Sunday Reading for October 20, 2024

1. October 2024 London Pen Show - The Partial Visit (via Dapprman). I missed the London Pen Show by exactly a day. But I do want to go back in the Spring. A bunch of interesting brands here that are new to me!

2. Oblation Papers & Press Shop Visit (via Pen Addict - Kimberly). What a great shop layout!

3. Is the 2025 Hobonichi Paper Inadequate? (via Well-Appointed Desk). I’m not sure I’m going to use Hobonichi for 2025 anyway, so this really doesn’t apply to me, but apparently there is much controversy with the latest Hobonichi release. Perhaps batch inconsistency?

4. Finding the Plotter Size I Want (via Stationery Pizza). I can’t emphasize enough how nice a narrower notebook can be, especially to fit things like smaller sling bags.

5. Endless Storyboard Pocket Notebooks (via Blake’s Broadcast). Endless’s series of “theme” pocket notebooks has been around for a while, now featuring their proprietary Regalia paper.

6. Some Weeks It Takes Two Daily Drivers (via mnmlscholar). Only two? What about six? :)

7. Color Traveler Sardine Blue Gray (via Fountain Pen Pharmacist). Color Traveler has some excellent inks in the Blue-Gray range. It’s a fun brand that doesn't get nearly as much attention as it should.

8. NaNoWri…No (via Pen Addict - Sarah). So I missed all this!

9. The Montblanc 100 Day Writing Challenge - Epilogue (via Pete Denison). Writing challenges and journaling prompts are a great way to spark your creativity, and improve your handwriting!

10. Pelikan Hubs 2024 - A Recap (via Pelikan’s Perch). Another great Hub recap (with more ideas on future venues as the Hubs continue to grow).

In Case You Missed It….

This week on the blog I returned from a trip abroad and finally got around to some new content, both written and video! I wrote a piece on my recent experiments with rollerball refills, and whether I may have actually found a couple that will work for me long-term. I also reviewed the “Journeyman” mechanical ballpoint from Wingback, which is the subject of an ongoing Kickstarter campaign. Finally, I did a video review of two inks I picked up at L. Cornelissen & Son in London, which are from their “Historic” series and are based on vintage ink recipes used by famous historic figures such as Sir Isaac Newton and Virginia Woolf (which are the two inks I brought home with me).

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Diamine Inkvent calendars are available both online and in the shop. We’ve added some hours to our brick and mortar store and will be open Thursday through Saturday, with other days by appointment. Check out this page here for updated store hours and more.

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

As we get geared up for the holiday season, new arrivals and restocks are coming in. The biggest new arrival this week was probably the Lamy 2000 58th Anniversary “Pine” fountain pen set, which features a dark green Makrolon that ships with a Lamy notebook. We also received our allocation of the Traveler’s Company 2025 Dated Diaries, as well as all of the 2025 accessories including folders, stickers, pencil boards and more. Finally, Blackwing Volume 71 arrived, along with new Blackwing paper formats such as the spiral notebooks and reporter-style pads. Check out this week’s Thursday drops for all the details! (Oh, and Inkvent Calendars are here! I told you it was a busy week. :))

Traveler's Company

Lamy 2000

Sunderland

Blackwing

Check Out T.G.S. Patreon for Breaking news and first access/Special pricing on exclusives (Including the Sunderland Mk1)

If you enjoy our content (whether here on the main website, Instagram, YouTube Channel or elsewhere), and would like early/extra access to shop releases and gently used stationery opportunities, consider supporting us via Patreon. 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 either online (or in person, if you’re in the Nashville area)! If you enjoy in-person and virtual meetups and having access to more personal content, the T.G.S. Patreon includes these as well as access to early shop releases, the quarterly gently used sales, a monthly updates newsletter, and of course our monthly Zoom meetups. Patreon support starts as low as $3 per month, and if you pay annually there is a further discount. This month’s Patreon “special” is an extra bit off the TGS x Sunderland Collaboration Pen.

