Sunday Reading for November 5, 2023

1. Ink Thoughts: Montblanc Dragon Red (via A Gathering of Curiosities). This is a lovely shade of red. One inevitable consequence of the ongoing “limited edition ink craze” - combined with the fact that many companies are now expanding their standard ink lineups to include hundreds of colors - is the duplication or near-duplication of colors (even if it’s unintentional and not part of a cynical cash grab).

2. Platinum Chou Kuro Black Ink Review (via Pen Addict). None more black: the review.

3. Hobonichi A5 Notebook (via Stationery Pizza). I’ve recently picked up both Hobonichi Planners and the Notebooks in A5 and A6, and look forward to working my way through them. It’s been a while since I’ve revisited the Hobonichi lineup.

4. Professional (Hand)writing Tool (via Pen Picture). What qualifies as a “professional” writing instrument? Honestly, I’ve gotten by using pretty much anything I want in the office over the years, but what type of pen or pencil best suits your needs will be specific to your particular situation.

5. A Quick Survey on How We Experience Wet Inks and Dry Inks (via mnmlscholar). The survey linked to in this article only takes a few minutes to fill out, and I’m interested to see the results. I love how this hobby leads people in so many different directions.

6. Time for a Change (via Rachel’s Reflections). Fountain Pen Day always gets me thinking about how I optimize my own rotation. I plan to do a big clean-out this evening.

7. Pen Show Pick-Ups: An Over-Due Overview (via The Poor Penman). I don’t think I’ve done a personal overview of everything I picked up this year, much less published a grand look back. Maybe in connection with the year-end review pieces…

8. Bright Night Designs Bright (via Dapprman). Yet another reason to eventually make it to the UK, with this proliferation of independent makers hopefully helping to further grow the pen show scene.

9. M600 Art Collection - Glauco Cambon Special Edition (via Pelikan’s Perch). I had the opportunity to see one of these in person this weekend - it’s a gorgeous pen, though there are less-pronounced red tones in person than appear in the picture.

10. Trick or Treat: Sailor North America Decreasing Prices on Select Collections (via Well-Appointed Desk). My guess is that this is a result of the North American pricing being out of whack with the rest of the world, driving customers to overseas retailers and the grey market, combined with a seemingly endless stream of “limited” editions that hang around for years and that retailers apparently have trouble selling due to oversupply.

View fullsize

The Tile 2-Pen Box from NFP Design shown with two recent TWSBI Releases: the ECO-T “Rosso” and the TWSBI Kai.

In Case You Missed It…

This week on the blog I reviewed the “Tile” 2-pen box from a new company I had the opportunity to visit with at this year’s D.C. Pen Show: NFP Design. And since it was Fountain Pen Day week, I published a short piece on why I think this event, entering its 12th year, is important, going beyond the annual sales promotions.

View fullsize

Celebrate Fountain Pen Day with us and get yourself some TGS and Fountain Pen Day Swag in your order!

This Week in the T.G.S. Curated Shop (It’s Fountain Pen Day! Or Fountain Pen Week! Or Fountain Pen Weekend….) PLUS New Gently Used Items!

Today is the last day of our own Fountain Pen Day promotion and sale. You can take 10% off most orders (excluding brands such as Roterfaden and TWSBI) using the code “FPDAY23” at checkout, and there are also tiered “add-ons” at certain order thresholds. You can read the full details here. Also, be sure to enter our Fountain Pen Day giveaway, with full details on yesterday’s blog post and Instagram. While Roterfaden and TWSBI can’t be discounted, purchases of these items will count towards your tier bonuses.

Finally, the Gently Used Page has been updated to include those items that remain after Patreon members took the first pass! These specific items are not eligible for further discounting, as they’ve been priced to move.

TWSBI

Roterfaden

Kaweco

Diamine

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

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 (one of which is pending now), 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!

Sunday Reading for October 29, 2023

1. The YosekaLab Planner, Part 2: Vertical Quadrant (Divided) (via A Gathering of Curiosities). The YosekaLab Planner continues to be something that is piquing my interest. I’ve come to enjoy quadrant-style layouts as well.

