The Nib Tailor Grinding My Naginata — The theme of this year’s Baltimore Pen Show was “nib work.”

Baltimore Pen Show 2022 Recap: This Time, It Felt Like Pen Shows Might Be Back

March 16, 2022

Even if things aren’t necessarily “back to normal” (whatever the “new normal” is), this past weekend’s trip to the Baltimore Washington International Pen Show finally had the energy and level of engagement that I remember from 2020. Sure, this past year’s DC Pen Show and San Francisco Pen Shows were good, but they were the first large shows in more than a year, and you could sense the nerves and a degree of (warranted) anxiety not just due to COVID, but how the show circuit would spring back and whether all the various pen shows around the country would even survive. I attended the Chicago Pen Show in October, and saw a lot that gave me concern. After Baltimore, things feel back on track.

Franklin-Christoph Friday Morning Rush — Festivities kicked off early with a Friday morning “prototype rush” at the Franklin-Christoph table. Every morning at opening, Franklin-Christoph sets out trays of pens in one-off or experimental prototype materials. These are quite popular!

The Baltimore Pen Show Is a Great Show for Both New and Experienced Attendees

Baltimore is one of my favorite pen shows - in fact, it’s in the running for my overall favorite, up there with San Francisco. It’s not the biggest show, but for its size, Baltimore has an excellent balance of new and vintage vendors, large retailers, custom pen makers, and hobbyists showing off their handmade accessories and other crafts. Best of all, Baltimore attracts a large number of talented nib grinders and pen restorers, so if you fancy a custom nib grind or otherwise need a pen worked on, there’s no shortage of options. There are plenty of seminars on a diverse range of topics from calligraphy classes to nib tuning, as well as organized after-hours events featuring socializing and giveaways.

Dromgoole's Ink Display — Dromgoole’s brought the ink this year!

Les from Stylosuite — Les at Stylosuite brought his full array of pens fitted with his custom-ground flex and italic nibs. I had the chance to write with all of his various grinds and customizations.

Penquisition-Baltimore-Susan-Retro51 — Evan and Julian of Penquisition were in attendance, with their signature Retro 51 “The Susan” decked out in Maryland colors.

Key Vendors in Attendance

The vendors at this year’s Baltimore Pen Show skewed towards the smaller/mid-sized end of the spectrum, meaning that there weren’t many large retailers present but the overall mix was more than adequate. For example, Dromgoole’s, Crazy Alan’s Emporium, and Federalist Pens were the primary “general purpose” retailers stocking pens, inks, and paper, since Vanness Pens and Lemur Ink did not attend this year. Custom makers included Schon DSGN, Kanilea Pen Company, Ryan Krusac Studios, Carolina Pen Company (Jonathon Brooks), Hinze Pens, River City Pens, Ironfeather Creative, and Hardy Penwrights. There were dozens of other eclectic vendors, both vintage and modern, and as usual it would be impossible to name them all here. Highlights included Lucky Star Pens and Toys from the Attic, along with show show stalwarts Franklin-Christoph and distributors like Kenro Industries (Esterbrook, Montegrappa, Tibaldi, etc.).

Cary Yeager of Kenro Industries (Esterbrook, Montegrappa) and the founder of Fountain Pen Day.

Need Nib Work Done? Baltimore’s Your Show

This year, I didn’t purchase so many pens as I had pens modified and/or picked up pens I had sent to various people for nib work. For example, I sent four pens to Gena Salorino at Custom Nib Studio, who delivered some exceptionally good grinds including a medium “Perspective” (Naginata-style) grind, a medium cursive italic, and two 14k flex nibs that I’ll be showing off soon. At the show, I had J.C. Ament (The Nib Tailor) grind a Naginata on a rather boring Parker Duofold Centennial medium nib, and Josh Lax (J.J. Lax Pen Co.) ground an extra-fine architect onto my new Schon Design Full Sized Fountain Pen in an as-yet-unnamed matte-black/magenta pattern.

J.C. Ament The Nib Tailor Grinding — J.C. Ament of the Nib Tailor hard at work. He stayed busy all weekend!

In addition to the three mentioned above, Kirk Speer (Pen Realm), Damien from All in the Nib, the legendary Richard Binder, Les at Stylosuite, and Jack Hairston (working through Bertram’s Inkwell and also performing vintage pen restoration) were all set up and working. That’s at least eight different vendors offering custom nib grinds, and nine if you count the fact that Franklin-Christoph will tune a pre-ground specialty nib for you at the time of purchase. In my experience, it’s nearly unheard of to have so many quality nib technicians on site at a pen show. While some vendors filled up their time slots (especially on Saturday), many still had walk-up capacity.

