Wrapping Up Pen Show Season: This Weekend and Travels So Far

October 12, 2022

I’m on family vacation this week, so I won’t be attending, but those of you in the area(s) should remember that both the Colorado Pen Show and the New York Metropolitan Pen Show (formerly the Long Island Pen Show) are both this weekend! It’s always worth the effort to attend. If you’d like to read more about what you can expect at a pen show and what things there are to do, check out my recaps from my 2022 Pen Show Travel:

Personally, my pen show travel is likely over for the year, so I’ll live vicariously through all of you attending the remaining 2022 shows. And for those of you who can’t visit a pen show this weekend, it’s 10% off all paper this week in the T.G.S. Curated Shop, through Saturday at 11:59pm CT, using the coupon code “VACAY10” at checkout. Many thanks for your support!

From Plotters to Paper to Ebonite Pens: My 2022 San Francisco Takeaways

September 3, 2022

In my main recap earlier this week, I talked about how the San Francisco Pen Show is a different kind of event, with a focus on classes, seminars, and community in addition to the typical pen show shopping extravaganza. Well, for all of those who have been asking for photos of my show haul, this is it, and it was a bit of a doozy. I rarely do “haul” posts, but I thought it might be fun to walk through my San Francisco pen show experience photographically, discussing each of my purchases/acquisitions by category, since what I ended up taking home from this show says a lot about the feel of the show and how I hope more shows evolve in the future.

Paper = Mostly Plotter

Earlier in August, I was on the fence whether to attend the San Francisco Pen Show at all, and then Plotter announced that they would be on-site with their creative director, Takayuki Saito, hand-assembling special-edition binders in specialty leathers that would only be available at that show. OK, I was in.

My yellow Plotter A5 being hand-assembled and adjusted.

At last year’s San Francisco Pen Show (2021), I was gifted the “Narrow” in brown “Pueblo” leather as part of Plotter’s US launch, when they sent out review kits to get feedback on the product in advance of a broader release. I’ve used my Narrow Plotter as my primary T.G.S. business notebook for the better part of a year, though I’ll admit it took me a while to get a feel for the system and discovery how it fits into my particular workflow. To be honest, it was more a factor of me being out of the “ring system” mentality for the better part of a decade and having to rethink how I could incorporate the ability to organize and shuffle pages around. Having now used the system at some length, perused the full range of refills, and visited with the people behind Plotter (both the U.S. and Japanese creative teams), I feel like I understand the system a bit better and there are definitely aspects that could drastically improve my research and writing process, as well as my daily capture of thoughts I don’t want to lose/miss.

Plotter refills and accessories — Plotter: Infinitely customizable. You can make the system as intricate or as simple as you desire.

I had my personal Plotter appointment at 11:56 on Friday morning. (The time intervals were very precise, which is not strange at all for someone who has tracked their life in six-minute increments for the past 17 years.) But before my booked time slot, at which I planned to purchase a Plotter A5, Saito-san’s own personal Plotter Mini-5 caught my eye. The Mini-5 is a newer size, at least in the U.S. Market: a wallet-sized Plotter that appeared to be wallet + pocket notebook + penholder solution for which I’d been actively searching for years. I bought one in grey Pueblo leather, to match my “aged” Baron Fig wallet.

Plotter Mini-5 compared against Bifold Wallet

Later that afternoon, as I watched Takayuki Saito - Plotter’s creative director - assemble my binder (A5 ochre/yellow leather with gold trim), I started thinking about the accessories I needed and how I would use the Plotter system. I ended up purchasing a wide selection of add-ons and different refills to set up each Plotter for the various roles I have planned for each size. While most of this will be featured in a longer series on Notebook Systems/System Techo that I have in the works, I’ll give a brief photographic overview below:

Plotter Mini-5 Grey Pueblo Leather — My Plotter Mini-5 in grey Pueblo leather has replaced my wallet since approximately an hour after I bought it. If you intend to use it as a wallet, you’ll need at least one of the cardholder accessories. The pen loop is also an add-on, if you want to carry a pocket pen. (The one shown here is a Penco “Perfection” Bullet pen - back in stock in the shop!)

