Unboxing the Arkansas Pen Show Haul! Two Nib Grinds, Inks, and a New Pen

March 29, 2025

Ok, so I was pretty good this past weekend, all things considered. I managed to keep the 2025 Arkansas Pen Show haul down to one pen, two nib grinds, and two inks. I’ve become much more deliberate about not accumulating stuff unnecessarily and taking a longer-term approach to bigger-ticket items (such as some more expensive vintage pens I’m considering). Here, the pen I purchased was one that I’ve been considering for at least a year; the nib grinds were to pens that I use a lot but need to tweak to make them a better fit for my handwriting, and the two inks were likewise long-sought additions to my everyday rotation.

Lamy 2000 in Stainless Steel Ground to a Kodachi — My Lamy 2000 in Stainless Steel (Broad Nib), ground to a Kodachi.

Arkansas Pen Show: A Great Show for Nib Grinds

Because the Arkansas Pen Show tends to be hyper-local and vintage-heavy, it can be easier to have nib work done because there simply isn’t as much demand/competition for the slots as at the larger shows. While Matt Chen (Matthew’s Nib Works) was definitely occupied all weekend, the wait didn’t ever seem to be longer than 2 or 3 people, and I had no trouble obtaining walk-up time to have two pens ground. I added Matt’s Kodachi grind to my Lamy 2000 in Stainless Steel and my broad Schon DSGN Monoc nib, both of which were a bit too broad and wet for me to use regularly. The Kodachi grind is a newer fascination of mine, as it offers what I consider to be similar line variation to an architect nib without some of the sharper angles and edges of that grind. On his site, Matt describes the Kodachi as “a grind made to emulate brush strokes with thin vertical lines, thick horizontal lines, and a sharp hairline at high angles,” and his particular take is inspired by the Naginata Togi developed by Yukio Nagahara. You can read more about the different grinds that Matthew offers here.

A broad Schon DSGN Monoc Nib Ground to a Kodachi — My Schon DSGN Monoc nib, formerly a broad, ground to a Kodachi. The natural shape of the Monoc lends itself to this grind but is not as pronounced as the Lamy 2000 grind, above.

While I’m planning a longer, more comprehensive post (as well as a video) on nib grinds, I will go ahead and note that these more complex grinds can be proportionately more expensive so you should plan accordingly. Matthew charges $80 for a Kodachi grind, compared to $30 for a general adjustment and $50 for a more “basic” grind such as an italic or stub. Before you invest in a grind like this, you definitely want to try a similar pen with a similar grind, and the optimal place to do so is at a pen show. Most nib workers have their own take on each grind, and most will have a selection of “tester” pens that you can write with at their table.

Matthew Chen's Tester Tray of Pens — Matthew Chen’s table features a full set of pens (Pelikans) with all of the various nib grinds he offers. You can test them out yourself before you make a final decision.

Matthew Chen Kodachi Writing Samples — Writing samples with the two Kodachis that I had ground at the show.

Doodling in the Roterfaden from the tester table — Some of my doodles from the tester pens at Matt’s table.

In-Person Pen Selection: The Best for Unique Materials

After the show, I went to visit our friends at Vanness Pens. I’ve been coveting one of the Leonardo Momento Zero Nuvola fountain pens for some time, though I didn’t want to order online because this specific material features a grey/cream swirl that can vary wildly from pen to pen. I was able to go “behind the curtain” at Vanness and look at all of the various pens they had in stock to select my favorite, along with a medium nib with plenty of tipping.

Two New (To Me) Inks from P.W. Akkerman: No. 7 and No. 18!

I have far too little Akkerman Ink in my collection, and I regret having sold off many of the colors over the years. The bottles are superb, in that they feature the signature inkwell in the neck that makes it easy to fill a pen, no matter the nib size. The two colors I chose were No. 7 (KoninginneNach-Blauw) and No. 18 (Garuda Rood). No. 18 is a burgundy/maroon, and No. 7 is a blue-black with grey undertones. I love both of them and have waited far too long to add them to my collection. The “rumor” (which to my knowledge has never been denied by either party) is that Akkerman inks are private-labeled by Diamine, so these are all excellent safe inks that will work well in most fountain pens. I have never had an issue with any Akkerman ink and have used them regularly in my rotation over the years.

