Summer Pen Show Schedule and D.C. and San Francisco Pen Show Details

The August Pen Show Season is almost upon us! First up is the 2025 D.C. Pen Show, which will take place at the Marriott Fairview Park in Falls Church, Virginia. We will be attending, and while our final setup is yet to be determined, we will either be sharing table space with our friends at Vanness Pens and/or set up in the Pen Lounge downstairs, where I plan to hold my workshop on Notebook Systems once daily on Friday (4pm), Saturday (3:30pm), and Sunday (12pm). The DC Seminar Schedule is a bit disorganized and hard to follow, and does not currently reflect these classes, but will be updated soon.

For those who visited the D.C. Pen Show last year, you may remember the Vanness Pen Lounge as a downstairs “oasis” where you can get off your feet around a table to visit with friends, and catch a class or workshop in a more informal format. It will be open Friday-Sunday, from open until close.

The San Francisco Pen Show will follow from August 29-31, and while I currently plan to be there, my current schedule and location is TBD. I want to spend at least part of that show as a pure attendee. Stay tuned for additional details around mid-August.

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Can I Order Items from the Shop to Pick Up in D.C. or San Francisco?

D.C., yes. San Francisco, possibly but I’m not sure yet. The difference is that I’m driving to D.C., whereas I have to fly to San Francisco. (I’m also attending the San Francisco Pen Show mostly as an attendee, and therefore won’t have a regular table or easy place to store any stuff.) Details on D.C. Pen Show Orders can be found in this week’s Thursday Drops post, but the short version is to use the coupon code “DCPICKUP” at checkout to drop the shipping charge. Orders not collected at the show that do not qualify for free shipping ($75+) will be assessed a separate shipping charge. I will be mostly set up in the Vanness Pen Lounge (downstairs) for the weekend, and my stock will heavily feature notebook systems and accessories (i.e., Roterfaden, Lochby, Traveler’s Company). I do intend to bring most of my current Roterfaden stock to D.C., so if you have been waiting on a specific piece, I would encourage you to visit the store or purchase in advance. The status of the current trade situation will likely influence the timing of any further restock.

Pen Show and Shop Schedule for August

Please pay close attention to posted in-person shop hours for the month of August, as they will be somewhat irregular due to travel.

• Thursday, July 31 through Sunday, August 3: D.C. Pen Show. We will have special in-person store hours in Nashville the week of July 28, and possibly add a day next week, to make up for the fact that we will be closed that weekend.

• Thursday August 28 through Sunday, August 31: San Francisco Pen Show. We will plan to have special in-person store hours in Nashville the week of the show, since we won’t be in town that weekend.

• Otherwise, the T.G.S. storefront should be operating per our normal business hours, Thursday and Friday 1pm-6pm and Saturday from 10am-6pm. We may add an extra afternoon (probably Wednesday) on weeks in August due to the pen show schedule.

Just a reminder that our shop is closed today (Saturday, 7/19) since we are on our last day of travel. Normal hours will resume next week and we are back on a normal shipping schedule. Don’t forget to take advantage of the current promotion, with 10% off most bottled inks and refills using the coupon code “INKYVACAY” at checkout!

From the Archives: Early T.G.S. YouTube Videos and Overlooked Gems

Sometimes when I’m on vacation or traveling I’ll pull out some older posts from the early days - perhaps content from a time when the site (and certainly the YouTube Channel) didn’t get as much traffic as it does now. Due to the algorithmic nature of the modern internet, a lot of good, informative content gets buried simply because it’s old. Periodically you need to do what you can to put it back out there. Here are three videos/video series that I had a lot of fun making and I hope you enjoy if you missed them the first time around.

• Fountain Pen Basics: How to Fill a Fountain Pen. I walk through several different filling systems, demonstrating how they work. Self-explanatory, but I do receive a lot of questions and inquiries on this topic.

• London Stationery Haul, Part I: Inks from Cornelissen. I thought this one would get more attention than it did, but perhaps the YouTube Algorithm simply isn’t as captivated by historically inspired dip pen inks as I am.

