Stationery Feed Interview with Matthew Chen (via dwrdnet). Derek has nib grinder Matthew Chen sit for an interview this week! Matthew has one of the best naginata-style grinds out there, the Kodachi.
Dominant Industry Ink Archiving Book: A Log of Elixir (via Olive Octopus Ink). After seeing Lisa’s Atlantis archiving book, I went ahead and picked up a Log of Elixir. While I didn’t take it on vacation (figured bottles of ink wouldn’t travel well), I’ve played around with it back at the shop and these are fun ways to explore the properties of all the inks in your collection.
The WORST Pen Montblanc Ever Made? (via Doodlebud). I’m not sure I necessarily agree with this one, but the Montblanc Model M continues to draw very strong opinions!
Fifty4T Titan Ultem (via Figboot on Pens). A look at another new pen brand (pronounced “fiftyforty”) that uses this draw-filler/syringe mechanism.
Endless Stationery Phantom Fountain Pen First Impressions (via Dapprman). Endless is iterating on their low-cost capless fountain pen. I missed this Kickstarter, though admittedly I’m not following the crowdfunding platforms as much as I used to.
Benu Tribute Fountain Pen: “Black Coffee” Edition. A Tribute to Ella Fitzgerald. (via Penquisition). Usually Benu designs don’t do much for me, but this one takes a different approach.
Kaweco Piston Sport: A Quick Review (via Pen Addict - Kimberly). I’m a fan of what Kaweco has done with the piston sport, retrofitting a piston into their standard classic sport format. I’m hoping for some new colors in the future!
You Have to Make a Mess to Make It Better (via From the Pen Cup). I owe my home office a couple weeks of cleaning/organizing. That looks like an awesome room!
Upcoming Pen Show Workshops (via Well-Appointed Desk). I panicked a bit when I looked at the Calendar and saw that the D.C. Pen Show is just over two weeks away. Ana and I will both be holding workshops in the Vanness Pen Lounge through the weekend. Stay tuned for details on the notebook systems workshops I did last year, and as with last year, I’ll have some of them available for purchase if you want to try and buy.
Is It Good: My First Asvine Pen: The C80 with a #8 Nib (via Inkdependence). Asvine makes some excellent low cost pens, and are following Jinhao into the lower-cost No. 8 nib territory, though Asvines cost a bit more. (Worth it, IMHO.)
In Case You Missed It…
This past week on the blog was a bit light as I was prepping to get out of town for a week. (My real first week off in about a year.) The main post from the past week was a comparison of the Yamamoto Ro-Biki Note to the Traveler’s Notebook, and how the two systems differ. (They do not have exactly the same dimensions.) I also published a YouTube video walking through the Ro-Biki Setup. For more details on what I’m taking with me on vacation, and how things will work while I’m gone, there’s a short post from Saturday.
Fans of desk pads should check out the Shorthand Press offerings!
This Week in the T.G.S. Curated Shop - Vacation schedule
We continue to build out our selection of notebook systems, and this past week introduced the Yamamoto Paper Ro-Biki System. We also have a full Roterfaden Taschenbegleiter A5 restock that includes most of our favorite colors and formats. In terms of new brands, we have added Shorthand Press, a U.S.-made brand out of Los Angeles, as well as new notebooks from Anecdote Goods. Be sure to check out last week’s Thursday Drops post for details on all new arrivals.
Note that our brick-and-mortar shop is closed this week to in-person shopping, though most online orders will continue to be processed as I do have some help while I am out. Fulfillment may take an extra business day or two.
PAtreon curated stationery boxes are available!
If you’re a Patreon supporter, be sure to check the Patreon feed because the second round of quarterly curated stationery boxes are available, with plans to start shipping by the end of the month. 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 special promotions like this one, 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)! The T.G.S. Patreon includes early access and discounts on exclusive shop releases (including the Taschenstift “Violet Tendencies”), the quarterly gently used sales, a monthly updates newsletter, and of course our monthly meetups. Patreon support starts as low as $3 per month, and if you pay annually there is a further discount. As noted above, we’ve recently started a Discord community for all paid Patreon supporters.