2. To What Level Should You “Restore”? (via KraftyKats). The restoration process presents many interesting questions and considerations for vintage pen collectors and enthusiasts. I generally take Chloe’s approach here.

3. Meet Your Maker: Ben Stewart, Mayfair Pens (via Pen Addict - Caroline). I have a Mayfair pen currently in the queue to review, and I can’t wait to break it out after reading this profile.

4. Musubi Pocket Folio Notebook (via Well-Appointed Desk). I love the feel of Spica Bond paper, and was thrilled to see these notebooks released at the San Francisco Pen Show.

5. Nibs and Feeds with Kokuyo’s THIN Paper in Mind (via mnmlscholar). While Kokuyo’s thinner planner paper can work well for planning on the go (the absorbent paper dries fairly quickly), you do need to carefully consider pen and ink combinations that will work best.

6. Stationery Micro Kit (via Pen Picture). What is your “minimal” stationery carry, when weight and space are the most important factor?

7. Rollerballs Revisited and Gels as Well (via Line Variation). It’s hard to beat the Pilot Precise V5, which was one of my go-to pens for years. I think I still have a bunch lying around somewhere.

8. Journaling Series: Journaling When There Are No Words (via Writing at Large). Sometimes the words just won’t come, but you can still journal.

9. MIG Brass Fountain Pen with Mini Kit (via Macchiato Man). Looking to support your local makers? Here’s a new Australian-made pen!

10. Monteverde Color Changing Ink Set (via Well-Appointed Desk). I’m not exactly sure what I would do with these, but it’s an interesting idea.

View fullsize

In Case You Missed It…

This week on the blog, I reviewed a pen that’s been in my pen case, on loan from a friend since last month: The Santini Libra. I also reviewed two Anderillium Inks from the Lepidopteran Series: Viceroy Butterfly Orange and Atlas Moth Brown, and wrote a short piece on my favorite Traveler’s Notebook Accessories for actual travel!

View fullsize

Can you ever really have too many Roterfaden covers? I just need to choose an A6 to complete the entire stack!

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

We had several large restocks and new arrivals this past week. First, we received a large shipment from Kaweco that included the Kaweco Collection Sport fountain pens as well as Kaweco Sport accessories such as clips and converters, and more Sketch-Up refills. Second, we received a major restock of Roterfaden Taschenbegleiter Organizers that includes covers in additional sizes and materials, including a wider range of A4 and A6 Taschenbegleiters. Finally, we have both the New TWSBI Eco-T “Rosso” (finally, a red!) as well as additional TWSBI Kai fountain pens avaiable for pre-order! These should start shipping Tuesday.

TWSBI

Roterfaden

Kaweco

Diamine

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

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 (one of which is pending now), 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!

Sunday Reading for October 22, 2023

1. Planner Rant (via Stationery Pizza). How would you customize your planner if you had the ability to build out your ideal system? Intersperse months, weeks, and days? Or leave them all separate?

2. Yamamoto Paper’s Fountain Pen Friendly Paper Collection, Vol 7 Part 2 (via Pen Addict - Kimberly). Kimberly continues her walkthrough of the most recent Yamamoto Paper Fountain Pen Friendly Paper Sampler Pack.

3. The Colorado Pen Show 2023 (via Well-Appointed Desk). One of the few pen shows I’ve never attended, I was actually hoping to make Colorado this year but since I was on vacation, it unfortunately couldn’t happen. Maybe 2024?

4. Calligraphy and Handwriting (via Goodwriter’s Pens). I’ve often wondered myself how my handwriting evolved into what it is today - a somewhat unique combination of cursive and italic that I still want to spend time improving. I can still write the form of cursive I was taught, but my everyday script is more of a hybrid.

5. Platinum #3776 Karakusa Blue Celluloid Fountain Pen Review (via Blake’s Broadcast). One of the more beautiful #3776 models that I don’t write with enough.

