San Francisco Stationery Fest Stamp Station Testing Sheet

Sunday Reading for March 29, 2026

March 29, 2026

2026 Arkansas Pen Show Haul: What I Found (via dwrdnet). Derek shows off his finds from last weekend’s Arkansas Pen Show.
Just the Basics: A Survival Strategy (via A Gathering of Curiosities). Sometimes paring down is the best strategy.
Live from the 2026 Atlanta Pen Show! (via Inkdependence). Mike’s pen show livestreams always feature a great show walkthrough with vendor interviews. I wasn’t able to make Atlanta this year, but you can always attend vicariously.
Akkerman Verona Pen Box (via Figboot on Pens). A new storage option from Akkerman!
Mixing a Custom Pigment Fountain Pen Ink for Midori 3-Year Diary (via Well-Appointed Desk). What a cool idea for a multi-year diary project.
The Stub-Italic Grind Family (via Rachel’s Reflections). A great overview of the first type of custom grind that really got me interested in fountain pens again.
Jacques Herbin Refillable Marker (via Pen Addict - Kimberly). More companies are getting into the refillable fineliner/marker game these days. Kimberly looks at a new refillable marker from Herbin.
Shopping My Own Stuff: 10 Strategies I’m Trying to Use More of My Stationery Collection (via Well-Appointed Desk). I missed this one last week and I love the visible storage options.
Mergers and Acquisitions in the Fountain Pen World (via S.B.R.E. Brown). There’s been a lot of changes in recent years, with brands combining and “coming back”. This video offers some opinions on all of these.

In Case You Missed It…

It’s been a whirlwind two weeks, with T.G.S. attending two different pen events: the Arkansas Pen Show and the inaugural San Francisco Stationery Fest. These trips have been a blast but I’m tired. You can read a bit about what’s going on at the San Francisco Stationery Fest this weekend in this post here, and of course I will post more updates later this week once I’m back in town and recovered, including Episode 6 of On the Paper Trail which was recorded live on Friday night!

TWSBI ECO Bahama Yellow Fountain Pen — TWSBI Bahama Yellow ECOs are in stock and shipping!

This Week in the T.G.S. Curated Shop

Be sure to check out each week’s Thursday Drops post for new arrivals in the store! We received a new shipment of Roterfaden Taschenbegleiter covers and still have TGS_25 A5 Slim, B5, and A4 sizes in stock. We also received a ton of paper from Yamamoto, along with the latest releases from Kaweco and TWSBI.

This week we will be back to normal shop hours in the Nashville store, from 1-6pm Thursday and Friday and 10am-6pm on Saturday. Be sure to check the store page for any updates.

Kaweco

Colorverse

Roterfaden

Yamamoto

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” which have not been publicly released.

Yamamoto Ro-Biki Canvas Cover and Refills

Weekly Drops: Stationery Fest Edition!

March 26, 2026

This week’s theme is “Stationery Fest,” with a focus on items beyond standard pens and writing instruments. As mentioned in Wednesday’s post, we’re attending the San Francisco Stationery Fest Friday through Sunday of this week. While we’ll have merchandise with us in San Francisco, there is stock of everything listed here available for purchase online and in the Nashville store, which remains open this weekend. New arrivals include Yamamoto Ro-Biki notebook refills, which have been out of stock for some time, as well as TWSBI ECO Bahama Yellow Fountain Pens and the new Kaweco Sports! We’re especially excited to have the Yamamoto Paper restocked, as it’s been unavailable for quite some time.

Yamamoto Canopus Shipment in Box — We weren’t kidding when we said we ordered a lot of Canopus!

We will be set up at the Vanness Pens table at the San Francisco Stationery Fest, and will be hosting a live On the Paper Trail recording Friday night! The Nashville store will be open this weekend Thursday-Saturday 1pm-6pm each day.

TWSBI ECO Bahama Yellow Fountain Pen. The latest ECO release returns to silver trim, paired with a mustard-yellow acrylic that’s reminiscent of limited editions TWSBI did in Japan years ago. I’m super-excited to see this color added to the palette!
Kaweco Sport Lunar Light Green and Shadow Green Fountain Pens. Kaweco’s Spring releases have arrived, and we still have stock of the “Lunar” series Sport fountain pens.
Yamamoto Canopus Note A5 Notebooks. Last week we received a fresh shipment of the Canopus A5 Notebooks, and while we sold a LOT of them in Arkansas, we left some in inventory for the shop and they remain available.
Yamamoto Select Premium Japanese Papers. We have stock of several different types of Yamamoto looseleaf papers in the A4 size, including favorites such as Soliste, Light Force, and Canopus.
Yamamoto Paper Tasting Sampler Sets. Interested in exploring less common Japanese papers?
Yamamoto Ro-Biki Note Canvas Covers and Refills. One of the lesser-known “A5-Slim” notebook systems, Yamamoto’s in-house “Ro-Biki” refills feature Soliste paper and a canvas cover that incorporates a zippered case.
Yamamoto Bullet Jotters (Bible-Sized). These Bible-sized Jotters hold two pads of paper, which can be used as stand-alone tear-off notepads or hole-punched to fit a Bible-sized 6-ring binder.
Cloth & Paper Sticky Notes. We stock a wide range of different sticky notes from Richmond-based Cloth & Paper, including notes in different shapes and with varying degrees of translucency.
Cloth & Paper “Sidebar” Sticky Notes. These longer sticky notes can be used to format a notebook as a planner or simply as stand-alone notetaking and planning tools. Available in grid, task list, and weekly planner formats.
New Washi Tapes from iLootPaperie! We have new designs as well as restocks on old favorites from iLootPaperie, who we’ll be seeing in person this weekend at the SF Stationery Fest!

