Ohio - Here I Come!

Just a few notes to share will fellow Pentracers my joy of attending the Pen Show in Columbus, Ohio.
I came to Columbus spurred by friend and colleague Richard Jarvis of Penspiration, who offered to share table space with me. I brought two boxes full of pens that seemed to weigh a ton and tipped the excess baggage scales when I checked-in for the flight to Columbus.

The first thing that struck me when I got here was how many friends I have in the pen collecting community: some I had met at previous shows, some I knew only via Pentrace or email, but even with my cyberfriends, the ice broke quickly and we were soon exchanging pen stories and recollections of previous shows. It really feels like an extended family, with friends that hail from Argentina, Israel, Germany and many other places, all sharing a passion for pens and their history.
Among this friendly community, there is a group that is even more welcoming: the Pentracers!
I finally met Len Provisor in person and he is a true pen and aviation expert, a great guy and a kindred spirit; Rick Propas is a multi-faceted pen connoisseur and a great conversationalist, Richard Binder an incredible repair artist and nibmeister, whose enthusiasm and passion will quickly extend to those who partake in his conversations.

In the exhibition hall, there was a great variety of pens on offer, with a superb selection of vintage pens, greater than what I had seen, for instance, at the Miami show. It would not be fair to mention names, since I know that I would inevitably leave out some of the collectors, suffice it to say that I had never seen so many great and desirable pens: I ended up buying a few pens that I just couldn’t resist, including a couple of mint Parker 21s, a nice P-51 set from Argentina, a mint Parker 61 set and a nice Pelikan 100.
Delightful Lisa Hanes provided me with a vintage Conway Stewart 53, that still carries the original price sticker.
At the Saturday night auction I found a Doric desk set base that will provide a fitting resting place for my orphan Doric desk pen, two years after I bought it. Lucky coincidence and an affordable price!
I also met some of the vendors FROM whom I have bought pens in the past, including some Ebay vendors and was delighted to find that the people behind the “handles” were great enthusiasts who kept the conversations going until the early hours of the morning: what entertainment and a great way to learn about those arcane pens that may pass through one’s hands only once in a few years!
Now the SHOW is over, the friends are dispersing again in all directions and a certain amount of sadness takes over: it was good, but too short. Tomorrow is “back to work” with the usual meetings, the budget discussions and the daily grind. Thankfully, we have Pentrace to help us keep in touch with our friends; people who share a passion for pens, a willingness to help those who are just starting out in this great hobby, people who have an appreciation for the past and for the unique feel provided by a great nib effortlessly gliding on paper.

Ciao from Columbus, fellow Pentracers!