(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!.)
First and foremost, if you haven’t yet read Sarah’s post on the 2024 Chicago Pen Show, drop what you’re doing and go check it out. I’ll wait. I promise you, it’s worth it and is possibly the best thing you’ll see all week. Then come back once you’re done laughing/crying, and settle in for a much calmer (aka, boring, lol) recap.
Prior to the show, I had told Sarah that it’s difficult writing recap after recap because they start to feel the same, especially since Chicago is my 5th pen show of the year already. Things start to blur, especially if there aren’t significant changes from past shows (like this one). A quick scroll through last year’s show would give you a sense of what the show was like this year. Maybe this means that this recap will finally be a short one (yeah, right)?
Thursday night pizza party for weekend pass holders and vendors. This is always a great way to kick off the pen show weekend, to reconnect with old friends and make new ones.
Zach of Skogsy Pens is showing off their latest Rickshaw Bagworks collab pieces! Lots of new Skogsy pens were passed around during after hours!
Gary Varner from Notegeist had some fun stationery items like stickers and Edgar Allen Poe sticky notes!
So good to see Franklin-Christoph back at this show - their last time here was 2019!
Y’all know that I’m a fountain pen gal, but when I’m not using one, I’m often using a Jotter, especially when I’m working at a show.
Luxury Brands of America recently became the North American distributor for Laban. Check out all these 325s!!
Taccia is known for their gorgeous urushi, raden and maki-e pens but did you know they also have stationery with Japanese art?!?!
OMG! Dan from Good Made Better made pens!!! These are all made from ebonite and have different textures (including smooth) and grip/ends.
This purple and brass pocket one caught my eye (and there were full sized black pens too) - so many good colors and textures!
Brendan “Hollywood” Schmidt of Atlas Stationers (right) is interviewing Gary Lange (US distributor for Pelikan and other pen/art/stationery brands) for their social media.
Speaking of Pelikan, I spent most of my weekend with the aforementioned Gary at the Pelikan table, and talking with folks about all things Pelikan! Two biggest questions were around the Ink of the Year, Golden Lapis (the latest shipment left Germany last week and should be in retailers’ hands in the next week or two) and the upcoming M1000 Renaissance Brown (see below.)
Pelikan M800 (left) and M1000 Renaissance Brown. The former was a discontinued edition from 2017 and the latter will be available in the US very soon!
Tori Woods of Stationery Universe pictured here with her mom, Mary (who is an absolute hoot, btw), has lots of really cool stuff like…
*These painted converters!! *
View from the ballroom exit, to the right - Papier Plume is on the left, Greg Hardy on the right. Further down this aisle were folks like Jonathon Brooks, Anabelle Hiller, Notegeist and Keith McCleary, aka RandomThinks.
Normally, I would be posting a picture of Patrick Rideau from Papier Plume or their special Chicago show ink, but I was absolutely enthralled with these little puzzle kits! The Firefly’s butt glows in the dark! Coming soon to their website!
I loved my Architect that Anabelle Hiller did at the CA Pen Show so I got its 90 degree counterpart - a cursive italic!
Cindy (left), Dan (right), and I were looking at all the fun things at Keith’s table. Even though it’s not winter any more (#killwinterwithorange), he rocked an orange Star Wars shirt for May 4th!
On the other side of the ballroom exit was Edison Pen Co., Angela He of InkyConverters, Gena Salorino of Custom Nib Studio and Les Sheely of Stylosuite.
Andrea & Brian Gray of Edison Pens with Brendan and Brian Schmidt of Atlas Stationers and the Atlas exclusive Edison Collier in Nebula.
Not all heroes wear capes. Some, like InkyConverters, make awesome products with spelling tips 😃.
Main atrium with vendors like Lemur Ink, Hinze Pens, Shawn Netwon and others. At the far end of this picture, by the black fabric wall, they added another row of tables “outside” the atrium for Grifos Pens, Smruti Pens and others.
I love seeing folks trying out these ink testing stations (also out in the atrium.)
JC Ament of Nib Tailor taught a class on nibs, smoothing and adjusting techniques. I’m glad the class/seminar list is growing!
