Sunday Reading for May 5, 2024

1. Papier Plume: The Faceless Lady (via Figboot on Pens). Since it’s Chicago Pen Show weekend, we might as well link to a review of Papier Plume’s annual Chicago Pen Show exclusive ink!

2. January - April 2024: Four Months in Stationery (via A Gathering of Curiosities). R.B. summarizes pen purchases for the year so far, with an impressive #ifyoucouldonlykeepone set!

3. TWSBI Diamond 580 ALR Sunset Yellow (via Stationery Pizza). If you’re a fan of orange/gold pens, I feel like I have to give a plug to the Sunset Yellow 580 and remind people to grab one before TWSBI cycles out the colors again.

4. The Taming of the Scribo, Write Here Africa Fountain Pen (via Fountain Pen Blog). Scribo does make a shop-exclusive model for Write Here in the U.K., if I ever make it over! Also, the note about heat setting is important to take into account if you find you need to tweak your ebonite feeds.

5. Stipula Etruria Fountain Pen (via Blake’s Broadcast). The Etruria was one of the first expensive Italian pens I purchased. I’ve noticed that it’s mainly produced with steel nibs these days, though celluloid editions still exist.

6. Posh Pens in a Supermarket (via Bleistift). Multi-thousand dollar pens in a grocery store? I like it.

7. Uni-ball One F Gel Pen 0.5mm Earth Texture Color Series Review (via Pen Addict - Sarah). I picked up a few of these from Kinokuniya when I was in NYC, and liked them so much I decided I’d try to stock them in the Curated Shop. There is no real added “texture” - just speckled resin - but it’s a cool visual effect.

8. Ink 100: Part 4 Hitting My Goal (via Well-Appointed Desk). Congratulations to Ana on finishing her Ink 100 challenge!

9. On Devaluing Inexpensive Pens (via SBRE Brown). As you “grow” in the hobby and expand into more expensive pens, do you appreciate your inexpensive pens less? Personally, not if the pen is well-made and writes well. I still use plenty of inexpensive pens but I have become more picky about quality.

10. It’s the Dawning of the Age of … BRONZE! New Ink from Franklin-Christoph (via Inkdependence). I picked up one of these at the Chicago Pen Show. Look for my own thoughts soon!

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Always wild finds in the bar after-hours at any pen show! More on these pens and what they are in this week’s Chicago Pen Show Recap.

In Case You Missed It…

This week on the blog I offered my own take on the “If I Could Only Keep One” challenge/thought experiment, with my “must-have” items from various stationery categories. I also took a short two-day adventure to the 2024 Chicago Pen Show, and recapped my Friday visit (and shopping spree) here.

New Tom’s Studio Arrivals: Lumos Mini Pens and Inks!

New Arrivals in the T.G.S. Curated Shop: TWSBI ECO Caffé Bronze and Tom’s Studio Lumos Fineliners

The big news this week was the arrival of TWSBI’s latest special edition release, as well as a full restock on the Tom’s Studio Lumos series of refillable fineliners, including the pocket-sized Lumos Mini! We also have some remaining limited edition “Tokyo” Traveler’s Company accessories (including the pencil), as well as an entire new range of Tomoe River Paper products and Roterfaden Taschenbegleiter leather covers!

For a full list of all new arrivals this week, check out our New Arrivals and Thursday Drops Posts.

Pilot Pens

Tom's Studio Inks

Iroshizuku Cartridges

Tomoe River

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. Patreon supporters also get access to any pen show-exclusive specials and promotions.

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

Sunday Reading for April 28, 2024

1. The Most Expensive Pen I Have Ever Reviewed… The Danitrio Seiryu (via Figboot on Pens). Danitrio is one of those intriguing brands that surfaces from time to time. I don’t know a lot about the pens, which are works of art and tend to be priced accordingly.

2. Vintage vs. New in “Analog” Hobbies (via Urban Adventure League). An excellent discussion of how many hobbies with a vintage/analog theme still tend to skew “new” when it comes to buying gear. From a pen perspective, there are several reasons new users gravitate away from vintage (often unfairly/unreasonably), and it may warrant a new post?

3. I Can Only Keep One? (via Line Variation). I love these posts and reading about all the various choices people make and the reasons why, many of which are sentimental.

