New Arrivals: Anterique Ballpoints and Lamy Pico Pocket Pens!

Following the announcements of new fountain pens, clutch pencils, and more, it’s ballpoint week here in the T.G.S. Curated Shop! A good ballpoint pen has become one of my core everyday writing tools, and as ballpoint ink technology continues to improve, you no longer have to deal with the stickiness and smearing of traditional oil-based ballpoint pens. We’ve recently added a line of pens from Anterique Stationers of Japan, which use an excellent .5mm “Mach Ball” low-viscosity refill and comes in two different formats: a vintage-inspired click-pen design, as well as an upgraded “Brass Edition” with a machined brass barrel. As an added bonus, the parts of the Anterique pens are interchangeable so you can create your own perfect color combination. Standard pens start at $5.50, with the Brass Edition priced at $29.

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For this week’s “Currently Inked” video, we looked at both the Anterique lineup and a bonus surprise that arrived in the mail from WMS&Co. I’ve been more active on the Youtube Channel recently, so please give a follow there if you enjoy the video content, which will include more “hands on” demonstrations than is possible here on the blog.

Over the past couple of weeks, you may have noticed that we are now authorized retailers of select pens from Pilot, Kaweco, and now, Lamy! The first Lamy pen has arrived: the Lamy Pico pocket pen, which is an excellent EDC pocket carry option that extends from a compact 3.5” to a full 5”. We reviewed the Pico years ago, and it’s held up so well that we wanted to add it to our curation. Available now in multiple colors for under $40.

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The Lamy Pico is simply one of the best Pocket ballpoints available.

The Gentleman Stationer is an authorized retailer of all brands sold.

New Arrivals: TWSBI 580 ALR Punch Pink and TWSBI 580 AL Rose Fountain Pens, Plus a Saffron Restock!

Since you all cleaned us out of most of our top-selling TWSBI models, between pen shows and the series of recent new releases, we had to do an “emergency” restock! Many items have been marked as “out-of-stock” for some time, so it’s best to do a quick round-up of what’s available:

1. TWSBI ECO Persian Green. The latest TWSBI ECO is in-stock and ready to ship. I love the mid-century modern vibes that this particular color gives off.

2. TWSBI ECO-T Saffron, for those of you who couldn’t grab one in Baltimore! Based on color alone, this is my favorite TWSBI release to date. The shape of the grip and cap on the ECO-T is subtly different - read more about it here.

3. TWSBI Diamond 580 “Iris” Models in all nib sizes.

4. TWSBI Precision Ballpoint Pens and Mechanical Pencils.

5. TWSBI Inks and Ink Cartridges, including the TWSBI 1791 inks in all colors and the six-ink Sets.

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Honestly, I keep waiting for one of the new TWSBI designs to - well, maybe not flop, but simply “not wow” - but it hasn’t happened yet. The ECO-T Saffron and ECO Persian Green are both available now.

Last Chance to Get a TWSBI Diamond 580 ALR Punch Pink or 580 AL Rose

Long ago, TWSBI released both red and orange Diamond 580 models, which I now regret passing along in the spirit of “catch and release”. When I placed this last TWSBI order, I noticed that some stock remained of the Diamond 580 ALR “Punch Pink” and the Diamond 580 AL “Rose” models, which are available in VERY limited quantities in the shop, in specific nib sizes. Once these are gone, they’re gone, so this is a “last chance” opportunity, unless TWSBI decides to release a similar color down the road.

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The TWSBI Diamond 580 AL Rose and the ALR “Punch Pink” can be difficult to tell apart in some of the online photos, but this one shows the difference. The “Punch Pink” is much more of a reddish pink, and has the ALR texture on the grip plus a matching anodized cap band. The AL Rose is more of a true red, with a smooth section.

The Gentleman Stationer is an authorized retailer of all brands sold.

Thursday Drops: Pilot Fountain Pens, Iroshizuku Inks, and More!

