Great Pen Stores: A Quick Trip to Anderson Pens Chicago and Atlas Stationers

I’m traveling on a short family trip to Chicago this weekend, and I did want to report back that, yes, I made time for a pen-related excursion to two excellent stationery stores, Anderson Pens Chicago and Atlas Stationers. Anderson Pens Chicago is the Chicago outpost of Appleton, Wisconsin-based Anderson Pens, run by longtime friends and pen enthusiasts Lisa and Brian Anderson. Pre-pandemic, I had been planning a trip to both the Chicago and Appleton stores, but the world changed and the Chicago location was forced to close due to their location in the Palmer House Hilton (which was also closed). I was happy to learn that the Chicago store is now reopened and Lisa was in for the day so I was able to stop by and visit for an hour or so! Anderson Pens carries the full line of Sailor pens and Sailor Ink Studio Inks (which I stocked up on), as well as a wide array of other brands.

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Both Anderson Pens Chicago and Atlas Stationers feature a massive selection of fountain pen ink. Shown here is Atlas Stationers’ “ink aisle.”

Atlas Stationers is another longtime, family-owned Chicago stationery retailer (est. 1939!) that’s only recently become more involved in the fountain pen scene, including attending pen shows. I ducked in on Friday afternoon shortly before closing, so unfortunately I didn’t have a lot of time to look around, but I did manage to pick up some new inks from the Laban “Greek Mythology” line, as well as a sample set of the Ferris Wheel Press “Bookshoppe” Collection Ink Charger Set.

Next time you’re in Chicago - and certainly if you live in the area - you owe it to yourself to visit both of these stores. I’ll be making follow-up visits in the future, when I’ll have a chance to do more thorough photography and I don’t have the time constraints of a family trip. I love to support independent stationery retailers, and I have a section on the website where I archive past reviews and recaps of in-person visits to retailers.

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

Report from Chicago: Pen Show Highlights from Friday

This weekend marks the first time I’ve attended the Chicago Pen Show. As with San Francisco, I’ve taken the opportunity to visit yet another new show, all of which have their own personalities and quirks. Chicago is a traditional 3-day show (though some would argue the show starts with pre-show trading on Thursday night). The show opens to the public at noon on Friday, and as I’ve observed with other shows this year, the non-public days have been pretty slow due to a smaller number of people traveling in from out of town. I expect the public days - which attract more of a local crowd - to be busier and I’ll be sure to report back.

The main ballroom in Chicago (right after the show opened to weekend pass holders on Friday).

Due to rising Covid numbers, a lot of vendors had to pull out of Chicago at the last minute. Therefore, this year’s show feels a bit smaller and more local than usual, which isn’t a bad thing. Vendors I visited included Atlas Stationers, Papier Plume, Ryan Krusac, Good Made Better (Penwell), Desiderata Pens, Keith from Randomthinks, and more! Friday night featured an auction featuring 100 different lots, and some people walked away with very good deals. As for me, I’ve not purchased anything yet, since I came more to just socialize, but as always there are a couple of things I have my eye on. Stay tuned!

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Pen stands from Keith at Randomthinks.

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The Pencil Spiral: another Randomthinks creation!

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A case full of vintage Waterman pens in exceptional condition.

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Burl + Acrylic pens from Ironfeather Creative.

And, of course, since Chicago is one of the great American food towns, I can’t leave you without some culinary shots from the Chicago Pen Show, which has some of the best dining options within a 10 minute drive of any show on the circuit.

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As I mentioned yesterday, since I’m on the road, all Curated Shop orders placed Thursday through Sunday will ship Monday upon my return. For today and tomorrow (the two days I’ll be walking the show!) take an extra 10% off orders of $50 and up using the coupon code “CHICAGO21” at checkout! While I don’t have a table at this year’s show, I might have a few of the T.G.S.-exclusive Sunderland Pens with me, as well as smaller fun items like the new enamel pins I received this week. If you want to say hi at the show, the easiest way to get in touch is via e-mail at joe@gentlemanstationer.com, or just send me a DM via Instagram.

The T.G.S. Curated Shop discount code excludes TWSBI and Sunderland, per my agreements with those manufacturers.

Scenes from NY NOW and the National Stationery Show, 2020

Even though I’m sitting in my hotel room, absolutely exhausted after a full day of hoofing it through the Javitz Center and across New York City, I couldn’t let the day pass without posting some pictures from my adventures with the Vanness Pens team at NY NOW, the National Stationery Show, and Shoppe Object. These are wholesale shows, so much of what we saw is “to the trade” only, including some not-yet-released products, so photographs are limited. I can say, however, that I left amazed at the extent of what is out there in in terms of both brands and products that I’d never seen or heard of. This blog apparently has barely scratched the surface. We’re beyond blessed to live in a time in which makers have the resources to bring their ideas to life, and it’s going to be a great year!