• Santini Italia Libra Fountain Pen Review. I reviewed a pen that was loaned to me by a friend, which honestly saved me a lot of money. These pens are beautiful but simply don’t match my writing style.

Due to our travel schedule this week, please note that our brick-and-mortar shop is closed and will reopen the week of July 21. Online orders will continue to be processed and ship but may require an additional 1-2 business days beyond our normal time. Thank you for all your support!

2025 Atlanta Pen Show Recap: Time for a Reboot (Plus a Note on Tariffs)

I want to start by saying that I had a great time at the Atlanta Pen Show this past weekend, and overall T.G.S. did very well at this event. Despite all the economic uncertainty, our community is vibrant, energized and supportive, and I have no doubt pen shows and the community as a whole will come through this latest crisis. In my view, if the 2008 financial crisis and the multi-year pandemic shutdown didn’t kill shows, they must have a pretty strong foundation and people will figure out how to keep them going. For most of us (myself included), this isn’t a hobby, it's part of who we are and how we think and work, and I plan to do whatever I can to stick around and pull through and make sure readers and customers continue to have as wide a selection as possible for their stationery experience.

That said, more than the depressing state of world affairs cast a pall over the 2025 Atlanta Pen Show. The show was not nearly as well-run as in years past. The vendor and seminar lists were never updated (even now the site shows 2024 names), no seminars were even held, and there was a lot of confusion among potential attendees about whether the show would even take place. This wasn’t an economy issue - it was purely on the showrunners. While the organizers certainly dropped the ball for 2025, I don’t expect these problems to continue next year as I understand they were plagued by a lack of available help, which is already being addressed.

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Tri Star Studios attended as a vendor for the first time. I ended up buying a pen from Scott, who also had ceramics from Tracy Cullen Pottery. See Saturday’s post for details.

While it’s never fun when a show doesn’t run smoothly, I still had a blast. I’ve never had a table at the Atlanta Pen Show, and like the Arkansas Pen Show, I really enjoyed getting to meet so many long-time customers in person. As long as my family schedule permits, I will continue to return. Despite organizational snafus, there was a good mix of vendors, including many independent makers showing for the first time, though the show did lack a major source of ink because both Vanness and Dromgoole’s could not attend this year.

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I’m perfecting the art of the one-table setup. :)

T.G.S. also had a good show, business-wise. As I discussed post-Arkansas, my goal for shows is to bring goods that other vendors don’t tend to focus on, including non-fountain pens like the ever-popular Tom’s Studio Lumos and Wren series, notebook systems from Roterfaden and Lochby, and more unusual niche inks. (This past weekend I brought inks from Teranishi and Tom’s Studio.) I had several people comment on the selection and express appreciation for doing something different, which makes me think I’m on to something. :)

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I was most disappointed that the bar no longer had any beer on tap. And ran out of most bottles on Friday.

Response to Reader Questions: What About Tariffs?

Like many other retailers, I’ve been fielding inquiries since the weekend about how U.S. tariffs will impact the pen industry and U.S.-based retailers. Unfortunately, I have to say that the likely impact is obvious: there will almost certainly be higher prices in the future if the current tariff rates hold. Most of the industry is, at least for now, import-dependent. While there are some stationery products that are made in the U.S.A., even these may have ties to imported components and raw materials, machinery, and other elements of the supply chain that are not immediately obvious. Please remember that retailers have very little control over prices, which tend to be dictated by manufacturers and/or distributors. Most of us sell our goods at the lower end of the permissible range at whatever markup is necessary to support a viable margin that allows us to keep the lights on. The prices we charge are directly impacted by the prices we are charged, and contrary to some of the speculation I have seen in various pen forums, stationery is not a high-margin business capable of completely absorbing tariffs of this magnitude. Brick and mortar retailers have even slimmer margins due to overhead costs.

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Post pen-show and restocking chaos. We will be cleaned up and ready to go by Thursday, and the brick and mortar shop will be open Thursday-Saturday for the foreseeable future. Check out this page to stay up to date on hours.

