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This weekend sees the return of the Commonwealth Pen Show just outside Boston after it was canceled last year due to an issue on the part of the hosting hotel. The show is at a new non-hotel venue in Somerville, MA. We’ll see how that change affects things, but I’m eager to get back into a room full of pens and pen enthusiasts regardless.
I’ve been on a much slower pace of acquiring pens this year compared to last. I am also generally in a mode of paring down to the things I truly want and that work for me across all categories. That leaves me with a relatively short shopping list.
#1 — Sheaffer Balance. Specifically, I’d love to find a full-size lever filling model with a two-tone medium Lifetime nib. Color and condition aren’t big factors as long as it’s clean and functional. The nib size is probably the hardest part to match because those pens seem to have been made predominantly in fine or extra fine, but if everything else I wanted was there and the nib was a good writer I’d probably take a fine. I know I don’t want a vacuum filler. Nothing wrong with Sheaffer vacs, but I prefer lever fillers for ease of cleaning and filling. I also tend to think they’re less complicated to get repaired should the need arise.
#2 — Custom nib grind. I’ve made an appointment with JJ Lax and the current plan is to have a cursive italic put on my Kilk Orient BB. I’ll bring another pen that needs a smaller tweak and see if time allows for him to do that as well. If JJ has tester pens at his table, I’d like to see what the other grinds are like.
#3 — Extra nibs for pen I already have. Esterbrook J nibs are usually around and reasonably priced. Never hurts to have more options for that pen. I’d like to find another nib for my Parker VP, which may be a stretch because that pen was only produced for a few years. I don’t want any of the specialty sizes, a solid fine or medium will do. I’m also looking for a Jowo #6 gold nib unit that I could swap around to some different pens. Two-tone would be nice so it can match different trim colors.
#4 — Pocket size top spiral bound notebooks. I’ve found this is the best kind of notebook for me to use at work. Clairefontaine has one I like but they’re not around many places online. I pruned a good chunk of my unused notebook stash so I’m keeping the focus tight on paper products to avoid reaccumulating ones that are nice but ultimately not useful for me.
#5 — No ink. I don’t need it. There’s too much sitting around that doesn’t get used as it is. In the past they’ve given some ink away at the door when entering the show, which is a nice thing to do, but I don’t even want to take that if it’s there.
#6 — Potential wild cards. If some of the newer Delta releases are around, I’d like to try them first hand. I like the Write Balance I have but the Spaccanapoli looks interesting. A Pilot Silvern in good condition with a nice barrel pattern could tempt me, as might a nice user grade Duofold Junior.
That’s it. Not very much, nothing exotic. Save for the nib grind, I have more anticipation for being back at the show itself than the items on my list. This is almost certainly the last full weekend I’ll have off until well after the holidays, so I’m glad the pen show will be a part of it.
