Sunday Reading for February 11, 2024

1. Tactile Turn Icefall (via Figboot on Pens). These Tactile Turn seasonal releases are getting harder and harder to resist. The “glacier” theme is a favorite of mine.

2. Musubi Rasa Paper (via Inkredible Colours). A review of Musubi’s new in-house paper, which I first saw at this year’s San Francisco Pen Show.

3. Ensso Bolt Retractable Nib Fountain Pen (via SBRE Brown). Here’s a comprehensive look at Ensso’s latest release, including a disassembly.

4. Hobonichi Daily Pages Layout (via Stationery Pizza). I’m now more than a month into my own Hobonichi(s), and I’m still working through my favorite way to use the daily pages. I get antsy if there’s a lot of blank space, but then again, some days are just like that!

5. How I Use My Notebooks: My Kindle Unread Book List (via Writing at Large). Assembling this weekly links post ensures that I see great posts like this one. I’ve been looking for a solution to my “unread Kindle shelf” and this might be it.

6. I’ve Made Some INK! The Wet Pen’s In-House Ink to Support the Channel! (via The Wet Pen). I love to see content creators supporting themselves directly rather than relying on the conventional affiliate methods, etc. These are very nice colors. Check out Cheryl’s review of the first two here.

7. Pen Meetup Toolkit (via Olive Octopus). Do you have a set toolkit or bag that you keep packed for meetups or specific trips?

8. Broken Pens: Two Years of A Fleeting Ripple (via A Fleeting Ripple). Congratulations on two years of blogging! For those who love fountain pen horror stories, the second one is fantastic.

9. Uni-Ball One F and One P Review (via the Poor Penman). I’ll need to get my hands on some of Uni’s latest gel pen release, if the ink is that good.

10. Kaweco Perkeo Limited Edition Infrared (via Well-Appointed Desk). Be sure to check out Kaweco’s Perkeo limited release - it’s nice to see companies paying attention to the lower end of the price spectrum with their limited offerings.

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In Case You Missed It…

This week on the blog I recapped my adventures in New York City at the NY Now and Shoppe Object Stationery Trade Shows! Since the focus of these types of shows tend to be on non-fountain pen items like paper, desk accessories, pencils, and other types of pens, I was thinking about my love for retractable ballpoints and wrote a more extended piece discussing the relative advantages and disadvantages of click and twist pens.

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If you’re a fan of Glacier finish pens, as I am, be sure to check out our most recent shipment of the Lamy Studio in Glacier finish.

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

We returned to a lot of new arrivals in the shop, including a shipment of the latest Original Plus releases from Nahvalur - the Lovina Graphite and Matira Quartz! These pens are new riffs on last year’s limited edition Lovina Black and Matira White, only these pens feature different materials (shimmery resins, not flat) paired with Nahvalur’s excellent rose gold trim.

We’ve also added additional everyday carry-style pens to the shop, including the Tombow Airpress pressurized ballpoint (which made an appearance in yesterday’s post and companion YouTube demo video). Check out the Thursday Drops post for a full list of recent arrivals!

Nahvalur

Kakimori

Uni Jetstreams

Profolio Notebooks

Support us on patreon and get access to our monthly meetup and extra content!

If you enjoy our content (whether here on the main website, Instagram, YouTube Channel or elsewhere), there are several ways that you can support us. We do our best to remain 100% self-supported without having to rely on third-party advertisers or affiliates. Of course, the number one way to help is to visit our curated retail shop, especially during the upcoming holiday season! If you enjoy in-person and virtual meetups and having access to more personal content, consider joining the T.G.S. Patreon, which also includes early access to quarterly gently used sales. Patreon support starts as low as $3 per month, and if you pay annually there is a further discount.

No matter how you support us - even if just with a comment, recommendation, or encouraging word - we greatly appreciate your readership!

Sunday Reading for February 4, 2024 (NY Now Edition!)

1. Reconnecting with my Scribo Feel A Riveder le Stelle (via A Gathering of Curiosities). Some pens connect with us emotionally, others do not. How do you react when a pen you value emotionally doesn’t perform up to expectations?

2. A Spectrum of Rainbow Forest Fountain Pens (via Cheryl Lindo Jones). Rainbow/multicolor anodization has become increasingly popular over the past couple of years. My personal favorites aren’t necessarily the all-metal versions, but rather where this trim accents frosted acrylic.

