A Trio of 2025 Chicago Pen Show Inks

(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!.)

One of my favorite things to get at a concert, show, event, or shop, is something that reminds me of the occasion, whether it’s a t-shirt, bag, or sticker that makes me remember that event. In the case of pen shows, it’s no surprise that I am a sucker for show-exclusive inks!

At the 2025 Chicago Pen Show, I bought several bottles of ink, but 3 of them were specifically made for this show! The first one is the official show ink, Windy City Blue, made by Colorverse to celebrate the show’s 45th anniversary. The second one is Papier Plume Lake Michigan Springtime. And last, but not least, is Anderillium’s Chicago River Green.

Note: I add swatches to similar color family inks in both the Hobonichi Weeks and 68 gsm Tomoe River notebook. Unlike the Col-O-Ring swatch card comparisons, the Weeks and TR swatches might not be that close to the ink in question.

L to R: Colorverse Chicago Pen Show 45th Anniversary Windy City Blue, Papier Plume Lake Michigan Springtime, Anderillium Chicago River Green.

Despite the box and bottle’s lighter blue color, the Windy City Blue is more of a darker blue-leaning teal.

You can see a hint of red/purple sheen in wetter parts of the swatch and writing sample.

Swatch/writing sample of Windy City Blue on 2022 Hobonichi Weeks, which has slightly cream-colored paper, along with Anderillium Indigo Bunting Blue, Montblanc Leo Tolstoy, Montblanc StarWalker Blue Planet.

Swatch/writing sample on 68 gsm Tomoe River Endless Recorder notebook. Accidentally added an “s” to the ink name, oops.

Inks similar to Windy City Blue: Rohrer & Klingner Verdigris, Robert Oster Lake of Fire is the closest match, Van Dieman’s Hanging Lake, New Brew Space, and Robert Oster Great Southern Ocean are also close but a touch too blue.

I’m eager to put Windy City Blue in either the Sailor x Cult Pens Pro Gear Slim, Midnight Sky Blue or the Leonardo x Figboot on Pens Momento Zero, Carolina Midnight.

I love that Papier Plume dips their ink bottle caps in wax and then stamps the top.

My swatches of Papier Plume Lake Michigan Springtime look fairly green but I’ve seen some swatches where it has more teal to it. I double checked with some friends who agreed that theirs is also more green in real person but looks a bit more teal in photos.

First/only swatch/writing sample of Lake Michigan Springtime in the Hobonichi Weeks. This looks more teal than on the Col-O-Ring cards.

A green leaning teal on TR 68, but still fairly green.

Inks similar to Lake Michigan Springtime: Waterman Harmonious Green, Jacques Herbin Vert Metropolitain, Wearingeul Tick Tock Croc, Diamine Velvet Emerald, Iroshizuku Sui-gyoku (this and the Diamine are a touch too blue), Diplomat Deep Green (a bit too dark.)

The Kaweco x GoldSpot Pens Sport, Transparent Turquoise (which is way more of a teal than turquoise), and the greenish parts of the Aurora Optima, Azzurra are both good matches for Lake Michigan Springtime.

Anderillium Chicago River Green is a pleasantly bright, spring green ink.

Chicago River Green in the Hobonichi Weeks along with Pennonia x Inkdependence Hens & Chicks and Anderillium Green Kingfisher Green.

Inks similar to Chicago River Green: Diamine Appletini (too yellow), Papier Plume 2019 SF Pen Show Marina Green, Robert Oster Envy (both of which are close but still too yellow), Organics Studio Frog Green Shimmer, Diamine Merry & Bright (the closest), Van Dieman’s Wasabi (second closest.)

Anderillium Chicago River Green would look great in the Taccia Spotlight Forest Eye or the Kaweco x Cult Pens Apple Green.

Even though I can find similarly colored matches for all 3 inks, I still love having them as souvenirs of this year’s Chicago Pen Show. The inks cost $15-20 per bottle and are a great way to remember a fun pen show. If you didn’t get a chance to snag them, you can reach out to Roger Wooten, (show organizer) to see if they are willing to sell/ship the Colorverse ink. You can order Anderillium Chicago River Green from Atlas Stationers. Papier Plume is currently sold out of Lake Michigan Springtime but you can add it to your wishlist in case they decide to make more.

(Disclaimer: All 3 inks were purchased by me at the show at regular price.)

Papier Plume ReBirth Ink 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 her latest book, Root Rot, is now available for pre-order!)

You know what's better than New Orleans? Artists in New Orleans. And what's even better than that? Artists in stationery shops in New Orleans. So this Tony Hollums inky collaboration with Papier Plume is obviously fabulous.