Akkerman Ink Swatches from Vanness Pens. — Which one is your favorite? I’m digging the slight multi-shading effect on the Akkerman No. 7. Just don’t ask me how pronounce it.

If you’d like to see a real-time unboxing of everything I brought back, plus some extended discussion of the two nib grinds PLUS real-time writing samples and ink swatches, you can view the full video on YouTube here.

TGS Shop: Introducing the "All the Things" Table — I think I’m going to call this one the “all the things” table, since we’ve added a bunch new items ranging from new Jetstream Lite Touch pens to the Uni Signo DX gel pens! Come see these in person this weekend, and I’m in the process of loading them onto the site as well.

Physical Shop and Future Pen Show Schedule

We’re open today (Saturday) from 10am-6pm, and will be having special hours next week because on Thursday night I’m off to the Atlanta Pen Show, where I will be sharing table space with Hinze Pens. Be sure to stop by because we will have a fun selection of highly curated items at the Atlanta show, including Roterfaden Taschenbegleiters, lots of Lochby pouches and notebook covers (including the new A5 Field Folio), and maybe some of the new pens we’ve been stocking, depending on space! Since I won’t have a lot of space, I’ll have to curate my selection this weekend, but I am open to requests if you reach out before Tuesday or Wednesday and I’ll do my best to make it happen.

The Gentleman Stationer is supported by purchases from the T.G.S. Curated Shop and pledges via the T.G.S. Patreon Program.

Matt Chen grinding nibs while being videotaped. — Poor Matthew. Always cool under pressure. He was certainly a good sport all weekend with our YouTube experiments.

2025 Arkansas Pen Show Recap: TGS's Best Pen Show Ever?

March 26, 2025

I love attending smaller shows. I’ve said this many times, but both the vendor and attendee experience at regional pen shows can often be better at than at “bigger”, more-hyped events. Stationery is trendy right now (though I don’t need to tell most of you that) and it seems as though every year there are more reports of over-hyped and/or oversold pen shows or other events that result in long wait times, overcrowding, botched admissions processes with out-of-towners effectively turned away at the door, and annoyed customers. A few people have asked why I’ve started to steer clear of larger shows, and my answer is always the same: They’re not that fun for me and aren’t really consistent with how I want to run T.G.S.

Blackwing Testing Station at the TGS Table at the Arkansas Pen Show — People spent a LOT of time at our table, testing pens and pencils or simply doodling on our Blackwing testing station.

What’s Good-to-Great About the Arkansas Pen Show

While “exposure” from a large event can be valuable for the business, overcrowded events that offer a poor attendee experience can be counterproductive given how I like to operate. Personally, I’ve chosen the path of sustainable growth based off of real interaction with customers and readers where I can offer a level of personal service that other sellers cannot. If I’m going to close the physical shop for a weekend and set up at an event, I want the experience to be the same as if someone came to our shop in Nashville and had the opportunity to try stuff out, ask questions, and have the same relaxed, laid-back experience browsing without being pushed by other people trying to reach the table. We had plenty of traffic at the Arkansas Pen Show, and the show was never crowded to the point where I couldn’t have a 5-10 minute conversation with anyone who wanted to talk while shopping. Other regional shows I’ve attended such as the Atlanta Pen Show and, on a quiet day, the Baltimore Pen Show, have a similar vibe.

Paper Tasting After-Hours at Vanness Pens — I swung by Vanness on Monday morning before heading back to Nashville, where we had all the Yamamoto Paper samplers spread out to test.

