THE MANILA PEN SHOW 2019

As I write, people still have a hangover from the two excitement-filled days of pen/ink/stationery/accessories shopping that was the second Manila Pen Show last November 16 & 17, at the Holiday Inn & Suites Makati.

The show was held from 9am to 6pm (both days) in two big function rooms, with other function rooms assigned as a workshop room and a show-and-tell lounge. It was also a treat to have free-flowing coffee, tea and water from refreshments stations in the lobby!

Organizers/volunteers at the Manila Pen Show 2019. Photo by Ricci Castaneda.

Day 1 of the show was jam-packed with people. Day 2 was more sedate, but filled up towards the afternoon.

Before registration opened. Photo by Ricci Castaneda.

Registration Day 2. Photo by Kailash Ramchandani.

Donations at registration will benefit Save The Children. Photo by Ernesto Tabujara Jr.

The line to the registration table. Photo by Ricci Castaneda.

Manila Pen Show 2019 Day 1. Video by Eliza Parungao Rehal.

Manila Pen Show 2019 Day 1, Yakan/Abaca/Jusi Room. Photo by Ricci Castaneda.

Manila Pen Show 2019 Day 1, Ramie Room. Photo by Ricci Castaneda.

Manila Pen Show 2019 Day 1. Photo by Ricci Castaneda.

Scribe. Photo by Fernando Zubiri.

Early morning, day 2. Photo by Fernando Zubiri.

Early morning, Ramie Room, day 2. Photo by Fernando Zubiri.

There were three show exclusive fountain pen inks sold at the show. The official show ink was Diamine Arkipelago Blue, a blue based on Pantone 286C, which is the blue of the Philippine flag. Straits Pen also sold a limited run of Mani-lah!, a purple ink based on a Filipino purple sticky rice cake. Pierre Cardin HK sold the orange ink Manila Bay Sunset. All inks were sold out by the end of the show.

Diamine Arkipelago Blue was based on the Pantone blue of the Philippine flag. Photo by Leigh Reyes.

Straits Pen produced Mani-lah! (Project Puto Bumbong), a purple. Photo by Leigh Reyes.

Pierre Cardin’s Manila Bay Sunset is a sheeny orange ink. Photo from Pierre Cardin HK.

Aesthetic Bay of Singapore was a popular booth for people looking for Nakayas, maki-e pens, high end Pelikans, raden Pilot Vanishing Points, and other unique items.

Nakayas at the Aesthetic Bay booth. Photo by Christopher Chong.

Aesthetic Bay’s booth. Photo by Ricci Castaneda.

Tan Fong Kum (R), Connie Tan (C) and Ivy Tan (L) of Aesthetic Bay. Photo by Kailash Ramchandani.

Faber-Castell pens were 50% off! Photo by Christopher Chong.

Lara M. Telan of Gav n Sav pen wraps. Photo by Ernesto Tabujara Jr.

Cross Experience Booth. Photo by Ernesto Tabujara Jr.

Cross. Photo by Camilla Libunao.

Guia P. Bengzon of Vintage by G (R). Photo by Ricci Castaneda.

Vintage by G booth. Photo by Ricci Castaneda.

Everything Calligraphy. Photo by Ernesto Tabujara Jr.

Vinta Inks. Photo by Camilla Libunao.

Jillian Joyce Tan of Everything Calligraphy/Vinta Inks. Photo by Chito Gregorio.

Inks by Vinta launched a special grey shimmer ink, Vinta Nakar (Mother of Pearl) at the show. Here’s a writing sample.

Vinta Nakar (Mother of Pearl). Photo by Anne Tamondong.

Nibmeister John Raymond Lim. Photo by Chito Gregorio.

Nibmeister JP Reinoso (J.P. Pentangeli on Facebook). Photo by Chito Gregorio.

Native fabric pen cases from Jennifer Lee Bonto. Photo by Eliza Parungao Rehal.

Mark del Rosario (L) and Alvin Arcillas (R) of Kasama PH. Photo by Kasama PH.

Kasama PH pens. Photo by Ernesto Tabujara Jr.

Kasama Una fountain pens in delrin, with stormtrooper rollstoppers. Photo by Eliza Parungao Rehal.