3. Radius + Figboot Blue Flame (via Figboot on Pens). Speaking of pens with frosted acrylic, Figboot is releasing this beautiful blue Radius that launches on February 10.

4. Hobonichi 2024 Setup (via Stationery Pizza). I’m rocking the 3-Hobonichi setup and really enjoying it! My own setup is slightly different than the one discussed here but multiple journals has been enjoyable.

5. The Decline of the Vintage Pen Hobby (via Goodwriters Pens). It’s regrettable that the decline of the vintage pen hobby is often attributed primarily (or sometimes solely) to a perceived lack of interest on the part of “new” enthusiasts. I can’t speak for collecting communities outside of the U.S., but at the American pen shows the vintage community could have done much more to welcome in the next generation and share knowledge when there was an influx a few years ago. Things are getting better now but the volume of vintage pen trading at shows is still less than it once was.

6. Scribo Feel Flex Nib Fountain Pen Review (via Blake’s Broadcast). Scribo makes one of the best modern flex nibs on the market, and probably comes closest to approximating true vintage-style flex similar to the Omas Extra-Flessible nibs.

7. Quick Look - Pilot Vanishing Point and Decimo (via The Poor Penman). Don’t overlook or sleep on the Pilot Vanishing Point and Decimo capless fountain pens. They’ve been around for a while for good reason.

8. Cheap French Supermarket Pocket Pen (via Dapprman). I love that the writing culture in certain countries allows for a product like this to exist.

9. Leuchtturm1917 Drehgriffle Nr. 2 Mechanical Pencil Review (via Writing at Large). The Drehgrillfe is a great format and I wish this pen/pencil received more attention than it does. I’m all for expanding the hexagonal woodcase pencil form into other types of writing instruments.

10. Chasing Away the Darkness (via From the Pen Cup). Early morning writing sessions are among the greatest pleasures in life. IMHO.

11. Who Wore It Better? Pilot Custom Heritage 92 Clear vs TWSBI 580 ALR Black (via Pen Addict - Kimberly). It didn’t occur to me to compare these two pens, but then again I haven’t handled a Custom Heritage in quite a while.

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In Case You Missed It…

I published the latest installment of “Ask TGS” this week, in which I respond to reader questions regarding things such as how to fix skipping and hard-starting fountain pens, and how to avoid staining prized pens. Saturday was a travel day, as I’m currently spending a couple days at the NY Now and Shoppe Object trade shows in NYC. Be sure to follow along on Instagram today and tomorrow as I work my way through these two shows and also follow along as I visit some of my favorite NYC stationery haunts!

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This past week we’ve added Uni Jetstream ballpoints in both the “Prime” format, as well as the “Jetstream Edge” which is available in as fine a line as .28mm! And it still writes smoothly!

This Week in the T.G.S. Curated Shop - Plus a February Flash Sale on Certain Categories of Items!

Our shop has seen exponential growth over the past year, and I’m thankful to everyone who’s helped. We’ve had a LOT of new products arrive in the past two weeks, and since I’m going to be ordering more shortly (as in, in the next 48 hours), let’s do what we can to clear out what remains from 2023 in some specific categories. Take 10% off paper today and tomorrow, including planners and journals and notebook systems, using the coupon code “FLASH24” at checkout! I’ve gone ahead and marked down Traveler’s Company 2024 Diaries by 20% - some versions are close to or completely sold out, but there’s still monthly refills and maybe some weekly formats, so this will be in addition to the coupon code. (Roterfaden and Kakimori are excluded.)

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Also, be sure to check out new arrivals, including the latest release from Nahvalur, the Nautilus Ruby Koi, as well as products from Kakimori, Uni Mitsubish (including high-end (nondisposable) Jetstream ballpoints), a wide range of Jetstream refills, and of course Roterfaden. I just recently listed the sheet protectors, which allow you to carry papers and other loose items.

Uni Jetstream

Kakimori

Roterfaden

Uni Refills

Support us on patreon and get access to our monthly meetup and extra content!

If you enjoy our content (whether here on the main website, Instagram, YouTube Channel or elsewhere), there are several ways that you can support us. We do our best to remain 100% self-supported without having to rely on third-party advertisers or affiliates. Of course, the number one way to help is to visit our curated retail shop, especially during the upcoming holiday season! If you enjoy in-person and virtual meetups and having access to more personal content, consider joining the T.G.S. Patreon, which also includes early access to quarterly gently used sales. Patreon support starts as low as $3 per month, and if you pay annually there is a further discount.

