Unpacking the Inaugural San Francisco Stationery Fest (Literally and Figuratively), Plus Save the Date for On The Paper Trail Live in Nashville!

To be honest, I didn’t get to shop much at the 2026 San Francisco Stationery Fest that we attended last week. The show was MUCH busier than I anticipated, with crowds that approached the San Francisco Pen Show. I did get to roam a bit on Sunday and managed to collect some stamps, and I had a steady stream of attendees bringing me stickers throughout the weekend once they realized we were unable to break away. (Thank you all!) In this week’s episode of On the Paper Trail, we had an in-depth discussion of our reactions to the show and how we felt that it differed from a traditional pen show. I won’t go into all those topics again here, but the two main takeaways that stuck with me were:

• Stationery and analog tools are growing in popularity and showing no sign of slowing down. Best of all, people aren’t just collecting - they are using their stationery to plan, journal, and simply to make everyday life more enjoyable.

• The growing interest in stationery extends well beyond pens. While pens were certainly popular this weekend, the focus fell on things like washi tape, paper, rubber stamps (including free stamps that attendees could collect at tables), and stickers. It was refreshing to meet other customers and vendors who haven’t previously attended traditional pen shows.

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A couple shots of the T.G.S. and Vanness tables during setup on Friday

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We brought TGS, Vanness, and On The Paper Trail rubber stamps and well, people tested them.

While T.G.S. started as a website focused on pens and pen reviews, over the years the scope of the site (and later, the shop) expanded to cover both the traditional fountain pen community as well as other segments of the stationery world. Especially as we’ve built out core shop categories such as Roterfaden and other Notebook Systems, I’ve personally become more interested in the goings-on in the planner and general stationery community, so this particular show resonated with me in a way recent pen shows haven’t, especially the focus on using products over pure collecting and the large number of seminars, workshops, and meetups available to attendees. The organizers did a great job curating vendors and classes.

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Vendor Tokyo Seihan offered three different giant Godzilla stamps throughout the weekend, free to anyone who came by the table. Unfortunately I was only able to get one on Sunday!

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You could also buy a set of your own Godzilla stamps at their booth.

The Sleeper Hit of the Show: Multi Pens!

People always ask me: What sold well at the show? This time around, the answer was multi pens. The stationery crowd loves color, and multi pens offer the ability to quickly switch between inks and line size in a way that can be difficult with fountain pens. I brought several different multi pen “systems” with me, and based on the conversations I had with attendees and questions they asked, it might be helpful to offer a few points of clarification for those who bought a pen in San Francisco or who might otherwise be interested in further exploring this category of writing instruments:

1. Most multi pen systems use proprietary refills. The two most popular gel multi pens are the Pilot Hi-Tec-C Coleto system (famous for it’s needle-tip), and the Uni Style-Fit. While both offer a wide array of colors and tip sizes, you cannot use the refills interchangeably.

2. Ballpoint and hybrid ballpoints (i.e. Jetstream/Acroball) have limited color options. These are almost always black, blue, green, and red. The one exception is the Pilot 4+1 multi pen, which uses a Pilot multi pen refill that happens to be the same diameter as the Uni Style-Fit refill, so this excellent multi pen can use both ballpoint and gel ink! (Once I was able to demonstrate this we sold a lot of these Pilot 4+1 pens last weekend.)

3. D1 multi pens allow you to mix and match refills from different brands, though you will be limited in terms of color options. Some multi pens (namely the Lamy 2000, Pilot Legno, most Tombows, and Penco pens) use a universal D1 size, which will let you mix ballpoint and gel inks, as well as use refills from different brands. That said, D1 refills don’t usually come in the wide range of colors and tip sizes that the Uni and Pilot gel ranges offer.

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The two stars of my San Francisco Stationery Show Table, at least pen-wise.

Last But NOT LEAST: SAVE THE DATE For On The Paper Trail Live in Nashville October 16-18!

Today’s post seems as good a time as any for a fun announcement: Lisa Vanness and I will be hosting our own event in Nashville the weekend of October 16-18! While we are still finalizing details with the venue (including the final number of attendees we can accommodate and details on hotels, etc.), it’s time to go ahead and announce On the Paper Trail: Live in Nashville! We’re planning a smaller event that will focus on a select number of vendors - while still representing most major categories of stationery - along with a heavy focus on classes, seminars, and opportunities for attendees to socialize during the event and after-hours. We’ve spent a lot of time visualizing what we’d consider to be our “ideal” stationery event, and think that we’ve come up with something unique that will be enjoyable for all. We can’t wait to share the details with you - stay tuned for a follow-up announcement. In the meantime, get caught up on all SIX episodes of On the Paper Trail, our joint podcast, and we’ll probably have more to share next week when we record Episode 7!

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The Gentleman Stationer is supported by purchases from the T.G.S. Curated Shop and pledges via the T.G.S. Patreon Program. You can also come visit us at our physical stationery store in Nashville, Tennessee.