Lamy Philippines. Photo by Ernesto Tabujara Jr.

Lamy Philippines. Photo by Camilla Libunao.

Atelier Musubi from Singapore brought their artisan luxury notebooks, Tomoe River paper everyday notebooks, and luxury pen cases. These benefit disabled artisans and people at risk.

Daryl Lim of Atelier Musubi (L), with Anthony Goquingco of FPN-P (R). Photo by Kailash Ramchandani.

Kimono notebooks at Atelier Musubi. Photo by Eliza Parungao Rehal.

Luxury pen cases at Atelier Musubi. Photo by Eliza Parungao Rehal.

Leuchtturm notebooks at NBS/Noteworthy. Photo by Martin Marvin Macalintal.

Journals from NBS/Noteworthy. Photo by Edrie Alcanzare.

Pengallery from Malaysia brought their special exclusive Diamine inks, Jalur Gemilang (blue with red sheen) and Manggis (“mangosteen”, violet with green sheen).

Kim Hoong Lai (L) and Hannah Low (R) of Pengallery. Photo from Suhana Amiril.

Pengallery. Photo by Ricci Castaneda.

Kim Hoong Lai (L) of Pengallery, Arnold Ang (C) and Melissa Pabilona-Ang (R) of Shibui PH. Photo by Melissa Pabilona-Ang.

Pengrafik. Photo by Kailash Ramchandani.

Pengrafik. Photo by Kailash Ramchandani.

Peter Bangayan and Gema Gonzales at his booth. Photo by Chito Gregorio.

Diamine Arkipelago Blue at Peter Bangayan’s booth. Photo by Gema Gonzales.

Veronica Liu (R), May Poon (C) and staff of Pierre Cardin HK. Photo by Veronica Liu.

Veronica Liu of Pierre Cardin HK (L) with Leigh Reyes (R) trying out a pointillist electronic pen. Photo by Veronica Liu.

Pierre Cardin HK. Photo by Eliza Parungao Rehal.

Ralph Reyes of Regalia Writing Labs. Photo by Chito Gregorio.

Ralph Reyes. Photo by Camilla Libunao.

Damascus nib in EF, by Regalia Writing Labs. Photo by April B. Morales.

Scribe. Photo by Ricci Castaneda.

Scribe offered a special Sailor Pro Gear to commemorate their 10th Anniversary.

Melissa Pabilona-Ang and Arnold Ang of Shibui PH. Photo by Ricci Castaneda.

Shibui leather pen cases. Photo by Arnold Ang.

Ng Lip Sing (L) and Sunny Koh (R) at the Straits Pen booth. Photo by Amanda Gorospe.

Straits Pen. Photo by Amanda Gorospe.

Nibmeister Sunny Koh of Straits Pen. Photo by Amanda Gorospe.

Gabriel Arnado (R), Kaiser Duragos (L) and friend (C) of Troublemaker Inks. Photo by Chito Gregorio.

Troublemaker Inks. Photo by Eliza Parungao Rehal.

Pens by Shawn Newton. Photo by Gema Gonzales.

Calligraphy books at The Curious Artisan. Gail Anne Madalag (L) and Lennie Dionisio (R). Photo by Iris Babao Uy.

Carl Cunanan, Editor in Chief of CALIBRE magazine. Photo by Chito Gregorio.

The Calibre Lounge. Photo by Ernesto Tabujara Jr.

Leigh Reyes conducting her Everyday Creativity through Journaling workshop. Photo by Micah Robles.

Leigh Reyes at her workshop. Photo by Kailash Ramchandani.

Leigh Reyes. Photo by Camilla Libunao.

Daryl Lim of Atelier Musubi talks about his vision and business model. Photo by Micah Robles.

Nibmeister John Raymond Lim talks about pen maintenance. Photo by Micah Robles.

John Raymond Lim talks about pen maintenance. Photo by Camilla Libunao.

Carl Cunanan (L) talking about entrepreneurship. Photo by Micah Robles.

Carl Cunanan. Photo by Camilla Libunao.

Anthony Goquingco held a workshop on nib grinding. Photo by Micah Robles.

