Write Notepads paper handles ink swabs beautifully, with no feathering or bleedthrough whatsoever!

Deals & Drops: Writing Pads, Rollerballs, and Planner Markdowns!

September 9, 2021

In addition to my updated personal planner systems, I’m using a TON of looseleaf paper, mostly torn from memo pads, as I’m in the middle of a busy season at the day job and I’m taking lots of longhand notes. Ergo, I’m relying heavily on Write Notepads with some Rhodia paper mixed in. I keep a selection of my favorites in stock in the shop, so be sure to check these out.

A note on the T.G.S. x Sunderland mk1 collaboration: I’m getting towards the end of this initial run, with two pen shows (Dallas and Chicago) tentatively on the calendar, so these may go out of stock for a while once they sell out. While I fully intend to do another run and bring them back, I will likely do another batch of signature Penwells first. If you’ve had your eye on the rollerball, the next couple of weeks would be a good time to jump!

The T.G.S. Curated Shop is an authorized retailer of all brands we carry. By shopping with us, you are supporting original content, pen reviews, pen show events, etc. from The Gentleman Stationer. If you would like to support us even further, please consider checking out the T.G.S. Patreon Program, which offers access to online meetups, exclusive discounts and pre-orders, and more!

Midori MD Cotton Writing Pads. Looking for a luxurious writing experience that handles pretty much any fountain pen ink (and can also double as a mean typewriter paper)? Midori’s MD Cotton stock is one of the best options I’ve found, and I actually prefer the texture of this particular paper over smoother options such as Tomoe River.
Write Notepads Memo Pads. My personal daily driver for most of my writing and notetaking, as well as an excellent choice for ink swabs and writing samples, since the bright white paper shows off ink color quite well and doesn’t feather or bleed at all. Available in three rulings: dot grid, lined, and meeting.
Rhodia Classic Notepads. The old standby, Rhodia offers a cost-effective fountain-pen friendly writing experience that won’t break the bank. Their dot pads in both A5 and A4 have been a staple in my home and office for over a decade, and I’m now pleased to offer them for purchase in the Curated Shop.
Write Notepads Engineer Memo Pad. This memo pad features the same unique paper is the same as found in the limited edition “Together We Build” Engineer Notebook. Note that this is different paper than found in the standard Write Memo Pads, and intended more for technical notes and drawings. While it handles ink fairly well, very wet fountain pens may feather some.
Sunderland mk1 x T.G.S. Special Edition Rollerball Pen. As I noted above, we’re on the home stretch for batch one, so don’t sleep on this. If you’re unfamiliar with the mk1, check out my write-up on the pen here.
Caran d’Ache 849 Rollerball Pen. Love the aesthetics of the Caran d’Ache 849 ballpoint, but wish it were slightly larger to offer a better grip? You’re in luck, as Caran d’Ache now offers the 849 in a rollerball format that accepts Parker-style refills. Video demonstration here.
CW&T Pen Type-A and Pen Type-B. These now-iconic industrial gel/rollerballs, designed to accept Pilot’s needle-tip Hi-Tec-C refill, straddle the line between desk pens and pocket pens. Durable enough to travel in your pocket anywhere you go, the designs are also faceted so they’ll rest easy next to your keyboard or on your drafting table. Read my writeup here for more details.
Caran d’Ache Claim Your Style Season 3. This season’s Claim Your Style releases from Caran d’Ache are easily my favorite, and it’s getting hard for me to pick a color, so I still haven’t decided. Last year I opted for the “Bluish Pale,” but this year I’m feeling something darker?
Platinum Preppy Wa Limited Edition Fountain Pens. We still have Preppy Wa fountain pens, which pairs Platinum’s classic with traditional Japanese designs in six unique patterns. Once these are gone, they’re gone.
Traveler’s Notebook Second-Half Start Dated Planners in Standard and Passport (ON SALE). I have a handful of Traveler’s Notebook “July Start” dated planners still available, now marked down! September still gives you four full months of use at the beginning of the one of the busiest times of the year!

