Share Your San Francisco 2018 Pen Show Experiences And Purchases

[zaddick]

Hi All. The pen show is under way. I am looking forward to being there Saturday, but I also want to hear all about your experience and what you bought (if anything). Post pictures of the fun and tell us what you thought!

 

I'll add mine when the time comes.

[Lloyd]

Hi All. The pen show is under way. I am looking forward to being there Saturday, but I also want to hear all about your experience and what you bought (if anything). Post pictures of the fun and tell us what you thought!

 

I'll add mine when the time comes.

I'll try to hide my jealousy.

[zaddick]

If anyone reading the thread is going and wants to meet up to say hello or to see a specific pen of mine, please let me know here or via PM. I like connecting in the real world with new pen friends.

 

I also accept high value gifts or effusive praise.

[888007888]

Hello Zaddick. I'd like to meet up and will PM you. I'll be going to the show Saturday also. I'm part of a pen group. The group is very exclusive though. They've only let me join and they have a secret handshake. So far we have a total of 1 member. Me 😄. Let's connect in person. I flew up here to attend the show tomorrow.

[zaddick]

Hello Zaddick. I'd like to meet up and will PM you. I'll be going to the show Saturday also. I'm part of a pen group. The group is very exclusive though. They've only let me join and they have a secret handshake. So far we have a total of 1 member. Me 😄. Let's connect in person. I flew up here to attend the show tomorrow.

Message sent. For anyone else,bill likely be wearing a light blue t-shirt with a fountain pen patent illustration on the front. Even in a room full of eccentric people it stands out as a bit strange. Feel free to say hello.

[dms525]

Zaddick - Another SF Pen Show has come and gone (for me. I was just there Friday and Saturday morning), without connecting with you! We have to do better next year.

 

Anyway, I had a great time feeding my PAS (pen acquisition syndrome), re-connecting with old pen show friends and making a bunch of new friends.

 

First, my pen purchases:

 

1. I had planned on buying another of Ryan Krusac's elegantly simple Legend pens in some exotic wood, but he cancelled out. As many of you know I'm sure, he is holding a sale on his web site. I did buy a bocote beauty in the L-14 size. I am going to send Ryan a cap medallion I had made with a griffin motif. He will install it before sending me the pen. Should be very spiffy.

 

2. I bought one of Jonathan Brooks' gorgeous resin pens. He is going to make me a new cap for this pen, because I want one with a clip, and also install one of my griffin pen medallions. I'll post photos when I get this pen, probably within a couple weeks.

 

3. I had fully intended to buy one of the Kanilea Pen Company's latest models. The photos I saw were very attractive. But, when I got to their table, it was a different model that called my name. They had a Kilauea pen with a clip, and it's resin was just spectacular. I already have a clipless Kilauea, but I carry pens in a shirt breast pocket, so one with a clip is going to get on my everyday carry rotation.

 

4. I have had a Pelikan M600 La Grande Place for a few years. I like its material a lot, although I'm not crazy about the very plasticy reddish-brown piston knob. When Pelikan released the M800 version (my favorite pen size for writing), and it had a more attractive black piston knob, I knew I wanted one. That limited edition got sold our pretty fast, for good reason. The ones still available were offered for a bit more that I was willing to spend. Well, I found one at the show on one of Sarj Minhas's tables. It was not inexpensive, but Sarj was asking enough less than anyone else I had found .. I bought it. He swapped in a Broad nib for me, and I was able to sneak into Dan Smith's queque when he had a no-show and have the nib ground to cursive italic. Sweet!

 

I do have a photo of the two pens I was able to take home. Needless to say, they are way more beautiful in person than in the photo I took with my phone in my hotel room.

 

 

 

I bought some inks and paraphernalia, but nothing astonishing.

 

As for the show per se, the attendance was very comfortable Friday. I got an all access pass so was able to enter at 8 am (and I did). Many of the vendors were still setting up. Saturday was a mob scene by the time I left, mid-day.

 

 

 

There were a few new vendors, including several from across the pond. The biggest splash was made by Sarj Minhas. I don't know who first called him "the one man pen show," but I do believe it fits. His offerings were astonishing, both in total quantity and in the many rare fine pens he showed.

