Thursday Drops: Huge Diamine Restock, including Lady Grey Inks, Canopus Paper, and More TWSBI!

This weekend’s event with Vanness Pens and Matthew Chen is going forward, but we are accelerating the nib grind portion of the weekend to Friday. If you have a Saturday appointment, you can reschedule to a Friday time slot or walk-in on Friday and we will make every effort to work everyone in. And just in time for the event, we have additional Canopus Paper from Yamamoto that arrived this morning, and Diamine Lady Grey! We also have the Colorverse “Red Horse” ink series, as well as Pilot specialty nibs and a general Pilot restock. Finally, TWSBI arrived this morning, with plenty of mediums and broads for nib grinds. We hope to see you this weekend!

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Yamamoto Canopus Paper is back in stock, in both Notebook and A4 Looseleaf format.

We will be open today (Thursday 1/22) from 1pm-6pm, and tomorrow (Friday 1/23) from 10am-6pm. If the weather isn’t too bad, we may try to open for part of the day on Saturday but right now we are planning on being closed due to inclement weather.

1. Canopus A5 Notebooks. Yamamoto Canopus Notebooks are back in stock! We have a healthy supply and these notebooks will be made available at this week’s event.

2. Canopus A4 Looseleaf Sheets. In addition to the Canopus notebooks, we have added Canopus paper to our range of looseleaf Yamamoto papers in A4 formats.

3. Canopus Jotters. The Yamamoto Bullet Jotters ship with one pad of Soliste and another of Sheep’s Cloud Bond, but we also have the additional papers including Yamamoto’s own Canopus and Meringue.

4. Diamine Lady Grey. We have both 80ml and 30ml bottles of Diamine’s recent “Lady Grey” release, as well as a significant restock of requested colors, including Ancient Copper, Sepia, and more.

5. Diamine 150th Anniversary Inks. We have a full restock of the wedge-shaped 150th Anniversary Diamine Ink Bottles, in all of the colors!

6. Diamine Ink Cartridge Assortment. Customers have been asking for an assortment of ink cartridges, and we have several of each of the various Diamine assortments.

7. Colorverse “Red Horse” Limited Edition Inks. Colorverse’s “Year of the Horse” inks feature four different riffs on a single dark red base, with added gold, purple-blue, and dark green shimmer, in addition to the standard red. The purple-blue shimmer is my favorite.

8. Pilot Custom 743 in Verdigris Green. I managed to snag a couple remaining Verdigris North American exclusives with the FA (Falcon) nib, which is one of the more flexible modern nib options on the market right now.

9. Pilot Custom 912 with Specialty Nibs. The Custom 912 is a relatively classic, simple pen, but Pilot uses it as a vehicle for their 14k specialty nibs including the FA, PO (Posting), WA (Waverly), and SF (Soft Fine).

10. Herbin Anniversary Inks (Including Emerald of Chivor). Need a special ink to use in your specialty nib? We have the Herbin Anniversary inks, including Emerald of Chivor, Opale Nocturne, and Kyanite du Népal.

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Winter Weather Update for This Weekend's Event: Update on Timing

Due to what looks like impending winter weather starting on Saturday, we are making some changes to the timing of this week’s scheduled in-store event with Vanness Pens and Matthew Chen. Provided the weather holds and Thursday and Friday remain clear, we will go ahead with our normal opening hours Thursday afternoon from 1-6pm, with Lisa Vanness on-site with exclusive pens and inks. Matthew and Lisa will both be available on Friday, and we will plan to be open a full day, so I’ve also made additional morning slots available for nib grind appointments. We will stay open as late as it’s safe and feasible to do so, to accommodate any walk-ins.

As with anything weather-related, everything is subject to change, so please watch the site and social media for updates on timing and availability. Thanks so much for all your patience and support!

New Arrivals: Specialty Nibs from Pilot, including the FA, PO, and WA Nib Options!

Pilot is known for their range of 14k specialty nibs not commonly found on fountain pens in the U.S., including the FA (semi-flex) nib, the PO (Posting) nib, the WA (Waverly) nib, and more, including the “soft” series. While the “Soft” series of nibs were introduced on the most recent release, the Pilot Custom 74 Lavender Frost, we still do not have an ETA on the latest shipment of that pen and it remains unavailable for now. I decided to go ahead and order some additional specialty nibs in the Custom 743 and Custom 912 models, including the fun FA semi-flex (don’t push it too hard!) nib, the unusual upturned Waverly, and the Posting nib, for those who either love to write really small or find themselves having to use absorbent paper. We’re also restocked on other Pilot Pens at a range of price points, from the Pilot Kakuno to the Pilot Custom 823!

We will be open this week 1-6pm Thursday and Friday, and from 10am-6pm on Saturday, weather permitting. This weekend’s event with Vanness Pens and Matthew Chen will go forward but possibly with a modified schedule (i.e. a full/extended day on Friday) if winter weather becomes an issue for Saturday.

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The Pilot FA nib is flexible, but don’t push it too far because you can spring this nib if you’re not careful.