Fountain Pen Network-Philippines founder Jose (Butch) Dalisay, Jr. talking about vintage pen collecting. Photo by Micah Robles.

Jose (Butch) Dalisay, Jr. and his vintage pens. Photo by Camilla Libunao.

Guia P. Bengzon and her vintage pens. Photo by Camilla Libunao.

Lorraine Marie Nepomuceno conducted a penmanship workshop for adults and for kids. Photo by Micah Robles.

Lorraine Marie Nepomuceno conducting penmanship workshop. Photo by Ricci Castaneda.

Artist Diane Rodriguez with her portraits of Philippine makers and retailers. Photo by Chito Gregorio.

Save the Children’s table. Photo by Kailash Ramchandani.

Fountain Pen Network-Philippines founder Jose (Butch) Dalisay, Jr. (R), June Dalisay (L) and Melissa Pabilona-Ang of Shibui PH. Photo by Arnold Ang.

Fountain Pen Network-Philippines President Leigh Reyes. Photo by Chito Gregorio.

FPN-P Board, vendors, international guests at the welcome dinner in Mesa Greenbelt. Photo by Leigh Reyes.

Day 2 dinner with Alesa McNeill and Troublemaker Inks. Photo by Diane Rodriguez.

Alesa McNeill (L) took videos! Kailash Ramchandani (R) of Pengrafik. Photo by Chito Gregorio.

L-R: Kailash Ramchandani of Pengrafik, Dan Hoizner, Ng Lip Sing of Straits Pen, and Daryl Lim of Atelier Musubi. Photo by John Raymond Lim.

Many thanks to Fountain Pen Network-Philippines, Inc. for organizing the Manila Pen Show 2019! Thank you, too, to the vendors, volunteers and fountain pen enthusiasts who made this a successful event! Thank you to Holiday Inn & Suites Makati for having us. We look forward to a third Manila Pen Show in 2020!

BUYING FOUNTAIN PEN INKS IN MANILA – UPDATED

As of 2015, the following fountain pen inks may be bought from the following purveyors in Metro Manila:

National Bookstore:  Faber-Castell (selected branches only), Lamy, Parker, Sheaffer, Inoxcrom (cartridges only)

Montblanc branches – Makati (632) 813-3739, Powerplant Mall (632) 898-2347, Shangri-la Mall (632) 633-4636, Manila (632) 521-1140, Robinsons Place (632) 551-2095, Ayala Town Center (632) 850-5532

Scribe Writing Essentials – 3/F Eastwood Mall, QC  (632) 900-0053, Shangrila (632) 654-5071, Glorietta 5 (632) 386-4826, SM Aura (632) 519-5346 and SM Megamall (632) 631-8477. – J. Herbin, Lamy, Sailor, Pelikan (4001 and Edelstein), Noodler’s, Platinum, Omas, Private Reserve.

Cutting Edge (Greenbelt 5, Trinoma, Eastwood, Megamall, Mall of Asia) – Waterman

Times Trading– Lamy

Everything Calligraphy – Diamine, Sailor, Rohrer & Klingner, De Atramentis, Pilot Iroshizuku (50ml and 15ml), Robert Oster

PenGrafik – Diamine, KWZ

Cosmos Bazar – Pilot Iroshizuku, Pilot (Black, Blue, Blue-Black bottled)

Pens Galore – Pilot Iroshizuku (50ml and 15ml), Pilot (Black, Blue, Blue-Black – cartridges)

Hope this is useful, happy shopping! (Not affiliated with any of these stores, the evangelism is part of being a member of Fountain Pen Network-Philippines.)

MANILA INTERNATIONAL BOOK FAIR HAUL

The 34th Manila International Book Fair is back!  We went yesterday, on the first day, and were surprised by the number of people at opening time.    It’s good to know Manila has its share of voracious readers of all ages!

