(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!.)
After spending too much time on an airplane, I’m back from the 2026 St. Louis Pen Show. I attended this show last year and much of my experience was similar to last year, so it may sound a bit like a broken record. This year, I was a bit (a lot?) out of sorts due to the passing of a beloved pen friend just days prior. So it was difficult for me to be as “with it” as I try to be with respect to pictures, etc. In any case, let’s get this recap going, shall we?
Welcome to the St. Louis Pen Show! (Picture taken early Thursday morning before most people are awake, hence the empty hallway.)
Once again, the show was held at the Sheraton Westport Chalet St. Louis hotel. One of the nice things about this hotel is that it has an airport shuttle, which makes traveling to/from shows much more convenient and economical. One of the less nice things about taking the shuttle from the airport to the hotel is that the shuttle sometimes bypasses the stop altogether (this happened to several folks, not just me). The shuttle driver also didn’t help with anyone’s bags in or out of the shuttle, nice (not). The shuttle from the hotel to the airport is a bit more reliable, but good luck if flight crews fill up the van, even if you “reserved” a spot. Anyhoo, hotel shuttles are a nice-to-have, just give yourself enough time buffer in case you need to call an Uber/Lyft.
Unlike the Bossman, who made a rare appearance at this show, I stayed on the less fancy Chalet side of the property. The rooms were a little dated and the elevators painfully slow and small, but otherwise everything was fine. Oh, and the gym could use some more ventilation, ask me how I know 😅
Not gonna lie, it was a wee bit creepy walking down this hallway to my room late at night, lol.
As I did last year at this show, I worked at the Piper Trading Company table solo, so in addition to the reason above, I didn’t take as many pictures as I have at other shows.
Gratuitous shot of the Piper Trading Co table where I spent the weekend. Didn’t think to have someone take a picture of me behind the table, oops.
One of the many things this show does well is signage. There are lots of signs, in lots of locations. Signs for maps, classes, meetups, and more. I didn’t even get pictures of all the signs!
Honoring a couple of pen folks who passed away: Ben Gerdes and Vic-Tor Rose Harrison. Condolences to their families and friends.
I like that there was a map on display so folks could look up where the different vendors were located. This map was downstairs between the hallway and main ballroom. (I will be using the term hallway & corridor interchangeably.)
Vendor list organized by category, like ink, vintage, hand-made pens, nib grinders, “stationary” (oops, lol), etc.
Here’s the info if you want to hang out (cigars and beverages optional) with the Black Pen Society folks!
Or maybe you want to meet up with the StL PB&J group, that’s St Louis area Planner, Bujo and Journaling!
You can also send your future self a postcard, courtesy of the show!
This show continues to have a lot of paid and free classes/seminars. I loved seeing the variety of classes too - Create your own mini junk journal, Brush up on your cursive, Celtic Knot Fundamentals, Gamify your life, Find your style: Ink Swatching, and more – there really was a lot to choose from. (I thought I had taken a picture of the class posted, but nope, not on my phone.)
Diane (left) and Steve Curnow of Curnow Bookbinding & Leather with their vast array of notebooks, some with vintage book covers (I have one made from an old Winnie-the-Pooh book), laser-engraved wood covers, and Japanese papers too.
Joe Cortner of Florida Fountain Pen and Toni Palumbo drove all the way from Florida after having a great time at their first St. Louis Show last year!
When I went to this show in 2023, there were 5 nib workers, which was too many. Last year, there were 3 - Matthew Chen, Kirk Speer, and Linda Kennedy. And this year, it was Kirk and Linda. I spoke with Linda on Sunday and she said that 2 seemed about right this year (contrary to what the Bossman said, that they could use another 1-2). Like last year, they were busy on Friday, but not as much on Saturday and even less busy on Sunday. As I said before, and I think it still applies, I think 2 nib workers for this show is enough because the relative newness of its audience means that they don’t know what a nib worker does, let alone want to spend the money on getting a pen tuned or ground, or they think it only applies if you have pricier pens. Even though the show had Danny Fudge listed as a nibmeister, that isn’t really what he does - he does restorations and repairs for vintage pens.
Kirk Speer (and crew), of Pen Realm, just around the bend from Curnow.
Linda and Mike Kennedy of Indy-Pen-Dance - Linda does the nib work while Mike does restorations and repairs.
Moving on to the ballroom, the aisles were wide and there was a lot more space to move around.
