2021 San Francisco Pen Show Recap

(Kimberly (she/her) took the express train down the fountain pen/stationery rabbit hole and doesn't want to be rescued. She can be found on Instagram @allthehobbies because there really are many, many hobbies!.)

I’ve finally gotten a chance to sit down and reflect on the whirlwind weekend that is the San Francisco Pen Show, aka “The Fun Pen Show”. And it is a whirlwind in the best possible way.

Let me start off by saying that the 2017 SF Pen Show was my very first pen show and it will always be where everything got started for me. I am also a member of the SF Pen Posse, who help the organizers at the show. I also worked behind the table for Franklin-Christoph at this show so my “attendee time” was limited. I mention this so that you get a sense of my perspective, but also that I intend to be as objective as possible.

The SF Pen Show is held at the Pullman Hotel in Redwood Shores, which is about 11 miles south of the airport. It is a very nice hotel and this year the show rates were significantly lower than in previous years (I don’t have exact numbers since I live a whopping 4 miles away, but it was along the lines of $129 vs $180/night) and parking was free for the show days.

The show organizers originally planned for around 175 tables, but limited that number to 125 for healthy and safety reasons. This allowed for much wider aisles and a lot more room for people to move around. Mask adherence was also very high, maybe as high as 100% - I don’t think I saw anyone maskless at the show unless they were eating/drinking. Hand sanitizer stations were available throughout the show areas as well as in the common areas like restrooms and lobbies.

New this year was the use of a ballroom previously used for Saturday night music/social hours. This year, it was the entrance to the atrium and housed several vendors including Franklin-Christoph, Jimmy Dolive of Total Office Products and The Pen Family.

Checking out the colorful prototypes at the Franklin-Christoph table.

Jimmy Dolive with his table of beautiful pens - especially limited edition Montblanc fountain pens and rollerballs.

The spacious and well-lit atrium greeted you after the first ballroom. Old favorites like Curnow Bookbinding and Leather and Kenro Industries were there alongside SF newcomers like Plotter who held a pop-up event at the show (their US online site debuts later this fall).

Look at all that natural light and plenty of room to walk around!

Steve and Diane Curnow and their array of bound notebooks (they use vintage and recycled book covers along with laser-etched wood covers too) and inserts and leather covers.

Ryan Sirignano of Kenro Industries with a tray of Montegrappa from the Zohiko Kitcho collection.

April (IG:penguinscreative) and Ethan were here from Plotter, a line of stationery products from DesignPhil (who is also behind Travelers Company).

Inside (and outside) the main ballroom, there were a wide variety of vendors. Vintage? Check. Modern? Check. Inks? Check. Wax seals? Check. Big shops? Smaller shops? Yup and yup. Plushy pen protection? Definite check! I spent a little extra time at the Luxury Brands tables because I wanted to check out the new Waldmanns and Gioia pens as well as their Dee Charles cases. Despite not having any of the paper products arrive due to a shipping snafu, Vanness Pens still had a wide variety of inks and Galen products at their table. Itoya US was there with their paper, pens and inks from Sailor, Kobe, Penlux, Portfolio and more. Mark Dwight of Rickshaw Bagworks is one of the show sponsors and there were so many goodies at his table, including the yummy fortune cookies that had prize fortunes inside, like free stickers or pen sleeves!

Rachel Kostival (IG: artisanal.ink) with Itoya US is all thumbs up about the show!

Photo credit to Rachel - I wanted to take this Sailor home with me but the nib only comes in BBBBBBBBBBB :-)

Look at all those inks, including a brand-new Vanness exclusive from Vinta inks (bottom right corner of the ink swatch binder).

Dale from Pentooling has a great selection of vintage pens as well as all the tools and parts you could ever need for pen restoration.

Just a few of the Colorverse inks on display at the Luxury Brands booth.

Are there more colorful pens out there than Benu?

Paul Erano (with one of the show owners, Syd Saperstein to his left) talking about vintage pens and the Black Pen Society.

I managed to snag a picture of the Bittner table before the crowds came.

Olivia and Michael Dromgoole are ready for the day!

The folks from Day Art Store are here for the first time! It was so nice to see them again after the DC show a few weeks ago.

Mark Dwight of Rickshaw Bagworks had so many awesome plushy accessories to protect your pens, as well as bags (duh, lol) …

… and stickers and fortune cookies with prizes inside, too!

