Fountain Pen Network Philippines Hosts First Manila Fountain Pen Show

The Manila Fountain Pen Show logo was designed by graphic artist Ramil Vinarao.

The first ever Manila Fountain Pen Show is happening soon! The event, which happens at SMX Aura Meeting Room 1 on October 27, 2018 (Saturday), is the first fountain pen show in the country and I can't wait to go!

When I started using a fountain pen in 2008, I was happily writing with my Parker Vector inked with Parker Blue. Then I chanced upon a stunning and vibrant blue ink called DC Supershow Blue, which I learned to be produced by Private Reserve, an American ink manufacturer, as a Special Edition ink for the 2003 DC Fountain Pen Supershow. I was like, wait, there are fountain pen shows??? I found that yes, there are fountain pen shows, and they are BIG.

Let's move to 2018. Fountain Pen Network Philippines, the country's premier group devoted to writing instruments (fountain pens), ink, and stationery has successfully organized the first Manila Fountain Pen Show, in line with the group's mission to promote the use of fountain pens and preserve the art of the handwritten word. The one-day event will be a pen meet, a reunion, and a family gathering rolled into one.

Fountain Pen Network Philippines logo, designed by Rica Palomo-Espiritu with calligraphy 
by Lorraine Marie Nepomuceno. (Image from fpn-p.org)

Like the DC Fountain Pen Supershow, the Manila Fountain Pen Show will have an ink especially mixed for the show. Leigh Reyes calls it shading copper, which is similar to the color of the show's logo. The ink will sell for PhP550 for a 30ml bottle, and part of the proceeds will be donated to charity to help the victims of Typhoon Ompong.

Shading copper. Can't wait to try this ink! (Images by Leigh Reyes)

From Leigh: TWSBI Go 1.1 mm nib on Tomoe River paper.

Leigh's art shows the shading property of this beautiful ink.

Fountain Pen Network Philippines also produced a limited edition 10th Anniversary fountain pen, an Edison Mina in tortoiseshell acrylic, which will be available for viewing and reservation during the show. Manufactured by Brian Gray's Edison Pen Co., the pen is a cartridge/converter type, and will be available in buyer's choice of steel nib (F, M, B, 1.1 italic, and 1.4 italic). The pen is limited to 40 pieces, sold at PhP 15,000 each. This pen has been announced earlier at Fountain Pen Network Philippines. At the moment, only 10 out of the 40 pens are available for purchase.

The Fountain Pen Network Philippines Limited Edition 10th Anniversary Fountain Pen,
an Edison Mina in tortoiseshell acrylic. (Image by Brian Gray; Edison Pen Co.)

This limited edition pen is available in a variety of nibs: F, M, B, 1.1 italic, and 1.4 italic.
(Image by Brian Gray; Edison Pen Co.)

The pen's finial bears Fountain Pen Network Philippines' 10th Anniversary logo. 
(Image by Brian Gray; Edison Pen Co.)

In 2008 when I first joined Fountain Pen Network Philippines, we can only buy fountain pens and other supplies (ink, paper) from National Bookstore and at some small shops in Binondo and Sta. Cruz, Manila. Ten years later, we now have a variety of stores, online shops, and individual sellers offering more brands of fountain pens, inks, paper, and accessories. Previous Fountain Pen Day celebrations had put together sellers during the event, but the list for the Manila Fountain Pen Show is the biggest gathering of sellers I have seen in Manila. I'm so excited to go to the show knowing these sellers will be there. Here's the initial list of confirmed sellers at the Manila Fountain Pen Show (more updates when new ones are confirmed):

• Scribe.ph
• Everything Calligraphy
• PenGrafik
• National Bookstore-Noteworthy
• Kasama Pens (newly-launched Filipino fountain pen brand)
• Lamy Philippines
• Faber Castell
• Cross
• Mont Blanc
• Parker Philippines
• Straits Pen (Singapore-based store, their catalog is here: https://aws.straitspen.com/shop/)
• Troublemaker Inks (this Cebu-based group is the first Filipino ink maker!)
• Gav N Sav (our favorite source of beautiful pen wraps and tea wallets!)
• Shibui PH (leather products - pen cases, organizers, travel wallets)

Bali lamb leather pen wraps and cases from PenGrafik will be available during the Manila Fountain Pen Show! (Image from PenGrafik)

These colorful and well-made penwraps from Gav N Sav will be available at the show, too!
(Image from Gav N Sav)

Watch out for these vintage Esterbrook fountain pens at Guia Bengzon's table at the show. 
(Image by Guia Bengzon)

Parker Vacumatic fountain pens to be sold at Guia Bengzon's table at the show. (Image by Guia Bengzon)

Other confirmed sellers include Guia P. Bengzon, who will sell vintage and modern fountain pens, and our favorite Victory notebooks and pads. Nibmeister Jose Reinoso, the man behind JP's Pen Spa & Nibworks will also be at the show to offer on-site service for vintage pens. JP offers resaccing and restoration, cleaning, and polishing of Vacumatics, button fillers, coin fillers, and standard lever fillers, aside from nib tuning and alignment. John Raymond Lim, who does excellent nib modification, tuning, and pen repair will also be at the show.

Aside from sellers and services available at the show, prepare for other activities during the day. There will be short lectures on fountain pens and penmanship, basic fountain pen care and maintenance, art with fountain pens, calligraphy with fountain pens, and nib polishing and grinding. A Q&A panel, paper testing bar, and an ink-mixing bar will also be available during the show! To encourage a younger audience into using fountain pens, a session on introduction to fountain pens for kids and newbies is being planned. Watch this page for more updates!

Lorraine Marie Nepomuceno lists the activities during the Manila Fountain Pen Show.

The organizers are encouraging buyers to contact sellers about specific products that they are interested to buy during the event to ensure availability. Buyers can also inquire about prices of various pen items beforehand.

The Manila Fountain Pen Show will be open to the public, and everyone who loves writing instruments and the art of writing is invited to come. The organizers waived entrance fees during the event, but raffle tickets will be sold for the benefit of Typhoon Ompong victims.

For updates, announcements, and other details about the show, check the 2018 Manila Fountain Pen Show on Facebook and Instagram. Oh, and the show's official hashtag is #MNLFountainPenShow2018. See you there!

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About the 2018 Manila Fountain Pen Show logo: Ramil Vinarao, a freelance graphic artist, children’s book illustrator, and Mr. Mom created the #MNLFountainPenShow2018's official logo. Ramil took inspiration from the Jose Rizal Monument’s vertical orientation to juxtapose it against an upturned fountain pen nib.