Arkansas Pen Show Recap: What's New at Vanness Pens and The Nibsmith

March 20, 2019

My whirlwind U.S. Pen Show spring tour is almost at a close, with the Atlanta Pen Show up next for the first weekend of April, and then a long break until D.C. in August. This past weekend I was on the road again, to Little Rock for the Arkansas Pen Show held at the Crowne Plaza Friday through Sunday. Of course, it wouldn’t be a trip to Little Rock without a visit (or two) to the Vanness Pens store!

Vanness Pens Open House

Since I arrived Friday night, I didn’t get to visit the show for the first day, but from what everyone told me, traffic was fairly slow. The Arkansas Pen Show is unique because it is truly a local/regional show, put on by the Arkansas Pen Club in Little Rock, and doesn’t attract as many people from out-of-town. Friday night, however, was what might be one of the best “after-hours” pen show events I’ve attended - an open house at Vanness. The food went quickly - as in it was gone in 20 minutes - but guests lingered until nearly midnight and I ended up working behind the counter helping attendees with their purchases and answering pen-related questions. I can’t emphasize how big and how unique the store is - I’ve never seen this much ink in one place anywhere else!

Cary Yeager of Kenro brought a wide variety of Montegrappa and Aurora to the Vanness open house, in addition to the selection Lisa and Mike already had in the store.

There’s ALL SORTS of stuff at Vanness, including a case full of these pen holders and assorted desk accessories!

Saturday at the Arkansas Pen Show

The Arkansas Show occupied two small ballrooms at the hotel. The major retailers in attendance were Vanness (who didn’t bring a full selection to the show given that most people visited for the open houses), Dan Smith of the Nibsmith, Jimmy and Suzanne Dolive of Total Office Products, and Papier Plume. The rest of the show was a mix of vintage dealers and smaller makers, including Shawn Newton, Tactile Turn, Michael Sull, and Ana and Laura from the Well-Appointed Desk (where I picked up an awesome vintage Rolodex and some Col-o-dex cards to fill it up, long with some other stuff I’ll post soon. Cary Yeager of Kenro also made an appearance, with Esterbrooks and the current Aurora and Montegrappa models. Traffic picked up around lunch, and I helped Dan and Kisha Smith at their table for the afternoon. While foot traffic never approached what you would see in Baltimore or Atlanta, from what I could tell most vendors had a decent show, especially considering that the Arkansas Pen Show is one of the less expensive shows to attend.

Ana and Laura of the Well-Appointed Desk came with a full setup of Col-o-ring and Col-o-dex gear, plus stationery from Skylab Letterpress. (I bought a Rolodex with Col-o-dex refills, plus a bunch of Star Wars stationery from Skylab. More to come!)

AND Back to Vanness!

Everyone was exhausted Saturday night, so Lisa proposed that we order in bbq from Whole Hog Cafe in Little Rock - highly recommended - and take it back to the store for some #penshowsafterdark. Vanness has two long tables in the middle of the store where people can gather and test pens, inks, and paper, and I used this opportunity to do some shopping. I didn’t go too wild this trip, limiting myself to a pad of Life paper, some Baron Fig Mastermind desk pads, a handful of ink samples, and a pack of the new Blackwing Natural pencils with the extra-firm core. I had the chance to play with a couple of show acquisitions: a Townsend in Pinstripe Acrylic by Shawn Newton and a Tactile Turn Gist 2.0 in Titanium. Shawn had the pinstripe material custom-made for him, and it turned out beautifully. Will Hodges of Tactile Turn has refined the design of the Gist fountain pen, and after talking with Will and handling the various models, I decided to take the plunge. I’ll post a more fulsome review after I’ve had a chance to write with it long term, but Will has made the Gist slightly longer (allowing it to take a standard Schmidt converter), and has replaced the Makrolon model with Delrin, which is a much more durable plastic that should solve the cracking issues that some people had with the first (Kickstarter) version. Delrin pens hold up well - both Conid and Karas Kustoms, among others, have used the material.