4. You Can Only Keep One (via Well-Appointed Desk). And now it’s Laura’s turn!

5. Work Carry (via Stationery Pizza). Glad to see I’m not the only one with a “heavy” work carry! I use a lot of different specific-purpose tools so my carry also tends to be heavier than what most people probably have with them.

6. Bloggiversary VII! (via Weirdoforest Pens). Congratulations on SEVEN YEARS! That’s a big one. It’s hard to write a blog, much less consistently for years over time, and a huge achievement to keep the content both regular and high quality.

7. Three Notebooks and Three Pens Go A-Traveling (via Inkredible Colours). This week is certainly appropriate for a story about a Traveler’s Notebook setup for actual traveling.

8. Kokuyo Perpanep Notebooks (via Pen Addict - Kimberly). Are the Perpanep notebooks back? I was under the impression they had been discontinued.

9. My Ink 100: Part 3 - Swatch-a-Thon (via Well-Appointed Desk). Are you following along with Ana’s “Ink 100” project?

10. Gourmet Pens Club - You Won’t Believe What Pen Makers Had To Say (via Gourmet Pens). This episode is definitely worth a listen. Much of what the makers had to say also goes for small retailers.

Don’t miss our giveaway with Scriveiner Pens (and our TGS Swag Promotion)!

In Case You Missed It… (And Don’t Miss the 10th Anniversary Giveaway!)

This week on the blog I reviewed the Tom’s Studio “Studio Pocket” Fountain Pen, which is a faceted pocket fountain pen that also features a range of custom-ground nibs that includes an exceptionally good Architect nib. (Which is also out of stock everywhere at the moment, including in our own store. Hopefully that will change soon as they make more!) Yesterday, I updated the “Best Pens” list again to include a new category: My Top 5 Mechanical Pencils! I want to build the list out to include mechanical, and eventually woodcase, pencils because they form such a core part of my own workflow.

More Lumos tips are available!

This Week in the T.G.S. Curated Shop: TWSBI ECO Caffé Bronze; A Tom’s Studio Lumos Restock, More Pilot Explorers, and More Lochby!

The waves of new releases and fun new arrivals continue! This weekend I’ve received a restock of the Tom’s Studio “Lumos” pens, including replacement tips in a wide variety of styles, as well as replacement reservoirs if you’d like a spare. The TWSBI ECO Caffé Bronze pens are in town and I will pick them up tomorrow to start shipping, so reserve yours now. Finally, after requests from many of you, we’ve restocked on Lochby and Pilot Explorer fountain pens (at least those colors we could get!) While we still have a handful of limited edition Traveler’s Company “Tokyo”-themed Traveler’s Notebook accessories, the notebooks themselves sold out in a matter of hours. We’ve ordered more, and hope to get a bigger allotment the next time around! Did I mention we have a ton of new Tomoe River Paper products and Stalogy? It just keeps coming….

Traveler's Company

TWSBI

Stalogy

Tomoe River

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. Patreon supporters also get access to any pen show-exclusive specials and promotions.

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

Sunday Reading for April 21, 2024

1. 2024 Atlanta Pen Show Highlights (via Olive Octopus). Sounds like Lisa had a great Atlanta Pen Show! I was sorry to miss this show, especially given all the different makers who were there.

2. What Am I Talking About When I Talk About Paper? (via The Poor Penman). For fountain pen and paper newbies, some of the terms thrown around can be baffling. Posts like this one are incredibly helpful!

3. Best Kaweco Ever? The Kaweco Art Sport (via Figboot on Pens). While there are seemingly endless versions of the Kaweco Sport out there, this year’s Art Sport might be my favorite, at least aesthetically. Kaweco crushed it with the four resins chosen for this year’s release.

4. The Sadness of Finishing a Notebook (via A Gathering of Curiosities). A great essay on completing projects and appreciating your experience with things for what they are, which also goes for products with a finite lifespan like notebooks.

5. Pursuing Perfect Planners (via Line Variation). Yet another vote in favor of multi pens for planner purposes!

6. Paper System Changes (via Rachel’s Reflections). Do you use a notebook-based or binder-based paper system? I’m also moving more and more towards binder-based, but it can be challenging if you don’t have a clear strategy for organizing and archiving.

7. Budget Watercolor Sets for Art Journaling and Urban Sketching (via Comfortable Shoes Studio). Many people use their notebooks and journaling for art, including watercolors, and often ask for recommendations on inexpensive or starter watercolor sets. Here’s a great resource!

