I will be heading to the Triangle Pen Show in Raleigh this coming weekend. I will be there on Saturday the 10th. Anyone else going?
Triangle Pen Show
Triangle Pen Show
I will be heading to the Triangle Pen Show in Raleigh this coming weekend.
I feel very lucky that I live that close to one. I guess you could argue if it is or not, if you asked my wallet. At least we set a budget before we got there. I think that is the most important lesson. How far away is the closest one for you?Sounds like a wonderful time. Alas, I will have to live vicariously through you and your description. I live hours from any pen show location.
Someday I tell myself!
Must have been one of those Maki-e pens. I'm not a huge fan but the time-consuming art is beautiful. I could just see it (many don't have clips) rolling off the table.at the pilot table and my wife spotted a pen with an owl and she is a big owl person. Very large pen. Huge nib. The sales person stated it was a 9000 pen and the face of my wife was priceless
That would not be good. Knock on wood I have not had one yet where I have dropped it or fallen and get damaged.Must have been one of those Maki-e pens. I'm not a huge fan but the time-consuming art is beautiful. I could just see it (many don't have clips) rolling off the table.
You got a couple of great pens, I love my Lamy 2000. Your wife got a great pen, I have several F-C pens and they are a constant in my rotation!!!My wife and I went on Saturday. We were there as they opened in the morning so actually the crowds were not too bad. granted this was our first pen show so we did not know what to expect. I had prepared myself with a few YT pen show videos. One thing that struck me was how very nice everyone was. All the vendors that I spoke with were very nice, helpful and willing to take as much time needed. Those who restores pens you could learn so much from regarding pretty much any pen make and model.
My wife is a very new fountain pen user and she had already, before we went, scoped out the Franklin-Christoph pens and accessories online. Also by being local company, based here in Raleigh, made it mean more to purchase from them and if you needed support it was easy to visit them. We live about 20 mins from their HQ. She ended up with a model 46 of theirs, but the color is a black with the end of the barrel and grip area in a different color. Unfortunately I do not have a picture of it and I can't point to in on their website either. Can't find it. Maybe it was a one-off. Anyways she writes really tiny and she ended up going with the HPS Nagahara Needlepoint #6 nib. For being that fine of a nib it is surprisingly smooth.
For myself I had two pens in mind when I went there and that was a Sheaffer Imperial with the in-laid nib and a Montblanc 220. Unfortunately I was not able to find a Montblanc 220, but there was a MB 224? in NOS, but it was obviously a give away from Nikon because it was printed on and I really did not want that. My backup was a Lamy 2000, which is similar to the MB 220.
Went by the Crazy Alan's Emporium table and I spoke with Alan for a while and he told me "Boris I am going to sell you a pen!". I was taken back a bit, but I told him that if he has a Lamy 2000 EF and a good price I would be up for it. He did deliver on his statement to sell me a pen and I walked away with a brand new Lamy 2000. As a side note. Alan told me that they are closing shop in Chapel Hill in August 2023. Alan is retiring and will only do pen shows from now on. Nobody is taking over the shop so it will be closing. I have never been there, but it is sad because there aren't many shops selling fountain pens around. I know of none else around here, except of course Franklin-Christoph, but they only sell theirs. I need to make a trip and visit the shop before he closes his doors.
My hunt for a Sheaffer took me to the table of a guy they referred to as the "Sheaffer guy" and they weren't kidding. This gentleman had every kind of Sheaffer pen there was and more. Very nice man. He was just a fountain of information. There was a special moment there too when he pulled out a case and let me handle a Sheaffer fountain pen from the 1920's! It was in perfect condition, but just holding a 100 year old pen in that condition was really cool and special. Anyways I did find my Sheaffer Imperial IV, which I learned was the correct denotation. It is from the 1960's and it is in great condition. It is black and has a 14k gold nib. It has a squeeze converter in it. You can also use modern cartridges or converters for it.
Several manufacturers were there: Pilot, Namiki, Esterbrook, Franklin-Christoph and others. Many many pen restorers and pen makers. It was a great experience and I will definitely go again next year.
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The Lamy 2000 is great. It is probably my favorite right now. If there was one thing I would like to change about Lamy in general though is their nib sizes. Even their EF is really fat even by European standards. You look at for example a Kaweco Brass Sport EF, that I have the Lamy is at least one size larger. At work I write on less than ideal paper and I really have no choice and the Lamy being fat can cause issues. I have to be extra picky and selective on my ink.You got a couple of great pens, I love my Lamy 2000. Your wife got a great pen, I have several F-C pens and they are a constant in my rotation!!!
Tom