Jack-Hairston-Bertram's-Inkwell — Jack Hairston of Bertram’s Inkwell ground a cursive italic nib for me, and also too a couple of my vintage vacumatics for sac replacement and restoration. It was great to see someone doing vintage pen restoration at a show.

Testing out my new nib grinds and my new inks!

Other than nib grinds, I didn’t overdo it on the shopping. I did pick up basically the entire series of Laban “Greek Mythology” inks, since I’m a mythology nerd and the inks are excellent. (The only ink not pictured below is Athena Grey, which I already own.) As mentioned above, I purchased a Schon DSGN Full-Sized Fountain Pen, and two Franklin-Christoph pens (Model 45 and Model 02) in prototype materials. I plan to photograph these pens as soon as

Takeaways and Upcoming 2022 Pen Show Schedule

Once again, the highlight of any pen show is the people. Baltimore saw a great mix of locals and people traveling in from out of town to attend, which gave the show a much better energy than Chicago, the last show I attended. That’s not a knock on the Chicago Show - it speaks more to the increased willingness of vendors and attendees to travel, combined with the loosening of local restrictions as Covid cases decline in certain locales.

Kanilea Pen Company Display — Kanilea Pen Company display - Pen Shows are a great place to see custom and small-batch pens in person before making a decision.

Going forward, my personal plan is to fully re-engage in the pen show community and I’ll be attending shows throughout the year. While personal and work reasons may prevent me from having a table at any shows this year, I currently plan to be at the Atlanta Pen Show (April 1-3, 2022); the D.C. Pen Show (August 4-August 7, 2022); and the San Francisco Pen Show (August 26-28, 2022). Depending on how travel restrictions evolve, I would love to throw an international show into the mix, possibly the fall London Pen Show (October 9, 2022) or the Tokyo International Pen Show (October 28-30, 2022) later in the year.

This post does not contain paid third-party affiliate links. The Gentleman Stationer is supported entirely by purchases from the T.G.S. Curated Shop and the T.G.S. Patreon Program. Shop orders will resume shipping Friday upon my return from traveling, and all orders placed during a “pen show week” always receive extra freebies.

Baltimore Pen Show-Franklin-Christoph Table — The things you see at a pen show: morning rush at the Franklin-Christoph table.

Sunday Reading for March 13, 2022

March 13, 2022

Spring 2022 London Pen Show (via Dapprman). Pen Show season is in full swing, and I really, really want to attend the second London Pen Show in the Fall if I can.
Four and a Half Hours at a Pen Show Goes Alarmingly Quickly (via UK Fountain Pens). I can certainly vouch for that! It’s like no time at all!
It’s a New Day: Esterbrook Nouveau Blue (via A Fleeting Ripple). Coincidentally, I picked up an Estie Nouveau Blue at the Baltimore Pen Show and I think it might be my favorite material they’ve released.
The Color-Matched and the Complimentary (via mnmlscholar). I actually tend to go for a more “complimentary” approach when I match pens and inks, though many people I know color match as well.
Wearingeul Lost (via Fountain Pen Pharmacist). South Korean ink company Wearingeul has taken off, especially since you can get many of their inks delivered same-day via Amazon Prime in the U.S. The inks are literature-themed, and in addition to double-shaders they have color-changing ink sets.
Vinta Inks Fairytale Collection (via Rants of the Archer). I’ve enjoyed discovering Vinta inks over the past couple of years, and some of their colors were among my favorite discoveries of 2021. This new set is based on fairytales and children's stories of the Philippines.
My Take on the Gravitas Pocket Pen (via UK Fountain Pens). I was able to handle some Gravitas pens for the first time this weekend, and they are now firmly on my list, especially the “Sentry.” I’m intrigued by the Pocket Pen as well.
Plotter Notebook Mini Size Now Available in the USA (via Notebook Stories). Plotter continues to expand their lineup, bringing a classic “mini” planner size to the U.S.
Wancher Sand Matte Fountain Pen (via Pencilcase Blog). Wancher’s latest matte black collaboration with Sailor (though it’s not co-branded) is an excellent option for those wishing Sailor released more matte black finishes.
Visconti Van Gogh Fountain Pen Review (via Pen Addict). The (relatively) lower priced option in Visconti’s lineup is one of my favorite releases from them, but again, you will likely need to get the nib tuned.
New Sailor Inks (via Well-Appointed Desk). These inks from the new “Yurameku” line are fascinating, and I had the chance to try a couple of them (“Seki” and “Yoi”) after-hours in Baltimore. They’re all “chromatic shaders” that have variations in tone and shading so that the color you see on the box may be quite different from what you see on the page - in a good way.