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

Sunday Reading for October 13, 2024

1. Good Made Better Muse (via Figboot on Pens). David gives us his take on the Good Made Better “Muse” fountain pen - their very first offering that’s now available on Kickstarter! Read my own thoughts on the Muse, and it’s pocket pen companion the “Jester”, here.

2. Techo Kaigi (via Notebook Stories). Oh boy do I need to do one of these! Anyone with multiple planners should read this one before buying next year’s options.

3. This Shouldn’t Have Worked. A Tale of Two Scribos (via Pen Addict - Kimberly). If the pen doesn’t work, and maybe is only slightly off, don’t necessarily give up. It could just need a nib adjustment (or a nib swap).

4. Jacques Herbin Turquoise de Perse (via A Gathering of Curiosities). A new Herbin shimmer ink, in turquoise. Of all the ink colors, I’ve always felt that turquoise shows off shimmer quite well.

5. Sailor Hocoro Dip Pens (via Well-Appointed Desk). Both Sailor and Pilot have tried their hands at dip pens in addition to their traditional fountain pen offerings. I’ve not yet had the opportunity to try either.

6. Colorado Pen Show 2024 (via Fountain Pen Love). If you’re in the Denver area, be sure to try and catch the last day!

7. Pelikan M600 Turquoise and White (via Dapprman). Even though there is not a huge size difference, I think I lean towards the M600 over the slightly smaller M400.

8. What Does One Do With Blank Planner Pages? (via mnmlscholar). I’m in the same boat, and curious to hear ideas.

9. Diamine Green Ed. Olive Swirl (via Fountain Pen Pharmacist). Of all the recent Diamine Inkvent sets, this one is a favorite.

10. Retro 51 2024 Spooky Season Editions (via Pen Addict - Sarah). I’m not typically a fan of the Halloween Retros - two busy for my taste - but these are much more understated!

A shot from one of my days spent wandering London.

In Case You Missed It…

Well, you didn’t really miss all that much content-wise this week, other than some of the photographs I took while walking an average of nine miles per day across London! (Yes, I needed the exercise.) I did manage to visit some of the excellent London Stationery stores and bookshops, as you can see from my haul photos posted above. More on my trip this week!

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I will be in the shop today, plus three days later this week!

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

Many thanks to my helpers who shipped orders while we were gone, and many thanks to everyone who continued to support the store, as I was super hesitant to take this trip given that I’m still in the early stages of a somewhat expensive expansion of this business and was worried about taking a week off. Other than a small number of inevitable mix-ups (which I plan to address immediately today), everything went smoothly. New arrivals which sold quite well while we were out included the Midori MD “Thick” paper, as well as some of the last remaining T.G.S. x Sunderland Pens from this run! Needless to say, I was stunned at the extent to which many of the brands only stocked in small specialty boutiques here in the U.S. are prominently featured by major high street retailers in the U.K. You can read a bit more about this in Friday’s post, but I’m a huge fan of brands such as Tom’s Studio and Object Index, and wish they received more attention. I’m doing my part!

Note: I will be in the shop today (Sunday, 10/13), even though our regular hours have us “Closed” on Sunday. Stop by between 1 and 5pm if you’d like to shop or pick up any orders!

Kakimori Notebooks

Object Index

Lamy

Anterique

Check Out T.G.S. Patreon for Breaking news and first access/Special pricing on exclusives (Including the Sunderland Mk1)

If you enjoy our content (whether here on the main website, Instagram, YouTube Channel or elsewhere), and would like early/extra access to shop releases and gently used stationery opportunities, consider supporting us via Patreon. 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 either online (or in person, if you’re in the Nashville area)! If you enjoy in-person and virtual meetups and having access to more personal content, the T.G.S. Patreon includes these as well as access to early shop releases, the quarterly gently used sales, a monthly updates newsletter, and of course our monthly Zoom meetups. Patreon support starts as low as $3 per month, and if you pay annually there is a further discount. This month’s Patreon “special” is an extra bit off the TGS x Sunderland Collaboration Pen.