No matter how you support us - even if just with a comment, recommendation, or encouraging word - we greatly appreciate your readership!

Sunday Reading for January 28, 2024

1. Adventures in Time-Blocked Planning (via Writing at Large). I’m two months or so in to my own experiment with time-blocking, and it’s definitely a new way of looking at productivity. I’m hoping it sticks because when executed well this technique is incredibly effective.

2. Writing as Part of Slow Living Movement (via Well-Appointed Desk). Relatedly, one of the things about time-blocking is that it forces you to look realistically at your day and ruthlessly prioritize, helping you to discard those things you really don’t need to do and slow down and focus on the things that are actually important.

3. #17InkQuestions: A Gathering of Curiosities Edition (via A Gathering of Curiosities). On the heels of last year’s #21PenQuestions trend, we now have an ink-themed version! Yes, I’ll be working on my own answers.

4. Floating World: Taccia Sabimidori (via A Fleeting Ripple). Taccia inks are (deservedly) getting more attention in recent years, mainly due to sheeners like Sabimidori.

5. The Retractable Ensso Bolt (via Figboot on Pens). This is the second new retractable fountain pen that we’ve seen released over the past year or so, both of which targeted a sub-$100 price point. The nib appears to be the same as the Endless retractable fountain pen.

6. Franklin-Christoph Philly Pen Show 2024 Ink (via Cheryl Lindo-Jones). I love blue-greys, and may pick up a bottle of this since I didn’t get a chance to swing back by when I was at the show.

7. Tactile Turn Side Click Review (via The Poor Penman). Tactile Turn makes what is easily my favorite “click pen” currently on the market. I have one of their seasonal editions, and have had to carefully pick and choose to ensure that I don’t end up with all of them.

8. Graf von Faber-Castell Pen of the Year: Ancient Egypt (via Figboot on Pens). For me, these designs are either hit or miss. This particular pen is my favorite since the “Samurai” pen from a few years ago.

9. Ryan Krusac Ashbain the Dragon (via Rachel’s Reflections). Ryan Krusac’s scrimshaw pens are works of art.

10. Meet Your Maker: Rich Paul, River City Pen Company (via Pen Addict - Caroline). I enjoyed meeting Rich in Philadelphia and look forward to seeing more of his work in the future.

Many different ways to use the unique paper layout in the Itoya ProFolio Notebooks!

In Case You Missed It…

This week on the blog the theme was paper! I updated the “Hierarchies of Fountain Pen Friendly Paper” resource, and reviewed one of the new additions: the Itoya ProFolio Oasis Notebook, which has gained popularity in recent years as a lie-flat alternative with a multi-lined ruling.

New Curated Shop Arrivals - New Roterfaden Shipments, Including New Designs!

The big news from the shop was the arrival of additional Roterfaden Taschenbegleiter organizers, including multiple new larger format A4 Portfolios, at least one 4-clip A5 organizer, and a restock of A5 favorites and Roterfaden’s own notebooks. We also received our shipment of TWSBI Diamond 580 ALR Black fountain pens, and these have sold so well that we only have two pens left in stock. We’ll plan to reorder soon…though this last shipment did contain a restock of nearly all TWSBI inks and pen models!

TWSBI

Pilot

Roterfaden

Clairefontaine

Support us on patreon and get access to our monthly meetup and extra content!

If you enjoy our content (whether here on the main website, Instagram, YouTube Channel or elsewhere), there are several ways that you can support us. We do our best to remain 100% self-supported without having to rely on third-party advertisers or affiliates. Of course, the number one way to help is to visit our curated retail shop! If you enjoy in-person and virtual meetups and having access to more personal content, consider joining the T.G.S. Patreon, which also includes early access to quarterly gently used sales. Patreon support starts as low as $3 per month, and if you pay annually there is a further discount. This past month, Patreon supporters have had access to additional Inkvent content, including commentary on my favorite Diamine Inkvent inks and more. The first of these Inkvent posts is public, so please check out Patreon to learn more!

No matter how you support us - even if just with a comment, recommendation, or encouraging word - we greatly appreciate your readership!

Sunday Reading for January 21, 2024

1. What Are We Looking For? (via A Gathering of Curiosities). Why did you dive into the pen hobby? There’s a lot to unpack here, but I think this post does a great job of unraveling the various threads of interest.