Plotter Narrow Brown Pueblo vs. Plotter Grey Mini-5 — My Plotter Narrow (in more worn/aged brown Pueblo), vs. my Mini-5 in grey Pueblo. The mesh bags seen behind them are one of the more intriguing Plotter accessories that I ordered after the show, and were delivered yesterday. The Narrow will remain my TGS business notebook for checklists, posting schedules, etc. The Mini-5 will serve as my wallet and pocket notebook.

My yellow Plotter A5 - I’m not sure what this leather is called, or whether it will be generally available, but it’s gorgeous and about as close to my beloved natural undyed leather as you can currently get in the Plotter lineup. This one will age beautifully. I intend for this notebook to serve as a general purpose creative and idea inbox - a place to sketch out ideas before moving them into storage or figuring out where they will permanently live.

Plotter A5 vs. Plotter Narrow vs. Plotter Mini-5 — A Plotter group shot so you can get a sense of the different sizes in relation to one another.

Plotter refills in various sizes and rulings. One of the unique things about Plotter “refills” is that many are sold as bound pads that can be used as stand-alone notebooks. That way, you can selectively choose which sheets to remove and store in your binder. I’ll discuss this concept in more depth as part of a forthcoming review, but Plotter is not necessarily a planner system - you can use it that way, but it was originally conceived as curated binder system allowing you to carry with you those ideas that you’re currently working on, while archiving others elsewhere.

If you’re a fan of compartmentalized packing, bag-within-a-bag organization, etc., I highly recommend the Plotter Mesh Cases. Each case has a hinged opening that securely closes, two interior compartments, and while they are sized for the various Plotters (as shown in my pictures above), you can use them for an infinite number of other purposes.

I didn’t limit the “paper” theme of this show to Plotter. On Saturday, I scored a seat in the “paper tasting” seminar with Taizo Yamamoto and Bruce Eimon, and following that fascinating hour and a half session, picked up ten different memo pads full of unique, fountain-pen friendly Japanese papers at the Yamamoto Paper booth. I later discovered that the small square memo sheets can be hole-punched to fit perfectly into the Plotter (or any standard six-ring binder), should you want to keep any loose notes.

Yamamoto Paper Tasting Seminar Notes — My takeaways from the Yamamoto Paper class and table!

Yamamoto Paper Sample Box 1 — Of these five, the Sleight White and the Soliste papers were the ones that pleasantly surprised me.

Yamamoto Paper Sample Box 2 — I doubled down on Soliste, though the textured Air Mail Bond White was also a lightweight favorite. I’m going to buy some full-size sheets because I suspect it will make for excellent typewriter paper.

Yamamoto Memo Pad Boxes — The Memo Boxes themselves are well designed and useful. I really hope these become more readily available outside of pen shows.

Yamamoto Notes in Plotter — You can use a standard Rapesco or Filofax hole punch to insert notes into the Plotter system (or whatever standard six-ring system you use). Plotter rings are not proprietary, so you don’t need to purchase an expensive proprietary hole punch to use your own paper with the system.

While I was at the Yamamoto Paper table, I also spotted some of their Ro-Biki Notebooks along with a cotton wrap-style case. Since it’s a long-narrow format, the Ro-Biki notebooks caught my eye, and I picked one up for experimentation. While most Traveler’s Company refills are too wide for this particular wrap, I found that I can make the MD Cotton Letter pad from the B-Sides series work. Honestly, though, the artwork on the Ro-Biki is what drew me in (that and the rumor that they may be moving to the Soliste paper in the future, which I adore.)

The Yamamoto Ro-Biki Cotton Canvas Cover plus two refills.

Yamamoto Ro-Biki and Traveler's Refill — I love the details on the “Star Map” Cover.

The Canvas Cover Folds over and closes with an elastic strap.

