My 2018 D.C. Pen Show Journal

August 8, 2018

So this year's D.C. Pen Show was a completely new experience for me: I got to see the show from behind the vendor's table, working for my friends at Vanness Pens. How was it? Awesome. Don't get me wrong, it was the hardest "real work" I've done in a while, coming from someone who usually finds himself plopped down at a desk for 8-12 hours per day, but I enjoyed meeting customers and getting some real world experience in the pen business. My time behind the table meant that I didn't have much of an opportunity to browse the show itself, but on the flip side, lots of readers were kind enough to come by to visit. I enjoyed meeting all of you, and I apologize if I couldn't talk long. We had a crush of people at the table at times, especially on Saturday. So on to the daily recaps and photos, along with my impressions of the show.

Thursday-Friday

I arrived Thursday afternoon, and helped the Vanness team unload the "Ink Van" and set up the tables. Thursday is the true "trader day," when the vintage collectors take over the smaller ballroom and trade among themselves. This can be a great opportunity to pick up rare vintage pens, sometimes at great prices, before the show officially opens. I didn't partake, but did spend Thursday evening going to dinner and visiting with friends before the insanity started.

Ana came ready to sell some pens. The crowd did some damage on all these trays.

Friday at the D.C. Pen Show is the first "full day" of the show, where it's open to weekend pass holders only and when most of the vendors are set up. I always recommend that the true "pen addicts" attend the show on Friday, because its less crowded and because you get first dibs on the best stuff before everything starts to sell out. For example, I made my biggest show purchase on Friday: a Kanilea Hanauma Bay in the "Classic V" shape with a clip! Kanilea is one brand that I like to buy in person - all of their pens are unique due to variations in the acrylic, so if you can, try to visit Hugh and Karol in person and pick out the pen that speaks to you.

My Kanilea Pen Company Hanauma Bay, in the "Classic V" Shape with sterling silver clip.

Saturday

One word to describe Saturday at the D.C. Pen Show, pretty much every year: insane.

The Colorverse Ink started the show stacked three boxes deep on most colors, but was mostly sold out by Sunday morning.

Being behind the table compounded the insanity. I didn't even get a chance to walk into the main ballroom and see how crowded the show floor actually was, but based on the number of people we saw out front at the Vanness table, and how well most vendors claimed to be doing, I suspect attendance was excellent. Saturday night I was so tired that I crashed right away after dinner and missed most of the fun at the bar. I had intended to come back downstairs and visit after calling home to check in, but it just didn't happen. Good thing, too, because I still had another full day of pen-showing to do.

Some scary-looking dude set up next to us. We made sure to stay away from him for most of the weekend. Then they gave me a pen case and a pencil pouch to take home to review, so it turned out ok.

So what did I do all day Saturday? Sold pens and talked to people! Here's what was selling at the show:

Opus 88 Fountain Pens. The Koloro and Fantasia models sold like crazy. Once people had the chance to handle these pens in person, more often than not they bought one. These Japanese-style eyedroppers make great daily writers, especially at the price point. Vanness loaned me a Picnic and Fantasia for review, so look for these in the future, perhaps as a new installment to the "Workhorse Pens" series.
Colorverse Inks. Everyone is still going crazy for Colorverse, especially the Season Three and Four Inks (Schrodinger/Cat and Felicette), as well as the new limited edition Hayabusa purple. Several of you bought four-plus boxes!
Benu Pens. Another unique brand out of Russia that people fall for after seeing the pens in person, especially if you're looking for something sparkly with an uncommon shape. And we sold the glow-in-the-dark pen!
Kaweco. Kaweco pens continue to be extremely popular with both new and experienced fountain pen users. Everyone loves their Kawecos, and we even sold a few of the newly released Art Sport series.
Aurora Optima Flex Pens. Buy your Optima Flex pens in the limited edition colors now, because once these pens are gone, they're gone. The bright orange one went quickly, though that yellow is calling my name...
Ink in General. Vanness brings a huge selection of ink to shows, and in addition to the Colorverse, I can't tell you how much Akkerman, Robert Oster, PenBBS, Bungubox, and KWZ ink we sold throughout the weekend. Let's just say the Ink Van's going to be much lighter going home.

