A Mid-Summer Update from T.G.S.: Lots of Changes on the Horizon, Including a Brick-and-Mortar Shopping Option Plus Pen Shows!

Those of you who are Patreon members or who subscribe to the shop newsletter may already be aware of some of these announcements, but I figured it was time to update the general readership since we are now very close to our move date! For the past year, I’ve been searching for a physical location for T.G.S., and given rising commercial real estate costs in the greater Nashville, Tennessee area, it hasn’t been easy to find suitable space that’s also reasonably priced. As it turns out, we have a lease on a location, and will be taking possession towards the end of July.

This is an extremely exciting new development for us (me and my family, who collectively run T.G.S.), and will allow us to expand both the T.G.S. Curated Shop as well as the range of pen-related content we can provide through our various media channels. Currently, I don’t have dedicated studio space for photography and video, which necessarily limits the quantity and quality of content that I can produce. The educational and informational content we offer here at T.G.S. will remain a core part of what we do, and a big part of this move is about expanding what we can offer the pen community in that regard.

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I’ve been attending multiple retail trade shows over the past couple of years preparing to expand the various lines of stationery we can offer, as well as partnering with manufacturers and brands on additional exclusive collaborations.

Will There Be an In-Person Shopping Option in Nashville? Yes! But Not Immediately.

As soon as we are able to move over our warehouse and office/fulfillment operations, we will offer in-person order pickup from a fixed location in the Nashville area. Once we take possession, I will post the address and pickup instructions here on the site, but I can go ahead and let my local customers know that the new location is near Berry Hill and central to most of the greater Nashville Metropolitan area. In the coming months - hopefully prior to the holidays - we plan to have a small retail area set up within our space that will allow people to come and shop our various product lines in person. Store hours will be forthcoming.

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D.C. Pen Show Details: Come See T.G.S. In Person!

Due to the impending move, which is currently scheduled to take place the week before the D.C. Pen Show, we will not have time to assemble a full table’s worth of inventory for either the D.C. or San Francisco Pen Shows in August. That said, we will be in attendance, teaming up with our friends at Vanness Pens to help staff the new Vanness Pen Lounge in D.C.! The Pen Lounge will be located in the downstairs conference area below the main ballroom (which at past shows had been used as the “maker’s area” before last year’s hotel remodel. Stay tuned for further details as we get closer to the main event, but this space will feature an area for attendees to socialize, ask questions from a rotating cast of volunteers, and attend mini-classes and workshops throughout the weekend.

In addition to helping staff the Lounge, I will be hosting a workshop on notebook systems, and will have a small selection of samples from brands including Roterfaden, Lochby, Traveler’s Company, Midori, Laconic, and more. While I can’t commit to bringing items for in-person purchase, since our ability to restock inventory may be limited by the move, I will try to have a small selection of T.G.S. products available for purchase at the Vanness tables. Please let me know if there is something you specifically want to see and I will try to make it happen!

The Gentleman Stationer is supported entirely by purchases from the T.G.S. Curated Shop and pledges via the T.G.S. Patreon Program.

Why Fountain Pen Day is Important: Reflections on 12 Years

Has it really been 12 years? I didn’t realize that the community has been celebrating Fountain Pen Day for more than a decade until I opened up this year’s shipment of Fountain Pen Day swag and realized that it’s emblazoned with “12th Anniversary!” I don’t plan to get very far into the history of the holiday - Kimberly over at the Pen Addict recently published an interview with Fountain Pen Day founder/creator Cary Yeager that does just that - but I did want to briefly reflect on why I enjoy Fountain Pen Day and why I think it’s important that we as a community continue to celebrate.

1. If Things Are Important To You, You Owe Them A Day. Fountain Pen Day is sometimes cynically written off as “Black Friday for Pens.” Look, I get the sentiment. Fountain Pen Day “the event” has grown exponentially since it was first launched, and - intentionally or not - has morphed into one of the biggest sales events of the year for many stationery retailers. Some of the hype borders on FOMO-driven consumerism. That said, I still believe that the idea of a day devoted specifically to fountain pens remains important because of what it represents. With “tech” increasingly pushed on us at every turn, celebrating Fountain Pen Day makes a statement to others about what we value, and provides us with an opportunity to reflect on why we devote so much time, energy (and money!) to this thing we love that goes far beyond a hobby.

