A Panoramic Shot of the Ballroom on Friday, from in front of the TGS Table.

Baltimore 2020 Pen Show Recap: And It Keeps Growing!

March 4, 2020

The Baltimore-Washington International Pen Show (or “BWIPS” for short or on Instagram), has developed into one of the bigger success stories of the past few years. As the traditional pen show circuit started to become a bit tired, the Baltimore organizers decided to bet on something entirely different, with a show more focused on new attendees and building out the overall pen show experience rather than simply buying, selling, and trading. This year’s show featured a wide variety of classes and seminars running basically every hour, on topics ranging from Zentangles and Urban Sketching to Origami. There were traditional pen-related classes as well, including “Buying and Selling Pens on eBay,” “Fountain Pen 101,” and my own contribution, “Everyday Writers: Choosing The Best Tools for Home and Office.” My own class had between 15-20 attendees, the overwhelming majority of whom were attending their first pen show. (And if you’re now reading this recap, welcome to the pen community and the TGS family!)

Write Notepads was gracious enough to open the doors to their space in downtown Baltimore for an open house that several of us from the pen show attended.

This particular pen show trip also took on a graphite hue: On Friday night, I attended a live recording of the Erasable Podcast, the result of a successful Kickstarter that brought Andy, Johnny, and Tim to the Baltimore Pen Show. (You can check out my photos from Friday here.) On Saturday night, I attended an open house at the Write Notepads bindery co-sponsored by the Erasable crew.

Uh, I’m having major FOMO after missing the preorder on these beauties. I hope they do another run at some point.

The Baltimore show was also especially notable for the large number of new vendors, including small penmakers such as Latitude Pens and Ironfeather Creative. Additionally, I’ve never seen such a large concentration of nibworkers in one place - at one point there were as many as seven working the show, and while they mostly stayed busy, I heard that it was relatively easy to have work done even if you had not booked a slot ahead of time. If you were attending to purchase pens, ink, and paper, vendors such as Vanness Pens, Dromgoole’s, and The Nibsmith had you covered.

Master penmaker Dan Symonds, who previously worked for Franklin-Christoph and has taught nearly everyone how to make pens.

Latitude Pens were set up across the aisle from TGS and right next to Vanness!

The Ironfeather Creative table on Sunday. Check out the detailing!

Emma from InkyExperiments came with a full table and wall of her amazing handwriting art.

An art journal at the InkyExperiments Table.

Hugh and Karol at Kanilea Pen Company brought their usual display, including a gorgeous batch of Kilauea pens, which were the top seller.

And, I was able to accomplish one of the “show goals” that I set for myself: checking out the new Leonardo “Messenger” fountain pen, which Dan Smith had at his table.

My First Year as a Pen Show Vendor

I didn’t get to see much of the show on either Friday or Saturday, since I was behind The Gentleman Stationer table for the first time ever! While I’ve occasionally worked shows in the past for sponsors like Vanness Pens and The Nibsmith, I’ve never brought The Gentleman Stationer to a pen show as a vendor. This year, I was set up directly across the aisle from Vanness, and in addition to TGS “blog swag” and “Daily Writer” ink sample kits I put together in connection with the class I was teaching, I brought products from two brands with me to sell: Write Notepads (which is fast becoming a favorite fountain pen-friendly paper) and longtime site sponsor Pokka Pens. The response was overwhelmingly positive, and I was sold out of all my paper by early afternoon on Saturday. For those of you who asked, I now have both of these products restocked in my online store, the TGS Curated Shop.

By early afternoon on Saturday, nearly all of my Write Notepads stock and certain colors of Pokka Pens were gone.