Deals & Drops: Post-Pen Show New Arrivals! Platinum, Field Notes, Caran d'Ache & More

September 2, 2021

There was a pile of boxes awaiting my return from the San Francisco Pen Show, including a fresh shipment of Limited Edition Platinum Preppies from Luxury Brands USA (the Platinum Distributor), the brand new Caran d’Ache 849 Rollerball Pens, a huge box of TWSBI Swipes and TWSBI Ink, the Field Notes “Trailhead” Edition, AND two new versions of the Kokuyo Sketch hardcover pocket notebooks: the dot grid “Trip Book” and the top-bound “Offset Book”. I’m finally up to date with loading everything into inventory and onto the site, so happy shopping!

Platinum Preppy Wa Limited Edition Fountain Pen. Platinum recently released the Preppy Wa, a special version of their Preppy cartridge fountain pen decorated with six different traditional Japanese patterns, all with unique symbolism. The Preppy is a great pen, for users both new and old, because even at this low price point ($7?!), it features Platinum’s Slip ‘n Seal technology that prevents the pen from drying out. (Review here.)
Caran d’Ache 849 Rollerball. If early sales are any indicator, Caran d’Ache has a hit on their hands with the new 849 Rollerball, a larger-diameter version of the 849 ballpoint. In fact, you don’t have to use this one as a rollerball at all since it accepts the Parker-style refills of your choice.
TWSBI Swipe Fountain Pen. These things were so popular in San Francisco that I ended up having to sell my demo pens. I have both the Smoke and Prussian Blue versions back in stock in all nib sizes, in addition to the full range of TWSBI cartridges and bottled ink.
Giuliano Mazzuoli Nuovo ITALIA Ballpoint/Mechanical Pencil. I appreciate practicality, and you can’t get much more practical than a high quality ballpoint that comes with three different color refills AND allows you to swap in a .7mm mechanical pencil insert. Throw in a design with historical significance, and you have a product tailor-made for the Curated Shop. Full write-up here.
Field Notes “Trailhead” Edition. Field Notes recently released their latest quarterly edition, a stunning combination of dark green and orange featuring a linen-textured cover and ORANGE staples! The back covers feature illustrations of North America’s three most famous trails, the Appalachian Trail, Pacific Crest, and the Continental Divide.
Kokuyo Trip Book and Offset Book Hardcover Pocket Notebooks. These long-format hardcover pocket notebooks have developed a cult following in both Japan and the United States, and now I can offer a dot grid version (the “Trip Book”) as well as a top-bound “Offset” version.

I made a short video comparing the Rollerball to the Ballpoint. Check it out here.

Be sure to check out those orange staples!

New Arrivals: TWSBI Swipe Is Now In Stock! Plus Caran d'Ache Nespresso and More Sunderlands!

July 29, 2021

In addition to the launch of the Caran d’Ache x Nespresso Edition No. 4 pencils, this week also saw the arrival of the much-discussed TWSBI Swipe, TWSBI’s first cartridge-converter pen. We received our initial shipment, plus TWSBI cartridges and an ink restock! You may also have seen my Instagram announcement that several new products (mainly red inks from last week’s sampling), have been added to the “Gently Used” page. While those items come from my personal collection, they can be combined with shop orders to take advantage of the free shipping offers.

TWSBI Swipe Fountain Pen. Many were wondering, “Will TWSBI ever release a cartridge-converter fountain pen? Well, now the wait is over. The Swipe arrived on the doorstep yesterday afternoon, and they are now live and ready to ship. We also have cartridges and the full range of TWSBI bottled ink, with the 1790 Colors now available for purchase individually!
Caran d’Ache x Nespresso Edition No. 4 Fixpencil. As I discussed in yesterday’s post, for this year’s collaboration with Nespresso, Caran d’Ache decided to go in an entirely new direction, releasing a limited edition version of their iconic Fixpencil.
Caran d’Ache x Nespresso Edition No. 4 Swiss Wood Pencils. In addition to the Fixpencil, Caran d’Ache decided to release a set of special edition Swiss Wood pencils, featuring three metallic capsules, a special imprint, and graphite made from 25% recycled coffee grounds! (Don’t worry, I tested them out and to me, the pencils write like any other Swiss Wood!)
T.G.S. x Sunderland Machine Works mk1 Exclusive Edition. Our exclusive collaboration with Pennsylvania-based Sunderland on a bead-blasted, matte-black and red version of Sunderland’s signature EDC gel-rollerball pen is back in stock! If you’re wondering why we chose this particular model for our second store exclusive, you can read my write-up here.
Write Notepads Spiral and Reporter Notebooks. I’ve fully restocked on Write Notepads Spiral and Reporter Notebooks, in all colors! This paper is among my favorite for everyday writing, and if you want an example of how it can show off fountain pen ink, look no further than my recent ink color comparisons.