2. If You Value Small Business and Independent Makers, Support Small Business and Independent Makers. I can personally vouch for the fact that the vast majority of us on the “business side” of fountain pens are not in this to make a lot of money. We do this because we love writing and want to do our part to ensure that quality pens, paper, and ink continue to exist well into the future. Events like Fountain Pen Day serve as a concrete reminder that if you value smaller, niche industries, it’s essential to make a conscious effort to support the participants you want to see continue, rather than defaulting to Amazon or whoever offers the biggest discount. Sure, nearly everyone has limited funds to devote to their hobby, but I’ve made a conscious effort to redirect my own personal spending this year to specific people I care about and who I want to see succeed.

3. It’s Nice to Have a Permanent “Stopping Point” for the Year to Evaluate How I Use My Planners and Notebooks and What I Might Want to Change. Over the years, Fountain Pen Day has become a waypoint, which signals the start of my personal year-end review process and gives me a full two months to think about what works, what doesn’t, and what I need to change for the following year. For example, I rarely buy planners in October, when Midori, Hobonichi, etc. release their new editions. I force myself to wait a month until Fountain Pen Day, which pauses the FOMO and allows me to reflect on what planner or journal I might realistically use.

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So How Did I Celebrate Fountain Pen Day? Plus Some Big News!

I actually intended to publish this short post yesterday, but as you’ll read below, the day turned into a bit of an event! I kicked off the day by visiting friends from our local/regional pen club at the Columbia Arts Building in Columbia, Tennessee, about 40 minutes south of where I live. After meeting for coffee, I had the opportunity to stop in and support another small retailer at Butler Stationery. If you ever make your way down to Columbia, it’s a great little shop with a nice selection of pens, ink, and paper.

Second, I took possession of and moved into the new offices of The Gentleman Stationer! Our operation has grown to the point where the business needs to begin moving out of our home. This isn’t a retail location - it will primarily serve as a space for me to work on administrative and content-related projects with a permanent setup - but at some point in the near future we will probably offer the option to pick up orders at the office. (We’re not quite there yet). Stay tuned for updates.

Finally, while the office move prevented me from attending this week’s Ohio Pen Show in Columbus, I will be going to pen club for Fountain Pen Day weekend! Those of you in the greater Nashville, Tennessee area (both residents and visitors!) should consider attending a meetup of the Middle Tennessee Fountain Pen Club. Meetings take place every Saturday at alternating locations. Details are available through the Facebook Group and/or a mailing list. (I’m not an admin - just a member - so please don’t rely on me to sign you up.)

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In addition to adding office space, we recently had to lease a larger warehouse space to accommodate growth!

T.G.S. Fountain Pen Day Promotions and Giveaways

All T.G.S. Fountain Pen Day promotions from yesterday’s post will run through 11:59pm tomorrow. Starting today, we are also launching a giveaway of two Esterbrook x Fountain Pen Day pen sleeves (shown at the top), both in this year’s Magenta colorway! All you need to do to enter the giveaway is to comment on either this blog post or the ensuing Instagram post that will be up shortly. No purchase is necessary, and I will choose a winner by numbering all comments and selecting two winners using a random number generator. Each winner will also receive a full T.G.S. Swag Pack. Many thanks for all your support this Fountain Pen Day!

The Gentleman Stationer is supported entirely by purchases from the T.G.S. Curated Shop, and pledges via the T.G.S. Patreon Program. Patreon members get exclusive access to meetups, periodic additional content, plus early access to my quarterly “Gently Used” sales. New items not claimed by Patreon members were recently added to the Gently Used page, which you can check out here.

It's Pelikan Hubs Week! What They Are and How to Participate

Though Pen Show Season is for the most part over, there are still plenty of opportunities to gather with your friends and fellow pen enthusiasts, whether that’s a meeting of your local pen club, online pen forums, or attending this Friday’s Pelikan Hub! The Pelikan Hubs are a series of events held in cities around the world and sponsored by German pen manufacturer Pelikan to raise their brand awareness. In years past, Pelikan has provided each attendee with handful of free gifts, including a magazine, pad of paper, and - quite generously - a bottle of the latest special edition Edelstein ink. This year, Pelikan has opted not to ship the ink, due to rising shipping costs, but many of the “Hubmasters” (hosts) are organizing gift bags, giveaways and more. If you’re interested in learning whether there is a Hub in your area, Though signup has long passed, many of the Hubs still have space (including ours here in Nashville), and you can join the Facebook group to see if there is a hub in your area. Be sure to reach out to the Hubmaster before showing up on Friday, as some locations have limited capacity due to the location.

Interested in Participating in the Nashville-Area Hub? Contact Me

If you missed the sign-up and are still interested in attending the Nashville-area Pelikan Hub, please e-mail me at Joe (at) gentlemanstationer.com, or send me a message via the site. I think we will have adequate space for a few more people, and would love to have you attend even if you can only stop by for a few minutes.

I hope to see you there!

