I went to the Chicago Pen Show on Sunday and I usually buy one new pen every year at this show. This year, I got two.
First is a NOS Waterman fountain pen, original package and ink cartridges (long since dried out). I especially love the mailer to purchase extra cartridges. Probably dates from the early 60s is my guess. Not super high quality, but for $5, I couldn't complain.
Next up is the real buy of the show. It's a hand-made fountain pen from an artist named Ryan Krusac in Georgia. Most of his pens are crafted from exotic and reclaimed wood. The one I purchased is made with boxelder wood. The black spots are from the boxelder bugs that bored into the tree. The red streaking is the tree's response to the invasion of the bugs.
It's beautifully finished and shows attention to detail. I especially love that the grain of the wood from the cap to the barrel aligns when the cap is screwed down. The pen is quite large and has a good heft to it. Many of the other pens he had were made with equally interesting wood and looked great.
Thanks for looking and enjoy!
Cheers,
-Marc