Sunday Reading for February 19, 2023 (Presidents' Day Weekend Edition)

1. 2023 California Pen Show Recap & Report Card (via Pen Addict). It’s not often that new pen shows get launched, so of course I’m going to lead with the “new” LA Pen Show (the “California Pen Show”) which seems like it was a rousing success!

2. California Pen Show Recap (via Well-Appointed Desk). Another positive recap of the first California Pen Show! Perhaps I’ll see you all there next year….

3. Elbwood PocketMaster (via KraftyKats). These pocket pens are starting to show up more, with interesting design and beautiful ebonite construction.

4. Kaweco 2022 Limited Edition Sports (via Dapprman). While I’m on a Saffron/Orange/Yellow kick, that “Orangina”….

5. Sailor Realo 1911 Fountain Pen Review (via Blake’s Broadcast). Sailor’s piston-filler versions of its 1911 and Pro Gear models aren’t as popular or widely available as one might expect. On the consumer side, this is due to the price point.

6. A Lucky Find: SchonDSGN’s Pocket Six “Shop Shuffle” (via From the Pen Cup). I’ve not seen this before from SchonDSGN, but it’s a great idea! I imagine these go fast when they do come up.

7. Roma Aeterna: Montblanc Homage to Hadrian Rosso Antico (via A Fleeting Ripple). Even if they do sometimes duplicate colors, Montblanc has some excellent shades, especially in red. And let’s face it - many times you are buying into a theme that means something to you.

8. The Sailor Pro Gear Slim That I Feared Was Lost & The Aurora I Bought to Replace It (via Chicana Writes). Two excellent everyday writers are spotlighted here, and the “Christmas Pudding” Pro Gear Slim caught my own eye during the holidays….

9. 18111 Night Snow (via Rachel’s Reflections). I still have not purchased a pen from Mr. Nakama, and that needs to change soon. This one is gorgeous in a design I’ve never seen.

10. Pilot FriXion Ball Knock Zone Erasable Gel Ink Pen Review (via Pen Addict). Are people into the FriXion in the U.S. as much as in the Japanese market? Is this something I should be looking into?

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In Case You Missed It…

This week on the blog took a bit of a personal turn in terms of items I’ve been looking for (and now using) for some time: I finally found some standard blue writing paper that I enjoy and which is readily available at reasonable cost, and I also wrote the latest installment in the “Workhorse Pens” series on low-viscosity ballpoints such as the extra-fine and needle-tip pens I have started to use on an almost everyday basis and now stock in the shop.

This Week in the Curated Shop + Presidents’ Day Weekend PromotioN!

The past several weeks have seen a rather large expansion of our shop, which now includes several new ink lines ranging from the classic J. Herbin inks to more recent releases such as the historically-inspired Laban “Greek Mythology” series. For a full recap of all the new arrivals, check out each week’s “Thursday Drops” post, which this week includes the arrival and shipment of TWSBI ECO-T Saffron fountain pens, restocks on Kleid x Life Notebooks, and more!

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Grab a free mini-bottle of Anderillium for Presidents’ Day!

Also, for today and tomorrow only, all shop orders over $20 will receive a complimentary 10ml sample of Anderillium Ink! Anderillium was kind enough to send me a box of these ink samples for giveaways with orders. I have more than I thought so I’m expanding/extending our prior fountain pen promotion through 11:59pm CT tomorrow (Monday, February 20). No coupon code is necessary. (TWSBI is necessarily excluded from any promotion, per brand rules, but all other purchases qualify.)

Mark'style "Days" Ballpoints

Midori Paper

TWSBI

Herbin Ink

Consider Supporting Us Via T.G.S. Patreon!

This year, I’m trying to be more visible and intentional with T.G.S. Patreon and how the support/membership program will expand in 2023 to include not only access to meetups and early gently used sales, but more exclusive content, including the potential return of Digital Divide. So far, I’ve been trying for at least two Patreon posts per month. Patreon support starts as low as $3 per month, and if you pay annually there is a further discount. In addition to purchases from The Curated Shop, Patreon allows us to continue to grow the site without relying on advertisements and affiliate marketing. If you’re interested in meetups and exclusive content, or simply supporting the site, we greatly appreciate your support!

