Monday Reading for September 1, 2025 (Labor Day Weekend Edition)

1. My Pen Picks for San Francisco Show & Tell (via Pen Addict - Kimberly). It was great to hang out with Kimberly this weekend, and yes, there were some great pens in here.

2. Two Years of Curiosities, and May-August 2025 in Stationery (via A Gathering of Curiosities). Congratulations on two years of blogging!

3. I Spent a Week Using Only Starter Fountain Pens: Here Is What I Found (via dwrdnet). Derek spent a week using a Pilot Kakuno and a Platinum Preppy with cartridges! See how he fared.

4. Plotter Mini5, But Make It a Wallet (via The Poor Penman). I will second the suggestion that the Plotter Mini5 makes an excellent wallet, with the wallet as the primary function.

5. Drillog Dip Pen (via Figboot on Pens). One of the things that I picked up this weekend in San Francisco was one of the Drillog 2.0 dip pens in a similar finish to what David reviews here.

6. Anterique Mach Ball Brass Edition Ballpoint Review (via Pen Addict). At some point we will have a wider selection of the brass pens back in stock! I’m working on it because so many of you have reached out to let me know how much you love the Anterique pens.

7. Unboxing and Trying Out Some Cool Pens! Multipens and a Beautiful Wooden Pilot S20 (via Inkdependence). Chalk up another win for the Pilot S20, one of my favorite low viscosity ballpoints.

8. This ICONIC Pen Needs a Relaunch - Rotring 600 (via Doodlebud). Do we need to bring back the Rotring 600 fountain pen? I never got to experience this one back when they were more readily available at reasonable prices.

9. Galen Leather Crazy Horse Havana Brown 10-Slot Zippered Case (via Well-Appointed Desk). I had a lot of hands-on time with the latest color from Galen Leather this weekend, and I’m really loving the darker brown.

10. Souverän M600 Art Collection - Rudi Rother Special Edition (via Pelikan’s Perch). I’m glad to see Pelikan sticking with the art collection, as I enjoyed seeing last year’s release even if I didn’t pick one up.

View fullsize

I managed to get my hands on the 2025 Pilot Custom 74 Special Release and try out the new nibs! This pen will be available in October, with Soft Fine, Soft Fine-Medium, and Soft Medium Nib Options.

In Case You Missed It…

This week I was traveling to and attending the San Francisco Pen Show, which is a large endeavor that took up much of my time so it was quiet on the content front. Look for a recap this week, as well as some additional photos and videos as I unpack. Many thanks to everyone who made it down the hallway to the Oak Room to visit us at the Vanness tables this week, as it was quite the struggle at times due to the crowds. The best thing about the San Francisco Pen Show, however, is the people, as it’s always a great time both during the show and after-hours!

View fullsize

What’s New in the T.G.S. Curated Shop?

Since we only took Roterfaden to San Francisco, getting ready for the show occupied most of my attention this week. We relaunched the TGS_25 A5 Slim Taschenbegleiter, and this second shipment went even quicker than the first. Currently only green elastic models remain in the A5 Slim, but we do have additional A5 and B6 covers available for purchase.

Lost in the shuffle a bit was the TWSBI Diamond 580 ALR “Affogato” with the onyx trim, which I was able to spend some time with at the pen show this weekend. It’s a gorgeous finish and one of the best looking TWSBI’s they’ve released. The combination of brown and black trim is one that’s not been used much, which is a shame. We also have the Lamy “Multi” Safari, Signo RT1s, and remaining stock of the Platinum Preppy Wa Modern Maki-e fountain pens. Be sure to check out each week’s Thursday Drops for a full list of new arrivals.

We will have normal hours this coming week, open from 1pm-6pm on Thursday and Friday and from 10am-6pm on Saturday. Please check our main shop page for updated info.

Lamy

Uni

Correspondence Shop

Multi Pens

Consider Further Supporting T.G.S.!

