Japan Travel Update: Schedule and New Events Page, and Remaining Mystery Boxes

As many of you may have heard (especially if you listened to the most recent On The Paper Trail Episode), I am off to Japan for a two week stationery excursion! In my absence, I wanted to update you all regarding the shop and how things will work in my absence. In short - nothing changes! I have help now, so the Nashville store will remain open during regular store hours, and online orders should continue to ship regularly though they might take an extra business day starting middle of next week. We will be checking e-mail and comments, but please understand that responses may be delayed due to my being on a different time zone.

Site Updates: Check Out the New Events Page, Plus Buy Tickets for On The Paper Trail Live in Nashville!

I’ve added a new “Events” page, which will list our upcoming pen show attendance and other in-store and special events we will be hosting. This includes On The Paper Trail: Live in Nashville, which will take place in Nashville on October 16-18, 2026. Tickets are available and can be purchased through the link as weekend passes or individual day passes. Finally, all remaining Mystery Boxes from the clearance section need to be ordered by close of business tomorrow. As I noted, I’m personally packing and fulfilling these so they need to go out in advance of my departure.

Come see us this weekend! We are open in Nashville (and I’m still here until Tuesday)! Regular hours are 1pm-6pm Thursday and Friday, and from 10am-5pm on Saturday.

Thursday Drops: Filling in the Gaps with Pilot and Kaweco, Plus a Major Lochby Restock and MYSTERY BOXES!

The theme from this month so far has been “filling in the gaps” with core offerings from brands like Pilot and Kaweco that we have been meaning to offer but due to availability and/or space issues, have not been able to stock until recently! This week, we received a large shipment of Pilot Metropolitan fountain pens and rollerballs/ballpoints, as well as Pilot Parallels and Kaweco Sport rollerballs, ballpoints, and mechanical pencils. You should now be able to complete fountain pen and ballpoint/pencil sets. We’ve also restocked on most of our Lochby cases - including the popular Field Sling - and have added all of the Lochby 6-ring Field Binders, which is an exciting addition to their lineup.

Last but not least, we’ve assembled a series of curated Mystery Boxes in our Clearance section! These were made available to T.G.S. Patreon Members yesterday, and we have several additional boxes left for the general readership. Please read the product description for what each box entails. It’s been a lot of fun to put these together over the past few days.

Come see these and more in person this weekend! We are open standard hours, 1-6pm Thursday and Friday, and 10am-6pm on Saturday. Be sure to check our posted shop hours for any updates.

1. Pilot Metropolitan Fountain Pens. We’ve added the excellent Pilot Metropolitan fountain pen to our general lineup. Available not just in fine and medium, but also in the unique medium stub/italic.

2. Pilot Metropolitan Ballpoints and Rollerballs. An often overlooked daily driver, the Metropolitan rollerball accepts Pilot G2 and other similarly sized refills, and the ballpoint uses the excellent Dr. Grip-style cartridge.

3. Pilot Custom 912. We now have the Pilot Custom 912 in all “soft” nib designations, including my favorite Soft Fine Medium! For an overview of Pilot’s “Custom” series and where the Custom 912 fits in, check out this post from a couple weeks ago.

4. Pilot Parallel Calligraphy Pens. One popular in-store request has been for the Pilot Parallel series of calligraphy pens, featuring Pilot’s “parallel plate” nibs in sizes ranging from 1.5mm all the way up to 6.0mm.

5. TWSBI Vac700R. We’ve restocked on TWSBI’s Vac700R, including the standard clear version as well as what looks like it may be the last run of Kyanite Blue, so don’t sleep on those if you want one.

6. Kaweco Classic Sport Ballpoints, Rollerballs, and Mechanical Pencils. Looking for a rollerball, ballpoint, or mechanical pencil to match your Kaweco fountain pen? The rollerball takes the universal Parker-style refill, and the ballpoint is a D1, so you can mix and match refill styles to create whatever type of pen you want, really.

7. Platinum Preppy Black Limited Editions. Platinum’s latest limited edition Preppy release is an all-Black version (with yellow, white, or orange writing). It’s a sharp looking update to the Preppy and I hope they make this a standard.

8. Lochby Field Binders (6-Ring). Lochby brings the popular 6-ring binder format to its line of waxed canvas covers. Available in A5, A6, and A7, you can also purchase 68g Tomoe River 6-ring refills.

9. Lochby Sidekick v.2. The Sidekick is back (in Charcoal, at least). Lochby’s A7 wallet/pocket notebook cover returns after a bit of a redesign, including the incorporation of RFID blocking technology.

10. Lochby Field Sling. Last but not least, the popular “Field Sling” A5 bag returns in all colors. We have these available to see in-person in store as well.

Our sample closet needs cleaning out!

On The Paper Trail Episode 9: Fountain Pen Nib Sizes, Explained

We're less than 10 days out from an epic trip to Japan, so in this week's episode, we decided to talk Japanese fountain pen nibs and the differences in nib size designations across different regions, as well as the availability of specialty grinds. We also discuss why Fine Medium is the ONLY appropriate nib size - only half-kidding - and answer listener questions about choosing the correct combination of nib, ink, and paper for your specific writing experience.

Don't miss your chance to come hang out with us in person October 16-18, at On the Paper Trail: Live in Nashville! Event details have been made public, and Weekend Pass and Day Pass event tickets are now available to purchase.

On The Paper Trail: Where You Can Download the Podcast

As noted above, if you want to follow along and watch the video, On The Paper Trail has its own YouTube Channel. We have also uploaded the podcast to most popular podcast networks and apps, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, and Overcast.