Sunday Reading for February 12, 2023

1. Endgame: Aurora 88 Big (via A Fleeting Ripple). The Aurora 88 is one of my favorite pens from a design perspective, and I definitely have a couple in my collection. I’ve long coveted one of the large standard black ones with the fluted silver cap….

2. I Swear It’s Not a Junk Drawer! (via Pen Addict - Kimberly). I don’t even want to show you my “junk” drawer. This one is insanely well-organized.

3. The Search for My Next Pocket Pen (via Dapprman). I’m also constantly looking for a great pocket pen to fit my everyday carry small notebook, but substitute “Plotter Mini 5” for Passport Traveler’s Notebook in my case.

4. No-Buy Follow-Up (via From the Pen Cup). There must always be the Pen Show exception!

5. Montegrappa Ortocera (via Figboot on Pens). I love Montegrappa’s zebra celluloid, and now this pen might be the last available pen from this material?

6. Analogue Keeper Logue Book Review (via Blake’s Broadcast). There’s been an increasing number of notebooks using Swedish Munken paper, which on the whole tends to be pretty good with fountain pens.

7. Ink Review #754: Ferris Wheel Press Buttered Popcorn (via Fountain Pen Pharmacist). I’ve written recently about discovery legible yellow inks that are versatile for both highlighting and writing. This one looks like perhaps it’s another candidate? I don’t necessarily find this shade of yellow difficult to read, but perhaps it’s the photos.

8. Ghosts of Planners Past: Daily Planners (via Writing at Large). I’ve personally gone back and forth between daily and weekly planner systems, depending on how busy I’ve been. Currently, I’m using more flexible systems that allow me to switch between the different types of refills and page layouts as I need them.

9. Kokuyo Campus High Grade (MIO) Notebook Review (via Fountain Pen Love). So when I was in NYC last week, I went looking for this version of Kokuyo Campus paper and couldn’t find it. I did, however, pick up some standard Campus looseleaf and was surprised at how well the standard Campus paper held up. I really want to try this version.

10. Planner Review: Trigg Life Mapper (via Well-Appointed Desk). I was somewhat surprised to see that these were still around. I reviewed on a few years ago and found it a bit complex for my needs but overall a nice well-though-out product.

In Case You Missed It…

I was in NYC attending Shoppe Object and NY Now, two of the largest stationery trade shows! You can read more about my adventures at the shows here, and you can read a bit about my travel packing “strategy” here. Overall, it was a great week to get travel moving again in 2023, and I’m looking forward to visiting some pen shows starting next month, when I’ll be in both Baltimore and Little Rock! Finally, I reviewed the much-anticipated Schon DSGN Mono Nib yesterday, as well as offered my thoughts on the Schon DSGN Full-Sized Fountain Pen.

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TWSBI Saffron ECO-T Pre-orders are open! The pens should arrive Monday or Tuesday, Fedex depending.

This Week in the T.G.S. Curated Shop - Pen Show Weekend Fountain Pen Promotion!

As noted in this week’s Thursday Drops post, our friends at Anderillium were kind enough to provide us with a huge box of ink samples that they requested we use to run a promotion. Through tomorrow, all purchases of Nahvalur and Opus 88 fountain pens will receive a free 10ml sample bottle of Anderillium ink, and any purchase over $120 will receive two samples. So basically you get some free ink to get your new pen writing immediately! No coupon is necessary and the ink will be added when we pack your order. Speaking of ink, to make the shop more navigable, we’ve introduced an “inks and refills” page, which now includes all bottled fountain pen inks, ink cartridges, and other pen and mechanical pencil refills.

We also received a massive restock of Write Notepads paper products, including two-packs of their excellent writing paper, as well as a fresh shipment of Hightide Sandglasses!

Clairefontaine

Hightide

Lochby

Letter Supplies

Consider Supporting Us Via T.G.S. Patreon!

This year, I’m trying to be more visible and intentional with T.G.S. Patreon and how the support/membership program will expand in 2023 to include not only access to meetups and early gently used sales, but more exclusive content, including the potential return of Digital Divide. So far, I’ve been trying for at least two Patreon posts per month. Patreon support starts as low as $3 per month, and if you pay annually there is a further discount. In addition to purchases from The Curated Shop, Patreon allows us to continue to grow the site without relying on advertisements and affiliate marketing. If you’re interested in meetups and exclusive content, or simply supporting the site, we greatly appreciate your support!