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

Sunday Reading for October 6, 2024

1. Emotional Support Stationery, Friendship Edition (via A Gathering of Curiosities). The best thing about this hobby is, by far, the community of great, truly caring people who are a part of it.

2. Edison Jameson (via Figboot on Pens). I’ve had a Jameson since the Chicago Pen Show and need to write up the review. I love the newfound availability of No. 8 nibs, especially paired with ebonite feeds.

3. Traveler’s Notebook? (via Stationery Pizza). I can understand the frustration with toting around a bunch of A5 notebooks, and I’m definitely appreciating the simplicity of a Traveler’s Notebook carry this week.

4. A Vintage Conway Stewart “Dinkie” 550 Gets a New Sac (via Fountain Pen Blog). Pretty much spot on with how it goes the first time you restore a vintage pen!

5. Am I A Weirdo? (via Rachel’s Reflections). It goes without saying that for most of us in this hobby, the answer is clearly “yes” by any objective measure, but among us weirdos, what “unusual” pen rituals do you have? I don’t really baby my pens but I do clean them thoroughly after changing inks.

6. Uni Kuru Toga Metal Mechanical Pencil Review (via Pen Addict). I may need to put yet another Kuru Toga model on my “to try” list.

7. Pelikan Hub Bremen 2024 (via Bleistift). I love reading other Pelikan Hub reports. I sadly did not get to take many pictures, as it had been a bit of a wild day with the nasty weather.

8. The Journeyman Pen from Wingback, Now Live on Kickstarter! (via Pen Addict). I have one of these pens from Wingback, which I’ll be posting more about next week, but as with all of their pens and pencils the build quality is outstanding. If you’re a fan be sure to check this one out.

9. Using a Traveler’s Notebook as a Wallet (via Well-Appointed Desk). I do something quite similar with the Plotter Mini 5.

10. Drehgriffel Nr. 1 - A Quick Look (via The Poor Penman). Count me as a fan of both the Drehgriffel and whatever gel refill they use. I personally like drier gel refills because they don’t smear.

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In Case You Missed It….

This week on the blog I took a quick look at the “Jester and Muse” fountain pens, recently launched by Good Made Better. Since I’m currently traveling, Saturday’s post featured some recap content from YouTube, as many readers of the blog may not be aware that we do have a video channel! 

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In addition to new arrivals, we have plenty of Roterfaden Taschenbegleiter covers available as part of our recent restock.

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

This week in the shop saw a restock of Midori, Traveler’s Company, and Write Notepads paper, as well as the launch of Midori’s new “MD Thick” A5 notebooks. Also of particular note is that we have more Traveler’s Company Tokyo Limited Edition refills. Be sure to check out this week’s Thursday drops for details, and even though I am traveling this week and the brick and mortar store is closed for the weekend, online orders are continuing to process and ship!

TGS x Sunderland mk1

Midori MD

Pilot Iroshizuku

Anterique Pens

Check Out T.G.S. Patreon for Breaking news and first access/Special pricing on exclusives (Including the Sunderland Mk1)

If you enjoy our content (whether here on the main website, Instagram, YouTube Channel or elsewhere), and would like early/extra access to shop releases and gently used stationery opportunities, consider supporting us via Patreon. 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 either online (or in person, if you’re in the Nashville area)! If you enjoy in-person and virtual meetups and having access to more personal content, the T.G.S. Patreon includes these as well as access to early shop releases, the quarterly gently used sales, a monthly updates newsletter, and of course our monthly Zoom meetups. Patreon support starts as low as $3 per month, and if you pay annually there is a further discount. This month’s Patreon “special” is an extra bit off the TGS x Sunderland Collaboration Pen.

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

Sunday Reading for September 29, 2024

1. Top 10 Go-To Inks (via Figboot on Pens). A fun video from David - most of us who have been using fountain pens and ink for a long time don’t have a “favorite” per se, but rather a lineup of 5-10 inks that we cycle through regularly.

2. Pelikan Hub 2024 (via Dapprman). I’m glad I’m not the only Hubmaster who forgot to take photos.

3. Pelikan Edelstein Ink of the Year Golden Lapis (via Writing at Large). This year’s registered participants at the Pelikan Hubs received a bottle of the Golden Lapis ink of the year!

