2015 LA Pen Show Report

[franzdimson]

Awesome show report Ricky! Glad to see familiar friends and meet new people as well. Definitely spent more this year than last.

And yes, farmboy's realization about who Dan was that one evening was just epic. =)

I've been quite verklempt since Sunday morning.

[Mags]

Great photo essay/review for LA and makes me want to plan to be at one in the next few years.

[ethernautrix]

GREAT REPORT, RICKY! Thank you!

How could FarmBoy not recogni--oh right. He doesn't do Facebook. (LIMH.)

I want to see the pens Marta (Plistumi) bought! She has an amazing collection.

As do you! Wow! I glimpsed your haul in another thread (wonky Internet connection here, dammit), and I want to know your opinion of the Pilot PO nib. Is it comparable to the Nakaya EF? UEF? Is it harder (more rigid)? Please bring it to Pen Posse in August, so I can try it. Hahaha.

Speaking of Nakaya - a shortage? Eek! *Hugs my three inked Nakayas*

Whatever energy was lacking in the show isn't lacking in your report. You set a high bar, my friend. I'm planning to review Pen Show Poland in video. Wish me luck!

[Laura N]

I so enjoyed these photos. Bonus points for the guy with the Harvey Mudd t-shirt.

[BMG]

Many thanks for the wonderful thread and great photos! I much appreciate the effort that goes into these reports.

I spent each day there, arriving about 10 and leaving at 4, and must say that it was perhaps the most enjoyable L.A. show I've attended. (Been going since 2000, but only the last couple years on a trader's ticket.) I agree that the Sunday crowd was not as intense as in previous years; you could actually move down the aisles w/out too much difficulty and approach the table, see the pens, and talk with the sellers.

I didn't buy a lot of pens – only 2 – but did have some much needed nib work done (by Michael's friend ) and swapped out the nib of another (a Nakaya F for an EF), so a number of pens seem new and will get more regular use. Of the 2 I bought, one was a pen I've long wanted: an Omas Bologna in the "Burkina" celluloid.

Again, my thanks for the report. It's a treat to revisit the show through somebody else's eyes / lens. I'm already looking forward to next year.

[DanDeM]

Ricky:
Wonderful report. Many thanks.
Was there Fri/Sat, but so intent on looking at pens completely missed seeing you.
Damn.

[Faustine]

I really enjoyed reading this, it felt like I was right there with you! Thank you!

[Tracy Lee]

I spent considerable time in this thread and now I am confused. Was I there? Did I go? It sure SEEMS like I was there but I don't recall the flight. So thank you beyond words for such an exhaustive report and copious wonderful pictures.

[lsmith42]

Speaking of Nakaya - a shortage? Eek! *Hugs my three inked Nakayas*

There was a timing issue with shipping from Nakaya. They should see a shipment THIS week.

Oh well. I got one. It's black. Just black. And no, I didn't sleep with it. I slept next to it. Or it slept next to me. There was no fondling until the elevators.

Those elevators saw lots of action.

[AltecGreen]

Ricky:
Wonderful report. Many thanks.
Was there Fri/Sat, but so intent on looking at pens completely missed seeing you.
Damn.

I saw you but I was engaged in a conversation. I couldn't find you when I finally got free. It was a busy show for me.

[AltecGreen]

GREAT REPORT, RICKY! Thank you!

As do you! Wow! I glimpsed your haul in another thread (wonky Internet connection here, dammit), and I want to know your opinion of the Pilot PO nib. Is it comparable to the Nakaya EF? UEF? Is it harder (more rigid)? Please bring it to Pen Posse in August, so I can try it. Hahaha.

I inked up the Stylo Art 'Moonlit Snow' pen today with the PO nib. It writes a very fine line. Before I tuned it this afternoon, it was a bit dry and wrote a line comparable to the Nakaya UEF. After some adjustment, the flow was better and the line was somewhere between the Nakaya EF and UEF. The nib is stiff. I don't think it will work for you since this nib has a bend at the tip by design. With your high writing angle, I'm not sure how well it will work for you.

[Jeph]

Thanks for taking us through the show with your pictures. I got the experience without spending any money!

[Potter]

Thank you so much for this colourful and exhaustive report

[ethernautrix]

Speaking of Nakaya - a shortage? Eek! *Hugs my three inked Nakayas*

There was a timing issue with shipping from Nakaya. They should see a shipment THIS week.

Oh well. I got one. It's black. Just black. And no, I didn't sleep with it. I slept next to it. Or it slept next to me. There was no fondling until the elevators.

Those elevators saw lots of action.

Hahaha, I can imagine!

