Long time no see, friends :) I’ve been a bit silent and I have a lot of stuff in the works, but first I wanted to share a mini haul from the DC Pen Show! Ana’s post reminded me to post this recap, so here we go.

This was my first DC Pen Show! Previously I’ve been to the San Francisco Pen Show , but DC is a whole different monster of a show. Spanning multiple days, two ballrooms, and some packed hallways, it was slightly overwhelming but in the best way possible.

Of course the pens are a huge part of the show, but the most meaningful part to me was the community. I met many internet friends that I only knew by their screen names, and caught up with some long-time blog friends. Conversations spanned everything from “what got you into pens & stationery” to “show me the most unique item in your collection”, and went into the wee hours of the night.

I am more into calligraphy & art supplies so I didn’t go to the show with the intention of buying many things. I do have a humble haul to share though.

 

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First off– I  bought this SUPER CUTE vintage Parker Jotter Ballpoint from one of the numerous vintage dealers. True to the stereotype of my generation, I was drawn to this pleasant millennial pink color (“sort of a grapefruit shade of apricotty salmon“). I spotted it on Day 1 of the show– it was $20, so I didn’t feel like pulling the trigger just yet. I told myself if it was still there on Day 2, I’d buy it.

 

 

It was still there :D

 

 

In addition to my pink Himalayan salt rock, it also matches this no-name gel pen I bought at an Asian street fair a few years ago.

 

 

Along with a few other stationery items I own…

 

 

I also picked up some pocket notebooks! In exchange for a small donation, I picked up the Galaxy Word Notebook from the Pay it Forward booth. I’ve been eyeing the print for a while but just hadn’t picked up the 3-pack. I also got a pack of Sakura Edition notebooks from Write Notepads.

 

 

More matching…

 

 

Now for some pics of the show itself! There were so many vintage dealers. My favorite were the ones that even came with their original vintage packaging.

 

 

There were just piles and piles of old stuff too.

 

 

So much ink! This was at the Vanness booth. Of course, Vanness had all the unusual/hard-to-find inks.

 

 

And so much paper! All of our favorite fountain pen friendly brands.

 

 

The Pen Addict himself, Brad of Nock Co. showing off their new wares.

 

 

Aaand I just HAD to take a photo of this. A gentleman (I’m so sorry I didn’t get your name) was sharing his pen collection with us one evening. His collection wasn’t expensive or ostentatious, but he definitely wins the superlative for “Most Unique Collection”. In addition to some truly bizarre vintage Rotring items and random drafting pencils, he had these two delightfully chubby pens!

 

 

On my way out of DC I also stopped by to see a friend and visit the iconic Capitol Hill Books. Built out of an old home, the interior is stacked to the brim with old and new books of all sorts. What really makes this place a gem are the helpful and snarky little paper cards taped all over. Some are pretty standard for a bookstore — “Mysteries”, “World War II History”, etc.

 

 

But then there was stuff like…

(please excuse poor quality photo, it was very dim inside)

 

 

Overall I really enjoyed my time in DC and hope to be back next year!

 

 

The Bay Area Printers’ Fair is hosted by the San Jose Printer’s Guild, a small organization of printmakers that operates out of San Jose History Park. It is an annual event that celebrates traditional printmaking, letterpress, bookbinding, papermaking, and other related arts.

The fair is true eye candy for any paper/stationery/analog nerd! I went with some of my coworkers and took way too many photos. Have a look!

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First stop: A series of 4 inked tabletop presses, each with select letters of the alphabet.

 

 

The result is a DIY multi-colored alphabet print!

 

 

Next, the opportunity to hand-set your name! Following a diagram, you would locate the individual letters and arrange them facing backwards. Then, the letters are fixed tightly into a frame

 

 

Ink is rolled onto the press, and then pushing the handle down prints the letters onto a small sheet of paper!

 

 

At another booth, stamps and woodblocks from previous print jobs were on sale for mere cents! I guess once the job is over, there is no need for the blocks anymore. It was fun looking through the interesting logos, business names, and other things.

 

 

All the blocks are backwards. Here is a number “2”, and a some small images.

 

 

A whole case of letters and numbers! Seeing blocks laid out like this really reminded me of the Field Notes Two Rivers edition.

 

 

One of my favorite exhibitors at the event was Eleanor Murray, a collector and seller of vintage papers, ephemera, and other delightful wares.

Here are some vintage wildlife prints. I looked really hard for an owl print, but could not find one.

 

 

Pages of German and Hebrew text

 

 

Calligraphy pamphlets. Speedball is currently on its 24th edition of the Speedball Textbook — this is the 7th edition!!!

 

 

Pen holders and writing nibs. I’ve heard of Osmiroid — they are known for their sets, which include one fountain pen body and an assortment of screw-on calligraphy nibs.

