Thursday Drops: Parting with Some Gently Used Favorites, Lochby Restock and More!

As we expand the shop and (as always) look for more items to review and write about, I periodically need to clear out pens and other items that I’ve acquired over the years, either for review purposes or personal use. Those pens sometimes make an appearance on the T.G.S. “Gently Used” page, where they are not technically part of the official Curated Shop, but can nonetheless be combined with orders of new products for shipping and checkout. This week I listed a bunch of pens, including some rare limited editions, and a few remain available. All of these will automatically qualify for free shipping.

The Nahvalur “Original Plus” in Gold Ocellatus

In addition to the Gently Used update, we have restocked on most of our Lochby cases after the August/September pen show rush, including the Quattro four-pen cases and the Lochby Venture pouches in all colors. Also, remember that for the month of September, to welcome Nahvalur to the shop, all purchases of Nahvalur fountain pens include a complimentary ink sample chosen to match the color of your pen! We’ve had a lot of fun selecting and shipping these out already!

The T.G.S. Curated Shop is an authorized retailer of all brands shown here.

1. Leonardo Officina Italiana Momento Zero Grande Primary Manipulation Series 1 (Gently Used). After much consideration, I’ve decided to let go of most of my Momento Zero Grande collection, and will be selling them off in the coming months. That particular model, while excellent and comfortable to use, doesn’t receive as much regular use as my standard Momento Zero fountain pens. I currently have the “Vesuvio” from the original run remaining for sale.

2. Cross Peerless 125 (featuring an 18k Sailor Nib) (Gently Used). Love Sailor nibs but wish the pens had a touch more heft and a higher-capacity converter? Consider the Cross Peerless 125, which I don’t believe is made anymore.

3. Visconti Van Gogh “Vincent’s Chair” Fountain Pen (Gently Used). The Visconti Van Gogh is perhaps my personal favorite of all the Visconti fountain pen options, and this one in particular was a bit hard to let go. It features a stainless steel fine nib tuned by Mark Bacas.

4. Nahvalur Nautilus in “Stylophora Berry” Ebonite. I’ve long admired ebonite pens, and wished that manufacturers would do more with this material in their standard lines. Nahvalur (formerly “Narwhal Pens”) has steadily released new versions of the Nautilus in different ebonites, including this gorgeous striated aubergine material that I’m happy to offer in the shop.

5. Nahvalur “Original Plus” Vacuum Filler. Nahvalur re-released the Narwhal “Original” with a catch - in addition to reworking the signature swirled acrylic, they switched the filling mechanism from a piston to a vacuum-filler. What has really surprised me about this pen, however, is how smooth the nibs are.

6. TWSBI Diamond 580 Iris Fountain Pen. TWSBI’s latest entry in the Diamond 580 series is arguably my favorite to date, pairing the iridescent “Iris” finish with the classic design and reliable, high-capacity piston.

7. Platinum Plaisir Aura Fountain Pen 2022 Special Edition. I’m glad to see these start to catch on, as the Plaisir is a spectacular everyday fountain pen with one of the best low-cost nibs on the market. The pearlescent finish on this special edition contains a slight hint of color to match the different sections.

8. Lochby Quattro Four-Pen Case. One of my favorite finds of the past year, the Lochby Quattro holds four pens in offset slots, so that they pens and clips don’t make contact when the case is zippered shut. Built from durable waxed canvas, the Quattro should protect your pens for years to come.

9. Lochby Venture Pouch. A combination pouch and zippered pen case, the Venture Pouch can be used as both a carry all for ballpoint/gel pens, document flags, clips, etc. in the top “pouch” compartment, while also offering several individual slots in a second, zippered compartment that can be used for larger pens or cables.

10. Hightide Hourglasses. The other day I wrote a short piece about the advantages of using an analog timer where you might otherwise use a cell phone. We have a stock of these Hightide Hourglasses in 30, 15, 5, and 3-minute intervals.