My first Nakaya was a solid black Piccolo. Still one of my favorites. Speaking of black Piccolos, a couple of days ago, I finally swapped out the gold nib in the matte black Piccolo Writer than used to be yours for the ruthenium nib from the Long Piccolo. I like using the modified gold nib (originally modified by Mottishaw, then improved for my quirky hand by Dan Smith - really nice nib), but with that ruthenium clip on the PW... I just had to risk swapping out the nib. It's fantastic!

It's weird that the unmatchy-unmatchy bothered me, cos I love the gold F nib Ricky traded for my white-gold M nib in my Aurora Optima (also inked and being used just about daily). The yellow nib with the white trim - it's fine. I do notice it, but I remember Ricky's kindness for the trade.

Anyway, lsmith42 PW is more fabulous now with the ruthenium nib and has taken over the lead for pen most used daily.

Which Nakaya model?

[ethernautrix]

GREAT REPORT, RICKY! Thank you!

As do you! Wow! I glimpsed your haul in another thread (wonky Internet connection here, dammit), and I want to know your opinion of the Pilot PO nib. Is it comparable to the Nakaya EF? UEF? Is it harder (more rigid)? Please bring it to Pen Posse in August, so I can try it. Hahaha.

I inked up the Stylo Art 'Moonlit Snow' pen today with the PO nib. It writes a very fine line. Before I tuned it this afternoon, it was a bit dry and wrote a line comparable to the Nakaya UEF. After some adjustment, the flow was better and the line was somewhere between the Nakaya EF and UEF. The nib is stiff. I don't think it will work for you since this nib has a bend at the tip by design. With your high writing angle, I'm not sure how well it will work for you.

I was thinking that a PO nib might be redundant, what with having a Nakaya EF (that I love!).

The photos of those Stylo Art pens - oh my pen goodness. I wouldn't have been able to decide (although I didn't see any wooden clips. Did that prove to be too difficult to make?). I really hope Mr. Kazuno (Kuzuno?) makes it to the SF Pen Show. Or maybe he can be persuaded to bring his pens to Pen Show Poland. I wonder if Marta (plistumi) bought a Stylo Art... and which one(s). Hahaha.

The knives remind me of being a kitchen minion. That was fun.

[dannzeman]

...I wonder if Marta (plistumi) bought a Stylo Art... and which one(s). Hahaha...

I can confirm she bought at least one. We had a wonderful little show and tell Sunday evening and she bought a few others that were quite amazing, but I leave that for her to reveal.

[AltecGreen]

The photos of those Stylo Art pens - oh my pen goodness. I wouldn't have been able to decide (although I didn't see any wooden clips. Did that prove to be too difficult to make?). I really hope Mr. Kazuno (Kuzuno?) makes it to the SF Pen Show. Or maybe he can be persuaded to bring his pens to Pen Show Poland. I wonder if Marta (plistumi) bought a Stylo Art... and which one(s). Hahaha.

The knives remind me of being a kitchen minion. That was fun.

He had a single pen with a wooden clip. Those are hard to make according to Mr. Kazuno.

[plistumi]

...I wonder if Marta (plistumi) bought a Stylo Art... and which one(s). Hahaha...

I can confirm she bought at least one. We had a wonderful little show and tell Sunday evening and she bought a few others that were quite amazing, but I leave that for her to reveal.

Two of the pens I purchased are displayed on post #17 and Ricki caughta snap of me emptying my wallet post #21. Post #17 also shows the beautiful material of another pen for which I placed and order, the other one... reminds me of Tchaikovsky's Dance of the Plum Fairy on Fantasia. I will share them as I trudge along on the Devil's Dictionary thread.

The show was wonderful. I was great to see everybody and to meet new people.

Ricky, kudos to your report. It is like reliving the show again.

Here is a teaser:

[ethernautrix]

...I wonder if Marta (plistumi) bought a Stylo Art... and which one(s). Hahaha...

I can confirm she bought at least one. We had a wonderful little show and tell Sunday evening and she bought a few others that were quite amazing, but I leave that for her to reveal.

Two of the pens I purchased are displayed on post #17 and Ricki caughta snap of me emptying my wallet post #21. Post #17 also shows the beautiful material of another pen for which I placed and order, the other one... reminds me of Tchaikovsky's Dance of the Plum Fairy on Fantasia. I will share them as I trudge along on the Devil's Dictionary thread.

The show was wonderful. I was great to see everybody and to meet new people.

Ricky, kudos to your report. It is like reliving the show again.

Here is a teaser:

I can't wait! I enjoy your Devil's Dictionary as much for your great drawings as for the pen-and-ink information. I'd wondered if you'd added another Kullock 51 to your amazing collection.



Hoo boy, that is a great teaser photo.

[manoeuver]

what a splendid report. I should have been there. dangit!