Behind the Scenes: Getting Ready for a Pen Show (or Maybe Two...)

Given the level of response to the On the Paper Trail Pre-Pen Show Livestream and Episode 4: Recapping the California Pen Show, I thought it might be fun to offer a glimpse into the behind-the-scenes of our prep for this week’s Arkansas Pen Show, held at the Wyndham Riverfront in Little Rock Friday through Sunday. We have plenty of new stuff that arrived this week, which we’ll be taking with us! Follow along as I sort through it.

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A few of these have been out of stock for a while, and I was pushing to get them back in stock prior to Arkansas. Yes, Yamamoto Bank Paper is still with us and will be making an appearance.

My Pen Show Strategy - Lots of Paper and Accessories

I try to make the T.G.S. tables stand out at any show I attend, and that mostly means focusing on items that other vendors at the show are less likely to have, including store exclusives and other merchandise that customers want to see in person. For me, notebook systems and pen cases like Roterfaden, Yamamoto Ro-biki, and Lochby have been perennial hits at pen shows because it can be difficult to get a sense of how they work online and they demonstrate well in person. I also always try to bring fun items like the Hightide Sandglasses and Toyo Steel Boxes, as well as mechanical and woodcase pencils, which tend to be grossly underrepresented. Arkansas has always been a great show to shop accessories, as there are usually several vendors selling handmade leather notebook covers, journals and more. People ask me why I tend not to bring a broad range of fountain pens to pen shows, and the simple answer is that you can buy those elsewhere and I want my contribution to the show to be unique and additive.

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Yes, we have a LOT of new Roterfadens in stock, coming to a pen show near you! We have A5 and A4, so be sure to check them all out.

Arkansas Isn’t a Suitcase Show, WHich Means The Table Will Look Different!

Later this month T.G.S. will be attending the San Francisco Stationery Fest, where we will be largely limited to what we can pack into two suitcases. Being able to load displays and collapsible crates into a car before driving a few hours is much more convenient and makes for a different show setup, so don’t be surprised if you see a different look to the T.G.S tables in Arkansas as opposed to San Francisco. For the Arkansas show I’m able to bring things like spinner displays and racks, which is better for displaying heavier paper and larger notebooks. Obviously, you can’t lug that stuff onto an airplane, so while I’ll likely have Roterfaden with me the San Francisco Stationery Fest is definitely going to be heavier on things like pencils, multipens and washi tape!

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Yes, Canopus notebooks will make an appearance, freshly arrived from Japan!

Look for livestreams, videos, and more from this weekend’s festivities. While we’re out the store will be closed on Friday but open on Saturday! Be sure to check the Shop Hours page or the Google Profile for updates.

San Francisco Pen Show Saturday Update: Come See Us If You Can Fight Through the Crowds!

Greetings from San Francisco! We’re tucked into Oak Room, which is straight down the entrance hall, all the way to the back on the left. We’re sharing table space with our friends at Vanness Pens and Galen Leather, so please do come see us.

San Francisco is one of the busiest pen shows I’ve attended in years. Please take it slow, be patient and kind, and accept up front that things are selling out very, very quickly so you may have to hunt for some of the more unique items. Regardless of whether you can purchase on site, there’s still a LOT of fun stuff to see because many vendors have demos, like the Drillog table shown above.

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Hmmm.

If you’re looking for a Roterfaden TGS_25 at the show, those unfortunately sold out in a few hours on Friday morning, but there is very limited stock still available online. (I’m posting this link here at the request of several show attendees so people know exactly where to go.)

Please note that our Nashville Shop is closed today due to travel, and will reopen next week. Updated hours can be found here.

Pen Show Resources: What To Do At A Pen Show, and How Do You Prepare? (Plus a Further Roterfaden Update)

We’re entering a busy stretch for pen shows, even though the 2025 D.C. Pen Show is in the books! Later this month we have the San Francisco Pen Show (August 29-31), and after that Orlando, Commonwealth (Boston), and Dallas in September. (Check out the full calendar here.) Many of you have shared that you are planning on attending your first show and have asked for some “pen show prep” posts. I’ve done a bunch of these over the years, and need to pull them together onto one page, but they tend to need very little updating as the show experience has remained surprisingly consistent.

To start, I generally link back to a series of “Pen Show Primer” articles I’ve written 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. While these particular articles have some age on them, I stand by pretty much all of the advice. (You’ll also note that “get a good pen show bag” has remained consistently high on the list of tips for a positive pen show experience, along with “take breaks” if you can.) For those looking for information on nib grinds, earlier this year I did a YouTube video walking through a nib grind I had done by Matthew Chen at this year’s Arkansas Pen Show.

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Be sure to build plenty of “browsing time” into you pen show schedule.

