The Lurdy House hosted the I. Hungary Pen Show, where various writing instruments, inks, and papers took center stage alongside friendly gatherings.
At the Lurdy Conference and Event Center, there is almost a mineral fair or a knife exhibition every weekend. The pen show shared the event space this Saturday with a cat exhibition and a medical conference. Apple also started in Steve Wozniak's garage, so there is nothing to be ashamed of in this.
The entrance ticket also came with a raffle ticket: I quickly filled it out and then explored the area. In the exhibition hall, nearly two dozen exhibitors welcomed visitors, as well as a seating area for the advertised calligraphy workshops. The I. Hungary Pen Show visibly attracted many visitors: many stood or sat at the exhibitors' tables, some chatted, or patiently waited for their turn.
First, I walked to the Pendors table of one of the main organizers. Sándor Pethő, who not only brought his own handmade fountain and ballpoint pens to the event but also various materials: ebonite, wood, and resin rods.
If someone couldn't decide from the nearly 100-piece stationery selection, they could choose the material they liked for their future Pendors pen on-site.
I immediately noticed the canary yellow P52 fountain pen. The section made of black ebonite creates a wonderful contrast with the bright yellow pen body. It is a bold, masculine-sized pen, yet surprisingly comfortable. As I learned, Sanyi brought not only steel nibs but also ink cartridges that could be tested on-site.
The next exhibitor was the other main organizer, Máté Bikfalvi who arrived at the event with a huge selection of inks. Máté's table featured his own handmade PENNONIA inks, along with other brands. Numerous Pelikan, Faber-Castell, and Rohrer & Klinger inks were also available at his table, neatly arranged (the writer of these lines swears by the Alt Goldgrün).
For this occasion, Máté mixed a special ink: the limited Hungarian Gold turned out incredibly well thanks to the glitter additive mixed in. In addition to the inks, I also saw special notebooks and a larger quantity of Kaweco Sport fountain pens. Unfortunately, the beautiful little fountain pens made of brass or bronze could not be taken out of the packaging: as I learned, touching leaves a mark on the pen body. Those who purchase these writing instruments can decide whether to let the surface patina or polish it after use.
The next stop is the Pentel stand: the patinated Japanese brand arrived at the I. Hungary Pen Show with a huge and colorful selection.
Pentel came with several surprises: not only could you try the wonderfully colored Pentel EnerGel ballpoint pens and brush markers, but interested parties could also participate in the calligraphy workshops of Brigitta Bubán who has long collaborated with the brand.
1. The joint experience drawing attracted a lot of interest, just like the gift Pentel EnerGel ballpoint pen that surprised every visitor at the stand.
A 2. Drawing Shop 3. not only prepared with a sophisticated calendar, diary, and notebook selection, but also showcased a serious collection of Kaweco and Faber-Castell fountain pens and inks. In a lit display case, Pilot fountain pens were exhibited, including the brand's flagship, the Pilot Custom 823 fountain pen.
5. The calligraphy workshops attracted a lot of interest: many were curious about the presentations combined with extraordinary knowledge. Dezső Buzogány 6. Dezső Buzogány's calligraphy workshop.
9. The 8. at the stand of the two owners: 9. Gábor Megyeri and Péter Megyeri 10. presented the brand's two special models: the R.Feather and the DPAF.1. 11. The former is a true rock star, immediately drawing all attention with its vibrant color and unique pen body. I preferred the latter because it fit perfectly in my hand and writing felt so natural from the first line, as if we had been a well-coordinated team for years.
12. Etelburg fountain pens.
14. , who is also a satisfied owner of the DPAF.1. Attila is a passionate fountain pen collector, wearing the logo of his own design, Write on Holo, on his shirt and canvas bag. 12. was shared with Sultis Attila., 15. At his stand, I admired the fabric-covered notebooks, planners, and booklet holders. The.
Izabella Binder 16. products are entirely handmade, using traditional bookbinding techniques. I admired the hand-embroidered headband on the hardcover notebooks, which I had previously read about on their website. Binder’s Notebooks 17. Among the foreign exhibitors, I visited a Polish and a German stand. The Poles came from Opole, a smaller settlement between Wroclaw and Katowice. In their offer, I saw colorful, unique ebonite and resin fountain pens.
18. The vintage fountain pen sellers.
19. came from Berlin. After we agreed that there are many similarities between their capital and ours, I admired their selection. Carla Mortensen and Tom Westerich They came from Berlin. After we agreed that there are many similarities between their capital and ours, I admired the offerings.
