Two Weeks with the New Parker 51 (via Penquisition). Evan takes a practical look at the recently released “new” Parker 51, and came away with thoughts similar to my own. Especially on the need for a converter to be included in the box.
TWSBI Vac 700R Iris (via Dapprman). The TWSBI Vac 700R in the special edition “Iris” finish is one that I have yet to get my hands on, though I do have a pen on order. I need to re-approach the Vac 700 series in general, as I’ve not owned one of these pens in years.
Gioia Pen Partenope Madreperla (via Rants of the Archer). Gioia Pen is another emerging pen brand out of Naples, Italy that warrants keeping an eye on. This particular pen may not be my style, but they’ve generally received positive reviews.
Analogue Planning and Task Management in Covid Times (via Writing at Large). I enjoy reading about different people’s custom planning and organizational strategies, using the specific tools that work for them.
Snippets: Schon, John Garnham, Pebble, GLP, Cross (via UK Fountain Pens). Here’s to another shout out for the Cross Peerless!
Savannah Green and Terra Red (via Bleistift). I’ve scaled way back on my acquisitions this year, so one of the things I’m really missing about pen shows is the ability to check out the latest Lamy Safari releases in person before I decided whether or not to go for them.
Handwriting vs. Calligraphy (via The Postman’s Knock). Some food for thought, especially the idea that good handwriting does not necessarily equate to an advantage in calligraphy, and vice-versa.
Colorverse Apollo 11 Set (via Mountain of Ink). I missed out on this one, since it’s around the time that I gave up trying to keep track of all the different Colorverse inks.
Both Sides (via FPQuest). Always both sides. Always.
Forsaking All Others (via From the Pen Cup). What pen and ink combinations are a perfect match for you?
In Case You Missed It…
This week on the blog, I wrote about the concept of “mini-collections” within your main pen collection, in my case with a focus on under-appreciated pens like the Parker Sonnet that I absolutely love as everyday writers. I also published a Traveler’s Notebook Tutorial discussing how to connect multiple refills to your Traveler’s Notebook. Finally, I published a piece about the different pens and pencils I’ve chosen to stock in the Curated Shop, with some additional detail about each selection.
Curated Shop Updates
New stuff is being listed every week, with the latest additions being custom rubber stamps from WMS & Co, to complement their line of reading accessories that I’ve stocked in the shop since the beginning. I also received a (small) shipment of Caran d’Ache Fixpencils, which have been on backorder, and refill blades for the M&R Sharpeners.
Sponsorship Changes - Consider Joining T.G.S. Patreon!
You may have noticed that over the past several months, I’ve been allowing paid sponsorships to lapse and relying on direct support from readers and visitors, either in the form of Patreon pledges or Curated Shop Purchases. I plan to continue this trend in 2021, with the goal of T.G.S. being completely self-sustaining by the end of the year. While I will continue to collaborate and work with select partners, I do not wish to rely on paid advertising going forward, with the possible exception of smaller brands and makers who you may see on my sidebar from time to time.
You can read more about T.G.S. Patreon here. I will be rolling out some new content in 2021 that will be exclusive to Patreon subscribers, including monthly online meetups, and the eventual return of the “Digital Divide” newsletter (you can read back content here). I will also continue with periodic “sample sales” of gently used review items, to which Patrons will have first access. The current sale is now live!
