2023 Arkansas Pen Show Recap, Day One

March 18, 2023

Friday from the 2023 Arkansas Pen Show is in the books! Given the relatively small size of the show, I was expecting (much) less activity on Friday, but the show ended up being quite lively at times. Towards the end of the day became particularly busy as people left work early. I spent the day between Vanness Pens and Jason Neil Penworks, across the aisle from Kenro and Jimmy Dolive, and just down the aisle from Matthew Chen! After hours, we visited the new Vanness Pens location and then headed to dinner. Some photos from the day’s adventures below. Enjoy!

Vanness Pens brought pens from The Good Blue Company, including their limited edition blue Cerakote collaboration (center). One of these came home with me.

My first day one acquisition. I couldn’t resist picking up this limited edition Montegrappa 007 Spymaster Duo set! It’s been a rough week so I figured I needed to treat myself.

JUST KIDDING. (If you hadn’t figure that out already.) Though it’s really cool (especially the refillable bullet ink cartridges), this thing is huge and heavy.

It’s an ink cartridge. Just don’t try to take it through airport security.

The 60th Anniversary Nib on the Spymaster Duo.

I always try to bring something different to each show. I was happy to send several people home with brand new Hightide Sandglasses! Interestingly, people are always asking me how I use these, and while I use mine primarily as work timers, I had a few people purchase the smaller 3-minute glasses to use with board games.

Newton Pens Hale Fountain Pens — Shawn Newton of Newton Pens had an absolutely gorgeous array of pens available, including these Hale models.

Saturday will likely be even busier, so I’m off to set up the table and prep for a workshop I’m giving this morning. Stay tuned for additional photos and more fulsome reflections on the show.

The Gentleman Stationer is supported by purchases through the T.G.S. Curated Shop and pledges via the T.G.S. Patreon Program. Even though we’re attending the show, you can visit us online and all items featured at our show table are available for purchase in our shop. Many thanks for your support!

Friday Drops: Pen Show Weekend, Part II at the Arkansas Pen Show!

March 17, 2023

If you’re at the Arkansas Pen Show, come see me in Little Rock! My table here will look somewhat different than my table in Baltimore, as I was able to drive and bring heavier items that were too hard to bring on an airplane. Keep an eye on my Instagram, as I plan to do a table tour and a show walkthrough later today.

Tomorrow I’m on the schedule for an official seminar! Pens, Inks, and Paper for everyday writing. I plan to talk a lot about notebook systems!

There should be no delay in shipping online orders due to the close proximity of this show to our home, so if you see something you like online, we will get it out to you in the typical 1-2 business days. All Midori notebooks recently restocked, including the 70th Anniversary Midori MD Light sets!

The Gentleman Stationer is an authorized retailer of all brands sold.

Hightide Sandglasses! I brought a selection of our best-selling hourglasses, so that you all can see them in person. These desk accessories come in 30, 15, 5, and 3-minute intervals.
T.G.S. x Penwell Limited Edition. We’re getting low on our special edition Penwells once again. This will likely be the last run of this particular product before it’s retired and we move on to other new creations (including one that I plan to work on this weekend).
Write Notepads Spiral Notebooks. We will have Dot Grid, Weekly Planner, and Landscape-style Notebooks available for purchase, in most of the colors.
Write Notepads Paper Journals. These softcover A5-ish notebooks feature excellent fountain pen friendly paper and will fit A5 covers like the Lochby Field Journal.
Midori 70th Anniversary MD Light A5 Sets. We recently received a fresh shipment of the Midori 70th Anniversay MD Light Notebooks, which are sold in sets of seven, each with a different color grid ruling.
Midori Soft Color A5 Notebooks. Something I picked up in my travels to New York City for the National Stationery Show last month, these dot grid color paper notebooks are fountain pen friendly and add a splash of color to your writing.
Lochby Field Journals. We sold out of Field Journals in Baltimore, and I plan to have these and other great Lochby products such as the Quattro Pen Case, Tool Roll, and Pocket Journal at the table.
Nahvalur Fountain Pens. We have Nahvalur fountain pens, including the Original Plus Vacuum-filler demonstrators, as well as the ebonite Nautilus fountain pens.
Anderillium Ink. We will have at least a couple bottles of most colors of Anderillium Inks available at the show, along with sample sets and color swatches so that you can inspect in person.
Washi Tape and Pins. Yes, I brought it ALL with me this weekend, so you all can peruse the full selection.

