Chicago Pen Show 2016 Recap

While I've been lucky to attend several pen shows across the country, I am still a rookie in the grand scheme of things. But with each new city and new show I travel to I'm able to add to the knowledge base, and this weekend I learned that the Chicago Pen Show is well on its way back to the upper echelon of pen shows.

I'll always be biased towards the Atlanta Pen Show - it's my home show after all - but with the change in venue and promoter, the Chicago show is without question on my radar for future trips.

The venue, and setup within, plays a big role in having a comfortable event and I'm not sure I could have drawn it up any better. There was one primary ballroom that was large, open, and well lit, and open floor atrium space on the way into that ballroom that was equally as nice, if not nicer. It was something on the order of a 75/25 split of tables in the ballroom and atrium, but having them each only steps away made it feel like one coherent space.

The non-show floor space was equally as nice, with a small Starbucks cafe, restaurant, bar, and plenty of extra tables and seating encircling the atrium. There was nothing that wasn't within eyeshot, including the seminar room. It was all right there and ready to be used.

I arrived early Thursday and was lucky to have Ana Reinert as my guide as we headed into Chicago and hit up Field Notes HQ. Bryan Bedell gave us the tour and we got to chat with Jim Coudal and see the new office space they are building out on the first floor of the same building. We also got all the details on the upcoming Summer release - NOT! They do a great job of keeping everything on lock and building the suspense every quarter, but we did get to see a ton of cool stuff and got some nice swag.

By late Thursday afternoon we were at the hotel to meet our boss for the weekend, Lisa Vanness, and scope out the show setup. We had three tables in the atrium, but since the vendor pizza party was also in the atrium that night we couldn't set up early. No worries though. That gave us plenty of time to mingle, chat with friends old and new, and browse through some of the vendors goods who were set up early.

Friday morning setup went smoothly. With the three of us, plus help from one of Lisa's Arkansas friends (thanks Grayling!), we were able to knock it out before the doors opened to the weekend pass holders. And that was a steady crowd on Friday. Sales were good, the conversation was excellent, and we got our legs under us for what would be a busy day to follow.

Saturday is always the busiest day at a pen show for obvious reasons. We were on our toes from start to finish and had a great time with everyone who stopped by to see everything that Vanness had to offer. I don't think any of us left the table unless we were on a mission to get something done and get back. And that's good. I want to be busy when working for Lisa.

That evening, I hosted a talk with Paul Erano on vintage pens for beginners. We set this up as a conversation-style seminar, but it would have benefitted greatly from structure and focus. We were all over the place and lost track early, which didn’t benefit those who could have used the information the most. We saved it at the end when we were able to set up a show and tell and have some one-on-one time with both Paul’s and David Isaacson’s collection. I got helpful feedback from many attendees and learned a lot on how I can do a better job for everyone in the future.

Sunday was standard Sunday pen show activity, meaning it was quiet for most of the day. There are always one or two bursts of action, but otherwise it was slow paced. That gave us all a chance to get away from the booth for a minute, and for me to buy this:

I had my eye on this Montblanc Noire et Noir Safety Pen since Friday, and when it was still there come Sunday my decision was essentially made for me. It is in excellent shape, and after a little cleaning it works wonderfully. The medium 14k nib has a slight baby’s bottom, but one that it taken care of it will be a regular fixture in the rotation.

I also picked up a Franklin-Christoph Model 45, which is their latest pocket pen model. I didn’t get the chance to grab one in Atlanta but I wasn’t leaving Chicago without this bright blue one. Outside of that, I grabbed a few dozen old wood pencils to play around with, and a few new colors of Bungbox Ink from Vanness Pens. It was a good haul considering it was only two weeks after Atlanta.

If I could sum up the 2016 Chicago Pen Show in one word it would be: Impressive. This was a new venue with new promoters and it went off without a hitch, at least from my point of view. The setup was ideal, the dealer tables were sold out, and the crowd was fantastic. What more can you ask for?