2. 2024 Philadelphia Pen Show Recap (via Pen Addict - Kimberly). This is a great recap of the show, and I’m glad to hear traffic continued to pick up after I had to head out early on Saturday afternoon. Friday was a bit slow.

3. AI in the Pen Community (via Well-Appointed Desk). While I can see legitimate uses for AI, I would prefer to keep it out of pen community, thank you very much. (I suspect the product discussed in this review is very much tongue-in-cheek.)

4. Holiday Recap: 2023 Weirdoforest Reflection (via Weirdoforest Pens). 2023 reflections are still trickling out! This was an interesting one for me because it has a discussion of some pens/brands that had been off my radar.

5. Nakaya Hurt by Noto Earthquake (via Dapprman). Fortunately everyone working for Nakaya is apparently safe.

6. Gravitas Ultimate Vac (via Dapprman). An exceptionally thorough review of a pen I need to get into my own review queue.

7. Waterman Tender Purple: Quick Impressions (via Cheryl Lindo Jones). A great purple ink, though as noted it’s a wet ink so keep that in mind when choosing to put it in broad and stub nibs.

8. Early Thoughts on the Duke 551 Confucius Bamboo Fude Pen Nib (via Fountain Pen Blog). I’m intrigued a bit by these lower-cost fude nibs that other bloggers frequently write about. I may need to give them a shot!

9. A Bock Mystery (via Rachel’s Reflections). I’m not a heavy Bock user, as nearly all of my custom pens use JoWo-threaded nib units, so I wasn’t aware of this controversy over whether all Bock nib housings are uniform….

10. The Harmony in a Simple Index Tab (via mnmlscholar). Index tabs are one of my absolute favorite categories of simple stationery accessories that can transform your usage, especially if you use notebooks for multiple subjects or purposes.

11. Quick Look - Asvine P36 (via The Poor Penman). I was impressed with the build of the Asvine P36 for the price point, but as Paul points out, there are going to be issues with consistency and QC when attempting to keep costs down.

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The T.G.S. Ink Review Archive is Live!

In Case You Missed It…

This week’s theme was ink! I started by reviewing several dark teal and turquoise inks I’ve been using in my daily rotation, including inks from the Iroshizuku, Laban Greek Mythology, and Wearingeul lines. I also launched a project I’ve been working on for some time: The Gentleman Stationer Ink Review Archive, which contains reviews of 110+ inks from the past decade of T.G.S.!

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As of the time of posting, we have exactly one of these pens left in stock.

This Week in the T.G.S. Curated Shop: Nahvalur Dragon, Clairefontaine Looseleaf, and a Black TWSBI Diamond 580 ALR!

Lots of new arrivals hit the shop this week, including Nahvalur’s 2024 Pen of the Year, designed around the Year of the Dragon. This pen features a stunning black, red, and gold resin plus a 14k nib option. (These sold incredibly quickly, and currently only the 14k nib pens remain!) The Black TWSBI Diamond 580 ALR is also available for purchase, with the pens set to arrive and ship on Tuesday. Check out this week’s Thursday Drops post for all of our recent arrivals!

Nahvalur

Pilot

TWSBI

Clairefontaine

Bear with us as we are still iced in, and USPS, Fedex, and UPS have all postponed most pick-ups and deliveries until Monday when warmer temperatures arrive. While we have been packing and delivering orders to the drop-off points near my office, I doubt many packages have moved due to the treacherous road conditions.

How to Support T.G.S. - Plus a Patreon Meetup This Coming Saturday

If you enjoy our content (whether here on the main website, Instagram, YouTube Channel or elsewhere), there are several ways that you can support us. We do our best to remain 100% self-supported without having to rely on third-party advertisers or affiliates. Of course, the number one way to help is to visit our curated retail shop, especially during the upcoming holiday season! If you enjoy in-person and virtual meetups and having access to more personal content, consider joining the T.G.S. Patreon, which also includes early access to quarterly gently used sales. Patreon support starts as low as $3 per month, and if you pay annually there is a further discount. This past month, Patreon supporters have had access to additional Inkvent content, including commentary on my favorite Diamine Inkvent inks and more. The first of these Inkvent posts is public, so please check out Patreon to learn more!

No matter how you support us - even if just with a comment, recommendation, or encouraging word - we greatly appreciate your readership!