Pen Review: Penco "Drafting Writer" Pen and Pencil

March 16, 2023

As a workhorse pen and everyday carry enthusiast, I have a soft spot for pocket pens. I own dozens of them. I usually have one or more with me, whether literally in my pocket, clipped to my shirt, or stuck in the pen slot on my notebook or planner. Most of these, by default, are ballpoints, namely needle-tip or extra-fine point options with low-viscosity refills, which come in a wide variety of formats (though maybe not colors).

The Penco Drafting Writer .5mm Mechanical Pencil (left) compared against a full-size Rotring 600 Mechanical Pencil.

Since I also love woodcase pencils, I definitely look for opportunities to pick up hexagonal pens or mechanical pencils that mimic that same feel. While pens like the Rotring 600/800 series and the TWSBI Precision are great options, they aren’t exactly pocketable. That’s why Penco’s version of the classic drafting pen/pencil is so refreshing.

The Penco Drafting Writer sits just long enough in the hand to make it functional. (Ballpoint shown here.)

Honestly, other than the size, there’s nothing groundbreaking about the design of the Penco Drafting Writer, which will be familiar to most who have used these pens before. The hexagonal aluminum barrel is paired with a traditional knurled section and a matte black or silver finish. I’d characterize this particular knurling as more “rough” than “sharp” - some knurled metal grips have a tendency to bite into your fingers, which isn’t the case here, but it’s still textured enough to prevent any slippage.

The refill is where the ballpoint pen shines. Penco ships the Drafting Writer with a needle-tip D1 refill that’s quite similar to the refill in the Traveler’s Company Brass Ballpoint. For those who love a .5mm needle-tip ballpoint, it simply doesn’t get much better than either of these two pens. Ballpoint refills - even in the D1 size - tend to last for a VERY long time, and I personally think the aesthetic of the needle tip matches the style of the “technical pen” quite well. The mechanical pencil version takes standard .5mm leads, and if I had one quibble, it would be that I’d like to see a retractable pipe version. As it currently stands, I’d really only characterize the Drafting Writer ballpoint as a true “pocket pen” since I would be concerned about damaging the tip on the pencil by sticking it in my pocket with keys, a knife, etc. (That said, if your goal is to carry the pencil in a shirt pocket, you’ll probably be fine.)

Both Penco Drafting Writers with a short writing sample, as well as a close-up shot of the knurling on the grip section.

Takeaways and Where to Buy

Penco continues to surprise me with their well-made and versatile line of pocket pens. The pocket pen segment is one of those categories where you might think that everything that could possibly be done, has been done, but that’s not necessarily the case. Who would’ve ever thought of shrinking the classic “Hex Pen” to a pocket-sized writing instrument? Not me, but here we are.

The two Penco Drafting Writers (center) compared against, from left, the TWSBI Precision .5mm Mechanical Pencil, TWSBI Precision Ballpoint, Penco “Perfection” Bullet Pen in a chrome finish, Rotring 800 mechanical pencil, and Rotring 600 mechanical pencil.

