(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!.)
Heading into the 2024 Dallas Pen Show, I was feeling a bit tired and worn down, but that all changed as soon as I got there. I have been going to the Dallas show for a few years now and it is one of those shows that is reliable from year to year. Which doesn’t mean it’s the same, just that it is pretty predictable in a good way. You’ll see that this recap will be similar to last year’s recap, which was also similar to the year before, lol.
My schedule this year hadn’t allowed me to work at the Franklin-Christoph table since the Baltimore show back in March, but I was happy to be back behind their table again. There were lots of tempting pens at their table, but I was good and let customers buy them instead 🙂
OMG, look at this multi-colored Asanoha-engraved Franklin-Christoph 03!!
This is one of the few two day shows on the US pen show circuit (Friday and Saturday); while most shows are Fri-Sun. There were also a few folks who were doing trades/sales on Thursday afternoon. Friday show hours were from 10am-8pm and Saturday hours were 9am - 5pm.
Once again, the Dallas Pen Show was held at the DoubleTree Hotel Dallas, Galleria, in two adjoining ballrooms, with the silent auction, Pen World and show registration desk in the area outside of the first/smaller ballroom.
These lovely ladies always have a smile at every show they attend! You can pick up free back issues of Pen World, or sign up for a subscription or buy Pen World pens too!
Franklin-Christoph is really upping their art game with these pens!
Our pen show neighbor, Tactile Turn, had some very cool machined pens at their table!
Danny Fudge of The Write Pen isn’t blowdrying his hair but warming up a vintage part that he is working with.
The Austin Pen Club sponsored the Pen Collectors of America (PCA) Scavenger Hunt program, “Pens For Kids”. The PCA also holds a seminar that teaches kids how to use and take care of fountain pens! The club had friendly volunteers working this table all throughout the show.
Like the past two years, there were four seminars, all held on Saturday - Fountain Pen Basics, Getting Artsy with Your Fountain Pens, Basic Fountain Pen Repairs, and Pens for Kids. It would be great to have some classes (paid or otherwise) on Friday, but I don’t know if that would compete too much with a long and busy show day.
After passing the Austin Pen Club table, you reach the main ballroom - this is the view of the left side of the ballroom, with Dromgooles in the far back left corner.
Many of last year’s vendors were in attendance again this year (about 60 vendors listed on the website). As in past years, Dromgoole’s was set up in the whole back corner of the main ballroom. Many of the distributors were also on hand - Coles of London, Kenro, Luxury Brands of America, Pilot USA, Yafa, etc. - as well as vintage pen dealers, modern makers and more.
The Dromgoole’s corner was set up like a little store and it was pretty busy on both days. I might have gotten stuck there a couple times …
Ana Reinart (left) and Jesi Coles were twinning at Dromgoole’s tables.
Look at all the Hobonichi and PLOTTER stuff that Dromgoole’s brought!
I got to see this stunning pen - the Visconti Dreaming Starry Night. It comes with its own gilded frame and easel too!
Turn around after looking at that Visconti and you’ll see The Trojan Horse from Montegrappa - I can’t tell if the displays or the pens are more over the top, but I love it either way!
These Montegrappas are more my speed (and price), the newly released Tarvisium in Carson (left), Paradise Falls (middle), and Paris in Bloom (right.)
Bryce (left) and John Gillett of Luxury Brands of America with some Benu (lower left) and Laban (right) eye candy!
Do you know how difficult it was to get Adam Velker, Richard Koehler, Joe Corona, and Adam Finer from Retro 51 at the table at the same time?! Very!
Speaking of Retro 51, I can’t believe I forgot to take a picture of the new Dromgoole’s x Retro 51 exclusive rollerball and matching Rickshaw pen sleeve that they launched at the show. There is also a rollerball and pencil set too.
Kimberly Henderson (and Marty too, wherever he is!) with a bunch of Retro 51s and bins of Rickshaw Bagworks products too!
Wow! David Oscarson knows how to bring the bling!
This is the “right” side of the main ballroom. It was pretty busy both days.
Happy to hug this giant working model of the Pilot Vanishing Point, but I didn’t want to let go!
Speaking of Vanishing Point, look at the gorgeous Seashore 2024 Limited Edition!
