2014 San Francisco Pen Show

[JonSzanto]

I had a pleasant day also, glad to meet you if we met, hope to meet you if we didn't!

 

Say hi! I'll be working the registration desk from 8 until 10 in the morning...

[FarmBoy]

Farmboy continues. A new feed bunk, a bushel of chicken feed, a cow and a calf, three hogs, and a goat.

 

Then after some truck drivin' music he gets home and there is a raccoon in the trap out back.

 

Breakfast is at 7:30, see you there.

[FarmBoy]

I think this pen show may have just rocked.

 

It for certain was earth shaking.

[blINK]

Hope everyone is okay.

[FarmBoy]

Hope everyone is okay.

No, we hoard pens, it was sunny and 70 with a very light breeze, there was a quick million in new BMW hardware just outside and we were rummaging through a box of debris while being watched links animals in a zoo.

 

We may have a problem, but not physically.

[JonSzanto]

Farmboy, I can honestly say that you put a real California spin on the concept of a pen show. This morning may have been a bit over the top, but cheers for the effort!

Edited August 24, 2014 by JonSzanto

[ethernautrix]

I would ask for pictures, but I'm afraid they'll all be blurry. Hahaha.

[Mickey]

You know, when you grow up in earthquake country, as I did, (and spent your college days in 'hurricane alley') you learn to accept natural events with equanimity, if not a hint of a smile. Despite what the news weasels are peddling this morning, the heartening story is how well the various emergency responders are doing their jobs - this is typically under-reported - and how well most folk respond when confronted with this sort of 'inconvenience'. (In 1989, our neighbors pooled resources and barbequed extempore.)

 

What truly disappoints is the looting that always follows such events. Some people just aren't. Oh for that more enlightened age when looters were dealt with in situ.

Edited August 24, 2014 by Mickey

[ethernautrix]

Was there an earthquake?

 

I thought the photos would be blurry from too much, ah, fun.

[Liamtyr]

Well, I was hoping to come up to the Pen show today.....Unfortunately I am cleaning the gallon or so of ink off my floor in the office. Luckily no pens were broken but glass bottles on hardwood floors is not so pleasant. There is a nice yucky brownish blue/black, I think I will dub this color "Earthquake (bleep)"or maybe "San Andreas Screw You" brown.

[ethernautrix]

Whoa. I asked Google and Google said: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-28918600

 

Napa is about 30 miles northeast of San Francisco, but still... 6.0!

[Finalist]

Just left the show. I could have spent all day at the Nibs table testing the testers. Soft medium is the clear winner. Lots of very friendly people and it was great to finally see so much in person. Nakayas, Parker Vacs and Franklin Christoph. The FC 02 is bigger than I thought in a great way. The Vacs are prettier and the Nakayas are more impressive. I brought my 8 yo daughter and she made out with more stuff than me!

[Finalist]

One highlight was was watching Mike it work team up with John Mottishaw and they both were working on someone's nib

[EclecticCollector]

I could have spent all day at the Nibs table testing the testers. Soft medium is the clear winner.

I agree with both statements!

 

One highlight was was watching Mike it work team up with John Mottishaw and they both were working on someone's nib

Wish I could have seen this, I got there later than I expected.

[dms525]

One highlight was was watching Mike it work team up with John Mottishaw and they both were working on someone's nib

 

That had to be a treat!

 

What's the background story to this collaboration?

 

David

[dms525]

I was at the show most of Friday, all day Saturday and for a few minutes before it opened this morning. It was a great experience.

 

My catalogue of wonderfulnesses includes (in no particular order):

 