This was a view of the main ballroom from the Piper table at 1pm on Friday (the show opened at 11am so vendors could set up in the morning).
Darrell Davis of D2 Arts makes some really unique shapes for his fountain pens and he also makes cool blanks too (I totally forgot to go back and pick up a couple, oops)!
It’s not every day you get to see a Dunn Giant (dun-dun-DUNNNN)! (At Jeremy Savage’s table next to mine).
It looks extra ridiculous next to this teensy weensy pen that I’ve forgotten what it is.
This is teeny even for someone who doesn’t post their Kaweco Sports!
I love it when shows have room for attendees to take a break, try new stuff, and maybe make new pen friends along the way. Not all shows have the room to do this, but I’m glad St. Louis is one of them.
There were a couple of tables set up with ink testers and a variety of papers that people could try. This is always a fun way to try new stuff, but also give yourself and your wallet a break during a show.
Lisa of Olive Octopus hosted several “Inky Pony Club Lounge” sessions and showed folks how easy and fun it can be to paint with ink! It is an activity that’s both kid-friendly and perfect for adults too!
Many of the vendors from last year were present again this year, and since I tend to take pictures of pen vendors, I focused more on vendors who sell other things besides “pens & inks”. It’s great to see the variety of vendors and items that appeal to those in and outside of this hobby!
Abdiel Acosta (right) of Abdiel Acosta Art and wife Yazminda Merida-Acosta had some beautiful pieces of art at their table. He uses Anderillium inks for many of his pieces. I really do need to get his Moray Eel piece!
There are some super cool ceramic pen rests too. I won a seahorse one from the Bossman’s Twitch stream years ago!, but that cat one is so good!
Can you believe that Abdiel created this by covering it with paint and then scratching away at the surface?? Mind blown! Of course, silly me forgot to come back and buy it.
Sorry, no pic of Erick Gama of Amarillo Stationery because I was too distracted by this “Swatch Watch”! I would’ve bought more stuff at this show if I hadn’t already bought everything at the Chicago show in May!
Jaclyn Myers (right) and wife Laura Fogt of Kaleidocraft continue to make so many fun 3D-printed creations!
Bob Atkins of Skylab Letterpress, aka The Well-Appointed Husband, and Ana Reinert of The Well-Appointed Desk with a wide array of fun and colorful products like stickers, washi tape, cards, and more. Also, I love that Ana enjoys Pringles. 🙂
Natasha of inkii is serving up her oh-so-cute cannoli pen and glasses wipes!
I loved all the stickers, postcards, and cute (and sassy) things from Jillian Schlegel of Jillian Kaye Art!
Cool use of acrylics to make custom seam rippers, crochet hooks, folding scissors, but I’m not sure what stilettos are. I mean, I know about sky-high heels, but I didn’t see that on the table so your guess is as good as mine.
These mugs from Tracy Cullen (at the Pen Realm table) are made with groves on the top so you can perch your pens safely on top of your mug (#IYKYK). Fit most pens, though that Kaweco Sport is hanging on for dear life!
Crafting4Caleb makes lots of fun gifts, with profits going towards medical bills for the VandenBerg’s little boy, Caleb, who has a rare heart condition. ♥️
Elves of the Wood had a lovely assortment of wood pen holders as well as leather notebook covers (on the right).
Pleasant Valley Textiles traveled from Conshohocken, PA with these amazing wool and other fabric creations!
Great big sign letting folks know that folks meet up at the bar and lobby for Pen Shows After Dark, one of the best parts of pen shows!
As always, I had a good time after hours at the show. They seemed to have enough staff to handle food and drink orders at the bar/restaurant. I had several appetizers and meals there and they were good. There are a lot of places to sit and eat/drink and hang out with pen friends. There was also some seating and tables in the lobby area as well.
Got to see this monster of a pen, literally, during after hours. This Montegrappa Frankenstein pen has rotating finials - his head appears/disappears when you twist the top finial!
A quick shot of the dessert event on Friday after the show. (PC:The Bossman took this pic cuz I was busy at the gym and not having dessert).
Saturday night trivia at the bar with some VERY difficult questions! Team “Just the tip” won, but we’re pretty sure their name alone won most of the points. Rigged, lol. (PC: The Bossman cuz I was busy figuring out answers with my “Extra Fine Triple Broad” teammates.)
