Sunday Reading for September 17, 2023

1. Can You Do Bullet Journal Style Planning Without All the Artwork? (via Analog Office). While I enjoy looking at ornate BuJo spreads, one of the downsides is that it can be intimidating to those looking to use the bullet journal as originally intended.

2. Anderillium Lepidoptera Ink Review. Yes, All of Them. (via Pen Addict - Kimberly). Kimberly reviews all of the inks in the recently released Lepidoptera Series. Also, thanks for the link! See below for more details on our current promotion.

3. Show Recap: Orlando Pen Show (via Well-Appointed Desk). Jesi was at the Orlando Pen Show behind the Dromgooles’ table. This show seems to be growing rapidly and I look forward to attending at some point in the future!

4. Comparing Tomoegawa vs. Sanzen Tomoe River Papers (via Inkredible Colours). You will probably start seeing fewer and fewer comparisons like this one as the Sanzen version replaces the “old” Tomoe River Paper.

5. 15 Years of Notebook Stories (via Notebook Stories). Congratulations! I’ve been wanting to write a post on how true pen sites with long-form content that’s archived seem to be getting rarer and rarer these days. I’m glad to see a long-running favorite like Notebook Stories still going strong.

6. A Pocket (or Wallet) Ballpoint Pen Solves Some Problems with Your Fountain Pen (via Pen Picture). Totally agree!

7. Schon DSGN Monoc Nib & Anodized Aluminum “Pocket Six” Fountain Pen (via Well-Appointed Desk). As I mentioned in my own review of the Fine Monoc from earlier this week, Ana was responsible for me making this purchase! Be sure to check out her review as well.

8. My Personal Pens Magna Carta Magneye (via SBRE Brown). I’ve never used a Magna Carta pen, believe it or not!

9. Staplers I Have Known (via Writing Ball). This one brought back some memories.

10. Vacuum Fillers (via Stationery Pizza). Vac Fillers are rapidly becoming one of my preferred filling systems.

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In Case You Missed It…

This week on the blog, two big reviews! First, I reviewed the Schon DSGN Monoc Nib with a fine tip. The beauty of this nib is that it’s both a fine writer and has an architect-ish grind on the reverse. I also reviewed a new Kickstarter project from Wingback: The Wingback Fountain Pen, which is a compact machined fountain pen that’s stylistically very similar to Wingback’s excellent Mechanical Pencil and Mechanical Pen. Finally, I responded to some reader questions about Roterfaden Taschenbegleiter organizers, in connection with our recent launch of this brand in the Curated Shop!

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Consider adding coffee to your stationery rotation! I highly recommend it!

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

What, coffee? Yes, as part of our effort to bring together a collection of products to enhance the entirety of your contemplative life, we’ve stocked a small selection of coffee accessories from Taiwanese maker HMM (Human Made Method). The company specializes entirely in stationery and coffee, which of course placed them squarely on my radar! As noted in the Thursday Drops post linked above, we’ve also assembled a fairly large selection of notebooks and writing pads compatible with the Roterfaden Taschenbegleiter, to better assist you in assembling your perfect notebook/planner/journal system.

Also, don’t forget that any order of 2 or more bottles of Anderillium Inks will automatically receive a free sample bottle (10ml) or a bottle of Anderillium Ink Wetter! No coupon necessary!

Roterfaden

HMM

Reading Accessories

Anderillium Ink

Patreon Update - Support T.G.S. via Sample Sales, Early Access, and Meetups with Special Guests!

If you’re interested in further supporting T.G.S., consider joining the 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 pledge! I’m working on something new - Guests for the monthly meetups! Stay tuned for details on a September special guest.

Sunday Reading for September 10, 2023

1. Planner for 2024 (via Stationery Pizza). It’s Planner Month (or “Months”) again as we barrel towards 2024!

2. Too Many Options: Planners and Life (via A Fleeting Ripple). There are far too many planner options out there for me to make sense of them, but if I had to pick one for next year, I would go with one of the Hobonichis.

3. Early Thoughts on the Jinhao Dadao No. 9019 Fountain Pen (via Fountain Pen Blog). So I had the opportunity to see one of these in person at the D.C. Pen Show this year, and came away impressed! The threaded, high-capacity converter is a major bonus.

4. Johnny.Decimal and Me: Why I Use a Formal Digital Filing System Instead of Relying on Search (via Analog Office). I love that there are other members of the club for those who can’t stand the “tag jumble” search-based systems of filing. Foldering and numbering forever.

