Esterbrook Pens on Display in Little Rock — Esterbrook always brings the goods to a pen show. It’s fun to have the time to explore their table at a smaller show.

Sunday Reading for March 24, 2024 (Arkansas Pen Show Edition)

March 24, 2024

Its Own Pen: Pilot Decimo Fountain Pen Review (via A Fleeting Ripple). Is the Decimo its own pen, or simply a smaller size option of the Vanishing Point? However you come out, many love this more slender retractable fountain pen.
London 2024 Spring Pen Show (via Dapprman). I’ve yet to make it over to a London Pen Show, despite my best efforts!
Blackwing 2X Firm Graphite Core Review (via Pen Addict). Brad reviews the latest release from Blackwing - their new Volumes edition features much harder graphite than they’ve used in the past. I have my own thoughts on harder grades of graphite, and prefer the softer cores, but if you absolutely need point retention Blackwing is meeting a new need here.
Ikkaku Pan-Long (via Figboot on Pens). Ikkaku is the luxury line being introduced by Nahvalur, featuring maki-e art and other traditional Japanese techniques.
Journalize Whimsical and Starry Night Inks (via Cheryl Lindo Jones). I had not seen the Journalize inks until this weekend, when Vanness had them at the shop and the show.
Sailor Ink Studio #123 Fountain Pen Ink Review (via Blake’s Broadcast). The Sailor Ink Studio line features dozens of inks with unique color properties, including double-shaders. #123 is one of the more popular inks from this particular line.
A Well Rested Four Pens Return to the Rotation (via mnmlscholar). There’s always something to be said for shopping your own collection for some novelty!
Swatching Inks from Vanness - Stream Recording (via The Poor Penman). I very rarely go on Twitch, but I always like to promote when someone else does something new.
Setting Up a New Journal (via Comfortable Shoes Studio). I’ve been fascinated with others’ journaling setups lately. Maybe because my own are feeling a little stale?
Private Reserve Ink, Infinity Blue (via Well-Appointed Desk). Private Reserve continues to experiment with special-property inks, including these new “extended cap off” inks.

Penco Prime Timber Writing Sample with Metacil Infinity Pencil

In Case You Missed It…

Between having to care for some under-the-weather family members and prepping to travel to the Arkansas Pen Show, I didn’t get as much writing done as I would’ve liked. That said, I wrote up a brief summary of five fun finds from my travels so far this year. I’m coming up on a period of several months where I won’t be on the road for an extended time, and I’m really looking forward to getting caught up!

This Week in the T.G.S. Curated Shop - Pen Show weekend promotion and new arrivals

Adding to this week’s mad rush was my attempt to get the last of the slew of new arrivals listed before I had to leave for Little Rock. Recent arrivals include the E+M Clutch Pencils, as well as the rest of my initial Blackwing Order that includes the “Illegal Pads”! Check out the Weekly Drops post for full details! We still have remaining stock from our initial shipment of Lamy Safari Special Editions, as well as many new AL-Star arrivals. Don’t forget that through tonight at 11:59pm CT, most orders placed this weekend are eligible for a 10% “Pen Show Weekend” discount using the coupon code PENSHOW10 at checkout. Some brands are excluded due to distributor policies.

Uni Pencils

Lamy

E+M Clutch Pencils

Blackwing Paper

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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. Patreon supporters also get access to any pen show-exclusive specials and promotions, such as that offered to course attendees this weekend.

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My Jetstream Multipen Collection Laid out on my Desk — I’ve been delving into my own non-fountain pen obsessions lately….