The Arkansas Show draws one of the friendliest, most welcoming groups of people I’ve experienced at shows. After-hours events tend to be close-knit and small (we had a rotating round-table meet and greet on Saturday night), and if you need to exit the show floor for a while, or simply need to get out of the hotel, Vanness Pens is located in Little Rock and always has a steady stream of people coming through their doors on show weekend. I’ve collaborated with Vanness a lot over the years, and we had the chance to film some video content that you’ll see posted to both of our social media feeds and YouTube channels in the coming weeks! Hopefully it will be helpful to those on the fence about attending a pen show in the future.

Matt Chen hard at work grinding a Kodachi nib — Matthew hard at work grinding a Kodachi nib on my friend Chad’s Pilot.

The Not-So-Good

This show desperately needs a new venue. The hotel where the show has been located for the past two years is “tired” (polite description) and the public bathrooms were gross. After being on your feet for 10+ hours as a vendor or weekend attendee (more if you include after-hours events), it’s nice to be able to go back to a clean, quiet room and rest. I didn’t have a great experience at the hotel last year, but after they tried to check me into a room with (1) four different sets of keys that didn’t work and (2) dead bugs smashed on the bathroom ceiling, I was done and decided to stay at a newer hotel across the street which was only $20 per night more expensive. Look, some people go to pen shows wanting to spend the least amount of money possible, which I get, but in my opinion the extra investment was well worth it, and it was kind of nice to have some separation from the pen show at night and in the morning which allowed me to relax and recover a bit. For the record, I don’t have unreasonably high hotel standards, especially on the pen show circuit, but this hotel wasn’t particularly cheap (especially for what it was), the online photos of the hotel looked nothing like reality, and there’s a baseline level of cleanliness that, in my opinion, hotels are obligated to provide that was not present here. Others may feel differently but in my experience, if the venue of a show feels lower-end, that negatively affects the perception of the show itself and the businesses who attend. It’s also not fair to attendees and vendors who spend a lot of money to come to the show, to have to deal with these issues. The previous show hotel was clean and about the same price-wise from what I can recall.

Green Hotel Pool Arkansas Pen Show — For the record, the pen show room rate typically DOES NOT get you a pool view (or here, a “lake view”). :)

What’s Trending In Pens and Stationery? The Hits of this Year’s Arkansas Pen Show

Setting aside hotel issues, the content of the Arkansas Show is always great. There is a good mix of vintage, modern, and small makers to keep things interesting. Personally, I dropped most of my dollars on nib grinds and an upgraded nib for my Conid Bulkfiller Kingsize (going from titanium, which I simply don’t like, to gold). I had Matthew Chen add two of his excellent Kodachi grinds to two different pens, which I’ll be showcasing in a separate post/video soon. (Pro tip: If you want nib work done, smaller shows are great because there’s less of a wait for nib work. Walk-up slots were available throughout the weekend.) I also purchased a couple bottles of Akkerman Ink and a Leonardo Momento Zero Nuvola at Vanness on Sunday.

In terms of what was popular at the show, I bet pretty heavily that non-fountain pen stationery items would draw a lot of interest, which turned out to be correct. I sold through more than half of the shop’s most recent Roterfaden shipment, as well as a lot of the new Lochby Field Folios and Sidekicks. Washi tape, Uni Jetstream and Jetstream Lite Touch Multi Pens, and Traveler’s Notebooks and all the accessories were also popular. In recent years, pen shows have drawn a lot of first-time attendees and those with a strong interest in general stationery other than fountain pens, and I’ve tried to focus on ensuring that this part of the community has a vendor with plenty of stuff for them to peruse.

Nicole's Lochby Field Journal — I love it when customers bring their products by the table, especially when they’re being well-used like this Lochby Field Journal!

Takeaways and Final Impressions

This year I’ve made the decision to dial back my full pen show setups and concentrate on keeping our Nashville location open as much as possible in order to grow the local business. That said, with such a niche clientele, it’s important to support your regional shows, so after some consideration (and more than a few customer requests), I will be attending the Atlanta Pen Show next weekend with my friends from Hinze Pens. Hopefully we will have our next TGS x Hinze collaboration fountain pen available at the table. While I may not have the two tables full of goods that I was able to bring to Little Rock, I will have any Roterfaden left over from this current shipment, as well as Traveler’s and Lochby so that you can complement your pen purchases with a nice new notebook cover!

