T.G.S. Black Friday/Cyber Monday Sale: Take 10% off with "BLACKFRIDAY"

I hope everyone stateside enjoyed a wonderful Thanksgiving with their family and friends, and most importantly was able to set aside things like work and shopping for a day! “Black Friday” typically kicks off the holiday shopping season in full, and has morphed from a single day to a nearly week-long extravaganza of discounts and promotions. The T.G.S. Curated Shop Black Friday discount is fairly straightforward: Take 10% off all orders placed through Cyber Monday (November 29, 11:59pm ET) using the coupon code “BLACKFRIDAY” at checkout. Don't forget this is also good on all items in the “Gently Used” shop, which features pieces from my own personal collection that I’m trying to clear out.

For the full details of what we are focused on this holiday season in the shop, please check out the T.G.S. 2021 Holiday Gift Guide! As I noted Tuesday, we recently restocked on:

• Midori MD Notebooks, Notepads, Pens, and Pencils. We currently have all sizes and rulings of Midori MD notebooks in stock, as well as notebook covers, woodcase pencils, and even the Midori MD fountain pen.

• Traveler’s Company Notebooks and Pens. A leather Traveler’s Notebook, personalized for the recipient with refills and accessories that you think they’ll enjoy, would make a wonderful gift (and it’s one of the most versatile pieces of stationery kit out there if you’re shopping for yourself). We carry the entire line, including the newly released “B-Sides and Rarities” Collection that features a series of refills containing specialty papers chosen by Traveler’s Company for unique purposes.

• Hightide Folding Book Stands and Sandglasses. These desk accessories have been favorites since I started the Curated Shop, and Book Stands now come in nearly a dozen different colors, with Sandglasses being difficult to keep in stock. I should have more available soon if they end up selling out over the weekend.

• Penco “Perfection” Bullet Pens. Penco makes a range of high quality pocket pens and pencils, including the brass “Perfection” bullet pens as well as the pocket drafting pens. Nearly all versions are currently available.

This discount is good for all brands with the exception of TWSBI and Sunderland, which I’m unable to discount due to my agreements with those companies. The T.G.S. Curated Shop is an authorized retailer of all brands sold. By shopping with us directly, you are supporting original content, pen reviews, pen show events, etc. from The Gentleman Stationer. If you would like to support us even further, please consider checking out the T.G.S. Patreon Program, which offers access to online meetups, exclusive discounts and pre-orders, and more!

The T.G.S. 2021 Holiday Gift Guide is Live!

It’s that time of year again, and consistent with my firmly held belief that Halloween and Thanksgiving are still holidays, I’ve held off on issuing the T.G.S. Holiday Gift Guide until the second half of November! (Personally, I’d love to wait until Black Friday, but given shipping delays, everyone should be getting a head start on orders.) As with last year, the 2021 Holiday Gift Guide features a selection of products from the fully restocked T.G.S. Curated Shop.

View fullsize

While the gift guide has more than a dozen different gift ideas, if I had to pick three personal favorites for gift-giving this year, they would be the following:

• Caran d’Ache 849 Rollerball Pens. These have now started shipping in the Caran d’Ache metal clamshell cases, so they make an impressive gift presentation that won’t break the bank. While the 849 Rollerball ships with an excellent Caran d’Ache Rollerball refill, the pen accepts any Parker-style refill, ballpoint or rollerball. Your recipient will be able to easily use this pen for a long time.

• A Midori MD Notebook with a Natural Goat Leather Cover. I’ve found that few gift ideas are more universally loved than nice notebooks, because even non “pen people” use notebooks in one way or another. The Midori MD brand combines both high-quality paper and a universal size cover that can probably be refilled not only with easily available MD notebooks but other similarly-sized refills.

• Hightide Co. Desktop Hourglass and/or Folding Metal Book Stand. I LOVE analog timers that don’t feature a jarring buzzer, and these Hightide Co. desktop sandglasses/hourglasses are one of my favorite items in the shop. They’re useful and they look great in an office. Similarly, the folding metal book stands make an inexpensive, yet thoughtful, gift for the reader or office worker, who can use it to hold anything from a book to a notepad or electronic tablet.

Check out these and more in the 2021 Gift Guide. We’ve been receiving a high volume of orders lately, but don’t be concerned if something is sold out - We are constantly restocking and recently placed a couple of large orders so please keep checking back.

View fullsize

View fullsize

The T.G.S. Curated Shop is an authorized retailer of all brands sold. By shopping with us directly, you are supporting original content, pen reviews, pen show events, etc. from The Gentleman Stationer. If you would like to support us even further, please consider checking out the T.G.S. Patreon Program, which offers access to online meetups, exclusive discounts and pre-orders, and more!

Shop Update: A Restock on Old Favorites and a Continuing Clearance Sale on New and Used Products

Several old favorites are back in stock this week, just in time for the opening of the Holiday Shopping Season (though I refuse to publish my gift guide until after the second week of November, on a matter of principle). Currently we are fully restocked on Write Notepads Reporter Notebooks, letter-sized Memo Pads, Landscape Notebooks, and the Classic Hardcover Notebook, which is now available in dot grid paper!

I am also in the process of clearing out some old stock on products that I need to move in order to make room for new stuff arriving soon, and some of these I don’t plan to restock going forward. You can view the price reductions here. I’ve also further reduced prices on certain items listed in the “Gently Used” sale, including some very nice pens. Happy Shopping, and many thanks for all your support during the past several days of Fountain Pen Day craziness!

View fullsize

The Write Notepads Classic Hardcover Notebook makes an excellent gift, and it’s now available in both lined and extremely versatile dot grid paper.

