Cologne Pen Show 2026, March 21st

[carola]

[carola]

Is anybody going to Cologne Pen Show this year?

 

It will be my first time going there and as far as I have heard, it is the biggest European pen show where vintage pens are concerned.

 

If a translation is needed, I can do that.

[Geert55]

I'm in need of a nibmeister so I might go, but can't find any info if one will be present.

Will also be my first time there.

Edited February 7 by Geert55

[Zoran Grbic]

I just set the date in my agenda. I'll definitely be going. I don't know if a nibmeister will be present, but I'm taking a couple of pens that need some love anyway.

[carola]

I have just talked to one of the guys organising the event. He said he wouldn´t know of a nibmeister being present.

 

But on the other hand, who knows? I would just take the pens to the show and see if an occasion presents itself. In any case, I know that my favourite repair guy from Vienna will be attending.

[Zoran Grbic]

On 2/8/2026 at 2:12 PM, carola said:

... I know that my favourite repair guy from Vienna will be attending.

 

I think you'll guess my next question. What's his address? 😉

[carola]

3 hours ago, Zoran Grbic said:

 

I think you'll guess my next question. What's his address? 😉

 

You have got a personal message.

[Geert55]

On 2/8/2026 at 2:12 PM, carola said:

I know that my favourite repair guy from Vienna will be attending.

Could you share his name?

[carola]

3 hours ago, Geert55 said:

Could you share his name?

 

Georg Grahofer, the owner of Wiener Füllfeder Werkstätte.

[DvdRiet]

I believe that Landsiedel will be there again this year and he was doing nib work last year, so presumably this year as well.

I'm planning to attend and I think a couple of other people from our pen club are as well.

[carola]

Some imressions from Cologne, before the pen show starts tomorrow.

 

[Seney724]

Love the photos!  Thanks!!

Hope you enjoy the Show.  Please post a report .......and maybe some more photos from the Show.

👍

[carola]

We are right in the middle of the show. 😁

 

 

[carola]

Back home now and the show was great fun. Everybody I talked to was delighted and the vendors were a quite international European bunch. Pen people from Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Denmark, the Netherlands, Italy, Poland, Bulgaria, Kroatia, Great Britain and probably a few others I didn´t realize were there, too.

 

I have also had two nights out with many nice and interesting people, a lot of pen talk and laughter, superb food and a few drinks, too.

 

I have seen and/or talked to 

Stefan Wallrafen (Collectible Stars)

Georg Grahofer (Wieder Füllfeder Werkstätte)

Tom Westerich (penboard.de)

Marco Tagliani (Omas)

Przemyslaw Dudek

Regina and Renato Martini (Martini Auctions)

Waldemar Susemihl (Wasupen) 

Jan Schubert (Berlin Collectibles)

Fritz Diesbach (bought a very nice Kaweco Sport pen and ballpoint set from the 1950s from him)

and many more whose names I didn´t pick up or forgot (sorry, my first pen show ever).

 

Among those I didn´t talk to happens to be @christof, which I really regret. I was sitting in the hotel bar of the venue, talking and having fun, when one of the guys (Martin) suddenly said, oh, and I am happy I was able to give a nice pen to christof.

Me: Wait... christof? Incredible Pelikans and photography christof?

Martin: Yes, he has been standing right over there until 2 minutes ago, didn´t you see him?

Me: Dang it, he was here? I have absolutely no idea what he looks like!

...and you were gone. I would have so loved to say hello and meet you in person. Maybe next year? 🙃

 

 

[Christopher Godfrey]

Oh, my gosh, carola: what a group of wonderful names the show attracted!  I did meet Regina Martini in London three weekends ago -- <what> a nice woman she is, too!  Several of those you mentioned I should have liked to have met (and I do need to write to Stefan Wallrafen).

 

Thanks for the pictures!

[carola]

11 minutes ago, Christopher Godfrey said:

Oh, my gosh, carola: what a group of wonderful names the show attracted!  I did meet Regina Martini in London three weekends ago -- <what> a nice woman she is, too!  Several of those you mentioned I should have liked to have met (and I do need to write to Stefan Wallrafen).

 

Thanks for the pictures!

 

There was also an older British couple, not vendors, not even really fountain pen people, but ballpoint collectors. I kid you not, they have a whole house full of ballpoints. And they are the sweetest people ever, I think you would have liked them. I spent a considerable amout of time with them over three days and it was sad parting again. But I do suppose I will see them next year at Cologne Pen Show 2027, which is scheduled to happen on March 6th.

[InkyProf]

19 hours ago, carola said:

Back home now and the show was great fun. Everybody I talked to was delighted and the vendors were a quite international European bunch. Pen people from Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Denmark, the Netherlands, Italy, Poland, Bulgaria, Kroatia, Great Britain and probably a few others I didn´t realize were there, too.

 

I have also had two nights out with many nice and interesting people, a lot of pen talk and laughter, superb food and a few drinks, too.

 

I have seen and/or talked to 

Stefan Wallrafen (Collectible Stars)

Georg Grahofer (Wieder Füllfeder Werkstätte)

Tom Westerich (penboard.de)

Marco Tagliani (Omas)

Przemyslaw Dudek

Regina and Renato Martini (Martini Auctions)

Waldemar Susemihl (Wasupen) 

Jan Schubert (Berlin Collectibles)

Fritz Diesbach (bought a very nice Kaweco Sport pen and ballpoint set from the 1950s from him)

and many more whose names I didn´t pick up or forgot (sorry, my first pen show ever).

 

Among those I didn´t talk to happens to be @christof, which I really regret. I was sitting in the hotel bar of the venue, talking and having fun, when one of the guys (Martin) suddenly said, oh, and I am happy I was able to give a nice pen to christof.

Me: Wait... christof? Incredible Pelikans and photography christof?

Martin: Yes, he has been standing right over there until 2 minutes ago, didn´t you see him?

Me: Dang it, he was here? I have absolutely no idea what he looks like!

...and you were gone. I would have so loved to say hello and meet you in person. Maybe next year? 🙃

 

 

 

Thanks for the report and the photos! I am tentatively scheduled to be in Frankfurt for several weeks in spring 2029. If this works out I'll have to try to get to Cologne for the show, it sounds great!

[carola]

4 hours ago, InkyProf said:

 

Thanks for the report and the photos! I am tentatively scheduled to be in Frankfurt for several weeks in spring 2029. If this works out I'll have to try to get to Cologne for the show, it sounds great!

 

2029? You do like to plan ahead, do you? 😂

 

As far as I have heard, Cologne Pen Show is always shortly before the NRW Easter holidays. Next year, it will be somewhat earlier, because at the usual weekend, there is already a huge trade show (or something similar) scheduled, that will encumber a good part of the city. So they decided to move it to the beginning of March.

 

In 2029, easter will be on April 1st, with the holidays starting on March 26th, so my guess for the pen show would be March 17th, but of course without any guarantee. Who knows what will happen until then. 🤷‍♀️

[InkyProf]

9 minutes ago, carola said:

2029? You do like to plan ahead, do you? 😂

 

Well, you know, one has to decide which shoes to take. It's a lot of preparation. Seriously, though, thank you for the information about how it's coordinated with the Easter holidays, that's very helpful!

 

 

[carola]

3 hours ago, InkyProf said:

 

Well, you know, one has to decide which shoes to take. It's a lot of preparation. Seriously, though, thank you for the information about how it's coordinated with the Easter holidays, that's very helpful!

 

 

 

Ah, March 17th, not March 18th, that was a typo - it´s always on Saturday. I have also corrected it above.