Pen Cases = Mostly Rickshaw Bagworks

The other big piece of news in advance of San Francisco was the re-launch of the Nock Co. Sinclair (aka the Arguably Greatest Pen Case of All Time), in collaboration with San Francisco-based Rickshaw Bagworks. Rickshaw brought at least one tubful of the new Sinclair “Model-r”, one of which I purchased, and Brad supplied me with another for review purposes. The Sinclair is still an outstanding pen case, and Rickshaw has made some slight adjustments to the design (with more possible as customizations).

Rickshaw Bagworks Sinclair Mode-R Cases — The Rickshaw show sticker was also available - if you picked up a fortune cookie at the entrance to the show, the “Fortune” was, at a minimum, a free sticker from the Rickshaw table!

Ink = Finally, Some Wearingeul (Plus a Lot of Giveaway Freebies)

Later on Saturday afternoon, Jesi over at the Dromgoole’s table finally got me with the Wearingeul Inks. Once again, I’m blown away by how many different ink brands there are now, and how many new inks they can bring to market. Sure, some companies aren’t very creative and don’t pay attention to whether or not they’re duplicating colors that already exist, but others - like Wearingeul - continue to amaze me with unique muted colors that are interesting but still suitable for everyday writing.

Six Wearingeul Inks from San Francisco — I can’t pick a favorite. All of these are good, if not amazing.

Did I mention I can’t pick a favorite? The paper shown here is Midori MD Cotton - my new favorite paper for ink sampling, but in a test run Plotter refill where Plotter took A5 sheets and letterpressed lines into the cotton paper. Please do me a favor and e-mail Plotter USA ***now***, and demand that they bring this paper into the standard lineup. It’s amazing. For now, I’ll have to settle for taking the standard MD Cotton A5 pad and punching holes in it.

Nagasawa was selling Kobe ink for $10 a bottle on Sunday. Was I really going to pass that up? Plus I picked up a bottle of Ferris Wheel Press Mirror, Mirror of Moiraine, which I’ve been obsessing over for the better part of a year.

I swabbed for posterity/sampling far more bottles than I brought home!

Pens = All Ebonite

So, Joe, no pens? That was the plan, and I held out until Sunday, when I found myself eyeing Ranga premium ebonite pens over at the Peyton Street Pens table. Never having owned a Ranga pen, and loving ebonite in general, I acquired a dark red/black striated Bamboo model, as well as one of the Abhimanyu models in a green/yellow color. Ranga pens take No. 6 (and sometimes, No. 8) JoWo nibs, making them perfect platforms for nib customization.

Ranga Ebonite Pens Bamboo Abhimanyu — The Ranga Abhimanyu (left) and the Bamboo (right).

I love the color variation on the section of this pen. It’s what sold me on this specific piece. All of the pens are different.

I’m not sure there’s a color of ebonite that could speak to me more.

Nib Grinds = Further Exploring Naginata Styles

I picked up four nib grinds: two Nag-architect hybrid nibs with ultra-fine points from The Nib Tailor, and a Mini-Nag and architect from C.Y. of Tokyo Station Pens (who I enjoyed meeting for the first time!). The Naginata-style grind deserves its own post, so I won’t write at length here, but the grind features line variation similar to an architect (thick horizontal, thinner vertical), with less definition and a slightly smoother feel, plus the ability to vary line thickness depending on the angle at which you hold the pen. Different nib grinders use different techniques and have their own style, so no two pens will be the same. You really need to experiment to find your preference with this grind, which is why I’ve requested nibs from various people and will be doing a longer comparison post in the future. (For reference, check out my review of the Custom Nib Studio “Perspective” grind, which so far I consider one of my favorite Naginata-style nibs out there.) As an FYI, Gena is now offering pre-ground Naginata-style and cursive italic nibs through Schon DSGN, at least at pen shows. I picked up one of the former and it’s really, really good.