Takeaways and Final Thoughts

Following the success of last year’s show, many speculated that Baltimore could overtake D.C. and become the premiere area pen event, if not one of the betters hows in the country. The 2020 Baltimore Pen Show has only cemented the show’s status as a “must-see” stop on the Pen Show circuit. Despite being limited to a single ballroom and a somewhat lackluster airport-Marriott location, the show punches above its weight in terms of the variety of products and vendors available, not to mention classes during the day and after-hours meetups. I would describe it as the perfect show for first-time attendees, with plenty to keep the experienced show-goer interested as well. Baltimore has earned a permanent slot in my pen show rotation.

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

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Scenes from the 2020 Baltimore Pen Show: Day One

February 29, 2020

The full recap of this year’s Baltimore Pen Show will be up next week, but for now enjoy these photos from Day One, which included Friday night’s live recording of The Erasable Podcast. (Yes, pencils at the pen show!) I have a table this year, directly across the aisle from Vanness Pens, and I will have a bunch of stuff available for purchase, including TGS Swag Packs, Everyday Writer Ink Sample Packs, Write Notepads, Pokka Pens, and even some fountain pens. Stop by to check it out or just to say hello and chat for a while! I’m also teaching a free class at 2:30, titled “Everyday Writers: Choosing the Best Pens for Home and Office.” Check out the official pen show website for more details!

I couldn’t be happier with how my table turned out! We still have plenty of Write Notepads paper, Pokka Pens, and TGS-branded goods, including testers.

The No. 2 Pencil Podcast recorded a live episode

The live Erasable episode featured several guests, including Ana from Well-Appointed Desk, Brad from The Pen Addict, and Dade from Weekly Pencil.

Nock Co. arrived with some eye-searing goods.

Everyday Writers: The Best Fountain Pen Inks for Daily Use (2020 Edition)

February 26, 2020

It’s been a long time since I’ve updated one of the more popular posts on the website: Best Inks for Everyday Writing. As I was preparing for my seminar at the upcoming Baltimore Pen Show this Saturday, I reviewed this post and was surprised to discover it was somewhat out-of-date. Not substantively, mind you - all five inks that I originally discussed back in 2016 make excellent daily drivers - but a few of them have fallen by the wayside over the course of another four years of daily (and much more intense) fountain pen use.

What Makes a Fountain Pen Ink a Great Everyday Writer?

So what inks am I currently using for most of my everyday writing, and why have I chosen these specific inks? Let’s start by revisiting my criteria for an “everyday writer” ink:

Cost. The ink must be relatively inexpensive for those who actually cycle through a high volume of ink in writing-intensive professions. Most of the inks featured on the list below cost anywhere from $0.15 to $0.23 per milliliter, well below the cost of most boutique inks. Sure, the range of available colors isn’t as extensive, but in certain contexts that’s less important than cost and versatility.
Versatility. In terms of versatility, these inks work exceptionally well on a range of paper types, from your high quality Clairefontaine and Tomoe River notebooks to standard copy paper. Sure, you might get some feathering and bleedthrough on the latter, but the stuff they give us in my office won’t even handle a gel pen. (In worst-case scenarios, you just have to use a pencil.)
Safety. All five of these inks are manufactured by companies that also sell pens, which is a good rule of thumb to follow when looking for inks that won’t damage your fountain pens, vintage or modern. That’s not to say that you should abandon all common sense - for example, don’t use red or purple inks in a clear demonstrator or a light-colored pen you want to keep absolutely stain-free - but you’re not going to melt the feed or tarnish a nib by using any of the inks on this list.

