Portland Pens and Stuff

Finally, pens! One of the reasons we came up here after our week in Ashland was the Portland Pen Round-up. On Saturday, while Sharon caught up with a friend she had not seen in several years, I went out to the Lucky Labrador Brewery and managed to connect with pen friends Stuart Hawkinson and Michael MacNeil, who organized the event. It was good to see Brian Johnstone who came down from BC and John Schwab, David Hood, as well as Dave Moffatt and to reconnect with Laurel Kauffman. I’m sure I am leaving out several others to whom I apologise. Susan Thom and I represented the Bay Area

For me, these smaller events, like our local pen club meetings, are a real treat, since I don’t set up and can b e a pen tourist. And into the bargain, I came away with a very nice handful of pens, mostly Montblancs, including two 149s, a 256 and 252 and a very nice Danish 226 in the box. I did get just one Pelikan, a nice M30.

Our hotel for the Portland visit was the historic Multnomah, now a Hilton Embassy Suites. The chain has done a fine job of preserving the historic lobby. Some of you may recall it as the site of the old Portland Pen Show, organized by Carla Mortensen. Sharon and I missed seeing her and Michael Yeats, both good friends who have just left the area.

On Sunday, we went for a walk in the Smith & Bybee Lakes wildlife refuge which was conveniently close to the Portland Expo Center where the antiques and collectibles show was going on. I did not expect to get any pens, since everyone had been through before me, but did manage to score yet one more knife, this from the secondary maker Bear and Son, a nice damascus steel bone handled modern piece that will make a good carry for when I want something lighter and smaller than a full folding hunter.