Once again, many thanks to everyone who made the 2022 San Francisco Pen Show such a great experience. I can’t wait to see you all again next year! If you have specific questions about any of the products featured here, feel free to reach out.

** I have strategically omitted certain purchases from this recap since I did pick up some cool things for upcoming birthday and holiday gifts. (The recipients read the blog.) :)

This post does not contain affiliate links or paid sponsorships, and unless expressly indicated otherwise, the products purchased here were acquired with my own funds at full price. Certain of the Plotter refills I ordered online were subject to a discount code that was floating around the show. The Gentleman Stationer is supported entirely by purchases from the T.G.S. Curated Shop and the T.G.S. Patreon Program.

DesignPhil Plotter Traveler's Notebook Table

2022 San Francisco Pen Show: The Main Event for the Modern Enthusiast

August 31, 2022

There is a key difference between the San Francisco Pen Show and pretty much every other pen show out there: Other legacy pen shows are primarily geared towards the “collector” or “hobbyist,” whereas the San Francisco Pen Show goes out of its way to appeal to true enthusiasts, or those who see stationery as an integral part of their life. Sure, there’s a lot of buying, selling, and trading - I enjoy those things as much as anyone and shows are a great place to indulge - but it begs the question: what do you do with it all? For those looking to lean heavily into analog and incorporate it even further into their daily routine, this past weekend offered a lot.

The Nib Tailor Setting Up Friday — The Nib Tailor (JC Ament) setting up on Friday. Note the space surrounding the table.

Creating a More Easily Navigable and Enjoyable Show Experience

Let’s start with the basics: the San Francisco Pen Show is incredibly well-run. The organizers carefully think through everything, from table layout to aisle spacing to food and after-hours events. And while the show itself is carefully planned, there’s still enough flexibility to allow vendors to experiment with the user experience. For example, this year Atelier Musubi “inverted” their three tables into a horseshoe shape, essentially creating a “shop” where you could walk in and explore their offerings. (You can watch my walkthrough video here.) The ballroom certainly became crowded at points during the weekend, especially on Saturday, but I never witnessed the kind of congestion and table backups I’ve seen at many other shows, except maybe at the Toyooka Craft table on Friday, which is another story…. More on that below.

I basically learned to make an inky mess at Leigh’s first class (Mad Scientist Mode).

Seminars, Meetups, and Classes Throughout the Weekend

While most pen shows these days offer classes and seminars, the roster is fairly predictable and rarely ventures beyond vintage-pen education (repair, history, etc.) and calligraphy. Don’t get me wrong - these events should exist and often see strong attendance, but the range of interests in the pen community is far more diverse. An example of what else is possible: San Francisco featured free seminars that included an “Introduction to System Techo” (i.e., how to use Japanese-style notebook systems) and “Paperchase!”, a paper-related class by Daryl Lim of notebook-maker Atelier Musubi. In addition to calligraphy, paid classes included multiple journaling workshops, a class on sketchnoting, class on travel sketching and ink washing, a workshop on modifying Pilot Parallel calligraphy pens, and more.

Please don’t balk at paying class “tuition”. In addition to compensating the teachers for the time spent in organizing and putting on the seminar, it often includes a full toolkit that you can take home to continue whatever it is you learn that day.

As I noted on Saturday, I attended two journaling workshops: “Mad Scientist Mode ON” and “Notes to Self” by Leigh Reyes, both of which were excellent and focused on visual and nontraditional journaling exercises, in addition to just having fun playing with inks an paper in ways most people wouldn’t think you could. I also sat in on the System Techo seminar by April from DesignPhil (parent company of Traveler’s Company and Plotter USA), which I found fascinating as she not only talked about products but the results of the interviews they conducted with individuals who used them. I came away with plenty of ideas not just for more content I can bring you but how I plan to use my own notebooks more on an everyday basis. Finally, I attended “Every Paper Has Its Origin Story,” by Taizo Yamamoto (of Yamamoto Paper) and Bruce Eimon, which allowed participants to sample and learn the details/origins of eighteen different Japanese specialty writing papers. (I visited the Yamamoto Paper table after the class and took home samples of ten of them - there’s a LOT out there beyond Tomoe River, and I personally wouldn’t have known about any of them absent this class.)

