New TWSBI Inks: A Comparison

TWSBI recently released five new colors to round out its “1791” collection: Tangerine (Orange), Navy (Dark Blue), Grape (Light Purple), Forest Green (Dark Green), and Crimson (Red). The new inks nicely complement the existing six, so I thought I’d post a photo showing a comparison of all except the greens. (I’m low on those at the moment and didn’t want to crack open a bottle for sampling, but the new “Forest Green” is darker than the “Emerald", which has more blue in it.) Which is you’re favorite? I’m torn between the “Crimson,” which reminds me of Kaweco Ruby, and the “Tangerine,” which to me is a more traditional orange than the classic “Orange” that has a reddish tone. We stock the full line of TWSBI Inks in the Curated Shop, with the 1791 series starting at $6.50! We also recently received a shipment of TWSBI Fountain Pens, including the Vac700R “Iris” edition, the TWSBI Vac Mini, and the TWSBI Diamond Mini.

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“Grape” was a pleasant surprise - it’s a mid-tone purple that’s lighter than the “Royal Purple,” and also shows some shading. New inks on the left, original on the right.

The T.G.S. Curated Shop is an authorized retailer of TWSBI and other brands we stock. 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: Back from Break with New TWSBIs!

After a much-needed break, I’m happy to be back with several new TWSBI models for the shop! As of this morning, we now offer the TWSBI Vac700R in the coveted “Iris” finish, the TWSBI Vac Mini, the TWSBI Diamond Mini, and the TWSBI ECO in Jade. Quantities of certain nib sizes may be limited on the Vac 700R Iris and the ECO Jade, but I stocked what I could get. I’ve also restocked most other TWSBI fountain pens in popular nib sizes such as fine and medium, and I am pleased to offer the latest TWSBI Ink releases, including Forest Green, Grape, Mandarin Orange, Crimson, and Navy. Happy Shopping!

All links to the T.G.S. Curated Shop, unless otherwise noted. 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!

A Short Winter Break - Along with a Special Offer!

I’m taking a few days off to recharge after a hectic holiday season both here on the site/shop and in the office, so for the next few days it might be kind of quiet. Any orders placed for the remainder of this week will ship out starting Sunday (or more likely early next week), but in the meantime take 10% off orders using the coupon code “WINTERBREAK”! (Excludes TWSBI and Sunderland) Coupon will expire on Sunday 1/30. Many thanks for all your support!

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 Paper Product That Started It All! French-Ruled Looseleaf Sheets and Booklets Are Finally Here

Yes, as you might have guessed, it’s Clairefontaine French-Ruled (Seyes-ruled) paper, but not in notebook form. I finally managed to source looseleaf sheets of this paper in both A4 and A5 size, taking me back to when I could travel freely and schlepped suitcases full of this paper back from France because I couldn’t find a reliable source that stocked it in the U.S. You can read more about my love affair with French-ruled paper here, including how I first discovered it and why I like using it so much.

As part of my initial order - which had to be imported as part of a special order through Exaclair, Clairefontaine’s U.S. distributor - I managed to get my hands on single sheets in both A5 and A4 size, as well as the coveted Clairefontaine booklet-style A4 double sheets, which combine four pages of writing into a versatile format that I love to use to make flowcharts, outline oral arguments for my legal practice, draft longer documents, and more. I’ve been down to my last pack and have been using them only sparingly. (If nobody buys any, at least I’ll have a personal lifetime supply! For a stationery addict, there is nothing more satisfying that looking at a warehouse full of hundreds of packs of high-end paper. but I digress.)

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Availability and Pricing Information

Ok, so I bought a LOT of this paper. Feel free to stock up. When I’ve had it readily available, this has served as my default looseleaf paper for most of my writing, and I used to burn through packs of it regularly. I personally can’t wait to get this back in my rotation, and I’m working on a large work project right now that’s going to be the perfect use-case for these double booklets. If this sells well, there are other formats and options I can stock, including colors such as pink and blue, but I started relatively small since an import order requires me to purchase large quantities, and this is still very much an experiment.

As of this morning, looseleaf French-ruled paper is live and available for purchase in the T.G.S. Curated Shop. One of the reasons I love Clairefontaine paper is that it’s relatively inexpensive for how good it is. The single sheets are priced at $6.50 for a pack of 100 A5 sheets, and $9.50 for 100 A4 sheets. The double sheets (or booklets), are priced at $6.50 for 50 sheets, and $10 for 100. Finally, a note on shipping - I know it’s expensive relative to the price of a single pack, but paper is heavy and nearly always needs to go USPS Priority or UPS. From a value perspective, it’s probably best to purchase 2-3 packs of this to make up for the shipping charge, or to do a couple of major stock-up purchases per year and hit the free shipping threshold, currently set at $75.

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!

Thank You For Your Support, and How to Help T.G.S. Grow in 2022

Those of you who have been following this site over the years know that it’s undergone a bit of a transformation since 2020. While T.G.S. still posts at least two pieces of original content per week, the site no longer relies on third-party advertising and affiliate support to pay its bills. How do we keep the lights on? Direct reader support, whether that be through purchases in the T.G.S. Curated Shop or pledges via T.G.S. Patreon. I won’t make an extended plug here, but whether you’re a longtime reader or only recently discovered the site, I’d appreciate it if you’d take a brief moment to browse the carefully curated selection of goods in the shop, and/or visit the Patreon Page. Any level of support is greatly appreciated. We recently added annual memberships to the Patreon, which offers a discount on a paid-up-front subscription. I’m looking forward to 2022, and building on what we’ve been able to do with your generous support so far!

The T.G.S. Curated Shop is an authorized retailer of all brands sold. The goods stocked in the shop are carefully selected to match the mission of T.G.S. in general, which is to highlight well-made pens, pencils, paper, and desk and reading accessories that not only look great but are actually meant to be used in your everyday life.