The St. Louis show continues to be a very well-run show. In fact, they do a lot of things for both vendors and attendees. I love the variety of vendors as well as all of the class and seminar offerings. There are events and meetups for attendees, and they have breakfast and lunch for vendors, as well as a downstairs break area. They have a crew of volunteers who work shifts throughout the weekend, either at the registration desk or on the show floor, asking vendors if they need a restroom break or grab something to eat, etc. They have done more on social media to promote the show, as well as hosting more meetups throughout the year. They are definitely moving in the right direction with respect to getting the word out in the community.
Volunteers would wear these lanyards so you could easily spot them if you needed someone to watch your table while you grabbed lunch, took a break, or went to the restroom.
In speaking with a variety of vendors, while it seemed like there was possibly more traffic than last year, there were a lot more folks new to the hobby. I think having new folks is vital for this pen hobby’s continued growth and existence. Perhaps it’s the show’s proximity to many universities (nine, I believe), or that the show continues to work on getting the word out to bring more folks in, who tend to be newer. It often translates into lower dollar sales as folks are still learning about pens and what they’d like.
Traffic was decent on Friday - not crowded, but those who came were there to buy. Saturday had a lot more people, but they came in groups, often families, which made it feel more busy, but only one or two people in each group were “pen people”. I did a lot of people watching at this show and noticed that a product REALLY had to grab you before you’d tell the rest of your group to wait up. So even if you’re kinda interested in something, you didn’t want to slow the group down. Unfortunately, Sunday was even slower, but thankfully, the show ended at 3pm.
Sunday was pretty light, but especially in the early afternoon as folks wanted to get on the road, especially since there weren't a lot of sales.
With the recent Chicago show and my spirits being lower than usual, I wasn’t as in the mood to shop as I usually am (no fault of the show or the vendors). I did find a few things, including a few things that Bossman got me for upcoming reviews.
My modest haul: Clockwise from top left: Preowned Hobonichi cover, glowing Olight Sphere, Stationery Universe First Blossom ink, a bunch of 3D printed stuff from Kaleidocraft including washi wallet, pencil fidget, clicky ravioli and sticker sheet, Boba Fété sticker sheet (bonus points for the pun), StL Pen Show blotter sheet and show ink, new Amarillo Stationery Paradise Vibes inks.
The upside to having your Boss go to the show with you - you get your Pen Addict MD Notebook hand-delivered!
The downside is getting heckled by said Boss in said notebook. Your honor, let the record reflect that this article is not only being sent on time, it’s not even 4pm yet!
Sorry not sorry for being a broken record, but the best part of pen shows is the people. It was an up-and-down roller coaster of emotions for me, though I really tried hard not to show it. Being around friends made it so much easier, even if they didn’t know what was going on. Truly the power of friendship.
You know that Frankenstein pen? It belongs to this guy. Pen Addict Slacker Alan always has the most amazing pens and is always fun to hang out and chat with.
Me and my pen show little sis, Angela of InkyConverters (no, we’re not really related), who is a STL local too!
I love that I get to see Ana at many shows every year, but Bob, I haven’t seen him since I was handing out sandwiches at the 2019 SF Pen Show! It’s been too long, but I’m so happy I got to see them both this weekend!
Been a while since I saw Lisa, but it was fun having her as one of my trivia teammates!
I got to see my penpal Tony - we’ve been writing to each other for over 8 years, though I desperately owe him a reply!
Last but definitely not least, the Bossman, aka MY biggest fan, made a rare appearance at this show, which usually conflicts with Mrs. Bossman’s birthday. We hadn’t seen each other in almost 2 years (his fault, not mine, lol). Hate to admit it but he made it easier for me to get through the show this weekend, and for that, and continuing not to fire me, thanks, Brad. (PC: I swiped this pic from last week’s Refill, teehee).
St. Louis Pen Show is a very well-run show which has improved its attendee numbers from my experience a few years ago. I had a great time at the St. Louis Pen Show, and want to thank the organizers and volunteers for all their work in putting it on, and continue to wish them continued success.
Thank you to the St. Louis Pen Show folks and to Piper Trading Co for the opportunity to represent the brand! The sentiments and signatures inside this Passport insert is part of my haul too.
Up next is the oh-too-far-away-from-now SF Pen Show. I’m still trying to figure out if I can make any other events before that. Until then, stay safe and stay inky!
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