Wearingeul Ink Dromgoole's — I spent some time exploring the ink racks at the Dromgoole’s tables, and ended up coming away with some Wearingeul inks. (Finally!)

And, of Course, There Was Shopping

The San Francisco Pen Show is famous for drawing vendors and brands from Japan, and while this year’s show didn’t quite hit pre-2020 levels of international attendance, Toyooka Craft, Nagasawa, and Bungubox all attended the show. Bungubox and Nagasawa brought plenty of exclusive pens and inks, and Nagasawa was running some crazy promotions on Sunday as they certainly didn’t want to carry any of it home to Japan. As you may have heard, the Toyooka Craft table was more or less stripped bare of all the pen chests and larger items by noon on Friday! Given the size of a wooden pen chest, it wasn’t something that I planned to carry home with me cross-country, but it would’ve been nice to have a look, y’all. :)

Ink Sorting after hours — No, I didn’t buy all this ink. Someone had a “free ink” box that was being passed around and I grabbed a handful of bottles and paid the rest forward. The things you see at pen shows!

I won’t go through the roster of show vendors who attended - you can view that on the show website - but I will make a general observation that I enjoyed seeing a focus on notebooks and paper that can be lacking at other shows. In addition to Traveler’s Company and Plotter USA (which make Japanese-style planner/journal systems and related products), Yamamoto Paper had two large tables full of specialty papers in both samplers and full-size pads and notebooks, and Atelier Musubi completely sold out of their high-end journals and notebooks. While people certainly bought pens, there was a level of excitement around the paper and paper-related events that I had not seen before at other shows.

Kobe Ink Nagasawa — Nagasawa brought all of their Kobe inks (Sailor inks in colors drawing on locations in Kobe, Japan), as well as many limited and special edition pens. This was a very popular table throughout the weekend.

Takeaways from the 2022 San Francisco Pen Show

If you can’t tell already from my Saturday recap and the discussion so far, I thoroughly enjoyed the 2022 San Francisco Pen Show. In order to stay relevant to the modern enthusiast, I would argue that pen shows need to accommodate a broader range of vendors and events, including more classes and seminars that focus less on acquisition and more on use. Shopping is fun, but the items I buy are meaningless to me if I don’t do anything with them. That said, I plan to do a further post this weekend highlighting what I picked up and why, as well as some nib grinds I had done. (I still have not finished unpacking.)

If my show description isn’t enough to draw you to the San Francisco Pen Show, I hope this is. Did I mention there’s a great food scene?

Will I be back in San Francisco? Absolutely. I try to plan my “show calendar” at the beginning of each year, and during that process identify the 2-3 shows that are “must-attend” events for me. After two consecutive “excellent” shows, San Francisco will replace D.C. at the top of my list in terms of priority scheduling, and I’m strongly considering reserving a table or two when registration opens back up for 2023.

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

Pilot Specialty Nibs — Pilot USA attended with all of the specialty nibs available to test!

2022 San Francisco Pen Show Recap, Day 1

August 27, 2022

Is it possible to get the entire pen show weekend experience on a single day? It might be. Day One (Friday of the 2022 San Francisco Pen Show was a whirlwind of shopping, seminars, and of course visiting with friends - some of whom I’ve not seen in person in several years. After commenting that the 2022 D.C. Pen Show had a somewhat lackluster energy, especially where it came to organizing and promoting non-shopping related activities such as classes and seminars, I was ready for a different experience, and after only a day I can say that the San Francisco Pen Show delivers.

Plotter USA Three Sizes — Three different sizes of Plotters, ranging from A5 (left) to Narrow to Mini 5. The Mini 5 size is a show discovery that I would not have discovered had I not attended the San Francisco Pen Show in person.

