10 Things to Do at a Pen Show Other Than Buy More Pens

I’ve spent most of this week getting ready to attend the 2022 D.C. Pen Show, and while I’m super excited about the event, and especially about seeing friends who I only get to visit with once or twice a year, it’s always a struggle to avoid getting carried away. It’s easy to do! D.C. is the largest pen show in the world - definitely in the U.S. - and I don’t believe I’ve ever seen more pens, ink, paper, and related ephemera together in one place!

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One of several ink testing stations at a past D.C. Pen Show. I hope they’re back this year.

I regularly get e-mails from readers who want to attend the show, but are concerned because they’re not in a place where they can or want to spend more money on yet more pens. Will there be anything for them to do at the show? The answer to that question is yes, and I thought I’d kick off the extra-long D.C. Pen Show “weekend” with a list of things you can do at a pen show that (mostly) won’t kill your budget.

1. Take a Class or Seminar. While some classes (such as calligraphy) charge a nominal materials fee, there are currently ten free seminars available Friday through Sunday, covering topics ranging from pen history to vintage pen repair to modern “indie” pens.

2. Learn About History from Vintage Vendors. You don’t have to purchase vintage pens to learn more about them. Walking the show, talking to vintage vendors and private collectors, and taking pictures of those brands and models that interest you can be equally educational and satisfying. Just be sure to ask permission before picking up pens and/or photographing them.

3. Test Out Different Pens and Paper. Even if you don’t intend to buy a new pen or need any more paper, many of the show tables will have testers and product samples available for you to peruse. At my own table, even though I’m not selling on-site, I plan to have pens inked up and samples of all different sorts of fountain pen friendly paper on the table for people to test.

4. Visit the Ink Sampling Table. The D.C. Pen Show usually features an extensive ink testing station donated by retailers, where you can sample inks from various brands. Pro tip: I would highly recommend NOT filling your pen directly from public bottles of ink - you have no idea whether or not the ink has been contaminated or how old it is. Rather, use a dip pen or q-tip to swab a color sample into a notebook.

5. Meet the Makers. Do you enjoy meeting and talking with the people who made your pens and inks? Many of them will be at the show. Be sure to tell them how much you appreciate their work!

6. Write With Your Pens/Take Some Downtime. For some of us, any pen show weekend is a “mini vacation” that lets us get away from work and other obligations and do nothing but enjoy our hobby. So enjoy your hobby! Find a quiet corner, grab a coffee/beer/wine/water, and spend some time journaling or writing.

7. Have Nibs Tuned or Ground. Instead of purchasing ever-more pens, perhaps you want to tune or tweak a pen that you already own? Check out the list of exhibitors - there will be TEN (10) nib workers on site tuning and grinding nibs.

8. Trade Pens and Inks with Other Attendees. Every year, people come to the show looking to send under-loved pens and inks to new homes. After-hours events in the hotel bar always turn into a great venue for trading and/or selling your personal pens. Just follow the #penshowsafterdark hashtag.

9. Talk to Other Enthusiasts. While I’m admittedly on the introverted side (and most of us in this hobby are to some degree), I’ve met many close friends in this hobby, including at shows. Making the extra effort to socialize can be valuable!

10. Get Out of the Show and Visit the Area. You can only take so much pen show! In a larger show, in an area like D.C. or San Francisco, take an afternoon or evening to visit local shops, restaurants, and museums. If you’re there for the weekend, shows tend to get crowded on Saturday afternoon, which is always a good time to take a break.

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Come Visit the T.G.S. Table at the D.C. Pen Show

While I’m flying and will NOT have a retail setup (due to the last-minute logistics of attending), I will be bringing lots of pens and paper for people to see in person and test at the table. I will also be assisting with the D.C. Pen Show Scavenger Hunt, and generally available to talk and answer any questions you may have navigating the pen show!

Finally, today is the last call for D.C. pickup orders. If you want to place an order online for delivery at the show, please get them in tonight before 5:00pm US Central Time. Many thanks!

The Gentleman Stationer is supported by purchases from the T.G.S. Curated Shop and pledges via the T.G.S. Patreon Program. This post does not contain links to paid sponsors or affiliates.