Another first timer at the SF Show was Kiwi Inks. They were surprised at the great turnout and that they had already sold out of a few colors as of Saturday morning!

Amazing ink art created with Kiwi Ink Quetzalcoatl.

While there were plenty of vendors at the show, there were some that weren’t able to make it. Some of the absences included Coles of London, Ryan Krusac Studios, Kanilea Pen and also many of our international vendors weren’t able to attend. We missed folks like Sarj Minjas and Ray Walters from the UK, Letizia Iacopini from Italy and Miroslav Tischler from Croatia, and also our folks from the other side of the Pacific like Straits Pens and Musubi from Singapore, Toyooka Craft, Eboya and Stilo Art from Japan and others whose only US show is the SF Pen Show. I hope they are all able to return next year.

And wow, what an incredible number of nib grinders were here at the show! I didn’t have a lot of time but I managed to get a couple of cursive italics by Mike Masuyama, and a Visconti tuned by Gena Salorino. Matthew Chen of Matthew’s Nibworks, and JC Ament were also there and several companies had nib grinders working with them at the show. Among them were Scott Franklin and Dr. Audrey Matteson of Franklin-Christoph, Josh Lax with Kenro Industries, Sara Rice with The Pen Family and Kirk Speer with Dromgoole’s.

Mike Masuyama doing what he does best - making nibs perfect for their owners .(PC: the_broadside_ambassador)

Matthew Chen has spent time learning from both Mike Masuyama and Yukio Nagahara and was working on tuning this pen. (PC: the_broadside_ambassador)

Gena working on making a Cross Concord nib with a Sailor King of Pen. (PC: the_broadside_ambassador)

Pen friends are the best friends! I hadn’t seen some of these friends in 18-24 months! And yes, we all got some great pen work done by Gena!

These aren’t the only vendors at the show, of course, and I wish I had more time to take pictures of more folks. The show’s Instagram team did a great job of posting pictures and stories throughout the whole weekend, so definitely check that out. In addition to shopping, the show offered a variety of free seminars and paid classes, including a Diagnosing Nib Problems seminar by nib grinder Josh Lax and Wooden Pencils by Andy Welfle as well as classes like Gold Leaf and Fountain Pen Spencerian by Master Penman Michael Sull, Copperplate Calligraphy by Nik Pang and Jumbo Junk Journals by Michelle Morin. Even Todd Eberspacher, one of the show organizers, had a last minute free seminar on Fountain Pen Repair!

Nik Pang teaching Copperplate Calligraphy. (PC: Franz Dimson)

Eileen Goldenberg teaching “Sketching with Fountain Pens.” (pc: Franz Dimson)

So, all this is fine and good but what makes the SF Pen Show known as “The Fun Pen Show”? In addition to a show with a variety of vendors, classes and seminars, they had ink testing stations for attendees to try out a variety of inks from Robert Oster, Colorverse and more. Each ink station holds 49 pens (yours truly inked up Station E from my own stash). In years past, there were 15+ ink stations scattered throughout the various rooms, but this year, they brought it down to 8 and had it in a side room with lots of room between the stations/tables. There was also a scavenger hunt via the Pens for Kids program, run by the Pen Collectors of America. The organizers also bring in live music on Saturday night! This year, Mitch Polzach and the Royal Deuces provided the toe-tappin’ rockabilly tunes. And as with past years, the show is at a dog-friendly hotel, which means...yup, you guessed it, dogs at the show!!!

I had so much fun picking out the 49 inks for my station!

PCA’s Pen for Kids Scavenger Hunt is always a hit that they have to remind folks that it’s for the kids!

Mitch Polzach and the Royal Deuces provided the musical entertainment.

Odin, the SF Pen Show mascot, demonstrates how to wear a mask properly. (PC: sfpenshow)

...and how not to wear a mask, lol. (PC:sfpenshow)

Sheldon, the Dromgoole’s mascot, is chillin’ at the show.

CardiB wants to get a closer look at your pens.

Gena, Josh, Julian and Ian are definitely having fun at the show! (PC: @thesnowystudio)

And while I was too busy enjoying myself to take pictures at the bar after hours, the hotel had ample seating areas inside and out for people to relax, grab a bite to eat, and play with pens. And even after the bar closed, folks were welcome to hang out at the tables, which is really nice because not all hotels allow this. The hotel staff were all courteous, accommodating and fully masked. There were a few hotel-related drawbacks though. One was that the Pullman’s website still listed the discontinued airport shuttle service, so some folks had to scramble for transportation. Their regular full-service restaurant was closed last year but thankfully, they still had room service and a good bar menu (I highly recommend the chicken wings and the pork belly buns). Another, not Covid-related downside, is that their cafe/market is closed at noon, so anyone needing an afternoon latte or a quick bite had to go elsewhere since the bar didn’t open until 5pm.

