Sunday Reading for August 13, 2023 (DC Recaps Edition)

1. DC Pen Show 2023 - A Return to Form (via The Looped Square). Joseph is back on the blog for his annual recap of the 2023 D.C. Pen Show, which was, indeed, a return to form.

2. 2023 DC Pen Show - A Really Quick Recap (via Pen Addict - Kimberly). A very thorough recap of Kimberly’s relatively quick trip to the DC Pen Show, and hopefully we’ll see more of her in San Francisco.

3. 2023 DC Pen Show, Part I and Part II (via Rachel’s Reflections). I fully agree with Rachel that aisle design needs to be reworked for future shows.

4. Can You Have Too Many Refillable Notebooks? (via Notebook Stories). On a certain level - as with anything - the answer is probably “yes,” but refillable notebooks can also be repurposed, and if you’re a simultaneous-multiple-notebook user like me, it also aids in the curation and archiving because certain systems allow you to save individual pages.

5. Shibui North Copper Pocket Pen (via Dapprman). I had several different people approach me in D.C. asking where the Shibui North table was, and I was also looking forward to checking these pens out in person. Unfortunately I don’t think they made the show.

6. Pen Shopping at Appelboom Boston (via Line Variation). A great post that provides an exceptionally good narrative of what it’s like shopping in person at a pen store - a quieter, more focused experience compared to the oft-chaotic environment of shows.

7. Journaling Series: Journaling to Work Out Choices (via Writing at Large). Another excellent installment in the Journaling Series.

8. Studio Neat Mark One Review (via The Poor Penman). It’s great to see a Mark One review; I’ve been eyeing one of the special editions but haven’t jumped on it (yet).

9. Help, I’m Writing in Five Notebooks Daily, How Do I Pare Down? (via Analog Office). I see no problem here. Great answer to this question.

10. Loclen Electa in Raw Brass (via KraftyCats). Loclen has seemingly disappeared from the scene here in the U.S. after popping up pre-Pandemic. I was never able to get my hands on one of these pens for an extended run.

11. Early Thoughts on the Sheaffer Icon, Lustrous Chrome Fountain Pen (via Fountain Pen Blog). I’ve not seen this Sheaffer model before - to be honest, I’ve not heard much from the brand at all in recent years.

12. PenLux Mo Inks (via Well-Appointed Desk). Anytime I see vintage-inspired colors, I can’t help myself. I’m really glad I missed these in D.C.

13. Pelikan 4001 Blue-Black Returns to North America (via Pelikan’s Perch). BUT WILL IT HAVE THE FORMALDEHYDE SMELL?!?! I sure hope so. Ah, nostalgia.

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In Case You Missed It….

This week on the blog, it was all about recapping the D.C. Pen Show, between my post with my thoughts on the show itself and my follow-up post discussing what I bought and why.

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And then there were three… Don’t miss your chance to get in on the T.G.S. x Hinze Collaboration Project. Will ship to you, or you can reserve and I’ll bring to San Francisco.

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

New arrivals keep flooding in while I’m traveling, and between blogging, shows, and fulfilling orders, I’m a bit behind on listing new items but stay tuned today and the rest of this week because there is some fun stuff on the way. Meanwhile, check out a range of new high-end desk accessories, as well as new refills from Traveler’s Company including the return of Sticker Release and Accordion Fold paper, formerly part of the B-Sides and Rarities Collection but now part of the regular lineup!

Traveler's Company

Stamps

Scissors

Clairefontaine

More Ways to Support T.G.S.!

Everything that didn’t sell to Patreon members, including some older limited edition Baron Fig items and notebooks, is now available for general purchase on the “Gently Used” page! If you’re interested in early access and a right of first refusal for the periodic sales, consider T.G.S. Patreon, which features not only access to meetups and the early gently used sales, but more exclusive content. 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 August 6, 2023: DC Pen Show Travel Edition

1. 21 Plus 5 Pen Questions (via Fountain Pen Blog). Another excellent round of 21 Pen Questions, plus this particular post has a round-up of many of the “21 Pen Questions” posts that are out there!

2. 42 Answers to #21PenQuestions (via Penquisition). Both Evan and Julian take the 21 Pen Questions Challenge!

3. Platinum Chou Kuro (via Well-Appointed Desk). How much more black can you get? Not very.

4. Souverän M600 Art Collection - Glauco Cambon Special Edition (via Pelikan’s Perch). Finally, we start seeing some of the 2023 Pelikan Special Editions emerge! Personally, I really like the look of this pen, and even better, it’s an M600.