Two of the pens that I picked up at the Arkansas Pen Show: a Townsend in Pinstripe Acrylic by Shawn Newton, and a Tactile Turn Titanium Gist by Will Hodges. I brought home a couple other pens as well, but am saving those for a future announcement!

Just a small sample of what Shawn Newton brought with him to the Arkansas Pen Show. The opportunity to shop with Shawn in person is reason enough to make the trip to Little Rock! I’ve never seen him with so much inventory.

Introducing “White Lightning” from Vanness Pens! Do you have an ink that you like that’s too dry? Add a drop of this and transform your writing experience. It really does work, and I’ll post my full thoughts soon.

Dan Smith of The Nibsmith showed up with a massive selection of Sailors, Auroras, Pelikans, and more! I helped out behind his table on Saturday afternoon and Dan had steady traffic (in addition to grinding away)!

I had to restrain myself from bringing this one home and into work this Monday, but I don’t need any more notebooks (at least for the moment). This notebook is made by Nuuna, and has excellent fountain pen-friendly paper. Vanness only had a couple … — I had to restrain myself from bringing this one home and into work this Monday, but I don’t need any more notebooks (at least for the moment). This notebook is made by Nuuna, and has excellent fountain pen-friendly paper. Vanness only had a couple of them, and they’re not yet on the website.

Takeaways and Final Thoughts

I drove back to Nashville on Sunday, and while I always enjoy attending pen shows, I’ve done a LOT of travel over the past three months and am glad to be home for the few weeks leading up to Atlanta. Though it was a small show, the Arkansas Pen Show has a LOT of potential to expand. Its central location can draw attendees from several different cities, including Little Rock, Dallas, Kansas City, St. Louis, Memphis, and Nashville, and with a little publicity work, this one should be able to grow. It helps that in addition to the show, Little Rock is home to one of the largest and best pen and stationery stores in the U.S.!

Many thanks to all the retailers and attendees whom I met this weekend that made this such a great trip!

Disclaimer: This post contains links to paid sponsors and affiliates. I received a discount on my purchase of some of the products featured in this post.

First Impressions: Spoke Pen with Uni Signo UM-151 (DX) Refill

March 13, 2019

One of my pickups from this month’s Baltimore Pen Show was a Spoke Pen prototype that Brad was kind enough to give me for review. I opted for red (of course), and all of the prototypes Brad brought to the show had titanium grips, which was just fine with me because it makes this pen a perfect match for my red/titanium Spoke Pencil Model 4. While my personal interests focus on fountain pens, I regularly use a handful of others, including two Montblanc rollerballs, my Lamy 2000 multi pen, a Ti Arto Universal Refill Pen, and a few Baux Pens loaded with Bic Cristal refills. The Spoke Pen is a unique addition because it’s the first machined pen designed specifically for the Uni UM-151 (DX) refill, an excellent fine-tip gel pen that until now has been restricted to my Ti Arto. Since this pen is a prototype, and since I’ve only had it in my hands for a couple weeks, this post will take the form of a shorter “first impressions” piece.

On the left, the Spoke Pen. On the right, the Spoke Pencil Model 4.

By far my favorite feature of any Spoke Design product is the grip section.

