2021 Year-End Review, Part IV: Series and Editorials

December 22, 2021

One of my goals for 2021 was to expand the T.G.S. repertoire to include more “editorial-style” writing to complement the traditional pen, ink, and paper reviews. It’s something I’ve always done to some degree, but given reader response and feedback from members of the T.G.S. Patreon Program, I decided to increase the volume of this type of content and I’ve actually enjoyed it. Sometimes constantly cycling through new pens/inks/paper can start to feel like a grind, and stepping back and taking a higher-level perspective can keep things fresh for me (and hopefully interesting, from a reader’s perspective).

T.G.S. Pen Review Archive

Perhaps the project I’m most proud of is the creation of a legit “review archive” of past T.G.S. fountain pen reviews. It’s exactly what it sounds like: a repository of nearly eight years’ worth of content, navigable by brand. While the archive is currently limited to fountain pens only, I hope to expand it to non-fountain pens and inks in 2022.

Mini Collections

A key personal theme for me in 2021 was “consolidation,” meaning that I started the year with a goal of reducing the overall volume of pens and inks, and succeeded, for the most part. Before I sold off more than half of my ink collection, I embarked on this project of swabbing all of the bottles and samples so I could preserve them for future comparison.

2021 Pen Show Recaps and Travel Posts

The big news from the second half of 2021 was the resumption of pen shows, which came in fits and starts. While D.C. remained “the big show,” and saw traffic reminiscent of years past, the San Francisco and Chicago shows were a bit slower. I will continue to attend and cover shows in 2022, conditions permitting, and I’m interested to see how specific shows resume and recover.

Stationery “Lifestyle” Posts

This year I tried to be more responsive to reader questions, and turned the most frequent inquiries into full-feature blog posts. For example, I get a LOT of questions about fountain pen friendly paper for specific use cases, how different paper sizes compare to one another, how to swap nibs, and more. These posts were insanely popular and I intend to continue them, possibly even keeping them as a core focus of the site.

Industry Trends

I spent less time writing about stationery industry trends this year, probably because I found that a lot of what companies were releasing didn’t interest me, and the overall direction of the industry boring and uninspiring at times. For example, I have zero interest in tracking multiple “seasons” of ink from a single company over the course of a year, much less hundreds (if not thousands) of inks from a half-dozen companies adopting this same growth strategy. The same goes for the endless waves of limited/special/regional/store editions that manufacturers seem to be cranking out monthly, in quantities that are neither limited nor special. While T.G.S. will still comment and post on important “stationery news,” I don’t plan to resume regular weekly updates on the latest brand-specific releases.

I hope you’ve enjoyed this series of year-end recaps. If you missed the first installments, you can check them out here: 2021 Favorite Products Reviewed; 2021 Top Sellers from the T.G.S. Curated Shop; and 2021 Favorite Acquisitions. I will be taking some time off to breathe and recharge here at year-end, so posting may be a bit sporadic, so hopefully this content is enough to tide you over until 2022!

This post does not contain affiliate links. The Gentleman Stationer is supported by purchases made through the T.G.S. Curated Shop and reader contributions. By shopping with us directly, 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!

2021 Year-End Review, Part III: Favorite New Acquisitions

December 18, 2021

In my previous two 2021 retrospectives, I’ve looked at my favorite product reviews, the top ten best sellers from the T.G.S. Curated Shop, and now, my favorite personal acquisitions. Honestly, I didn’t add that much to my personal collection this past year - my focus was on thinning the herd and reducing my accumulation of unused stationery. But especially once pen shows started, I couldn’t resist adding a few new things to the rotation, and I’m very happy with those things I did purchase, even if I haven’t reviewed all of them yet. Stay tuned, because this post offers a bit of a preview to what might be coming down the pipe in the next month or two. I do plan to go quiet for a week or so, starting around this coming Wednesday, as I spend some time with family over the holidays and get myself organized for 2022, so if you don’t hear from me before Christmas, enjoy the remaining Holiday season!