The Gentleman Stationer is supported by purchases from the T.G.S. Curated Shop and pledges via the T.G.S. Patreon Program.

Saturday Updates and Scenes from the Arkansas Pen Show, Day 1

March 22, 2025

It’s going to be relatively quiet this weekend on the blog as we’re attending the Arkansas Pen Show in Little Rock. I thought it might be fun to post some “Day One” pics from Friday, which was surprisingly busy for a Friday afternoon at a smaller pen show and definitely bodes well for Saturday! While I spent most of my time behind the table, I did get to visit Matthew Chen of Matthew’s Nibworks (@pactagon on the socials) to get a Kodachi grind on my Lamy 2000 in Stainless Steel. I also spent some time perusing the Newton Pens table. While I haven’t picked anything up YET, there are definitely some muted multicolor ebonites that caught my eye….

Note that our Nashville brick and mortar location is closed this weekend while we are in Arkansas but the online store remains open. If you’re in driving distance of Little Rock, please come see us at the show! We will return to normal operating hours next week.

Matthew Chen working on my Lamy 2000 in Stainless Steel — Matthew hard at work on my Lamy 2000 Stainless Steel.

Matthew Chen Tester Pens at the Table — Even if you don’t get a nib ground, Matthew has tester pens out on his table with all of the different nib grinds that you can try them all out to see what might appeal to you.

A tray of Newton Orville Fountain Pens, ready to go — Anyone venture a guess as to which one appealed to me?

Newton Prospector Fountain Pens — The Newton Prospector is one of my favorite small-maker fountain pens. (Don’t be fooled by the imitators out there - Shawn is the original creator of this particular design.) He’s working a lot with ebonites lately and there are some gorgeous pieces out there.

Lochby Journal Cover Aged Leather — I posted this yesterday to show the difference between a new Roterfaden Taschenbegleiter LTD_022 and my 7-year old version on the right. These covers age beautifully, with the leather becoming more supple over time. If you’re attending the show, I have a handful of Roterfadens left behind the table. Note that what’s shown in the online inventory is available for online purchase only, as I have not brought those specific items with me to the show.

Behind the Scenes: Preparing for the First Pen Show of the Year

March 19, 2025

It’s time for the Arkansas Pen Show, which will be the first pen show that I attend in 2025. Since we’ve opened our own brick-and-mortar shop, I’ve been operating on a reduced travel schedule, but I’m still planning on taking T.G.S. to at least a couple of shows this year. Despite it being a smaller, regional show, Arkansas has a lot to offer that the bigger shows do not. More on that later.

Hightide Sandglasses TGS Pen Show Table — One year I brought the Hightide Sandglasses to Arkansas and they were a big hit. One reason I enjoy this show is because it’s within driving distance, and I can be a bit more creative with what I pack.

How I Pack For a Pen Show As a Vendor

Whenever I pack and prepare for shows, I carefully consider exactly what I’m going to bring. My tables are usually organized around notebook systems such as Roterfaden, Lochby, and Traveler’s Notebooks, since those are all items many people enjoy seeing in person before purchasing, particularly if they are having a difficult time selecting a specific color or refill. I also make a conscious effort to bring pens, pencils, and other writing instruments that I know other vendors probably won’t have at the show, as opposed to more common brands like TWSBI and Lamy that nearly everyone carries. Past show favorites have included the entire Anterique line and all the Uni Jetstream variants that we import from Japan. Despite most U.S. pen shows being focused on fountain pens, recent years have seen more general stationery enthusiasts attend shows, and they tend to appreciate the additional options. This year in Arkansas I will have two tables (up from one last year), so you can expect a bigger selection and more room to browse.

Shawn Newton Pens Arkansas Pen Show — Pens such as the Newton Prospector (bottom row) are typically made in very small batches, so if you see one you like in a special material, you’ll want to pick that pen up earlier than standard releases from larger companies, where there might be more available.