8. Journalize Mirror of the Sky (via Pen Addict - Kimberly). Ok, just when you thought the ink companies couldn’t get more creative with their packaging or ink properties….

9. You Can Only Keep One: The Pen Edition (via Well-Appointed Desk). I havent’ decided whether I’m going to “play” this hashtag or not….

10. M1000 Renaissance Brown Special Edition (via Pelikan’s Perch). There are a few Pelikans that I regret not picking up over the years, including the M800 in the “Renaissance Brown” finish. I don’t have a M1000 - is this the year I finally take one home?

I came away from my review of the Lamy AL-Star rollerball pleasantly surprised!

In Case You Missed It…

This week on the blog I reviewed some of the new releases that hit the shop this past month, including the Lamy AL-Star pens (and pencil) in the 2024 “Fiery” and “Aquatic” finishes, and the one I’m most excited about, yesterday’s first impressions of the Kaweco Sport Piston Filler. Don’t forget to keep checking the YouTube Channel as I plan to introduce more video-content in the coming weeks.

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

The big news this week was the arrival of a fresh shipment of Roterfaden Taschenbegleiters in A4 and A5 sizes. The A4 size has been a surprise hit, as so many people love a larger-format notebook yet it tends to be neglected by mainstream manufacturers. Fortunately, Roterfaden steps in and makes a wide array of these hybrid notebook covers/portfolios that form a core part of my personal rotation.

We’re also very excited to introduce some limited versions of the Jetstream 4&1 Multi Pen, which is an all-time favorite everyday utility writer. These pens ship with four different refills (black, blue, red, and green) plus a .5mm mechanical pencil! We’re also working on adding some higher-end gel pen offerings, with the Uniball One currently in the shop, again in some special finishes that include muted pastels and “Earth texture”.

Roterfaden

Uni Mitsubishi

Kaweco

Tom's Studio

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. Patreon supporters also get access to any pen show-exclusive specials and promotions.

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

Sunday Reading for April 14, 2024

1. Atlanta Pen Show Recap (via Figboot on Pens). A great video recap of the recent Atlanta Pen Show, which I unfortunately was sad to miss!

2. Method and Mayhem: Digging Myself Out with Plotter Lists (via A Gathering of Curiosities). The Plotter system, with it’s specialized refills, lends itself well to list-based project management and triage when you feel overwhelmed.

3. Leonardo Momento Zero #8 La Fenice Nib Fountain Pen Review (via Blake’s Broadcast). If you’re going to make larger pens, use the larger No. 8 nibs! While the Momento Zero Grande is a bit large for me, I’m a huge fan of No. 8 nibs where the pen works for me.

4. Rediscovering the Parker 45 Fountain Pen (via Fountain Pen Blog). I purchased a couple of Parker 45s at pen shows earlier this year. While I haven’t inked them up yet, I’m looking forward to exploring the vintage side of this hobby, especially now that pen show season has calmed down and I have a break from travel.

5. You Can Only Keep One (via Rachel’s Reflections). One pen from each brand? That’s a challenge. :)

6. Faber-Castell Ambition Fountain Pen Review (via The Poor Penman). The Faber-Castell Ambition is a long-time favorite of many, due to Faber-Castell’s excellent steel nibs.

7. Where to Buy Nolty Planners (via Notebook Stories). I hear a lot about Nolty Planners but have never used one myself. Is this something I should check out?

8. Stationery Travel Diary, Librarian Edition (via Pen Addict - Sarah). I’m always up for a fun travelogue, especially in a city where I’ve never done any book/stationery shopping!

9. Since I’ll Be 120 For the Next One…. (via From the Pen Cup). Did anyone else journal about their eclipse experience?

10. My Ink 100: Part 1 - Admitting I Have a Problem (via Well-Appointed Desk). I tried this at one point. I failed. I still have a problem.

The Tom’s Studio Lumos Pro Duo!

In Case You Missed It…

This week was a fun week of content on the blog, not least because T.G.S. turns 10 years old this month! Yep, 10 years of writing about pens, inks, paper, desk accessories, and all that fun stuff that goes along with it! We had a particularly fun review that published Wednesday, which contained my first impressions of the Tom’s Studio Lumos series of refillable fineliners. These have been really well-received, and I’m glad that I made the decision to bring them into the shop because everyone I’ve talked to who has used these long term seems to enjoy them. Yesterday, I updated the “Best Pens” list for 2024, and there were some moderate revisions to this year’s categories. Please keep in mind that any content on this website, including any decision to including or omit something from “Best Pens”, reflects my own opinion and should not be taken as a judgment on any pen not mentioned.

