RECAP: TILBURG PEN SHOW 2016

For the first time in three years I didn't forget to take a picture of the awesome sea-creature skeleton hanging in the middle of the Nature Museum Tilburg, where the pen show is hosted!

Speechless. That's what I was after the Tilburg pen show. On the two hour ride back home I still couldn't believe it. I just listened to music and soaked up all the awesome of the past eight-nine hours. It was amazing, once more. Really every year the Tilburg pen show is a treat, but this year it was extra special. After last year it became clear that it isn't just for the pens -I mean obviously also just a little bit for the pens...- but for the wonderful, crazy, kind-hearted people that you get surrounded with.

I honestly don't have words to describe the feeling, it's just being indulged in one big happy fountain pen family for a couple hours. And once it's over it feels like a part of you was left behind at the show, waiting for you to return next year.

'Oh come on Dries! Cut the emotional rambling!' - I hear you think, but this is legitimately how I feel, I can't help it. I just wish every day could be like being at a pen show, meeting like-minded people, talking, exchanging pens and inks, having a good laugh,... It's like the utopia for pen addicts, zoned out of the real world for a couple hours, away from all the crap.

But let's just quickly recap the Tilburg Pen Show (edition 28 already by the way!):

As was the case last year, one of the most prominent pen collectors/sellers in the galaxy honoured us again with his attendance: Sarj Minhas, aka. Mr. one man pen show. Even though I didn't buy anything from his table, I had a wonderful chat with him again, and of course I drooled at all his pens - hard not to...

More of Sarj's table.

The lovely Frank and Agatha from Fontoplumo were at the same table as last year, and brought us a lovely new special edition pen: a Fontoplumo exclusive Conid Kingsize called the Monarch. I didn't get the pen (a bit above my budget, quite a bit), but I did get the matching special edition KWZ Monarch ink!

Cliff Harrington and his wife also traditionally attend the show with a collection of beautiful vintage pens. I didn't get a chance to talk with him this time around, but if you see him at a pen show, definitely go say hi, such a great guy!

And I'm obviously still forgetting a bunch of people, like Dennis from La Couronne Du Comte and his awesome team both at the show and in the store (double the fun!), Petra and Sjoerd from Scrittura Elegante, two relatively new pen show exhibitors, but already irreplaceable with a variety of pens, paper and inks that perfectly complements the Tilburg show!

But of course then there was also this colorful bunch (yes that's SBRE Brown in the Harlequin suit, don't ask me why!) that made the show whole! From left to right that's: Michael, Cris, Stephen, Azizah, Eric, Tarah, myself, and Janine! Thanks for the wonderful day guys, and thanks to all the other people that I got to meet but aren't in this picture, you know who you are! Also thanks to Jeanne, who does a splendid job organising the show year after year!