Tuesday Drops: A New Batch of Gently Used Items!

One of the benefits that T.G.S. Patreon supporters receive is first access to periodic batches of gently used pens, inks, and papers. Most of these items are pens I’ve acquired over the years for review, product testers or samples for the store, and pens from my personal collection which I no longer use so I’ve decided to contribute for sale in order to fund the site. After Patreon has had their pass, I move items to the “Gently Used” Section of the main T.G.S. website, where they will be available for purchase by the general readership. This morning, I moved over a handful of gently used items, most of which are like new and some of which are still in the wrapping, including a couple of nice limited editions.

I launched the Patreon almost three years ago because I didn’t like running third-party ads on the site and continuing to depend on affiliate marketing. Thanks to the Patreon and the success of the T.G.S. Curated Shop, we’re now fully self-sufficient! If you’d like to learn more about Patreon, which has both a $3 and $5 monthly tier for supporters (with a full-year prepaid discount available), check out the main T.G.S. Patreon page. Many thanks to all of you who have supported T.G.S. over the years!

New in the Shop: Outfit Your Desk in Style with New Arrivals from Hightide!

Happy November, everyone! Today marks the end of “Spooky Season” and the first foray into the last two months of the year (aka the “Holiday Season” for many). While the updated 2022 T.G.S. Holiday Gift Guide won’t be released for another couple of weeks, we have spent the past few months bringing in favorite gift-friendly items that should be well-stocked through the end of the year, including a fresh batch of goods from Hightide Japan! Currently we have all Hightide and Penco products in stock, including the favorite Hightide Sandglasses in 30, 15, 5, and 3-minute intervals, in all the colors we could get our hands on. To read more on how you can incorporate an hourglass into your daily workflow as a non-disruptive “analog timer”, check out this post here.

The versatile folding metal bookstand is one of my most-used desk accessories (yes, it even holds a tablet). It folds flat to easily slip into a bag.

We’ve also restocked favorites such as the marbled melamine pen trays in both the rectangular and round (pictured above) shapes, the folding metal bookstands in nearly a dozen different colors, and the Penco “Perfection” bullet ballpoints, all of which make insanely good ideas for those looking to get a jump on the gifting season.

The Gentleman Stationer is an authorized retailer of all brands shown, including Hightide and Penco.

Weekly Drops: ECO Glow Purple Pre-Orders, Traveler's 2023 Calendars, and an Early Fountain Pen Day Promotion!

This week in the Curated Shop, we welcomed Opus 88, and also received our initial allotment of Traveler’s Notebook dated refills in both Standard and Passport size. We have T.G.S. Penwells in stock and available to ship, as well as a full restock of iLootPaperie washi tape and Nahvalur and TWSBI fountain pens. Finally, we are giving away three bottles of Anderillium Ink! Check out this post for details, and don’t forget to visit the Instagram giveaway post as well.

Speaking of fountain pens and ink, we are launching one of our Fountain Pen Day promotions a week early! As of now, all fountain pen purchases from the T.G.S. Curated Shop ship with a free ink sample. We previously ran this promotion to celebrate the Nahvalur launch, but are expanding it through Fountain Pen Day (November 4)! Purchase a new fountain pen and fill it immediately!

UPDATE: TWSBI ECO Glow Purple Pre-Orders are now available! Match your ECO Glow Green, and the pens will ship on Halloween!

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

1. Traveler’s Notebook 2023 Diaries (Standard and Passport). The 2023 Traveler’s Notebook Diary inserts are now available for purchase, in all five variants. The Standard size features Weekly Vertical, Weekly + Memo, and Monthly options, while the Passport size features weekly and monthly inserts. (Photos have not been updated yet, so even though 2022 is pictured, you will receive a 2023 edition.) We are fully stocked on most Traveler’s Notebook covers, refills, and accessories.

