(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!.)
The 2022 Philadelphia Pen Show just happened this past weekend (January 14-16, 2022) and I am left with so many feelings. After the Chicago show last year, I was unable to attend the Ohio show due to a scheduling conflict, so I was really looking forward to the Philly Pen Show. Until news of Omicron raging through the states started popping up during, and after, the holidays. Not gonna lie, I had a heart-to-heart talk with my husband about whether it was a good idea to go to the show. But being vaccinated and boosted (as well as my kid being vaccinated late last fall) as well as the show and the city of Philadelphia requiring masks and proof of vaccination, we felt it was an acceptable risk for me to take. Before I go any further, I will say that all of this is a personal decision and I don’t begrudge those who aren’t ready to go to shows (whether via plane travel or not) or those who choose to. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, get vaccinated, boosted, wear a mask, stay safe. Alright, I’m done. So how was the show???
The Philly Pen Show is not a large show, with vendors in two adjacent ballrooms. This year, with some vendors bowing out and expected lower turnout due to Covid/Omicron, there was a lot of room for spread out, which made it very comfortable to roam the aisles.
During the early weekend pass holder hours of Friday morning, crime struck. Luxury Brands of America (distributor of many stationery brands including Colorverse, Benu, etc.) had 4 folios of Waldmanns and Platinums stolen from behind their table. This happened while they were setting up and it made many of the vendors nervous. This is not something you want to hear happening at any pen show, let alone such a big brazen theft. See their IG post for details. If you hear of these pens being sold, please let them know.
It left everyone with a lot of unanswered questions like who would do such a thing, how did they do it, are they pen people, etc. I don’t have answers to any of that, just more questions. It was a weird vibe after that but neither LBA nor any of the other vendors or customers let this deter them from moving forward and making the best of the show.
These gorgeous Waldmanns and Platinum Izumos were on display while folios of them were stolen from behind the table.
Heading into the show, I knew that I wouldn’t be working behind the Franklin-Christoph table (no, I’m not on the sh*tlist, lol) so I decided to share a table with my good friends Mike and Tami! Yep, I was my own vendor this time! I have never had a table before, so it was difficult picking pens to sell and figuring out what to bring, but the great thing about sharing a table is that you can watch each other’s stuff (and we had prices for stuff in case people came by). This also meant none of us were stuck at the table the whole weekend, so I was able to walk around the show and do some shopping too!
Two of my favorite pen people that I got to hang out with all weekend! And sell some pens to boot; not nearly as many as I bought, but who’s counting?!?!
I was in the same room as Franklin-Christoph (who is not only a sponsor of this show but Scott Franklin co-owns the Philly show with Eric Orozco), which is always dangerous for my wallet. Just look at some of these gorgeous pens!
I may or may not be in this picture (PC:Franklin-Christoph)
Got pink? Model 31s on the left and right and 3 Model 40 Panthers in between.
Love the pink accents on the pocket notebook covers and 3 pen cases.
Franklin-Christoph launched new notebooks with the same sugarcane paper as past products. These will allow folks to use notebook covers as well as having a spiral-bound instead of staple bound option. Loose leaf will continue to be available. These should be on the website soon, along with any remaining Philly 2022 items.
The new notebooks/notepads are available in blank, dot, lined and graph and come in various sizes. (PC:TiffanyT55)
They weren’t the first to get my money though! That honor went to Ian Schon of Schon Dsgn who debuted “The brand new yet to be named full sized fountain pen wow” (yes, that was really on his paper! And don’t worry, a proper name is coming soon, lol) which is a full-size version of the anodized aluminum Pocket 6.
Look at all these pretties!
Comparison of the full-size pen with the Pocket 6.
Galen Leather came all the way from Istanbul, Turkey to be at the Philly Pen Show! What a treat to see them with all their beautifully-crafted goods. And don’t forget to snag a bit of Turkish Delight when you see them!
Yunus (and his family who were wandering the show) had a couple tables of leather goods and ….
Wooden pen rests and boxes and…..
Oh my, these stunning Franklin-Christoph 02 in Brooks’ Golden Rule, Narwhal and Gioia too.
Look at this stunning raden & urushi prototype from Narwhal Pens!
Myk Daigle of MaD Mercantile had some lovely vintage pens including some with factory stubs and flex too!
Paul Erano always has a sizeable spread of primarily vintage pens, but always take a closer look because he gets modern pens from trades too.
Lisa went light this year, opting for one table and no staff, but she was definitely busy selling Ferris Wheel Press, Vinta and Waterman inks as well as a fun assortment of pens.
Otto Hutt.
ystudio Brassing, Resin and Classic pens and accessories.
Look at these stunning works of urushi and maki-e art from Taccia!
I always enjoy seeing local vendors at pen shows like Les Sheely of Stylosuite and Pleasant Valley Textiles. I know there were others, like River City Pen Company, for example, but I kept getting distracted and didn’t take as many pictures as I thought I did, lol.
Les Sheely of Stylosuite is a local favorite and makes flex nibs for modern pens from brands like Leonardo and Opus 88.
Pleasant Valley Textiles makes cards and pen wraps from felt - how cool is that!?
There were four nib workers at the show, including Damien Alomar, Gena Salorino, JC Ament and Kirk Speer. Having nib workers at a show is great for tuning any pens you might have just bought, fixing existing pens/nibs, or getting a fun nib grind like a cursive italic or architect..
Gena working their magic on a gorgeous Platinum.
JC has a stash of pre-ground nibs for purchase and also does nib work on the spot.
Even though there were fewer vendors and attendees at the show this year, it was a well-organized show. Vaccination cards were checked, wristbands handed out (and checked), aisles were never too crowded. Even the fire alarm on Saturday that forced everyone to leave the ballroom didn’t faze Eric, who handled the show’s logistics leading up to and throughout the weekend. With the theft that occurred on Friday, he and others stayed in the ballroom during the alarm to make sure all doors were shut and nothing happened to the vendors’ goods. Apparently there was a leak in one of the pipes that caused the fire alarm to keep going off (yes, it went off again Sunday night and again at 5:15 am on Monday … that one was extra brutal).
I would have loved to see more vendors and more pen friends, but sadly that’s the way things are going right now until Covid numbers go down and become less pervasive and dangerous. Am I still glad I went? Absolutely. Would I do it again? In a heartbeat. I sold some pens, yay, turned around and spent that money (and then some), also yay, but most of all, I got to hang out with pen friends and make new ones and that’s the best part about pen shows! Until next time, stay safe, stay healthy, and stay inky!
My Philly Pen Show haul - yes, that is my first Benu!
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, for which I am very grateful.
Membership starts at just $5/month, with a discounted annual option available. To find out more about membership click here and join us!