In Pursuit of Balance: What's the Sweet Spot for "Oversized" Pens?

Almost exactly two years ago, I wrote a piece about the trend towards “oversized” pens, and how fountain pens were seemingly ever-increasing in size. I do think that things have calmed down a bit, with companies not chasing the extremes with pens as large as the Wahl-Eversharp Decobands and some of the ASC Pens special and limited editions. But companies continue to make oversized versions of many designs, and I sometimes find myself having to decide whether to buy the standard or “big version” of a given pen. How do I personally make this choice?

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Unposted, I find the Leonardo Momento Zero Grande to have near-perfect balance. But what if I almost always want to post my pens?

For me, by far the most important consideration when evaluating any fountain pen is balance. I use the term “balance” to refer to how the weight of the pen sits in your hand as you write. I like my pens to be either front-weighted (towards the section), or centered in the web of my hand between thumb and forefinger. Too much weight at the back leads to skipping and hand fatigue, at least for me.

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I love freaking people out by posting fancy pens. Yes, I know that posting might leave marks on the barrel, but (1) it hasn’t so far after 4 years of use; and (2) I don’t care that my pens look like they’re actually written with.

Even a very large pen can be well-balanced. For example, both the Leonardo Momento Zero Grande and the Esterbrook Estie “Oversized” have excellent balance unposted. (The Estie Oversize won’t post by design.) That said, both of those pens use a cartridge-converter system or lightweight piston to keep the pen from getting too back-heavy.

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The Leonardo Momento is probably just a touch too long for me to enjoy using posted, but it’s light enough that it’s workable to post the cap.

The issue I run into is how balance intersects with practicality. While there are always exceptions, it’s a general rule that unless you have larger hands, larger pens can be more difficult to post. The Estie Oversize doesn’t post at all, and the Momento Zero Grande sits at the threshold of what I can comfortably use. Even if the weight of the pen doesn’t cause an issue, pure length might make it look unwieldy. I enjoy posting my pens and nearly always have to do so at work. Most weekdays, I find myself running between meetings in different conference rooms, and I hate setting caps on crowded tables where they might get knocked onto the floor, covered with someone else’s papers, or, annoyingly, commented upon (“Why do you use that old pen?”) when I’m trying to focus on something else. It’s one of the many reasons why I will always love the iconic, yet extremely subtle, Lamy 2000. It posts deeply, is the perfect size for me, and looks relatively inconspicuous.

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Three of my favorite fountain pens that I think hit the sweet spot in terms of balance and practicality: From left, the Leonardo Moment Zero, the Montblanc 146, and the Lamy 2000.

Takeaways and Where to Buy

I have a decision to make. At the end of the day, modern oversized pens typically don’t fit my hands as well as the “standard” model. While there are certainly exceptions, the inability to post these larger pens without sacrificing balance, and the, ahem, “lack of subtlety” when using them at work, makes it hard for me to give them a regular spot in the rotation. Even though I enjoy pens such as the Leonardo Momento Zero Grande and Montblanc 149, I go back and forth on whether to keep them in my primary collection or sell them off in favor of acquiring what would be, to me, more usable pens in the standard size.

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I do think it’s important to push back on the narrative - often implied but sometimes express - that the “better pen” or “more luxurious pen” is always the larger version. Companies subtly push this by making the larger version more expensive, and the thread of FOMO that tends to run through the community whenever a new model or design is released encourages that nagging voice at the back of your head asking whether you’ll later regret not picking up the “more expensive” or “upgraded” version. Don’t fall prey to this - I certainly have in the past - because bigger is NOT always better, especially with writing instruments, and the best pen for you is the one you will comfortably use long-term.

This post does not contain sponsored content or affiliate links. The Gentleman Stationer is supported entirely by purchases from the T.G.S. Curated Shop and pledges through the T.G.S. Patreon Program.

Pen Problems: How Do You Organize Your Pen Collection?