You know it’s serious (and good fun) when Paul Erano (left) and Jonathon Brooks are squatting in the hallway discussing pens. I seriously melted when I saw these two chatting it up.
Pen shows have so many great things to look at, research, buy, etc. but they are just awfully fun too! Fun and silly things are always happening, but especially at night!
This awesomely punny shirt made me laugh!
If you didn’t read Sarah’s recap, for the love of all things stationery, please do so asap. This was just the beginning of the Brad-nanigans. If it’s not obvious, she-Brad is on the left and me-Brad is on the right.
Angela was rocking this amazing top (it has “wings” with awesome animal art) and Dan wanted to fly too!
Folks were enjoying some cheese and beverages during Saturday night (or was it Sunday morning) hangouts in one of the conference rooms.
Kirk Speer of Pen Realm got a surprise birthday celebration on Saturday night! Happy Birthday, Kirk! Squat and blow!
Who cut this cake - Kirk Speer or Edward Scissorhands? I swear he does a better job with nibs. Stick to your day job, Kirk! Also, is this giving anyone else some serial killer vibes, hahaha?!
Ok, you had to have read, or at least, scrolled through Sarah’s post by now, but in case it wasn’t obvious, this isn’t Brad. It’s Paul Erano, AKA Grand Poobah of the Black Pen Society, author of Fountain Pens Past & Present, writer and publisher of the Fountain Pen Journal, and super knowledgeable and well-respected in the vintage pen world. It’s a tie as to whether he, Joel Hamilton or Michael Sull were the oldest participants of this weekend’s Brad-nanigans.
*I have carried Paul’s book to every pen show since 2018 that we both attend, and always make him sign the inside front cover. This show’s entry is pure gold. *
I always have fun at pen shows and this one is still one of my favorites, but this year it was extra good! In case you’re thinking that this is the perfect show, there were a few things worth noting:
- Tables in the lobby - They put some additional tables outside of the atrium area and into part of the lobby, which took up some of the space where people normally hang out after hours. I seem to have lost the picture of the whisk(e)y tasting, which had started in the lobby, but they were asked to move elsewhere because it was blocking the entrances/walkways. There was more room to maneuver before they added tables to the lobby.
The tall table in the lobby is always a good spot for hanging out.
- Poor show communication for folks wanting to get tables - I heard from no fewer than half a dozen folks who were on the waitlist for a table that they didn’t hear a peep from the show organizers until maybe 3 weeks before they show. That’s really late for someone who needs to book (or cancel) travel plans and get ready for a show. Even if the answer is “we’re still figuring it out”, people want to know that their requests/questions/etc aren’t falling on deaf ears.
- Hotel service seems to be getting worse - I heard multiple complaints about rooms not being clean or ready (aka rooms with no towels), no water in the gym, extra slow service at the bar - I’m not even sure how it got worse than past years. BUT….
- Different hotel next year? - I did not get a chance to talk to the show organizers about this, but rumor is that the show might be held in a different hotel next year. One that is larger and possibly a wee bit closer to the airports, (and by extension, downtown Chicago) which would be good for everyone. Will see if that becomes reality or if it’s just hearsay!
Pen Show Haul (clockwise from top left): Pelikan Edelstein Onyx (the Edelstein collection is complete!), new Franklin-Christoph ink - Bronze Age, puzzles from Papier Plume, socks from InkyConverters, 3d printed pen rests, Visconti Mythos Athena, Pelikan Pura, Cross Townsend R2D2, replacement nibs for my Pelikan M2xx pens. Not pictured are the pens that Gena tuned for me, the CI that Anabelle did and a flex nib/pen that I ordered from Les of Stylosuite, and a Retro 51 I bought from Keith, which I’ve promptly lost in my office.
STICKERS!!! Clockwise from top left: RandomThinks, GourmetPens, SmrutiPens, Atlas Stationers, Anabelle Hiller, and Roses without Thorns.
The real haul, as always, are the hugs, laughs, shenanigans and memories that are represented in my copy of Nibbage. Huge thank you to Eric Orozco for making this for the Chicago Pen Show, just for funsies.
I’m glad to be home for a bit before my next show, which will be the Pacific Northwest Show in mid-July. I hope to see you there or at San Francisco after that! Until then, stay safe, and stay inky!
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!