We’re pleased to be able to offer the Penco Drafting Pen and Pencil directly in our shop, in both matte black and silver finishes. These were the surprise hit at this past week’s Baltimore Pen Show, and I only felt it was fair to highlight them a bit online. The Drafting Pen is priced at $36 and the Drafting Pencil at $34. I will be bringing some stock with me to Little Rock for the Arkansas Pen Show, and also leaving a few in the shop so that they’re available for online purchase. The same goes for the Penco Perfection and Penco Perfection Light Bullet Pens (and yes, I’m bringing the display so you will be able to see all the colors). While we sell the needle-tip D1 refill in the shop as well, I will note that for those of you who do NOT like this style, the ballpoint will take any D1-sized cartridge, including the excellent standard conical cartridge included with the Perfection Pens.

The Gentleman Stationer is supported entirely by purchases from the T.G.S. Curated Shop and pledges via the T.G.S. Patreon Program. We are authorized retailers of all brands sold directly, including the Penco pens featured here.

Baltimore has a wide selection of approachable vintage dealers, like my table-neighbor Harold!

2023 Baltimore Pen Show Recap: A Reliably Good Mid-Size Pen Show

March 15, 2023

Most pen shows fall into three categories: (1) crazy-big shows like the D.C. Pen Show, which often occupy multiple hotel ballrooms filled with vendors from around the world; (2) mid-size shows that host most major vendors but can fit into a single large event space or two smaller ballrooms at a hotel; and (3) smaller regional shows that are held in a single hotel ballroom or even a community space like a library or student center. The Baltimore Pen Show falls firmly into this middle category, and has remained one of the best mid-size shows on the circuit over the past five years.

Though this is a shot from the 2020 Baltimore Pen Show, this panorama gives a good idea of how the show is laid out. It hasn’t changed much.

What Makes the Baltimore Pen Show a Reliably Positive Experience?

In my opinion, several different factors combine to make the Baltimore Pen Show a success:

Location. Baltimore is centrally located on the East Coast, with its own major international airport and a show hotel that’s reachable via hotel shuttle or a short taxi/rideshare ride. The hotel itself isn’t luxurious, but it has ample event space for this show, a good bar layout for after-hours events, and pretty good food, as far as “airport Marriott” hotels go.
Vendor Mix. Baltimore has a near-perfect mix of modern pen retailers, vintage vendors, and independent makers. In fact, I would say it draws the best combination of exhibitors for a show this size, which, as discussed below is great because the show typically isn’t as crowded as other major pen shows.
Attendance Levels. While Baltimore tends to be a well-attended show (depending heavily on the unpredictable weather in early March), traffic is never as heavy as D.C. or San Francisco, the setup features spaced tables and wide aisles, and the show draws many of the same vendors as larger events. For example, if you have claustrophobic tendencies (like me) and don’t particularly enjoy elbowing your way to the front of a crowd for a chance to look at the Franklin-Christoph demonstrators in D.C., consider visiting the Baltimore Pen Show.

This year I did something different: Rather than photographing the show, I tried to take a few videos to give readers - particularly those who have never had the opportunity to visit a show - a sense of what it’s like to walk the floor. These were all posted to Instagram Reels, and since they received an overwhelmingly positive reaction, I’ll plan to take more of these this weekend in Arkansas.

Franklin-Christoph in Baltimore: Still crowded, but a bit less of a fight!

A Few Reflections on Attending Shows as a Vendor

This year’s Baltimore Pen Show was the second show I’ve attended as a vendor (as opposed to going as an attendee or working behind the table for someone else). With your own table, it’s definitely more difficult to break away to explore the show, since you have to worry about missing customers who might stop by looking for you, and theft is always a concern. (So far, I haven’t heard any horror stories, but it’s generally much harder to steal stuff when the show isn’t extremely crowded.) What doesn’t change is the opportunity to meet up and hang out with friends and attendees after-hours, including several Patreon supporters who stopped by the table and the bar to visit and swap pen show stories. While Vanness Pens and T.G.S. were supposed to have a meetup space available to use throughout the weekend for demonstrations and seminars, our tables ended up getting moved at the last minute and we lost our demonstration space. Show logistics can be tricky!

I sort of very much regret not bringing home this vintage Mr. Peanut mechanical pencil.