2016 Chicago Pen Show album on Flickr

---

Enjoy reading The Pen Addict? Then consider becoming a member to receive additional weekly content, giveaways, and discounts in The Pen Addict shop. Plus, you support me and the site directly, which I am very grateful for.

Membership starts at just $5/month, with a discounted annual option available. To find out more about membership click here and join us!

What Makes The Stationery Community Great

That time when the Nock Co. party turned into a show and tell.

(Daniel Lemay is an analog tool enthusiast and enjoys pondering over many things. You can find him on Twitter at @dslemay and his blog at Circumspect Reverie)

Less than 18 months ago I was on the outside looking in. I wasn't into pens or stationery, but decided to try out a fountain pen to see if it would help remediate growing RSI issues. I listened to the most recent Pen Addict fountain pen primer episode. Since then I have fallen deep into the pen, and other stationery, rabbit holes. Beyond that I have discovered what an amazing community there is here. As many have mentioned previously, the stationery community has been the best community that I have been a part of.

At the heart of a good community is a focus on the health of the people, the relationships therein, and an empathetic basis. The stationery community has this in spades. The welcoming and inclusive attitude of the community, even to an introverted fledgling such as myself, is one of its shining characteristics. Regardless of your current knowledge of stationery, people in this community have always been ready to help you find out what work best for you and troubleshoot problems. People are open and willing to share their knowledge and experience, and are overall excited to share and spread the love of good writing instruments.

Something that has always struck me as significant about the community is the care people have for each other and how giving they are. This is not a group of people whose connection to each other ends at the discussion of one's latest acquisition. They truly care about the people in it and come alongside both in the positive and more difficult moments. On one such occasion last year the community secretly orchestrated the funding, purchase, and delivery of a Nakaya for Mary Collis after she received news of her MS diagnosis. The accompanying note sums up the heart of this compassionate and caring community: "...This pen doesn't fix anything, but hopefully every time you use it it will put a smile on your face as you tackle all that lies ahead." Such care and support are something to be cherished.

I too experienced the sheer generosity of the people here. After saving up for months fairly early in my pen addiction I finally was able to purchase a Franklin Christoph Model 40. Less than two months into owning it, I somehow lost it (my most expensive pen at the time and the only one I ever lost). After sharing the sad news in the Pen Addict Slack Group I got an unexpected message from Thomas Hall offering to give me his Model 40 because he wasn't using it much. That was something that totally caught me off guard--that I, a nobody in my perspective, would be the recipient of such generosity from someone I didn't even know. The generosity of this community shows itself regularly through freely offering ink samples, picking up and shipping of Field Notes only found locally, etc.

Additionally, the stationery community is a great place where we can challenge each other and disagreements don't devolve into the normal internet vitriol. Conversations include TWSBI's build quality, the temporary transition of Noodler's ink to plastic bottles, Kickstarter snafus, the renewal of the Esterbrook brand, and more. Most recently, Ian Hedley began a great discussion about Pilot's product availability and significant price difference between the USA and the UK. It has continued with an official response from Pilot and Ian sharing some additional thoughts on Pilot's response here. Even amidst disagreement, conversations remain productive and respectful, which is the best we can ask for. A community where everyone agrees lacks diversity and the opportunity for growth.

The stationery community is not just a place where people share their nerdy obsession. Rather, that serves as the societal impetus bringing us all together. The community is much more than that. It is a place that is welcoming and works to cast off the notion of societal cliques. It is a place which avoids myopic behavior, where people care about each other deeply and are giving in spirit. It is a place where disagreement and civil discourse can take place. Ultimately, the stationery community is a place to be welcomed into, to belong, and to call home.

Scriptus 2015 - Toronto's Pen & Writing Show

My good pen friend Michelle Leung is playing a big part in this years Toronto Pen Show, which means it's going to be awesome! If you are in the area on November 1st, or fancy a quick trip to an amazing city, head over to the Scriptus 2015 website for all of the details.

And be sure to send me pictures!