Seminars and Events

FRIDAY, AUGUST 23

First time at a pen show? Unsure of what to say or do when you’re perusing the sea of pens on each table? No idea what you’re getting into? 

Well, Kimberly’s got you covered as she will share good pen show etiquette, and perhaps some tips and tricks as well. Learn ways to examine a pen you’re interested in, and how to speak with vendors.

After Kimberly’s short presentation, she will lead the group on a tour around the pen show floor. It’s good to get to know the usual people in the pen show circuit, as well as the local San Francisco pen vendor crowd. 

Important note: Please purchase your General Admission or All Access Pass prior to the seminar. The show passes are required to be part of the pen show tour.

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Fountain Pens for Lefties: What every left-handed person needs to know about fountain pens

In this seminar, I’ll dispel the myths about fountain pens for lefties and share some tips for tackling problems lefties might face when using fountain pens, different nibs, papers and ink. Whether you are an over-writer or just lefty-curious, bring your questions!

About Ana: Ana Reinert is the creator of The Well-Appointed Desk. She is a former Hallmark graphic designer, lettering artist, university design instructor and freelance graphic designer. She and her husband, Bob Atkins, created the Col-o-ring products which are available in our online shop and at your favorite pen shop worldwide.

Ana is also a photographer; knitter; and an unabashed, Crazy Cat Lady. When not covered in ink, she is passionate about bicycles, typography and just about anything vintage.

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Come swap & destash any stationery (or adjacent) supplies that you’re ready to re-home! This can include, but isn’t limited to: pens (fountain or not), inks, notebooks & other paper goods, washi, stickers, notebook covers… etc. Such a great way to give new life to your gently used and unwanted stationery items. 

This event is also a terrific opportunity to meet some people who are part of the San Francisco Pen Posse. If you live in the SF Bay Area, this is a great group of people to regularly geek around pens and stationery with. 

Since 2007, the SF Pen Posse is the local “non-club” pen group that regularly meet in person around the Bay Area.

Note: Selling is not allowed at this event. Just swapping or giving away.

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For information and to view the lots being auctioned, please proceed to the Auctions page. 

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An interactive panel discussion introducing you to vintage fountain pens. The world of vintage pens offers an incredible opportunity to add fascinating, beautiful, and functional pens to your collection for relatively low costs. But where to start?

What should you look for? Is it all about flex? What if the nibs are scratchy? Is it hard to clean and polish the pens? Is it annoying to fix them? Where can I learn more if I am curious? 

Seasoned collectors are here to answer all your questions about buying, using, and caring for vintage pens.

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Come and try a variety of vintage pens! Not only can you use vintage pens, but they often offer a unique and beautiful writing experience that makes an excellent addition to your modern pen collection.

We will supply the pens, ink, paper, and experienced vintage pen enthusiasts will be there to guide you and answer all questions.  Beginner questions are welcomed and encouraged! 

You can learn to fill and empty a variety of vintage pen filling systems. Become comfortable with levers, plungers, and more.

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SATURDAY, AUGUST 24

In this seminar, I’ll dispel the myths about fountain pens for lefties and share some tips for tackling problems lefties might face when using fountain pens, different nibs, papers and ink. Whether you are an over-writer or just lefty-curious, bring your questions!

About Ana: Ana Reinert is the creator of The Well-Appointed Desk. She is a former Hallmark graphic designer, lettering artist, university design instructor and freelance graphic designer. She and her husband, Bob Atkins, created the Col-o-ring products which are available in our online shop and at your favorite pen shop worldwide.

Ana is also a photographer; knitter; and an unabashed, Crazy Cat Lady. When not covered in ink, she is passionate about bicycles, typography and just about anything vintage.

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First time at a pen show? Unsure of what to say or do when you’re perusing the sea of pens on each table? No idea what you’re getting into? 

Well, Kimberly’s got you covered as she will share good pen show etiquette, and perhaps some tips and tricks as well. Learn ways to examine a pen you’re interested in, and how to speak with vendors.

After Kimberly’s short presentation, she will lead the group on a tour around the pen show floor. It’s good to get to know the usual people in the pen show circuit, as well as the local San Francisco pen vendor crowd. 

Important note: Please purchase your General Admission or All Access Pass prior to the seminar. The show passes are required to be part of the pen show tour.

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San Francisco Stationery Meetup at the Pen Show!

We are a group of stationery nuts who get together every second Saturday in Japantown to show-off and share our latest acquisitions. Our focus is usually on the sub-$20 product range of awesome and functional daily-use products. We are grateful to have Maido Stationery as a regular sponsor, each month giving us early access to their latest imports from Japan.

At this session, we will give you a feel for the group’s activities with tables full of our own stash of planners, stencils, pencils, sharpeners, and innovative Japanese stationery products for you to play with. Take a break from the $500~ products on the show floor, and spend a little time playing with the awesome products that don’t burn a hole in your wallet.

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SUNDAY, AUGUST 25

Bay Area Planners is excited to host a planner meetup at the 2024 SF International Pen Show! 

What’s a planner meetup? A planner meetup is a meetup of people who enjoy using paper planners!

What do we do at a planner meetup? Our meetups are very informal. Feel free to bring your planner(s), chat about your planner setup and your plans for next year’s setup, share your planner setup and spreads, bring your planner accessories (pens, stickers, washi) to work on your planner at the meetup, and to the extent attendees are willing, sample each others’ washi; look at, hold, or try each others’ fountain pens; and check out each others’ planner covers!  All planner users are welcome.

Giveaway: We will host a giveaway with a bag of planner goodies, donated by our generous planner community and your host(s). Example goodies include stickers, pens/pencils, small notebooks, washi samples, etc. The giveaway winner will be selected by a random number generator. If you’d like to donate planner accessories to the giveaway bag, please bring them and hand them to one of the Bay Area Planners hosts. You must be present at the time of the giveaway winner announcement to claim your prize. If you are not present, a new winner will be drawn, also by a random number generator.

Host: Patty (Bay Area Planners founder)

Questions? DM Patty on Instagram at @bayareaplanners! 

About Bay Area Planners: Bay Area Planners was founded by Patty Tsai in 2017. When we first started, we hosted a variety of planner meetups in the Bay Area to encourage users of the Hobonichi Techo to get together, share their Techos, and view Hobonichi covers in-person. Over time, we’ve expanded to inviting all planner users, and expanded even beyond planners to inviting stationery and pen aficionados! Soon, Tori joined Bay Area Planners as a host. Since her move out of the Bay Area, Caitlin is also now one of our hosts for meetups. We’re a diverse group of community members that use and are interested in using paper planners, including but not limited to Hobonichi Techo, Traveler’s Notebook, Happy Planner, and more. Since the pandemic, Bay Area Planners has also begun hosting virtual meetups, expanding our community to planner users around the world. We’ve hosted over 65 meetups since 2017, with some meetups having up to over twenty attendees. Find out more about Bay Area Planners at https://tiny.cc/bayareaplanners.

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In this seminar, volunteers from the Pen Collectors of America will teach the next generation of pen collectors. They will cover the history of writing instruments, from humble reeds to the fountain pens we love, and introduce kids to proper fountain pen usage. The goal is simple: write a thank you note to someone, preferably with the new pen won during the Pens for Kids Scavenger hunt.

No fees or materials required to attend. Just bring curious minds!

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