It's May.... That must mean another great Chicago pen show! Always a good time to be had in Chicago, and this year was no exception. We're looking forward alreay to the next one. It's only another year to wait.
This
month brings us some interesting pens. If you've a taste for the unusual,
try the Faber Castell Pen of the Year 2005. Finished in stingray leather,
it's a definitely a unique look! And if you like big pens, it might
make a nice daily user. Assuming you don't mind the price tag, that
is!
If you're looking for something on a budget on the other hand, the new Lamy Studio is a great choice. Offering quite a bit of pen for the money, the Studio came across as quite impressive. No less than we might have expected form Lamy, they've got a great reputation for reliable, affordable pens.
It's a commonly heard complaint that the best perfomance often comes form the least expensive pens, and while this might not always be absolutely true, it does seem to hold true more often than not. There are probably many reasons for this, not the least that the simpler pens are regarded as nothing more than writing instruments, and without the added attractions of fine materials or embellished appointments, there's nothing other than the performance to sell on!
Whatever the reason, it's nice to be able to buy a pen and know that it's just going to work, right out of the box. Or blister pack, for that matter!
On
the vintage front, we've got a look into the world of ringtop pens this
month. More of a photo essay than an in depth article, we've gotten
the chance to phograph pens from a couple of collections and thought
it might be fun to just put the images together in one place. It's true
that they're small, but at the same time, the variety and workmanship
in these little pens is amazing, and this article was a great deal of
fun to put together.
We're hoping to do other articles similar in structure throughout the year, taking a series of images based on a theme and putting them together as a photo essay.
Of course, we've got some more in-depth vintage articles in the planning stages as well! If you've got any thoughts on subjects you'd like to see covered, or would like to contribute, please drop us a line. We're currently planning to be at the upcoming Portland show, and then the DC show in August, busily photographing pens and collecting information.