Sunday Reading for October 30, 2022

1. Sinclair Showdown: A Look at the New Sinclair Model R from Rickshaw Bagworks (via Chicana Writes). I fully agree that the Sinclair Model R builds on everything that made the original Sinclair three-pen case so enjoyable to use, with some nice new additions.

2. Vinta Inks The Awareness Project Collection (via Rants of the Archer). Vinta inks are among my favorites, and they’ve just released a new collection to raise awareness of endangered animals in the Philippines.

3. Joan Didion’s Notebooks (via Notebook Stories). Apparently Joan Didion was a fan of Clairefontaine notebooks, among other brands. There is an auction of her papers going on right now, apparently.

4. Magna Carta Emotions Power Fountain Pen Review (via SBRE Brown). Magna Carta pens have received a lot of attention, with their larger pens, some of which come with a No. 8 nib. I like the acrylic on this particular pen.

5. Laban Aphrodite Pink (via Mountain of Ink). Kelli is in the midst of reviewing the Laban “Greek Mythology” series, which is among my favorite recent discoveries. They are all nicely behaved and underrated inks, in my opinion.

6. Anderillium Cephalopod Ink Review. Yes, All of Them (via Pen Addict - Kimberly). While I love several of the inks in the Avian Series as well, as a whole the Cephalopod Series (based on squids and octopuses) is probably my favorite of the two.

7. Lennon Tool Bar Egret Paper (via Inkredible Colours). I’ve had a couple of requests for recommendations for more absorbent paper lately, and this option potentially looks interesting.

8. Wahoo! I Made It to Anniversary Two (via mnmlscholar). Congratulations on a two-year bloggiversary! I can attest that it’s far from easy!

9. Karas Pen Co. Decograph (via Left Hook Pens). The Decograph was Karas Pen Co.’s first foray into a more “traditional” pen style, and while initially acrylic-only, they’ve apparently released an aluminum model.

10. Giveaway: All Treats, No Tricks - TWSBI Cerulean Blue (via Well-Appointed Desk). Ana and team are giving away a TWSBI Cerulean Blue in collaboration with the T.G.S. Curated Shop! Don’t miss the opportunity to win this pen and other great prizes. (Plus we have a ton of TWSBIs in stock right now, see below!)

In Case You Missed It….

This week on the blog was a relatively busy one, though I had a mid-week hiccup on scheduling due to a family funeral. In celebration of the re-release of the T.G.S. Exclusive Penwell in our unique “Aged Red” finish, I thought it might be fun/interesting to revisit my review of the original Penwell, which shockingly is five years old! I also wrote a piece about hacking stationery, and some tips and tricks to keep in mind if you’re inclined to modify pens, inks, and paper! (The post also includes some shots of my latest “experiment”.)

This Week in the T.G.S. Curated Shop

We had several new items hit the shop this week, including the arrival of the new TWSBI “Glow Purple”, which will begin shipping tomorrow on Halloween! Additionally, we now have Traveler’s Notebook 2023 Diaries in stock, a full restock of Hightide Sandglasses in the 30 and 15-minute intervals, and the arrival of Opus 88 fountain pens! We also previewed one of our 2023 Fountain Pen Day promotions, in which all purchases of a fountain pen from the T.G.S. Curated Shop will receive a complimentary ink sample, so you can get your new pen writing immediately.

Washi Tape

Opus 88

Penwell

Caran d’Ache

Finally, don’t forget to participate in this week’s giveaway, where you can win one of three bottles of Anderillium Ink! The giveaway ends tonight!

Many Thanks for Your Shop Support, and Please Consider T.G.S. Patreon!

We’ve been surprised at the level of enthusiasm and support for our curated retail strategy over the past couple of months, and after careful consideration are beginning to build out our inventory with more brands and product categories. I love managing this aspect of T.G.S., as it offers me the opportunity to directly put great stationery - including brands I feel are underappreciated and underemphasized - into your hands. For those who want to support T.G.S. without necessarily adding to their accumulation, the Patreon Program offers two options for tiers of support: $3 and $5, and plan on making monthly meetups, pen show events, and periodic exclusive content the primary benefits. Of course, Patreon members will continue to get first access to periodic sample sales, with right of first refusal on gently used pens. (Reminder that those pens which made it through Patreon are now available to the general readership!)