In Case You Missed It…

It’s Pen Show Week, specifically Baltimore, so this week’s posts have focused mainly on things to see at this year’s Baltimore Pen Show, as well as a post on flying with fountain pens and how to avoid leaks and a big mess when traveling. I’ll have a full show recap on the blog this week, but you can follow along in real-time via my Instagram account.

This Week in the Shop - Travel Week, a Special Promotion, and a “Gently Used” Update

Since I’m traveling, I’m running a small promotion with no coupon codes needed - all orders placed this week receive a complimentary gift that will ship with your orders starting Friday, upon my return. We’ve recently added all sorts of interesting things, ranging from desk pads to Japanese pencils to restocks on Write Notepads and Clairefontaine Paper. I also did a short shop feature on travel stationery and pocket pens as I was packing for Baltimore - be sure to check it out. Finally, don’t miss the recent update to the “Gently Used” stationery page, which I periodically unload old review samples, items from my personal collection, and otherwise things I can’t justify keeping around, all at significantly reduced prices.

TRC Brass

Pencils

WMS & Co

Book Darts

Consider Joining TGS Patreon for Access to Monthly Meetups and First Dibs on Gently Used Stationery, Exclusive Products and More!

For some additional fun, and to help support the blog consider joining the Patreon program. Patreon supporters receive special pricing and early access to product releases and collaborations such as the T.G.S. x Sunderland pen, in addition to other benefits. You can read more about T.G.S. Patreon here. This year I’ve introduced monthly online meetups, which take place on Friday or Saturday and have been super enjoyable. The Patreon membership also has “first dibs” on my regular gently used stationery sales, before whatever is left becomes available to the general readership.

Hotel desk shot as I nervously prepare to open my pen rolls after flying with eight fully inked fountain pens.

Your Questions Answered: Flying with Fountain Pens

March 12, 2022

A common question I’m asked concerns fountain pens and travel, namely, “Can you fly with a fountain pen?” or “Can you take inked fountain pens on an airplane?” The answer I always give is “Yes”, with a few qualifications. I flew out to Baltimore on Thursday, and as my flight was sitting on the tarmac getting ready to leave Nashville, I realized that I had (inadvertently) packed five eyedroppered fountain pens, two Parker 51s with vintage aerometric filling systems, and a Lamy 2000, all of which were more than half-full of ink. Experiment time!

Instagram Poll Results

My first thought was to ask the readership (via Instagram): Which pens do you think will leak? Here’s what you all thought:

Two of the eyedroppers were Opus 88 Japanese-style pens with the shut-off valve, so I didn’t include them in the poll. Predictably, they didn’t leak.

Real World Results

And the “real world” test results? The only pen that truly leaked - meaning that it dumped a bunch of ink into the cap to the point where I had to rinse it out - was one of two Parker 51s with a vintage aerometric-filling system. Interestingly, a modern “fantasy” Parker 51 that used the same filling system but had a modern barrel and cap didn’t leak or even burp ink slightly. All three Schon Design eyedroppers had absolutely zero ink in the cap or on the nib, and my Lamy 2000 had a blob of ink on the feed that required me to blot it prior to writing. Importantly, I did NOT keep these pens “nibs up” during the flight. They were in my bag, in my pen case on their sides as I had to slide my backpack under the seat.

This unintentional experiment confirmed that you don’t have to worry excessively about flying with fountain pens. It’s never been something that I obsessed over, and these results are typical of what I’ve experienced over the years. Only one out of eight pens burped a significant amount of ink into the cap, though no ink leaked into my pen case, and that one pen was a vintage pen which I probably shouldn’t have flown with inked up anyway.

Tips and Techniques for Flying with Fountain Pens

If you absolutely want to minimize the possibility of a leak when flying with fountain pens, I might suggest the following general tips:

Fly with eyedropper/vacuum-filler pens with shut-off valves, such as Opus 88 pens, the TWSBI Vac700R, or the Pilot Custom 823 (among others).
Make sure any pens with other filling systems are full. This sounds counterintuitive, but it’s the expansion of air inside the filling system as air pressure changes that pushes ink out of the nib during a flight. If you remove the air by filling the pen immediately before taking off, you have a smaller chance of a leak.
Remove your pens from your carry-on bag and fly with them nibs-up in the seat pocket in front of you. Just don’t forget to take them with you when you deplane. I’ve heard horror stories.
Don't fly with vintage pens inked, especially vacumatic and aerometric filling systems. I’m no vintage pen expert, and can’t say why specifically these pens (in my experience) tend to leak more often than modern pens, but I suspect it’s due to modern feed/section/housing designs that minimize leakage. The majority of airplanes leaks I’ve experienced have involved me flying with vintage pens to or from a pen show.