2. T.G.S. x Penwell Exclusive “Aged Red” Edition. The T.G.S. Penwell is back in stock, in our exclusive “Aged Red” finish. In case you missed yesterday’s post on how I use the Penwell and why I love it so much, check it out here.

3. Opus 88 Minty Fountain Pens. The latest release from Opus 88 features a cracked-ice style acrylic in “light blue” (really a teal green) and “orange” (really a coral) colors. This streamlined flat-top pen holds a ton of ink, and the Japanese-style eyedropper system ensures your pen is leak free on an airplane or in your bag.

4. Opus 88 Jazz Fountain Pen. This frosted cigar-shaped demonstrator also features Opus 88’s high-capacity Japanese-style eyedropper system, making it one of my personal favorite workhorses.

5. Nahvalur Nautilus Ebonite Fountain Pen. Nahvalur’s Flagship “Nautilus” fountain pen has fast become a preferred recommendation for those looking for a larger piston filler that won’t break the bank. You can read the review here.

6. Nahvalur “Original Plus” Fountain Pen. At an even more attractive price point, Nahvalur offers the “Original Plus,” a new take on their first fountain pen that features lightly swirled transparent acrylic with a high-capacity vacuum filling system. Full writeup here.

7. TWSBI ECO Fountain Pens. At only $32 for a high-quality piston-filler, it’s easy to see why the TWSBI ECO series is so popular. We have stock of recent releases including the Cerulean Blue and the “Glow Green,” with the “Glow Purple” on the way next week!

8. TWSBI 580 Fountain Pens. The first TWSBI is still a favorite, with a reliable piston-filling system, interchangeable nib units, and a variety of different finishes from which to choose. The big seller has been the iridescent “Iris” finish.

9. TWSBI Swipe Fountain Pens. The Swipe is TWSBI’s first fountain pen with a cartridge-converter option, making it perfect for those not quite ready to commit to bottled ink but who would still like the option. The Swipe comes in four colors: Prussian Blue, Smoke, Pear (light green), and Salmon (light orange). Read our write-up on why we like the Swipe here.

10. iLootPaperie Washi Tape. We recently added over a dozen new patterns of washi tapes to the shop, and restocked on many different favorites.

Review Revisited: The Penwell Classic Five Years Later

It’s been five years since Penwell Co. (since renamed Good Made Better as they’ve expanded their range of goods) introduced the Penwell, a thoughtfully engineered desktop pen stand designed to allow you to enjoy the “desk pen” experience with any fountain pen or other capped writing instrument. I’ve received a few questions over the past two weeks regarding how exactly the Penwell works and how I use it, so I thought it might be fun to do a “review revisited” post.

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I have two Classic Penwells: one in the brass finish, and one in our exclusive “Aged Red”.

The beauty of the Penwell is that it’s such a simple product. It consists of three parts: (1) the base, available in a variety of materials and finishes; (2) a foam insert, which secures the pen cap, and (3) a microsuction pad that adheres to your desk or other surface. The Penwell’s base does not use any sort of adhesive, but rather thousands of tiny microscopic suction cups. I have two different Penwells that I’ve used for years, and despite moving them around multiple times, I’ve never had the microsuction pad damage the finish on any surface, nor has it lost any of its stickiness. If you find the Penwell coming loose or sliding around, all you typically need to do is wipe the microsuction surface with a damp cloth and you’re good to go.

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The foam insert is flexible enough to accommodate pens of varying sizes. While I’ve been able to use nearly all pens with the standard foam insert (which ships with our Aged Red Model), if you have an especially large pen you can purchase a thinner XL foam sleeve for $5 directly from Good Made Better.

As I noted in my original review, I love that the Penwell gives me the ability to “park” my pen cap-down while I’m working, especially with larger pens that don’t post. One reason that I post my pens is that I get (justifiably) nervous about the cap getting knocked off the desk onto the floor, and my strategically placed Penwells give me peace of mind. The Penwell base holds the cap securely, so you can uncap your pen one-handed and easily recap when you’re finished writing, as you would with a traditional desk pen. Currently, I have one Penwell stationed on my main desk in my home office, and another on each standing desk, at home and in my office downtown.