The Pilot team from Japan joined Pilot USA at the show to conduct their handwriting analysis.
Jaclynn Burleigh of Pilot USA used these large props to show me how the two feed mechanisms worked in pens like the Pilot 823 (left) versus the Kakuno (right), and how they affect how far the nib needs to be when drawing ink up from a bottle.
Last year there were 2 nib grinders at the show (Matthew and Kirk below) and this year JC Ament attended as well. I didn’t get a chance to chat with any of them to see how busy they were but it seemed like there were always folks getting nibwork done whenever I walked by.
JC Ament gets a closer look at a customer’s nib.
Matthew Chen working on a nib grind.
Kirk Speer says he breaks out his cowboy hat just for this show.
Jon Tello of Hello Tello Studio had some adorable Piccolo pocket pens (up front) as well as stickers and swatch cards!
Look at this wonderful selection of vintage pens - this show has a good number of vendors who specialize in vintage pens.
I love these insect building kits that Papier Plume had at the show!
But let’s be real, y’all knew I was really wanted the Papier Plume Dallas show ink!
As one of the vendors in the first room that you have to walk through to get to the main ballroom, it felt like we got a big rush of people on Friday morning which was sustained pretty well into the late afternoon, when it finally started slowing down a bit. I don’t think we ever got the big post-work crowd on Friday that we’ve gotten in past years, but we still had customers shopping after 6pm. It was much quieter for us in the front room on Saturday. I had heard the opposite from some vendors that were inside the main ballrooms, who had a busier Saturday than Friday.
Many of the folks that came on Friday were past show attendees, and it was great to see customers that I’ve seen in past years. Often, they were bringing friends or family who were either fairly new or completely new to pens, making this their first pen show. I love seeing this because it means that more people are joining our little rabbit hole!
This year, the Pelikan Hub coincided with Friday of the pen show. One of the Dallas Hubs was held in one of the classrooms during the latter part of the show. I heard that there were about 45 folks who went to the Hub (I was still working and couldn’t crash the party, lol).
Needless to say, vendors are super tired on Friday, since they likely spent time Friday morning to set up. After a long show day and dinner afterwards, the bar area and lobby were pretty empty of folks hanging out. Even though everyone was tired from a busy Saturday (with packing too), there was a lot more hanging out on Saturday night because everyone is happy that the show is over and they can relax. As always, I was socializing and playing with pens and forgot to take pictures, but I did get a couple!
Furuta Giant with a size 50 Kubo nib and a Waterman Doll Pen 000. I probably don’t need to tell you which is which, lol.
This monstrous nib is bigger than the entire Doll Pen!
I often say that it’s all about the people. The pens and inks and things are great, but it’s just gravy compared to the good times that I have with pen friends, new and old. I loved seeing their families too, which I don’t often get to do at other shows.
I was at the right place at the right time to see Grandpa Larry Dromgoole bouncing his grandson Declan on his lap. I love the smiles on both of their faces! (Picture posted with permission.)
Francisco Lopez of Hinze Pens with his lovely family - wife Jessica, daughter Alauna, and a tuckered out Mateo. (Picture posted with permission from Francisco.)
A friend of mine and long-time Franklin-Christoph customer brought us some AMAZING cronuts (croissant donuts) from Parlor Doughnuts and omg, they were delicious! My favorite was the Maple Bacon and the Campfire (smores). Talk about southern hospitality!
These are the kinds of moments I live for, even if Lisa Vanness is going to smack me for posting this, lol! (And yes, we all did help Shawn eat his dessert, which was delicious.)
My haul included a pen from Shawn Newton, an engraved Namiki Impressions in Sapphire, some Hobonich covers, notebooks and Tom’s Studio Pocket Fountain Pen from Dromgoole’s, a sticker from HelloTello, and a Tactile Turn pen that they gifted to the F-C crew.
And the Pilot handwriting analysis, coloring cards from HelloTello, and a Dog Rescue notebook from Retro 51.
Thank you, Dallas Pen Show, for a great time (and for having lots of water at the show!) This is my last show for the year (I think.) I’ve finally caught up on sleep, which means it’s time to write some pens dry. Until next time, stay safe and stay inky!
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