Things I Like

Design. I’ve owned a Spoke Pencil Model 4 for the past year or so, and also backed the Baux Pen 2 (which comes from the same “family”), so I’m a fan of Spoke Design. The Spoke Pen definitely shares the same DNA in terms of durable feel, great balance, and a modern, industrial look that appeals to me. I like the look of what I refer to as the “mixed metal” pens, combining an aluminum barrel with a titanium grip section. It makes for a durable, yet lightweight writing instrument.
Magnetic Closure. Brian also runs the “Strong Like Bull” magnet company, so of course the Spoke Pen was going to feature a magnetic cap closure. The cap closes firmly with very little play. Due to its strength, the magnet will attract little metal items on your desk like paper clips, etc., just be warned!
Grip. Though it’s part of the overall design of the pen, the grip on the Spoke Pen warrants separate mention. In my opinion, Spoke Design has perfected the grip of a machined metal pen. Rather than traditional knurling, the Spoke Pen, Spoke Pencil, and Baux Pen all use tightly spaced rings around the section. This sort of grip is quite comfortable to use over long periods of time, and doesn’t leave pressure marks on your fingers. The Ti Arto features a similar grip, but Spoke spaces the rings closer together, which I prefer.
Refill. The Signo UM-151 (“DX”) refill is one of the more popular fine-tip gel refills on the market, mainly because of the wide range of available colors and tip sizes. While my prototype came loaded with a black .5mm refill, I swapped that out for a .38mm red-black refill that I picked up at Kinokuniya in New York. I can’t say that the Signo DX is my all-time favorite gel refill, but it’s up there and does an excellent job. As I mentioned, the selection of colors is unparalleled.

The magnetic cap snaps shut firmly, and the clip is tight. Apart from the finish, which will wear on any metal pen, the Spoke Pen should be a highly durable writing instrument that will give you years of long-term use.

Potential Issues

I only spotted a couple of issues with the Spoke Pen, and it’s too early to say whether these are points that actually will end up bothering me over the long run, since this particular pen (1) is a prototype and (2) has only been in my hands for less than two weeks.

Posting. The Spoke Pen doesn’t post. Two years ago this would have been a deal-breaker for me, and I wouldn’t have backed the project, but I’ve recently expanded my horizons into some larger, non-posting fountain pens so it may end up not being an issue. Since this is a gel pen, I’ve been able to leave the pen uncapped on my desk while I’m using it without experiencing any skipping or drying out.
Anodized Finish. I’m withholding final comment on the finish, since this is a prototype, but I’ll note that there are a few spots of wear on the black clip, and places on the edges of the cap and around the “jewels” where the anodizing is already starting to wear away. With respect to the cap edges, that’s entirely predictable because you have a metal cap sliding onto a knurled metal section and there’s no real way to prevent it. Plus, it’s not noticeable when the cap is closed. Wear to the finish will eventually give the pen a “stonewashed” look, which you may or may not like depending on your personal preferences.

From left, the Ti Arto Universal Refill pen, which is the only other pen in my arsenal to accept the Signo DX; the Spoke Pen, and the Spoke Pencil 4.

Takeaways and Where to Buy

Like all Spoke Design products, the Spoke Pen is well designed and well made. If you’re looking for a machined pen specifically designed to house your Signo DX refill, you may not have many choices out there, but you’ll be hard-pressed to do better than this one. I’ve personally gravitated to Spoke products over the past couple of years (Spoke Pencil/Baux Pens) due to the grip, which I find much more comfortable than other options on the market. I ended up backing the Kickstarter project for the “two pens” reward level, and will likely end up using these similar to how I use my Baux Pens: to house various colors and tip sizes of specific refills that I like to use for certain purposes.

Unfortunately, the Spoke Pen Kickstarter has now closed, so if you didn’t back you’ll have to wait until Brad and Brian finish project fulfillment and officially launch the project before getting your hands on one of these. In the meantime, if the design appeals to you and you’re a fan of mechanical pencils, you can purchase an excellent Spoke Pencil, which now comes available in Model 4 and Model 5.

Disclaimer: Spoke Design and Brad Dowdy provided me with this prototype pen for review purposes, free of charge. I was not otherwise compensated for this review, and have separately backed the Kickstarter project.