4. 30+ Ways to Fill and Empty Notebook (Revised & Enhanced) (via Well-Appointed Desk). This is a great expanded resource if you’re looking for ideas on how to write more or simply feeling uninspired with current practice.

5. St. Jude 2024 Campaign: Milestone Stream Recaps (via Olive Octopus). If you’re looking for a St. Jude campaign to support, check out Lisa’s stream before the end of the month.

6. Unexpected Stationery Likes That Were Free or Cheap (via Urban Adventure League). Did you ever get a promotional pen or notebook that unexpectedly turned out to be great? I think we all have at some point.

7. Leaving Better Breadcrumbs in My Hobonichi Tracker (via mnmlscholar). I’m revisiting my own journal/Hobonichi use this week as I gear up to decide what to use for 2025. Despite my best intentions, I’ve been terrible about using the trackers.

8. Why the ISO Paper Sizes Are Great (via Stationery Pizza). Did you know that you can fold A4 paper in half to get two sheets of A5? ISO sizing is great because it makes sense.

9. Stipula Faceted Etruria Red Currant Fountain Pen (via Blake’s Broadcast). I love the look of Stipula pens, especially the Etruria, but the pricing is a bit strange. MSRP at close to $1000, but you can regularly find these for much lower.

10. Wanted: Mark’s Flourishing Days A5 Notebook (via A Fleeting Ripple). I’ve never tried a Mark’s notebook before, but all of their stationery I have used has been interesting visually and generally of good quality.

11. Pelikan Pura P40 - A Different Kind of Pelikan for the Hub (via Pen Addict - Kimberly). The P40 is a pen I’ve been eyeing at pen shows this year, as Pelikan has been expanding their sub-$200 offerings.

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Pretty much all that I'm bringing with me on my trip. This is not all that I plan to bring home. I have a list.

In Case You Missed It….

This week on the blog, I published a two-part series in which I walked through my anticipated travel setup for an upcoming trip to London, UK. Part I discusses my notebook setup (which will be light), and Part II talks about the pens I’ve selected to accompany me on this trip (which will focus on a lot of my favorite non-fountain pens). Hopefully traveling light leaves me with plenty of room to bring some fun things home.

For those interested, note that Part I includes a first draft of my impressions on the three Hobonichi models I test drove this year. Look for a more fulsome post at year-end, when I finish this grand experiment.

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We've recently received a large volume of hardcover Kakimori notebooks in many different cover designs! Be sure to check these out as there are some gorgeous fabrics.

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

The big new arrival this week was a shipment of Roterfaden Taschenbegleiter notebook covers/binders, including A4 and A5 models in various favorite materials. We are also fully restocked on Roterfaden refills and accessories. In terms of pens and ink, we recently received restock shipments of Pilot Iroshizuku in all colors, as well as Tom’s Studio Inks and Laban Greek Mythology Inks. We now have stock of the Clear Pilot Custom 823, as well as the Pilot E95s fountain pen. Check out this week’s Thursday Drops post for full details.

Pilot Pens

Kakimori Nibs

Lamy

Anterique

For more details on our in-person shop, including hours and how to find us, please check out this page here. Note that we will not be open for normal shop hours on Friday or Saturday this week (October 4-5) and next week (October 11-12) due to international travel. The shop will be available by appointment this week until we leave on October 4 so please reach out if you’d like to stop by in the afternoon or evening. Online orders will continue to ship between October 4 and October 12, because we do have help, but at this point it’s too much for them also to handle in-person traffic.

If you can't visit our shop in person, yesterday I published a shop tour on YouTube!