 

 

I was quite tempted to buy this pack of vintage nibs!

 

 

Beautiful marbled papers. If you haven’t yet, you definitely need to check out Tessa’s recent blog post on how marbled paper is made!

 

 

Charming prints of various flora and fauna. I wouldn’t be surprised if there are some vintage Audubon prints in there!

 

 

Travel-themed ephemera: tickets, stamps, documents in foreign languages

 

 

Two airmail envelopes — the top is from 1947 — over 10 years before my mom was born!

 

 

Bills, receipts, and other items. Most if not all the writing was done in pencil or fountain pen ink.

 

 

It fascinates me that these forms were probably mundane at the time they were written, but are such interesting relics now. There were also paper-clipped stacks of old letters — maybe between pen pals, business partners… a slightly voyeuristic part of me wanted to read them all.

 

 

Other booths had assortments of new and used books for sale.

 

 

My coworker flips through a book of typefaces.

 

 

Tiny leatherbound almanacs, pocketbooks, and planners, alongside bags of stamps for the philatelic crowd. I was hoping to find some authentic field notes, but did not spot any.

 

 

A stunning book of ornamental penmanship — selling for $75+. Look at how ornate that cover is!

 

 

At another booth, you could make your own thread-bound mini book!

 

A rather random photo of a vintage corner rounder. I have a small handheld corner rounder that I use for scrapbooking — this industrial one must be able to punch through 100 sheets of paper all at once!

 

 

A main attraction of the event was the  “Moving Mill”, a portable paper pulp machine. The operator travels around the region showing kids and adults alike how recycled paper is made!

Here, she has just ripped up pieces of junk mail and old documents, and is turning on the engine that will grind up the papers into pulp.

 

 

Once the papers have deteriorated enough, you can make your own sheet of recycled paper! Here is Diana dipping the screen into the watery pulp mixture

 

 

Once the screen is lifted, water drips out and only the pulp remains. You flip the screen upside down to drop the pulp out, and then leave it to dry into sheets.

 

 

The printing office was open for drop-in tours, and we went inside to listen to the volunteer docents speak about the history of printmaking — from the Gutenberg Bible til modern day. They did a live demonstration of a pedal-operated press, and explained the physics behind the machines.

 

 

Drawers full of individual letters, in all sorts of typefaces.

Apparently back in the heyday of hand-set type, the ideal employees for the task were young 11-year-old boys and girls — quick learners with small fingers, perfect for picking up those tiny little metal letters!

 

 

A treatise posted on the wall of the printing house —  I loved how poetic this was.

 

 

Outside the printing house, there was a larger press where you could print your own souvenir poster!

 

 

A closer look at the reversed text, created letter by letter.

 

A volunteer operator carefully helps you remove the print.

 

 

Excited about my freshly printed poster!

 

 

I hope you enjoyed these photos! This event was a fascinating peek into an old world art form that has not only survived, but found its place as an artisan craft.

While traditional letterpress printing largely went out of style once computers and word processors became mainstream, but that doesn’t mean the art has died out entirely. Just as vinyls and record players are becoming must-haves for discerning hipsters, vintage letterpress and print have seen a revival.

Nowadays, it is in style for brides to have letterpressed wedding invitations, and business professionals to have thick, luxuriously printed business cards. It makes me really happy to know that there is  a demand for these rustic, hand-produced works!

For more information on the Printers’ Guild, check out their website.

 

I was recently in New York City on vacation! Having only seen the city via movies and tv shows, I was really excited for my first trip to the Big Apple.

Alongside the usual tourist destinations like Times Square and Central Park, I knew I wanted to visit some highly regarded stationery shops. I wasn’t able to visit every location on my bucket list, but I’d say this was a good start.

I hope you enjoy this mini tour of NYC stationery attractions!

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CW Pencil Enterprise

This adorable little pencil shop has been featured on so many podcasts and blogs that I follow. It was exactly what I had hoped, and more! Though smaller than I imagined, the coziness of the space just adds to the whimsy of having a shop in busy Manhattan that is entirely dedicated to humble woodcased instruments.

I was able to meet Caitlin (who I had met informally via a postcard exchange) and Caroline Weaver herself — luckily both were in the shop that day. We chatted about our favorite pencils, small business, museums, and life in New York City.

The way that Caroline styled the shop is so charming — from the bright yellow accents to the black-and-white tiled floor, the entire space just draws you in and wraps you up in nostalgia. It was a delightful first stop on my NYC stationery tour, and I hope to be back! 

CW Pencil Enterprise | 100B Forsyth St, New York, NY 10002

No lettered signage — just look for the giant yellow pencil!

The testing station, where you can scribble to your heart’s content

Colorful cases and notebooks on display in the front window

View to the left when you first walk in

A case of valuable antique pencils, including vintage Blackwings!