For the past few Book Fairs, my decision has been to buy books by Filipino writers – we must support our own – with the occasional international trade paperback.  Prices were slashed by 20% to 50% for most outlets.  My haul above was quite modest, given my limited budget and the fact that I’m running out of bookshelf real estate.  From Anvil Publishing I got Manila Noir, an anthology edited by Jessica Hagedorn (20% off), and Jose Dalisay, Jr.’s Killing Time In A Warm Place (50% off, since it was the only copy available).  “Killing Time” will go to a friend in the US, after I’ve had Butch Dalisay sign it at one of our fountain pen meets.  I also got Anna Maria L. Harper’s Agueda: A Ballad of Stone and Wind from University of Sto. Tomas (UST) Publishing House.  That one was P400 (I wonder if it’s because UST just turned 400 years old?).  It’s in my local book club reading list.  For my father I got  Matthew Pearl’s The Poe Shadow (20% off, from Fully Booked).

I also went to Cosmos Bazaar’s stall, where they were selling Pilot Pens galore. I got two Pilot 78Gs and a Birdie (fountain pens, for P220 and 180 each).  The sales staff gave me a Pilot GreenRoller rollerball (with refills available at National Bookstore) and a 5-inch Pilot teddy bear on a keychain as promo items!

One thing I noticed about the Book Fair this year is that there seem to be less exhibitors, but these exhibitors had bigger stalls.  The food area was also much smaller.  Albergus catered as usual, but served undercooked pinakbet as a side viand with their lunch, not to mention undercooked rice.   However, their roast beef was excellent.  Maybe  on the other days of the Book Fair their food will improve, and we were just unlucky to have had lunch there on opening day.

It’s worth a visit!  The 34th Manila International Book Fair is from Sept. 11-15, 2013, 10:00am to 8pm, at the SMX Convention Center, SM Mall of Asia complex, Pasay City.

 

VICTORIA’S JOURNAL NOTEBOOKS

Back in February I wrote about the refillable leather Victoria’s Journal.  The same brand has these cahier-style notebooks in packs of two.  Each notebook has 80 pages of cream-colored paper, and has a sewn binding. They’re smaller than A5 size, around 13cm wide by 19cm tall (about 5 1/8 by 7 7/16 inches).

They’re PhP 99 (just over USD 2) per pack of two notebooks, at National Bookstore (their exclusive distributor).  For the life of me I can’t figure out if this is meant to fit into a leather notebook cover, but I would love to know if it does.  There doesn’t seem to be any such matching refillable cover on sale, alas.

The wonderful thing is that it has fountain pen-friendly paper!  (“80 gsm, lined pages, wood-free cream paper”)  Well, for most fountain pens with F or M nibs, that is.  I’m not sure it’s thick enough or sized enough to take on wet B nibs or flex nibs, but for every day use, this passes muster.  Only Herbin Lie de The had the teeniest bit of feathering.  I wouldn’t say totally no bleedthrough, but yes, you can write on both pages and read what you’ve written without irritating marks getting in the way.  Here’s a photo of the ink test page.

Victoria’s Journals brand notebooks are “Designed in Italy, Made in PRC”.  They’re not cheap, but they’re really affordably priced, and stylish.  Would I buy these again?  Seeing as there are very few locally available brands of this price point  (much lower than Clairefontaine and Rhodia) that are fountain pen-friendly, definitely.  I still wish there was a leather cover product to match.   This doesn’t stop me from hunting down other fountain pen-friendly brands, though.  National Bookstore cannot guarantee that certain product lines remain permanently stocked, or that the same quality item can be sourced from their suppliers in the future.  We can always hope.

I am not affiliated with National Bookstore except as a regular customer.  The items being reviewed are my own purchases.

VICTORIA’S LEATHER JOURNAL

Happy Chinese New Year!  I know most of you already have 2013 diaries and journals, but I discovered a leather journal recently that can give the Midori Traveler’s Notebook a run for its money.  The thing that confused me about is that it’s called a Pelle Leather Journal, by Victoria’s Journals, but it’s not the Pelle Leather Journal you know of in the US, that directly competes against Midori.  From this point for purposes of clarity I’ll be referring to it as the VJ.

Regardless of branding, the important thing to me was that the VJ is made of real leather.  I found them in Bestsellers (a National Bookstore branch at the Podium in Ortigas Center), each in their own black box.  I got one in brown.