The 2018 Kaweco Art Sport Models, available in Dark Blue, Metallic Green (which is more of a marbled green than what I'd consider true "metallic"), Pearl Orange, and Real Blue.

Kenro "soft launched" the new series of Esterbrook pens at the 2018 D.C. Pen Show. They sport a much more classic design than the first round of modern Esterbrooks.

The "new" Esterbrook logo. Look familiar?

What's that?!? A vintage Esterbrook nib in the section of one of the new pens?

And, for all of you who asked, those Wing Sung "tester" pens that we had on the table are the Model 3008, which can be bought in packs of four online.

Sunday

As always, Sunday around the table was quieter than Saturday, and Lisa was kind enough to cut me loose for an hour so I could make the rounds and see some of what other vendors and manufacturers had to offer. Here were the highlights:

Syahi Pens. Before I left for the show, I was contacted by Syahi, a new brand out of India that has introduced a range of wooden pens with flex and semi-flex nibs, both of which I got to try out. I took a semi-flex Syahi Monarch home with me, so look for a review.
New Esterbrooks. Ever since Kenro purchased Esterbrook this past Spring, I've been waiting to see their new models (photos above). They didn't disappoint, and the new pens that will be coming soon are much more in line with vintage Esterbrook design than the pens that caused so much controversy a couple years ago.
Penlux. I picked up a nice ebonite pen from Penlux, a Taiwanese company that I hadn't seen before at previous D.C. Shows. Look for shops to start carrying them soon - I suspect they were there to meet with retailers and showcase their wares. Overall, the pens looked nice and well made, with a price point similar to Opus 88.

Gabe and Vito from Story Supply Co. brought the beach with them, which was nice since most of us didn't get outside all weekend. — Gabe and Vito from **Story Supply Co.** brought the beach with them, which was nice since most of us didn't get outside all weekend.

Penlux had their piston fillers for sale, along with a demonstration of how the mechanism was built.

Final Thoughts and Takeaways from 2018

This was a great D.C. Pen Show - one of the best I've attended - and a marked improvement over last year's logistical nightmare. I still prefer the old venue, but the new location might be permanent due to rate increases. So it goes. Look for plenty of new review material starting this weekend as I get back on track. In the meantime, enjoy everyone's show recaps, which should be hitting the blogs and instagram this week!

And, of course, the aftermath of this year's D.C. Pen Show, when you get home and unload your bag of things you bought and things you brought for show-and-tell.

Disclaimer: This post contains links to paid sponsors and affiliates.

Notebook Review: Stifflexible Notebooks

August 1, 2018

At this year's Atlanta Pen Show (way back in April, yes I know) I had the opportunity to check out Italian brand Stifflexible's updated line of notebooks. The primary selling point of Stifflexible Notebooks is the cover: it's a hardcover notebook that "flexes," making it easier to cram into an overstuffed briefcase or backpack without permanently damaging the cover. Not a major selling point for everybody, but I can see where it could come in handy for certain people. Stifflexible notebooks are made by the same company as Giuliano Mazzuoli pens, and are distributed by Luxury Brands USA, who regularly attend pen shows with a full display of these notebooks in tow.

Stifflexible Notebooks contain 192 pages of 80g ivory paper, which handles fountain pen ink quite well. 144 of those pages are lined, 32 are blank, and 16 are perforated graph. If you don't like lined paper, you're out of luck: I've not seen any all-blank or all-graph versions, but I can only assume that may be in the works at some point down the line. I'd personally love to see a notebook full of perforated graph paper. If you've tried Stifflexible notebooks in the past and did not have a great experience with fountain pens, the paper has recently been upgraded in response to customer feedback. The paper in my notebook handled pretty much any nib and ink combo I was able to throw at it, including a very wet medium loaded with Colorverse. (I don't typically write with anything much broader on a daily basis.)

