Yesterday, at 6:30 p.m. in various locations around the world, Pelikan enthusiasts around the world met for the fifth year in a row to share their love for fountain pens, and the Pelikan brand in particular. The Nashville hub met at the excellent Stout’s Burgers & Beers in Brentwood, where we had the back room reserved and were joined by Lisa Vanness from Vanness Pens, who drove over from Little Rock for the event! Follow the hashtags #pelikanhubs and #pelikanhubs2018 on social media (including my Instagram @gentlemanstationer) for additional pics from the Nashville hub and other events around the world.

All Pelikan Hubs attendees receive a bottle of the Pelikan Edelstein “Ink of the Year,” which this year is Olivine, a very nice dark green that I’m looking forward to using.

Don’t forget, as part of a special Pelikan Hubs weekend “bonus,” Vanness Pens is staying in the Nashville area for a meet-and-greet on Saturday from 1-4 p.m. at the Homewood Suites, 5107 Peter Taylor Park Drive, Brentwood, TN 37027. There’s a huge common area in the hotel and Vanness will have plenty of pens, inks, and paper to test, so if you’re in the Nashville area please stop by!

Finally, steps have been taken to formalize a Nashville-area pen club using Meetup.com. Sign up here to receive notifications of upcoming gatherings and events.

The annual Pelikan Hubs event continues to gain steam, and this year's Nashville Hub was no exception. Fountain-pen obsessed Nashvillians all gathered at the excellent Coco's Italian Market for some beer, wine, Italian food, and of course pens. It turned out to be a larger group than last year, with participants traveling from out-of-state (Alabama and Kentucky) to participate. Swag included a bottle of Pelikan's Edelstein Ink of the Year, "Smoky Quartz" and a (very) large Pelikan banner, which we'll put to good use at a future pen club meetup since we were already testing the crowded restaurant's patience with the size of our group.

Pelikan started the Hubs as a way for their fans to meet one night each year in cities around the world for an evening of socializing and sharing pens. In order to qualify for a Hub in a particular city, at least five people need to express interest by signing up with Pelikan, with one person volunteering to act as the "Hub-master" (the person who makes the restaurant/event space reservation and has the box of Pelikan swag sent to them).

To learn more about Pelikan Hubs, and to be sure that you all get on the list for next year's event (or even start one in your city), be sure and visit Pelikan's "Hub Page." You can also check Instagram and Twitter for pictures of this year's Hubs events using the hashtag #pelikanhubs2017. Pelikan Hubs have served as a starting point for pen groups and clubs around the world, so if you're in the Nashville area, and want to stay in touch and participate in pen-related gatherings throughout the year, please feel free to reach out to me at joe (at) gentlemanstationer.com, or through the "Contact Me" portal on the blog.

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