Raleigh Pen Show: Anybody Going?

[The Nid Hog]

Well, just back from my first pen show. Although my kids teased me for going to a nerdier version of the Ren Fair, I had a great time. B&B was well represented. I got together with Taipei Personality after we finished our shopping, and I also had a chance to meet the Andersons of Anderson Pens during the show. Of course, I had to do some shopping too. I have been wanting to get a Parker Vacumatic for a while, so I ended up buying a nice one in golden pearl. Even better, I was able to satisfy my desire for a tortoise pen of some kind by getting a Pelikan 400 in brown & tortoise. All in all, it was a very nice way to spend a Friday afternoon. Hope you guys going out over the weekend have fun.

 

[nemo]

Well, just back from my first pen show. Although my kids teased me for going to a nerdier version of the Ren Fair, I had a great time. B&B was well represented. I got together with Taipei Personality after we finished our shopping, and I also had a chance to meet the Andersons of Anderson Pens during the show. Of course, I had to do some shopping too. I have been wanting to get a Parker Vacumatic for a while, so I ended up buying a nice one in golden pearl. Even better, I was able to satisfy my desire for a tortoise pen of some kind by getting a Pelikan 400 in brown & tortoise. All in all, it was a very nice way to spend a Friday afternoon. Hope you guys going out over the weekend have fun.

Sounds like a good time, Nid -- wish I could have been there. You finally got your tortoise!

 

[Taipei Personality]

I had a great time at the show, topped off with a very nice conversation with Nid. His tortoise Pel is gorgeous and he got an excellent deal. I was able to find the parts I needed to finish two restorations and picked up a P51 vac that need a new filler unit. All three are now repaired and ready to hit the streets.

 

[Dave258]

Sounds like you guys had a good time, but I am surprised there are no pics of pens!

 

[The Nid Hog]

Sounds like you guys had a good time, but I am surprised there are no pics of pens!

Mine are soaking right now--when they come out of the tub, I'll post something.

 

[Taipei Personality]

Here's the Parker 51 Vacumatic I picked up at the show. Gold nib and 14K gold-filled cap. I'm not a big 51 fan, but I didn't have a vac model and decided to add one to the collection. I had to replace the filler unit. It's a smooth writer with a fine line. Beside it is the Parker Vacumatic I restored after finding a replacement barrel at the show. I was also able to find a gray pearl vac blind cap to replace one on another vac I had previously purchased that someone had used for a chew toy.

 

[Jimmy James]

I was there today for 6 hours, won one door prize (one year of Pen World magazine), and bought only one pen. It's a TWSBI 540 I bought for the 1.1 italic on it (from Brian Anderson). I also bought one of Pendleton Brown's special flex nibs for the 540, had Richard Binder grind my Edison Pearl LEA, and had Ron Zorn restore/swap the barrel on a Sheaffer Snorkel Sovereign which has been quite a project. I bought a Rhodia No. 18 pad, two Lamy converters, two bottles of JB's Perfect Pen Flush, a Lamy ballpoint refill for my wife, and I think that's just about it. I didn't meet any of you to my knowledge, but I spread the word about B&B to several people, usually when showing off my Edison Pearl because I just can't help myself gushing over the group buy for this site that will net me an Edison Herald Grande in ebonite.

 

[Dave258]

Here's the Parker 51 Vacumatic I picked up at the show. Gold nib and 14K gold-filled cap. I'm not a big 51 fan, but I didn't have a vac model and decided to add one to the collection. I had to replace the filler unit. It's a smooth writer with a fine line. Beside it is the Parker Vacumatic I restored after finding a replacement barrel at the show. I was also able to find a gray pearl vac blind cap to replace one on another vac I had previously purchased that someone had used for a chew toy.

View attachment 248286

Very nice pens!

I was there today for 6 hours, won one door prize (one year of Pen World magazine), and bought only one pen. It's a TWSBI 540 I bought for the 1.1 italic on it (from Brian Anderson). I also bought one of Pendleton Brown's special flex nibs for the 540, had Richard Binder grind my Edison Pearl LEA, and had Ron Zorn restore/swap the barrel on a Sheaffer Snorkel Sovereign which has been quite a project. I bought a Rhodia No. 18 pad, two Lamy converters, two bottles of JB's Perfect Pen Flush, a Lamy ballpoint refill for my wife, and I think that's just about it. I didn't meet any of you to my knowledge, but I spread the word about B&B to several people, usually when showing off my Edison Pearl because I just can't help myself gushing over the group buy for this site that will net me an Edison Herald Grande in ebonite.

Richard Binder grinds right on site? WOW! What ever happened to the pen show in NYC?
What is the Flex nib like for the 540 (if you got to play around with it yet)?

 

[Jimmy James]

Yes, several people grind on site. Mike It Work (Mike Matsuyama I think it is) grinds on site, as does Pendleton Brown. The nib I got from Pendleton was pre-ground by him, but if I had brought a TWSBI nib I wanted ground and he didn't have one I liked he could have custom ground it on site. As I understand it, seeing Richard at a show is the only way to get a non-Richard's Pens pen ground by him these days.

ETA: The flex nib is really awesome. My hand does not do it justice, but it is amazing. I have befriended the very pleasant Smoores from FPN (Aubrey in real life). She can make such a nib sing. She ended up with one right before I did. Pendleton said she outdoes him in terms of actually using it, and I think that's not false modesty from him. He uses it quite well, but her hand is the nicest one I've seen in person.

 

[JPDyson]

Hate I missed it.

 

[Jimmy James]

It continues tomorrow at I think 11 AM until 5 PM.

 

[The Nid Hog]

I'm getting ready to drive back over shortly--I have a couple of things I'd like to do before they close up shop for the day.

 

[The Nid Hog]

Well, I went back this morning to get some things fixed with my pens. The nib on my new Vacumatic was in bad shape and my Pelikan was having some problems with ink flow. I thought that I might as well get it all taken care of now rather than having to send them off somewhere later. Ron Zorn got them both squared away and I had a lot of fun talking with Ron and his wife Robyn while they did it. It's a good thing that the pen show only runs for three days. Otherwise, I'd be broke.

 

[Jaybh1974]

Crap Crap Crap Crap. I havent really been on here much so I totally forgot about the pen show.. so angry at myself.

 

[Jimmy James]

Well, I went back this morning to get some things fixed with my pens. The nib on my new Vacumatic was in bad shape and my Pelikan was having some problems with ink flow. I thought that I might as well get it all taken care of now rather than having to send them off somewhere later. Ron Zorn got them both squared away and I had a lot of fun talking with Ron and his wife Robyn while they did it. It's a good thing that the pen show only runs for three days. Otherwise, I'd be broke.

Without fail, I feel a sense of awe at a pen show until I get over it. Unfortunately, I was in awe mode while Richard Binder stubbed my Edison and still half in awe mode when Ron fixed my Snorkel. Later in the day after Ron got me slightly out of my shell, I had some great conversations with Brian Anderson, Triad pen club members, and most notably Pendleton Brown. Pen people are just the nicest people.

 

[oc_in_fw]

Pen people are just the nicest people.

Funny that you say that, because I agree with that, and with the fact that old time razor guys are pretty cool, too. This site is full of people using very old technology to shave, write, etc. I think it has to do with going back to a simpler time, and people back then tended to be a bit cooler, too. "Do onto others" used to mean something.