Going by what it looked like from my perspective behind the F-C table as well as from walking around, vendor and attendee numbers may have been a bit lower than in past years (especially on Sunday), but none of the folks I spoke with felt like it was a bad thing. More weekend passes were sold this year with many of them sold online ahead of time, so the lines for entry weren’t too long or crowded. There was more room for people to get around, a bit more time to ask/answer questions, still plenty to shop for, and still very much worth it for vendors (and attendees) who made the trip. Everyone was respectful of the mask policy, which made me feel comfortable as someone who was on both sides of the table. All in all, if you couldn’t tell already, I had a blast at the show. I had a wonderful time and can’t wait until August 26-28, 2022 - hope to see you there!

2021 DC Pen Super Show - Quick Recap

(Kimberly (she/her) took the express train down the fountain pen/stationery rabbit hole and doesn't want to be rescued. She can be found on Instagram @allthehobbies because there really are many, many hobbies!.)

This is going to be a quick recap because (1) I didn’t get into DC until Saturday 8:30am and (2) I was behind the Franklin-Christoph table both days. If you want to get a more detailed walkthrough of the show, I highly recommend watching Inkdependence’s Friday livestream videos (start with part one.)

The 2021 DC Pen Super Show happened last weekend (August 5-8) and this was my first in-person pen show since Baltimore 2020. I was so ready to see all the pen things but more importantly, see pen friends old and new, and judging by the attendance, I wasn’t the only one! I don’t have numbers for attendance/tables but my guess is that it was about 60-75% of 2019’s show. The aisles felt wide enough to allow decent traffic flow, except the corridor between the two ballrooms was pretty congested all weekend long. People were generally in adherence to the mask rules for the show - I would say at least 90% of vendors and attendees were masked, with masks coming off for eating/drinking and some photos.

Entering the large ballroom. (photo used with permission by Joseph Sokoly - IG:jsokoly)

My view of the large ballroom from the F-C table.

As in prior years, vendors were spread across two ballrooms and a corridor between the two. The smaller ballroom in the front housed many of the maker vendors like Schon DSGN, Goods Made Better, Odyssey Notebooks and Carolina Pen Company as well as other retailers like Xezo, Galen Leather, and Toys from the Attic.

Schon Dsgn’s colorful machined pens. (IG:schon _dsgn)

Penwells by Good Made Better. (IG:goodmadebetter)

Pilot, David Oscarson, Pen World Magazine, Vanness and others lined the way as you made your way between the ballrooms. There were also vendors outside the large ballroom including Narwhal, Taccia, Bertram’s Inkwell and Lemur Ink.

Lisa Vanness and her crew were busy all weekend - look at all that ink! (photo used with permission by Joseph Sokoly - IG:jsokoly)

John Phelan of Lemur Ink in a rare, slow moment in the show.

There was a good variety of large and small vendors ranging from distributors like Kenro (Esterbrook, Montegrappa, Aurora, ystudio, etc.), Coles of London (Visconti and S.T. Dupont) and Yafa (Conklin, Monteverde, Diplomat) to multi-table spreads at Chatterley Luxuries, and Franklin-Christoph (you knew that was coming), to Little Black Rabbit Paperie, Chef Brandon (and his delicious chocolates) and Roses without Thorns, as well as vintage sellers like Paul Erano, Alan Hirsch, Myk Daigle of MaD Mercantile. There were plenty of folks selling modern and vintage pens, lots of paper and inks and I really enjoyed seeing other stationery goods like cards, wax seals, stamps, washi, ephemera and more.

These beautiful Montegrappas were at the Kenro tables. And yes, I’m kicking myself for forgetting to take pictures of their awesome pen show displays and coordinated outfits!

Chatterley Luxuries always have an amazing display of eye candy, including their newly launched in-house brand Chateau.

This newly released Visconti Homo Sapiens, Blue Ultramarine arrived in time for folks to check it out at the Coles of London booth (photo credit: Brain Chu (IG:reddragonpenco).

Friday morning feeding frenzy at the Franklin-Christoph table. (Photo via Franklin-Christoph.)