Each journal fits three 9 x 14cm (roughly 3.5″ x 5.5″) notebooks: a to-do planner, a lined notebook and a blank notebook.  There are Venzi flexi 2 notebooks (also made by Victoria’s Journals, available at National Bookstore) that can be used as refills in case you can’t find notebooks to fit.  As for me, I make my own refills, because that means I can choose the paper quality – must be fountain pen ink-friendly!

And this paper is friendly, as long as you don’t use a B nib that’s an overly wet writer.  There’s not much bleedthrough or showthrough at all. Imagine that!  I haven’t been buying notebooks in a long time because I don’t like spending money and then finding out the paper only takes ballpoint ink.

Here it is, with my Waterman’s Ideal No. 3 set.  And below, a comparison shot with my passport-sized Midori:

The feel of the Midori leather is a bit more luxurious.  It takes distressing well.  The Victoria’s Journal journal is a little stiffer.  I like the leather clasp that holds the covers together, it doesn’t dent the cover as much as the plain elastic does.  Also, the inside elastic fastenings don’t require much fiddling with.

I posted this on the Fountain Pen Network-Philippines Facebook page, and sort of caused a shopping frenzy.  Why?  Because compared to the Midori (about USD55) this VJ journal costs only P590 (about USD15)!  My friends and I found out that there are three colors:  Black, Brown and Maroon.  If you want your own and it hasn’t been sold out yet, the magic stock number is 103722 at National Bookstore.  Call them and reserve the item, before visiting.

The Midori is made in Thailand.  The VJ  box is marked “Styled in Italy.  Made in PRC.”  So yes,  it’s made in China, even though they very cleverly try not to point that fact out.  At least every part of it looks well made for the price.

To my friends in the US, the Victoria’s Journal site only sells to the trade, I believe.  You’ll have to look for the item in your stationery store (although the site indicates they sell this item in the US).   The Pelle Journal that’s competing against the Midori (see links above) is a quality product and you can’t go wrong with either brand.

BUYING FOUNTAIN PEN INKS IN MANILA

(Waterman inks photo by Cesar Salazar.)

More and more people are growing interested in using fountain pens here in Manila, as evidenced by the growing membership in our pen group Fountain Pen Network-Philippines.  For a long time Parker, Waterman, Cross and Montblanc were the only brands readily available in the local fountain pen market.  Now there are new brands available:  Lamy, Pelikan, Sailor, to name a few.  Waterman,Aurora, Cross and Rotring are now no longer being sold here, while Sheaffer recently reintroduced itself.  The local Pilot distributor sells only school pens, not the fine writing instruments, nor the ink.

I’ve compiled a list of stores that sell fountain pen inks, in bottles and cartridges as of 2013: (click on links to see directory info)

National Bookstore branches  – Parker, Lamy, Sheaffer, Inoxcrom (cartridges)

Montblanc branches – Makati (632) 813-3739, Powerplant Mall (632) 898-2347, Shangri-la Mall (632) 633-4636, Manila (632) 521-1140, Robinsons Place (632) 551-2095, Ayala Town Center (632) 850-5532

Scribe Writing Essentials – 3/F Eastwood Mall, QC.  (632) 900-0053, Shangrila (632) 654-5071, Glorietta 5 (632) 386-4826. – Herbin, Lamy, Sailor, Pelikan (4001 and Edelstein), Noodler’s

Cutting Edge (Greenbelt 5, Trinoma, Eastwood, Megamall, Mall of Asia) – Waterman

Times Trading– Lamy

Updated:  We now have a distributor for Diamine inks!  Since I don’t have permission to post the contact details here yet, please join the Fountain Pen Network-Philippines forum or on its Facebook page and make your order there, addressed to Peter.

Updated September 2013:  Scribe Writing Essentials now carries Noodler’s inks!  Contact Cindy Fulo at 0998-9983998 for which branches carry specific Noodler’s colors.

Updated August 2014: Scribe Writing Essentials now carries Platinum Mix Free and Carbon inks!

As of this time, there are no local distributors yet for Rohrer & Klingner, Aurora, Visconti, De Atramentis, Pilot (regular and Iroshizuku), and other popular brands of ink.  For these, we resort to buying from eBay or online stores based overseas.