My Top Five Fountain Pen Inks for Everyday Writing

Waterman “Serenity Blue”. In my opinion, one of the best all-around fountain-pen inks ever made. Unlike many standard blue inks, Waterman Blue - which I’ll forever think of by it’s old name, “Florida Blue” - has a bright, jewel-like quality to it, and it mixes well with other colors. (Combine 50/50 with Waterman Violet for the original “Blurple” ink.) Waterman blue is also widely-regarded as one of the safest inks around, especially for vintage pens.
Sheaffer Skrip Red. Red like a fire engine, or from your elementary school report card (or maybe just mine). That’s what I think of when I look for a pure red. Sheaffer Skrip Red has long been regarded as the “safe” red ink that won’t stain your pens. Personally, I take this with a grain of salt. As noted above, if I have a prized transparent or light-colored pen that I don’t want to stain, I’ll avoid any ink other than the aforementioned Waterman Blue.
Lamy Blue-Black. After jumping around for years, I’ve settled on Lamy Blue-Black as my preferred blue-black ink of choice. It’s what I consider a “pure” blue-black, that plays things right down the middle without either leaning too far to the blue or black end of the spectrum, and without appearing gray.
Lamy Black. I used to think of black inks as boring, but as I’ve settled into my fountain pen habits over the years, I’ve come to appreciate (1) how using a somewhat nondescript ink color can help you focus when you’re trying to get difficult work done, and (2) how Lamy Black can’t actually be described as “nondescript,” since the ink has subtle gray-green-purple undertones that make it one of the more interesting black inks out there.
Monteverde Passion Burgundy. This company flies under the radar of many fountain pen enthusiasts, but Monteverde makes excellent inks, and I’m partial to their burgundies. “Passion Burgundy” is one of my personal favorites, since it has a bit more pop than traditional wine-colored inks. When you don’t want to use a standard blue, black, or blue-black, and red ink feels too loud for professional correspondence, a deep burgundy offers a classy alternative. (Dark green is another option, but burgundy remains my favorite.)

“Everyday Writers” Sample Packs and Where to Buy Full Bottles

As noted above, one great thing about all of these inks is widespread availability. We carry Lamy inks directly (as well as a diverse selection of others). The great thing about these four brands (especially Waterman, Sheaffer, and Lamy) is that most pen shops carry them and they remain relatively easy to find. either online or brick-and-mortar. If you regularly rely on one of these inks to get your work done, you shouldn’t have to worry about these inks becoming unavailable.

Everyday Writers: Choosing the Best Pens and Pencils for Life

February 22, 2020

If I had to declare a mission statement for The Gentleman Stationer, it would be to help people find the best tools that inspire them, both personally and practically. In the context of pens, you’re mostly talking about selecting the best “everyday writer,” or to use my own preferred term, “workhorse.” This year, for the first time ever, I’ve been asked to host a seminar at the 2020 Baltimore Pen Show, and I couldn’t think of a better and more timely topic. If you’re attending the show and are around at 2:30p.m. on Saturday, please stop by for my class “Everyday Writers: Choosing the Best Tools for Home or Office”. It’s 100% free, and all are welcome.

The past several years have seen an explosion in terms of the variety of pens, inks, paper, notebooks, mechanical pencils, woodcase pencils, pencil sharpeners, pen cases - hell, even run-of-the-mill office supplies like sticky notes and paper clips. In an era where the pen is supposedly “dead” (remember THAT article?), or where handwriting should no longer be taught in schools (that one didn’t last either), I get multiple e-mails a week from readers who express a sense of overwhelm trying to make sense of the ever-expanding variety of nibs, inks, and paper when all they want is a high quality but-not-too-expensive set of versatile writing tools that can be used in everyday life situations.

These everyday writers will be making an appearance at The Gentleman Stationer table at the BWI Pen Show. Stop by and try one out!

The “Workhorse Pens” Series as a Guide to Choosing an Everyday Writer

Over the years I’ve written a loosely connected series of articles that I refer to as the Workhorse Pens series, which I like to think of as a catalog of my best fountain pens for everyday writing. So far, these have included the Lamy Studio, Lamy Safari, Faber-Castell e-Motion, Lamy 2000, and the Montblanc 146, with the list expanding as I continue my own personal explorations. I even wrote a separate piece on how you can choose your own workhorse, with some additional pen recommendations. Finally, some of the most popular content published on the blog has included “Five Best Fountain Pen Inks for Everyday Writing,” and “Five Best Pencils for Everyday Writing.” In Baltimore, my goal is to bring this aspect of the blog to you.