• I got to see and hold a lot of pens I had heard of, was curious about and possibly interested in but had never seen.
• Nib testing both the Nakayas at the nibs.com/CFP tabs and Franklin-Christoffs was a treat and very informative. The highlights were getting to write with John's "Formal Italic" Nakaya nib which I will now consider for my next Nakaya and writing with the 1.9 mm Music nib JoWo makes for F-C. It is so nice I might get a C-F just to get that nib. I would use it for display size calligraphic script.
• Visiting the various vintage pen vendors' tables, I got a much better sense of the relative availability of pens of interest and their pricing. I enjoyed meeting many of the vendors, and, even though I didn't buy pens at the show, the conversations I had with those folks makes me more aware of what they have to sell and more comfortable dealing with them through their web sites or on the phone in the future.
• I got 6 nibs tweaked to varying degrees by Michael Masuyama. In addition to pulling almost unbelievable wonderfulness out of my nibs, Michael is insanely knowledgable about nib structure variables related to performance variables and generous with his knowledge. I learn so much. The process of sitting across from Michael while he worked on my pens demonstrated again the superiority of having nib work done at a pen show through a face-to-face, real time interaction with the nib master. I have done this twice now, and Michael says he now has in mind my unique preferences for italic grinds. It's always a pleasure to talk with Michael and with his wife.
• As always, I enjoyed talking with John Mottishaw, Jonella and Shoshona about Nakayas and what they have on order. John scolded me about needing to keep my Decapod's feed cleaner in such a nice way. I almost didn't file this under pen show "wonderfulnesses," because I'm having an awful time deciding on which one of four Nakaya models to order next. I know it's going to be in Shiro-tamenuri. .... unless it's another Heki-tamenuri ... That heki-tame Piccolo was sure pretty! Drat!!
• I had delightful conversations with so many folks - some I had "met" online before, some I knew by reputation only, and some were just chance encounters. Too many to mention.
• I thought the hotel facilities and amenities were outstanding. I would specifically mention the restaurant. It was pricy, as hotel restaurants usually are, but the quality of the food served and the service were what one would expect for the cost, for a change.

Finally, my thanks and congratulations to the show organizers. The few things that i thought problematic were already in their awareness by time I talked to them. But, mostly, they got it right! The vibes in the show were very positive among both vendors and attendees, to my perception. I think this show was foundational, and I'm looking forward to another San Francisco Pen Show next year and annually thereafter.

 

Good job, guys!

 

David

Edited August 25, 2014 by dms525

[Finalist]

 

That had to be a treat!

 

What's the background story to this collaboration?

 

David

I was over at the Peyton St. Table when I saw Mike working on a nib at the Nibs.com table. Mike was using John's microscope. John came back and they began discussing the tipping on the nib, and then John sat down to with the nib and microscope. I wish I owned that nib!

[dms525]

I was over at the Peyton St. Table when I saw Mike working on a nib at the Nibs.com table. Mike was using John's microscope. John came back and they began discussing the tipping on the nib, and then John sat down to with the nib and microscope. I wish I owned that nib!

 

Maybe it took both of the masters because the nib was such a mess you wouldn't want it!

 

I can sort of understand his decision, but I wish John would do custom grinding at the show. I've talked to him about what I want on the phone many times, and he always has done a very nice job, and, sometimes, an amazingly wonderful job. But I am convinced it would be more consistently more wonderful if we could do a nib face-to-face, even once.

 

David

[Finalist]

Some more random thoughts:

 

nakaya desk pens are awesome! Not nearly as long as I imagined based on pics. In reality they are a great longer length, but not too long as I originally thought based on pictures.

 

Nakaya Naka-ai pens rule my desires. A hair longer than I imagined which is awesome. The sections and nibs are beauties.

 

I really liked the size of the Franklin Christoph 02 Intrisic FP. I've like the ice version for a while, and in person they are bigger than I imagined - which I like. Very cool taper and screw method.

 

other Nakaya findings: John's crisp italic is very crisp and requires practice to write with a fast pace! Obliques are very hard for me to use. Double broad tipping is the slickest thing not ice. The Spencerian grind on a Nakaya doesn't flex as much as my Namiki Falcon Spencerian.

Urushi Tamenuri is smooooooth and stand out way above other materials IMO

 

 

Pelikans felt really too light and breakable. Basically very thin plastic feeling. The nibs were awesome but the bodies were not my favorite. I find TWSBI bodies are a lot nicer for a piston FP.

 

parker Vacs and P51s were everywhere! I fell in love with the Parker Vac in blue with gold furniture and the blue diamond on the clip. I need learn the differences between Parker vacs.

 

my 8 year old daughter is asking when the next pen show is. She got a free Pelikan twist from Nibs.com, a free Rhodia pad from Bjory (sic: I'll correct the spelling later) and she purchased a faux sting ray finished FP from Peyton St. Yes, she is hooked hardcore.

 

I have a bunch of pics that I'll post later when I have attachment space.

Edited August 25, 2014 by Finalist

[Finalist]

The soft fine Nakaya tester did not flex nearly as much as the soft medium nakaya tester. Why?

 

I thought soft fine was going to be my nib choice for a Nakaya, but the soft medium has much more flex and line variation. The medium would produce very thin fine lines, medium and broad strokes where as the soft fine nib seemed to only do fine and very slightly thicker.