Thursday Drops: Pens, Pens, and More Pens, Plus Undated Sumkin Planners!

Everyone’s been making a big deal ‘bout Hobonichi Day, but what if a more flexible, undated approach is your thing? We’ve got you covered! We recently received a shipment of the hardcover Sumkin (formerly Soumkine) “Oh My 307 Agendas” in Charcoal, though unfortunately the beloved mustard versions are no more. I also found a stash of Paris-themed blotter cards that shipped with one of my Sumkin/Soumkine orders, and purchases will receive a couple along with their shipment.

The Original Plus (right) has the makings of a sturdy workhorse, and it’s priced competitively.

Also, as noted on Tuesday, we welcomed a new brand to the shop, Nahvalur (formerly Narwhal)! We currently carry the Nahvalur Original Plus - an excellent vacuum-filler option that comes in four colors - as well as an ebonite version of the Nautilus in aubergine “Stylophora Berry” ebonite. I was going to make the initial promotion run through Monday, but let’s go ahead and make it month long: All Nahvalur purchases ship with a complimentary ink sample: We’re testing out several possible ink brand additions to the shop and are awash in inks. Purchase a Nahvalur pen and receive a “generous pour” of matching ink so you’re reading to write!

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My ink “experimentation station”. Serious about this, y’all.

What’s behind this push further into the world of fountain pens? We’ll see, but if the Nahvalur Original Plus and the Nautilus do well, we’re actively working to expand and possibly bring more of a pen presence to our local area. (For now, residents of the greater Nashville, Tennessee area can use the coupon code “615PICKUP” at checkout and e-mail me at joe (at) gentlemanstationer.com in order to arrange local pickup.)

The T.G.S. Curated Shop is an authorized retailer of all brands sold.

1. Nahvalur (Formerly Narwhal Pens) Original Plus Demonstrator. Don’t be afraid of the vacuum filler! At the D.C. Pen Show last month, Nahvalur unveiled it’s successor to the “Original” series, which in addition to switching to a high-capacity vacuum-filling system, moved to a more subtle acrylic to create a nice-looking pen.

2. TWSBI Vac Mini Fountain Pen. For those looking for something a bit more pocketable, we have a couple of TWSBI Vac Mini’s in stock, which also use a high-capacity vacuum-filling system to create a true “pocket ink tank.” Read the review of this one here.

3. Nahvalur “Nautilus” Piston Filler Fountain Pen in “Stylophora Berry” Ebonite. Nahvalur gave me one of these pens to test out at the Atlanta Pen Show back in April, and I’ve had it inked ever since. When I saw the pairing of eggplant striated ebonite and rose gold plated trim at the D.C. Show, I knew we would want to bring these in house.

4. The Latest TWSBI Releases! There are too many to name all of them, but TWSBI has been on a tear over the past few months with the ECO Glow Green, ECO Transparent Yellow, and Diamond 580 “Iris”, among others.

5. Sumkin (Formerly Soumkine) “Oh My 307” Undated Agendas. Sumkin has reimagined their brand lately, and for now has indicated that they will discontinue production of these hardcover notebooks. I managed to get another order in before they ran out, and we currently have stock in both Charcoal and Rose. While intended to be used as a flexible undated “agenda” or planner, the fountain pen friendly paper works equally well as a standard hardcover notebook with a rare “narrow” format.

6. Platinum Plaisir “Aura” Limited Edition Fountain Pens. The humble Plaisir has been getting more attention from Platinum, and that’s a good thing. The pearlescent white finish on this release subtly reflects the green, blue, or pink shade of the grip section, depending on how you angle the pen in the light. It’s a unique finish that makes me smile.

7. Midori 70th Anniversary Fountain Pen and Ink Set. For their 70th Anniversary, Midori released a whole bunch of limited edition products, ranging from special notebooks to five-year journals to full fountain pen and ink sets. This set not only gets you a special clear demonstrator featuring Midori’s excellent nib, but a bottle of ink and a converter.