 

 

 

All three of the tables in the photo are Sarj's.

 

John Mottishaw was there with a collection of (I believe) four dozen Nakaya pens, each with a different nib, including a number of rather exotic customization, like "Broad Cursive italic with added flex." The table was staffed by his two assistants who were wonderfully knowledgable, enthusiastic, helpful and charming. They patiently answered my questions about a new kind of customization I've been pondering for a hypothetical next Nakaya.

 

 

 

I bought a few of Atelier Musubi's wonderful pen cases, as well as a journal, through their web site. (My review is on FPN, available for your reading pleasure.) I had a really delightful conversation at the show with Daryl Lim, the CEO, and bought a couple more journals, which I expect my daughters-in-law are going to love.

 

 

 

Well, that's enough for now. Maybe later I will share some of the other interesting tidbits I learned about new products, etc.

 

It was a lovely time, and I'm already looking forward to next year.

 

Happy writing!

 

David

Edited August 26, 2018 by dms525

[jchch1950]

David: A very nice report on the show. Congratulations on your new pens.

[Mardi13]

First of all, Hi David! It was great to see you at the pen show and I really enjoyed the dinner with Sherrie. Where else would you find a table of four who had all seen the film Helvetica? You know you have FPN rock star status with Hugh Scher of Kanilea Pens, don't you? His description of meeting you IRL was priceless.

 

This was my third San Francisco pen show, and these are the only one shows I have ever been to because the pen bug didn't bite until I got to California six years ago. I am only at Novice Level of pen geekitude, and I intend to stay that way as my funds are limited. Thus Im really not qualified to review the show. I havent been around long enough to know who are veterans and who are newbies, but Id like to mention one table I stopped at both because of their name and because they seemed a little...atypical in the ambience. This was the Brute Force Design table. I stopped because I like wooden pens, and they had some that looked interesting. I didn't remember seeing them last year, but I was in and out in one day then and may have missed them. The pens were made from wood salvaged from old US naval vessels. I didn't buy one but I liked the story a lot and the pens seemed well made. The pens that I liked were the all-wood models. Perhaps next time.

 

Last year at the pen show I had stopped at the Kanilea table and I had liked the pens and the design concept, and the proprietors Hugh and Karol Scher. But I dithered, and when I went back to them later in the day the pens I had liked were all gone. I did end up ordering one, but of course that way you cant hold each one under the microscope and compare them. I was determined not to make the same mistake this year and so, with husband in tow (not a pen person) I headed straight to Kanilea Saturday morning. I was interested in a new color based on a new photo, the Hanauma Bay. They had six on display and I scrutinized every one before picking the one pictured below. I also got another Franklin-Christoph pen, a black one with a stealthy gunmetal colored band on the cap, a bottle of the show ink, and two of the Musubi journals.

 

The one pen I loved but left behind was a Danitrio, it had the Moon Shadow finish. It was heart-stoppingly beautiful, but also had a (to me) heart stopping price of $2200. Oh well.

 

Heres my Kanilea pen and the photo that inspired it. The photo cant do the material justice, mostly because I had to reduce the file size.

 

Edit: I found a Danitrio Hyotan online just now with the same finish. Comparatively a bargain. And I like that model, I have a gorgeous blue one. The one at the show was huge, even too fat for me and I have a Genkai. There may have been an oopsie.

Edited August 26, 2018 by Mardi13

[zaddick]

This thread is awful quiet this year considering how many bodies were crammed in the show area on Saturday. No need to be shy folks. Sharing means caring...

 

I will try to get me thoughts up later today. It was a fun show. I am sorry I was not able to find as many FPN members as I would have liked. Luckily the show dates for the next 2 years are already announced so plans can be made for the future.

[ErrantSmudge]

I made a brief visit to the show Sunday morning and early afternoon. I went with my partner who is also a pen person, but not a pen show person. He enjoyed playing at the ink sampling tables, but didn't want to stay long for fear that he would be lured into an expensive purchase.

 

My visit was very targeted. I was there mainly to take some sick pens in to repair people, and to try out the Pineider Le Grande Belezza - a pen that was fun to write with but I ultimately decided was not for my collection. My pen budget is also tapped out at this time so I also didn't want to be tempted any further!