A Quick Update on Upcoming Shows and Roterfaden Restocks

I will be teaming up with Vanness Pens once again at the upcoming San Francisco Pen Show, helping at the table and with various seminars and discussion panels. There won’t be a “T.G.S. Table,” but I may have some exclusive items available at the show through Vanness, including any remaining Roterfaden Taschenbegleiters from shipments scheduled to arrive in the next two weeks. The initial shipment should arrive next week, and it will contain a restock of A6, B6, B5, A5, and A4 sizes. I do have another order of the A5 Slim TGS_25 special editions on the way, which I expect to have in hand before San Francisco provided there are no delays. Many people have e-mailed asking whether they can reserve, prepay, or receive an e-mail notifying them when they are available. Unfortunately, due to the volume of messages, I am no longer able to respond individually, and I cannot promise pre-sale or prepayment opportunities because I do not know how much lead time we will have and I generally am uncomfortable taking money until I know international shipments have cleared customs. I will be posting updates in the Patreon (members will have some stock set aside for first refusal), here on the blog a few days prior to the launch, and via the T.G.S. mailing list. I will try to give everyone as much advanced notice as possible, but due to the small-batch nature of the product, it’s possible that there won’t be enough to meet demand, and if that’s the case I will try for a third shipment.

Come see us in person, either at a show or at our spot in Nashville! We will be open this week from 1-6pm Thursday and Friday and from 10am-6pm Saturday.

2025 D.C. Pen Show Recap: The Big Show Gets Bigger

Can you believe that I just returned home from what I’m pretty sure was the biggest D.C. Pen Show ever and I feel like I barely got to see any of it? Sometimes that’s what happens when you’re busy behind the table! I had a great time visiting with all of you who stopped by, either during the show or after-hours, and my suitcases came home much lighter than when I left. Unfortunately, because I was behind the table for most of the weekend, I only made it into one of the four ballrooms, and even then only for a few minutes. Where did I go when I did have free time? More on that below but some of you can probably guess from the pic above. IYKYK.

I posted a short YouTube video this morning showing how the Kaweco D.I.Y. machine works.

What Did I Do All Weekend? Teach Classes, Sell Notebooks, and Staff the Kaweco D.I.Y. Station

For those of you who missed my weekend updates, I didn’t arrive until late Friday afternoon due to flight cancellations on Thursday, and couldn’t set up until Saturday morning. Despite missing an entire day, the crowds on Saturday more than made up for it, and even Sunday was brisk, which was unusual. I was able to teach two sessions of my “Notebook Systems 101” workshop in the Vanness Pen Lounge, and both classes ended up with good turnouts and active question and answer sessions.

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The Kaweco D.I.Y. Sport: Joe’s Version.

Surprisingly, the most fun I had was working the Kaweco D.I.Y. Sport station. For those unfamiliar with Kaweco’s “D.I.Y.” setup, for the past couple of years they have been shipping two machines to retailers, which when set up allow customers to assemble their own Kaweco Sport fountain pen. It’s a pretty simple process, where you use one machine to press the nib unit into the section, and another to assemble the blind cap, outer cap, and finial. Vanness Pens had two different color options, and you could mix and match between the two. I chose a teal pen with a burgundy section, and filmed the assembly process.

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My D.C. Pen Show Haul

I had a very small D.C. Pen Show haul, which included the one item I was hoping to track down at either the D.C. Pen Show or the San Francisco Pen Show later this month: a glass pen from Hanabi Glass Studio. I’ve long admired Lucas’s work, and with my limited time, I made a beeline for his table on Sunday morning during the slower weekend pass early admission hours. While he had sold a lot of pens on Friday and Saturday, plenty remained and I was able to get one of the styles I’ve been admiring. It writes exceptionally well, with a tip size that I would characterize as a fine. Look for more of this pen as I do ink samples and comparisons in the future. It’s a work of art.

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I also stopped by the Laurett’s table late on Sunday before they packed up, in order to pick up some of their ebonite ballpoints and mechanical pencils. I brought home several for the shop, so look for these in the coming days. (Let’s just say I bought every red and black version I could get my hands on.) For those unfamiliar with Laurett’s, it’s a Japanese precision machining company that specializes in knurling. And it’s great knurling, if you’re into that sort of thing.

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The Laurett’s “WAKA” ballpoints feature intricate knurling on the grip section. It’s insanely comfortable to hold.

Overall, this was an outstanding D.C. Pen Show, reminiscent of the 2015-2017 era. Do I wish I had more time to roam the show? Sure, but I should have that opportunity in San Francisco since I will not have my own table and will be mainly helping out my friends at Vanness Pens. (I may bring some Roterfaden Taschenbegleiters with me if I can get additional stock - you all cleaned me out in D.C. and we currently have very few units remaining.) That said, I’m looking forward to a few weeks at home and in the shop. I have a ton of new arrivals, and some BIG news that we will be announcing towards the end of the month. Stay tuned!

We will be open at our Nashville location this weekend from 1-6pm Thursday and Friday, and from 10am-6pm on Saturday. We’d love to see you in person, or you can support T.G.S. by shopping via our online store or visiting our Patreon. Many thanks!