Sunday Reading for February 5, 2023 (NYC Travel Edition)

1. Year One: First Anniversary! (via A Fleeting Ripple). Congrats! Often the first year of blogging is the hardest, just in terms of maintaining a steady stream of posts and a reliable presence. A huge accomplishment, especially when the content is so high-quality.

2. InCoWriMo, AKA International Correspondence Writing Month (via Pen Addict). It’s February, so you know that it’s InCoWriMo time! Brad provides a nice overview of what InCoWriMo is all about. More on InCoWriMo below, and how we’re set up to help you with all your letter-writing needs.

3. Sailor Yurameku Inks, Round 2 (via Well-Appointed Desk). During my visit to Yoseka Stationery, I almost picked up a few of these, but then realized that I already had probably exceeded what I was capable of carrying home, and I’m already looking at having to purchase a second suitcase.

4. Platinum Curidas Fountain Pen Review (via Blake’s Broadcast). While it certainly doesn’t get as much attention as Pilot’s Vanishing Point/Capless series, the Curidas is still a legitimate option for those looking for a retractable fountain pen at a lower price point.

5. Further Thoughts on the Jinhao X159 Fountain Pen (via Fountain Pen Blog). I dove in and purchased one of these as well, and I can confirm that the nib I received was very, very good. Now swapping parts between different colors? That’s something I didn’t think of. More details soon.

6. PhoenixPenStands 12 Pen Holder (via KraftyKats). This does seem to be the year of the 3D-printed pen stand, and since this one’s in red and black, I automatically like it!

7. Ink Review #752: TWSBI Blue-Black (via Fountain Pen Pharmacist). I’m probably biased, but I love TWSBI Blue-Black as a standard blue-black ink. It’s got a nice vintage-style tone, some shading, as well as some water-resistance.

8. Jacques Herbin Gris de Houle (via Fountain Pen Love). I’ve been wondering lately what’s the difference between the “Jacques Herbin”-branded inks and the “J. Herbin”. This is a nice grey, though possibly a bit light for my own use.

9. My Seven-Notebook Writing System (via Pen Addict - Sarah). As I’ve said before, I always love looking at how others organize their writing projects. If you work in multiple notebooks, you may find something like the Lochby Field Journal helpful!

10. A No-Buy Year. Really. (via From the Pen Cup). Congrats to Mary on her progress so far. (Finishing a bottle of ink! In our world, that’s like running a marathon!)

In Case You Missed It…

This week on the blog, I reviewed a pen that’s been in my collection for some time without a write-up: the Graf von Faber-Castell Classic Macassar fountain pen. I also posted the various pens and carry items I took with me to NYC as I travel to the National Stationery Show for a few days. Keep an eye on Instagram for more on my travels!

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Airplane carry: I don’t just write about this stuff or sell it for kicks: I DO use it myself!

This Week in the T.G.S. Curated Shop - Expansion and Exciting announcements coming!

It’s no secret that I’ve been rapidly expanding the T.G.S. Curated Shop and working on a couple of semi-secret projects, which necessitated me traveling to NYC this week to meet with vendors, etc. New items are rapidly arriving, which I’ll be posting as they land. You can check out this week’s shop announcements here, which includes not only the arrival of Nahvalur’s Limited Edition “Year of the Rabbit” pens, but also full restock’s of Clairefontaine, Rhodia, and Write Notepads, as well as fun new desk accessories from WMS & Co., like these customizable stamps.

Also, if you’re participating in InCoWriMo, please check out our special letter-writing section, set up especially for this month! (If it’s popular, we may make it a permanent fixture.) Also, if you’re into stickers, stamps, and washi tape to use with your written correspondence or otherwise, we maintain a large and growing selection!

Nahvalur

Composition Books

"Philosophical" Stamps

G. Lalo Paper

Consider Supporting Us Via T.G.S. Patreon!

This year, I’m trying to be more visible and intentional with T.G.S. Patreon and how the support/membership program will expand in 2023 to include not only access to meetups and early gently used sales, but more exclusive content, including the potential return of Digital Divide. Patreon support starts as low as $3 per month, and if you pay annually there is a further discount. In addition to purchases from The Curated Shop, Patreon allows us to continue to grow the site without relying on advertisements and affiliate marketing. If you’re interested in meetups and exclusive content, or simply supporting the site, we greatly appreciate your support!