San Francisco Stationery Fest, Here We Come!

March 25, 2026

After an all-too-brief three-day turnaround from last weekend’s excellent Arkansas Pen Show, we’re off to San Francisco tomorrow for the inaugural San Francisco Stationery Fest. We’ll be teamed up with Vanness Pens and On the Paper Trail for a three day weekend focused on stationery beyond pens! We’re currently busy packing up Roterfadens, Lochby, Rickshaw cases, Graphilo paper, and much more!

What Is a Stationery Fest, and How Is It Different From a Pen Show?

The biggest difference is the merchandise you will find at a stationery fest as opposed to at a pen show. While the range of available wares has expanded in recent years, pen shows still focus on - well, pens - whereas stationery fests/shows/festivals tend to target an audience interested in a wider variety of paper goods. This includes not just notebooks but stickers, washi tape, planners, and more. If the idea of attending an analog-focused event appeals to you, but pen shows seem too high-dollar or collector-focused, consider attending a stationery show. Those interested in reading more on the experience can check out the vendor list and exhibitor map for this weekend’s event! The organizers did an excellent job of curating a diverse group of vendors who offer a little something for everyone, whatever your core area of interest.

TGS Demo Pens Inked Up For A Pen Show — While TGS will not be selling pens this weekend, focusing instead on notebooks and notebook systems, I do plan to bring a bunch of fountain pens (including specialty nib grinds) to share after-hours.

One thing I personally enjoy about stationery fests and other paper-oriented shows is more of a community focus. While out-of-town vendors certainly do attend, stationery events are usually organized by local pen stores, clubs, and other groups of enthusiasts with ties to the local community. The events themselves also tend to be slightly smaller and navigable than pen shows - and certainly smaller than the largest multi-ballroom pen shows - though stationery fests can seem larger than their physical footprint as they draw large and enthusiastic crowds. Most shows focus heavily on in-person meetups, classes, after-hours gatherings, and other non-shopping events to round out the attendee experience.

On the Paper Trail Event Stickers — Come by our table this weekend and pick up an On The Paper Trail Sticker! We also have a few of these left in the Nashville shop. First come, first served!

An On the Paper Trail Live Audience Recording!

Friday night, Lisa Vanness and I will be hosting a live recording of our podcast and video series, On the Paper Trail! We have some special topics picked out for this week that we think stationery fest attendees will enjoy, and we are also in the process of uploading a series of short vendor video profiles from last week’s Arkansas Pen Show. There are still a few seats open for the Friday night event, and if you’d like to get caught up on podcast episodes beforehand, be sure to check out our new landing page which has links to stream the audio content. We hope to see you there!

The T.G.S. Nashville store will remain open this weekend, with only slightly modified hours on Saturday. Be sure to check the shop page or Google profile before coming by.

Roterfaden Taschenbegleiter Notebook Covers stacked on a desk in multiple sizes

New Arrivals: Roterfaden Taschenbegleiters in A5, B5, and A4!

March 24, 2026

On the heels of our restock shipment of the TGS_25 Roterfadens, we also received additional Taschenbegleiters in A5, B5, and A4, which were made available for purchase at the Arkansas Pen Show and are now available online. Most stock will be going with us to the San Francisco Stationery Fest on Thursday, where we will be set up with Vanness Pens, so if you would like to order one online and have it shipped before then, please be sure to get your order in by close of business on Wednesday.

Roterfaden Taschenbegleiter Size Comparison — A size comparison of the A4, B5, and A5 Taschenbegleiters, from largest to smallest.

Please note that we will have slightly modified store hours this week due to show attendance. The Nashville shop will be open from 1pm-6pm Thursday through Saturday, with the change in hours being the later Saturday opening time. For those attending the San Francisco Stationery Fest, we look forward to seeing you there!

Arkansas Pen Show Setup Gentleman Stationer

Sunday Reading for March 22, 2026

March 22, 2026

Spilling the Ink with Derek Deweese Live from the 2026 Arkansas Pen Show (via dwrdnet). This was a great idea - on day one of the 2026 Arkansas Pen Show, Derek set up brief livestream interviews with vendors. It was fun to sit for this one, and also to listen to it after the fact!
Can a Steel Flex Nib Rival Gold? NEW Magna Carta 650 Review (via Doodlebud). Magna Carta continues their nib experimentation with flex. I have not yet been able to check out this nib.
California Pen Show Recap (via Figboot on Pens). David brought back some fun stuff from Los Angeles, including a new Galen Leather Sketch Box.
Dupes or Oops? (via Pen Addict - Kimberly). When you’ve been in this hobby for years, you definitely accumulate duplicates (inadvertently or not), and running across these lets you know when it’s time to start using stationery.
Reengagement (via Line Variation). This post resonated with me because I’m also looking to reengage with my own personal collection a bit, including many custom and vintage pens I haven’t used recently.
My Parker 51 Aerometric Collection (via Fountain Pen Blog). Probably my own favorite vintage pen.
Scariest Pen Ever? The Little Hollow Customs Monster Finger (via Figboot on Pens). I couldn’t help linking to this one, though I doubt it will ever make its way into my personal collection.
CONID-Style Filling Systems: An Overview (via SBRE Brown). The syringe-filling system (or “pump piston” or “bulkfiller”) remains popular due to its high ink capacity and relative ease of cleaning. There are now several different versions on the market.
Stationery for a Writing Weekend (via Pen Addict - Sarah). I love seeing what people pack for a writing retreat, especially novelists who write initial drafts by hand.
Praying in Color (via From the Pen Cup). Another great post from Mary on how writing and actually using our things can help, and a reminder that all of this can be used positively not just for accumulation.