Schon DSGN Ultem, Black Ultem, and Peek Fountain Pens. This one shouldn’t come as a surprise, since I’ve been posting pictures of these pens regularly ever since I picked up the Ultem pens at the San Francisco Pen Show. I recently added a “Peek” version (review forthcoming), and it’s not really even a close call: This trio takes top billing for 2021.
Ferris Wheel Press and Vinta Inks. Bright colors, super-sheeners, and shimmer inks have had their day - now it’s time for more muted, vintage-inspired colors to get a turn. Both Ferris Wheel Press and Vinta took off in 2021, with faded (yet legible) greens, blues, and greys that turned into some of my favorite inks for everyday writing. Look for some comprehensive reviews of these lines after the first of the year.
Superior Leather Pen Roll. I’ve spent the past few years looking for the “perfect” pen roll that fits in with the rest of my daily carry, and in 2021 I finally found it in this olive khaki green leather pen roll from Baumkuchen (that’s once again on pre-order for those who are interested). Superior Labor makes some of the softest leather out there, without sacrificing durability. It’s one of those items that will last a long time.
2B Camel Pencils. Speaking of lifetime supplies, I previously wrote about how I stocked my “archive” with a box of these 2B Japanese pencils from Camel, during the C.W. Pencils closeout sale. This particular graphite core is perfect for my personal writing preferences, and I love the streamlined look of the integrated eraser that sits flush with the barrel.
Chicago Pen Company “Sheba” Fountain Pen. It’s not often that a new fountain pen design catches my eye, but at the Chicago Pen Show I picked up one of the “Sheba” models from small-batch maker The Chicago Pen Company. I love the contoured cap on this pen, which is the sort of subtle innovation I look for these days when deciding whether or not something warrants an addition to my pen case.
CW+T Pen Type-C Bookmark Pen. I held off on trying out the Pen Type-C for a year or so, but immediately regretted it. As someone who’s a bit of a notetaking and marginalia junkie (not to mention a huge fan of the Hi-Tec-C Coleto refill that comes in so many colors), this flat titanium gel pen clips flush to the inside of a notebook cover, and can also double as a bookmark.
TWSBI Swipe Fountain Pen. The last entry on this list is what I consider TWSBI’s best release from the past couple of years. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the TWSBI Swipe, which at $26 not only comes with the same great nib as on the ECO but two converters packaged with the pen! I’ve had one inked up constantly, and it’s fast becoming my TWSBI of choice.

2021 Year-End Review, Part I: Favorite Products Reviewed

December 15, 2021

Every year I do a series of recaps in which I discuss my favorite posts from the past twelve months, broken down into various categories. Well, since we’re about two weeks out from 2022 (!?!?!) I figure it’s time to get things rolling. First up is my list of five favorite products reviewed from 2021, in no particular order. I’ve looked at a lot of great pens this year, but these five stand out in my mind as particularly memorable. Enjoy!

The Ultem-ate EDC? Reviewing the Schon DSGN Ultem Pens in Black and Amber. My Schon DSGN Ultem pens have been inked up ever since the San Francisco Pen show (eyedroppered, with custom nibs, of course), and stand out as my favorite acquisitions of 2021. The Black and Amber Ultem pens have now been joined by the “Peek” version.
Workhorse Pens: Opus 88 Fountain Pens Offer Maximum Versatility. Similar to the Schon DSGN Ultem pens, I’ve rarely not had an Opus 88 pen inked this year. Once I got over my fear of modifying nib units, they’ve become a pen case staple.
First Impressions: The TWSBI Swipe Is a Steal. TWSBI’s latest fountain pen model might be my favorite. From the design to the price point, the TWSBI Swipe is an all-around great buy for a low-cost workhorse. (Not to mention that the U.S. market receives two converters in the box, where many manufacturers don’t even include one.)
What Makes a Great Anniversary Edition: Kanilea Pen Company Honokalani Maile Lei. Kanilea Pen Company celebrated their fifth anniversary this year - a huge milestone even if they didn’t get to celebrate it at a pen show, as we all hoped! I love the addition of the “Maile Lei” sterling silver band, which is now being offered as an option on other pens.
First Impressions: Hands on with the New Parker 51 Fountain Pen. I couldn’t resist putting this one on the list, not necessarily because I think the new Parker 51 is one of the best fountain pens released this year (it’s not), but simply because this post offered me endless hours of entertainment from reading the comments. The level of vitriol this pen inspired is legendary, and serves as a reminder that regardless of how much we have emotionally invested in this hobby, “IT’S JUST A PEN, PEOPLE!”