6. My Parker 61 Flighter Fountain Pen: A Cautionary Tale (via Fountain Pen Blog). Ah, the perils of vintage restoration and learning on the job!

7. Private Reserve Infinity Violet Ink (via Cheryl Lindo Jones). The Private Reserve “Infinity” ink series is specially formulated to not dry out, which can be very helpful if you tend to leave fountain pens uncapped for long-ish periods of time.

8. Death by a Thousand Nibs - Fatigue Points in the Pen Hobby (via Ink Journal). In any hobby, it’s important to keep a close eye on why you’re involved in it and to refocus your attention on the specific aspects that bring you joy.

9. Troublemaker Tablea Fountain Pen Ink Review (via Pen Addict - Jeff). I adore Troublemaker’s browns and greens, especially where they combine the two color palettes!

10. Dominant Industry: Dominant Blue (via Fountain Pen Pharmacist). Dominant Industry’s Dominant Blue and it’s shimmer equivalent (Milky Way Blue) are two of my favorites from that lineup.

View fullsize

In Case You Missed It…

This past week on the blog, I got back down to business after being out of town for a week! I published a new installment in the “Best Paper for Everyday Writing” Series, focusing on Legal Pads, and also chronicled my recent adventures in vintage pen collecting and restoration, something that I’ve long dabbled in but have allowed to fall by the wayside.

View fullsize

We just received a massive restock of Kaweco Sketch-up Highlighter leads, plus some new colors!

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

It may not feel like it outside, but the holiday season is rapidly approaching, as evidenced by the appearance of the Diamine Inkvent Calendars on my doorstep this week! We still have a handful left, so if you’d like to follow along as I open up my own calendar this December, be sure to pick one up! Check out the rest of the recent arrivals in this week’s Thursday Drops, which includes the 2024 Traveler’s Notebook dated refills, new Clairefontaine Writing Pads, desk accessories and more!

Kaweco

Diamine

Clairefontaine

TGS Branded!

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

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!

Sunday Reading for October 15, 2023

1. Method and Mayhem: The YosekaLab Planner (via A Gathering of Curiosities). A deep dive into a few of the different options available in the YosekaLab “experimental” planner. I love the idea behind this product.

2. Hooray for Workhorse Fountain Pens (via Cheryl Lindo Jones). There are many different interpretations of the term “workhorse pen”, and you don’t need to spend a lot of money to get a pen that you can carry with you everywhere and use every day.

3. Spicing Up Old M and B Nibs (via mnmlscholar). Given that I have so many “standard” JoWo and Bock nibs, whenever I order a pen featuring one of these interchangeable nib units I typically order a Medium or a Broad for this same purpose - to maintain a healthy stock of nibs for grinding.

4. Bullet Journaling: Dot Pads (via Stationery Pizza). There are top-ring-bound Rhodia Dot Pads? I need to find these.

5. Pros and Cons of the Ultrasonic Cleaner (via Goodwriterspens Blog). I don’t use my ultrasonic cleaner as much as I used to, but I do find it quite helpful for certain pens where the section and feed have lots of nooks and crannies where ink can get stuck, or for pens that aren’t easy to disassemble.

6. The London Autumn Pen Show, 2023: My Haul (via Fountain Pen Blog). A Parker 61 capillary filler? Maybe a new goal for the upcoming Ohio Pen Show?

7. 2023 Autumn London Pen Show (via Rachel’s Reflections). The London Pen Show seems like an outstanding, well-run event. The idea of a one-day show intrigues me.

8. October London Pen Show Selling Experience (via Dapprman). Taking a table at a pen show to sell part of your own collection is an excellent way to (mostly) pay for the cost of attending, and you also get the benefit of meeting all the people who come by to visit your table!

9. Yamamoto Paper’s Fountain Pen Friendly Paper Collection, Volume 7 Review (via Pen Addict - Kimberly). These Yamamoto Paper samplers are an excellent way to experience rarer Japanese papers before splurging on a large-quantity purchase.

