In the Shop: Welcome Nahvalur (formerly Narwhal), with a Welcome Promotion!

It’s always a fun day when new pens arrive for the shop, and yesterday a huge box of Nahvalur (formerly Narwhal) pens showed up. We’re starting out with two models: the Nahvalur “Original Plus” and the Nahvalur Nautilus, both of which bring something unique to the current shop lineup as we build our our fountain pen offerings.

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Introducing the Nahvalur Original Plus

You may recall that I previously reviewed the Narwhal “Original”, a piston-filler fountain pen offered at the $45 price point in four brightly colored swirled acrylics. While I very much enjoyed that pen, the materials used in the “original Original” were a bit loud for my taste, and I was intrigued when Nahvalur switched things up a bit by launching the “Original Plus” series with some major modifications. First of all, Nahvalur has introduced a vacuum-filler mechanism, similar to those found on pens such as the PenBBS 456 and TWSBI Vac700R / Vac Mini. Second, while the new “Original Plus” keeps the same general four-color scheme as the “Original,” Nahvalur has opted for transparent acrylic with more subtle colored swirls, and I love the new look. While all four colors (“Altifrons Green,” “Melacara Purple,” “Azureus Blue,” and “Gold Ocellatus”) look great, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to add yet another yellow demonstrator to my collectionn (though the blue is calling my name).

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Introducing the Nahvalur Nautilus in “Stylophora Berry” Ebonite

I’ve picked up two different versions of Nahvalur’s ebonite piston filler, the Nautilus, over the past several months, and I came away so impressed with the value this pen offers that I had to go ahead and add it to the shop as well. First of all, ebonite pens are still somewhat uncommon outside the custom pen world, despite the fact that it’s the original material from which most early fountain pens were made. I have several ebonite pens in my collection, ranging from the inexpensive to the luxurious, and the feel of this material is difficult to reproduce in any other way. Second, the design of the Nautilus intrigued me, especially the “porthole” ink windows. You’ll be seeing much more of the Nautilus in the months to come, as I had C.Y. of Tokyo Station Pens add a mini-Nag grind to one of mine at this year’s San Francisco pen show.

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Where to Buy and an Inaugural Promotional Offer

As of this morning, you can purchase both the Nahvalur Original Plus and the Nahvalur Nautilus in the T.G.S. Curated Shop. The Original Plus ($55) is available in all colors and nib sizes, while the Nautilus ($160) is currently available in Stylophora Berry ebonite. Since both pens are bottle-fill only, we also have several different ink options available in the shop, and to kick off the festivities we plan to include a complimentary ink sample (my own random choice, but it will be something quality and I will try to select a color to match your new pen) with all Nahvalur pen purchases through Monday September 19, at 11:59pm. Be sure to let us know what you think of the ink that we include - we’re “test driving” a few different brands as we think through future expansion!

The T.G.S. Curated Shop is an authorized retailer of all brands shown, including Nahvalur!

Thursday Drops: The Return of the Hightide/Penco Pocket Pens, Bookstands, Hourglasses, and More!

When I announced this summer that I was taking a pause to refocus the shop, the most requested line to bring back was the Hightide line of desk accessories, including the Folding Metal Bookstands and Hourglasses, as well as the Penco line of “Perfection” Bullet and Drafting Pocket Pens in all finishes, ranging from simple acrylic to chrome, brass, and matte black.

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The Penco Drafting Writer ballpoint is a pocket drafting pen that ships with what I believe is an Ohto needle-tip refill.

We have also received full restocks of Lochby (which means the Quattro four-pen case is back in stock!) as well as what might be the last shipment of Soumkine hardcover Agendas in the Charcoal cover.

The T.G.S. Curated Shop is an authorized retailer of all brands sold.