If You’re At All Interested in Japanese Paper and Notebook Systems, Try to Attend the San Francisco Pen Show.

Disclaimer up front: I’m a bit biased, since you all know that I am a longtime notebook/planner/paper enthusiast as well as a Midori MD and Traveler’s Notebook dealer, but this particular show has been a bit of an ultimate holiday for me. Not only does the vendor roster feature Traveler’s Company, Plotter USA, and Atelier Musubi (all makers of excellent notebooks that use high-end paper), but I had the opportunity to sign up for a time slot with Plotter and have them make a semi-custom A5 binder for me out of a selection of show-exclusive leathers. I opted for “Yellow”, which has more of a natural look that should age with a nice patina.

But what to do with all of this paper? While I use most of my notebooks for work notes, journaling, and writing, I’ve been trying to incorporate more creative use of my pens and inks. So I signed up for both of my friend Leigh Reyes’ workshops this weekend, the first of which (“Mad Scientist Mode ON”) was yesterday. The focus of the course involved experimenting with inks, papers, and other tools in counterintuitive ways to create different effects (i.e., spritzing ink drawings with bleach). Leigh also taught us how to make our own shimmer and “special effects” inks by adding shimmer particles of various colors and even glow-in-the-dark compounds!

Leigh Reyes Mad Scientist Mode On Shimmer Ink — By using micah particles, you can create your own shimmer ink by adding shimmer to your own favorite colors. (Use caution when introducing your own mixtures into fountain pens - this was done with a refillable fiber-tipped marker.)

What’s on the Agenda for Today?

In addition to trying to meet up with more friends and acquaintances, including saying hello to as many different Patreon supporters as possible, I’m attending a free seminar put on by Plotter USA titled “Beginners Guide to System Techo,” a 1.5-hr walkthrough of all the various ways in which the Plotter and its intricately detailed, versatile refills can be used. (I suspect that a lot of the concepts will translate directly to other notebooks/planners as well.) Many of you have requested specific site content discussing how to maximize the potential of your Plotters, Traveler’s Notebooks, and Lochbys, so I’m hoping to learn more and get some ideas so that I can better understand and recommend the products that I use and sell myself.

Plotter Customization System Techo — Be sure to stop by the Plotter USA Table!

I also plan to attend a paid class by Taizo Yamamoto (Yamamoto Paper) and Bruce Eimon, titled “Every Paper has an Origin Story,” discussing the histories, use, and properties of all sorts of specialty Japanese paper. While this specific class is currently full, if you’re in the area and considering attending the show, be sure to check out the class and seminar rosters on the show website. Stay tuned for more updates, and of course I’ll have a full recap this week with more pictures and general takeaways from San Francisco!

Show refills and the Traveler’s Company Art Toolkit from the Traveler’s Company booth.

T.G.S. Store Update!

If you can’t partake in the fun at the 2022 San Francisco Pen Show, we recently restocked on the full range of Midori MD and Traveler’s Company notebooks and accessories. There’s a vibrant culture that has developed around all of these brands, which you really appreciate at a show, especially the degree to which people use the products as designed, and integrate them into their everyday lives. It makes me proud to be associated with companies like these!

The Gentleman Stationer is supported entirely by sales in the T.G.S. Curated Shop and pledges from the T.G.S. Patreon Program.

2022 D.C. Pen Show Recap: Is "The Big Show" Still "The Big Show"?

August 10, 2022

For many people, the D.C. Pen Show has been, and always will be, “The Big Show,” (or “The Fountain Pen Supershow”, as it’s long been dubbed). For years, it billed itself as the premier pen event in the world, and certainly in the United States. It’s true - the D.C. Pen Show is quite large, and if what you’re looking to do is shop, it offers an unparalleled opportunity to meet makers, vendors, and retailers.

Newton Pens Table at the 2022 DC Pen Show — Shawn Newton had all kinds of custom pens available for in-person viewing (and purchase!) in D.C.