Sunday Reading for October 23, 2022

1. Colorado Pen Show Recap (via Pen Addict - Kimberly). Though a smaller regional show, the Colorado Pen Show always receives good reviews, and if you’re West of the Mississippi it should be on your list of shows to attend.

2. Edison Pens Collier Grande with #8 Nib (via SBRE Brown). Back when it was first introduced, the standard Collier fountain pen was considered huge! Today, not so much. The Collier Grande features a huge No. 8 nib that many people I’ve spoken with have enjoyed.

3. Meet Your Maker - Tim Crowe, Turnt Pen Company (via Pen Addict). I’ve enjoyed reading this recent Pen Addict series of profiles on independent makers

4. Esterbrook Premium Camden Northern Lights Manitoba Blue (via Macchiato Man). This year Esterbrook released “Premium” models of their Camden fountain pen, with colorized nibs from Hinze Pens. As always, Yagan has a quite thorough review.

5. Endless Recorder Regalia vs. Cosmo Air Light (via Well-Appointed Desk). Endless, unfortunately has had to move away from both Tomoe River 68gsm (gah!), but their Regalia substitute looks excellent. I’ve not tried it myself but it’s received good reviews.

6. Sunshine: Penco A5 College Ruled Notebook (via A Fleeting Ripple). As you all know, we sell Penco products in our shop, but I’ve been somewhat hesitant to stock their notebooks given that I don’t know much about performance. Since Penco as a pen company is mainly known for their ballpoints and mechanical pencils (which are great) it probably shouldn’t come as much of a surprise that the paper isn’t designed for fountain pens.

7. New Pen: New Moon (via Fountain Pen Blog). Delike apparently has a writer’s Fude nib on the market, with only a slightly upturned tip, making it excellent for writing?

8. Sailors’ Dilemma (via The Poor Penman). I managed to successfully avoid Sailor’s North American “Don’t Miss the Boat” sale (mainly because I was out of town), but you could get some absolutely insane deals! To this day, I’ve never owned a Sailor Zoom nib, but I am intrigued a bit because they’ve been getting a lot of attention lately.

9. Blackwing Soft Handheld Eraser (Well-Appointed Desk). Blackwing has worked on building out their accessory lineup, with the latest being a larger handheld eraser based off the iconic Blackwing ferrule.

10. M1000 Maki-e Phoenix Limited Edition (via Pelikan’s Perch). I always admire the artistry on teh M1000 Maki-e edition, even though the pens have always been more than a bit out of my price range.

In Case You Missed It…

This week on the blog things got back into a bit of a rhythm following my return from vacation. I published the fourth installment of my “Guide to Notebook Systems,” this time looking at single-book systems (or “Non-System Systems”), using Midori MD as an example. I’ve enjoyed writing this series and it’s almost complete. I also reviewed two inks from Anderillium: Colossal Squid Dark and Green Kingfisher Green, both of which are darker green-black/teal-black colors that make for excellent workhorses.

This Week in the TGS Curated Shop: T.G.S. Exclusive Penwells Are In Stock and Shipping!

Our collaboration with Good Made Better - the T.G.S.-exclusive Penwell in the “Aged Red” Finish, is back in stock after a two-year hiatus! For this run, we’ve managed to keep the pricing the same, and Patreon members qualify for a special discount + free shipping, so members should check the Patreon site for details. We also restocked some favorite Washi Tape patterns, and added nearly a dozen more from iLootPaperie, which you won’t want to miss. You can check out the full new releases post here, as well as an update regarding the latest special editions from Caran d’Ache, the “Colour Treasure” editions.

Platinum

Caran d'Ache

Anderillium

Washi Tape!

Many Thanks for Your Shop Support, and Please Consider T.G.S. Patreon!

We’ve been surprised at the level of enthusiasm and support for our curated retail strategy over the past couple of months, and after careful consideration are beginning to build out our inventory with more brands and product categories. I love managing this aspect of T.G.S., as it offers me the opportunity to directly put great stationery - including brands I feel are underappreciated and underemphasized - into your hands. For those who want to support T.G.S. without necessarily adding to their accumulation, the Patreon Program offers two options for tiers of support: $3 and $5, and plan on making monthly meetups, pen show events, and periodic exclusive content the primary benefits. Of course, Patreon members will continue to get first access to periodic sample sales, with right of first refusal on gently used pens. (Reminder that those pens which made it through Patreon are now available to the general readership!)