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What better to kick off the show than a LEGO model of the Javitz Center?

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I also had the opportunity to visit Shoppe Object, a “smaller” show featuring smaller and independent makers.

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The other side of Shoppe Object.

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And it wouldn’t be a trip to NYC without stopping by C.W. Pencil Enterprise.

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I put together some colored pencil sets off the Caran d’Ache color bar. One for my daughter (and maybe one for me)….

Travel Tips: Packing a Writing Kit for the Road

I travel quite a bit for work, but one thing I’ve managed to avoid thus far is extended work travel, which I consider five days or more at a stretch. Not only is this type of travel a pain because I prefer to travel light and I end up having to check a bag with multiple days worth of work clothes, but I also have to be quite intentional about personal effects, making sure that I carry enough essentials with me to maintain my sanity while not over-complicating things. This latter part boils down to three things: stationery, books, and coffee.

My Travel Stationery Setup

Way back when I first started the blog, I wrote a piece about my “travel kit” that I took with me on the road, which consisted mainly of rollerballs, gel pens, and a pocket notebook. I updated this post last year, reflecting a bit more confidence in myself traveling with fountain pens, and adding the Nanami Paper Cafe Note B6, which I still maintain makes for one of the best travel journals out there. I figured that since I’ve kicked off January with nearly two full weeks away from home, why not revisit this topic again and discuss the pens and stationery I’ve chosen for extended travel, and how they’ve fared so far?

• Lamy 2000 Bauhaus 100th Anniversary, EF Nib. Since I’ve chosen this pen as my “2020 One Pen Daily Carry,” I couldn’t leave it at home. But a Lamy 2000 with an extra fine nib also serves as an excellent workhorse for conferences and business meetings. The Lamy 2000 holds a lot of ink, and the EF nib helps stretch the supply a bit longer. I unfortunately had to take a break from my Leonardo Momento Zero Grande, since that pen hasn’t fared well with air travel. The Lamy 2000, on the other hand, remains free from major “inksplosions.”

• Matthew Martin OG1. Maybe this is nothing more than recency bias, but paired with a Franklin-Christoph EF SIG nib, my newest Philly Pen Show acquisition is turning into a favorite. Its durability is a plus since I can pocket carry or bag carry this pen around a conference without worrying about damage (or self-defense).

• Kanilea Pen Co. Mauna Kea. I’ve tried to use my time at night to get caught up on journaling and letter writing, and my Kanilea Mauna Kea is one of the more comfortable pens I own for longish writing sessions. It’s also not a coincidence that the Kanilea and the Matthew Martin pens both accept cartridges, which have always been my preferred method of refilling fountain pens when traveling. Not only do you not have to worry about bottled ink or traveling inkwells in your carry on, but in my experience pens filled using cartridges are less susceptible to burping ink on airplanes.

• Montblanc Classique Rollerball. Always carry at least one rollerball or ballpoint when traveling. There will be forms to fill out. Without fail.

• Rotring 800 Mechanical Pencil. Along with a rollerball, I carry a mechanical pencil for drawing and reading notes. I prefer the retractable tip of the Rotring 800 over the fixed pipe on the Rotring 600, especially for travel.

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It’s not going to win any awards in the style department, but this BUBM (“Be Unique Be Myself”???) electronics organizer has been one of the better inexpensive purchases I’ve made lately.

The Nock Co. Sinclair still serves as my primary travel pen case, holding the three fountain pens along with a pocket notebook and some notecards. As I noted above, the Nanami Cafe Note is still my primary personal notebook, but this time I also brought along my Jibun Techo planner, my A6 Hobonichi, and an Endless Recorder A5 notebook for work. One piece of gear that I added to my backpack this time is this double-layer “electronics” organizer, which not only does an excellent job of holding things like cords, cables, and chargers, but also has loops that can be used to secure pens and pencils, zippered pouches for things like ink cartridges, post-its, and headphones, as well as a zippered pocket at the back large enough to hold a Kindle or a small notebook.

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Digital meets analogue? Cables on the left, stationery on the right.

Personal Observations and Requests for Suggestions

Because I write first thing in the morning while drinking my daily coffee(s), I’ve found that travel is MUCH less stressful to me if I can maintain this simple routine. It’s also much less expensive to not have to purchase decent coffee outside the hotel, not to mention more convenient than stumbling around looking for a coffee shop at 6a.m. (or earlier). People have been recommending that I do this for years, but I finally splurged on some inexpensive travel coffee gear, consisting of a collapsible travel kettle and a small hand grinder. (I’m considering an Aeropress but for now I just went with a simple pour-over and some filters that I already had lying around the house.) I don’t consider myself a huge coffee snob, but the ability to have your own coffee in the morning on the road is revolutionary, and I’m kicking myself for not doing this earlier. I’d be interested in hearing other suggestions for mobile coffee setups.