The issue I have is that I can’t stop myself from comparing recent D.C. Pen Shows - say 2018-present - with the shows from the mid-2010s, at the old location. I also can’t help comparing the D.C. Pen Show, in its current form, to the Baltimore and San Francisco Shows, all of which have maintained the “destination event” cachet that D.C. unfortunately seems to have lost. Certainly, some of this is beyond the control of the D.C. Pen Show and its organizers. The D.C. Pen Show gave up the rights to its old location after 2016, which I believe was the last show in Tyson’s Corner, after which the show moved to the Marriott Fairfield Park in Falls Church, Virginia. In the years since, there has been organizer turnover, with founder Bob Johnson passing away; the COVID pandemic, which forced cancellation of the 2020 show and continues to affect people’s willingness to travel; and this year, major construction at the hotel that closed the restaurant, deprived attendees of any real area to hang-out after-hours, and forced the show to operate on two different levels.

Aerial shot from the 2015 D.C. Pen Show.

Even after accounting for all of these logistical challenges, the D.C. Pen Show feels different than it used to, and the trend has been noticeable over the past several years. Fridays are much slower, with less visible foot traffic, even after they started opening the show to the public at noon. While Saturday this year was packed at points in the morning and mid-afternoon, there were times when it slowed down dramatically to levels I had not seen before on a Saturday in D.C. (While I had to leave the show on Sunday at noon, I don’t typically draw much of a conclusion from a show’s Sunday turnout, since last day traffic at any show is notoriously unreliable and always has been.) The majority of vendors I spoke with felt that both Friday and Saturday at the show were slower than usual and their numbers were down. This issue hasn’t been unique to D.C. - many people have expressed to me a general concern that attendance, as well as overall spend by attendees, has been declining at other shows as the year proceeds.

Schon DSGN brought the goods, as always!

How Much of The Change Is Driven by the Economy vs. Changes in the Pen Community and What We Expect from Pen Shows?

A big question I’ve been asking myself, over the weekend and in the days since, is whether the slowdown is the result of structural and economic factors, problems with how shows are run, or whether it represents a permanent shift in how people are attending and interacting at pen shows. Several people asked me for my opinion on “what the issue was” over the weekend, and I’m not sure I have a clear answer. I did spend some time thinking on possible factors contributing to lower traffic and sales, and this is what I came up with:

“It’s the Economy, Stupid.” You can’t ignore the effect of inflation, gas prices, travel chaos, and the lingering possibility of contracting COVID. People still aren’t traveling as much as they were in 2019, and certainly aren’t shopping as much, because they simply can’t afford to and are cutting back on discretionary travel and purchases. As much as we hate to admit it, things like pens, inks, and paper are largely discretionary purchases, and it’s difficult for many to justify taking an entire weekend at a hotel to attend what amounts to a three-day binge on pens. That said, I think it’s a mistake to write off all of these changes as “just the economy” and assume that things will return to the prior status quo once things go back to normal (whatever that is).
The Cost of this Hobby Is Rising. This is in part due to inflation, but also because in recent years manufacturers, retailers, and secondary market resellers have been pushing the boundaries of what people are willing to pay for pens. I’m not saying any particular cost is necessarily unjustified, but if the baseline price for a custom pen with a steel nib now pushes $250-300, if Sailor Pro Gears now cost $300+, if the new Esterbrook Camden “Polar Lights” is priced at $350 (I could go on), then people are understandably going to take their time in making a purchase, and will probably buy fewer pens overall, both at shows and online. What concerns me more is the secondary market and how the community interacts with it, raising the possibility that the pen community is in danger of becoming more like the watch community, where absurdly high secondary market prices on certain trendy pens and inks, as well as snobbery on the part of some of those who partake in the hobby, intimidate others from joining in the fun. (This is another post for another time.)
Some Shows No Longer Feel Like a Destination Event. In light of the economic constraints most people are feeling in their everyday lives, when they DO attend a show, they expect a lot from it. Not just in terms of opportunities to shop, but they also look for unique seminars, organized after-hours gatherings, and a friendly, welcoming environment focused on building a community. In my opinion, this is why the Baltimore and the San Francisco Pen Shows have continued to thrive. If anything, this year in D.C. confirmed that a pen show without a central gathering point for attendees, such as a functional lobby bar or easily accessible restaurants, is not an event that I enjoy attending. Sure, people attempted to organize smaller events after hours, but in a few instances these were done in a way intended to create the perception of an “in-crowd,” or the events/gatherings were dropped to select people on an “invite only” basis to create an air of exclusivity. That’s not what this community has ever been about (at least for me).
“Waves” of New Hobbyists/Enthusiasts Are Still Finding their Niche. A LOT of people discovered, or rediscovered, pens and inks during the Pandemic, when they were spending more time at home. Until relatively recently, their only interaction with the community was online. Many have shown up at their first pen shows, and have absolutely no idea what to do and where to go, how much things should cost, etc. It’s only natural to have some hesitation. We need to focus on creating a welcoming atmosphere at shows for new community members, and give them a reason to keep coming back to shows, as opposed to griping that the newbies “aren’t buying anything.” That will happen, as long as they stay in the hobby and want to keep coming back. Personally, it took me at least two shows to feel comfortable. In a way, I feel like we are “between waves” of new enthusiasts entering the hobby. Many of the “experienced” crowd that attends pen shows discovered pens in the mid-2010s, and are now scaling back on acquisitions because they are in a place where they (1) have nearly all of the “standard” pens in their collection they could ever want or reasonably use; and (2) are selective in terms of what they add to their collection. As I mentioned above, the new customers who would take their place are still finding their footing, and this will take time.