How to Prepare for a Pen Show as an Attendee

A smaller pen show like Arkansas or Atlanta is easier to prep for as an attendee than a larger show like San Francisco or the D.C. Pen Show. You don’t need to worry about “missing” anything, as there are fewer vendors. You can easily visit every table in a single day, and certainly over an entire weekend. Vendors usually have more time to spend with each customer, since the tables aren’t always slammed, and I’ve personally always enjoyed the ability to have more engaged conversations with customers who come to see me at the smaller shows. Last year I actually wrote a piece after the 2024 Arkansas Show discussing the benefits of smaller shows.

Pen Shows After Dark — You really won’t believe some of the things you see in the bar after-hours.

But regardless of the show you are attending, there are three main things I always advise people to prepare for, at a minimum:

Nib Grinds and Repair Work. Regardless of how big a show is, nib grinders and vintage pen repair appointments can fill up fast. If you have work that you absolutely need to get done, identify who you want to work on your pens and make their table your first stop. If there’s an “early access” pass available, buy it to ensure you’re near the front of any wait list.
Visit Smaller Makers Early. Especially if you are looking for a less-common model or special material, because one-offs and less common items can sell out quickly. Bespoke penmakers sometimes only have one rod of a given resin or other material.
Take Breaks. Even smaller shows can be overwhelming, especially for those who haven’t been to a pen show before. Don’t spend all your money in the first hour (unless of course, you only have an hour to spend). And most of all, be sure to make an effort to hang out for just a little while after the show closes! You’d be shocked at the knowledge you pick up around the table in the hotel bar, especially if you’re interested in more esoteric nib grinds and vintage pens.

I’ve been to many pen shows over the years, and the site has nearly a decade of show recaps that you can read through in the blog post archive. I’ve also written a “Pen Show Primer” Series of Articles, including Volume 1: Why Visit a Pen Show; Volume 2: Getting Ready for a Pen Show; and Volume 3: Tips for Surviving the Pen Show. Some of these articles have some age on them, but I stand by pretty much all of the advice!

Please note that our brick-and-mortar shop will be closed Thursday through Sunday of this week since we will be in Arkansas. We will reopen with regular hours next week. Online orders will continue to be processed in our typical 2-3 business day time frame. Many thanks for all your support, and I hope to see as many of you as possible in Arkansas!

2024 Arkansas Pen Show Recap: Or, 5 Reasons to Attend a Smaller Pen Show

March 27, 2024

Well, that was a weekend! I always enjoy my trips to Little Rock for the Arkansas Pen Show, and this year was no exception. Run by the Arkansas Pen Club, the Arkansas Pen Show is a smaller, regional pen show that draws excellent vendors - both vintage and modern - and pulls in a good crowd of friendly attendees. While I don’t have official numbers, this year appeared even more well-attended than last year, following the move to a new location with a bigger ballroom. Kudos to Shawn Newton and the rest of the Arkansas Pen Club leadership for organizing a great show. I thought it might be fun to orient this show recap around a more general discussion of why it’s fun to attend local shows in general, even if they’re not as big as the pen shows that get the most hype and attention online.