At long last, we’re pleased to welcome Pilot to the T.G.S. Curated Shop! We currently have both the Pilot Custom 74 Fountain Pen and the Pilot Custom 823 Fountain Pen available in all colors and nib sizes. In addition to our existing stock of inks and refills, we have added the entire line of Pilot Iroshizuku Inks, as well as standard Pilot bottled inks and cartridges.

The Pilot Custom 823, with its vacuum-filling system and large 14k nib, is a classic workhorse. Included with every pen is a large bottle of Pilot/Namiki Blue ink.

Happy shopping, and we look forward to further expanding our product lines in the coming weeks. Stay tuned!

1. Pilot Custom 74. Of all the pens I’ve regretted selling over the years, the one I miss the most is an older violet Pilot Custom 74 that I no longer own (and which, of course, is no longer made). As we build out the Curated Shop, we’re focused on the workhorse pens that are a years-long mainstay on the T.G.S. “Best Pens” list.

2. Pilot Custom 823. As with the Custom 74 above, the Custom 823 is a slightly larger, reliable everyday writer that holds a ton of ink in its high-capacity vacuum-filling system. It’s an excellent pen for travel, both due to the ink capacity and the shutoff valve that protects you from spills while flying.

3. TWSBI ECO Persian Green Fountain Pen (Pre-Order). The latest TWBSI Eco release will arrive tomorrow and start shipping over the weekend. Reserve yours now!

4. Platinum Preppy Wa “Modern Maki-e” Limited Edition. These gorgeous limited edition versions of the Platinum Preppy bring Maki-e style artwork to the everyday. Featuring six silk-screened designs of traditional Japanese motifs.

5. Nahvalur Nautilus Cephalopod Black and Bronze Corydoras Fountain Pens. It’s hard to go wrong with classic black ebonite, especially when paired with antiqued bronze or blacked out trim.

6. Pilot Iroshizuku Fountain Pen Inks. Pilot’s luxury Iroshizuku lineup contains some of the best fountain pen ink on the market, in my opinion. Featuring as many as 24 colors inspired by the scenery of Japan, these inks are reliable performers that come in a gorgeous (and sturdy) glass bottle.

7. J. Herbin Fountain Pen Inks. As I’ve moved back to more “basic” (read: lower-maintenance) stationery in my own life, I’ve rediscovered the J. Herbin inks, particularly colors such as Vert Empire and Bleu des Profondeurs.

8. Life Noble Note Notebooks. Life Stationery makes excellent fountain pen friendly paper, and we now offer the standard Life Noble Note notebooks in both A4 and A5 sizes.

9. Life Specialty Paper. In addition to the Noble Note series, Life makes specialty paper products that include Bank Paper pads, Airmail-style writing paper, Stenographer’s Notebooks, and more!

10. Midori Multi-Year Diaries. Looking for an easier way to develop a daily journaling habit? How about a multi-year diary that only requires you to write a few lines for each day. We have the 10-year, Five-year, and Three-year versions in stock.

The Gentleman Stationer is an authorized retailer of all brands sold.

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Sui-Gyoku is one of the new arrivals in the Iroshizuku lineup. This one could be a favorite. I love the color. Shown here on Tomoe River 52g paper.

New Arrivals: Bank Paper, Typewriting Paper, and Airmail Paper from Life Stationery!

After a bit of an unintentional hiatus, Life Paper - including all specialty varieties - is back in stock! Favorites include the 100-sheet Bank Paper pads in both Letter and A5 sizes, Typewriting Paper, and the new (to us) ultra-lightweight Airmail paper. We even added the spiral bound stenographer’s notebook in classic Gregg-style ruling. Whether you’re looking for dedicated correspondence paper or the classic Noble Note writing pads and notebooks, all of the Life stationery is fountain pen friendly.

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Life is one of the few brands that continues to make specialty papers such as Bank Paper, Typewriting Paper, and Stenographer’s notebooks.

Visit our Curated Paper shop to view our full selection, as we continue to add new brands regularly. Many thanks for your support!

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I love the classic green chipboard cover.