A penboard.de the creator of the stationery database was mostly made with vintage Montblanc and Pelikan fountain pens for the 1st Budapest Pen Show. In the selection, I discovered a rather rare and underrated fountain pen brand in Hungary. The Hannover-based Geha brand, which ceased to exist in the 1990s, was a rival of Pelikan in Germany – the old competitors now coexisted well next to each other in the exhibition boxes.
Zoltán Kovács A fountain pen collector and third-generation pen repairer brought out fantastic relics: in the showcases, alongside the PatKoPen writing instruments made by his grandfather, one could admire fantastic pre-war Montblanc fountain pens.
Zoli naturally brought pens that could be purchased to the pen show. I was able to identify several major brands in his selection: on the table, Montblanc, Pelikan, Parker, and Sheaffer fountain pens were lined up in exemplary order.
My favorites were the Montblanc Carrera writing instruments. I have long been eyeing these student pens made in cooperation with Porsche in the 1970s. In addition to the standard orange and metal-cased deluxe fountain pen, the series also had a ballpoint pen model available. Its uniqueness lies in the fact that the colors can be switched based on gravity (by tilting the pen).
A the also made a great effort: they arrived at the event with a rich and special selection of paper and pens. Béla Mudrák It was a real pleasure to admire his absolutely amazing pen collection: the wonders of Urushi lacquered, hand-crafted fountain pens would make any collector's heart race anywhere in the world.
I admired a fountain pen decorated with golden kanji on a black background up close while Béla shared that he has recently been fascinated by Japanese cuisine.
From here, the conversation shifted towards traditional Japanese ramen soups, as well as whiskies and excellent Far Eastern beef and pork. (I wouldn't bore my pen-loving readers with the details. Those who want to learn more about the topic should watch the 2011 film Sushiálmok / Jiro Dreams of Sushi).
Szabolcs Varga (alias Shirokuma Szabi) and his wife with special blackish-blue ink and a special guest: Nikolas Gáncs was prepared for the 1st Hungary Pen Show. Nikolas is an indispensable figure in Japanese calligraphy in Hungary, who gladly assisted those interested.
A Shirokuma had a constant stream of people at his table: thanks to the „pen rummager” and the extremely rich selection of felt-tip pens, gel pens, and Japanese stationery from erasers to washi tape.
Szabolcs and his friends brought a lot of used fountain pens with them, which were a joy to sort through. In addition, I saw Hongdian fountain pens in several colors. They also brought a gateway drug: the Platinum Preppy fountain pen, which could be purchased for almost pennies. At Shirokuma's table, several people confirmed that this colorful, plastic-bodied fountain pen is not only cheap but also an extremely good entry into the world of fountain pens.
Balázs Szili a small Hungarian manufactory, the Szibapen brand owner. Balázs is a hobby pen maker who enjoys experimenting with special materials: in addition to various woods, he uses resin, stone dust, antlers, and even barrel staves for his pens.
A Capillaris fountain pen brand could not be missing from the event. Zsolt Pataki With his direct style, he surely gained a lot of fans for the little fountain pen wonder made of titanium.
Visitors could not only admire and try the Capillarist, but they could also get a glimpse into some phases of production at Zsolt's table.
Ferenc Heisz and his sons They prepared a wonderful time travel for the visitors, featuring impressive century-old writing and office supplies.
The most surprising for me were the women's pencils that could be placed in a silver case that could be hung around the neck. Most visitors lingered for a long time at the office sharpener collection. Ornate paper clips, compass sets, and pencil boxes told stories of old times and bygone brands.
It was a huge idea from the organizers to enrich the exhibition with such a nostalgic element. (I also received a movie recommendation here: Faber Castell – Woman in a Man's World. I haven't seen it yet; if someone has, please let me know how it was).
Around 6 PM, there were still forty to fifty people in the room: they were chatting happily and waiting for the raffle that would conclude the event. The evening's host, Csaba Kiss conducted the drawing. Csaba first thanked the two organizers, Máté and Sanyi, who received a big round of applause from those present, and then he drew the gift packages offered by the exhibitors.
The Hungary Pen Show has closed its doors for this year. If you missed something, don't be discouraged: the event will be held again next year on November 9.
In the meantime, join the Pens&Watches Facebook group, to stay updated throughout the year on the latest news in the fountain pen world. And next year, I hope we can meet in person!
Besides those presented, there were also exhibitors at the event whose tables I couldn't get to, so the experience report turned out to be a bit subjective. I promise that at the II. Hungary Pen Show, I will visit every exhibitor!
Kiss Csaba assisted in clarifying my experiences.
