For the first time since we started attending pen shows, Jim and I were uncertain of the extent of our attendance. With Ritz so sick, we had discussed Jim dropping me off in time for my 2 pm nib appointment on Friday, and returning to pick me up after my seminar on Sunday. I wasn’t looking forward to attending the show alone.
But, thankfully, last Sunday (3/2) Ritz started to rally. He improved rapidly, possibly aided by the antibiotics we started giving him on Monday evening. By Thursday, he was back to normal, and we were set to attend the full show as a mini vacation.
Show overview
Unlike recent years, Jim and I didn’t buy VIP tickets this year, so we were only at the show for “public” hours.
I forget who, but someone mentioned that the show felt a bit like a group therapy session, like everyone wanted to find a slice of normal in the crazy. They weren’t wrong.
Friday
Friday was significantly quieter than in previous years. The lack of people surprised me. I can’t help but wonder if it was at least partially related to so many people having to return to in-office work recently.
There was an additional room at the show this year; the small meeting rooms typically used for seminars and classes were opened up to form on big room for another dozen vendors.
Unfortunately, several vendors I’m used to seeing at BWIPS wasn’t there this year: Iron Feather Creative, Smruti Pens, and Vanness Pens, among others. There were some new faces, though, including artist Abdiel Acosta, GW Pens, and YS Notes. And, in a major surprise, Turning Point Pen Co was back at BWIPS for the first time since 2020.
Saturday
Saturday was significantly more busy, more in line with previous years. It wasn’t over-packed like the DC Show gets, but there were plenty of people. Unfortunately, a near-universal theme was a lack of purchasing. Despite the crowd, vendor tables remained stubbornly full of higher-priced items. Small purchases were the focus, with Jinji Chocolate nearly selling out of their entire weekend stock. They had to make an “all hands on deck” call to have something on their table on Sunday.
I noticed significant dents in the amount of inks, stickers, papers, and other small items on tables by the end of the day, so they must have been selling well.
And, of course, the nibmeisters at the show were completely booked, with people on “standby” lists.
Sunday
Even more than Friday, Sunday was dead. Most of the day was so quiet it looked like the early, VIP-only, hours. About a third of the vendors had already packed up, or were in the process of packing up, when my class ended around 2:30 pm. I know many do so to catch early flights, but there were more people doing so this year.
After Hours
I don’t know what Friday was like after the show. Jim and I were so tired that we stayed in our room all night after going upstairs from the show.
Saturday we joined the fun, but mostly chatted with friends. The official Pen Show After Dark was typically rambunctious. Once that broke up — earlier than I expected — the entire lobby area got more exuberant.
I went upstairs somewhere around 11 pm, I think, so I don’t know if it ever got rowdy like it has in past years. There seemed to be less drinks in hands and less conglomerating around the bar, so maybe not.
Classes
I taught two classes this year: Fountain Pen Cosplay and Habits to Start Early in the Pen Hobby. Both seemed to go well. I may see about teaching them at the DC Show or reprising them at next year’s BWIPS.
The cosplay class focused on the theory behind fountain pen cosplay — as I see it — and how to translate elements of a pen into an outfit or makeup look. I wasn’t sure what kind of audience or interest to expect, so I went for something more general. Based on the attendees and their questions, I can be more specific with the next iteration.
My habits class was about sharing lessons I, and my friends, have learned the hard way. New pen users can take our lessons learned and benefit from them.
If either lesson sounds interesting to you, feel free to download the accompanying PDF handout:
What I got
Can one write a pen show experience post without including haul photos? I think not.
My BWIPS haul is significantly larger than my hauls from the last few shows, as I went a bit overboard on ink. The matted artwork in the middle also takes up WAY more space than typical pen show purchases.
To give some order to this chaos, I’ve listed purchases in alphabetical order by store/vendor.
- Abdiel Acosta: I picked up an octopus print (not pictured because it wasn’t for me) as a gift for the friend that give Ritz his medicine while we were at BWIPS. The seahorse print is for our dining room. His work is absolutely stunning, and will be — already is? — featured on Anderillium ink bottles!
- All in the Nib: I had Damien grind a Pilot Custom 74 nib to an italic oblique — is anyone surprised? — and a TWSBI 580 nib to a cursive italic, because I didn’t have one yet. I also snagged his BWIPS sticker.