That said, I believe that it’s also unlikely the current tariff rates will hold. [Edit: They’ve been paused as of 4:00pm on 4/9. Guess we’ll talk again in 90 days?] The more plausible scenario is that over time, they will be negotiated down to something that still stings but will be more manageable. Most retailers and distributors have likely been stocking 4-6 months worth of inventory - if not more - to ride out the initial turbulence, but for things like limited edition releases that need to be ordered in the next several weeks, it may be a different story. I try to be transparent so I will keep everyone updated as I hear more about how the industry is responding, but for now it’s fair to say that nobody really knows how this will all shake out.

Many thanks to everyone who has expressed support and/or concern, and I’m extremely grateful for your patronage! T.G.S. is in a good position, and because we’re small with lower overhead than most we will be nimble enough to adjust as circumstances dictate. In addition to having a large supply of most major brands, we try to stock a range of goods across many different price points to ensure that people will be able to continue to enjoy their stationery no matter the circumstances.

Come see us in person this weekend! Our physical shop is open Thursday and Friday from 1-6pm, and 10-6pm on Saturdays.

Updated Fountain Pen Review Archive and a February Flash Sale (Online Only!)

Sometimes you have to take a day to do some housekeeping! I spent most of yesterday and this morning updating the Gentleman Stationer Fountain Pen Review Archive, which if you haven’t yet visited, is an organized archive of all the fountain pen reviews on the blog dating back to 2014. (There is also an Ink Review Archive, organized by color, though it’s still a work in progress and the most recent ink reviews may not yet appear.) Even though a large amount of effort and most resources went into opening the shop over the past six months, we remain committed to offering as much information as possible to users and enthusiasts. In addition to the review archive, we offer a general resources page as well as guides on our recommended “Best Pens” at certain price points and a reference on fountain pen friendly paper. Speaking of paper….

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Pencil products are restocked, including the beloved Viarco pencil caps! Read on for details on this weekend’s flash sale and pencil promotion.

February Flash Paper Sale, Travel Schedule and Trade Shows This Weekend

We just received a TON of paper, and will have more on the way shortly because it’s trade show season. How about a flash sale to kick off the month of February? Through tomorrow (Sunday, 2/3) at 11:59pm US Central Time, use the coupon code “FLASH10” to take 10% off most online paper purchases (excluding Roterfaden and Blackwing). Also, any purchases that include a pencil product will include a special gift that will make you laugh. I promise. And I’m not giving you any details on what it is. Let’s just say it was one of my many “mistake buys”. :) While supplies last, but I think I will have enough for anyone who wants one. [NOTE: Apologies but we ran out of these very quickly. For those who wondered, it was a gag “Dummy” pencil that looks real but when you go to sharpen it, there is no graphite. If you placed a pencil order but got a sticker instead of a pencil, and still want one, please e-mail us and I will place you on a list to get one if I receive another box.]

Through this weekend, keep an eye on the Instagram, because I’ll be posting pictures from New York City as we visit the NY Now and Shoppe Object Stationery Trade Shows in New York. The brick-and-mortar shop will be closing early today at 2pm because I will be on my way to the airport. It’s a short trip so online orders will continue to ship in the usual timeframe.

Recapping the 2024 Chicago Planner Conference: An Entirely New Experience!

I have a Venn diagram in my head of the greater stationery community, with the classic overlapping circles showing all the different areas of interest, some of which overlap, and some of which barely overlap at all. There are not only "pen people", but "journal people", "planner people", "sticker/washi people", "pencil people", sketchnoters, and many more. The one common thread running through all of these various communities is a love of analog, and while not all hyper-specific passions and obsessions are necessarily shared, I've always felt that this might be more a question of lack of awareness than a true lack of interest.