Sunday Reading for March 17, 2024

March 17, 2024

Dispatches from the Archives (via A Gathering of Curiosities). I’ve been avidly following this series of posts. To be in this sort of situation and not have access to my pens…. well, at least I’m a pencil person as well!
Lamy Dark Lilac 2024 vs. The Original Dark Lilac 2016 (via Pen Addict - Kimberly). Kimberly has an excellent comparison of the two inks - yes, they’re different yet still similar at the same time - and her observations line up with my own.
BWIPS 2024 (via Rachel’s Reflections). As a longtime Baltimore Show attendee, Rachel writes great recaps and has excellent observations on this particular show. I’m glad to hear the “off” feeling from last year wasn’t an issue this year, and I’m looking forward to returning next year as my schedule allows.
Clicky Pens: Pilot Vanishing Point Fountain Pen Vintage and New (via A Fleeting Ripple). I look forward to reading the rest of this forthcoming series!
A Quality Fountain Pen for $35? The Asvine P80 (via Figboot on Pens). Of all the lower-priced fountain pens available on the market, Asvine might be the best. These pens are decently made and fairly reliable, though I haven’t had mine for long.
Leaving a “Later Space” for Brainstorming Medium and Long-Term To-Dos (via mnmlscholar). More discussions of analog planning techniques in a variation of traditional bullet journaling.
Quick Look: Good Made Better Penwell Classic (via The Poor Penman). The Penwell is the ultimate “enthusiast’s accessory” - the number of people who truly need one is relatively small, but those who love and use them never go without!
Kaweco ART Sport in Pebble Blue Acrylic Review (via Pen Addict - Jeff). I agree with everything Jeff has said about this model, especially about how the integrated clip being a nice addition. The only quibble I have is that the Terrazzo is clearly the best material, right?
Taking It Slowly (via From the Pen Cup). Mary discusses her latest reading project, which is a wonderful idea if you’re looking to tackle long, difficult books.
Bouncing Back to Gel Pens (via Pete Denison). This article touches on something that I’m also feeling strongly - the enthusiast community often marches everyone down the fountain pen rabbit hole, to the exclusion of all the other wonderfully fulfilling, well-made products out there (including some excellent gel pens).
“The Only Thing Constant in Life is Change” (via Well-Appointed Desk). Another observant take on the Dark Lilac “controversy”, and a reminder to enjoy these inks for what they are while we have them (along with everything else).
Rubato Fountain Pen (via Well-Appointed Desk). While maybe not exactly my personal style, this is EXACTLY the type of thing that I love discovering at pen shows - new creators!

Uni Kuru Togas in .5mm and .3mm with writing sample

In Case You Missed It….

This week on the blog I chronicled my own adventures outside the fountain pen universe, since I’ve been on the road and am now enjoying a mostly restful week at home before I take off for the Arkansas Pen Show on Thursday afternoon! I reviewed the Uni Kuru Toga Alpha Gel Switch Mechanical Pencil, a super comfortable .5mm mechanical pencil featuring Uni’s Kuru Toga rotating “engine” plus the ability to turn the rotation mechanism on and off. I also wrote a piece discussing how line width compares across various types of non-fountain pens, including ballpoints, gel pens, and mechanical pencils. One is probably not exactly the same as the other, as liquid or gel ink pens might write a broader line than their designation.

E+M Sketch Clutch Pencils in Three Different Woods — The E+M “Sketch” Clutch Pencil combines some gorgeous woods with brass or chrome trim.

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

After a week on the road most of my effort went into getting caught up on shipping and listing all of the new arrivals that hit the shop while I was out. The biggest news was the arrival of Blackwing in the Curated Shop! I’ve been talking to Blackwing for years about bringing in the brand, and at last the timing is right. Check out the full range of Blackwing pencils, sharpeners, and accessories, as well as the excellent “Illegal Pads” writing pads.

Blackwing lined "Illegal Pad" with Writing Sample — While I can’t confirm that Blackwing has changed its paper formulation since the last time I’ve used one of these, the current version of the “Illegal Pad” handles all inks very well.

Among other things, we now carry a broader range of clutch pencils capable of holding 5.5-5.6mm leads (both graphite and highlighter), as well as the Kakimori dip nibs. In addition to the Kaweco Clutch Pencils, we have clutch pencils from another German manufacturer, E+M, which come in a wide range of wood finishes. We also received an additional shipment of AL-Star Pens from Lamy (including the Azure, Cosmic, and Whitesilver finishes), and now have the 2024 Safari Ballpoints available in both Pink Cliff and Violet Blackberry.

Lamy Pens

E+M Pencils

Blackwing Pencils

Uni Pencils

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2024 Spring Break Stationery Haul Laid out on desk — Why do I tend to pack light when bringing stationery on vacation? Because this tends to happen.

Sunday Reading for March 10, 2024 (Spring Break Edition)