1. Penco “Perfection” Light Bullet/Pocket Pens. I have been carrying one of these inexpensive pocket pens clipped to my Plotter Mini-5 notebook for the better part of a week. Lightweight and versatile, they accept D1 refills and ship with something that feels like a hybrid gel/ballpoint refill (possibly a Jetstream). They come in multiple colors and the blue-grey/light blue is a stunner.

2. Penco “Perfection” Brass Bullet Pens. Perfect for those who like the format of the Fisher Space Pen “Bullet” but want something more substantial. These also take the same D1 refill as the Perfection “Light” bullet pens, and come in three different finishes of chrome, brass, and matte black.

3. Penco Drafting Pencil. Who wants a pocket-sized drafting pencil in .5mm lead size? (Raises hand.)

4. Penco Drafting Ballpoint Pen. While sold separately from the pencil, this similarly styled drafting pen ships with a needle-tip D1 refill (and is of course also compatible with other universal D1-sized refills).

5. Hightide Hourglasses/Sandglasses. The first “cult hit” that we stocked in the Curated Shop, these beautiful hourglasses (yes, they’re actually made from glass) come in 30, 15, 5, and 3-minute intervals. I use them for anything from pomodoro-style work intervals, to timing breaks, to meditation. Honestly, they’re relaxing simply to watch on your desk.

6. Hightide Folding Metal Bookstands. While conceived as a bookstand that allows you to hold a book upright while reading, cooking, etc., they fold up for easy transport and can pull double duty holding a notepad while you transcribe notes, or even a tablet. Nearly all colors are restocked.

7. Lochby Quattro Pen Cases. The Quattro sold out extremely quickly following an appearance at the 2022 D.C. Pen Show. It’s now back in stock, along with all of the other Lochby cases and refills.

8. Soumkine “Oh My 307’ Agendas. These undated hardcover planners (which are an open system, so they can also be used as a notebook) feature fountain-pen friendly paper in a “tall/narrow” hardcover format. Soumkine is reworking their product line, and I don’t believe this particular notebook will be brought back, at least for now, so I’m trying to get these while I can.

9. Caran d’Ache “Claim Your Style” Edition 4 Ballpoint Pens. This year’s Caran d’Ache CYS pens are available for purchase, and all of the colors are good. I don’t think I can pick a favorite. (Some of the Edition 3 remain and are on sale.)

10. Caran d’Ache 2022 Limited Edition 849 Ballpoint Pens. In addition to the Claim Your Style pens, Caran d’Ache has released two other special finishes, one in “Dark Violet” and another in “Pastel Yellow.” Both are in stock and like all Caran d’Ache pens, ship with the excellent “Goliath” ballpoint refill.

The Penco Perfection Light Bullet Pen comes in a range of different colorful options.

In the Shop: Midori MD Notebook Covers, from Paper to Leather to PVC

When we think of “notebook systems,” our thoughts immediately jump to the Traveler’s Notebook or something like a Filofax or a Plotter, but the truth is that there are many different systems out there with different levels of complexity. One of the most straightforward for those who prefer their core module to be a standard notebook without a lot of formatting is the Midori MD system/series. We recently built out our Midori MD offerings to include not just the standard MD and MD Light Notebooks, but the Midori series of covers as well as accessories such as sticky notes and notebook dividers.

Undyed natural leather after a few years (and this is relatively clean). Note: This is not a Midori-brand leather cover, but is made from similar undyed leather and provides a indication of how the Midori leather covers will age. Size shown is B6 slim.

Last week, we added several additional MD notebook covers in Midori’s signature goat leather, a soft undyed leather that will develop its own unique texture and patina over time depending on how you use it. (This cover is SUPPOSED to get dirty and ink stained!) We stock these covers in sizes that include B6 Slim, A6, A5, and A4, and recently added a vertical A5 leather sleeve (shown at top), which allows you to carry notebooks up to size A5 in the center pouch and writing instruments and other accessories in the front pockets. For those who prefer something other than leather, we stock Midori covers made from a heavy duty Japanese paper, which will last a long time and age and patina in a somewhat similar manner, as well as standard PVC plastic sleeves.