Opus 88 Nibs from Platinum, Franklin-Christoph — Opus 88 fountain pens get really interesting, really fast once you figure out how to do things like swap in specialty nibs (including non-Jowo nibs from other brands).

Stay tuned for more recaps as I wind down the year! While the pen show season remains “in flux,” given the state of the world, I’m always hopeful of a return to relative normalcy, whatever that may look like. Regardless, I plan to be here reviewing pens, pencils, paper, and other fun stuff for the foreseeable future!

My Yellow/Yellow-Green Pen Collections — Clockwise from top: Leonardo Momento Zero in Burkina Celluloid, Decimo in Harvest Gold, Camel 2B Woodcase Pencil; Lamy Studio in Olive Green, Visconti Van Gogh “Vincent’s Chair”, Nakaya Long Piccolo, Platinum Plaisir in Bali Citrus.

More Mini-Collections: The Most Underappreciated Color in Stationery?

December 1, 2021

It’s funny - over the years I’ve managed to pick up many pens, notebooks, and pencils on clearance, only to have these surplus (and often heavily discounted) items turn into coveted “grails” years later. Over the past couple of weeks, as I’ve been pruning back my collection, I realized two things: (1) I have a ton of pens in an “anise green” shade that people always comment on (if not try to purchase off me), especially when they see them in person; and (2) this same shade of yellow-green tends to sell very slowly at retail, and often makes up the last of a lot whenever I stock it, even though it’s arguably the best-looking color in products like the Quo Vadis Habana Notebook or the Clairefontaine 1951 Classic Series. On the pen side, Nakaya discontinued their “Nanohana-Iro” urushi finish, and Pilot stopped selling the “Harvest Yellow” Decimo that I’ve been clinging to for dear life over the past few years, as people have tried to pry it from my hands. It’s even become difficult to find pens in a solid shade of yellow-green ebonite, unless you order the rods yourself and have a custom pen made.

From left, my Wakakusa-Iro Nakaya Long Piccolo, Pilot Decimo in Harvest Gold, and the Platinum Plaisir in Bali Citrus.

So I’ll pose kind of a silly question: Is yellow-green/anise green/pea green the most underappreciated color in stationery? Or to frame it for broader discussion: Why do people only seem to appreciate some things after they start to disappear from the market? I suspect that part of the issue with this particular color is that it’s very difficult to accurately photograph, and even if you get a good picture, vast discrepancies in calibration across computer monitors can make it look much too pale, robbing it of its depth, or on the flip side, too dark, making it look flat and boring. I’ve also heard it’s a hard color for manufacturers to consistently reproduce, so you will get a lot of batch variations across a single product line. That said, this isn’t the only “cult color” that disappears only to become insanely popular on the secondary market.

I guess this is yet one more example of me subconsciously building a “mini-collection” that in this case extends across different product categories. In addition to my Nakaya Long Piccolo in “Wakakusa-Iro” (which was a store exclusive from Aesthetic Bay in Singapore), the Harvest Gold Decimo, and other pens such as my Visconti Van Gogh “Vincent’s Chair” and a green-gold Platinum Plaisir in “Bali Citrus”, I ended up purchasing a gross of the Camel 2B pencils from the CW Pencil Enterprise closeout sale because I couldn’t bear to be without a stash of the green ones.

What colors do you think remain underappreciated in the stationery industry? For a while, it seems as though everyone was moving towards matte-black everything, then the clear demonstrators became popular, and now the trend is towards sparkling acrylic/DiamondCast. When manufacturers focus on outdoing one another on the latest trend, we seem to miss out on these more offbeat colors that don’t get a lot of attention, and might attract more fans if companies were willing to take a bit more risk and give these products a chance to distinguish themselves. That said, as participants in this community we also have a responsibility: If you like a particular product, and find yourself wishing that “more companies made something like that,” then buy it if you can. Manufacturers and retailers can’t pay their bills on admiration alone, and we shouldn’t wait for these “cult hits” to go out of stock before everyone starts scrambling to find them.