 

I had nice discussions with Bob Nurin at the Lamy table, and also the Rickshaw Bags booth. Rickshaw Bags makes a full line of pen cases, sleeves and wraps, and Mark the owner is a full fountain pen geek. I have a Nock case, which I bought before I knew Rickshaw made pen cases. Mark says Rickshaw and Nock are the only two companies currently making pen cases and sleeves from ballistic nylon.

 

While talking with a repair person at one of the tables, I looked up and saw Brian Goulet right in front of me! I just looked at him and stammered...."you're Brian Goulet!" He very graciously introduced himself, but it would have been rude for me to talk further since I was already engaged. So he went off, and I never talked with him again other than making a fanboy-obvious statement as an introduction.

 

I did leave the show with a few bottles of ink, including some more Monteverde Noir inks from the Yafa table. Their show ink specials are hard to beat.

Edited August 27, 2018 by ErrantSmudge

[charmedlife2006]

This was my third year attending and every year it gets better. Great selection of vendors, seminars and classes. I vowed no more ink but had to buy a bottle of the commemorative ink-nice color and good price, plus it was a special commemorative ink. What's not to like about that. I vowed no more pens but had to pick up a pen to play with the new ink so I found a Pilot Metropolitan with a cursive nib that I had read about. Finally, vowed no more pencil bags but I couldn't resist a locally made pouch that was being sold at the California Art Supply table. So next year, no more vows...just a pocketful of money! I always try to catch a seminar or two and a workshop so I must congratulate the organizers on having such a great selection. Last year I attended two days and this year only one. I'd definitely recommend the two day routine as being more relaxing and fun, especially if you are local. Plus last year, I spent hours just testing inks, which is a true perk of the show. I am fairly new to fountain pens so am reluctant to attempt any "meaningful" conversations with vendors but have discovered that, in the absence of a lot of customers, they are more than happy to talk and answer a newbie's questions.

[zaddick]

I think Brian is used to people at pen shows being a bit star struck. I think he takes it well.

 

I was more impressed with the fabulous and absurd suit Mike Vanness wore on Saturday. It was like bad curtains on the move.

 

One aspect I like about the pen community is that those who are famous are still very nice people and approchable. At the end of the day they have similar passions and like to talk about them too. It's great when people you read about are even better in person.

[Greenie]

I was too busy having fun to check any social media. I was firmly rooted in the real world of the Hotel Pullman. Had I looked at this, I would have looked for people to meet in real life at the show.

 

The show was a lot of fun. The auction was well attended by humans and one T Rex. Saturday was mobbed. Great to see such a good turnout. The Pen Dash on Saturday was a fun way to meet new pen people and to learn about new pen related stuff.

 

Pen pictures will have to wait - I am back at work at the moment.

[dms525]

I also encountered Brian Goulet, sitting at a little table outside the hotel coffee bar. We had a nice chat about pens, pen shows, pen show classes (which he came to SF for) and running a business when you have young kids. (You know, the pediatrician always is out front.) I agree wholeheartedly with Zaddick's assessment of "pen people."

 

As Zaddick said, it is not easy to connect with other online (FPN or FPGeek) friends. Maybe the organizers can set aside a time and place for folks who want to connect to do so. The party music is too loud for ones ear health, not to mention conversation, at least for me.

 

David

[johnboz]

This was my first time attending the SF show, although I lived in SF for three years and missed it every year. This year I flew in from Denver since I was determined not to miss it again. Verdict? Totally worth it!

 

Of course, there are an overwhelming number of pens to see, but it's still great to slowly browse the tables and soak it all in. Just seeing some of those amazing vintage and rare pens is enough to really make me appreciate what an amazing history fountain pens have. I enjoyed the ink sample stations and was very happy to see so many other people using them as well. I thought the Pen Dash was a great idea, as we not only got to get 15-minute educations about various topics from some amazing instructors, but also got to know the people at our tables since we all stayed in the same groups.

 

The social aspect was also a great benefit. It was lots of fun reuniting with people I knew from the SF Pen Posse, as well as making some new pen friends over drinks or in the hotel restaurant after the show.

 

I came away with two pens, three bottles of ink, about 10 different notebooks and a few pen cases, including the Rickshaw Bags show pen roll.