Our current stock of Kaweco Piston Fillers consists of the boxed set with a vintage-style bottle of Kaweco Royal Blue ink.

This Week in the T.G.S. Curated Shop: The Kaweco Piston Filler is Here!

In addition to the arrival of the Tom’s Studio Lumos fineliners and the Tom’s Studio fountain pens (and specialty nibs), the big news was the arrival of the long-awaited Kaweco Sport Piston Filler fountain pen! We have a small number of these pens available, as they’ve sold fairly quickly. If you’d like to see a hands-on demonstration of the pen and how it compares to one of its vintage predecessors, you can check out this YouTube video! For a full list of new arrivals and restocks, visit this week’s Thursday Drops post.

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Lamy

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Tom's Studio

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Lamy AL-Stars

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Pencils

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. Patreon supporters also get access to any pen show-exclusive specials and promotions.

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

Sunday Reading for April 7, 2024

1. Vanness Pens - Ink Heaven and More! (via Pen Addict - Kimberly). I love my trips to Vanness Pens! It was fun to hang out after-hours during my trip to the Arkansas Pen Show.

2. Ink Swatching Tools (via Olive Octopus). Lisa walks us through the tools that she regularly uses to make a LOT of ink samples.

3. Best Architect Grind? Tom’s Studio - Studio Fountain Pen (via Figboot on Pens). Tom’s Studio has been new to me as well, and I agree that the Architect’s nib is excellent. I’m testing this brand in the shop and will have some of their fountain pens and other products listed in the coming days. More on that below.

4. Time Tetris: Hobonichi Techo Planner Review (via A Fleeting Ripple). I’ve been using the Hobonichi Techo Cousin in a similar manner and can relate to the flexibility the Hobonichi offers, especially where you want to alternate between time-block style planning and journaling.

5. On Minimal Drawing Kits and Square Sketchbooks (via Urban Adventure League). You all know how I love a good gear post.

6. Dropped Pens Series (via Stationery Pizza). After reading this post and a few conversations with people at pen shows, I want to talk more about dropping pens and how to fix them. It happens to us all and is nothing to be embarrassed about!

7. Nebulous Raven Esterbrook Estie Fountain Pen Review (via Weirdoforest Pens). I picked up a couple of Esterbrooks at the Arkansas Show and have been rediscovering the brand. The two featured in this review are great looking!

8. S.T. Dupont Graphite Gul Black D Line Guilloché (via Dapprman). S.T. Dupont is one of those brands that I’ve actually never used, believe it or not. The MSRP is crazy high but the secondary market seems more on target with what the value proposition is.

9. Inside My Collection: Vintage Metal Pencils (via Fountain Pen Love). Vintage pencils (and pencils in general) get less love from the stationery community than I think they deserve.

10. Alsterhaus in Hamburg (via Bleistift). I so wish that we had department stores like this one.

11. Notebook Review: Dominant Industry Ink Archiving Book (via Well-Appointed Desk). Now this is a cool idea!

In Case You Missed It….

I reviewed two pens this week! The Pilot Explorer Fountain Pen - which is quickly becoming one of my favorite entry level pens - and the Lamy Vista (otherwise known as the Safari demonstrator. While part of me of course wished that I was at the Atlanta Pen Show this weekend (and you should go on Sunday if you have the chance), I really needed to get caught up on reviews and a bunch of new shop arrivals. More on that below…

Are refillable fineliners finally a thing that works! I think they might be….

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

Continuing our core focus on overlooked and underappreciated quality stationery, we added the excellent Tombow L105 ballpoint to our lineup of workhorse pens on offer! New releases that will be arriving and shipping tomorrow include the Lamy AL-Star in “Fiery” and “Aquatic” finishes, as well as a restock of the Pink Cliff and Violet Blackberry Safari pens. Last but not least, you’ll be seeing a trick of pens and accessories from UK-based Tom’s Studio, including refillable fineliners and fountain pens with specialty nibs.

Tom's Studio

Lamy

Kaweco

Pencils!

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. Patreon supporters also get access to any pen show-exclusive specials and promotions.

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