I’ve done a decent job of not accumulating an excessive number of pens over the years. (“Decent” and “excessive” should be construed liberally, in the context of community of enthusiasts. Normal people would would - and should - still consider me certifiable.) That said, despite reviewing and writing about fine writing instruments for nearly a decade, I don’t have hundreds of pens, and possibly not even 100. I regularly give pens away to friends, family members, and those just getting into the hobby. I sell off pens that I can’t afford to just give away, sending them on to new homes where hopefully, they’ll be used and loved and won’t just sit in the case. But still, at the end of the day, there are pens. Lots of them.

Lots of pens that need to get moved around.

And while this isn’t an article about pen storage, it’s impossible to touch on “organization” without briefly mentioning it. I mostly use a combination of pen boxes/cases/folders to store my pens. I have one primary 36-pen “display” box where my most prized pens live, and the rest are kept in various folios and covered pen trays. I know some people who pick one storage medium and roll with the same case or box, so they have a uniform storage system. I’m not one of those people, and generally use a combination of different cases that fit into different locations in my office. This article from 2019 remains my most up-to-date discussion of my favorite ways to store pens.

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Montblancs and Leonardos, after this morning’s reorganization.

What I want to talk about today is how to “best” organize those pens that are in storage. I currently have my pens loosely grouped by brand, but not consistently. My 36-pen display case contains most of my favorite writers, and those are grouped by brand within that case. For example, my Auroras and Pelikans sit next to one another on the top level, but I also have other Auroras and Pelikans that don’t “make the cut” for the “favorites” box, and those are separately stored together in a different folio. While I enjoy having my favorites in one place for easy access and reference, I have other pens that I know go unused due to simple disorganization and the fact that I don’t regularly lay eyes on them. I recently had to move my office, and I can’t tell you how many times I came across something that I hadn’t seen in years because it was inadvertently tucked into storage I had forgotten about.

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All those Lamys line up pretty, especially the “propeller” clips on the Studio. It’s been WAY too long since I’ve inked them up, and I need to pick up a Lamy Glacier.

So what do I plan to do? As of this morning, I’ve started the process of overhauling my current system of organization, grouping all pens I have together strictly by brand. Most of my favorites will remain in the 36-pen chest, and certainly those higher-value pens that I want to give maximum protection, like my Montblancs (some of which are uncommon) and Leonardos (some of which are very uncommon). But others might get moved to, say, the “Pilot” section of another binder, so that when I find myself wanting to use, say, my Vanishing Point, I’ll also come across my Harvest Gold Decimo and remind myself to ink that one up instead.

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My very unscientific Instagram poll.

How do you organize your pen collection? I’m interested to hear. I polled Instagram yesterday, and while most people organize by brand, many organize by color, and a few by material and model. I also received several messages in which people suggested “country of origin” and simply “favorites” as options. Those who use or collect a single brand will certainly have their own strategy, as will vintage collectors who likely organize by model and date. To be clear, there is no “wrong” answer here. I’m merely satisfying my own curiosity, as I think through this “pen problem” to make sure all of my favorites get rotated regularly!

The Gentleman Stationer is supported by purchases from the T.G.S. Curated Shop (currently running an automatic 10% off sale on most pens, pencils, and paper!), and pledges through the T.G.S. Patreon Program. This post does not contain paid advertising or affiliate links.

To Eyedropper or Not to Eyedropper, That Is the Question

As part of this general trend of downsizing everything to a more manageable size, I’ve been trying to write dry all of the various fountain pens that I have inked up, and wow, is that hard to do when so many of them are cartridge-converter pens set up as eyedroppers. I go back and forth on whether, overall, I enjoy eyedroppering. While it’s nice to have the ginormous ink capacity, I’m not sure that convenience outweighs the various downsides given where I live and my current work/life situation.

A Bit of Background

For those new to pens, an “eyedropper” or “eyedroppering” is when you manually fill the barrel of a fountain pen with, well, an eyedropper directly from a bottle of ink. In today’s fountain pen market, there are two types of eyedroppers: Japanese-style eyedropper pens, which comes equipped with a valve system you can use to prevent leaks when you’re not writing, and the “converted” eyedropper, which is essentially a cartridge-converter pen sealed in a manner that allows you to use the full barrel as an ink reservoir. Eyedropper fountain pens can be great for those of us who do a lot of writing, as they can easily hold 3-5ml of ink in the barrel, depending on the size of the pen.