Takeaways and Where to Buy

These are very nice notebooks with good paper; my one quibble being the lack of all-graph or all-blank options. The flexible cover isn't something that I necessarily need, but I can see how it would come in handy for students or road warriors who have to lug around an overstuffed bag. The cover art on these books is extremely well done, and I love the gold Paris Metro Map cover that I chose. A wide range of other designs are also available, as you can see from the Luxury Brands pen show display below. I may very well pick up a couple more this coming weekend in D.C.!

Distributor Luxury Brands brings a wide array of Stifflexible notebooks to pen shows.

Anderson Pens carries the full line of Stifflexible notebooks in a range of sizes from extra large all the way to small/pocket. (The notebook pictured here is the "medium" size, which is A5-ish and measures 5" x 8 1/4".) Pricing is $29 for the extra large, $18 for the large, $16.50 for the medium, and $11.50 for the small, all of which is a fairly standard price point for notebooks of this quality.

Disclaimer: I received the notebook featured in this review from Luxury Brands USA, the Stifflexible Distributor, free of charge for review purposes. I was not otherwise compensated for this review.

Come See Me At The 2018 DC Pen Show!

July 31, 2018

It's that time of year again! From Thursday, August 2 through Sunday, August 5, I'll be attending the Washington, D.C. Fountain Pen Supershow at the Marriott Fairview Park. This year, I'll be at the Vanness Pens table, so stop by and say hello if you get the chance. Vanness will be bringing their wall of ink, pens, paper & more!

Note that Thursday and Friday at the show are "Trader Days," meaning that you will have to purchase a weekend pass to attend ($45). The weekend pass also gets you into the show an hour earlier on Saturday and Sunday. I highly recommend attending on Friday and early in the mornings on the weekend - it's much less crowded, and you'll have first crack at rare pens and inks. Stuff can sell out fast! The show opens to the public on Saturday morning, and single-day admission is $9.

Just one of the Vanness Ink displays that they will have at the DC Pen Show.

Disclaimer: Vanness Pens is a sponsor of this blog, and I will be working for them at the show. For more about Vanness, see my post talking about my visit to their store in Little Rock, Arkansas earlier this year.

Ink Review: Colorverse Season 4, "Trailblazers In Space" (Albert/V2 Rocket)

July 28, 2018

Colorverse recently launched Season 4, titled "Trailblazers in Space," and once again the company has shown that it really has no competition in terms of marketing creativity. This season's theme is again well-thought out, and the inks in the various sets seem to complement each other well. For those of you who aren't space geeks, the names are a tribute to the various animals, mainly monkeys and dogs, who were the first "Trailblazers" to "visit" space. (To be honest, after reading up on this theme in depth, I personally found the history behind these sets more than a little morbid. For example, I think there were technically six "Alberts", which is reflected on the design of the Colorverse box.)

Anyway, back to the ink. The set that I have is Albert/V2 Rocket, which pairs a bright grass green (Albert) with a bright orange (V2 Rocket). I say "bright" - both colors aren't quite what I would call fluorescent, but it's close. While V2 Rocket is easily my favorite here, Albert is also a great color. Both are on the drier side for Colorverse inks, though there were no flow issues. One thing to note about Season 4 is the new and improved packaging. Colorverse now includes foam inserts to help keep the bottles in place during shipping and prevent spillage, which had been an issue with the previous packaging design. (Check out the photo below.)

Colorverse Albert in my Franklin-Christoph Model 02 with a Masuyama-Rouse 14k needlepoint nib.

Colorverse V2 Rocket in my Jim Rouse Sheaffer Legacy.

Takeaways and Where to Buy

Colorverse inks continue to pleasantly surprise me. With all the crazy colors, sheen, and "glistening" properties, one might think that these inks would be slow to dry, or otherwise have issues with feathering and bleeding. Not so - every single one of these inks has behaved itself in any pen I've tried, and Albert/V2 Rocket are no exception. You can check out my prior reviews of other Colorverse inks, including Black Hole and Dark Energy, Schrodinger and Cat, and Quasar.