10. Pen Review: Pilot FriXion Ball3 Slim 3-Color Multi-Pen (via Well-Appointed Desk). Don’t sleep on the Frixion! (Sorry Pilot, the “FriXion”.) As Ana points out, it can be extremely convenient to be able to erase gel ink, especially in a professional context.

View fullsize

Sometimes it’s ok to just dock the boat for a week.

In Case You Missed It…

I was on vacation this week! I actually managed to take some real time off, so new posts were kept to a minimum, though I did finish and post this longer discussion of what pens and notebooks I took with me on my travels and why I decided to leave these specific pens inked up. I also recapped this year’s pen travels and talk a bit more about remaining pen shows in 2023.

View fullsize

This Week in the T.G.S. Curated Shop - More Clairefontaine!

The big news from this week was the arrival of Clairefontaine clothbound notebooks. I purchased a HUGE amount of these, since they have been a popular seller and inexplicably became a bit difficult to source this year. Our selection of this workhorse paper, as well as other papers and planners like Laconic, will continue to expand, so stay tuned! We’re also working on a larger Roterfaden restock, though we have at least one in each size available to ship immediately. Once again, we truly appreciate all of you who placed orders while we were away, since it’s scary to walk away from your shop even for a week without the (admittedly irrational) fear that the business will disappear overnight without constant attention. Your orders have started to ship and my goal is to get them all out the door by tomorrow.

Diamine Inkvent Calendar

Clairefontaine

Traveler's Refills 2023

Laconic Tokyo

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!

Sunday Reading for October 8, 2023

1. 2023 Dallas Pen Show Recap (via Pen Addict-Kimberly). A great recap from Kimberly of an excellent local/regional pen show. I am adding this one to my list of shows to attend going forward. I’ll have more on my finds from Dallas when I’m back from vacation.

2. My Stationery Mini-Kit (via Pen Picture). I’m glad to know I’m not the only one who does this! Especially when traveling.

3. Endless Companion Pen Pouches (via Well-Appointed Desk). Many of you have asked for a review of the Endless Companion pen cases. While I haven’t been able to get my hands on them, Ana has!

4. The Simplest Paper Filing System (via Analog Office). I have many personal projects I plan to work on during my work sabbatical - sorting through a seemingly endless amount of papers is one of them. A simple system like this is attractive.

5. Unusual Filofax Organizer Designs (via Philofaxy). The six-ring binder design goes way back. It’s interesting to see how consistent they’ve stayed over the years.

6. All Prepared for Tomorrow (via Dapprman). I’m really sad to have missed the Autumn London Pen Show. Maybe in the Spring!

7. My Personal Pens Majohn Q1 (via SBRE Brown). These weird little pens are super popular. Maybe I should pick one up?

8. NFP Design Blok 6 Pen Box Review (via Pen Addict). Vanness had NFP Design pen boxes at the table in Dallas, and they sure did attract a lot of attention! The colorful “Blok” design is my favorite.

View fullsize

My Sailor Pro Gear Mini from the Dallas Pen Show, in the pen slot on the Plotter Mini 5.

In Case You Missed It….

This week on the blog I wrote Part II of my observations on Pocket Fountain Pens and how to successfully carry them (mostly) without frustration. For the rest of the week, I’m on vacation for a very-much-needed recharge following three big pen shows in six weeks and a long-in-the-works job change. You can read more here on what this means for T.G.S.

View fullsize

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

We now have all of the 2024 Traveler’s Notebook dated planner refills and 2024 limited edition accessories in stock and ready to ship! Laconic Tokyo is also restocked, and we have a couple of Roterfaden Taschenbegleiters remaining, while I’m also working on a reorder. We also have restocks of most recent TWSBI releases across the Diamond 580 and ECO lineup, as well as desk and reading accessories and washi tape!

Also, a HUGE thanks to everyone who has continued to place orders and help us keep the lights on while we’re away. Orders placed this week will start shipping upon our return in the order in which they were placed, with all orders receiving a bit of the new refreshed TGS Swag that should arrive in stock by the time I get back. I hope you all enjoy!

Traveler's Company

Laconic Tokyo

HMM Project

Roterfaden

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!