5. Waterman Kultur Fountain Pen (via Blake’s Broadcast). The Kultur is the successor to the beloved Phileas, which was unfortunately discontinued. Is it available in the states again?

6. Notebooks: They Make You Feel Light (via Pen Picture). Attending a talk, lecture, or even listening to a podcast with just a notebook and a pen in hand? It can definitely feel liberating.

7. Edison Collier Garolite LE Review (via SBRE Brown). I almost picked one of these up, but ended up going with a couple of Micarta pens instead. I still might try to get one? I need to add a Collier to my collection!

8. Waldmann Xetra Vienna (via Mountain of Ink). I missed out on Waldmann’s Master Engraver at the San Francisco Pen Show, but many people picked up personalized pens in this model.

9. Ajoto Pocket Paper Notebook (via The Pencilcase Blog). Penmakers Ajoto embarked on an extended project developing a premium paper notebook. Check out this review of the final product!

10. Pen Review: Anterique Ballpoint Pen (via Well-Appointed Desk). Thanks to Ana for reviewing the Anterique ballpoint, one of the smash hits from our table at the San Francisco Pen Show.

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Most of what I wrote about this week, in one picture!

In Case You Missed It…

This week on the blog I reviewed a couple of items that ended up being my two big takeaways from both the D.C. and San Francisco Pen Shows: Toyooka Craft Pen Trays! I also wrote a short update on my notebook setup for 2023, what changes I plan to make, and why I’m probably not buying a dated planner this year.

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Sometimes things just come together, you know? If I had to pick a list of the Top 5 Stationery Products, the Roterfaden Taschenbegleiter would be on that list.

Big News for the T.G.S. Curated Shop - Introducing Roterfaden!

The main announcement this week was Friday’s launch of our partnership with Roterfaden! We are now officially Roterfaden retailers, and currently offer a selection of Roterfaden Taschenbegleiter organizers and notebooks. The beauty of the Taschenbegleiter (which roughly translates to “pocket companion”) is that it’s a notebook system without really being a system - these organizers/portfolios sized A6 through A4 fit a wide variety of standard-sized notebooks and writing pads from many different brands, making them a versatile addition to any work or stationery lineup. Read more here, and expect more Roterfaden-related content in the future as I’ve been using this brand for years and can’t wait to experiment more with the different sizes. We also added some additional desk accessories from Craighill!

Roterfaden

Stalogy

Craighill

Lamy

Patreon Update - Support T.G.S. via Sample Sales, Early Access, and Meetups with Special Guests!

If you’re interested in further supporting T.G.S., consider joining the 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 pledge! I’m working on something new - Guests for the monthly meetups! Stay tuned for details on a September special guest.

Sunday Reading for September 3, 2023 (Labor Day Long Weekend Edition)

1. 2023 SF Pen Show - The Funnest Pen Show, aka Not a Quick Recap (via Pen Addict - Kimberly). Wow, this was an EXTREMELY comprehensive from someone who is probably the most qualified SF Pen Show tour guide in history.

2. Pen Show Recap: SF Pen Show (via Well-Appointed Desk). As always, Ana is a great table neighbor to have at a pen show!

3. What’s So Special About Specialty Nibs? (via Leigh Reyes). It was great getting to see Leigh again at this year’s SF Pen Show, and even better to read a post about her adventures in nib grinding at the show and what to think about when considering specialty nibs.

4. Method and Mayhem (A Gathering of Curiosities). New blog alert! So far, R.B. has offered a couple of incredibly thoughtful posts, including this one on writing and notetaking process.

5. Otto Hutt Design 08 Fountain Pen (via Blake’s Broadcast). The Otto Hutt Design 08 is one of those extremely expensive “design piece” fountain pens which never really went mainstream.

6. Traveling with Ink: Birmingham, August 2023 (via Fountain Pen Blog). A Pen Museum? This looks fascinating.

7. Dotted Sea Urchin (via Rachel’s Reflections). This is gorgeous hand-painted work.

8. Meet Your Maker: Jacob Pawloski, Mad Science Pen Company (via Pen Addict - Caroline). This latest round of pen shows was the first opportunity I had to see Jacob’s work in person, and at some point I’d love to get my hands on one of his pens.

9. M600 Red-White Special Edition (via Pelikan’s Perch). Pelikan is back with one of their new white M600’s, just in time for the upcoming Pelikan Hubs at the end of the month!

10. Five Painless Ways to Make Writing a Fun, Daily Habit (via Ink Journal). A great article from Tom on how to get started on longer-form writing projects and to keep moving forward.