Pilot-Lamy-Overlooked-Underloved-Fountain-Pens

Overlooked and Underloved: Three Fountain Pens That Don't Get the Attention They Deserve

March 9, 2019

The current fountain pen market can be driven to a large degree by hype, with new or “limited edition” pens selling quickly, only to have sales peter out as the novelty wears off and users figure out that maybe those “next big thing” pens aren’t the best for actual daily use. I’ve been as guilty of this as anyone, as some of what I consider to be the best fountain pens in my collection have unfortunately fallen by the wayside. Today I’ll take a look at three pens that have been around for a while, but don’t necessarily get a lot of attention on pen blogs and websites and social media. That’s unfortunate because all three are exceptional, well-balanced writing instruments that are generally reliable “out of the box” and available at most pen retailers. I’m talking about the Pilot Custom 74, the Pilot Custom Heritage 92, and, yes, the Lamy 2000.

You can read my full write-up on the Pilot Custom 74 here.

Pilot Custom 74. At the top of my list of pens that deserve more attention is the Pilot Custom 74. We did end up selling a handful of these pens in Baltimore, and these colorful demonstrators are what I consider to be one of the better bargains on the market. For $176, which is rapidly becoming the price point for many steel-nib pens, you get a sweet 14k Pilot rhodium-plated nib, paired with Pilot’s high-capacity pump converter, the CON-70. You can also use Pilot’s cartridges if you prefer the convenience, and they hold a ton of ink and last forever. The rhodium trim on this pen nicely complements the jewel-like acrylics. I own the blue version, and Violet, Orange, Smoke, and Clear versions are also available, along with two limited editions arriving in the coming months. Stay tuned!

I’ve previously written a full review of the Custom Heritage, but the orange acrylic version has become somewhat more difficult to find, even online.

Pilot Custom Heritage 92. Sitting at a slightly higher price point than the Custom 74 is the Custom Heritage 92, which runs $220 and pairs the same 14k nib from the Custom 74 with an integrated piston filler. One of the main reasons that I love Pilot pens is the mix of quality and price - with the exception of the Lamy 2000 (discussed below), it’s rare that you will find a quality piston-filling fountain pen with a gold nib for under $300. The main drawback to the Custom Heritage is the fact that it’s only available in a single color. At one point Pilot made this pen for the Japanese market in orange, blue, and smoke as well, with the different colors being readily available online, but those appear to be phased out and are not as readily available as they once were. I recently saw someone trying to sell the orange version for close to $1,000, which is silly.

Most people won’t notice that the Lamy 2000 fountain pen isn’t a ballpoint or a rollerball.

Lamy 2000. And finally, we get to an old standby that rarely sits uninked and out of my rotation for long. Talk about a pen that’s not “sexy” in the traditional sense: the minimalist, somewhat brutal, fiberglass design of this pen hasn’t changed at all since the 1960s, and it certainly isn’t going to win you any “likes” (or generate much blog traffic, for that matter), but if I were to open a pen store, you can bet that I’d stock these in all available nib sizes and try to push them on everyone who walked through the door looking for a durable, bottle-filling daily writer. Especially for an office professional, the Lamy 2000 gives you an understated, reliable pen with a large ink capacity that can get you through long meetings, hearings, depositions, or whatever your need may be. It’s first on my list of “workhorse pens.”

So what prompted this post? At last week’s Baltimore Pen Show, a handful of people came by the Vanness Pens table and described to me what they were looking for. In a few instances, the Pilots would have made a perfect match but didn’t get any consideration at all. I sensed a real hesitation to give these pens a chance, whether because they were slightly more expensive than steel-nib options that customers ended up purchasing, or simply because some people hadn’t heard of these pens before or hadn’t seen them online. Don’t get me wrong - if a pen doesn’t speak to you, then don’t spend your money on it. But one of my resolutions for this year was to shift the focus of the blog from merely following market trends back to highlighting those products that I love and believe will serve readers well over the long term. Sometimes the best option isn’t the newer, shinier release - it’s the old standard that’s been around for many years, for good reason, and you owe it to yourself as a user and enthusiast to give these pens a chance.

Six “Workhorse Pens”, from left: Pilot Custom 74, Pilot Custom Heritage 92, Lamy 2000, Montblanc 146 Ultra Black, Lamy Safari, and Faber-Castell e-Motion Pure Black.