Sunday Reading for October 16, 2022

1. Rituals: Galen Leather The Old School Molded Pen Case for Five Pens (via A Fleeting Ripple). I love the Galen old-school cases, and I’ll echo that their packaging and presentation is top-notch.

2. RIIND The Compact Pen (via KraftyCats). I really enjoyed the original RIIND pen, though some found it a bit large. The “Compact” version is worth checking out.

3. My Personal Pens: Gravitas Blue Fountain Pen (via SBRE Brown). I’ve also enjoyed getting to use the larger Gravitas model. If you appreciate larger, heavier pens, check this one out, and look for my own review soon.

4. The Plot Is Afoot (via Pen Addict - Sarah). I can’t believe NaNoWriMo is here already. I want to do SOMETHING to commemorate the occasion, since I love the idea, but I’m overwhelmed as it is and this year a novel just isn’t going to happen. Be sure to check out Sarah’s choice of pen.

5. Hieronymus XH5 Notebook Review (via Blake’s Broadcast). 120gsm paper tends to be extremely thick for me, but at this thickness it often can’t help but be fountain pen friendly.

6. The Tale of the Lady and the Scholar: My London Autumn Pen Show 2022 (via Fountain Pen Blog). I had originally intended to try to make the London Autumn Show, but life events intervened. On to the Spring? Semikolon’s new line of products intrigues me.

7. October 2022 London Pen Show (via Dapprman). A great pictorial recap of the London Pen Show!

8. Cypress Eggshell Series Dandelion (via Rachel’s Reflections). I love these eggshell designs, but I’ve not tried a pen from Cypress. Should I pick one up? (Also check out Part II of this post.)

9. Sheen with Purpose and Ink Mullets (via mnmlscholar). I’m going to submit “Ink Mullet” to the dictionary for 2022 new word of the year.

10. Ferris Wheel Press Curious Collaborations: Paper Tree (via Well-Appointed Desk). Ferris Wheel Press is killing me with all these new collaborations….

In Case You Missed It…

I was on vacation this past week! No, seriously, I probably had about five different posts noting this fact, so hopefully it didn’t take anyone by surprise. In the meantime, I did a wrap-up post discussing the 2022 Pen Show Season, since both the Colorado Show and New York Metropolitan Shows are currently ongoing. While there are a few more this year, my own pen show season has likely come to a close.

This Week in the Shop

Despite me being on vacation, a lot of new arrivals hit the shop this week! For starters, the second round of Platinum Preppy Wa fountain pens are now available for purchase, and - wait for it - the T.G.S. x Penwell exclusive “Aged Red” model is now available for preorder, with the Penwells likely arriving and shipping out sometime later this week. We are also restocked on most of our Caran d’Ache pens and pencils. There is MUCH more on the way in the near future, so stay tuned! Since I’m back in town, there should not be further delays in orders shipping, and anything placed while I was away should ship by tomorrow.

Platinum Preppy Wa

Nahvalur

Marks

Gently Used

Many Thanks for Your Shop Support, and Please Consider T.G.S. Patreon!

We’ve been surprised at the level of enthusiasm and support for our curated retail strategy over the past couple of months, and after careful consideration are beginning to build out our inventory with more brands and product categories. I love managing this aspect of T.G.S., as it offers me the opportunity to directly put great stationery - including brands I feel are underappreciated and underemphasized - into your hands. For those who want to support T.G.S. without necessarily adding to their accumulation, the Patreon Program offers two options for tiers of support: $3 and $5, and plan on making monthly meetups, pen show events, and periodic exclusive content the primary benefits. Of course, Patreon members will continue to get first access to periodic sample sales, with right of first refusal on gently used pens. (Reminder that those pens which made it through Patreon are now available to the general readership!)

Sunday Reading for October 9, 2020 (Vacation Edition)

1. Montegrappa Extra Otto Fountain Pen Review (via Blake’s Broadcast). The Montegrappa Extra series, which includes the Extra 1930 and Extra Otto fountain pens, features some of my favorite vintage-style celluloids out there, plus a giant No. 8 nib.

