The 2014 Atlanta Pen Show is scheduled for Friday, Apr 11th through Sunday, April 13th. This will mark my third year in attendance and I cannot wait! Are you going to be there? If so I would love to meet you. I plan on being at the show all day Saturday (10a-5p) and will have an informal Pen Addict meet up in the hotel bar from 5p-7p.
Feel free to leave a comment here or get in touch via Twitter for more specifics. See you there!
(Read Part 1 right here)
One thing I have learned about fountain pens is that I don't want to buy without doing my homework. This sounds like common sense, but often times I get caught up in the moment, which is exactly why I went to the pen show with a plan. The Vacumatic was not part of that plan. Once I saw the amber glow of of this 3rd generation Silver Pearl model the plan changed quickly.
There were nearly as many Vacumatics available at the pen show as there were 51's, so I went into full research mode. The one I liked turned our to be a somewhat basic model, but the Silver Pearl seemed to be outnumbered by Emerald Pearl and Azure Blue models by about 10-to-1. The condition was great and I could not stop thinking about it. Welcome home my friend!
By now, it is almost 2 o'clock in the afternoon and it was finally my turn to sit with Mike Masuyama. I had a great talk with him and he was exceedingly helpful. He adjusted my Lamy 2000, my faceted Pilot Vanishing Point, and my just acquired Edison Pearl. I am thrilled with how all of them turned out. I learned a ton in my short time with Mike, so look for a full blog post on this topic alone in the near future.
This was a very successful show for me up to this point but there was a pen I had spotted earlier that I circled back on: the Pelikan M405. Pelikans were not even on my radar until a month or so ago when I received a couple to try out from Thomas. I used his M405 in all black and fell in love.
Richard and Barbara Binder had the full Pelikan line on display, so I was able to handle them to my hearts content. I did this on at least three different occasions, trying to make up my mind if I wanted one, and if so, which one it would be. Both the M405 models were available: All Black or Blue Striated. I was fairly certain I wanted the black (the green ink window is killer), but the more I came back, the better looking the Blue Striated model became. It was the winner and I am completely thrilled with it.
The Pelikan was by far my biggest purchase and just about tapped out my budget. That was good because it was almost 4pm at this time. I was tired, hungry, and ready to hit the road home.
The Atlanta Pen Show was a huge success not just for the pens I purchased but also the people I met and the knowledge I gained. I've said it before and I'll say it again - pen people are some of the nicest people on the planet.
Time to start the countdown - and the saving - for the 2014 Atlanta Pen Show!
The day I had been planning for since January finally arrived this past Saturday - it was Atlanta Pen Show time! My shopping list was ready, my car was fueled, and my bank account was emptied as I made my way an hour and a half north to the show.
I wanted to get there early because it was imperative I got in the queue for Mike Masuyama, lest I be there all day waiting for the nib work I wanted done. I arrived at 9:45 and put my name on the list. I was already 8th in line. Oh well, time for shopping!
As soon as I turned from Mike Masuyama's table, here comes Lisa Anderson from Anderson Pens to give me a big welcoming hug. I was happy to meet her right out the gate and her enthusiasm helped set the tone for what would be a great day. She is a real joy to talk to, as is Brian, who I met as he manned the four packed Anderson Pens tables.
One of my goals this show was to purchase an Esterbrook from Brian. He went through the various models and nibs and I settled on a beautiful blue Esterbrook J and swapped in a 9550 (EF) nib. I also picked up a couple of bottles of ink I wanted to try out, including the interesting Scribal Work Shop Cryptid Siren Blue.
After the Andersons, I made my way around the remainder of the show, making sure I gave every table a good once-over before making my next purchase. Right when I was rounding the last corner of the second ballroom I spotted a few Edison Pens. Many dealers stocked the Production Line Edison pens but I happened upon a single Signature Line Pearl snuck between a few others. I inquired on what turned out to be a blue/black swirl ebonite Edison Pearl, the price was good, and it was mine.
During my lap around the show I checked out dozens of Parker 51's. I was pretty sure one would be coming home with me, but I never found the perfect match. Many were in rough shape, and I had been spoiled already by the one Thomas loaned me. So, I passed on the 51, but a different Parker caught my eye - the Vacumatic.
To be continued ...