Show Notes and Links

1. Dr. Grip Ballpoint (Lisa's Pen).

2. Opus 88 Savannah Zebra (Lisa's Pen).

3. Benu Pixie (Lisa's Pen).

4. Pilot Custom 823 (Joe's Pen).

5. Laurett's Ballpoint (Joe's Pen).

6. Traveler's Company Ballpoint (Joe's Pen).

7. Pilot Metropolitan Fountain Pens.

8. Lochby 6-Ring Binders.

9. Lochby Tomoe River 6-Ring Refills.

10. Tono & Lims New Arrivals.

11. New Lamy Safaris.

12. Grandpa's Basement (Clearance).

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 (Pilot Metropolitans!) and On The Paper Trail Live Event Tickets Are Available!

Lots of fun new arrivals landed this week, for which a couple of you received a sneak preview in-store on Saturday: We now have the Pilot Metropolitan (or the MR as it’s known in certain markets). The Metropolitan is an excellent entry-level to mid-range pen from Pilot, which comes in classic colors like black and silver as well as the colorful “Retro Pop” line. We currently stock not only Metropolitan fountain pens, but also the rollerballs and ballpoints. The Metropolitan rollerball takes a Pilot G2 gel or other similarly sized refill, and the ballpoint accepts the Dr. Grip refill, which is great because that means you can use the finer-tip “Cocoon” cartridge that ships with the Pilot S20. All of these pens make great everyday workhorses.

On the Paper Trail: Live in Nashville Event Tickets Are Available!

If you’ve been following our podcast, you may have heard that we are hosting our first “On The Paper Trail Live” Event in Nashville from October 16-18. While there will of course be shopping opportunities, along with exclusive products, we are looking to host a community-oriented event focused on opportunities to connect with vendors and other people who are enthusiastic about paper, pens, and the analog lifestyle. Listen to Episode 7 of On The Paper Trail for a more in-depth discussion of what this unique weekend will entail!

The event will take place at the Hilton Garden Inn in Cool Springs (Franklin). Both weekend passes and day passes are available. Stay tuned for the full schedule of classes, workshops, and vendors. All details regarding location, accommodation, and ticketing can be found in this post.

Come see us this week in-store! We will be open 1-6pm Thursday and Friday, and from 10am-5pm on Saturday.

Sunday Reading for May 10, 2026

1. Teranishi Guitar Taisho Roman Haikara Antique Black (via Inkdependence). I love unique blacks, especially those that aren’t really black. :)

2. Sometimes It Need Simplicity (via Dime Novel Raven). Every once in a while you just need to pare back the carry, especially with things like notebooks.

3. Interview with Rich of River City Pens (via dwrdnet). Derek interviews Rich from River City - it’s always interesting to hear from the makers directly!

4. Venvstas Calibro 8 (via Figboot on Pens). Yes, Venvstas is still at it. All of these pens have a distinctive design, which isn’t really my style.

5. Would I Buy Them Again? Take 2 (via Rachel’s Reflections). This is an interesting exercise - looking at all the pens in your collection, would you do it all over again? I’m probably about 70/30 yes/no.

6. A3 Doodle Project - April 2026 (via Fountain Pen Love). A really cool idea here - I love the idea of oversized doodles, especially with inks that shimmer and sheen.

7. Onoto Scholar Fountain Pen (via SBRE Brown). On the smaller side compared to other Onoto pens, I’ve found the Scholar to be an excellent writer and a good introduction to this brand.

8. What’s Left Behind (via From the Pen Cup). Another great post from Mary - do use your stash, but still save everything.

9. Eleven Lines of Fury (via Pete Denison). Eventually I’ll collect all these posts on journaling techniques.

10. Journal Your Way: Five Tips to Recharge Your Journaling (via Well-Appointed Desk). About midway through the year is when my journaling can tend to fall off. This post has some great ways to mix things up and make journaling interesting again.

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In Case You Missed It…

This week I reviewed the Pilot FA nib on the Custom 743 - a specialty Pilot nib that’s become a favorite writer even though it’s not the “flex” nib that many expect. I also dropped the first installment of my “Japan” series, since I will be traveling internationally for two weeks at the end of the month! In this post I talk about travel strategy and packing for at trip where I’m almost certainly coming back with more than I leave with.

This Week in the TGS Curated Shop

Wow, where do I start? This week we dropped a dozen or so new inks from Tono & Lims, which are selling quite rapidly and I’m thrilled to know that so many of you are enjoying them. There are some gorgeous multi-shaders in this shipment, as well as the full contingent of Bechorium series inks! Yesterday we also added the Pilot Metropolitan fountain pens in most colors and all three nib sizes, including the CM (cursive medium) nib. Finally, we have the Lochby Field Binder, a 6-ring binder in waxed canvas and three different sizes: A5, A6, and A7. (A6 and A7 roughly correspond to Bible and Mini on the Japanese scale.) Be sure to check out each week’s Thursday drops post for a full list of new arrivals and restocks.

This week we will be open regular hours, 1-6pm Thursday and Friday, and from 10-5pm Saturdays. We will remain open while I’m traveling later this month, as I have a great team to help me keep everything running smoothly!

Lochby Binders

Kaweco Ballpoints/Rollerballs

Tono & Lims

Lochby Cases

How YOu Can Support us further: AND SAVE THE DATE FOR OCTOBER 16-18, 2026 for On The paper Trail Live in Nashville!

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. In addition to exclusive content, Discord access, and online meetups, Patreon supporters have access to one or more initial “practice” episodes of “On the Paper Trail” which have not been publicly released. Also, as we noted in our most recent episode, we are planning an On The Paper Trail Weekend Event in Nashville the weekend of October 16-18, 2026! Stay tuned as we plan to release additional details in the coming weeks.