2. Where Is the Line Between Iteration and Imitation? (via mnmlscholar). Whatever the line is, Moonman has a tendency to disregard it altogether with some of their designs. Nonetheless, there are some interesting points here in terms of how Pilot has refused to bring a clipless VP to market despite strong demand.

3. (Don’t) Eat Your Greens: Lamy Studio (via A Fleeting Ripple). I love the Lamy Studio, and the “Olive Green” version is a favorite of mine, even over the Racing Green version that followed. As this review points out, however, those who are sensitive to heavier or metal pens might want to try before you buy.

4. Platinum Izumo Kurikara-Ken (via Rachel’s Reflections). The Platinum Izumo (and it’s nib sibling, the President, which I believe is discontinued) are models which I’ve never tried. I’ll need to remedy that based on these photos!

5. The Pilot Lucina (via Left Hook Pens). Now there’s a pen I haven’t seen in years! Once ubiquitous on the ‘Bay, the Lucina may have been phased out by Pilot? I always wanted a yellow one.

6. Kaweco Original Black Chrome Fountain Pens 060 and 250 (via Dapprman). Color me intrigued (especially if they eventually release this pen in more colors)! It’s also interesting that there are both No. 4 and No. 6 nib versions.

7. Venvstas Hits 2.0 with the Carbon Fiber Magna Piston (via UK Fountain Pens). I guess Anthony can’t stay away, and he’s back with a review of the “new” Venvstas Magna with a piston filler that they’ve attempted to revise to address earlier critiques.

8. Robert Oster Oklahoma City (via Mountain of Ink). The latest entry in Robert Oster’s “Cities” series is a sharp-looking green ink.

9. Wearingeul The Mind Fountain Pen Ink (via Pen Addict-Jeff). I’ve been incredibly impressed with the Wearingeul inks I’ve tried recently, so much that I brought along an entire case of Opus 88 pens filled with nothing but Wearingeul options on my vacation!

10. Ferris Wheel Press Fall Collection (via Well-Appointed Desk). And yet another Ferris Wheel Press release, in more excellent Fall-inspired colors! They really do their best work in autumn.

11. Sailor x TinterÍas Agave and Blue Corn: More Inky Deliciousness (via Pen Addict - Kimberly). The Sailor “Deliciosa” series keeps growing, and I’m in the process of placing my order for both of these!

In Case You Missed It

Since I’m on vacation, just one new review this week - my writeup of the Nahvalur (formerly Narwhal) “Nautilus” ebonite fountain pen in Stylophora Berry. I also recapped my ongoing Guide to Notebook Systems multipart series, which I’m actively working on.

View fullsize

Six new Platinum Preppy Wa colors are in stock!

This Week in the Shop - Vacation Discount!

Since I’m on vacation this week, I wanted to offer something special to make up for any brief shipping delays. Take 10% off all paper orders with the coupon code “VACAY10” at checkout! Also, as per the usual, any orders placed while I’m away will receive some small extras in the package.

In terms of new arrivals, we recently received a Caran d’Ache restock, including most colors of the 849 ballpoint, Black Code mechanical pencils (which you can use to match your Black Code ballpoint), and most of the Caran d’Ache woodcase pencil options. We also have the Mark’style Tous Les Jours Needle-tip Ballpoint, along with an allotment of the Platinum Preppy Wa Second Series fountain pens, featuring six new patterns on the heels of last year’s runaway success! I hope Platinum continues these releases in the future - they tend to sell out quickly.

Platinum

Nahvalur Pens

Anderillium Ink

Penco

Many Thanks for Your Shop Support, and Please Consider T.G.S. Patreon!

We’ve been surprised at the level of enthusiasm and support for our curated retail strategy over the past couple of months, and after careful consideration are beginning to build out our inventory with more brands and product categories. I love managing this aspect of T.G.S., as it offers me the opportunity to directly put great stationery - including brands I feel are underappreciated and underemphasized - into your hands. For those who want to support T.G.S. without necessarily adding to their accumulation, the Patreon Program offers two options for tiers of support: $3 and $5, and plan on making monthly meetups, pen show events, and periodic exclusive content the primary benefits. Of course, Patreon members will continue to get first access to periodic sample sales, with right of first refusal on gently used pens. (Reminder that those pens which made it through Patreon are now available to the general readership!)