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The Pilot Waverly nib is slightly upturned, allowing you to write smoothly from multiple angles. It’s a soft nib, but not flexible,.

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Pilot’s PO nib is slightly downturned, reducing inkflow to better allow you to write small and on inexpensive paper. You can write VERY small with this nib.

Sunday Reading for January 18, 2026

1. The Cookie Monster of Pens (via A Gathering of Curiosities). A great article reflecting on a lot of the “end of the hobby” discussions surrounding recent price increases. My personal observation so far has been that people are indeed still buying pens, but they are being more intentional about what they buy.

2. Newly Inked for 2026 (via Pen Addict - Kimberly). 48 pens is a bit much for me to keep track of, but I’m up there at the moment and am in the process of reworking my current rotation, as well as the lineup of shop testers.

3. 25 Memorable Inks in 2025 (via Olive Octopus). As always, Lisa picks the uncommon and unusual ink colors that force you to break out your wallet. Some of these are really hard to find.

4. Live from the Philly Pen Show 2026 (via Inkdependence). Mike does his first pen show walkthrough of the 2026 pen show calendar! Philly comes early every year but it’s good to see the show in progress.

5. Top 10 Underrated Pens (via Figboot on Pens). I can get behind a lot of the pens on this list, especially the Lamy Dialog CC. The standard Dialog3 is a touch big for me.

6. Visit to Zenrido Shintoshin in Okinawa, Japan (via Inkredible Colours). I love how event the small office supply-style stationery stores have their own exclusive shop inks.

7. mnmlscholar Has Migrated to Le Substack (via mnmlscholar). Be sure to catch up at the new location!

8. 2026 Nolty Gold Planner Differences (via Notebook Stories). Nolty is a brand that I’ve been learning more about, and so far I’ve been impressed. They have a lot of undated formats that can also be used as notebooks, in addition to the dated varieties.

9. Digital Declutter Step 4: The Music (via Well-Appointed Desk). As a collector of analog music in various formats, should we add the iPod to the list?

In Case You Missed It… We Released a Podcast!

This week’s big content release wasn’t on the website, at least not directly. Lisa Vanness and I released our first episode of On the Paper Trail - a podcast that we expect to release twice monthly, discussing our collective experience in stationery both as enthusiasts and shop owners. In this first episode, we discuss our 2026 notebook setups and how we plan to use them. I did a follow-up video for the T.G.S. YouTube Channel that took a more detailed overhead look at my own choices. Finally, since we are hosting a joint T.G.S./Vanness event at the T.G.S. Shop next weekend (January 23-24) with Matthew Chen, I wrote a post discussing things to consider when preparing to get a nib tuned or ground.

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We’ve added a couple of new Roterfadens to the Roterfaden Shop page, including this Cognac leather cover with “Raw White” felt interior. (Model LTD_036)

This Week in the T.G.S. Curated Shop - Toyo Boxes, Kakimori Ink, and Pilot Specialty Nibs

This was a big week for restocks in the shop, with Pilot Kakunos and Explorers, Toyo Steel Boxes, and Kakimori Pigmented Inks all arriving earlier in the week. We also received our initial shipment of the Colorverse “Red Horse” 2026 series, which includes four different variations on a dark red ink (one standard, three different shimmers). Finally, we’ve added the Pilot Custom 743 in the Verdigris Green (with the FA nib), as well as the Custom 912 with three additional 14k specialty Japanese nibs. Be sure to check out each week’s Thursday drops post for a full list of new arrivals.

Pilot Pens

Colorverse

Herbin Inks

Tono & Lims

This coming week we will be open from 1-6pm Thursday and Friday, as well as from 10am-6pm on Saturday. As I mentioned, Lisa Vanness and Matthew Chen will be on site Friday and Saturday during normal business hours, and both the current front shop (Suite 107 showroom) and the office/warehouse space (Suite 113) will be open. If you would like to reserve at time for nib work with Matthew, you can use this reservation link, but walk-ins will also be taken on an as-available basis.

How to Support T.G.S. and Our Various Projects

If you enjoy our content (whether here on the main website, Instagram, YouTube Channel or elsewhere), and would like early/extra access to shop releases and special promotions, consider supporting us via Patreon. The T.G.S. Patreon includes early access and discounts on exclusive shop releases, a monthly updates newsletter, and of course our monthly meetups. As of this morning, ALL Patreon supporters (including non-paying free members) have access to one or more initial “practice” episodes of “On the Paper Trail”.

How to Prepare to Get Fountain Pen Nibs Tuned and/or Ground

I felt that this topic is particularly timely, given that (1) many readers might be attending the Philadelphia Pen Show this weekend, and (2) others might be attending our own in-store event with Matthew Chen and Vanness Pens next weekend (January 23-24 during normal store hours). The prospect of getting a nib tuned or ground can be daunting for many reasons - and you do have to be careful because making changes to a nib can be irreversible - but it doesn’t have to be scary. Here are a few things to think about before committing to a nib modification:

You Don’t Have to Grind or Modify Any Pen If You’re Happy with How It Writes.

