First Pen Show

[Mr5x5]

Had to run to the big city today so I stopped at Leather, Inc. for the pen show. Nice experience overall and lots of pens to look at and try out. The store did a nice job and even had cookies and candy corn out!

Best experience - realizing the size pen I like is manufactured and I'm not completely crazy. The Laban Mento is also a nice size pen but not comfortable enough to justify the price. The Delta Scrigno felt great in my hand, but it will never make it there. I can't justify the price for a pen. Looks like I will be attempting to make a frankenpen from a Super Sharpie, a Plumix and whatever else it takes. At least I know where I stand.

Less memorable - realizing again that people judge you on your appearance. I had just come from gathering some research data and had on jeans and a nice casual shirt, but the gentlemen in the ties and dress shoes definitely got the attention from the vendors.

There are certainly a lot of nice pens out there and just like with wet shaving, YMMV. For me some of the "better" name pens were just underwhelming but cost, ergonomics, functionality, and then appearance in that order are my criteria.

If anyone ever has a reason to be in central Kentucky, a stop at Leather, Inc. in Lexington may be worth it for you.

 

[strop]

Thanks for the info. I have friends in Lexington and we visit at least yearly. I'm always looking for B&M stores to look at pens.

 

[Isaac]

I try not to let appearance do the judging. It's the money that talks, not the outfit.

 

[Mr5x5]

I try not to let appearance do the judging. It's the money that talks, not the outfit.

I don't take it personally. I learned long ago not to judge a book by its cover and that lesson has served me well over the years. Some just miss out.

 

[Isaac]

I don't take it personally. I learned long ago not to judge a book by its cover and that lesson has served me well over the years. Some just miss out.

This is a great story I enjoy telling. I worked in a western outfit store. Well, during Christmas, this guy comes up to me wearing sweats and had a little girl covered in chocolate. I ask him if he needs help and he instructs me to help him find a hat for his brother. He tells me " I want the best for my brother, what do you have?" I pulled out a Stetson 30x hat, that I believe ran about $500 at the time. He ended up paying cash for the item and thanked me for the help.

I agree that often times people do miss out.

 

[joshua1970]

GREAT Story Isaac! and not to hijack the thread with such stories,, but that reminds me of a story my dad always told me. when he graduated from High School and began his pre-med program,his father (my grandfather) who at the time was a successful textile/sweater/coat factory owner in Philadelphia, told him they were going car shopping and that my father should not shave for a week.

a week later, my father was instructed to put on his grimiest clothes, my grandfather borrowed his neighbors 20 year old car and off they went to an Oldsmobile dealership and started looking around at cars. both looking like bums, they were initially ignored by the salesmen, but when my father indicated the car he was interested in, my grandfather walked right up and started to negotiate (he spoke yiddish but very little english,but he pretended that he spoke even less, so my father had to interpret - likely more so to teach my dad than to further the deal) he got the dealer down to just about dealer cost, whereupon they shook hands. When the dealer asked how he'd like to finance the vehicle, my grandfather shook his head, pulled out a wad of cash, which could have easily bought 3-4 cars and paid cash..... as he was getting into his neighbor's car, my grandfather spoke (in much better english) to the salesman, fiddled in the back seat of the car and gave the salesman a coat for his wife from his factory..

ne of my dad's favorite non-Nam stories.