Vintage wares weren’t limited to fountain pens - a dealer near me had a wide array of vintage bullet pencils (in addition to several Mr. Peanuts).

Up Next: Come Visit T.G.S. at the 2023 Arkansas Pen Show!

After a brief trip home to get caught up on orders, pet my dogs, and repack the car, I’m off to Little Rock for the 2023 Arkansas Pen Show! I’ll be bringing a slightly different assortment of goods to this smaller show that tends to be highly local. Current plans include some of the Hightide Sandglasses, Folding Metal Book Stands, the T.G.S.-exclusive Penwell and other desk accessories; more Write Notepads paper, and of course favorites such as the Lochby Cases and Washi Tape. If you plan to attend the show and would like to make a specific request, either message me or place an order online using the coupon code “615PICKUP” at checkout to drop the shipping charge. Also, don’t forget that our Baltimore Pen Show online special runs through the end of the day today: claim 10% off your order using the code “PENSHOW10”!

The Gentleman Stationer is supported entirely by purchases from the T.G.S. Curated Shop and pledges via the T.G.S. Patreon Program. This post does not contain paid third-party advertising or affiliate links.

This Week In the Shop: Top Five Pen Show Sellers

March 14, 2023

While I’ll have a full recap of the Baltimore Pen Show tomorrow, I thought I’d do a brief “shop recap” post because it’s interesting (at least to me) to see what people are trending towards buying at each show. It’s always different and you get some insight into what the community is focused on! Baltimore attendees showed a lot of interest in notebook systems, whether it was picking up Traveler’s Notebooks and Lochby Covers and Cases or asking questions about the specifics of the Midori MD system. Washi Tape was also extremely popular, so I’ll plan to bring more varieties to the Arkansas Pen Show in Little Rock. Below are the five top selling products that I brought with me. To give you an indication, I brought two giant suitcases that are going home 3/4 empty!

Midori MD items such as the Kurashiki Canvas Pen/Pencil Cases are always a hit. These are an imported item from Japan made from traditional sailcloth.

As a thank you to everyone who supported us at the show, and those of you who continue to support us online, we’re running a 10% off Pen Show Special through tomorrow, so don’t miss to take advantage of this offer with the coupon code PENSHOW10 at checkout. Orders placed during my travels will begin to ship out tomorrow, and anything placed today is back on our usual fulfillment schedule.

Lochby Venture Pouch. Because the Venture Pouch is a bit of an offbeat product, it tends to sell better in person than online. But once people see the versatility - the top half unzips like a traditional carry-all or pen pouch; the bottom unzips and unfolds into a traditional pen case with elastic loops - it sells very quickly. I will be bringing more to additional shows this year, and we have plenty of online stock. Check out the full review here.
Lochby Quattro Pen Case. The classic four-pen zippered case is now available in Charcoal and Navy, in addition to the standard Brown. What’s the best thing about this specific case? The slots are offset so the pens don’t touch. Check out the full review here.
Penco Drafting Pencil and Drafting Ballpoint Pen. People couldn’t get over these, which are miniature versions of your classic “technical” pens and pencils with hexagonal barrels. Even if they didn’t buy one they still picked them up! The pencil takes a .5mm mechanical pencil lead, and the pen features a hybrid gel/ballpoint needle-tip D1 refill, all of which are available in our inks and refills store.
Traveler’s Company Brass Bullet Pens/Pencils. The classic bullet pens and pencils drew a lot of attention, especially since there were many vintage vendors selling the original items from the early 20th Century and to my knowledge Traveler’s Company is the only modern maker selling versions in this style.
Washi Tape! As I mentioned, Washi remains extremely popular, and I’ll try to bring more varieties in the future as I just didn’t know how well it would do this year. The three that sold the best were probably “Trash Panda,” “Bravocado”, and “Snail Mail Bonanza”.

The Gentleman Stationer is an authorized retailer of all items sold in the T.G.S. Curated Shop.