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In Case You Missed It…

This week on the blog, I recovered from San Francisco. I recapped the show in this post from Wednesday, then talked about some of the new acquisitions I brought home yesterday. I’ll be resuming regular review content this coming week, though I haven’t yet decided where to begin!

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This Week in the Curated Shop - LABOR DAY PROMO, TWSBI Update and More

After some unexplained Fedex delays (lingering hurricane logistics?) TWSBI Indigo Blue pre-orders are set to arrive Tuesday and will go out immediately. You may start to see labels being generated for your orders over the weekend. We currently still have a few of these pens available for pre-order, and if all of the pre-order units sell out I will place another order quickly. Also, some of you who I met in San Francisco have asked about a restock of the TWSBI Diamond Mini-AL Grape fountain pens. Those are also set to arrive Tuesday, so I’ve made them available for order. Finally, we are running a Labor Day sale through tomorrow at 11:59pm CT: Take 10% off all ink and paper using the code LABOR10 at checkout. Happy shopping!

Pilot

TWSBI

Anderillium

Reading Accessories

Patreon Update - Support T.G.S. via Sample Sales, Early Access, and Meetups with Special Guests!

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. 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, and I recently reduced prices on certain items to continue the clear-out!

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! I’m working on something new - Guests for the monthly meetups! Stay tuned for details on a September special guest.

Sunday Reading for August 27, 2023 (SF Pen Show Edition)

1. Not Science: Comparing Esterbrook’s JJ Lax Scribe Nib to Another Architect (via Line Variation). This is a great post, which demonstrates why you will often have a much better experience having a nib ground in person as opposed to purchasing pre-ground nibs, especially with somewhat more finicky grinds like architects that are highly personal and dependent on things like writing angle.

2. Explorer Pocket Journal by Endless Stationery (via KraftyKats). I’ve yet to “explore” one of the Endless Stationery notebook cover systems. Over the past couple of years, they’ve been in the process of switching over from Tomoe River to their new “Regalia” paper, and I need to get caught up.

3. On Pens and Pensions (via Fountain Pen Blog). How do you put a value on the enjoyment you get from this hobby? It goes far beyond enhancing your productivity and/or collecting for investment.

4. My “Lucky Catches” (via Rachel’s Reflections). I have a couple of these as well - pens that you fortunately happen to acquire or purchase almost by chance, and maybe not realize your good luck until later?

5. Overthinking my Under-Thought Indexing Routine (via mnmlscholar). Now that I’m moving into a new role at my day job and expanding my duties here, I’ll need to overhaul my own planning and journaling system.

6. The Superior Labor - Flap Pen Case (via Scrively). Extremely popular a few years ago, The Superior Labor leather products seem to have dropped a bit in visibility, and I’m glad to see another review. I have one of their leather pen rolls that I really enjoy.

7. Ink of the Week - Yoseka Green (via Fountain Pen Love). Need to get a bottle of this!

8. Watercolor Sets (via Notebook Stories). I’m now collecting links to reviews and articles about adding watercolors as a companion to notebooks and journaling. It’s something that’s always interested me, and I finally plan to take the time to learn more.

9. NY Now and Shoppe Object - Definitely NOT Pen Shows, But Almost? (via Pen Addict - Kimberly). Pen shows live in this sort of hybrid world that combines trade shows, conventions (“PenCon”?), and local meetups. There’s definitely a “to the trade” aspect, as retailers and manufacturers set up in part of get visibility with each other while simultaneously using the show to educate enthusiasts about their products, but NY Now and Shoppe Object are strictly distributors-manufacturers-retailers-only. (And they’re a ton of fun.)

10. Tale of a Vandal Pen User: It Came Through the Crack - Part I (via Peaceable Writer). Aurora’s repair service receives high marks!

Our 2023 Table Setup!

In Case You Missed It - This Week on the Blog

I’ve spent this week attending the San Francisco Pen Show, set up as an exhibitor for the first time! Before I left, I reviewed the Lamy 2000 Mechanical Pencil, the last of the Lamy 2000 range that I had yet to write up. I fly back on Monday, but until then you can read a bit about my first impressions of Friday in San Francisco (it was crazy)!

This Week in the Curated Shop - And a Pen Show Weekend discount

The big news is that Traveler’s Notebook Standard-sized Olive Notebooks are back in stock and will be ready to ship upon my return. Some of our Traveler’s Company products have been backordered, and a restock arrived while I was out. Orders placed during travel will start to ship Monday and Tuesday - If you’d like to see what I brought to San Francisco, check out this particular post! Finally, for those of you who couldn’t attend the show, take 10% off your shop orders using the code PENSHOW10 at checkout! (Certain brands such as TWSBI are excluded).