- BWIPS Swag: Somehow Jim and I ended up with the BWIPS x Penquisition fidget toy and the BWIPS patch sticker that I think were VIP items. I also have my 3-day pass bracelet and a bottle of the show ink.
- Carolina Pen Co: While I didn’t buy anything from him, Jonathon was nice enough to let me pick up one of his pride flag stickers.
- Custom Nib Studio: I had Gena grind two Kaweco nibs — one gold colored, one silver — to italic obliques — again, no surprise there. They also gave Jim and me each a sticker. Next time I can get one of their appointments, I’m getting one of their Perspective grinds.
- Darail Penz: I decided to get a full bottle of Colorverse Tangerine since I loved the sample so much. It’s a very pretty yellow-orange.
- Dromgoole’s: On my first pass around the show, I picked up a Tactile Turn slim side click mini Icefall — 2024’s winter special edition — from Dromgoole’s Retro 51/Rickshaw table. Later, when I finally made it to their regular table, I picked up a bottle of Wearingeul Path.
- Feed Your Creativity: Toni was sharing a table with Florida Fountain Pen to sell their adorable lobster clasp charms. I got a seahorse, an elephant, and a gummi bear.
- Florida Fountain Pen: After looking through their swatch book, I picked up a bottle each of Robert Oster Rose Gilt Tynte and Rose Gold Antiqua because both looked like they’d be nice rose gold inks.
- Fountain Pen Day: The person who won a set of four Pilot Iroshizuku inks at Pen Show After Dark already had them, and I was the lucky recipient of their largess. I kept the two colors I didn’t already have — Hana-Ikada and Ajisai — and gave the other two to a friend. I also made sure to grab the BWIPS button at the Truphae table.
- Jeanne’s Ohana Designs: I fell in love with the mini flat card stationery sets, and had a very hard time narrowing down my purchase. It probably would have been better of me to limit myself to 2 packs, but I loved all four designs I bought and couldn’t narrow it down further.
- Jinji Chocolate: Jim and I bought a lot from Jinji, and I have no regrets. We got three of their new Golden Beans Estate bars, one of their Hibiscus White Chocolate bars, a back of their drinking chocolate mix, two of their date poppers (one not pictured because I ate it), and two of their seasonal truffle boxes (erm… one and a half not pictured because I ate them).
- Lucky Star Pens: I had to pick up a bottle of Lauren’s newest collab with Colorverse, Stellaris. It’s gorgeous!
- Luxury Brands of America: After flipping through their Col-o-Ring, I decided to get a bottle of Colorverse Horsehead Nebula because of the multicolor shimmer. After some additional thought, I snagged their last bottle of Colorverse Delicious Sleep both because it’s pretty, and it completed my Joy in the Ordinary set. I was also able to get the Brunch Date and Walk the Dog stickers from the Joy in the Ordinary series. I wonder if I can get the rest of the stickers.
- Martin’s Pens: I picked up a bottle of the Colorverse 2023 new year ink because I didn’t even know it existed. And, on Saturday, after walking by many times and picking it up a few times, I got a 1950s Esterbrook LJ Green “Icicle.”
- Pen Boutique: I don’t remember where I found the Pen Boutique sticker, but I liked it so I picked one up.
- Pen Realm: For my third, and final, nib appointment at the show, I had Kirk grind a Jowo to an italic oblique. I’m one step closer to acquiring an oblique from all of the currently active US nibmeisters.
- Sugar Turtle Studio: More stickers! The poison — or maybe blood — ink sticker was irresistible, as were the zom-bees and boo-bees sticker sheets.
- The Write Stuff: I meant to go back and get some stationery, but never quite made it, so I only have my initial purchase from them of four book-related stickers and an adorable moon phases cat pin.
- Miscellaneous: Also not pictured are four ink samples I picked up from the Share The Wealth table to use for my ink duping, two ink samples I bought from friends, and a bottle of Birmingham Pen Co Sugar Kelp a friend gifted me.
Final Thoughts
Overall, it was a good show. I loved seeing friends, including some I hadn’t seen in ages, and I got a chance to get to know a new friend better. I’m thankful that, despite everything going on in my life, and in the world, BWIPS didn’t feel “off” like it did in 2023. And, as ever, I look forward to next year’s show.