Sunday Reading for October 2, 2022

1. Gravitas Sentry Big Dropper & Delrin Fountain Pens (via Pencilcase Blog). I had the pleasure of meeting Ben Walsh and handling some of the Delrin and “Big Dropper” models at this year’s D.C. Pen Show. I was impressed with all of them and need to bring some in for review soon.

2. 2022 Dallas Pen Show Recap (via Pen Addict - Kimberly). I’m happy to see a good overall review of the Dallas Pen Show, and heard great things from many attendees. There needs to be a strong lineup of smaller, regional shows.

3. Newsflash: Cosmo Air Light (via Well-Appointed Desk). Daryl at Musubi broke the news last week that Cosmo Air Light paper was being discontinued.

4. Kokuyo Auxiliary Hardcover Notebook (via Blake’s Broadcast). Kokuyo makes excellent hardcover notebooks, and these bound ledger-style notebooks look very interesting.

5. Semikolon Grand Voyage Notebook (via Fountain Pen Blog). I’ve always loved the look of Semikolon notebooks but in the past the paper has not worked well for me. I’m excited to see that the paper in this particular notebook got good reviews.

6. Diamine Monboddo’s Hat on Midori MD (via Inkredible Colors). Monboddo’s Hat is often recommended as a substitute for the coveted Lamy Dark Lilac, FWIW.

7. Do You Ever Regret Getting a Custom Nib Grind (via Chicana Writes). Early on, absolutely, but I’ve since accepted that sometimes I just made a bad choice and have passed those pens along to others. These days I try to keep a wider range of custom and standard grinds on hand since I know my preferences tend to change and I do different kinds of writing.

8. Endless Stationery Recorder Notebook Deep Ocean with 80 gsm Regalia Paper (via Rants of the Archer). Endless has moved away from Tomoe River 68gsm (presumably for supply reasons) and has substituted their own in-house paper.

9. Lamy Charged Green (via Dapprman). Reviews of this ink are few and far between, especially given how prevalent it was (as in, it was a difficult color to sell when Lamy issued it). Those who like bright green inks for annotation and possibly highlighting may want to consider it?

10. Troublemaker Grand River Sunset (via Mountain of Ink). I’ve recently discovered Troublemaker Inks, another brand from the Philippines that specializes in shading/sheening/shimmer/you-name-the-special-property.

In Case You Missed It…

This week on the blog, I reviewed the Nahvalur (formerly Narwhal) “Original Plus” Fountain Pen, which is Nahvalur’s revamped version of their inaugural pen from 2019, featuring a vacuum-filler fountain pen and redesigned materials. I also published Part III of my ongoing series on Notebook Systems, this week focusing on Traveler’s Notebook and what I refer to as “modular” notebook systems.

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New This Week in the Curated Shop

This week saw the arrival of the TWSBI ECO in Cerulean Blue, an eye-popping deep-sea blue that I would actually describe as a more vibrant turquoise. We also restocked on the glow-in-the-dark TWSBI ECO Glow fountain pen, and launched Anderillium Inks as a new brand, so that you now have additional ink choices to pair with fountain pens purchased from our shop. Finally, the Mark’style Tous les Jours Needle-tip ballpoint is back in stock, in nearly a dozen different colors. These needle-tip ballpoints are a personal favorite. The refills last forever and will soon be sold separately (they use an Ohto cartridge).

TWSBI

Nahvalur

Penco

Anderillium

Many Thanks for Your Shop Support, and Please Consider T.G.S. Patreon!

We’ve been surprised at the level of enthusiasm and support for our curated retail strategy over the past couple of months, and after careful consideration are beginning to build out our inventory with more brands and product categories. I love managing this aspect of T.G.S., as it offers me the opportunity to directly put great stationery - including brands I feel are underappreciated and underemphasized - into your hands. For those who want to support T.G.S. without necessarily adding to their accumulation, the Patreon Program offers two options for tiers of support: $3 and $5, and plan on making monthly meetups, pen show events, and periodic exclusive content the primary benefits. Of course, Patreon members will continue to get first access to periodic sample sales, with right of first refusal on gently used pens. (Reminder that those pens which made it through Patreon are now available to the general readership!)