New York City Meetup Friday!

Speaking of more travel, tomorrow I’m flying to New York City for the 2020 National Stationery Show, and Lisa Vanness and I will be hosting a meetup with the Big Apple Pen Club at Grand Central Oyster Bar on Friday night at 7:00pm. Let me know if you’d like to attend so that I can give Lisa a proper headcount!

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It's That Time Again: Prepping for the 2019 D.C. Pen Show!

While there’s not really anything on my acquisition list for this year’s show - I’ve done enough damage to my wallet in the four shows I’ve attended so far - I’m still excited for the 2019 D.C. Pen Show. It is, after all, the “big show,” and the one that I recommend everyone attend if they can only do one show. For the second year in a row, I’ll be behind the Vanness Pens table near the entrance to the main ballroom, so please stop by!

So who all will be in D.C. this year, and what am I excited to see?

• Vanness Pens. Lisa is bringing pens from Faber-Castell, Conway Stewart, Opus 88, Kaweco, and Diplomat. I’m told we will have tester pens from Diplomat inked up for people to try at the table. As always, Vanness will have the famous “wall of ink” with brands such as Vinta, PenBBS, Colorverse, some Akkerman, Herbin, Lamy, Organics Studio, and Robert Oster. There will be clearance pens and show specials on ink, so stop by the table for details!

• The Nibsmith. Dan is back in D.C.! Appointment slots for nib work have already filled up, but if you purchase a pen from Dan it may come with complimentary nib tuning or even a free grind, depending on price. Dan is also an authorized Visconti dealer, and will have Visconti at his table!

• Anderson Pens. The Andersons are your stop for Sailor Pens in D.C., particular the King of Pen and Bespoke series! Also, be sure to check out the Wahl-Eversharp Signature Series, a smaller version of Wahl’s Decoband pen!

• Nib Grinders! Dan Smith is booked in advance, but others will be there including Mike Masuyama and Josh Lax. If having a nib ground or tuned is on your list of things to do in D.C., be sure to go and sign up first thing in the morning on Friday or Saturday.

Other vendors who will be present include Kanilea Pen Company, Franklin-Christoph, and Dromgoole’s. I can’t list everyone who will be in D.C. - this post would be pages long! - but rest assured there will be more pens, paper, pencils, and ink than you could ever hope to see in one place.

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While this picture is from the old location, it gives you a good idea of how many people pass through the D.C. Show. And this is only one ballroom!

A Few Notes on Pen Shows

People always ask me for my “best pen show advice,” and my number-one pointer is simply “have fun.” Don’t take the show too seriously, and don’t be overly concerned with seeing everything because you won’t. There’s just not enough time. A few other tips:

• Have a Plan, But Don’t Be Wedded to It. If there are 1-2 things you really want to see and know that they might sell out fast or, with respect to appointments for nib work, book up, then make these a priority and hit them first. “Time-sensitive” pen show items include Franklin-Christoph prototype pens, vendor-specific limited or special edition inks, and handmade pens from smaller vendors like Kanilea Pen Company. Make those tables your first stops, but afterwards take some time to see the show. If you’re going to hunt vintage pens, there will be so many your head will spin, so there’s no reason to buy the first one you see. Take your time!

• Pay Extra to Go on Friday. If you can, buy the “weekend trader” pass. Saturday will be crowded, and on Sunday the wares might be picked over. That’s not to say you won’t find good deals, but limited-quantity items will be gone.

• Participate in the After-Hours Festivities. Typically held in the hotel bar, “Pen Shows After Dark” is a thing. (Seriously, check out #penshowsafterdark on social media.) In addition to fellowship, camaraderie, and alcohol, people trade and sell pens.

• Don’t Forget to Eat and Hydrate! Self-explanatory, but easy to do. If you want to have the energy to indulge in the after-hours bar scene, you’ll need things like food and water. I also like to take a rest in the mid-afternoon, if I’m not working the show.

If you are attending your first pen show, you may want to check out my “Pen Show Primer” series, including Pen Show Primer, Volume 1: Why Visit a Pen Show; Volume 2: Getting Ready for a Pen Show; and Volume 3: Tips for Surviving the Pen Show. Also check out my 2018 D.C. Pen Show Recap to get a sense of what awaits you, and if you didn’t make it this year, what you’re missing out on!

See you in D.C., or at the next show!

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