Pencil poster and some matching notebooks

The famous wall of pencils!

Closer up, checking out these colorful picks

Got a kick out of these funny pencils that leave rainbow pencil shavings

Unintentionally color-coordinating with the lovely ladies of CW Pencils!

Even the floor of CWP is stylish and photo-worthy

Excited about my pencil purchase!

My pencil haul consisted of a Blackwing Pearl, the much-praised Caran d’Ache Swiss Wood (which really does smell like a chocolate forest!), and some natural finish pencils. I also custom ordered two souvenir pencils to commemorate my trip to NYC, as well as some Owl Ink pencils!

The Strand Bookstore

The Strand is an absolute must-visit for any book nerd. This legendary NYC bookstore boasts having “18 miles of books” within its walls, which seems like a hefty claim until you actually set foot inside.

There are literally books as far as the eye can see- row after row, stacks on stacks… shelves up to the ceiling… turn a corner, and there are even more books to be found!

I enjoyed the thoughtfully curated center displays (with various themes like Short Stories, Vegetarian Cookbooks, and Adult Coloring Books), and the shelf of beautiful vintage hardcovers.

Strand Bookstore | 828 Broadway, New York, NY 10003

A selection of books on graphic design

Vintage books! Look at those spines…

I was tempted by a few short story anthologies, but had to dial back as I was restricted by a small suitcase. My mini haul consisted of an Ursula K. Le Guin book that I’ve had on my wish list for a while — I hadn’t seen it at any bookstore until now! Le Guin is one of my favorite authors, and I am on a quest to collect all of her works.

Kinokuniya

Kinokuniya is the New Yorker’s destination for all things Japan! We have Kinokuniya here in San Francisco, but I still wanted to check out the Manhattan location. It’s very conveniently located — just a short walk from Grand Central Station, right across from the NY Public Library. I think the best way to sum it up is by floor, and this is the order that I explored in:

Ground floor: English books — fiction, nonfiction, and bestsellers that you’d find in an American bookstore. There was an entire wall dedicated to New York — recipe books from famous NY restaurants, NY photographers, etc.

Second floor: A mix of Japanese and English books and manga, anime-related novelties, and a small cafe that was pretty crowded for a Monday afternoon

Basement floor: Japanese magazines and reference books, greeting cards, and — the most exciting part to me — a wonderful stationery section of pens, notebooks, folders, and art supplies!

I spent quite a lot of time in the basement floor, perusing the aisles and trying to spot brush pens or calligraphy supplies that I don’t already own.

Kinokuniya | 1073 Ave of the Americas, New York, NY 10018

The second floor had lots of anime-related toys and figurines

The basement housed an impressive selection of Japanese gel pens and ballpoints

Nice pencil section, including singles of the popular Blackwings!

A glorious wall of washi tape!

Found a book relevant to my interests :D

My Kinokuniya haul consisted of a gold ink brush pen, a super cute pencil stamp, and some New York-related souvenir items that I’ll use in my scrapbook.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

A fine art museum of staggering size, the Met has something for everyone’s interest — including stationery nerds. While wandering around the museum, I happened upon a exhibit of drawings and prints, which included some pieces on handwriting and calligraphy!

The Metropolitan Museum of Art | 1000 5th Ave, New York, NY 10028

A primer on penmanship and a book of calligraphic works!

Absolutely stunning to see it lit up at night

Additional stationery-related highlights:

Posman Books: A small yet cozy bookstore nestled inside the super-hip Chelsea Market

USPS James Farley Post Office: For those into snail mail, you must walk by this gargantuan post office. It has the famous postal carrier’s creed chiseled across the entire building — “Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds”. It’s pretty mind-blowing if you just stop and think about how many pieces of mail have come through this historic place.

Moleskine Store inside Grand Central Terminal: I didn’t know this was here, I just happened across it while exploring Grand Central– it’s located in a hallway of stores leading out toward the main concourse. Inside, you’ll find various Moleskine notebooks of all sizes, including some of the newest limited editions.

Ed Jelley: I would definitely count Ed himself as a NYC stationery  highlight. I’ve followed his fantastic blog and photography for quite some time now, so it was great to finally meet him in person! We chatted over coffee (of course) about pens, notebooks, calligraphy, mechanical keyboards, raw denim, and various other tactile fascinations/expensive hobbies/niche interests.

 

Thanks for taking the time to hang out and chat!

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For even more NYC stationery tour stops, be sure to check out these resources:

The Pen Addict Episode 189: Guest host June Thomas takes Brad and Myke on an NYC Stationery Tour, which covers the above destinations and many more

Top Five Stationery Stores in New York City: A great roundup that includes art stores, by The Gentleman Stationer