Sunday Reading for January 29, 2023

1. Monoc Monoc: Schon DSGN Monoc Nib Review (via Pen Addict - Kimberly). I just received my Monoc this week and couldn’t be happier with the experience. Kimberly does a great job of discussing the concept behind this nib and what to expect if you order one. I’m looking forward to seeing more of what Ian has in store for us!

2. An Avalanche of Mini Nib Grinds (via mnmlscholar). I’ve also ventured into the world of smaller, precise nib grinds, and it’s interesting to see which different grinds others have come up with.

3. Particulars: Blackwing Natural Pencil (via A Fleeting Ripple). The Blackwing Natural finish pencil is probably my favorite of their standard lineup, between the natural barrel and the extra-firm core with exceptional point retention.

4. It’s 2023, What Are We Using (via The Poor Penman). Lots of oldies as well as new goodies in this 2023 loadout from Paul. It’s great to see the Plotter Mini 5 getting more love, and I likewise don’t know what’s going on with Soumkine/Sumkin. The brand put out a blast e-mail over the summer and announced they were closing, but now they seem to be back… or maybe they’re liquidating old stock?

5. Kokuyo Campus High Grade (CYO-BO) Notebook Review (via Fountain Pen Love). I’ve wanted to try the Campus notebooks for some time, but haven’t properly understood Kokuyo’s paper quality system. I’m going to check out one of these.

6. Nine-Bespoke Pens Rosetta (via Dapprman). That material is gorgeous! Things you only discover in person at a pen show….

7. Currently Inked: Things Are Getting Out of Hand (via Writing at Large). I understand, believe me.

8. Hefty, Hefty, Hefty: The Rite in the Rain Mechanical Clicker Pencil (via From the Pen Cup). Mary and I apparently share a love for mechanical pencils with these big chunky 1.3mm leads. I’ve not seen this Rite in the Rain pencil before, and the leads come in 2B?

9. Meet Your Maker: Adolphus Smith, Darailpenz (via Pen Addict - Caroline). I had the pleasure of chatting at the Darailpenz table at last year’s Chicago Pen Show, and they have some stunning offerings, especially the stone pens.

10. Kamio Japan Paco-Tray Pen Case - Peanuts in Navy (via Well-Appointed Desk). Super cool idea to have a pen case that unfolds into a tray!

In Case You Missed It….

So this week I went entirely off-script from my “content plan” that I spent hours developing at the beginning of January, in favor of talking about nibs. Namely, I grew curious about people’s nib preferences in terms of fine, medium, broad, etc.; and then I received my Jinhao X159 in the mail with their new No. 8 nib and I had to write about that and all bets were off. Hope you enjoy!

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This week’s “Thursday Drops” post highlighted some quirky stationery favorites!

This Week in the T.G.S. Curated Shop - New Products and Restocks Are Rolling In!

It’s market season, meaning it’s that time of the year when retailers are bringing in new product lines and placing orders for all of the new releases that have been announced. Here’s what’s in so far:

• Yesterday we received a fresh shipment from WMS & Co, makers of shop favorites like our undated calendar desk pads. We also have the 175+ sheet notepads in additional colors, along with a new line of to-do list pads in the same paper as the undated calendars.

• More Clairefontaine and Rhodia products - including the Rhodia Composition Books! - will be arriving tomorrow to ship, and are currently listed and available for purchase.

• All colors of Anderillium inks are back in stock, including the 8-bottle sample sets in both the Avian and Cephalopod series.

• UPDATE: Monday marks the arrival of a bunch of new releases from Nahvalur, including their “Year of the Rabbit” limited edition featuring their new 14k nib! We have these in extremely limited quantities. We’ve also restocked on the Original Plus Vacuum-filler in all colors, and have added new versions of the Nautilus and the Nahvalur “Explorer” Inks!

Stay tuned as we have lots of great items on the way!

Anderillium Ink

Mr. Boddington

Lochby

Rhodia

Consider Supporting Us Via T.G.S. Patreon!