March 10, 2024

NFP Design Storage (via Figboot on Pens). One of my favorite discoveries from last year’s DC Pen Show was the NFP Design table. They’ve continued to release new cases and pen boxes, and I love all the designs even though I don’t need new storage at the moment.
Thin Softbound Notebooks are Low-Stakes Experimentation Platforms (via mnmlscholar). I’ve never thought of it that way! Another thing to think about is that if “finishing” a journal gives you motivation to keep going, it can be incredibly satisfying to fill up a bunch of these slimmer notebooks!
Quick Look: Ajoto N2 Pocket Paper Notebook (via The Poor Penman). These notebooks look well-made, and while I would call this paper “usable” with fountain pens based on the pictures shown, Ajoto is a maker of rollerballs/ballpoints, so it’s to be expected that their paper would be geared towards their own products.
Theme System Post Series: How I Used the Official Theme System Journal (via Stationery Pizza). I used the Theme System Journal for a while and also now use a version of it, but in a different stationery product that I can customize to my own needs. It’s interesting to see how other people implemented this versatile system.
Bindewerk Metal Edge Ledger Notebook Review (via Blake’s Broadcast). I love Bindewerk paper and their product line in general. Their paper is generally excellent.
The London Spring Pen Show 2024: My Haul (via Fountain Pen Blog). I love the semi-annual London Pen Show Schedule. It’s only for one day, but it happens twice a year! Is that better than the once-a-year, three-day model that nearly all U.S. shows follow?
2024 Baltimore Pen Show Recap (via Pen Addict - Kimberly). While I couldn’t make Baltimore this year, the show definitely went on! Saturday looked quite crowded.
Notebook Review: Endless Recorder A5 InkJournal (via Fountain Pen Pharmacist). Cool idea for a journal/notebook! I have yet to try the in-house Endless Paper.
Everyday Explorers Rubber Stamp Sets (via Well-Appointed Desk). Rubber stamps are something that I use occasionally in my journals and notebooks, but I’d really like to learn more, especially since there are so many great options now.
My First Pen Show (via The Cramped). I love reading about people’s first show experience! A great long recap.

Travel Stationery Kit Spring Trip: Mechanical Pencils and fountain Pens on a desk

In Case You Missed It…

This week on the blog, I took a bit of a (much needed) break but did publish a longer piece outlining my stationery travel kit for a bit less than a week on the road. I also managed to drag my family out stationery shopping (don’t worry, everybody got to buy something so it wasn’t a one-sided family excursion) and picked up this fun limited edition mechanical pencil lead case from Uni at Kinokuniya! Back to a regular content schedule next week!

Viarco Pencil Caps — What’s the most popular new arrival? Oddly, these Viarco coiled-spring stainless steel pencil caps.

This Week in the T.G.S. Curated Shop…

Lots of new products landed in the shop this week. All of them are discussed in more detail in this week’s “Drops” post, but in short we have the new TWSBI ECO “Dark Sapphire,” Viarco Pencils, NJK Sharpeners, and Yamamoto Writing Pads (including Tomoe River Paper versions!) We also have a restock of Midori MD Notebooks and Lamy Inks.

NJK Sharpeners

Viarco Pencils

Yamamoto Paper

Lamy Ink

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Currently Inked Pens and Inks, shown with Hobonichi Journal

Sunday Reading for March 3, 2024 (The One Where I Take a Short Break from Pen Shows)

March 3, 2024

On the Future of Fountain Pens (via SBRE Brown). A timely topic, especially in light of the attention that the Lamy Dark Lilac “controversy” has recently drawn to the community. I would ask a broader question - is this a niche community drawn to antique-ish writing instruments? Or does the renewed interest in fountain pens (and related analog things) indicate a broader social movement?
Mitsubishi Buys Lamy (via Lamy Press). The other Lamy news is that the Company was acquired by Mitsubishi, which owns, well, Uni-Mitsubishi and many, many other brands. While I want to await additional details before offering my thoughts, I suspect not much will change, and those changes that do occur will be for the better (i.e., better distribution, more consistent availability, and fewer consumer relations foot-faults).
Fountain Pen Adventure (Denali!) (via Inky Rocks). Community interviews are always fun, especially when they offer some insight into the people behind popular accounts.
A Portable Sanctuary (via A Gathering of Curiosities). I completely relate to this. Even if I can’t use them, taking a handful of pens on a work trip - especially if it’s a difficult one - has a grounding effect and centers me, knowing I can come back to something I care about at the end of the day.
2024 California Pen Show (via Pen Addict - Kimberly). I know we’re a ways out from CAPS, but this was a great show and Kimberly always has a thorough write-up. The number of new attendees was astounding.
Journaling: Paper or Digital? (via Stationery Pizza). Do you use digital journaling apps? I’ve found I could never get into them properly. Part of it is the fact that I have a hard time thinking as freely on the computer as I do on the written page.
Business Hours: Pentel Calme Multi-Pen Review (via A Fleeting Ripple). I’ve not tried the Pentel Calme - it must be a relatively new multi pen release, but then again, it’s been a while since I’ve delved into the multi pen world.
Even More Indie Makers (via Rachel’s Reflections). Rachel does a great job of keeping track of all of the new indie makers entering the community, and I look forward to these posts.
Ensso XS Minimalist Fountain Pen Review (via The Poor Penman). Ensso is getting some renewed attention after the launch of their retractable pen Kickstarter.
Kaweco Sport Royal Amethyst (via Figboot on Pens). A beautiful new release from Kaweco via Goldspot!

Tombow Mono Graph Shaker Mechanical Pencil, on a notebook

In Case You Missed It….