I will have most, if not all, of the “Workhorse Pens” available for readers to experience in person, as well as some favorite ballpoints, rollerballs, multipens, and mechanical pencils - all tools that I regularly use in my own life. While I probably can’t bring multiple bottles of ink for testing, I may try to scrounge up some donations from vendors at the show. Woodcase pencils are much more portable and I plan to have some at the table.

I don’t want this class to actually be a class - I’d much prefer it if show organizers abandoned the traditional pen show “lecture” format, complete with a podium and rows of tables, in favor of a roundtable that promotes sharing and discussion. I’m going to do what I can to make the experience much more approachable and hands-on.

I’ll also have blog swag for sale, along with a few other choice items.

What to Expect at the TGS Table at the 2020 Baltimore Pen Show

In addition to the class, 2020 marks the first year that I’ve ever booked a table at a pen show, and I honestly have no idea what to expect. First and foremost, I just want a predictable place to sit down and make it easier for people to find me and say hello. I’ll be there to take requests, answer any questions readers may have, or just visit. In terms of things available for purchase, I plan to have some TGS-branded goods (stickers, coasters, and buttons) along with a handful of gently “loved” pens from my collection and possibly some special surprises. While it’s never been my intention to be a full-service stationery retailer, I’ve been on the lookout for opportunities to collaborate with makers and offer my readers a curated set of goods that furthers the philosophy driving this blog. Baltimore may be a start.

I’m looking forward to seeing everyone as pen show season kicks off in full force!

UPDATE: Since I ended up with enough buttons, coasters, and stickers to fill all the Patreon Orders and my suitcase for Baltimore, I have a limited number of full Swag Packs and Stickers ‘N Button backs available for purchase in the TGS Store. If these run out I will restock after the show.

Note: Any pens that remain in the TGS Store as of Wednesday of next week will be packed up and taken to the Baltimore Pen Show for sale. If you have had your eye on anything, grab it now. Also note that this post contains affiliate links.

A Tale of Two Limited Anniversary Editions: The Lamy 2000 Black Amber

February 19, 2020

Last year, at the time of the Lamy 2000 100th Anniversary Bauhaus edition, I looked at Lamy’s struggles with managing its limited edition portfolio. While most criticism of the “Blue Bauhaus” fountain pen focused on Lamy’s decision to release fewer than 2000 pens - not coming close to satisfying demand - it’s easy to see how the company ended up in that place: three years later, they still haven’t sold out of their previous anniversary edition, the Lamy 2000 Black Amber, released to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Lamy’s flagship writing instrument.

Others (namely Dr. Deans at Pen Economics) have written in depth on the nature of the problems with this release from a business perspective. In short, Lamy grossly overestimated how many limited edition Black Amber Lamy 2000s they could sell at the 500 Euro / $600 USD price point. While most U.S. retailers no longer have the pen in stock, that’s likely the result of the heavy discounting and promotional offers they used to unload inventory. Some European retailers still have pens available for purchase, so at this point I wanted to take advantage of a couple years’ worth of perspective and re-evaluate the Black Amber with some distance, focusing more on this limited edition release as a pen rather than a marketing case study.

Beyond black makrolon: From left, Lamy 2000 Black Amber 50th Anniversary Edition; Stainless Steel Lamy 2000M, and the Bauhaus 100th Anniversary Blue Makrolon pen.