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. We do our best to remain 100% self-supported without having to rely on third-party advertisers or affiliates. Of course, the number one way to help is to visit our curated retail shop either online (or in person, if you’re in the Nashville area)! The T.G.S. Patreon includes early access and discounts on exclusive shop releases (including the Taschenstift “Violet Tendencies” and the Roterfaden TGS_25), the quarterly gently used sales, a monthly updates newsletter, and of course our monthly meetups. Patreon support starts as low as $3 per month, and if you pay annually there is a further discount. As noted above, we’ve recently started a Discord community for all paid Patreon supporters.

San Francisco Pen Show Saturday Update: Come See Us If You Can Fight Through the Crowds!

Greetings from San Francisco! We’re tucked into Oak Room, which is straight down the entrance hall, all the way to the back on the left. We’re sharing table space with our friends at Vanness Pens and Galen Leather, so please do come see us.

San Francisco is one of the busiest pen shows I’ve attended in years. Please take it slow, be patient and kind, and accept up front that things are selling out very, very quickly so you may have to hunt for some of the more unique items. Regardless of whether you can purchase on site, there’s still a LOT of fun stuff to see because many vendors have demos, like the Drillog table shown above.

View fullsize

Hmmm.

If you’re looking for a Roterfaden TGS_25 at the show, those unfortunately sold out in a few hours on Friday morning, but there is very limited stock still available online. (I’m posting this link here at the request of several show attendees so people know exactly where to go.)

Please note that our Nashville Shop is closed today due to travel, and will reopen next week. Updated hours can be found here.

Thursday Drops: Labor Day Weekend Arrivals from Roterfaden and TWSBI, Plus More Correspondence Cards!

It’s San Francisco Pen Show Week, and I’m super excited because the San Francisco Show is always one of my favorite annual events. I unfortunately had to miss last year’s festivities, but I’ll be set up in the Oak Room sharing table space with Vanness Pens and Galen Leather! Note that we don’t have a full show setup, just Roterfaden, including a handful of the TGS_25 A5 Slim Binders. Be sure to come by early on Friday if you’re looking to pick one up in person, but the easiest way to be sure that you get one is to order online. Over half of this shipment has sold within 24 hours of being made available for purchase, and while I expect it to slow down some, I can’t guarantee that anything will be available through the weekend. I’ve also brought a fairly large selection of Roterfaden A5 Taschenbegleiters with me, and I’ve split the stock so that most of these will remain available for online purchase as well as in-person in San Francisco.

View fullsize

If you miss out on the stock available at the table in San Francisco, I will have my personal Roterfadens available for attendees to check out in person.

We also have the new TWSBI Diamond 580 ALR Affogato, which pairs a deep brown expresso finish with TWSBI’s Onyx Trim, as well as a restock of the Pilot Custom 823 fountain pen, Lamy Dark Dusk AL-Stars, and Well-Appointed Desk Letterpress notepads in new designs. Happy Shopping!

Please note that our Nashville Brick-and-Mortar Store is closed this weekend due to Pen Show Travels. Thanks to everyone who came by for special hours on Tuesday. We will reopen the week of 9/2 for normal hours, and online orders will continue to ship in the normal 2-3 business day time frame. Kindly remember that Monday is Labor Day, which is a business/postal holiday.

1. Roterfaden TGS_25 Special Edition Restock. The second round of our collaboration with Roterfaden has arrived and is now available for purchase! This A5 Slim Taschenbegleiter fits most Traveler’s Standard refills, as well as the Lochby Voyager notebooks that contain 68g Tomoe River.

2. Roterfaden Replacement Elastics. Many of you who are interested in the TGS_25 expressed interest in replacement elastic bands. These thinner bands will fit A5 and B6 Taschenbegleiters, and are sold in two color sets each containing three different cords.

3. TWSBI Diamond 580 ALR Affogato with Onyx Fountain Pen. The latest release from TWSBI’s “Breakfast Collection” has arrived, and this one is a stunner, pairing espresso-colored anodized trim with the black onyx plating.