Disclaimer: As of 2020, T.G.S. is supported by purchases from the T.G.S. Curated Shop and pledges via the T.G.S. Patreon Program.

What Makes a Pen Show "Great"? Takeaways from the 2019 Baltimore Pen Show

March 6, 2019

You often hear people saying: “It was good, but it could have been great” when discussing a recent pen show (or any other large public event, for that matter). What’s less common is attending a pen show that should have been “good,” or maybe even “meh,” but turned out to be fabulous. This year’s Baltimore Pen Show was one such event.

On paper, everything pointed to Baltimore being just an ”ok” show. The weekend started with snow and the Sunday forecasts were even nastier, which ordinarily translates into low turnout. The show was also set in a single ballroom, which typically signals a smaller show with fewer vendors. Finally, the Baltimore Pen Show is the second (and smaller) of two shows in the greater Baltimore-Washington area, with the other show being the “Supershow” held in August, which is a hard act to follow.

The Baltimore Pen Show ballroom from the back looking forward, early on Sunday morning. Note to other pen show organizers: wide aisles + good light + air conditioning = happy everybody.

None of this mattered. Organizer Bert Oser and his team, led by Corinne, did an exceptional job coordinating the weekend, and the entire show went off without a hitch. (And if there were any “hitches,” they weren’t visible to attendees or vendors.) So what made Baltimore such a good pen show?

Hotel and Location. Sure, it’s hard to get excited about an airport Marriott, but it’s also nice to have a shuttle running to/from the Airport, reducing transit time and expense for people coming in from out of town, which is especially important if you have dicey weather. Better yet, this hotel was well-ventilated with good air conditioning, so the ballroom wasn’t 1000 degrees, and the bar setup was pretty good with tables and a secondary sports bar attached to the hotel that stayed open later after the lobby bar closed. I’d definitely attend a show at this hotel again.
Ballroom Setup. Despite my initial hesitation, the single ballroom turned out to be one of the best things about this show. Baltimore isn’t the largest show in terms of number of vendors or attendees, but the mix and quality of the vendors was exceptional. More on that below. The ballroom was bright and easy to navigate, with wide aisles and plenty of room behind and between tables.
Events. Show organizer/promoter/hype-master Corinne described this show as “Pen Camp,” and it definitely had that vibe. All three days featured classes and workshops, with events at night. On Friday night, Brad Dowdy of The Pen Addict featured a “Meet the Makers” panel; Saturday night featured the obligatory “Pen Shows after Dark” meet and greet/show and tell in a commandeered conference room that we almost - but not quite - got tossed out of; and Sunday was your typical laid-back final day where vendors got a chance to breath and walk the show for themselves.
Friendly Attitude Among Vendors and Attendees. Baltimore had none of the near-hostility that can develop at larger, more crowded, and less well-managed shows like the D.C. Supershow and the L.A. Pen Show, which I wrote separately about last week. From what I could tell, everyone had a great time, and I had better conversations at this show than I’ve had in a long time, not to mention getting to try a ton of pens. Just check out the video from the “Pen Shows After Dark” meetup and spy all those pens on the table, just waiting to be shared!

Jonathon Brooks was next to Hugh Scher of the Kanilea Pen Company all weekend. You could lose a lot of money in that corner!

So What Did I See?

As I noted above, the Baltimore Show usually features a good mix of different vendors, both vintage and modern, as well as both custom and production-line writing instruments. This year’s list of exhibitors was OUTSTANDING, and included:

For custom and “small-batch” makers, Kanilea Pen Company, Carolina Pen Company (Jonathon Brooks), Desiderata Pens, Woodshed Pen Company, Herbert Pen Company, Additive Pens, Franklin-Christoph, and Ryan Krusac Studios.
For Nib Workers and Pen Restorers, Richard Binder, Ron Zorn, Martin Ferguson, Nibs on Point (JC Ament), and JJ Lax Pen Co. (who also had Yoshi Nakama pens in stock, and no, I still haven’t picked one up).
For general retailers, you had Vanness Pens (where I was working), Federalist Pens, Total Office Products, and Nock Co.
For vintage retailers, in addition to the typical traders, you had Paul Erano, Jessica Coles of The Vintage Pen Shop, and Nik Pang (who also set up for calligraphy).
For distributors and manufacturers, you had Coles of London (Visconti), Kenro Industries (Montegrappa, Esterbrook, and Aurora), and Private Reserve Ink.

