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.

The Pen Addict Podcast: Episode 474 - Grippier Grips

Ink … Well?

Myke and I had a lot of catching up to do this week, including a discussion around the grippier grips we are making for Spoke Design. We also discussed the new Drillog Longboi, I as affectionately term their extension to the standard pen barrel, the latest from Schon DSGN at the D.C. Pen Show, and the most confusing ink well I have ever seen.

Show Notes & Download Links

This episode of The Pen Addict is sponsored by:

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Pen Chalet: Click the ‘podcast’ link at the top of the website and enter the password ‘penaddict’ for this week’s special offer, and to get your code for 10% off.

Sun-Star Delde Smand Pen Case Review

(Sarah Read is an author, editor, yarn artist, and pen/paper/ink addict. You can find more about her at her website and on Twitter. And check out her latest book, Out of Water, now available where books are sold!)

If you watch the Pen Addict Twitch stream, you've likely seen people shouting SMAND! at random intervals. The clever Sun-Star Delde Stand Pen Case has quickly become a fan favorite--almost an obsession. Can a pen case be a cult classic? Looking at it, I could not figure out why everyone was obsessed with it, so Brad sent me one to try. And it's fine. I mean, it's a good case, and a good design, but my favorite thing about it is the name. Smand!

It's made out of polyester canvas with a smooth lining. It has a plastic double-zip zipper, a unique wedge shape, and a magnetic front flap with a rubberized interior that folds down to act as a device stand. The dimensions of the stand and case are based around common smartphone sizes, with the implication being that your smartphone is now one of your school supplies. And that's certainly true, these days. The case was designed by middle and high schoolers, and their digital-analog hybrid life is definitely reflected in it. So it's not entirely surprising if it doesn't quite meet the needs of my ancient mummy self.

What I like about it: Great colors available. I like the structured construction that helps protect the contents. The stand feature works well for devices as long as the case is filled and weighted down (otherwise it tips). The wedge shape fits nicely in bags. I like the name SMAND.

What I don't care for: It doesn't hold very much--just a handful of pens, and even less if you also put a phone in there. If your phone also has a case on it, then maybe only very few pens. It's a bit tippy as a stand unless you keep the case part full. If they had made it just a few millimeters taller, it could fit some scissors or a pocket notebook, but as it is, it's too small.

Brad has cleverly been using his as a pen rest, as the rubberized stand platform is perfect for preventing pens from rolling away on the desk. I think that's a great way to use this case, and I would definitely do that if I didn't have small children and cats who would be too tempted by such treasures left out in the open. Since I have a middle-schooler, and we have just acquired his school supplies, I did a test run to see if this case would work for his needs, and it did not fit even a third of what he's expected to carry with him in his backpack. So I do think it makes a better desk stand than a transport case. It's called a Smand, after all, and not a Smace.

I think this would be a great tool for artists who need to prop up a reference picture, or knitters who want to keep their digital pattern visible and their notions handy. My Smand is likely destined for my knitting bag, and it won't be the only pen case in there. At $17 on JetPens, it's a great deal on a decent case. And decent as it is, I still don't get why everyone is so shouty about it (except that it's just fun to say....SMAND!).

(JetPens provided this product at no charge to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)

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