This week I took a break from Pen Shows: The 2024 Baltimore Washington International Pen Show is ongoing (Go Sunday if you can!) but I couldn’t make this one work, not after Philadelphia, CAPS, both a work and family trip next week, and the Arkansas Pen Show in Little Rock coming up at the end of the month. Instead, I’ve been working on orders, listing a ton of new shop arrivals, and catching up on content/reviews. This week I reviewed a new stationery product I’ve shockingly never used: the Tombow Mono Graph mechanical pencil featuring a “shaker” mechanism, and I also answered the #17inkquestions challenge.

TWSBI Diamond 580 ALR Fountain Pen, in Matte Black — We’ve also received additional TWSBI 580 ALR pens in matte black!

This Week in the T.G.S. Curated Shop (Pen Show Flash Special and Clearance!)

March and April are gearing up to be big months for us. We’re winding down the Winter/Spring pen show season, but we have a lot of new arrivals in the queue, including a new 849 release from Caran d’Ache, a bunch of new pens and notebooks from Lamy, and what I’m personally most excited about, the arrival of NJK Long-Point sharpeners in our Pencil section. We also received a full restock of Caran d’Ache and M+R favorites, Kaweco Clutch Pencils and Highlighter refills, and more!

Since it’s a pen show weekend, a few of you reached out to see if there were any specials. We did announce earlier this week that we have a lot of older items on clearance, which will be marked as such in the shop pages.

NJK Sharpeners

Caran d'Ache

Lamy

TWSBI

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Schon DSGN Monoc Nibs Fine through Broad — The Schon

Sunday Reading for February 25, 2024

February 25, 2024

CAPS ‘24: The California Pen Show (via The Poor Penman). A great recap of a great pen show. In many ways, I can see how people would consider this an ideal show experience.
Pen Show Recap: California Pen Show 2024 (via Well-Appointed Desk). Another great recap that captures why this show was so much fun.
Ultem Fountain Pens: Hype or Here to Stay? (via Dapprman). My own thought is that they are here to stay - Ultem is excellent material for pens if you like the amber color, which I do - but you will likely see the hype die down a bit.
A Watch Pen? (via Figboot on Pens). We talked about this product on our Patreon meetup last night, and while I’m not sure I would ever use something like this, I find the concept fascinating.
Iroful Fountain Pen Friendly Paper: Better than Cosmo Air Light? (via Blake’s Broadcast). The quest for a replacement for discontinued papers goes on! I’ve never tried Iroful paper (from Sakae Technical Paper), but should probably check some out. You know, “for science.”
“Oh! I like it when he uses the fancy pens.” (via mnmlscholar). I second the observation that a younger generation is definitely taking an interest in pens and other analog tools. California Pen Show attendees skewed toward younger new users, including many who had never held a fountain pen before going to the show.
17 Ink Questions (via Rachel’s Reflections). At some point I need to get around to answering the 17 Ink Questions!
Taking Myself Out of Choosing a Currently Inked (via mnmlscholar). Randomly pairing pens and inks can be fun, especially if you’re playing with inks already in your collection that you haven’t used in a while.
Journaling Series: On Starting a Journal (via Writing at Large). There are lots of posts on journaling prompts, etc., but not many on how to start a journal. As in, writing the first line.
TWSBI 580 ALR Black Fountain Pen Review (via Pen Addict - Jeff). The Black TWSBI 580 ALR is one of the better colors TWSBI has made in a long time, and in my opinion, a black 580 was long overdue.

Lamy Special Edition Ink Writing Samples

In Case You Missed It…

This week on the blog I took a first look at the new Lamy Safari Special Editions, as well as the recently released Lamy Inks! Following my workshops at the recent California Pen Show, I also wrote a short piece on pen myth-busting, the main point of which is to keep revisiting generally accepted “internet truths,” as things change over time, especially as manufacturers make changes to formulations. There’s no substitute for your own personal experience! Finally, for those who attended my workshop at the California Pen Show, I posted details regarding the paper samples we exchanged if you didn’t get a chance to jot them down.

Lamy econ ballpoints — The colorful range of the Lamy econ ballpoint! Both these and the “Noto” take the M16 refill!

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

Among other things, as noted above, a bunch of new Lamy products have landed in the shop, including the new Safari Special Edition fountain pens and rollerballs in the “Pink Cliff” and “Violet Blackberry” colorways, as well as the ink (which unfortunately is now sold out but I will try to get more). We also added two new Lamy ballpoint options: the “econ” metal ballpoints and the “Noto” new releases in Deep Blue and Chocolate.

Don’t forget to visit our newly launched dedicated Pencil section of the store! We are rapidly expanding pencil-related offerings - both woodcase and mechanical, as well as erasers and sharpeners and other accessories.