FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
When are meetings? Short version: our events calendar is on the home page.
Longer version: The Seattle Pen Club (SPC) offers two regular meetings per month: on the third Saturday of the month from 11am to 1pm and on the last Sunday of the month from 12pm to 2pm. You are welcome at either or both! Very occasionally club officers will plan additional meetings in other locations. All meetings are posted on our homepage, in our private Facebook group, in our email newsletter, and in our Discord server. Learn more.
Where are meetings? The Saturday North Side meeting (formerly referred to as the West Side meeting) is held in the Cascade Room at Spartan Recreation Center in Shoreline. (We outgrew the Stadler Room in Lake Forest and moved to this bigger space in September 2026.) To find the Cascade Room in the rec center, turn left at the front desk and the first door on the left is the Cascade Room.
The Sunday East Side meeting (on the last Sunday of the month) is usually held in a public meeting room at either the Kingsgate Library or Redmond Public Library. The location varies depending on venue availability. Meeting locations are posted on our homepage, in our Facebook group, in our email newsletter, and in our Discord server. Please check for the location each month.
TL;DR: If you are looking for our events calendar, it's on the homepage!
Do I need to sign up ahead of time to attend a meeting? There is no need to sign up, RSVP, or otherwise register! You do not need to be a club member to attend. Meetings are free to attend and very informal. We’d love to meet you. Learn more about what happens at meetings.
How does one become a member of the Seattle Pen Club? It's not necessary to be a formal member to attend our meetings or participate in our online spaces. If you'd like to become a paid member, we use a "Pay What You Can" model for our membership dues. Pay as little as $1 or… as much as you want! We recommend $20–40. More is super helpful but there is no obligation.
Does membership in the Seattle Pen Club cost anything? Paid membership is in the SPC is optional. Membership is not required to attend meetings or participate in our online spaces. If you would like to support the club and help us cover costs, we currently use a "Pay What You Can" model for our membership dues. Pay as little as $1 or… as much as you want! We recommend $20–40. More is super helpful but there is no obligation.
If you'd like to be an official member but can't or don't want to pay, just have a quick conversation with anyone in a leadership post or send a brief message. We don't want to exclude anyone for financial reasons.
Do you have a newsletter? Yes! To sign up, send a request via our Contact Us Form.
I signed up for the newsletter, but I haven't received anything. The newsletter is sent out once a month, typically around week 3. If you sent a request to join the mailing list, received a welcome email from our Club President, and a month has gone by without a newsletter, please send a follow-up e-mail. We want to include you, so please speak up if that isn't happening!
I live in the PNW and I enjoy pens, etc., but I'm not able to attend in-person meetings... That's ok! We're very active online too! You may join us on in our Facebook group or Discord server.
If the location of our current in-person meetings is keeping you away, you are more than welcome to invite pen friends for hangouts in your neighborhood or wherever works for you. Put out the call and see who turns up for pen fun!
Where can I get a pen repaired? We have a small list of recommendations. (If you have a recommendation to add to the list, please share!) You can also ask advice from your fellow club members at meetings or via our very active Facebook group or our Discord server. Unfortunately, as of Fall 2026, we are not aware of any physical locations to have a pen repaired in the Seattle/King County area.
Can you recommend a nibmeister or nib grinder in the Seattle area? As of Fall 2026, we're not aware of any professional nibmeisters working in the Seattle/King County area. Mega sad face. (If you know of one or are one, please tell us!) If you can attend an in-person meeting and ask nicely, one of our members might be able to assist with some small adjustments. Additionally, we maintain a list of not-local people who tune nibs and/or make other repairs that our members recommend.
Occasionally, The Outpost Stationery (in Seattle) and Oblation Papers & Press (in Portland) host a nibmeister for a day or two. Subscribe to their e-mail newsletters or social media to hear when that happens.
Can I sell you my pens? No. The club itself does not sell anything, but the North Side meetings (in Shoreline) and some bonus meetings do feature a sell/swap table in addition to a free table. Members often sell to and trade directly with one another. Plus, there’s eBay, Poshmark, and Reddit’s very active Pen_Swap forum. (SPC is not affiliated with any of these websites.)
How do I join the SPC Discord server? Fill out a super fast 3-question form and then join us! Please note that new people may not post to the server for 10 minutes after initially joining. This is to help protect against bots and trolls. You'll be able to join the conversation after just a short spell in quarantine!
I’m not into fountain pens; I’m into [this other type of pen or writing instrument or this type of stationery...] That’s great! Bring it to a meeting! It’s likely someone else will be curious about it and be happy to chat with you. We’re “pen club” not “fountain pen club.” Some of our members love rollerballs and others love mechanical pencils. Many of us have very strong opinions about paper. Some attendees enjoy the different smells of ink. Honestly, our name should be "Analog Writing Tools and Accessories Club," but that's too long.
The pen world is vast; let's explore it together.
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