4. Lamy Safari Multi Color Special Editions. The latest Lamy Special Edition release features an All-Black and All-White gloss Safari, paired with a multi colored finial and swappable bands that you can use to customize your pen. (I went with the All Black Safari and paired it with a Saffron/Orange band, which looks amazing.)

5. Pilot Custom 823 Fountain Pens. At long last, we received a restock of the Pilot Custom 823 in Amber and Smoke. Between the three available colors, we have most nib sizes available.

6. Lamy “Dark Dusk” and “Mint” AL-Star Fountain Pens. Our allocation of the Dark Dusk fountain pens sold out nearly immediately and I had to reorder. While the midnight blue Dark Dusk has been the most popular by far, the cool green “Mint” pen should also prove popular.

7. Uni Signo RT1 Gel Pens. The RT1 is Uni’s upgraded retractable gel pen that features its signature fine tips but with a soft textured barrel that’s comfortable to hold. Ink is vibrant and dries quickly.

8. Yamamoto Ro-Biki Canvas Cover in Mint. The Ro-Biki notebook system uses another “A5 slim” style refill that’s slightly narrower than standard Traveler’s/TN. We have the Ro-Biki canvas cover available in a new Mint Green. To see how this system works, check out this YouTube video where I do a walkthrough demonstration.

9. Well-Appointed Desk Memo Pads. These letterpress memo pads from the Well-Appointed Desk/Skylab Letterpress now come in additional designs, including the popular “Side Quests” and all T-Rex/Velociraptor motifs.

10. Well-Appointed Desk and Skylab Letterpress Greeting Cards. As noted above, we continue to build out our correspondence and greeting card offerings in their own shop page. These vintage-inspired greeting cards are available individually or as an assorted pack of four, with one of each design.

View fullsize

On the Way to San Francisco: Guess What Showed Up on the Way Out?

They’re back, and a day earlier than expected! We have a fresh restock of the TGS_25 Roterfaden, in the A5 Slim/TN size, ready to head out the door. Thanks to everyone who has pre-ordered one of these covers via Patreon - we have plenty remaining from this shipment and have made them available for purchase via the standard store page. Additional Roterfaden Taschenbegleiter sizes are also available.

While I am working to get as many of these shipped and out the door to you today before we leave for the San Francisco Pen Show this afternoon, online orders for the TGS_25 may ship next week. We will have a handful of these available at the show (we will be combined with Vanness Pens at their table in the Oak Room), but given the crowd expected at the San Francisco Pen Show the best way to reserve one is to order online. Stock will NOT be held by request. Many thanks for all your support, and if you will be at the San Francisco show, come say hello!

Note that our brick and mortar store is closed this weekend (Thursday 8/27-Saturday 8/29) while we travel. We will reopen the week of September 1. Please check the main store page or our Google listing for current hours.

New Arrivals: The New TWSBI Diamond 580 AL Affogato with Onyx Trim, Now Available for Pre-Order!

TWSBI’s latest entry in the “breakfast collection” introduces the Diamond 580 ALR “Affogato” fountain pen, featuring TWSBI’s black onyx trim. The coffee inspired breakfast pens have proven popular, and this larger pen features the same black trim as the 580 ALR “Caribbean with Onyx” model. For those who prefer the TWSBI ECO, we are restocked on the other pens in this line, including the ECO Espresso Bronze, Caffé Bronze, Crème Rose Gold, and Matcha Green.

View fullsize

On a slightly different note, we continue to expand our selection of high-end (yet “everyday”) gel pens and mechanical pencils, which now include the Uni Signo RT1 as well as the Kokuyo Enpitsu Sharp series. The Enpitsu Sharp pencils are particularly interesting because they come in lead sizes ranging from .3mm all the way up to 1.3mm!

Note that we have special hours this week since we are traveling to the San Francisco Pen Show. Our brick-and-mortar store will be closed this weekend (Thursday - Sunday), but online orders will continue to be processed/ship within our standard 3 business-day time frame. We are having special hours today (Tuesday 8/26) from 1-6pm, so get your shopping in if there’s anything you’d like to come see in person!