8. Caran d’Ache 849 “Claim Your Style” Series 4. We haven’t forgotten about Caran d’Ache, one of our original brands to carry here in the Curated Shop. This year’s “Claim Your Style” Series features six new colors with a satin finish. I originally thought I preferred the blues but now can’t really pick a favorite. The yellow is a sleeper.

9. Penco “Perfection” Bullet Pens and Pocket Drafting Tools. Another old favorite is fully restocked, and the Penco Perfections (especially the “Light” pens) have been flying off the shelves.

10. Mazzuoli “Nobile ITALIA” Ballpoint/Mechanical Pencil. I haven’t made a plug for this exceptionally ergonomic ballpoint/mechanical pencil hybrid in a while, and that’s unfair. Designed to mimic the shape of its namesake airship, the Nobile ITALIA ships with three different Schmidt ballpoint refills, plus a .7mm mechanical pencil insert so you can change things up as your needs differ.

Thursday Drops: The Return of the Hightide/Penco Pocket Pens, Bookstands, Hourglasses, and More!

When I announced this summer that I was taking a pause to refocus the shop, the most requested line to bring back was the Hightide line of desk accessories, including the Folding Metal Bookstands and Hourglasses, as well as the Penco line of “Perfection” Bullet and Drafting Pocket Pens in all finishes, ranging from simple acrylic to chrome, brass, and matte black.

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The Penco Drafting Writer ballpoint is a pocket drafting pen that ships with what I believe is an Ohto needle-tip refill.

We have also received full restocks of Lochby (which means the Quattro four-pen case is back in stock!) as well as what might be the last shipment of Soumkine hardcover Agendas in the Charcoal cover.

The T.G.S. Curated Shop is an authorized retailer of all brands sold.

1. Penco “Perfection” Light Bullet/Pocket Pens. I have been carrying one of these inexpensive pocket pens clipped to my Plotter Mini-5 notebook for the better part of a week. Lightweight and versatile, they accept D1 refills and ship with something that feels like a hybrid gel/ballpoint refill (possibly a Jetstream). They come in multiple colors and the blue-grey/light blue is a stunner.

2. Penco “Perfection” Brass Bullet Pens. Perfect for those who like the format of the Fisher Space Pen “Bullet” but want something more substantial. These also take the same D1 refill as the Perfection “Light” bullet pens, and come in three different finishes of chrome, brass, and matte black.

3. Penco Drafting Pencil. Who wants a pocket-sized drafting pencil in .5mm lead size? (Raises hand.)

4. Penco Drafting Ballpoint Pen. While sold separately from the pencil, this similarly styled drafting pen ships with a needle-tip D1 refill (and is of course also compatible with other universal D1-sized refills).

5. Hightide Hourglasses/Sandglasses. The first “cult hit” that we stocked in the Curated Shop, these beautiful hourglasses (yes, they’re actually made from glass) come in 30, 15, 5, and 3-minute intervals. I use them for anything from pomodoro-style work intervals, to timing breaks, to meditation. Honestly, they’re relaxing simply to watch on your desk.

6. Hightide Folding Metal Bookstands. While conceived as a bookstand that allows you to hold a book upright while reading, cooking, etc., they fold up for easy transport and can pull double duty holding a notepad while you transcribe notes, or even a tablet. Nearly all colors are restocked.

7. Lochby Quattro Pen Cases. The Quattro sold out extremely quickly following an appearance at the 2022 D.C. Pen Show. It’s now back in stock, along with all of the other Lochby cases and refills.

8. Soumkine “Oh My 307’ Agendas. These undated hardcover planners (which are an open system, so they can also be used as a notebook) feature fountain-pen friendly paper in a “tall/narrow” hardcover format. Soumkine is reworking their product line, and I don’t believe this particular notebook will be brought back, at least for now, so I’m trying to get these while I can.