So much cuteness at Little Black Rabbit Paperie! I may have broken my “no more washi tape” rule!

Day Art Store has a wonderful selection of wax seal stamps, wax beads and more. (IG:dayartstore)

New for the show this year was the online pen show map, created by Alexander Kramer (IG: pen_show_maps), which made it easier for attendees to locate vendors/classrooms/etc. There were also giveaways throughout the show weekend and ink testing stations in the far back hallway with plenty of room and tables to try out lots of ink.

Bob Johnson, the founder of the DC Pen Super Show, passed away last September. His sister Barb and other family members took the helm and really did an admirable job organizing the show and keeping Bob’s legacy alive. I can’t wait to see what the show has in store for us next year.

Monteverde’s 2021 DC Super Show ink “Bob’s Blue Ink”, commemorating Bob Johnson.

Pen Shows Are Happening Again! Now what?

(Kimberly (she/her) took the express train down the fountain pen/stationery rabbit hole and doesn't want to be rescued. She can be found on Instagram @allthehobbies because there really are many, many hobbies!.)

2020 and the first half of 2021 really did a doozy on the pen show circuit here in the states and internationally as well. Many shows were cancelled and a few were even held virtually. With the recent Triangle Pen Show in Raleigh, the upcoming DC Pen Show (and many others later this fall, including my home show, SF), it seemed like a good time to share a few tips about pen show etiquette and preparation so you can make the most out of your pen show experience.

2019 Washington D.C. Pen Show

This isn’t meant to be an exhaustive list, but some of my favorite tips and thoughts on how to navigate this “new normal”. There are many wonderful articles and videos with lots of tips on pen shows including this pen show article from Fountain Pen Love and this How To: Pen Shows video from Inkdependence Mike so definitely check those out too.

Before the show

• Do some homework - Which vendors are coming? Should you buy a day pass or weekend/traders pass? Can you buy it ahead of time or only at the door? Interesting classes or seminars? Do you have to register/pay for those classes in advance? Does the hotel charge for parking? What’s the food situation like at the hotel?
• Make a list - I often have several lists for every show, my own shopping list including which vendors might have the stuff I’m looking for, a “stuff I wanna look at in person before deciding if I want it” list (this is especially useful for inks and papers), stuff friends have asked me to purchase for them, vendors/people I want to talk to, etc. You get the point.
• Have a budget - Or at least some semblance of a budget. It is VERY easy to get caught up in the buying frenzy and spend more than intended. Or you start looking at limited edition Montblancs or Nakayas and suddenly that $300 pen doesn’t seem so expensive any more. Having the shopping list can definitely help keep you in check.
• Get cash ahead of time - yes, many vendors including vintage ones, will accept credit card or PayPal, but occasionally the hotel wifi is spotty and some vendors may give a small discount for cash. It will also help you stick to your budget. Don’t assume that you’ll just get more cash at the hotel ATM because that is often emptied out pretty quickly at a pen show.
• Snacks and water - Every hotel has different food options which vary greatly in terms of convenience, speed, quality, cuisine, price, etc. Even if you have figured out your lunch/dinner plans, having some snacks and a bottle of water will make it easier for you to get through the day and hopefully not make any hangry purchasing decisions.

General Tips

• Carry a small bag(not backpack) - The aisles aren’t always wide and it’s very easy to block the aisles, knock people (and things) over as well as getting bumped by people trying to get by. If you have to carry a big bag, put it on the ground in front of you when you’re standing at a table.
• Always ask before grabbing something off the table - While the answer is almost always “yes!”, asking first lets the vendor know that you’re interested in something and they can help you with questions or finding the perfect item.
• Do the twist- When in doubt, always use a twisting motion to uncap a pen. If that doesn’t work, then ask the vendor if it is a twist cap before pulling the cap. While useful for all pens, this is particularly important for vintage pens which can easily be ruined by a forceful pull of a cap that wasn’t meant to be pulled.
• Don’t be afraid to ask questions! - No question is a stupid or silly one, and most vendors are more than happy to answer your questions. Ask if there is a similar model in a different color, if you can uncap it (see above), if you can dip it in ink or water (the latter can give you an approximate feel of how a nib might write), if they’d be willing to do a discount for cash, etc. If the vendor seems put off by your questions (and it’s not because they are swamped), maybe that’s a sign to try again later or move on altogether.
• Bring your favorite paper - this is useful for trying out pens/inks that catch your interest. I like to write the name of the pen or ink I’m trying, as well as the vendor in case I want to go back later.
• Bring your favorite pens and ink - Having your favorite pen inked up ahead of time will make it easier to try new paper to see if you like it. If you are getting nib work done, you can show the nib worker “I really like how this feels, can you make XYZ grind feel like this”? A small vial of your favorite ink means you can also ink up any new purchases, though let’s be real, who doesn’t buy a bottle of ink at a pen show?
• Bring stuff you don’t love - You may be able to sell your pen/ink/notebook/whatever during after hours or possibly even trade with a vendor towards a different purchase. In some cases, the show may also have a table for folks to drop off their unwanted items that aren’t worth the hassle of selling. Or you may meet a newbie or student or kid that would be the perfect recipient of your items.
• Take breaks- Remember the water and snacks you brought? Yeah those! Taking a break to refuel/rehydrate is a great way to make sure you’re not making impulse purchases because you’re hangry. Plus it gives you a chance to rest your feet, take stock of what you’ve seen/bought and what you want to do next.