The T.G.S. Curated Shop is an authorized retailer of all brands sold.

In the Shop: Traveler's Notebook Restock

It’s timely that coming back from the San Francisco Pen Show, I can do a post highlighting a full restock of Traveler’s Notebook Starter kits in standard colors, along with certain in-demand accessories such as the fountain-pen friendly sticky notes, leather pen holders to match your notebook, and nearly all of the standard and specialty paper refills, including the B-Sides and Rarities collection.

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You can read more about how I have set up my own personal Traveler’s Notebook in this and other prior posts, and you can also expect more Traveler’s-related content following this past weekend’s trip to the San Francisco Pen Show, where I got to spend some time at the Traveler’s Company booth! Stay tuned.

The T.G.S. Curated Shop is an authorized retailer of all brands shown here.

Thursday Drops: Pre-San Francisco Restock on Midori and Traveler's (Plus TWSBI Glow Green)

Pen show long weekends are always popular shopping weekends (regardless of whether you’re attending the show!) so I took the opportunity to restock on favorites in our core lines, including TWSBI, Midori MD, and Traveler’s Company. Most nib sizes in the Diamond 580 line are now in stock, in all finishes, and we have fresh stock of all Midori MD leather covers, as well as Midori MD Cotton Paper! Finally, there are a handful of TWSBI ECO Glow Green preorders still available, with at least one pen in all nib sizes.

Happy shopping! Please note that any orders placed today (8/25) through the weekend will begin shipping Monday, upon my return from the San Francisco Pen Show.

The T.G.S. Curated Shop is an authorized retailer of all brands sold.

1. TWSBI ECO “Glow Green” Preorders Are Live. My shipment of Glow Green ECOs - yes, they glow in the dark this time! - is due to arrive late tonight or early tomorrow, and orders will start shipping Monday. These have sold fast, though I do have at least one remaining in each nib size.

2. TWSBI Diamond 580 “Iris” Restock. In addition to the “Glow Green” ECO, we have a full stock of the Diamond 580 and Vac700R pens available in the Iris finish, along with additional stock of many popular nib sizes in other finishes.

3. Midori MD Cotton Writing Pads. Midori MD Cotton writing paper is among my favorite, since it’s incredibly ink friendly and relatively quick-drying due to its absorbency. The MD Cotton Paper has been a longtime shop favorite, so we really stocked up this time.

4. Midori MD Cotton Notebooks. Similar to the MD Cotton Writing Pads, we have a hard time keeping these notebooks in stock. All sizes currently available.

5. Midori MD Writing Pads (Graph and Blank). In addition to the MD Cotton, we have standard Midori MD Paper in both graph ruling and blank format.

6. Midori MD Leather Notebook Covers. There has been a strong demand to bring back the Midori MD undyed leather goatskin covers, which are not only durable and made to last for many years, but will develop their own patina as they age. We have these in sizes ranging from A6 all the way up to A4. These are intended to hold one MD Notebook in their respective size, or two MD light notebooks.

7. Midori MD A7 Sticky Memo Pads. These useful paper pads combine larger memo pads with sticky notes in several different formats of fountain pen friendly paper. We now have the full line in stock, including dot grid.

8. Traveler’s Notebook 2022 Limited Edition Sets. We currently have a few of the “Traveler’s Airline” sets available, which contain a special standard-size blue cover plus airline-themed accessories that you aren’t able to get outside of the limited set. When these are gone, that’s it for 2022. (We also have one Traveler’s Records set and one Traveler’s Train in passport size.)

9. Traveler’s Notebook Standard Size Starter Kits. Not interested in the limited sets? As of yesterday, we are fully restocked on standard colors and most accessories.

10. Clairefontaine Looseleaf French-Ruled Paper. As I was reorganizing the other day, I realized that I still have a handful of the “double booklets” of Clairefontaine French-ruled paper!