There can be a FOMO aspect to nibwork, where it’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking that you need certain nib grinds in your collection, or that you’re not a serious fountain pen user unless all of your pens have been custom ground. That’s not true - the majority of my own pens are standard medium nibs and a medium is my default nib size for everyday writing. If you have a favorite pen and it writes perfectly for you, leave it alone unless you are absolutely certain what you want to do with it because most nib modifications are irreversible (at least without expensive re-tipping).

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Please see Matthew’s website for his current offerings, as this was a pen show setup and it is offered here only to provide a general idea of the different types of grinds available and a ballpark range of what they cost.

It’s Not “Illogical” to Pay to Tune a Favorite Pen If It MAKes Your Pen Write Perfectly for You, Even if The Pen Itself Is Inexpensive

I can’t tell you how many people have come to me and said that they wish “X” pen wrote better because they absolutely love it and/or it has sentimental value, but they don’t want to pay to have it tuned because it only cost $30/$50/$75. I’ve paid to grind or tune many inexpensive pens, simply because I really liked the pen and wanted it to write perfectly for me. If a tune or grind means that I’ll use the pen for years and it becomes a regular part of the rotation, then the $25-30 charge means very little in the long run.

In response to the inevitable comments that “a pen should write perfectly out of the box and there should be no need for nib tuning”: Just because a pen needs tuning does not mean that it’s a “bad” pen. Sure, some pens have bad tipping or are defective, and if that is the case you should contact your authorized retailer and send the pen back and get a replacement. That said, writing style is a major factor in how a pen performs. People hold pens at different angles and apply different amounts of pressure, meaning that a nib can feel perfectly smooth for one person but scratchy or toothy for another. People also have different ink flow preferences. For example, some people prefer drier nibs, and others prefer a wetter line. Tuning can better align the pen with your handwriting style.

Start Simple - Don’t Pay for Expensive, Complex Grinds That You Have Never Tried Before You Have Enough Experience with Specialty Nibs

Nib customization can be expensive, with architects and kodachi grinds running upwards of $60-80. They are complicated, difficult to do well, and take time. They’re also not for everybody because they offer a completely different sort of writing experience than what most people are used to here in the United States. If you’ve only ever written with a standard round nib, try to test out different grinds, including less complex stubs and italics that may not be super fancy or trendy but may give you the line variation you are looking for. Most nib grinders have a “tester set” that they bring to shows and clinics to allow you to write with and test the different nib styles before committing.

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Matthew brings a set of tester pens to all of his shows/workshops.

If You Are Testing Out Different Grinds, Consider Purchasing inexpensive tester Pens (or Nib Units) Specifically for That Purpose Rather than Modifying Favorite Pens

Early on in my “career” as a stationery enthusiast, and later as a pen reviewer, I took advantage of the interchangeability of TWSBI 580, JoWo, and even Pilot Vanishing Point nib units to test different grinds and styles. The ability to swap nib units in and out of a pen significantly reduces any “risk” inherent in grinding the nib, since spare nib units typically cost less than a full pen, and if you don’t like the result, you can change back to a standard nib or something that you like better. Best of all, if you find a style of pen that you like with interchangeable nib units, you eventually will collect a range of different nibs to use, assuming you like the variety! TWSBI ECOs also make excellent pens for testing nib grinds, given the relatively inexpensive price point and the fact that the broad nibs have a decent amount of tipping to work with.

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Matthew hard at work.

Choose an Experienced Nib Grinder, Especially for Favorite Pens

Due to the growing popularity of fountain pens, an increasing number of nib grinders are showing up at pen shows and offering their services over the internet. Please do your research before sending a prized pen off for a nib grind. There are many competent nib grinders out there, but especially early on, I ruined a few pens by sending them to people who didn’t know what they were doing. (I’m not going to share any names - none of them are still working.) Trusted technicians like Matthew Chen and Mark Bacas have years of experience themselves, and have trained under people with even longer (decades-long) track records.

You may notice an overarching theme here, and it comes from personal experience: proceed with caution if you have a pen that’s a personal favorite or that has sentimental value, unless you are very sure that you want to modify the pen. Of course, if the pen needs tuning or a repair because it’s been dropped or isn’t working properly, that’s a different matter entirely, but don’t ask someone to grind your favorite fountain pen from a medium to a Kodachi before you know whether you like that grind.

For Further Reading

I’ve written a lot on nib customization over the years, including an introduction to nib customization and many different posts reviewing specific grinds from different technicians. You can also watch this video from the 2025 Arkansas Pen Show where I filmed Matthew grinding a kodachi nib, which can give you an idea of what the process looks like.

Our upcoming nib event with Matthew Chen and Vanness Pens will take place on Friday, January 23 and Saturday, January 24 during normal store hours. While Matthew will take walk-ins and is normally very good about working in as many people as possible, if you would like to guarantee a specific time slot we offer the option of a reservation. Limit one reservation per person.