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I spent the past weekend at the 2024 Chicago Planner Conference, helping my friends from Vanness Pens and the Well-Appointed Desk teach a class on fountain pen inks and paper, and generally exploring this new (to me) area of stationery. It may help to first define "planners". This isn't a Filofax or Plotter convention, though traditional organizers do have a central role. Rather, at shows like the Chicago Planner Conference, Wild for Planners, and other similar events, "planning" is a broader concept that draws in those interested in organizing, journaling, scrapbooking, and art. The planners and personal organizers that tend to take center stage are different from the Plotters and Traveler's Notebooks that you tend to see at pen shows, and include smaller brands catering specifically to a more niche planner community. As an interesting aside, as more "planner people" discover fountain pens, many of the makers and brands that cater to this specific group were wanting to talk to us about fountain pen friendly paper, and how they could make their products more compatible with fountain pens since it's something many of their customers are interested in.

Not your typical pen show hotel.

Planner Conference vs Pen Show vs Stationery Fest

The biggest difference that jumped out at me immediately was the lack of focus on "the consumer." The Chicago Planner Conference has grown rapidly in the past few years, but only in the past two have they offered a pen show-style marketplace where attendees could shop on site. Even so, the event revolves around content and experiences, not shopping: Attendees pay $300+ for admission mainly to enjoy speakers, classes, photo ops, after-hours parties and events, and more. I would say that the choice of venue (the historic Chicago Hilton) reflects this focus, as it was much more comfortable, centrally located, and a touch more expensive than your typical pen show hotel. At least two other conferences were running alongside CPC over the weekend.

Pen Shows and the new trend - stationery fairs or "stationery festivals" - are generally viewed more as buying opportunities, though certain shows (the D.C. Pen Show, the San Francisco Pen Show, and Yoseka's NYC Stationery Fest) have offered an broader range of seminars and workshops for attendees to enjoy. Because the event is focused more on the vendors, and the ability to sell to as many people as possible, there is no cap on attendance and the public shows get very crowded as a result. At a more traditional "conference," where attendees buy an expensive ticket and the number sold is limited to roughly 500, the event runs at a slower, less frenzied pace. There are correspondingly fewer vendors - if there are any at all - and most brands and retailers in attendance focus more on engaging with their customers (and truly meeting new ones) than maximizing profit over the limited number of hours selling is permitted. Sure, the event has a TON of energy, and its still busy, but it's less hoards of people rushing to buy as much stuff as they possibly can from a given table and more pure excitement to be there.

A shot of the vendor marketplace during vendor setup on Saturday morning. Compared to a pen show, the space was absolutely massive.

This to me was the key difference - everyone seemed so happy simply to be at the event, as opposed to the nervous anxiety and "fear of missing out" on purchases that’s so prevalent at traditional pen shows. For example, the vendor marketplace was only open specific hours each day: Friday 4-9pm, Saturday 8-9:30am and 4-7pm; and on Sunday from 8-9:30am and 1-2pm (or something approximately along those lines). Many attendees who came by the table to shop only did so for the first time on Sunday afternoon because they were otherwise occupied and focused elsewhere. For the whole weekend!

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Event tickets are expensive, but attendees walk away with a ton of sponsor swag. For the main sessions on Saturday, attendees are assigned to a table sponsored by specific brands/companies, and each attendee receives gift bags, in addition to your event swag bag that you receive upon registration. This is only a small portion of what I took home!

My Own Takeaways and whether You should Attend

If I had to describe my weekend at the Chicago Planner Conference, the word I would choose is "refreshing". While the content was not 100% on-point with my own personal interests, I often find it helpful to venture outside my own comfort zone and get some new ideas on how to organize my analog life, journal, and collect my thoughts on paper. If you've ever wanted to explore more artistic avenues of expression outside of writing, you'll find plenty of inspiration at this show. And I can't underscore enough how much happier the attendees seemed than at your typical pen show. I found it refreshing to see pure passion as opposed to FOMO.

Should you attend? It depends on why you go to shows and similar events. For those of you who enjoy attending pen shows mainly to shop, maybe not. On the other hand, if, like me, you enjoy pen shows as an opportunity to see your friends, meet other like-minded enthusiasts, trade your extras and duplicates after hours, and perhaps learn something new, I would definitely recommend looking at next year's Chicago event. Especially if you're into planners (you'll know who you are). :)

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 also have a brick-and-mortar store, which you can visit! See here for hours.