This year, I’m trying to be more visible and intentional with T.G.S. Patreon and how the support/membership program will expand in 2023 to include not only access to meetups and early gently used sales, but more exclusive content, including the potential return of Digital Divide. Patreon support starts as low as $3 per month, and if you pay annually there is a further discount. In addition to purchases from The Curated Shop, Patreon allows us to continue to grow the site without relying on advertisements and affiliate marketing. If you’re interested in meetups and exclusive content, or simply supporting the site, we greatly appreciate your support!

Sunday Reading for January 22, 2023 (Philly Special Edition)

1. Philadelphia 2023 Pen Show Recap (via Pen Addict). I was bummed to miss this year’s Philly Pen Show, mainly because I wanted the chance to pick up my Schon DSGN Monoc nib in person! There’s always next year!

2. Petals on Water: Studyo Agackakan (via A Fleeting Ripple). I’ve jumped even further into the world of custom/independent makers this year, especially those working with especially interesting materials. I love the look of this particular material, a cellulose acetate.

3. Overheard at Philly: Three Views on Sharing Pens at Pen Shows (via mnmlscholar). I tend to think that it’s more about the people as opposed to the pens. I sometimes enjoy testing out or admiring pens I haven’t seen before (and have confirmed or nixed prospective purchases after seeing one in person “after dark”), but mainly I hang out to talk with friends.

4. Kakimori Brass and Steel Metal Dip Pen Nib Review (via Blake’s Broadcast). Blake compares two products that have exploded in popularity over the past year: Kakimori’s excellent metal dip nibs in two different materials. I have a brass nib, but would like a steel (and a glass) at some point in the future.

5. Early Thoughts on the Jinhao X159 Fountain Pen (via Fountain Pen Blog). I also had the opportunity to test out an X159 this weekend at pen club, and confirm that it wrote nicely. Picking one up myself! I suspect you will start seeing these nibs repurposed into custom pens at some point in the very near future.

6. Genuine Excitement for the BENU Talisman Shamrock (via Penquisition). While BENU pens generally aren’t up my alley aesthetically, the Talisman line of pens are more traditional and not quite as over-the-top visually. I like this one!

7. Fountain Pens from My Collection: Pelikan M200/M205 (via Fountain Pen Love). Two exceptional workhorses that were among the first piston filler fountain pens that I purchased.

8. What I Love About Stationery: An Incomplete List (via From the Pen Cup). This is an absolutely exceptional post from Mary. Love the combination of the journal entries + photographs.

9. DesignWorks Vegan Suede Folio in Blush Pink (via Well-Appointed Desk). Ana reviews a vegan-friendly option to the classic Traveler’s Notebook leather cover.

10. Aurora Il Viaggio Segreto in Italia Volterra with Goccia Nib (via Gourmet Pens). I’ve been admiring this series from Aurora for some time, and I’ve long wanted to try out one of their Goccia nibs. Maybe this year!

In Case You Missed It….

This week on the blog, I reviewed two new (to me) technical/drafting pens and pencils from the TWSBI “Precision” line. Fans of Rotring 600-style writing instruments may want to check these out. I also reviewed two offbeat ink colors that I’ve been using for some of my everyday writing recently, including my much sought-after yellow ink that I think I finally found.

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It’s never too late to start a 2023 planner when you opt for an undated version! We have plenty of options, and you can even use items like Midori Diary Stickers to convert any notebook into a planner!

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

This week we continued to see many of you stocking up on letter writing supplies in advance of InCoWriMo next month, and I was happy to see the new composition books from Mr. Boddington’s Studio going out the door! This week’s “Thursday Drops” e-mail also highlighted a restock of pocket notebooks and reporter-style and steno pads.

Anderillium Ink

Multi-Year Diaries

Mini Stationery Kits

TWSBI Pens

Consider Supporting Us Via T.G.S. Patreon!

This year, I’m trying to be more visible and intentional with T.G.S. Patreon and how the support/membership program will expand in 2023 to include not only access to meetups and early gently used sales, but more exclusive content, including the potential return of Digital Divide. Patreon support starts as low as $3 per month, and if you pay annually there is a further discount. In addition to purchases from The Curated Shop, Patreon allows us to continue to grow the site without relying on advertisements and affiliate marketing. If you’re interested in meetups and exclusive content, or simply supporting the site, we greatly appreciate your support!