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The Schon DSGN Ultem Fountain Pen in Amber (right) is eyedroppered.

To Eyedropper, or Not to Eyedropper

At this point in my fountain pen “career,” I’m not as much of a serial ink changer and mostly enjoy using the same handful of colors, so I can appreciate not having to refill fountain pens very often. That said, the recent hot weather here in balmy Tennessee reminds me of the many downsides to eyedropper fountain pens, namely drastic temperature swings moving outdoors to the car to the office, which causes the pen to burp - no, belch, ink into the cap unless there’s a valve mechanism like that available in the Opus 88 series. For this reason, I’m personally moving away from eyedroppers in favor of other filling options, unless the pen in question has a shut-off valve.

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The sections of the Schon DSGN Engineered Plastics Fountain Pens come with o-rings installed. No silicone grease is necessary, though some people choose to use it for double protection against leaks.

For those who live in more moderate climates, or who view maximizing ink capacity and eyedroppering as a challenge they absolutely cannot pass up, there are a few things you can do to ensure that your eyedropper fountain pens behave and don’t cover you in ink.

• Add O-Rings or Silicon Grease. If you don’t seal the threads around the section and the screw in nib unit, ink will eventually migrate up the threads and leak. Silicon grease is inexpensive and can be purchased from many pen shops. You only need to use a small amount (just enough to coat and fill the area between the threads), and for the section, a thin rubber o-ring will work as well. (Schon DSGN plastic pens, discussed below, already come equipped with o-rings and “eyedropper ready”.)

• Fill ‘er Up! If you’re going to be flying with the pen, or otherwise moving between locations with large temperature or air pressure swings, make sure the pen is full before travel. It’s counterintuitive, but a full pen without any air in the barrel is much less likely to leak. The number one cause of fountain pen “inkcidents” is air expansion due to shifts in temperature and pressure, which causes air in the barrel to expand, pushing ink out the nib. For more on traveling/flying with fountain pens, check out this post here.

• Keep the Pens Nibs Up. The main reason I prefer the Opus 88-style eyedropper pens is because you don’t have to worry about this factor. I’m back to commuting 3-4 days a week, so my pens are going with me in the car each day. In addition to the wild temperature swings we’ve been experiencing, I’ve had issues with ink leaking out if my briefcase falls over or my pen case shifts sideways, not to mention if I’m flying and have to slide my carry-on bag under the seat or into the overhead compartment.

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Franklin-Christoph Model 20 (left) and Model 03 (right, orange pen) generally make good eyedroppers if you remove the converter and apply grease.

What Are the Best Fountain Pens for Eyedroppering?

Generally speaking, any plastic or acrylic pens without holes in the barrel or internal metal parts can be eyedroppered. (Metal doesn’t play well with liquid, though some people have had success with non-reactive titanium. Personally, I don’t tempt fate.) That said, there are a few brands that market their pens as “eyedropper friendly,” with caveats. Note that these will all require some work on your part to convert from cartridge-converter to eyedropper, as I’ve noted above, with the exception of the Opus 88 eyedroppers.

• Most Franklin-Christoph Fountain Pens. I’m partial to the Model 20, which has a slip cap and a No. 6 JoWo Nib. Their smaller pens that feature the No. 5 JoWo nib also have better inkflow when eyedroppered, in my opinion. (This is due to the nib and feed, not the pen design.)

• Schon DSGN Engineered Plastics Collection. You can read my full write-up here, but as I mentioned above, these pens come equipped with multiple o-rings to make them as eyedropper-friendly as possible.

• Most Acrylic or Ebonite Bespoke or Custom Pens. Buy a pen from Shawn Newton or Edison Pens, and you can probably eyedropper it, provided you add silicone grease or an o-ring. If you’re ordering a custom pen specifically to be used as an eyedropper, let them know and they may be able to design the pen to maximize the ink capacity.