Smaller pen shows are more relaxed and easier to navigate. While bigger “events” like the D.C. Pen Show and San Francisco Pen Show feature international vendors unique to those shows (mainly due to the logistics of attendance), the sheer size of these shows can be overwhelming even to seasoned pen show veterans. There’s no way you can see everything, and the fear of “missing something good” creates a level of anxiety and frenetic energy that sort of lingers through the weekend. At a smaller show, particularly one that’s confined to a single ballroom, you really are able to visit every table, and when the foot traffic slows down, vendors are more than happy to have extended conversations about the pens they sell and stationery in general. You also never know what people will bring by to show you - just check out that Traveler’s Notebook pictured below!
Smaller shows offer more time to consider purchases. Larger shows draw larger crowds, and vendors can only bring so much product with them, especially if they are flying. Some tables come close to selling out of certain in-demand products by the end of the first day. At a show like the Arkansas Pen Show, however, there’s no such rush, and unless you have your eye on a very specific pen from a custom maker, you almost certainly have time to think about and consider your purchase without worrying that something will be gone ten minutes later. You can also have nibs tuned or ground on a walk-up basis - Matthew Chen (Matthew’s Nibworks) attended the Arkansas Pen Show, and while he kept busy all weekend, there was never a long line or even a wait list, to my knowledge.
Smaller pen shows have a friendlier atmosphere. While the pen community in general is pretty friendly and welcoming, the smaller, regional shows are often run by tight-knit local pen clubs. As a result, the shows themselves have more of a “party” atmosphere, as opposed to the trade show/convention/flea market hybrid you see elsewhere.
Smaller pen shows are typically less expensive to attend. If you’re within a few hours of a pen show, always take the opportunity to drive rather than fly! In addition to saving on airfare, smaller regional shows often have cheaper hotel rates (Arkansas was around $100 per night for the show rate at a fairly decent hotel), and the price of admission was $10 for the entire weekend.
Smaller pens shows support smaller sellers and independent makers. The Arkansas Pen Show features several vendors who don’t attend the major market pen shows, including many excellent, reputable vintage sellers. For example, I purchased both of the vintage pens discussed below from Danny Fudge of The Write Pen, and I’ve never had anything but good experiences buying from him in the past. Other unique vendors included Chad from Eel and Anchor, who was my table neighbor and came with dozens of custom pen blanks. Let’s just say I have some commissions and potential exclusive releases in the prototyping stage? You can check out the full list of show Exhibitors here.

Traveler's Notebook Passport Setup — Talking to customers can be a master class in how to truly USE stationery: This is a Traveler’s Company Passport-sized notebook!

So What Did I Sell and What Did I Buy?

On both they buying and selling front, my recent strategy has been sort of similar: bring stuff that nobody else is going to have and buy stuff that I probably can’t find elsewhere. At my table, I brought Roterfaden, Lochby, and Traveler’s Company notebook systems, a selection of fountain pens, as well as a pretty varied selection of mechanical pencils and leadholders. Pencils tend to be underrepresented at pen shows, even though I always have nearly a dozen people approach me at any given show asking where to find them. Uni Kuru Togas and the Penco Prime Timber 2.0 lead holder drew the most attention, as did the Anterique Brass Ballpoints, Craighill Caro keychain pens, and other less common offerings. Over the years, I’ve discovered that as a smaller vendor (both online and in person), the key to having a successful show is to add to the “treasure hunt” experience by ensuring that you’re not just selling the same stuff as your table neighbor, or items that are easy for attendees to find online.

For the same reason, I’ve become more selective about what I purchase at shows. At this particular pen show, I added two more vintage pens to my collection: a Parker 51 Flighter (with the “wedding band” trim), and a Sterling Silver Parker 75. Both of these pens are fairly clean examples - though still “user grade” - and I’ve had the Parker 51 inked up since the night I bought it. The Parker 51 has a smooth extra-fine nib and the Parker 75 sports a broad, both of which are somewhat unusual. I also visited the Esterbrook table and picked up two pens that I suspect might be discontinued soon in these colors: the “Big J” in Lotus Green ebonite, and the “JR” in Pumpkin Latte. (Of course the two latter pens now have nib grinds from Matthew Chen!)

2024 Arkansas Pen Show Haul Pens — From left, the “Big J” and “JR” pens from Esterbrook, a Parker 75 pen and pencil set, and a Parker 51 Flighter.

Overall, I enjoy my trips to Little Rock, which always includes an opportunity to shop at Vanness Pens in person! The current plan is to return next year, and I hope to see the show grow even more in the future. Thanks so much to the Arkansas Pen Club and all the attendees for showing us out-of-towners such a good time!

The Gentleman Stationer is supported entirely by purchases from the T.G.S. Curated Shop and pledges via the T.G.S. Patreon Program. If you enjoyed this content, please consider supporting us directly!