This year’s haul from the D.C. Show, focusing on brands I’ve not yet experienced, including Troublemaker Inks and Gravitas Pens, who where attending from Ireland.

What’s Next for Pen Shows?

The San Francisco Pen Show takes place at the end of August, and last year’s show was one of the best I’ve attended, despite COVID and fires and other logistical challenges. While San Francisco offers an excellent opportunity to shop from a wide array of vendors, it also has free seminars and after-hours events in the hotel for weekend attendees. I have a reservation to attend, and barring any last minute work or family conflicts, I plan to be there. I’m looking at this year’s pen show calendar as a sort of experiment documenting what works, and what doesn’t work, in a “new normal” environment and a community that continues to evolve.

I’ll close by saying this - if there’s a show you enjoy, and that you want to continue, go to the show, buy a weekend pass if you can, and support the vendors who attend. That does not necessarily mean that you need to spend a ton of money, or even that you purchase something on-site. If you value pen shows, however, you should make an effort to buy from those retailers who do attend the shows (nearly everyone sells online these days), invest their own time and money in making it a great experience, and when you do, let them know that you met them at the show, saw their work or table, and that the show played a role in your decision to buy from them. I suspect a lot of people are questioning whether its worth it to continue to attend every show, or shows in general, and this sort of feedback is invaluable.

TGS DC Pen Show 2022 Table — I enjoyed actually just having samples on-site in D.C., relying on the website to actually conduct any sales, which freed me up to visit with attendees and other vendors. I enjoyed meeting many of you! The cases I had at my table were made by Lochby, one of the main lines we carry, and I have links to all products saved in my Instagram Story Highlights.

T.G.S. Will NOT Have a Table in San Francisco

Assuming I’m at the San Francisco Pen Show later this month, I will be attending in my personal capacity. For those of you who picked up a T.G.S. Pen Show Promo Code at the table in D.C., it will be valid through 11:59pm on Sunday, August 21. If we met at the show and you picked up a card and lost it, just contact me through social media or via the “Contact” link on the blog and I will send you the code. (Honor System - Don’t share, as I want to maintain something special for show attendees. I do plenty of general promos for everyone throughout the year.)

The Gentleman Stationer is supported entirely by purchases from the T.G.S. Curated Shop and pledges via the T.G.S. Patreon Program.