Many thanks to our sponsor Pen Chalet for graciously supplying this set of Colorverse Ink for review. Pen Chalet carries the entire range of Colorverse, including Season 4. Each set is priced at $36 USD for 80ml of ink (a large 65ml bottle and a smaller 15ml bottle), and with this season you get two different inks per box, much like Season 3.

Disclaimer: Pen Chalet provided me with the ink featured in this review free of charge. This post contains affiliate links.

Ink Spotlight: Three Recent Montblanc Special Editions

July 25, 2018

I make no secret that I love Montblanc Inks. In fact, I think they’re some of the best all-around inks out there. Why? Because the company makes a well-behaved, “safe” fountain pen ink that comes in unique, interesting colors. Though the craze has cooled a bit lately, Montblanc attracts a lot of attention for their annual special edition inks, many of which correspond to a special or limited edition pen. While I don’t have the coin to collect all of the various pens, I do tend to pick up the special edition inks. The past few have been superb, and include some of my favorites since the release of the legendary Alfred Hitchcock limited edition ink in 2012.

Montblanc Antoine de Saint-Exupery Encre du Desert (Burgundy/Maroon)

Antoine de Saint-Exupery is my personal favorite of the three inks reviewed here. It’s a rich burgundy, with more depth of color than the standard Montblanc Burgundy or the now-discontinued Bordeaux. There’s even a rollerball version of the Saint-Exupery, though the color is much more gray/brown than the fountain pen ink, which has purple undertones.

Review Pen: Conway Stewart 100 in Honey Noire, courtesy of Vanness Pens.

The rollerball refill compared against the fountain pen ink (which I prefer). Review pen: Montblanc Le Petit Prince Classique Rollerball, courtesy of Appelboom.

Montblanc Great Characters the Beatles (Psychedelic Purple)

Another riff on one of Montblanc's standard ink colors, the Beatles "Great Characters" ink is a bright rich purple that has a some “psychedelic” pop. If the limited and special edition Beatles pens are too out there for you, consider the ink. It's tame enough to use at work, but just loud enough to be interesting.

Review Pen: Montblanc for UNICEF Doue Classique, courtesy of Appelboom.

Montblanc for UNICEF Blue (Turquoise)

I reviewed this ink last year alongside the Montblanc for UNICEF Solitaire Doue Classique fountain pen, and while turquoise will never rival burgundy as my favorite color, this vibrant blue remains one of my favorite Montblanc inks overall. UNICEF Blue is still available, but it's unclear how long Montblanc will continue with the UNICEF lineup.

Review Pen: Faggionato Petrarque in Blue Tortoise, available at Papier Plume.

Takeaways and Where to Buy

In my opinion, you can never go wrong with Montblanc ink. The colors are always interesting, and the ink behaves well on most paper types, without bleeding, feathering, or slow dry times. Moreover, Montblanc makes high-end pens, which generally means that their ink should be “safe” to use, without undue concern for staining or corrosion. (PLEASE take this with a grain of salt and use common sense. Ink is ink, and even “safe” inks can stain or cause problems if you don’t clean your pens regularly. Light colored pens, celluloids, and valuable/rare writing instruments need to be treated with caution, especially with bright colors like purples, reds, and oranges.)

Montblanc’s standard lineup of inks is priced at $23.50 USD for 60ml of ink, representing good value, especially in today’s market with rising ink prices. The special edition inks are pricier, at $43 USD for the larger 50ml bottle and $20.50 USD for 30ml. All three of the special edition inks featured here in this review come in the larger 50ml bottle, and are still available from most Montblanc retailers, including Anderson Pens, Appelboom, Pen Boutique, and Goldspot. Montblanc also releases rollerball versions of the special edition colors, but not all retailers stock them. Goldspot and Pen Boutique carry some, and if I come across these refills on Amazon I typically add them to my affiliate storefront (link at the top of the sidebar).

Disclaimer: With the exception of the UNICEF ink, which was supplied by site sponsor Appelboom, I purchased the inks featured in this review with my own funds, for my own collection. This post contains affiliate links.