5. Endless Stationery Companion 5-Pen Case (via KraftyKats). A very nice looking leather pen case from Endless!

6. Platignum Vibe Fountain Pen Review (via Blake’s Broadcast). I enjoy reviews of sub-$20 pens. I’ve used a Platignum fountain pen in the past and found myself relatively impressed by the quality at the price point.

7. Time Flies, So Do I: Holiday Carry (via A Fleeting Ripple). There are so many considerations that go into selecting pens to take with you on your travels…

8. A Month’s Worth of Pens: Holiday Carry, Part 2 (via A Fleeting Ripple). Here’s the full holiday load-out!

9. A Fulfilling Micro Collection (via Rachel’s Reflections). This is a pretty great five-pen selection, if you ever had to limit yourself to just five fountain pens!

10. Blackwing Natural Extra Firm Pencil Review (via Pen Addict - Jeff). By far my favorite of the stock Blackwing releases, even the “extra firm” Blackwing graphite is slightly darker than a standard HB.

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The Craighill Kepler Pen with its retractable D1 refill mechanism.

In Case You Missed It…

This week on the blog, we’re not only getting ready for back to school and back to work, but we’re at the D.C. Pen Show, which for me is a bit of both. Content included a post on how you can use the Uniball Jetstream refills to upgrade ballpoints and multi pens, as well as a short recap of Friday at the D.C. Pen Show with details on where you can find me. (Spoiler: At the end of the Vanness Pens Table!)

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Fans of Clairefontaine French-Ruled Paper should check out Nakabayashis’ version!

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

First of all - through tonight at 11:59pm CT, we’re running a pen show special with 10% off most orders using the coupon code “PENSHOW10” at checkout! Last week saw all sorts of new shop arrivals, including new notebooks from Nakabayashi and more desk accessories, the TWSBI Sunset Yellow Fountain Pens, and new ranges of ballpoints and mechanical pencils from HMM and Craighill.

TWSBI

HMM

Scissors

Craighill

Ways to Support T.G.S. and Gently Used Update!

Everything that didn’t sell to Patreon members, including some older limited edition Baron Fig items and notebooks, is now available for general purchase on the “Gently Used” page! If you’re interested in early access and a right of first refusal for the periodic sales, consider T.G.S. Patreon, which features not only access to meetups and the early gently used sales, but more exclusive content. 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 July 30, 2023

1. 2023 Pacific Northwest Pen Show - Recap and Report Card (via Pen Addict - Kimberly). For the first year of a pen show, I can only say that this one appears to have been a rousing success!

2. Journaling Series: Journaling to Clear Your Mind (via Writing at Large). I’ve been following this regular series on journaling techniques. It’s excellent if you’re looking to start journaling and need prompts and/or exercises to help you get started, or if you’re an experienced journaler who feels like the practice has gotten stale and needs a refresh.

3. 21+5 Pen Questions (via Weirdoforest Pens). Yay! My five extra pen questions have caught on!

4. 21 Pen Questions (via Rachel’s Reflections). Rachel takes her turn with the 21 Pen Questions.

5. #12PencilQuestions (via Well-Appointed Desk). Now we’re moving into the pencil world!

6. UNICEF Blue (via Line Variation). By far one of the more underrated “semi-standard” Montblanc Inks, UNICEF Blue is a gorgeous turquoise!

7. Dingbats Wildlife: Notebook Review (via Stationery Pizza). Dingbats notebooks don’t get the attention they deserve. The company markets itself as vegan and eco-friendly, and the paper in the two notebooks I have tried is very good.

8. On How I Did Not Buy a Meisterstuck 149 (via Fountain Pen Blog). I love these “in the wild” stories about hunting pens.

9. What’s My Hobonichi Done for Me Lately? (via mnmlscholar). I’m intrigued by the Hobonichi Day Free, and how people are using it.

10. Hamelin’s Intentions Clarified (via Pelikan’s Perch). I’ve been fairly quiet on the acquisition of Pelikan’s stationery business by Hamelin, a French stationery company, mainly because I don’t really understand all the “alarm.” While there’s always some uncertainty around acquisitions like this one, Pelikan has been bought and sold a few times over the years, and the latest go-round seems to be an instance of one large conglomerate selling the brand (or a part of the brand) to another large company. Joshua has a follow-up article that nicely summarizes the current status of the transaction.

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In Case You Missed It…

This week on the blog I wrote a post about one of my favorite “go-to” fountain pen friendly papers, French powerhouse Clairefontaine, and why it’s long been my default for everyday writing paper. It’s also time for Part II of my recent “Bag Dump” series, in advance of this week’s upcoming DC Pen Show.