Pilot Pens

Anderillium

Traveler's Notebooks

Desk Accessories

Patreon Update - Support T.G.S. via Sample Sales, Early Access, and Meetups with Special Guests!

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. 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, and I recently reduced prices on certain items to continue the clear-out!

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! I’m working on something new - Guests for the monthly meetups! This past week we had J.C. Ament of The Nib Tailor on for a discussion of how he got into nib grinding, how he learned, and his personal favorite techniques.

Sunday Reading for August 20, 2023

1. Empty All the Pens (via Stationery Pizza). I have the exact same habit/fear/hang-up of not wanting to flush pens when I have too many inked, and instead try to write them all dry, then ink more pens, then I never get to where I need to be.

2. A New Notebook Is a Decision Prompter (via mnmlscholar). The process of deciding how to use a new notebook is always interesting. Personally, I’m close to finishing several, so I’ll have some decisions to make soon…

3. Journaling Series: 5 Year Diary (via Writing at Large). I’m still following this multi-part series on journaling with rapt attention, as should you if journaling at all interests you.

4. On Grail Pens (via SBRE Brown). Do you subscribe to the concept of grail pens? Do those pens you’ve considered “Grail Pens” in the past actually have staying power?

5. Kakimori Glass Dip Pen Nib Review (via Blake’s Broadcast). I love Kakimori’s Brass Dip Nib, but I’ve never been able to get my hands on the glass version.

6. Paper Basics: Oxford A5 Notebook (via A Fleeting Ripple). We don’t have Oxford paper available over here in the states (at least not readily available), but I love seeing quality inexpensive paper still out there.

7. Nautilus x Enigma Stationery “Brilliant Bunny” Nautilus Fountain Pen Review (via Pen Addict - Kimberly). If you’re in San Francisco for the Pen Show, be sure to stop by the Enigma Stationery table for all sorts of uncommon stationery goods and special edition pens, including this collaboration with Nahvalur.

8. Ink Review: Ferris Wheel Press Poison Envy (via Well-Appointed Desk). Wow, that’s a crazy shimmer ink!

9. Rohrer & Klingner Solferino (via Fountain Pen Pharmacist). Rohrer and Klingner inks seem to have fallen by the wayside lately and off the radar of the fountain pen community, even though they offer a massive selection of colors and are quite reliable.

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In Case You Missed It…

This week on the blog, I took a deeper dive on the concept of “extra-fine” pens and when “fine” becomes “too fine”. I’m also neck-deep in the process of packing and preparing for the San Francisco Pen Show - if you’re going to be at the show, please be sure to come see me!

Finally, I’ll be posting a new YouTube video later today discussing my takeaways from the D.C. Pen Show and showing in further detail some of the items I brought home and might have in San Francisco with me.

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The latest line of inks from Anderillium (the “Lepidopteran Series”) might be my favorite range of colors yet!

This Week in the Curated Shop - Pre-San Francisco Shipping Deadlines

In addition to the latest line of Anderillium Inks, this past week I slowed things down to focus on new additions to our selection of desk and reading accessories! New arrivals include the “Perch” bookmarks and Line/Page Indicators from Craighill, restocked Midori bookmarks, along with a recently expanded selection of high-quality scissors. Finally, we have recently arrived stock of the Olive Traveler’s Notebook Covers in the Standard Size!

TWSBI

Anderillium

Craighill

Stalogy

We’re heading to San Francisco very early on Thursday morning, so if you have an order that you would like shipped before departure, please get your orders in by Wednesday at 5pm US Central Time. San Francisco is still a quick trip for me, despite the distance, so orders will otherwise ship within our 2-3 business day time frame.

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Only two pens remain from our collaboration with Hinze Pens and Starry Night Resins! The pens on the left and right in this photo are still available, with either red or black ceramic-plated nibs. If these don’t sell online this week, they’re coming with me to San Francisco!

Patreon Update - Support T.G.S. via Sample Sales, Early Access, and Meetups with Special Guests!

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. 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, and I recently reduced prices on certain items to continue the clear-out!

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! I’m working on something new - Guests for the monthly meetups! Yesterday we had J.C. Ament of The Nib Tailor on for a discussion of how he got into nib grinding, how he learned, and his personal favorite techniques.