Again, these are not absolutes, and there are no guarantees that you won’t have an issue, but I’ve had a lot of success flying with fountain pens and regularly do so.

Laban Greek Mythology Inks — Check in on my regular updates from Baltimore via Instagram!

Check Out My Instagram for Real-Time Photos of the 2022 Baltimore Pen Show!

I’ve been posting a series of pictures from the 2022 Baltimore Pen Show, ranging from crowd photos to vendors to nib grinders. It’s a combination of posts and stories (the latter of which are saved to the highlights so they don’t expire), and I’ll continue through today. To give you some examples of what you can find at the show, I picked up several inks from the Laban “Greek Mythology” series, took delivery of some specialty nib grinds I ordered from Custom Nib Studio (Gena Salorino), and had nibs ground in person by J.C. Ament (The Nib Tailor) and Josh Lax (J.J. Lax Pen Co).

Also, to celebrate the Baltimore Pen Show, and to compensate for the fact that I don’t have a table, all orders placed in the Curated Shop while I’m traveling this week will receive a free gift, and I’ve also added some new items from my personal collection to the Gently Used page.

This post does not contain paid third-party affiliate links, and I paid for all products featured in this post with my own funds. The Gentleman Stationer relies upon purchases from the T.G.S. Curated Shop and the T.G.S. Patreon Program for support.

Thursday Drops: Travel Stationery

March 10, 2022

As much of the world begins to reopen following an easing of the pandemic, many of us have found ourselves traveling once again, whether for work or pleasure. This morning, I’m headed out on the road for an entire week for the first time since early 2020. I’m honestly not sure how I feel about it - I’ve grown used to the comforts of working from home, and don’t really miss the inconveniences and indignities of modern air travel (especially short-haul domestic), but there are so many friends and colleagues whom I haven’t seen in person for years. It also gives me the opportunity to break out my travel gear, especially the chance to put my “Traveler’s Stationery” to good use. This week’s Thursday Drops features several items that will be accompanying me this week, and you may even see some action shots on Instagram as I hit up the Baltimore Pen Show!

UPDATE: I’ve added some new items to the “Gently Used” page, which features several items I’m looking to clear out of my collection to make room for show acquisitions and more reviews. All are in near perfect condition, with most of the inks missing just 1-2 fills.

From left, the SchonDSGN Pocket Six in Faceted Brass, SchonDSGN Classic Ballpoint in DLC Coated Stainless Steel, Traveler’s Company Brass Pencil, Traveler’s Company Brass Ballpoint, and Traveler’s Company Fountain Pen in Factory Green.

The T.G.S. Curated Shop is an authorized retailer of all brands sold. PLEASE NOTE THAT I AM TRAVELING FOR THE NEXT WEEK AND ITEMS WILL SHIP STARTING 3/18 UPON MY RETURN. As always, if you place an order during my pen show travels or when I’m otherwise out of town, I always include extras and freebies in your order as a special thanks. I appreciate your support and being patient with a small two-person business!