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

It’s time for the mid-year stationery markets, both in-person and online, so you’ll be noticing several new arrivals hitting the store in addition to restocks on most of our existing lines. Big news from this week include the release of the TWSBI Sunset Yellow Diamond 580 AL fountain pen, which will ship Monday or Tuesday and is now available for purchase. We also received a huge shipment from Exaclair (distributor of Clairefontaine, Quo Vadis, Herbin, and Rhodia), as well as most Anderillium inks.

Hinze Pens

Clairefontaine

Midori

TWSBI

Pen Show Schedule for the Upcoming Month and Orders for Pen Show Delivery

This year in DC you can find me sharing table space with our friends at Vanness Pens. TGS won’t have a stand-alone table, but I’ll be bringing a handful of items with me, including Lochby cases and notebooks, washi tape, and whatever stock remains from the TGS-exclusive Penwells and Hinze Collaboration pens. While I plan to have a full table setup in San Francisco, I tend to use the D.C. Show to visit with people and scope out new releases. Note: If you have your eye on something from the shop and want me to bring it to the show for you to pick up, you can select “Local Pickup” at checkout to drop the shipping charge and send me a message to arrange for delivery. Just be mindful that I probably won’t be able to bring heavier orders (i.e. 5 or 6 notebooks) due to airline weight restrictions.

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I’ll plan to bring some stamps that you can use to decorate your notebooks at the table!

Other Ways to Support T.G.S. and Gently Used Update!

Everything that didn’t sell to Patreon members, including some older limited edition Baron Fig items and notebooks, is now available for general purchase on the “Gently Used” page! If you’re interested in early access and a right of first refusal for the periodic sales, consider T.G.S. Patreon, which features not only access to meetups and the early gently used sales, but more exclusive content. 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 July 23, 2023

1. Journaling Series: Journaling Through Fear (via Writing at Large). The second installment of this excellent series on journaling techniques!

2. Hypothetical! Top 5 (via Weirdoforest Pens). I always love reading people’s Top 5 lists. This one takes an interesting approach in that it discusses top pens for five different use cases.

3. #21PenQuestions (via Left Hook Pens). I still love reading these!

4. Introducing the Touchstone (via Penquisition). I can’t wait to see these in person at the D.C. Pen Show. Congratulations to Evan on the pen release!

5. Curating an Ink Collection (via Well-Appointed Desk). I’ve de-stashed many of my inks over the past few years, but I really need a better way of organizing and curating for quick reference.

6. Eye Candy: Troublemaker Foxglove (via A Fleeting Ripple). I’m glad I’m not the only one who consistently finds multi-shading/multi-chromatic inks on the drier side, across most brands.

7. Lamy Safari: Re-Trying It (via Stationery Pizza). Sometimes you can “discover” a new pen by trying it again after some time, even years!

8. Esterbrook Paradise JR Key Lime, 1.1mm Stub (via KraftyCats). Chloe reviews Esterbrook’s more compact “JR” model from the summer-themed “Paradise” line.

9. Tibaldi N60 Fountain Pen Review (via Blake’s Broadcast). The ebonite feed has become Tibaldi’s market niche, even with their stainless steel nibs.

10. Tailored Pen Co. Wildflowers (via Rachel’s Reflections). I’m hearing more about Tailored Pen Co. recently, and these blanks incorporating dried flowers into the acrylic are also becoming quite popular.

11. A New Start Screams for a Starter Currently Inked (via mnmlscholar). Congratulations on the new start!

12. Meet Your Maker: Eric Sands, Atelier Lusso (via Pen Addict - Caroline). I’m looking forward to seeing Atelier Lusso pens in person at the upcoming San Francisco Pen Show, where I notice they are signed up to have a table!

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In Case You Missed It….

This week on the blog, I did a “bag dump” post! I’ve not talked about my everyday work carry in some time. Since I was on the road for a long weekend visiting NYC, I also published a post about visiting pen stores, and what I focus on when shopping in person.

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Finally, don’t miss this week’s giveaway post over on Instagram! We’re giving away a bottle of our “Summer Sangria” fountain pen ink that’s typically only sold packaged with our current Hinze Fountain Pen Collaboration (see additional details below)!

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We’re down to the last handful of T.G.S. x Hinze Pens collaboration fountain pens, all of which are now available with the nano-ceramic plated Crimson nibs.

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

We’re busy preparing for the upcoming Washington, D.C. and San Francisco Pen Shows - in addition to the, gulp, Holiday Shopping Season which is going to be here sooner than anyone would like - and accordingly have constant new arrivals and restocks on the way. This week saw the arrival of Midori A5 Soft Color Pads (the lightweight writing pad equivalent of the Soft Color A5 Notebooks), as well as a full restock of Lochby Quattro pen cases and Field Journal notebooks!