I hope you found this post helpful! Going forward, I’d like to write more of this type of “Fountain Pens 101” content. If there are topics that you’d like to hear or learn more about, leave a comment or drop me a line via the “Contact Me!” page. I’d love to hear from you!

NOTE: We are clearing out a lot of our store in anticipation of a site redesign/redirection. Take 10% off all orders using the coupon code SUMMER at checkout, in addition to already low clearance pricing on certain items. Excludes certain brands, including TWSBI and Lochby.

This post does not contain affiliate links or paid advertising. Any third-party links are uncompensated referrals.

Mid-Year Review: Top Five 2022 Acquisitions

I’ve been more selective with my acquisitions this year, having previously pared back my personal collection and consciously taken on fewer items for review, preferring instead to focus on more in-depth consideration of those pens I do choose to write up. Mostly, this has involved further refining exactly what I enjoy in a pen and/or a nib that makes me want to use it every day. Somewhat surprisingly, I’ve gravitated more towards smaller, more streamlined designs, and my nib choice has moved towards those grinds with an architect/Naginata profile as opposed to the cursive italics and stock mediums that previously made up the bulk of my rotation. For this year’s Mid-Year Review: Top Five Acquisitions, I’ve chosen three pens and two nib grinds, all of which have been in continuous rotation for multiple months. To the extent you’ve not seen a stand-alone review of specific pens (such as the Stacey Robinson Navigator), look for one later in the year.

1. Schon DSGN Full Size Fountain Pen. By far my favorite pen release from the past two years is the Schon DSGN Full Size Fountain Pen, and I’ll include in this entry not just the anodized pens, but the “engineered plastics” collection as well, including both the ultem and PEEK models. Ian nailed the size, shape, and balance on this pen - it’s the ultimate all-day, everyday writer.

2. Custom Nib Studio “Perspective” Nib. Gena Salorino’s “Perspective” grind is one of the most versatile I’ve ever used, easily allowing me to move between an extra-fine and bold line within the same sentence, as necessary, depending on how I angle the pen. Be sure to read my review for some additional discussion on how the right nib grind can transform a pen from “meh” to one that you want to pick up and use every day.

3. Stacey Robinson “Navigator” Fountain Pens. A perfect example of why you should attend pen shows to find those makers who might otherwise fall through the cracks, Stacey Robinson’s “Navigator” fountain pen easily qualifies as my personal “pen show find” of the year. Featuring a size and shape similar to the Schon DSGN Full Size fountain pens, I picked up THREE of these pens in Atlanta - two in relatively rare Conway Stewart acrylics I’ve been coveting, and a third in a gorgeous beige striated ebonite.

4. Schon DSGN Pocket Six in Aged Copper. While the standard Schon DSGN Pocket Six has been around for a couple of years now, Ian has been known to bring one-off “show special” finishes to pen shows, like this copper faceted pen with an applied “antiqued” patina. (My challenge for the rest of the year is to NOT spend all of my money at the Schon DSGN table in the first fifteen minutes.)

5. Mark Bacas “Predator” Nib. Another custom nib makes this mid-year list - the “Predator Hybrid” by Mark Bacas, which combines a XXF tip with a reverse architect. I’m beginning to value versatility in nib grinds, including not only the writing properties of the nib itself but also the ability to swap the nib between different pens. (For this grind, I sent Mark a TWSBI Diamond 580 nib unit so that I can use it in any of my TWSBI 580 fountain pens.)

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My Schon DSGN Pocket Six in Faceted Antiqued Copper (right), next to a Pocket Six in Faceted Brass.

Further Reading

This post is the last entry in a three-part “Mid-Year Review,” which I typically do when I take my summer vacation every June. Don’t miss Part I: Favorite Review Posts from the First Half of 2022, and Part II: Favorite Shop Additions. For more general “Top 5” lists, check out the annually updated 2022 “Best Pen” Recommendations.

This post does not contain paid third-party affiliate links. The Gentleman Stationer is supported entirely by purchases from the T.G.S. Curated Shop and pledges via the T.G.S. Patreon Program.