9. Caran d’Ache “Claim Your Style” Edition 4 Ballpoint Pens. This year’s Caran d’Ache CYS pens are available for purchase, and all of the colors are good. I don’t think I can pick a favorite. (Some of the Edition 3 remain and are on sale.)

10. Caran d’Ache 2022 Limited Edition 849 Ballpoint Pens. In addition to the Claim Your Style pens, Caran d’Ache has released two other special finishes, one in “Dark Violet” and another in “Pastel Yellow.” Both are in stock and like all Caran d’Ache pens, ship with the excellent “Goliath” ballpoint refill.

The Penco Perfection Light Bullet Pen comes in a range of different colorful options.

Thursday Drops: Only the Best (and Most Unique) Writing Paper!

Here on the retail side of T.G.S., we’re committed to selecting only what we consider to be the best paper products available for general purpose writing - whether that be for business or personal use. Unless it’s paper intended for a specific purpose and noted otherwise, you can assume that what we carry works with fountain pens. Read more about fountain pen friendly paper here.

Clockwise from top left: TWSBI ECO Glow Green (yes it does glow in the dark!); the Caran d’Ache Dark Violet Limited Edition; TWSBI Diamond 580 Iris; and Platinum Plaisir Aurora.

Also, we still have a handful of TWSBI ECO Glow Green fountain pens from the initial shipment, along with restocked nib sizes on most other TWSBI models, as well as the limited edition Platinum Plaisir Aurora (all of which look exceptionally good with the slightly color-tinged pearlescent white finish).

[UPDATE: As of midday Thursday, September 1, we are restocked on Penco Perfection Bullet Pens and Drafting Pens and Ballpoints, Hightide Folding Book Stands, and a VERY limited number of the large (30 minute and 15 minute) hourglasses.]

The T.G.S. Curated Shop is an authorized retailer of all brands shown here.

1. Clairefontaine French-Ruled (Seyes) Paper. Probably my all-time favorite paper ruling, not only because the paper itself looks unique but because I love the versatility of the lines. We received a shipment of wire-bound and staple-bound French-ruled notebooks yesterday, and we still have the booklet-bound looseleaf sheets.

2. Clairefontaine Triomphe Writing Pads. A favorite for written correspondence and other general purpose writing, Clairefontaine’s “Triomphe” series comes in both letter and A5 size and features bright-white paper stock excellent for showcasing ink.

3. Quo Vadis Habana Fountain Pen Friendly Edition. I consider the Quo Vadis Habana to be among the best - if not the best - of the “A5 elastibound notebooks”. This particular model features the white dot grid Clairefontaine paper so it’s more fountain pen friendly than the ivory lined notebook.

4. Midori MD Cotton Paper Writing Pads. Another personal favorite, especially when I’m looking for an absorbent paper with quicker dry times. Midori writing pads - both the cotton and the standard MD - are bound both vertically and horizontally to prevent paper curling and to allow you to use the pad in portrait or landscape mode, such as beneath a keyboard. Standard Midori MD writing pads in grid and blank ruling are also available.

5. Midori MD Cotton Notebooks. Midori Cotton paper comes in notebook form too, in the F0, F2, and F3 sketchbook sizing. (Though they’re perfectly suitable for writing as well!) It can be difficult to keep these in stock so we bought a lot this time.

6. Midori MD Notebooks and Covers. While not a notebook system per se, Midori MD Notebooks come with a range of compatible accessories, including notebook covers in natural undyed goat leather, a very durable Japanese paper cover, and standard plastic PVC sleeves. The covers can hold not just the standard MD notebooks but also two of the slimmer MD Light notebooks.

7. Traveler’s Company Spiral Ring Notebooks (featuring MD Paper). In addition to the flagship Traveler’s Notebook, Traveler’s Company makes these excellent spiral ring notebooks in A5 slim, A6 slim, and a Landscape B6 layout that features blank white Midori MD paper for both writing and sketching.