FInally, the Baltimore show featured a number of local specialty shops, including Write Notepads, The Queen’s Ink, Drama Mama Bookshop, and Jinji Chocolate. It added a great local flair to what was already a top-notch show. I’m sure I’ve missed a ton of people, but I didn’t have much time to walk the entire show (plus I’m forgetful), so apologies in advance!

And I did forget someone! Story Supply Co. was there with all of their standard and special edition notebooks!

As always, Franklin-Christoph brought trays of prototypes, which went quickly each morning.

Jerry from Additive Pens brought a bunch of new models to test, including these “ribbon” and “inverted ribbon” models.

So What Did I Bring Home?

Baltimore wasn’t a huge show shopping-wise, but I did bring back a couple of interesting pens that you all will see up on the blog in the near future. In terms of pens, I purchased one of the “Double Helix” eyedroppers from Additive Pens, which I’m excited about reviewing. I also picked up a Parker 51 “Fantasy” by Nik Pang, which incorporates a classic Parker 51 nib and aerometric filling mechanism into a new body and cap. Finally, I took home a Spoke Pen Prototype and few bottles of ink from Vanness that I’ve been meaning to try.

From left: Additive Pens “Double-Helix” eyedropper, Spoke Pen Prototype, and my Parker 51 “Fantasy” from Nik Pang.

From Left: 3 Oysters Black Moss, Taccia Ebi, Taccia Uguisu, and Private Reserve Burgundy Mist, a former favorite of mine that’s recently been reformulated.

I can’t tell you how much time I killed at work playing with this Additive Pens eyedropper yesterday.

Takeaways and Final Thoughts on the Baltimore Pen Show

I definitely plan to come back to the Baltimore Pen Show next year. It might actually have become my favorite overall show on the circuit, though I’ve heard that the Philadelphia Pen Show has a similar vibe and I’m going to make a point of attending. Next stop for me is the Arkansas Pen Show in Little Rock next weekend, followed by Atlanta at the beginning of April. Then I’ll need a break…. until D.C.!

Disclaimer: This post contains links to paid sponsors and affiliates. Many thanks to Mike and Lisa Vanness for letting me tag along and work the Vanness table this weekend!

2019 Baltimore Pen Show: Friday Pictures!

March 2, 2019

The Baltimore Washington International Pen Show has grown into one of my favorite shows on “the circuit.” It’s a well-run, medium-sized pen show that may not be the largest out there but attracts a great group of vendors and attendees. I’m back behind the Vanness Pens table this weekend, winding towards the end of my insane February-March travel schedule, so come visit and get your hands on all the pens, ink, and paper we brought with us before it’s gone! The Vanness-Shawn Newton collaboration, the Pinnacle, is nearly sold out with only one or two pens remaining, and we very quickly sold out of certain colors of Akkerman ink. As is usual on pen show weekends, I’ll have a full recap with my thoughts on this show up on the blog next week.

The Vanness Table. We’re to the left against the wall as you enter the ballroom.

Vanness brought all sorts of Aurora pens to the show, including the last of the Minerali demonstrators, Optima Flex Pens, and some new limited editions!

What are you lookin’ at? Cary mans the Kenro table across the aisle from us.

The Joey Feldman/Rickshaw bags collaboration intended for the L.A. Pen Show is finally available for Baltimore! Come see these, they’re great!

And finally, we have the full range of Pilot Custom 74 demonstrators. These are excellent pens that don’t get the love they deserve, for some reason. The nibs are outstanding and the price point is excellent. Stop by and try one out!

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