The Gentleman Stationer is supported entirely by purchases from the T.G.S. Curated Shop and pledges via the T.G.S. Patreon Program. We are authorized resellers of all brands sold.

Thursday Drops: Platinum Preppy Wa "Modern Maki-e" and Other Post-Pen Show Arrivals

Things come in waves in this business: New releases, sales, pen shows, shipments from distributors, and sometimes the waves all hit at once! I returned from the Arkansas and Baltimore Shows to a-more-than-a-handful of boxes waiting for me, which included a fresh shipment of Mark’Style “Days” Ballpoints featuring the Anterique “Mach Ball” refill, as well as the Mark’Style Days Metal Gel Pen featuring the Ohto Needle-tip refill. In addition, we now have the third edition of the Platinum Preppy Wa - the “Modern Maki-e” series, which features a modern interpretation of traditional Japanese Maki-e techniques applied to Platinum’s classic Preppy fountain pen. These are easily my favorite Preppy Wa release so far (and I’ve already picked a couple that I’d like to keep for myself).

The Gentleman Stationer is an authorized retailer of all brands sold.

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The six finishes of the new “Preppy Wa Modern Maki-e” series.

1. Platinum Preppy Wa “Modern Maki-e” Edition. The latest of the Preppy Wa releases features six new designs applied to the classic Preppy in a traditional maki-e style. The “Modern Maki-e” process uses silk screen and glistening powder instead of lacquer, and is quite pretty. My two current favorites are the “Kachimushi” (dragonflies on blue-black acrylic) and “Kuyou” (dark red rosettes on a black barrel). We still have a few of the Second Series remaining as well, though after pen show season those are running low.

2. Mark’Style Days Metal Ballpoints. I never regret bringing in additional pens from Mark’s Tokyo, especially their “Days” series. If you’re unfamiliar with Mark’s, it’s a curated brand that collaborates with different manufacturers on pens in their own particular style. This hexagonal metal (aluminum) ballpoint features their weekday motif and comes with the excellent Ohto needle-tip gel refill, Parker-style.

3. Mark’s x Anterique Mach Ball Click Pens. We’ve added several colors to the Mark’s x Anterique collaboration, including two “demonstrator” versions. We’ve also restocked on the refills.

4. Midori 70th Anniversary MD Light Grid Set. These limited edition versions of the Midori MD Light A5 Notebooks feature seven different colors of threaded bindings with matching grids. The standard A5 size makes them compatible with covers such as the Lochby Field Journal.

5. Midori Soft Color A5 Notebooks. Similarly, Midori has released these slim A5 colored journals in grey, blue, green, and purple dot grid paper, all of which is still quite fountain pen friendly. I’ve enjoyed adding a pop of color to my Lochby and Roterfaden notebook systems.

6. Midori MD Kurashiki Canvas Pen Cases. We only have a couple of these canvas pen cases left (perhaps one in each style), since they were quite popular at Baltimore. Both flat and gusseted (standing) sizes are available.

7. Midori XS Stationery Kits. I’m doing my best to get the quirkiest of the Midori products in front of a U.S. audience, including these compact MD stationery kits that feature miniature, portable versions of desktop classics such as staplers, scissors, a mini measuring tape, and adhesives.

8. Portable Rulers from Midori and Traveler’s Company. Who doesn’t need a ruler or a straight-edge from time to time? Whether I’m drawing charts in your planner or notebook, or actually needing to measure something, a ruler is one of my most-used desktop tools.

9. Hightide Folding Metal Bookstands. I just wish I had more space on my table in Arkansas, because I would’ve brought the entire, colorful range of these versatile desk/reading accessories. These folding metal bookstands hold anything from actual books to notepads for transcribing notes to tablets.

10. Hightide Sandglasses. Showcasing these in person at the Arkansas Pen Show must’ve worked, because we’ve sold plenty of them in the past week. Analog timers such as sandglasses have plenty of uses, ranging from Pomodoro-style work timers to cooking applications to gaming. If you’re curious about how I use them (and how others have as well), check out this blog post.

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Kachimushi “Dragonflies” on blue-black acrylic.