Stay Tuned for the New Look Gentleman Stationer Storefront!

You will soon see some changes around here, including an updated T.G.S. Online Storefront launching later today! The legacy store is currently offline during this update and links from the main website may be down or redirect to holding pages while this occurs. We will be moving from Squarespace Commerce to Shopify, so the site will look very different yet hopefully be much easier to navigate. All orders placed on the Squarespace platform are actively being fulfilled and will continue to be fulfilled through that platform in our standard fulfillment time. There is nothing you need to do with respect to pending orders as the transition should be seamless from a fulfillment perspective. The primary T.G.S. blog and resource website will remain on Squarespace.

Because there is little compatibility between the old platform and the new, please note that you will be asked to create or link a Shopify account in the new store. For the time being, order history from the legacy platform will remain available for printing and downloading through the “Sign In” link on the main T.G.S. website, after which it can be made available upon request as we of course maintain these records.

We look forward to welcoming you to the new look TGS!

Favorite Specialty Nibs That Don't Require a Nib Grind or Modification

Many people are understandably nervous about having a nib modified by a nib grinder, whether that’s reducing a nib’s size from broad to medium, medium to fine, or changing the shape of the tipping entirely to something like a stub, architect, or kodachi. Nib modifications are irreversible. Once you’ve ground a nib into a new shape you can’t return it to its prior form without cost-prohibitive retipping, so it’s definitely wise to carefully consider any modification before you alter a favorite pen.

Look for the “SF”, “SM”, or “SFM” designation on Pilot nibs to find the relatively rare “soft” designation.

One way to test the suitability of a potential nib modification is to purchase a pen with a stock specialty nib. For example, if you’re considering having a nib ground to a stub or an architect, consider picking up a stock version and testing the grind/style of nib before modifying a pen in your collection. While stock nibs won’t be tailored to your personal handwriting - the main benefit of having a nib ground in person - they do give you an idea of how a style of nib writes and the opportunity for a longer “road test”. Pen shows and pen clubs can be helpful if people allow you to write a few lines, but I often need a week or more of continuous writing before I figure out whether a grind or nib style will work for me.

TOp “Stock” Specialty Nib Recommendations

1. TWSBI 1.1mm Stub. Those who have never written with a stub or italic nib should try TWSBI’s 1.1mm stub nib. Available in nearly all their pen models, this stainless steel stub is smooth and delivers good ink flow. It’s an excellent way to explore stub/italic line variation at a lower cost. We’ve previously done comprehensive posts devoted entirely to stock stub nibs, which we had to break into Part I and Part II.

2. Tom’s Studio Architect Nib. Stock architect nibs are difficult to do well because the smoothness of this grind depends heavily on your writing angle. The Tom’s Studio Architect starts as a double broad stainless steel nib, so it has a bit more tipping and is ground at a more forgiving angle than many architects. You can purchase this nib as a stand-alone add on to a Tom’s Studio pen, or you can find it pre-installed on certain pens in their Studio Pocket line.

3. Pilot Kakuno EF or Pilot PO Nib. A lot of people think they want a needle-tip or “ultra extra-fine” fountain pen - until they actually write with one. Those of us who learned to write with ballpoint technology tend to apply far too much pressure, which can absolutely make a very fine fountain pen feel “scratchy”. (You are essentially pressing a needle into the surface of the page and trying to drag it around.) Before customizing one of your own pens, try an inexpensive steel-nib EF Pilot Kakuno, or a Pilot Custom 912 with a PO nib if you prefer gold. Both of these pens offer a sense of how most needlepoints “feel” on the page, including whether you need to adjust your own writing pressure in order for these nibs to be usable.

4. Pilot “Soft” Series or “FA” Nibs. Considering having one of your gold nibs modified for flex or semi-flex? Many people don’t consider (1) how much ink these nibs put on the page, making them impractical for writing on lower-quality paper; and (2) how you need to slow your writing down when writing with a flex nib so that the ink flow can keep up. While the Pilot “Soft” nibs and the FA nibs are not necessarily true vintage-style flex, they will give you a sense of whether this type of wetter-writing pen is for you.

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Note the wide downstrokes and narrower cross strokes on this Stub.

Nib grinds and modifications can be fun, and even addictive. That said, as I mentioned above it’s usually irreversible in the sense that if you don’t like the result, you’re left replacing either the nib or the pen. Stock nibs can be a less expensive (or at least less permanent) way to explore, and we regularly recommend these options and more for those looking to branch out from your standard round nibs.

Looking to learn more? Come see us in person at our Nashville shop or at a pen show! We will be at the Dallas Pen Show next week (September 25-27), and from October 16-18, we will be co-hosting the On The Paper Trail Live in Nashville weekend event. Both events have nib grinder opportunities, so be sure to buy your tickets in advance.

Thursday Drops: Lamy and Pilot Restocks (including Specialty Nibs), Plus More Tono & Lims Inks!

This week we focused on bringing back some old favorites, including some that have been out of stock for a year or more. First up is the Lamy Logo Tri Pen, which is an excellent Lamy multi pen if you prefer a slimmer format. (Similar options include the Lamy ST and Lamy CP1 Multi Pen line.) We also have additional Lamy 2000 stock, including fine and extra fine fountain pens and 4-Color multipens.

As we noted on Tuesday, we also received a large shipment of inks from Tono & Lims, as well as a restock of Lamy bottled ink and Pilot Iroshizuku. But most exciting is that we have enough stock to be able to open our latest TGS Curated Box to the general customer base. There are a couple left, so if you’d like to participate in this round get yours soon.