Traveler’s Notebook. By far my favorite “travel” stationery item is my Traveler’s Notebook. I placed “travel” in quotes because I actually use it as my work planner and everyday productivity notebook, and it “travels” with me pretty much wherever I go. For trips, this notebook is pretty much indispensable, as I can take full advantage of the various folders, zippered cases and other accessories.
Sunderland mk1 Rollerball - TGS Special Edition. An indestructible pen that’s an excellent option for travel, I was fortunate to be able to do a collaboration with Brad Sunderland on this exclusive edition mk1 rollerball with a T.G.S. matte black and matte burgundy color scheme. I have exactly one of these pens remaining in stock.
Traveler’s Company Brass Ballpoint Pen. My personal favorite of the “TRC Brass” writing instruments, the ballpoint features a needle-tip hybrid ballpoint-gel refill that is an exceptionally nice pen for working on airplanes or reading in bed (or on the beach). Also available in the “Factory Green” finish.
Traveler’s Company Brass Fountain Pen and “Fountain Pen Rollerball”. Traveler’s Company has taken the “bullet pencil” format and expanded it beyond ballpoints and woodcase pencils, to include a fountain pen and rollerball that both take standard international fountain pen ink cartridges. The nib on the fountain pen is excellent.
Traveler’s Company Brass Bullet Pencil. Arguably the most faithful modern interpretation of the classic bullet pencil, the Traveler’s Company version is both classy and durable. I love the round, dark pencil refills and the massive pink eraser.
SchonDSGN Classic Machined Pen (via SchonDSGN). If I have to throw a third-party link into my travel pen post, it’s going to go to Schon DSGN. Their classic ballpoint is, well, a classic.
Schon DSGN Pocket 6 Fountain Pen (via SchonDSGN). A pocket fountain pen with a full-size JoWo No. 6 nib? This pen is outstanding, and perhaps the best pocket fountain pen option on the market. You can read my review here.
Pokka Pens and Accessories. The absolute best inexpensive pocket ballpoint is back in stock, along with all of the clips, caps, and keychain accessories.
Penco D1 Bullet Pen. This under-sung pocket ballpoint option comes in three different finishes, chrome, brass, and black, and features an excellent D1 refill that nonetheless can be swapped out with your D1 refill of choice.
Refills for All Pens Sold. Of course, we sell refills for all of the pocket ballpoints we offer, ranging from ballpoint refills to pencils to fountain pen ink cartridges.

Franklin-Christoph Color Prototypes 2019 — The Franklin-Christoph prototype tray from the 2019 Baltimore Pen Show.

Pen Show Prep 2022: A Short List of Things to See at the Baltimore Pen Show

March 9, 2022

Today’s post will be relatively short - I’m in full “panic packing” mode as I get ready to leave town for just over a week, which is actually the longest I’ve been on the road in nearly two years. I checked the Baltimore Pen Show website this morning and found that the list of exhibitors had been updated to reflect what I presume is the final group of vendors attending the show. Here is my own “short list”, though you know I’ll just end up wandering around for three days and discover a bunch of other ways to get into trouble!

Nib Grinds. My priority at pen shows is to get nibs worked on if they need it, so my first order of business will be to get on the list for one of the many workers who will be at the show. Per the exhibitor list, this might include The Nib Tailor, Custom Nib Studio, Pen Realm, J.J. Lax Pen Co., and All in the Nib.
Franklin-Christoph. As I mentioned in my “Pen Show Prep 2022” post, one of the most popular things to do at a show is to check out the Franklin-Christoph prototype trays that they set out each morning, and I usually pick up at least one or two of these pens, which give me the opportunity to add on a custom SIG grind on a versatile JoWo No. 6 nib.
Schon DSGN. I REALLY want to pick up of the new anodized full-sized fountain pens, as well as a faceted multicolor anodized Pocket Six. Ian always brings a few unique things to pen shows and sometimes launches new colors. If I can find a No. 8 Bock nib, I might try to get a spare section for one of my Ultem pens.
Kanilea Pen Company. It’s been a bit of a tradition for me to pick up one Kanilea Pen per year, either at the Baltimore Show or the D.C. Pen Show. I haven’t seen Hugh and Karol for a while, so I’m looking forward to seeing what they bring to Baltimore!
Ink. If there’s one area where the show looks light this year, its general-purpose ink vendors. Dromgoole’s is still on the list, as is Federalist Pens and Paper, but other larger ink-heavy vendors like Vanness are not attending. Personally, I’m looking to pick up additional inks from Ferris Wheel Press, as well as several of the Laban Greek Mythology inks.
Vintage Pens. Yes, I’m looking to add a few more vintage pens to my collection, and possibly building out some of the mini-collections I’ve accumulated over the years, like my set of Parker Sonnets and possibly some more Parker 51s.

Attending your first pen show? Be sure to check out last week’s post on Pen Show Prep! If you have any questions about Baltimore or shows in general, feel free to drop me a line!

Kanilea Pen Company Collection — I’m pretty sure that at least two of my Kanilea pens are Baltimore Pen Show Purchases!

Get Your Shop Orders in Today - Last Call

I’m looking forward to seeing everyone at the show! Just a friendly reminder that any T.G.S. Curated Shop Orders placed after closed of business today (5pm U.S. Central Time) will ship upon my return Friday, March 18. Many thanks for your understanding!

The Gentleman Stationer is supported entirely by reader contributions and purchases from the T.G.S. Curated Shop and the T.G.S. Patreon Program, which offers access to online meetups, exclusive discounts and pre-orders, and more! This post does not contain paid third-party affiliate links.