I love New York

I had fun at the recent National Stationery Show at the Javits Center in NYC. While there weren't a whole bunch of pen companies exhibiting, those that were there showed some great stuff. Trends? Affordability (which usually includes steel- rather than gold-nibbed fountain pens--not a bad thing!); see-through areas on the barrel to show ink level (I like this, since ink color then becomes part of the aesthetic of the pen); and classic colors: white, black, off-white, taupe and brown (can this be ascribed to the Hemline Theory of the economy?). Both Delta (Titanio collection) and Stipula (Model T) showed titanium nibs, which are somewhat flexible, durable and less expensive than 18-karat nibs and more exotic than steel. More details and pictures to come...