Happy Fountain Pen Day: Can You Believe It's been 10 Years!?!

It’s the first Friday of November, and you know what that means: Happy Fountain Pen Day! To celebrate, I have a weekend of fun planned. First of all, through the weekend, take 10% off all T.G.S. Curated Shop Orders with the coupon code “FPD10” at checkout. I’ve also reduced prices on a select group of products throughout the store, which you can check out here. All orders placed this weekend will receive free Fountain Pen Day and T.G.S. SWAG, while supplies last!

For Saturday, I have a giveaway lined up with a bunch of prizes that you don’t want to miss, and for Patreon members, access to a special sale with a new batch of gently used products priced to move!

Be sure to visit the Fountain Pen Day website to join in the fun, and for a list of all the special events and sales taking place this weekend around the stationery world, both in-store and online.

The Fountain Pen Day discount is good on all Curated Shop Products, with the exception of TWSBI and Sunderland Machine Works, per my agreements with those brands. All domestic U.S. orders over $75 ship free. 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!

Five Favorites for Fountain Pen Day (and My Own Personal Distraction)

Since yesterday started out as extraordinarily unproductive, I spent the morning cleaning out far too many inked fountain pens (seriously, I had no idea how many I had inked up) and filling five of my personal favorites in celebration of Fountain Pen Day, which is this Friday! Here’s what I chose, with a link to the corresponding review and, if possible, where you can still buy the pen if it’s not a special or limited edition:

1. Montblanc 149 Red Gold. The size of the Montblanc 149 has grown on me over time, and whether or not the pen works for you personally, you can’t deny that it’s an icon. As with another pen on this list, this one features a stock Montblanc broad nib, which actually writes more like a stub, and is in fact one of the best stub nibs in my collection.

2. Sailor Pro Gear Imperial Black Edition. I’ve let this favorite sit for far too long. Not only is the Sailor “HF" (hard fine) one of my favorite nibs, but the size fits my hand perfectly when the pen is posted. I’ll never let this one go, as this particular pen carries special meaning. And yes everyone, seven years later, the black ion plating on the nib and trim is still intact.

3. Pelikan M800 Stone Garden. One of my favorite special edition releases from 2018, Stone Garden is still, aesthetically, my favorite M800 and one of the Pelikans I would likely keep if I ever considered seriously downsizing my collection. Oddly enough, this Pelikan still hasn’t sold out at select retailers, sometimes at a discount.

4. Montegrappa Miya. A relatively recent pickup from this year’s Baltimore Pen Show, I decided to swap in a 14k medium nib in place of the 14k Flex and now this pen is a perfect everyday writer. As I mentioned in my original review, the Miya is one of the most well-balanced luxury fountain pens out there, and I hope Montegrappa decides to do more with this particular shape and design. While this celluloid variant is pricey, Montegrappa has been experimenting with different materials, including acrylics that are paired with stainless steel JoWo nibs.

5. Montblanc Virginia Woolf Writer’s Edition. I have two of Montblanc’s “Writers Edition” fountain pens, both purchased as N.O.S. years after their initial release. The textured and contoured Virginia Woolf edition won’t be for everyone aesthetically, but again, you can’t argue with the Montblanc stock broad nib. The stubbish nib on this pen is even better than the broad nib on my 149, and I’ve heard rumors that Montblanc pays extra close attention to the Writers Edition nibs (or at least they used to). (Long-discontinued Limited Edition)

How are you planning to celebrate Fountain Pen Day? I’m hoping for a calm evening enjoying my pens and journals. I have a feeling we’ll all need it.

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Fountain Pen Day Special

This Friday, I will be running a special promotion in the T.G.S. Curated Shop that will be announced in tomorrow’s Deals & Drops. If you don’t feel like waiting, ALL orders this week will receive a complimentary T.G.S. Stencilboard Bookmark. For other Fountain Pen Day celebration specials, be sure to check the “Sponsors” page on the Fountain Pen Day website for additional specials and promotions.

Thanks to Everyone Who Made It To Pelikan Hubs Nashville 2018!

Yesterday, at 6:30 p.m. in various locations around the world, Pelikan enthusiasts around the world met for the fifth year in a row to share their love for fountain pens, and the Pelikan brand in particular. The Nashville hub met at the excellent Stout’s Burgers & Beers in Brentwood, where we had the back room reserved and were joined by Lisa Vanness from Vanness Pens, who drove over from Little Rock for the event! Follow the hashtags #pelikanhubs and #pelikanhubs2018 on social media (including my Instagram @gentlemanstationer) for additional pics from the Nashville hub and other events around the world.

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All Pelikan Hubs attendees receive a bottle of the Pelikan Edelstein “Ink of the Year,” which this year is Olivine, a very nice dark green that I’m looking forward to using.

Don’t forget, as part of a special Pelikan Hubs weekend “bonus,” Vanness Pens is staying in the Nashville area for a meet-and-greet on Saturday from 1-4 p.m. at the Homewood Suites, 5107 Peter Taylor Park Drive, Brentwood, TN 37027. There’s a huge common area in the hotel and Vanness will have plenty of pens, inks, and paper to test, so if you’re in the Nashville area please stop by!

Finally, steps have been taken to formalize a Nashville-area pen club using Meetup.com. Sign up here to receive notifications of upcoming gatherings and events.

Pelikan Hubs 2017 Is a Hit!

The annual Pelikan Hubs event continues to gain steam, and this year's Nashville Hub was no exception. Fountain-pen obsessed Nashvillians all gathered at the excellent Coco's Italian Market for some beer, wine, Italian food, and of course pens. It turned out to be a larger group than last year, with participants traveling from out-of-state (Alabama and Kentucky) to participate. Swag included a bottle of Pelikan's Edelstein Ink of the Year, "Smoky Quartz" and a (very) large Pelikan banner, which we'll put to good use at a future pen club meetup since we were already testing the crowded restaurant's patience with the size of our group. 

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And the pen sharing begins...

Pelikan started the Hubs as a way for their fans to meet one night each year in cities around the world for an evening of socializing and sharing pens. In order to qualify for a Hub in a particular city, at least five people need to express interest by signing up with Pelikan, with one person volunteering to act as the "Hub-master" (the person who makes the restaurant/event space reservation and has the box of Pelikan swag sent to them). 

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To learn more about Pelikan Hubs, and to be sure that you all get on the list for next year's event (or even start one in your city), be sure and visit Pelikan's "Hub Page." You can also check Instagram and Twitter for pictures of this year's Hubs events using the hashtag #pelikanhubs2017. Pelikan Hubs have served as a starting point for pen groups and clubs around the world, so if you're in the Nashville area, and want to stay in touch and participate in pen-related gatherings throughout the year, please feel free to reach out to me at joe (at) gentlemanstationer.com, or through the "Contact Me" portal on the blog.  

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