show and was posted on another thread. https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/uploads/imgs/fpn_1518971821__img_4095.jpg

 

Thanks again for posting. For some reason they didn't hand these out at the Baltimore pen show this weekend; I only saw the flyers for Atlanta.

[hatedmind]

is there a thread about the DC show yet? what is a Preshow?

[inkstainedruth]

 

Thanks again for posting. For some reason they didn't hand these out at the Baltimore pen show this weekend; I only saw the flyers for Atlanta.

 

I saw a stack of flyers for DC on IIRC the check in table. Admittedly, it may have been Saturday, about the time I was heading out (I don't remember if the flyers were there on Friday). I didn't pay much attention, because with the date change I can't go....

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[StrawberryJam]

 

I saw a stack of flyers for DC on IIRC the check in table. Admittedly, it may have been Saturday, about the time I was heading out (I don't remember if the flyers were there on Friday). I didn't pay much attention, because with the date change I can't go....

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

 

Oh, I may have missed them then? I didn't see them on the check in table but there were a lot of clipboards for all the event signups so maybe I just didn't look hard enough. I just saw on Sunday that the individual vendor tables had Atlanta flyers.

 

In any event, I just booked my DC show room. FYI the $119/night with breakfast rate is very good, and my recollection is that it sold out last year.

Edited March 7, 2018 by StrawberryJam

[aardvarkbark]

In any event, I just booked my DC show room. FYI the $119/night with breakfast rate is very good, and my recollection is that it sold out last year.

 

Not to derail a Baltimore show thread with more chat about DC, but this is indeed a phenomenal rate. I travel nationwide every other week and can't get this at a Holiday Inn Express, and their 'breakfast buffet' is four cereals and some juice. This is easily half what I would expect to pay at a Marriott.

[TheRealMikeDr]

 

Oh, I may have missed them then? I didn't see them on the check in table but there were a lot of clipboards for all the event signups so maybe I just didn't look hard enough. I just saw on Sunday that the individual vendor tables had Atlanta flyers.

 

In any event, I just booked my DC show room. FYI the $119/night with breakfast rate is very good, and my recollection is that it sold out last year.

 

With free parking too.