Brown inks with a vintage vibe are my favorites, so I was very excited to give ReBirth a try. This color tone skews more orange, giving it a very warm tone. It's giving copper or rusted iron, it's giving cinnamon, and where it shades, it's giving leather.

And it shades brilliantly. This can really be seen in Tony's artwork, which is used for the bottle's label, but it shows up even in writing with an extra fine nib. There is no sheen or shimmer to this ink. In fact, its dried state almost seems to have a matte finish to it, so it looks like terra cotta or dry clay.

The ink does feel a little bit dry when writing with it, and it dries quickly on the page, between 15 and 20 seconds.

Water drop tests show some water resistance. The coppery color washes away, but faint lines remain. This shows up in the chromatography, too, where a grey line stays put on the filter paper, while the orange tones travel up the sheet and split into a yellow and pink.

The ink comes in a blown glass bottle with Papier Plume's signature wax-sealed lid. Arguably my favorite ink bottle style available. The bottle holds 30ml of ink and it sells for $10. That's an "of course I want it" reasonable price. It is a limited edition, however, and bottles are becoming scarce.

This is a color I think I'll use often. The orangey-brown is perfect for autumn, while the whole effect sill makes me think of New Orleans, which is one of my favorite places on Earth.

(Brad purchased this ink from Papier Plume at the 2023 Washington D.C. Pen Show.)

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New Orleans is a Pen Destination

(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 first novel, The Bone Weaver’s Orchard, now available where books are sold!)

When you think of New Orleans, stationery might not be the first thing you think of. I'll admit, it wasn't even for me. But when I found out I would get to spend a weekend in New Orleans this spring, you can bet I looked into it. As any healthy pen addict would. Turns out, it's a fantastic place to indulge in stationery tourism. So I did.

The first place I went (and I don't just mean the first stationery store--I mean literally the first building I entered upon arrival in New Orleans) was Papier Plume in the French Quarter. It is located at 842 Royal St, conveniently near a million fun things, so you can't miss it. Patrick and Renso run the show there. You may have seen them at a pen show, but nothing beats seeing them in their beautiful shop in New Orleans. The store is gorgeous, beautifully furnished with art and antique furniture, with big windows that let in tons of light and a view of the iconic ironwork galleries across the street. And then there are the tempting wares--shelves and tables full of beautiful papers, glass dip pens, handbound leather journals, desk accessories, seals, Italian leather bags, and of course pens. Many in styles and brands from Europe that I had never seen in person before. Of course I caved. Happily.

I purchased a Jean-Pierre Lepine Indigo Classic in Cocobolo wood. I was charmed by its wee pocket size and lovely woodgrain. And I paired it with a handcrafted leather and marbled paper journal. The perfect souvenir match. The only reason I didn't buy any ink is because 1) we were traveling without checked bags and I feared for a delicate bottle in my backpack, and 2) I honestly couldn't decide on any one among the incredible selection. I'll be placing an online order soon, I'm sure.

Patrick and Renso were as warm and welcoming as their lovely shop and I can't recommend them highly enough. You can, of course, shop online--but I suggest a trip to New Orleans, instead. Also, a little bird told me that they'll be making an appearance at the Atlanta and Chicago pen shows.

Later that weekend, I ventured out to Scriptura at 5423 Magazine St. This shop is located in the Garden District of New Orleans, possibly one of the most walkable neighborhoods on earth if you love browsing beautiful architecture. And when you're done picking out all of your future dream homes, you can pop into this wonderfully appointed shop to purchase your housewarming invitations. This shop, which retains a rich historical character inside in keeping with its surroundings, caters mostly to paper and letter writing. Their selection of cards and papers is infinitely browsable and endlessly tempting. They also have a case of rollerball and fountain pens, including some nice pieces by Pilot, Retro 51, and Lamy. There are also shelves with a nice ink selection.

I picked out a lovely postcard, a notecard, a 2-pack of Cavallini & Co pocket notebooks with bugs on them, and a midi-size Paperblanks Flexis with 240 pages, a ribbon bookmark, and beautiful marbled edges. I hadn't encountered the softcover Paperblanks before. I think I'm in love.

I didn't get to chat much with the proprietors, but they showed me some of the past Retro 51 New Orleans special editions. It's probably best for my wallet that I couldn't buy them anymore, but you can bet I added my name to the list to find out about the next edition. They were also kind enough to let me use their outlet to charge my phone so I could continue taking pictures. As much as I devote my life to analog tools, my sketches would not have done the place justice. You really must see it for yourself, and I very much recommend that you do.

I did a lot of wonderful things in New Orleans. The city completely captured my heart. I know I'll go back someday, and when I do, I look forward to visiting my new pen friends there and shopping for souvenirs.