Sunday Reading for January 14, 2024 (Philly Pen Show Weekend Edition)

1. Montblanc Brothers Grimm (via Figboot on Pens). Ok, so this one might be an acquired taste, but I love it. At some point (provided circumstances allow) I will add one to the collection.

2. Eating My Hats: Diamine Early Dusk and Leonardo Andromeda (via A Gathering of Curiosities). I’ve also never really understood the idea of forcing yourself to use an ink solely to use it up. I change my ink with my mood, though there are some I use more than others, and I have finished bottles “naturally”!

3. Waterman Carène Stub Nib: Initial Thoughts (via Cheryl Lindo Jones). Wait, there’s a Carène stub? Is the sole purpose of this week’s links to tempt me after I just got back from a pen show?

4. Appelboom Boston Is Closing (via Line Variation). I saw this announcement last week and was likewise sad to see it. Given high rents and costs of operation in downtown areas in major U.S. cities, however, it’s getting more difficult to operate businesses like pen stores, at least in these locations.

5. Handwriting Equals Thinking: Or, Why I Use a Paper Planner (via Analog Office). Couldn’t have said it better!

6. Dip Pens Part I: Some Basics (via Writing at Large). I’m looking forward to this multi-part series on using dip pens, something I dabble in but have never fully explored.

7. What To Do With Last Year’s Inserts? (via Philofaxy). Do you archive or destroy past planner inserts? For work, I destroy. Anything that approximates a journal, I keep.

8. A Comparison of Muji Paper Types (via Inkredible Colours). If you live near a Muji store and enjoy their extremely inexpensive notebooks, here’s a great comparison of how each version performs with fountain pen ink.

9. I’m Sorry Shimmer Inks (via Rachel’s Reflections). I had a similar experience this year during Inkvent. If you’ve written off shimmer inks in the past due to bad experiences with clogging, smearing, etc., consider giving them another chance. Many of the newer formulations are excellent.

10. Reflections on a Year of Journaling (via Pen Addict - Kimberly). Thinking of taking up journaling in 2024? There are plenty of great ideas in this comprehensive post.

11. Mark’s EDiT Reading Notebook (via Well-Appointed Desk). Ana has a giveaway for this cool notebook from Mark’s Tokyo! They are one of the more creative Japanese stationery companies, with a variety of products that I didn’t know included journals.

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In Case You Missed It….

This week on the blog, I reviewed the TWSBI Precision fountain pen, which is one of the few drafting/technical style fountain pens that remains on the market. I also traveled to the 2024 Philadelphia Pen Show to kick off the Pen Show Circuit for yet another year. The show goes on for another day, so if you’re in the Philadelphia area (or even a short drive further afield) check it out!

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This Week in the T.G.S. Curated Shop (PEN SHOW WEEKEND SALE!)

In addition to welcoming more models of Pilot pens, including the Vanishing Point, we’ve recently received a restock of Lamy, more Clairefontaine looseleaf sheets and double-sheet booklets, and a shipment of Roterfaden is on the way! I’ve made a handful of the Roterfadens available for pre-order so those of you who really want one can reserve a binder, and they should arrive this week, though please be aware that there’s a federal holiday and a winter storm brewing here on the east coast of the U.S., which could delay things.

Finally, don’t miss our Pen Show Weekend Promotion, with 10% off many T.G.S. Curated Shop Items using the code “PENSHOW10” at Checkout. I will extend the sale through Monday at 11:59pm due to the MLK Day holiday tomorrow!

TWSBI

Pilot

Nakabayashi

MT Washi Tape

Help Support T.G.S. in 2024!

If you enjoy our content (whether here on the main website, Instagram, YouTube Channel or elsewhere), there are several ways that you can support us. We do our best to remain 100% self-supported without having to rely on third-party advertisers or affiliates. Of course, the number one way to help is to visit our curated retail shop, especially during the upcoming holiday season! If you enjoy in-person and virtual meetups and having access to more personal content, consider joining the T.G.S. Patreon, which also includes early access to quarterly gently used sales. Patreon support starts as low as $3 per month, and if you pay annually there is a further discount. This month, Patreon supporters have had access to additional Inkvent content, including commentary on my favorite Diamine Inkvent inks and more. The first of these Inkvent posts is public, so please check out Patreon to learn more!

No matter how you support us - even if just with a comment, recommendation, or encouraging word - we greatly appreciate your readership!