The Gentleman Stationer is supported entirely by purchases from the T.G.S. Curated Shop and pledges via the T.G.S. Patreon Program.

Fountain Pen Day Weekend 2022: The T.G.S. Promotions and Giveaway Featuring TWSBI and Penwell

Tomorrow is Fountain Pen Day 2022, representing the 11th anniversary of our community’s “holiday” to celebrate the writing instruments we love! To follow along with the festivities, including gatherings, promotions, and giveaways, please check out the Fountain Pen Day site for a full list of participating sponsors, as well as some exclusive FPDay-branded products being sold by select partners.

The Gentleman Stationer has been a proud supporter of Fountain Pen Day for many years, and I look forward each year to crafting my own promotions, sales, and special content. This year, we have a three-part promotion that includes freebies with any orders from the store, a discount code good on select brands from the shop through the weekend, and a huge giveaway! All promotions start today, Thursday (11/3), and run through Sunday (11/6).

T.G.S. Curated Shop Promotional Offers (i.e., Free Stuff!)

In celebration of Fountain Pen Day, the following promotional offers are now live. No coupon code is needed to take advantage of these freebies, as they will be automatically included with qualifying orders.

1. Fountain Pen Day Swag with All Orders. Every order placed during this promotion will receive a free piece of Fountain Pen Day Swag, whether that’s a sticker or a bookmark (or for really big orders, both!). Cary was also kind enough to throw in some Esterbrook-branded swag, so you may find that in your package as well.

2. T.G.S. Swag Pack with All Orders over $50. All orders in excess of $50 will also receive, in addition to the Fountain Pen Day swag, a free pack of Gentleman Stationer buttons and stickers!

3. All Fountain Pen Orders Ship with a Complimentary Ink Sample. Some of you have taken advantage of this promotion already, as I’ve done a “quiet preview” this week, but through Sunday all fountain pen purchases will ship with a complimentary sample of ink from Anderillium or other brands I have on hand.

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T.G.S. Swag Packs are Back!

Shop Discount and Clearance Pricing on Select Brands Through Sunday!

Take 10% off most brands through Sunday, using the coupon code “FOUNTAINPEN” at checkout! Note that due to agreements with brands like TWSBI and others, I cannot discount certain products beyond my advertised pricing. I’ve also placed certain items on sale throughout the shop, including some big clearance discounts on stuff that also qualifies for the 10% off coupon on top of the promotional pricing! Items you’ll want to take a look at, including the remaining stock of the now-discontinued Soumkine planners. All sale items are marked so that they should appear in the “SALE” section of each page. Remember that all domestic U.S. orders over $75 ship free, so you can really stack the discounts here!

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Fountain Pen Day Weekend Giveaway with Three Great Prizes!

Last but not least, we are giving away three exceptional (hey, at least IMHO) prizes. To enter, comment on this post and let us know how you are celebrating Fountain Pen Day, or alternatively tell us about your best fountain pen-related memory! No Instagram or other social media entries for this contest, and the only way to enter and win is to comment here. Just be sure to leave an e-mail address when prompted so that I have a way to contact you if you win. After the giveaway closes on Sunday, November 6 at 11:59 pm US Central Time, I will number the comments in order received, and using a random number generator to pick three winners. This giveaway is open to everyone, but if shipping is exorbitant I may ask that you chip in on international packages. The prizes are as follows:

1. Limited Edition T.G.S. “Aged Red” Penwell. We recently restocked on our signature Penwell, designed in collaboration with Good Made Better, and what better way to celebrate Fountain Pen Day than to give away what I consider to be one of the best fountain pen-specific accessories on the market!

2. TWSBI “Glow Purple” ECO Fountain Pen. We can’t have a Fountain Pen Day Giveaway without a fountain pen! Win one of TWSBI’s latest releases, and if you don’t want to wait for the giveaway to conclude, we have additional pens in stock and available for purchase!

3. Soumkine “Agenda” with Mustard Cover. The Soumkine Planners are being discontinued, but I set a few of the coveted “mustard” cover planners aside for my own use and for a future giveaway! These hardcover “agendas” are undated, with fountain pen friendly paper and a flexible format.

Know that I appreciate you all and I always enjoy rewarding my loyal readers and customers every Fountain Pen Day! Please be sure to visit all of the FPDay sponsors and take advantage of their offers and special promotions, as Fountain Pen Day really kicks off the last two months of the year that are so important for small businesses.

The Gentleman Stationer is supported entirely by purchases from the T.G.S. Curated Shop and the T.G.S. Patreon Program. This post does not contain paid advertising or third-party affiliate links. Discount code promotion excludes TWSBI and Lochby.

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!