Traveler's-Company-Passport-Refills.jpeg

Back to School/Work Season Is Upon Us - Don’t Forget to Check Out Our Notebook Systems and Reading Accessories!

School starts for us in less than two weeks - I know, I can’t believe it snuck up like that. If you’re headed back soon (to work or school), be sure to check out our ranges of notebook and organizational systems, including notebooks, refills, and accessories from Traveler’s Company, Midori MD, and now Stálogy! We also stock a wide assortment of reading accessories, including Book Darts page markers (one of my absolute favorite items we carry in the shop), and desk accessories from Hightide Co. and WMS & Co.

Sure, it’s the old location, but the new one doesn’t provide a higher place to take a photo and give you the sense of scale. I don’t know whether this year’s show will be quite this big, but the fact that it’s happening at all is exciting!

Deals & Drops: Gearing Up for the D.C. Pen Show - A Few Updates!

July 22, 2021

I plan to attend the D.C. Pen Show from August 5-8, and I honestly can’t wait. I’ll be behind the Vanness Pens table, hopefully in the same location as 2019. While I really don’t know what to expect crowd-wise, I assume it will be well-attended on the vendor side, and there are SO many pens I want to see in person this year. I have a lot of catching up to do. A few updates for the weeks prior to the D.C. Show:

First, I need to sell off some stationery from my personal collection to “free up some funds” for D.C. These are listed separately from any items in the shop, though you can still combine orders and I will honor the $75 free shipping promotion. Check out the “Gently Used” page here. Patreon members have right of first refusal on any gently used items, so Patreon members please check the exclusive page as I list more stuff this week.

Second, while I plan to have a few items with me in D.C. (mainly my exclusive pen and maybe a couple of small items that are easy to travel with and don’t overlap with Vanness), I will not have my own table. That said, if you plan to attend D.C., and would like to place an order for pickup at the show, please reach out and I will arrange to remove the shipping charge if the order is under $75. Note that heavier or more fragile items, such as sandglasses and paper pads, will need to be excluded from this offer for logistical reasons.

I look forward to seeing you all! And happy shopping with this week’s featured items, which includes both exclusives and low-stock items that are gone once I sell out!

T.G.S. x Sunderland mk1 Exclusive Edition. I’m down to my last pen for this shipment, but should receive another prior to the D.C. Pen Show. I plan to bring some with me to have at the table, but that will depend on current stock in two weeks. Read more about this pen here.
Lamy 2000 Brown Limited Edition Fountain Pen and Paper Set (via Vanness Pens). Vanness has limited edition Lamy 2000 pens in stock at the moment. This one ships with a brown notebook. Will I add one to my collection?
Caran d’Ache Léman “Klein Blue” Fountain Pen with Limited Ultramarine Ink. I have exactly one remaining Klein Blue Léman, with its gorgeous limited finish and exclusive 50ml bottle of Caran d’Ache Chromatics ink. You can read my write-up on this pen here.
Caran d’Ache Ecridor Racing .7mm Mechanical Pencil. If Caran d’Ache was going to make a ballpoint or mechanical pencil in my ideal finish and color scheme (matte-black plus a red racing stripe), it would be this one. Somebody buy this before I keep it for myself.
Caran d’Ache “Claim Your Style” Season 2. I have a few of these remaining, including pens in the “Bluish Pale” and “Hibiscus Pink” finishes, which are among my favorites. These won’t be restocked to make room for Season 3, coming soon.
Reading Accessories from WMS & Co. I may bring some of these with me to the D.C. Show, since they are so easy to travel with and really pop once you see them in person. In addition to book weights, be sure to check out their hand stamps and
TWSBI ECO Lilac Fountain Pen. The ECO is on the cusp of taking over as TWSBI’s flagship, with its exceptional price point and reliable build. These “color” editions have remained extremely popular.
TWSBI ECO Transparent Purple. Other than the Transparent Orange, which isn’t made at the moment, the Transparent Purple might be my favorite of the ECO demonstrators (well, that and maybe the Transparent Blue). These pens have a jewel-box-like quality which makes them a lot of fun for the money.
Opus 88 Pens (via Vanness Pens). As a whole, I love the Opus 88 brand as an example of high quality, high-capacity fountain pens with reliable nibs at a reasonable price point. These have been huge sellers at the D.C. Pen Show in the past. Check out my recent review of the Opus 88 “Omar” here.
Traveler’s Company “Factory Green” Fountain Pen. This one will be traveling with me to the D.C. Pen Show, as the “bullet” format has become a personal favorite for pocket carry. The matte “Factory Green” finish comes on all Traveler’s Company writing instruments and makes this a very comfortable pocket pen to write with for longer sessions.

