Over the next year, we plan to attend the shows listed below. (The yellow highlight marks the next upcoming show.) Richard will be regrinding nibs and diagnosing nib ailments for walk-up clients, and Barbara will manage the sales end of the table and keep track of whose pens Richard will be working on. Look for our banner (shown below, in the “Table Talk” FAQ section) on the wall over our table. We hope to see you there! (The rightmost column in this table indicates whether the show’s organizers have confirmed their dates or not.)
Please read our “Table Talk” FAQ, on this page, to learn how we operate at a show.
If you have never been to a pen show and don’t know what to expect, read Richard’s articles on pen shows, starting with this one.
If you have pens that need other work, bring them along with you — we’ll be happy to give them a free ride to the Nashua Pen Spa.
We don’t like to disappoint people. This page is here to help you to understand how we operate our table at pen shows. The questions here are the ones that we hear (or read) most often as new people approach the idea of having their pens’ nibs worked on at a show. We hope this FAQ will help you to plan better and make your show experience more enjoyable.
At first sight, some of the answers here might look pretty hard-nosed. We’re not trying to set up a dictatorship, or even to be “Soup Nazis.” The arrangements we describe here are what we’ve worked out through experience. For example, we keep a list because once, at a one-day show that lasted only five hours, people queued up at my table and waited for more than 31/2 of those hours. That just didn’t seem right.
Remember, a pen show is not a life-or-death experience. It’s supposed to be fun!
Do you repair pens at shows?
Yes and no. I restrict myself to nib work (which sometimes includes minor repair to other parts such as the section) because that’s how I can best serve you. At many of the shows I attend, there is at least one repairer on site. Look for the traffic light that will guide you to Ron Zorn of Main Street Pens. Ron is one of the top restorers working today, and you can rely on him for solid, expert work. 
Do you take credit cards?
We aren’t able to accept credit cards at shows. Most show venues have at least one conveniently located ATM.
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When I get to a show, how can I find out where your table is?
First, ask the people at the registration desk or the door — they can usually tell you where any exhibitor’s table is. If they can’t help you find us, go into the show room and scan the walls until you see our banner. It looks like the image to the right. (Click on the image to see a zoomed version.)
Can you straighten a crinkled nib at a show?
Usually, yes. But that kind of work is often delicate and very finicky, and sometimes I will suggest that it would be better for your nib if I take the pen back to the Nashua Pen Spa with me.
Are the prices on your Web site the same for the show?
My Web site prices for nib work are the same as my prices at a show. The prices for regrinding are fixed, but prices for tweaking and repair are variable, and what you want done determines the actual cost for a given pen.
I have a lot of pens, is that OK?
I want to work with as many people as I can. To this end, we have to limit each person’s visit to a single pen. (But in concert with this answer, please read the last paragraph of the next answer immediately below.) If you have more than one pen you want done, we’ll be happy to take the others home with us. Doing things this way allows me to see just how you write and to assess any factors that might affect how I would adjust your other pens, while at the same time allowing as many people as possible to receive the same treatment.
Does anyone get turned away because you ran out of time?
Unfortunately, sometimes this does happen. What I’m offering at my end of the table is one-on-one time and skilled work, not merchandise. Each pen takes a finite amount of time, and I’m not willing to sacrifice my best work in a mad quest to squeeze more people in.
We keep a list of people who want me to work on their pens. Based on past experience, we think I’ll have time to work with about two dozen people on a normal show day, doing one pen for each person. You’re free to sign up at any time, but if you’re later than the first couple dozen people, it’s very likely that I won’t have time to work with you.
Once signed up, you can take in the rest of the show; just check back every so often to see how things are progressing.
Please note that we resort to the list and the one-pen limit only when things are busy. If traffic is slow, there may be no one waiting on the list and you will be welcome to sit right down with your pens — and, as long as nobody else comes along, I can work on as many pens as you have for me.
I just want to buy a pen and get it stubbed. Do I have to sign up and wait for a couple of hours?
No. If you’re just buying one or more pens, I’ll make time to check and adjust those pens immediately. If you buy a pen while you’re signing up for work on your pens or after you’ve already signed up, I’ll do that pen when your turn comes, along with the ones you brought with you.
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Click the magnifying-class symbol to open a new window or tab with a very large version of this photo (1032×774). |
I have a pen I want you to customize, but I don’t know what kind of nib is right for me. What do we do now?
When you come to our table, you’ll find a rack of thirteen Pelikan M200s in a variety of colors (see photo at right). These are demonstrators, and they’re there for you to play with, to see what nib style might suit you. When your turn comes, I’ll probably ask you to write for me so I can see if I agree with whatever ideas you’ve developed. I won’t start grinding until we agree on what kind of nib I’m going to make for you.
I have to use crappy paper at work. Can you adjust my pen for that?
We provide a very good fountain pen friendly paper for testing. (It’s the same paper that’s in the pads we sell.) We can’t keep samples of all the different kinds of paper that are out there, so if your pens need to work with a particular kind of paper, please bring some of that paper with you.
Can I drop my pens off for you to work on while I visit other tables?
Experience has shown that this doesn’t work very well for two reasons. First, if the chair in front of me is unoccupied, someone will sit down expecting that I’ll be able to work with him or her. When this happens, I never get time to work on the pens that have been left. Second, I really want to work with you there so that together we can make sure that what I’m doing is exactly right for you.
I can only come on Sunday. Won’t the list already be full by then?
For shows that span more than a single day, the list starts when the show opens each day and dies when the show organizers boot us out of the room. If I don’t get to you on Day 1 you will need to sign up again (earlier if possible) on Day 2. We do this in order to give a fair shot to people who can come only on Day 2 — if we carried the previous day’s list over, those people would have far less chance.
Can I sign up on line, or do I have to be there to get on the list?
You do have to come to the show to sign up. The list is on a pad at our table. We leave it out on the table overnight (after the first day), so if we don’t get to the table immediately in the morning you can still sign up. The list starts fresh every day, and it’s strictly first come, first served. (But in concert with this answer, please read the last paragraph of this answer.)
But everybody packs up early on Sunday. Doesn’t that mean you won’t get to very many people at all?
No, it doesn’t. We stay there, open for business, until the show officially closes.
Okay, so what is there for me to do at your table while you work on my nib?
You’re welcome to watch, and of course I’ll want you to test the results to be sure I’m doing what you want. Beyond that, there’s the scintillating, fascinating and far-ranging repartee — like this entirely imaginary session that our friend Ian K. has kindly illustrated for us.