The Black Amber Is Still a Lamy 2000 - And An Exceptional Pen

Disclaimer up front: I don’t necessarily come to this review from a rational standpoint. The Lamy 2000 is easily my favorite fountain pen of all time, and as with the Bauhaus 100th Anniversary Pen, I was eventually going to track down a Black Amber and add one to my core collection. And, it’s going to be no surprise to you all that I love this pen. I disagree with those who criticized this release on the grounds that it was “too similar” to the standard stainless steel Lamy 2000M. The electroplated finish on the Black Amber gives the pen a much different feel in the hand, and it’s noticeably lighter. When I weighed these two pens on my digital scale, the standard stainless steel pen came back at 2.0 oz, and the Black Amber 1.9 oz (and the Black Amber was fully inked at the time). The difference is enough to change the balance of the pen when posted, at least for me. Curiously, much of the extra weight on the stainless model is in the cap, which weighs .8 oz as opposed to .6 oz on the Black Amber.

How does one describe the color? Let me say this: after seeing the Lamy 2000 Black Amber in person, I finally understood the name. The finish alternately appears dark grey, brownish, or even a champagne gold, depending on the lighting. It’s beautiful. Sure, the Black Amber will never appease those clamoring for a yellow or orange or translucent green demonstrator, but I’ve never felt that wild color schemes would be consistent with the Lamy 2000’s design heritage. At the end of the day, I think I’m fine with the decision to explore more subtle variations in color and texture.

I have pen No. 3497/5000. The size of the releases have significance (5000 pens for the 50th Anniversary, and 1919 pens for the 100th Anniversary of the Bauhaus, founded in 1919.)

The engraving on the cap is very subtle, requiring me to enhance the picture so that it’s even visible.

Overall Writing Experience

I’ve previously reviewed both the standard Lamy 2000 and the Stainless Steel Lamy 2000M at length, and to be honest the experience of putting nib to paper with the Black Amber doesn’t differ all that much from Lamy’s standard lineup. The medium nib on my Black Amber writes a smooth, wet line, consistent with the platinum-coated 14k nibs on the other Lamy 2000 fountain pens I currently have in rotation. At one point, the Lamy 2000 developed a reputation for finicky nibs, but I have to say that I’ve not experienced any issues with the pens I’ve owned, and I’ve purchased five or so within the last several years, through regular retail channels.

Takeaways and Where to Buy

I remain convinced that the primary obstacle to the Black Amber selling well was the price, widely perceived as too high for “what the pen was.” While I’m not sure this is fair - other companies have implemented much more egregious price hikes on their limited editions (including instances where the editions weren’t really limited at all), the discomfort I have with high price points on the Lamy 2000 is that it seems somewhat inconsistent with the Bauhaus ethos: well designed, functional items meant to be used, not necessarily collected. But lots of factors go into companies’ pricing decisions that are beyond the scope of this article, including costs of material, manufacture, and distribution, all of which affect how a company can price the pen without losing money. And, don’t forget that the entire run of Bauhaus 100th Anniversary pens sold out immediately, despite similar pricing to the Black Amber, so what do I know? It could simply be an issue of Lamy feeling out the size of the market for a limited edition Lamy 2000, which sits somewhere between 1919 and 5000 pens.

The texture on the Lamy 2000 Black Amber makes for a perfect pairing with my Raven Venture.

Like any limited edition pen priced at a premium, whether the purchase is “worth it” to you remains a highly personal decision. Anytime you move past the $300 mark, you’re buying the pen because it moves you in some way, or, like me, you’re concerned that if you let this pen sell out without acquiring one your status as a Lamy 2000 super-user will be revoked. But in all seriousness, my overall take on the pen is this: I love it, especially the finish, and the pen itself doesn’t deserve the degree of negative attention it’s received. If you appreciate Lamy’s understated designs, especially the subtle variations in finish and texture they’ve chosen for their limited editions on the 2000, and can handle the weight of the stainless steel body, you probably won’t regret the Black Amber. Ignore the hype/haters and trust your own preferences.

I purchased my Lamy 2000 Black Amber from site sponsor Appelboom last year, around the same time that I ordered my blue Bauhaus 100th Anniversary fountain pen. Although I recognize that the Black Amber is not for everyone, I’m somewhat amazed that this pen remains available for purchase, even at the discounted (but still-expensive) 400 Euro price point.