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The Penwell microsuction base on a two year-old Penwell. For a demonstration of how to use the pen holder, check out this Instagram video.

I’ve always loved the idea of a dedicated desk pen, especially some of the more lovely vintage sets, but the bases tend to have a large footprint and the pens themselves aren’t especially versatile, featuring long tapers and low ink capacity. With the Penwell, you can use your pen of choice in “desk pen mode”, and then pull it out to take it with you when you move away from your desk. That said, I sometimes use my larger Opus 88 eyedroppers, such as the classic “Demonstrator” pens, as semi-permanent desk pens when they’re inked. They hold so much ink that if I’m on a busy streak at work and don’t want to worry about refilling, I can park them in the Penwell and keep a fountain pen at the ready, which is convenient for those days when I accidentally leave my pen case at home. Below I’ve included pictures of the Penwell with fountain pens in different sizes, to showcase the versatility.

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Penwell with Opus 88 Demo

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Penwell with PenBBS Pneumatic

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Penwell with TWSBI ECO

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Penwell with Opus 88 Minty

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Penwell with Platinum Plaisir

Takeaways and Where to Buy

Years later, the Penwell is still one of my most-used desk accessories, which is notable because I tend to cycle through things and “redecorate” my workspace often. There are very few constants on my desktop. I expect the appreciation for this product is widespread, given that Good Made Better has expanded over the years and become a fixture at pen shows.

Here, I liked the Penwell so much that it was my first choice for a product collaboration back in 2020 when I launched the T.G.S. Curated Shop. In addition to our own special-edition Penwell in the T.G.S.-exclusive “Aged Red” finish, you can purchase other Penwells directly from the Good Made Better website, along with a range of other desk accessories designed to make your work more enjoyable, including the recently released “Bookfellow” book weight. The Penwell Classic (which remains my preferred model) comes in a variety of different finishes, though you may also want to check out the larger Penwell Craftsman and the portable Penwell Traveller.

The T.G.S. Curated Shop is an authorized retailer of certain Penwell products. This post does not contain paid third-party affiliate links. T.G.S. is supported entirely by purchases through the T.G.S. Curated Shop and the T.G.S. Patreon Program.

New in the Shop: Welcome Opus 88!

When you’re looking for a quality pen with a large ink capacity, workhorse durability, and comfortable, vintage-inspired design, it’s hard to go wrong with Opus 88. Made in Taiwan, Opus 88 first become known for their colorful demonstrator fountain pens, and have in recent years expanded into a broader range of materials and designs. What has remained consistent is the brand’s excellent Japanese-style eyedropper filling system. Each fountain pen ships with a glass dropper to allow you to fill the barrel directly with ink, yet the pen itself also features a valve system that you can open and close to manage ink flow - open it for longer writing sessions where you want ink to flow freely; close it when traveling with the pen (especially on an airplane) to prevent leaks. I’ve written a lot about Opus 88 fountain pens over the years, and you can read the “Workhorse Pen” overview here.

The Opus 88 Jazz Demonstrator

We currently offer two different models of Opus 88 fountain pens: the “Minty”, which is a streamlined flat top fountain pen in vintage-style flecked acrylic, and the translucent cigar-shaped “Jazz” demonstrator, a personal favorite of mine. Both pens are priced at $125 and $120, respectively, and feature reliable No. 6 JoWo nibs. As a preview of our upcoming Fountain Pen Day promotions, starting today all purchases of any fountain pen from the T.G.S. Curated Shop will ship with a free ink sample, so you can get your Opus 88 eyedropper writing immediately!

The Gentleman Stationer is supported by purchases from the T.G.S. Curated Shop and pledges via the T.G.S. Patreon Program. All domestic U.S. orders over $75 ship free. Many thanks for your support!