Pen people at the 2019 LA Pen Show hotel lounge.

Wanna meet pen people? This is my favorite part about pen shows -- THE PEOPLE! Throughout the day (especially around lunch time and afternoon) and definitely after the show, many folks will congregate near the hotel restaurant, bar area or lobby - it’s pretty easy to tell who the pen attendees are because they’ll often be lugging around pen/paper.

• What do I bring?- Bring your favorite pens and a notebook to write in. You might also want to bring some of your pen show purchases to show off too.
• Where are they?- Look for pen-wielding folks who may already be sitting down and swapping pens and what-not. Saunter on over and say “anyone sitting here?” and join the fun! If you’re shy, that’s ok too! No need to be afraid, just look for smiling folks (most of us usually are!) and you can hang around until you feel comfortable approaching someone. Something like “ooh, what is that pen?” or “that’s an amazing ink color!” is a great way to break the ice!

Adding tables to make room for pens and things at the 2019 St. Louis Pen Show.

• Ask questions!- This time, I’m not talking about asking pen/ink questions, but people questions. “Who should I talk to if I’m interested in trying out a Visconti?” “Who’s a good person for ink suggestions?” You’ll come away with at least a good recommendation, a new person to follow on Instagram, and often, someone will say “oh, you should talk to that person over there with the blue shirt, lemme introduce you”.
• Look for fellow Pen Addicts!- Yes, that’s right, look for folks who might be sporting a Pen Addict t-shirt, patch, or even this button! And quite a few vendors have this nifty “Ask me anything” button on their lanyards too. If we can’t answer your question, we’ll definitely find someone who can!

Hello I am a Pen Addict!

New Normal (anyone else hate this term?) With COVID pandemic during the past year and a half, many shows were cancelled and shows are just beginning to pick up again. Unfortunately, as of this writing, COVID cases are picking up too. What things should you consider if you’re planning to go to a pen show?

• Get vaccinated - I’m not going to go into this because all the data and science is out there. If you’re able to, get vaccinated. ‘Nuff said.
• Wear a mask- Airplane travel will require masks in the airport as well as on planes, so be sure to have plenty of masks on hand for your trip. Shows may also be requiring masks indoors depending on local guidelines and mandates. Even if you are vaccinated, wearing a mask may help others feel more comfortable about being at a show.
• Hand Sanitizer- Washing your hands often is the best way to keep germs and bay but if you can’t, hand sanitizer is very useful. CAVEAT: do not handle pens immediately after using hand sanitizer. Nor should you use hand sanitizer to clean any pens. It can damage a lot of pen materials, in some cases, even melting certain resins/acrylics. If you have used hand sanitizer, wait until your hands are completely dry before handling any pens, or ask the vendor to hold it up for you. All that is needed to clean a pen is water and maybe a touch of dish soap, just like before.
• Be patient and understanding - Not everyone can get vaccinated due to health issues and not all vaccinated folks are super comfortable being around people after the past 18 months. Give people extra space when possible, ask before handling products (whether at a vendor’s table or during happy hour), and be aware that everyone has different levels of comfort in a group setting. This will help us all have an enjoyable time at a pen show.

This is a strange time for all of us as we figure out how to attend pen shows, whether it’s your first or your 50th show. I hope some of these tips will help you make the most of your pen show experience. Have fun and hope to see you at a pen show soon!

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