8. Soumkine “Oh My 307” Agenda. We still have five of these to-be-discontinued Soumkine hardcover planners in rose, and I’m attempting to get some additional stock in other colors but I’m not sure of the availability. At some point, these undated, open-format planners will go away as Soumkine is changing their business model so if you enjoy them to use as either a planner or a notebook stock up!

9. Maruman Mnemosyne Notebooks and Notepads. Japanese stationers Maruman were in attendance at the San Francisco show, and while I didn’t have a chance to visit with them on-site, I was excited to see that they did bring the A5 Notepad Folio/Holders, which hold an A5 pad and also features five folders for organizing your notes.

10. Life “Noble Note” Paper. An undersung stationery brand that often doesn’t get the attention it deserves, Life paper is excellent and comes in both pad and notebook format. There are also some specialty pads such as Bank Paper and Typewriter Paper that I am looking to restock soon.

Thursday Drops: Pre-San Francisco Restock on Midori and Traveler's (Plus TWSBI Glow Green)

Pen show long weekends are always popular shopping weekends (regardless of whether you’re attending the show!) so I took the opportunity to restock on favorites in our core lines, including TWSBI, Midori MD, and Traveler’s Company. Most nib sizes in the Diamond 580 line are now in stock, in all finishes, and we have fresh stock of all Midori MD leather covers, as well as Midori MD Cotton Paper! Finally, there are a handful of TWSBI ECO Glow Green preorders still available, with at least one pen in all nib sizes.

Happy shopping! Please note that any orders placed today (8/25) through the weekend will begin shipping Monday, upon my return from the San Francisco Pen Show.

The T.G.S. Curated Shop is an authorized retailer of all brands sold.

1. TWSBI ECO “Glow Green” Preorders Are Live. My shipment of Glow Green ECOs - yes, they glow in the dark this time! - is due to arrive late tonight or early tomorrow, and orders will start shipping Monday. These have sold fast, though I do have at least one remaining in each nib size.

2. TWSBI Diamond 580 “Iris” Restock. In addition to the “Glow Green” ECO, we have a full stock of the Diamond 580 and Vac700R pens available in the Iris finish, along with additional stock of many popular nib sizes in other finishes.

3. Midori MD Cotton Writing Pads. Midori MD Cotton writing paper is among my favorite, since it’s incredibly ink friendly and relatively quick-drying due to its absorbency. The MD Cotton Paper has been a longtime shop favorite, so we really stocked up this time.

4. Midori MD Cotton Notebooks. Similar to the MD Cotton Writing Pads, we have a hard time keeping these notebooks in stock. All sizes currently available.

5. Midori MD Writing Pads (Graph and Blank). In addition to the MD Cotton, we have standard Midori MD Paper in both graph ruling and blank format.

6. Midori MD Leather Notebook Covers. There has been a strong demand to bring back the Midori MD undyed leather goatskin covers, which are not only durable and made to last for many years, but will develop their own patina as they age. We have these in sizes ranging from A6 all the way up to A4. These are intended to hold one MD Notebook in their respective size, or two MD light notebooks.

7. Midori MD A7 Sticky Memo Pads. These useful paper pads combine larger memo pads with sticky notes in several different formats of fountain pen friendly paper. We now have the full line in stock, including dot grid.

8. Traveler’s Notebook 2022 Limited Edition Sets. We currently have a few of the “Traveler’s Airline” sets available, which contain a special standard-size blue cover plus airline-themed accessories that you aren’t able to get outside of the limited set. When these are gone, that’s it for 2022. (We also have one Traveler’s Records set and one Traveler’s Train in passport size.)

9. Traveler’s Notebook Standard Size Starter Kits. Not interested in the limited sets? As of yesterday, we are fully restocked on standard colors and most accessories.

10. Clairefontaine Looseleaf French-Ruled Paper. As I was reorganizing the other day, I realized that I still have a handful of the “double booklets” of Clairefontaine French-ruled paper!