If you’d like to read more on the subject of “Mini-Collections,” and how I’ve focused my own pen and ink collecting, check out these posts on the Parker Sonnet (one of my favorite under-appreciated pens), and my obsession with red inks, among other things.

This post does not contain paid third-party affiliate links, and all likes are to the T.G.S. Curated Shop or other third-parties who have not compensated T.G.S. for links. Shopping with T.G.S. directly supports 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!

Five Knockaround Fountain Pens for the Office and Beyond

November 27, 2021

While Black Friday weekend continues, and everyone is doing their shopping with all the different promotions available, I had the idea to do a short post containing some ideas beyond those in this year’s T.G.S. Gift Guide. I’ve become mildly obsessed with the idea of finding the perfect “knockaround” fountain pen for the office: a functional fountain pen that you can leave in your bag, on your desk at work, or stuck in the loop in your planner and not worry excessively about whether it’s going to “walk away” or get damaged. This category isn’t the same for everyone, since we all operate at different price points, but for reliable fountain pens this category typically starts around $20 (excluding the Platinum Preppy, which is much less expensive).

Platinum Preppy. I know several people who keep a fistful of these pens inked up at all times, either to give away to the fountain pen curious or eyedropped with inks they’re “experimenting” with. Preppies are also extremely inexpensive everyday writers, starting at around $4.50 for the standard version, with even the limited edition “Preppy Wa” pens priced at just over $7.
Platinum Plaisir. Though they feature the same nib, the Platinum Plaisir is a slight upgrade over the Preppy in terms of both looks and durability, since the pen sports an aluminum barrel that comes in a wide array of colors and will take more of a beating than the Preppy. Honestly, the Plaisir will often be my choice over the Preppy (unless I’m eyedroppering to test inks), since I appreciate the added splash of color. Available starting at $22.
TWSBI Swipe. Honestly, TWSBI’s latest low-cost fountain pen has blown me away with its value proposition. Not only do you get a reliable nib from a reputable brand, but unlike any other pen on this list, it ships with a converter (actually, two converters) to allow you to fill with bottled ink, in addition to using a cartridge. Available priced at $26.99.
Caran d’Ache 849 Fountain Pen. Looking for a fountain pen to match your classic Caran d’Ache 849 ballpoint pen or rollerball? The Caran d’Ache 849 fountain pen features a springy stainless steel nib that’s pleasant to write with, and is also somewhat slimmer, allowing it to fit in planner pen loops that might otherwise be too small to fit bulkier fountain pens. Available at $52.
Midori MD Fountain Pen. Sure, the plastic barrel isn’t much to write home about (even if it is tastefully color-matched to the Midori MD aesthetic), but the nib on this pen is exceptional. Midori has taken the same nib used in the Traveler’s Company brass bullet pens and tweaked it so the nib turns slightly downward, supposedly to better hold up to the harder writing pressure of modern users (and probably those inexperienced with fountain pens). The firm writing experience reminds me of a wider (M) posting nib. Available priced at $38.

Please note that of the fountain pens on this list, the Caran d’Ache 849 and the Midori MD Fountain pen take standard international cartridges, while the Platinum Pens and the TWSBI Swipe accept proprietary cartridges sold by those specific brands. If you’re looking for refills for these particular pens, either for yourself or to include with a gift for someone else, we carry standard international cartridges by Caran d’Ache and Traveler’s Company, as well as both TWSBI Cartridges and bottled ink. Platinum Preppy pens ship with one Platinum ink cartridge included.

As always, you can check out other pen recommendations here, as well as posts discussing my thoughts on fountain pen inks and fountain pen friendly paper. Links here are to the T.G.S. Curated Shop or our friends at Vanness Pens, which are not paid affiliate links but merely friendly recommendations. Many thanks for your support!