The T.G.S. Curated Shop is an authorized retailer of all brands carried, including Write Notepads. By shopping with us directly, you are supporting original content, pen reviews, pen show events, etc. from The Gentleman Stationer. If you would like to support us even further, please consider checking out the T.G.S. Patreon Program, which offers access to online meetups, exclusive discounts and pre-orders, and more!

Product Spotlight: Caran d'Ache Infinite 888 Ballpoint and Mechanical Pencil

Honestly, I get the most satisfaction from “bargain shopping” when stocking The Curated Shop. Buying the expensive, high-end stuff can be fun - especially when you’ve discovered a new product that doesn’t get much attention anywhere else - but to me the most interesting products are those workhorse pens, pencils, and notebooks that don’t cost very much at all yet provide enjoyment and performance well beyond their price point. Perhaps the best example of this that I currently have in stock is the Caran d’Ache “Infinite 888” Ballpoint and Mechanical Pencil, which comes in a wide array of colors, and is refillable, yet costs $6!

View fullsize

For my own personal set, I chose the dark blue pen and pencil!

The Caran d’Ache Infinite 888 ballpoint uses the “Swiss Glide” refill, which might be perfect for those who find the standard “Goliath” cartridge (used in the classic Caran d’Ache 849) too dry or light. The metal “nose cone” on the front of both the ballpoint pen and mechanical pencil adds a touch of heft for a nice balance. Hey, anytime you can give yourself a matching pen and pencil set for $12 (maybe $20 for the “Swiss Cross” collection).

For those interested in a needle-tip ballpoint that writes a finer line than the Infinite, which is more of a standard 1.0mm medium, you should definitely check out the Mark’style “Tous Les Jours” ballpoints!

The T.G.S. Curated Shop is an authorized retailer of all brands carried, including Caran d’Ache and Marks. By shopping with us directly, you are supporting original content, pen reviews, pen show events, etc. from The Gentleman Stationer. If you would like to support us even further, please consider checking out the T.G.S. Patreon Program, which offers access to online meetups, exclusive discounts and pre-orders, and more!

Tuesday Update: Does a Notebook "Lay" Flat or "Lie" Flat? Who Cares! Five Suggestions For Those Who Hate Holding It Open.

A common question I get about notebooks sold in the shop is “will it lie flat?” This question, apparently QUITE important to some people, is hard to answer because everyone has a different standard for what qualifies as “flat.” For purposes of this post, I will assume that “lie flat” means that the notebook will stay open on a desk without any assistance whatsoever from a clip, pen, or hand, and allow you to write on either page. Personally, I think the only true “lie flat” notebook is a spiral bound one, and that most other options require you to at least bend the spine a bit to prevent one or two pages from popping up, but I carry several in the shop that get darn close. If you’re fans of the “lie flat” design, be sure to check these out!

Editorial Grammar-nerd Note: I’ve always wondered what the proper grammatical phrasing is here. In the stationery community, many people use the expression “lay flat,” but after doing my exhaustive online research at merriam-webster.com (which also just happened to be the first google result I hit upon), I believe that notebooks actually “lie flat.” According to Merriam-Webster, you “lay” something flat when you place it in a flat position, such as setting it on a table. “Lie” refers to the act of being in a flat position on a table, which I believe better describes the situation we refer to here. I mostly try to avoid the situation entirely by talking about how notebooks “open” flat, but I’m sure someone will want to fight me on this anyway.

1. Midori MD Notebooks. Whether a notebook will open completely flat depends on the type of binding used, and threaded bindings such as those found in Midori MD Notebooks and the Kokuyo “PERPANEP” series (discussed below) are often your best bet, especially if you can’t live with a spiral or wire binding. The Midori MD Cotton notebooks feature this same binding, if you prefer more absorbent paper with a higher cotton content.

2. Midori MD Codex Day-to-a-Page Notebook. It’s rare to find a notebook this large that opens completely flat, and this day-to-a-page, jumbo-sized Midori MD can only do it because of the codex-style binding. A great value for planners, journalers, and even those who like to devote a single piece of creative writing to a day on a page.

3. Kokuyo PERPANEP Notebooks. Another well-known Japanese brand, Kokuyo launched it’s new PERPANEP paper this fall, and we’ve chosen to stock the textured “Zara Zara” version because we find that it handles fountain pen ink the best. The cheesecloth binding allows for versatile lie-flat use. Available in multiple rulings.

4. Life x Kleid Notebooks. Love micro-grid paper? I do. Japanese stationery brands Life and Kleid collaborated on these notebooks that, while not thread-bound, still do a good job of staying open. Life paper is quite fountain pen friendly, and I love the unique ruling.

5. Spiral-Bound Notebooks. If you don’t mind a spiral binding (and lefties, I understand this could be a deal-breaker), it’s the truly foolproof way to ensure a notebook stays flat on your desk, and even allows you the added versatility of folding the notebook over on itself to minimize the footprint without breaking the notebook’s spine. We carry a range of spiral notebooks with exceptional fountain pen friendly paper from Write Notepads, Maruman, and Clairefontaine. The great thing about spirals is that they’re generally inexpensive, with Maruman and Clairefontaine notebooks costing as little as $7.

This post does not contain paid third-party affiliate links, and unless otherwise noted, all links are to the T.G.S. Curated Shop, an authorized retailer of all brands we carry. By shopping with us directly, you are supporting original content, pen reviews, pen show events, etc. from The Gentleman Stationer. If you would like to support us even further, please consider checking out the T.G.S. Patreon Program, which offers access to online meetups, exclusive discounts and pre-orders, and more!