 

In all, it was a terrific event and it really has me looking forward to the Colorado show in October (although it has some pretty big shoes to fill)!

[JonSzanto]

This thread is awful quiet this year considering how many bodies were crammed in the show area on Saturday. No need to be shy folks. Sharing means caring...

 

Dude, I drove all the way back to San Diego on Sunday and had a full day today. When I'm at a pen show I'm fully there, meaning every moment is crammed with meeting and being with people, looking at (and occasionally buying) stuff and in general spending every minute focused on that. The last thing I do is waste time bonking around with my phone posting stuff!!

 

I'll put a nice photo-laden thing up sometime in the next day or two. Short on quantity but long on meaning (to me). Better than ANY of the purchases this year was meeting two friends of many years who I had never been with in the same physical location. Virtual is better than nothing, but actually being with someone is the best by far. I maximised those moments.

Edited August 28, 2018 by JonSzanto

[kernando]

This year was pretty good for bow ties, but lacking in kilts.

[Rhincodon]

This was my third year attending and my second year helping out at the registration desk. Saturday is my “gotta get those pens” day and Sunday is for slowing down, visiting the ink testing stations, chatting with people, and getting pens looked at. Saturday had over 600 attendees - and I believe that tally was just those who bought on that day, not counting all-weekend passes and vendors purchased Friday!

 

As always, I love the social atmosphere at the show. I’m pretty shy usually, but just sharing this common hobby breaks down my natural reticence and I chatted merrily with people I only knew through Instagram and blogs. Ralph (@reachingralph, Regalia Writing Labs) had a table, and while I missed out on his nibs for sale I was able to try some of his flex mods. They are really something amazing. (Alas, I print everything, so likely not for me.) Brian Goulet attended and hosted a meetup where he allowed all of us to take selfies with him. He even passed around his case of personal pens to let us take a look at them. He is exactly the same in person as you see in the videos! It was super great for me, since I’d been following GPC since the days when they operated out of their house.

 

 

Each time my haul gets more and more extensive. Saturday I picked up things I’d put holds on and went to go find unique pens. I’m really into the Franklin-Christoph Model 31, so I got one in Smoke & Ice with a fine cursive italic and had it filled with Honeycomb.

 

 

My must-see table this year was Atelier Lusso (@atelierlusso, www.lussopens.com). I started following them on Instagram and the work that Eric does is breathtaking. He gets great materials and builds clips and metal bands to accent the pens. I knew advance that this would be my Big Pen Purchase of the show. When I got to his table and my eye fell on this gorgeous Carina model in satin Flexigran with bronze materials, I walked around the room for an hour before coming back and purchasing it with an EF nib. Plus, it came with a Rickshaw sleeve!

 

 

It’s hard to photograph (with my phone) so you can truly see the material, but I tried.

 

 

 

Sunday was quieter (in comparison) so I wasn’t squeezing past people in the aisles. It also gave me a chance to stop at Peyton Street Pens’ (www.peytonstreetpens.com) table and ask them to look at a pen I’d bought from them that was having serious flow issues. Nivardo was able to solve it for me, hooray! I also had an appointment with Dan Smith (www.nibsmith.com) to look at another pen that wasn’t working right. Turns out it was user error; leftover glitter from Stormy Seas had clogged the feed. He was very polite about it, showed me how to remove the nib and feed for cleaning, and didn’t charge me. I gave it a good wash when I got back home and now it works perfectly once again, so many thanks to Dan!

 

I took my time and ended up chatting with Mr. Well-Appointed Desk (www.skylabletterpress.com) and purchased some awesome cards and stamps. I had to stop by Vanness to get ink, so I chose KWZ Gummiberry and Akkerman’s Queen’s Night Blue. Plus I got a pen case from Franklin-Christoph since I have three of their pens and my Sinclair was getting rather crowded.

 

 

All in all a great show, lots of new vendors, new people, fun times! (Also, whoever brought the homemade Chex mix with seaweed [?] on Sunday, that tasted amazing, thank you!)

 

[ac12]

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This year was pretty good for bow ties, but lacking in kilts.

 

That is what was missing :-)

[JonSzanto]

That is what was missing :-)

 

I was wearing a kilt under my skirt.