Letter Writing

Hinze Pens

Stalogy

Laban Inks

Other Ways to Support T.G.S. and Gently Used Update!

Everything that didn’t sell to Patreon members, including some older limited edition Baron Fig items and notebooks, is now available for general purchase on the “Gently Used” page! If you’re interested in early access and a right of first refusal for the periodic sales, consider T.G.S. Patreon, which features not only access to meetups and the early gently used sales, but more exclusive content. 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 July 16, 2017

1. Journaling Series: An Introduction (via Writing at Large). This looks like the start of an excellent multi-part series on journaling. The first installment, Journaling for Mental Clarity, is available.

2. 21+5 Questions Answered to Celebrate 8 Years of Writing at Large (via Writing at Large). Congratulations on the bloggiversary! Also, I enjoyed reading answers to the five additional questions - personal stories about how people came to this hobby and why they stay fascinate me.

3. Ink Review: Sailor x Tinterias Inks (via Well-Appointed Desk). They got me. Blue Corn and Agave are on the way.

4. Aurora Optima Auroloide Green (via Dapprman). I’m very happy with my own Optima in Green “Auroloide” material, and I consider it to be one of the better materials Aurora offers.

5. If Not a Fountain Pen, Then What? (via Line Variation). The Pilot v5 needle-tip rollerball is an excellent, and often overlooked, option.

6. Meet My New Brother (via KraftyCats). While I have a few typewriters, I’ve so far resisted the urge to get into full-on typewriter enthusiasm. Space and all!

7. Galen Leather Everyday Notebook (via Blake’s Broadcast). If you’re looking for a leather-bound Tomoe River Paper notebook, and don’t mind blank paper, these Galen Leather notebooks are excellent options.

8. Two Fun Nibs for Lefties (via Fountain Pen Blog). The Delike bent nibs have come highly recommended as an inexpensive option. Should I check one out?

9. Endless Explorer Refillable Journal Review (via Pen Addict - Sarah). Fans of the larger-format Endless “Storyboard” notebooks may want to consider this multi-refill cover system.

10. Top 10 Under-Appreciated Ink Brands (via Well-Appointed Desk). There are many good recommendations on this list. Just because an ink’s not trendy, or the brand has been around for a long time, doesn’t mean it’s “boring” or not worth pursuing. To the contrary, I consider that a sign of quality.

11. P.W. Akkerman #8 Diep-Duinwaterblauw (via Fountain Pen Love). I don’t currently have any Akkerman inks in my collection. I truly miss the bottles. Is No. 8 a possibility?

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In Case You Missed It…

This week on the blog, I reviewed a pen that’s been in my “to review” queue for quite some time: The Newton Hale fountain pen by custom penmaker Shawn Newton. I also asked a question that I’ve been curious about: Do people intentionally match their inks to pens? How much thought goes into the process of inking pens?

Finally, a new episode of “Currently Inked” hit the YouTube Channel Friday afternoon! Don’t miss this up-close look at our Hinze collaboration pen and ink!

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This Week in the T.G.S. Curated Shop: Crimson Nibs on Hinze Pens Now Available!

Ok, so the big news that many of you are apparently waiting for: The Crimson nibs from Hinze Pens are on their way! I have re-upped the stock of TGS x Hinze Pens that are available for purchase with the Crimson Nib, and these should ship out to you mid-week. I do have one ask: If you have been intending to purchase a Hinze Pen, but have been waiting for the Crimson nib to come back in stock, I would be forever grateful if you “preorder” this weekend. The nibs are being express shipped to me tomorrow, which means that if I have an accurate count of how many Crimson nibs I need, it will streamline/simplify things for both me and the team at Hinze Pens who are currently working to anodize these and get them in the mail.

As noted throughout the week, we’ve also received several restocks recently, including A5 Stalogy Notebooks and Midori MD Dip Pens, among other things. Stay tuned, as we are bringing more stock in each week as we prepare for both the D.C. and San Francisco Pen Shows!

Stalogy

TWSBI

Platinum

Anterique

Other Ways to Support T.G.S. and Gently Used Update!

Everything that didn’t sell to Patreon members, including some older limited edition Baron Fig items and notebooks, is now available for general purchase on the “Gently Used” page! If you’re interested in early access and a right of first refusal for the periodic sales, consider T.G.S. Patreon, which features not only access to meetups and the early gently used sales, but more exclusive content. 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!