Deals & Drops: Store Exclusives, New TWSBIs, Stálogy & More!

July 15, 2021

So much new stuff has arrived in the Curated Shop over the past several weeks that it’s been hard to ensure that it all receives adequate attention. Of course, we recently launched our new T.G.S. x Sunderland Machine Works collaboration, which has sold amazingly well and we are down to five from the first batch. Last week also saw the arrival of the TWSBI Diamond 580 “Prussian Blue” Fountain Pen and the ECO Lilac, as well as a new (to me) line of Stálogy notebooks. Happy Shopping, and feel free to message me with any questions.

T.G.S. x. Sunderland Machine Works mk1. The latest T.G.S. collaboration product has arrived, and I’m down to about five pens or so out of this first batch! More are on the way, but it could be a few weeks once these sell. For more details on what went into this pen, check out this post.
TWSBI Diamond 580 ALR “Prussian Blue” Fountain Pens. The latest release in TWSBI’s Diamond 580 series is a gorgeous dark teal-blue, and includes the same textured ALR finish found on the brushed nickel version.
TWSBI ECO Lilac Fountain Pen. The latest release in TWSBI’s ECO series features a gorgeous light purple color that’s been quite popular.
Caran d’Ache “Black Code” 849. If I had to choose an “unofficial” T.G.S. Pen, it would be this one. This reliable, all-black workhorse from Caran d’Ache represents pretty much everything I look for in a daily writer.
Caran d’Ache Ecridor Racing .7mm Mechanical Pencil. Speaking of matte-black, the Ecridor Racing mechanical pencil takes the standard Ecridor and upgrades it, with a matte black finish and bright red racing stripe. Sold as a set with a beautiful black leather sleeve.
Caran d’Ache 849 Fountain Pens. Looking for a colorful, yet lightweight and portable, slim fountain pen that’s planner-loop friendly? Check out the Caran d’Ache 849, which we carry in all colors. Caran d’Ache “Chromatics” ink cartridges are also available.
Stálogy Notebooks. A popular, yet still somewhat under-appreciated, Japanese notebook brand that makes high quality softcover notebooks which many people use as undated planners. Stálogy notebooks come in 1/2 year and 365-day sizes, and I carry the grid version.
Traveler’s Notebooks and Refills in All Sizes. If there’s one thing I’ve dove into headlong over the past six months, it’s notebooks systems. Traveler’s Notebook is my preferred “system” of choice, due to its infinite customizability and long, narrower format. We carry all notebooks and refill options, including a healthy stock of Tomoe River “Lightweight Paper” refills and the new “B-Sides and Rarities” Collection.
Kokuyo Sketch Hardcover Pocket Notebooks. These slim hardcover books are back in stock in certain colors. One of my favorite stationery products for on-the-go writing, especially if you’re looking for a portable, yet durable, travel journal.
Pokka Pens. Looking for a portable writing experience to carry on your summer adventures? Consider adding a pack of Pokkas, plus accessories, to your next order. I have Pokkas in my car, on my keychain, and on the zipper pulls of most of my bags.