The Nashville shop is open normal hours this weekend, from 1-6pm Thursday and Friday and 10am-5pm on Saturday. If you are interested in attending our upcoming On the Paper Trail Live in Nashville event in October, we strongly encourage you to purchase a ticket in advance, as we are unsure how many can be made available at the door.

1. Lamy Logo Tri-Pen Multi-Pen. By customer request, we’ve brought back the Lamy Logo Tri-Pen, which is a slimmer multi pen that takes universal D1 refills. This one features a stainless steel body with a matte black cap.

2. Lamy 2000 Fountain Pens. We have additional stock of all Lamy 2000 nib sizes available! Some of you have been waiting for the EF and F nibs to arrive, and they are here.

3. Pilot Custom 912 (FA Nib). The Pilot Custom 912 is now available from us in the softest nib that Pilot makes - the FA “Falcon” nib. The 912 version of this nib is slightly softer than the version on the Custom 743, so this nib will really show off multi-shading inks.

4. Pilot Custom 74 Lavender Fog. We have additional stock of Pilot’s latest North American exclusive release, including stock of the Soft Fine and Soft Medium nibs. Those looking for a nib to grind at an upcoming pen show should consider the double broad, which gives a nibmeister a lot of tipping to work with!

5. Lamy 2000 Multi-Pens (4-Color Ballpoints). Possibly our favorite multi pen of all time, the Lamy 2000 version comes in the same Black Makrolon as the rest of the Lamy 2000 line, and accepts universal D1 refills for maximum flexibility.

6. Tono & Lims Friendship Fountain Pen Inks. We’ve received a large shipment of the Tono & Lims “Friendship” collaboration inks, including the Bechorium series inks in all variants (yes, even the turquoise shimmer HexacyanidoferrateII).

7. Tono & Lims “Deep Field” Fountain Pen Inks. These two inks are some of the craziest multi-shaders we carry in the shop, and during our last shipment both sold out nearly instantaneously. We made sure to order more this time around.

8. Tono & Lims Remastered Limited Edition Fountain Pen Inks. Certain limited edition inks are re-released for the overseas market. This batch includes the “Beyond the Horizon” inks with coveted multi-shaders like “Turbulent Sea”.

9. Lamy Safari Meteorite and Meteora Pens. The latest Lamy Safari release includes two textured models in black and dark purple. We have a restock of the fountain pens as well as rollerballs.

10. Lamy Safari Mechanical Pencil “Kuru-Toga Inside”. The Japanese market has access to the Lamy Safari mechanical pencil that also includes Uni’s patented rotating Kuru Toga engine. We managed to secure a small supply of these. Available both online and in-store.

Multi-shader “Turbulent Sea” is a customer favorite that we’re happy to bring back!

On The Paper Trail Episode 16: Journaling for Mental Health, Part I

September is National Suicide Prevention and Mental Health Awareness Month, so for Episode 16 we decided to talk about a topic that's close to both of us: Journaling for mental health and techniques we both find helpful for self care. Part I discusses our own techniques, and Part II will discuss additional journaling techniques that we may not use all the time but have tried in the past and break out periodically. Of course, we also make time to discuss the recent San Francisco Pen Show, new shop arrivals, and upcoming events!

Disclaimer: Our discussion in this episode is highly personal and specific to us and our own individual situations. Journaling is not a substitute for professional mental health treatment. If you need help, or feel that you need to talk to someone, we strongly encourage you to speak with a mental health treatment professional.

On The Paper Trail: Where You Can Download the Podcast

Get caught up on previous episodes, and find more information about our first On The Paper Trail Live Event, which will be held in Nashville from October 16-18, 2026! Tickets are now on sale! ⁠⁠Check out the main podcast informational page for additional details. ⁠

Show Notes and Links

1. ⁠National Suicide Prevention Month⁠

2. ⁠Pilot S20 Ballpoint⁠

3. ⁠Kuru Toga Wood Mechanical Pencil⁠

4. ⁠Mark'Style Tous Les Jours Ballpoint Pen⁠

5. ⁠Midori Planners⁠

6. ⁠Vinta Ink⁠

7. ⁠Pennonia⁠

8. ⁠Roterfaden Restock⁠

9. ⁠Schon DSGN Lil' Dipper⁠

10. ⁠Art of Creation Panel Discussion⁠

11. ⁠Dallas Pen Show⁠

12. ⁠On The Paper Trail Live in Nashville⁠

The Gentleman Stationer is supported by purchases from the T.G.S. Curated Shop and pledges via the T.G.S. Patreon Program. You can also come visit us at our physical stationery store in Nashville, Tennessee.

New Arrivals: Tono & Lims Restock, Including More Bechorium Inks!

This weekend we received a fresh restock of Tono & Lims inks, including the customer favorite Bechorium series. Tono & Lims is a Japanese-South Korean collaboration between Japanese fountain pen enthusiasts and the South Korean ink producer Lim’s Lab. Tono & Lims loves to experiment with color, sheen, shimmer, and inside jokes, so the inks end up being a lot of fun (especially the names). Some of these colors are in low-supply, so if you’ve been waiting on a restock of a favorite color don’t hesitate. (But don’t worry, we’re constantly restocking!).

In addition to online, you can find these in our Nashville store, which will be open normal hours this week from 1-6pm Thursday and Friday, and from 10am-5pm on Saturday. We hope to see you there!