Check Out T.G.S. Patreon for Breaking news and first access/Special pricing on exclusives (Including the Sunderland Mk1)

If you enjoy our content (whether here on the main website, Instagram, YouTube Channel or elsewhere), and would like early/extra access to shop releases and gently used stationery opportunities, consider supporting us via Patreon. 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 either online (or in person, if you’re in the Nashville area)! If you enjoy in-person and virtual meetups and having access to more personal content, the T.G.S. Patreon includes these as well as access to early shop releases, the quarterly gently used sales, a monthly updates newsletter, and of course our monthly Zoom meetups. Patreon support starts as low as $3 per month, and if you pay annually there is a further discount. This month’s Patreon “special” is an extra bit off the TGS x Sunderland Collaboration Pen.

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

Sunday Reading for September 22, 2024

1. San Francisco Pen Show 2024 Highlights (via Olive Octopus). Lisa has an excellent, and very comprehensive, recap of the 2024 San Francisco Pen Show. I had wanted to get there to peruse the glass pens myself, but life intervened.

2. 2024 Commonwealth Pen Show (via Line Variation). This month, the Commonwealth Pen Show reconvened after a year off, in a new venue and with a two-day schedule.

3. Visit to NBC Stationery and Gifts (Raffles City outlet) in Singapore (via Inkredible Colours). Stationery travelogue alert!

4. Pelikan’s TintenTurm Open Day 2024 (via Bleistift). Pelikan has an “Ink Tower”? And it’s periodically open? Bucket list.

5. An Accidental Montblanc Addition (via A Gathering of Curiosities). Yes, modern Montblanc is pricey, but you can still find amazing value (and excellent nibs) in the older not-quite-yet-vintage pens.

6. Industrial Strength Storage from NFP Design (via Figboot on Pens). NFP Design makes excellent storage options at reasonable price, but this one might be a bit overkill for my needs. :)

7. Modern Capless… The New Nahvalur Eclipse (via Figboot on Pens). David does a fairly extensive walkthrough of the latest Nahvalur release, a capless pen with a unique design.

8. I Like Mechanical Pencils, Too (via Rachel’s Reflections). There’s a strong mechanical pencil contingent out there in the fountain pen community.

9. White Bear Pens Echo Fountain Pen Review (via Pen Addict - Sarah). I have yet to pick up a White Bear Pen by Mikayla, but I have it on the list for next year’s pen show circuit!

10. Pen Review: Teranishi Guitar Glass Pen with Cap (Aurora Long in Jelly Blue) (via Well-Appointed Desk). Another shout out for glass pens, whose popularity is increasing in the U.S. after really taking off in Japan.

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In Case You Missed It…

This week on the blog I reviewed a couple of newly arrived products, including the Kakimori Object Index Cedar Pocket Pen, which is a new take on the woodcase needle-tip ballpionts in a more compact size. I also did a comparison post between the Kakimori Metal Dip Nibs and the Tom’s Studio One-Dip Nib.

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

Most of the Object Index product line arrived this week, along with the Pilot Custom 823 Fountain Pens in the new Clear finish and the Pilot E95s pocket pens in Black. We’ve also fully restocked on all colors of Pilot Iroshizuku inks in both bottles and cartridges, and have some remaining stock of the recently re-released T.G.S. x Sunderland Machine Works pens, with the matte black bead-blasted finish, red section, and DLC Clip. Finally, Many thanks to everyone who visited us in the shop this weekend! Every week we see more new faces. Please keep checking this page for updated hours and details on how to visit by appointment if you can’t come by Friday and Saturday.

Dip Pens

Lamy

Pilot

Sunderland Machine Works

Check Out T.G.S. Patreon for Breaking news and first access/Special pricing on exclusives (Including the Sunderland Mk1)

If you enjoy our content (whether here on the main website, Instagram, YouTube Channel or elsewhere), and would like early/extra access to shop releases and gently used stationery opportunities, consider supporting us via Patreon. 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 either online (or in person, if you’re in the Nashville area)! If you enjoy in-person and virtual meetups and having access to more personal content, the T.G.S. Patreon includes these as well as access to early shop releases, the quarterly gently used sales, a monthly updates newsletter, and of course our monthly Zoom meetups. Patreon support starts as low as $3 per month, and if you pay annually there is a further discount. This month’s Patreon “special” is an extra bit off the TGS Sunderland Pen.

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

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