Thursday Drops: TWSBI Diamond AL Mini Grape, Laconic Style Stationery, and More Penco!

May 11, 2023

For those of your clamoring for a special release of the TWSBI Diamond Mini, well, we have great news for you: the Diamond Mini AL Grape has arrived! This vibrant purple miniature piston filler is in-stock and available for purchase as of this morning. Over the past week, we’ve also added new arrivals from Laconic Tokyo, which you can read about in last week’s blog post, as well as two new lines of mechanical pencils from Penco.

I’ve mentioned on Instagram and the blog that because I’m traveling this week, we are running a promotion where all orders placed between Saturday, May 6 and Sunday, May 14 will receive an extra pen, pencil, pocket notebook, or other special item. No coupon code is necessary! Orders placed starting today will ship within our normal 2-3 business day time frame, as I get “back to work” this weekend. Finally, for those of you looking for a sort-of-last-minure Mother’s Day gift, we do offer digital gift certificates (which will arrive in the form of an electronic code). See details here. Many thanks for your continued support!

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

TWSBI Diamond Mini AL Grape. The latest release from TWSBI has arrived, and it’s a stunning purple version of the Diamond AL Mini, TWSBI’s pocket-sized piston filler! TWSBI fans have been clamoring for a special Mini release, and TWSBI has answered. For those who would prefer the standard pen, we also have the clear version available.
Laconic Style A5 Notebook System. This past week we introduced the “Laconic Style” Notebook System, featuring 10 different refills to help you customize your notebook or planner to your specific needs. I’m especially excited about the Laconic Bookmarkers, which work together with or separately from the Laconic Style notebook system.
Laconic Tokyo Mesh Pen Cases. These lightweight mesh pen cases come in two colors and three different sizes, with the largest capable of fitting a Laconic (or similarly sized) A5 Notebook, refills, and at least a few accessories.
Paul Smith x Caran d’Ache 849 Ballpoint Pen. The latest collaboration between designer Paul Smith and Caran d’Ache features six beautiful two-toned barrels in signature Paul Smith colors.
Penco Prime Timber 2.0 Leadholders. We recently received a shipment of these Penco wooden leadholders that click-to-advance like a mechanical pencil, and also ship with a sharpener. Available in four finishes. Read more here.
Penco “Passer’s Mate” Mechanical Pencils. Looking for a retro throwback to middle school? (Elementary school, maybe?) These colorful mechanical pencils from Penco feature a retractable tip and an eraser that removes to allow you to refill the pencil.
Lamy AL-Star Petrol and Lilac Special Editions. We have more of Lamy’s latest AL-Star releases, in fountain pen, rollerball, and ballpoint form. The Petrol finish especially stands out!
Lamy Cursive Fountain Pen Nib. This specialty fountain pen nib is sold separately, but we are happy to install it for you with the purchase of a compatible Lamy pen such as the Safari, AL-Star, Studio, and Vista. Just send us a message via the “Contact” link above after placing your order.
Lochby Venture Pouches. We are restocked on the Lochby Venture Pouch, the hybrid stationery pouch/pen case combo that sold extremely week at the Spring pen shows we attended. Available in three colors: brown, navy, and charcoal.
Lochby Field Journal A5 Refills. We are also restocked on Lochby Field Journal refills, featuring 68gsm Tomoe River Paper that is fountain pen friendly and compatible with any number of A5 notebook covers, including the Lochby Field Journal.

Penco Passer's Mate .5mm Mechanical Pencil

New Arrivals: Retro-inspired Pencils from Penco!

May 9, 2023

One of the many reasons I love Japanese brand Penco/Hightide is their retro designs and vintage-inspired stationery products. In addition to the mini-drafting pens and pencils, as well as the series of “Perfection” Bullet Pens, we can now offer the “Prime Timber 2.0” leadholder mechanical pencil, and the “Passer’s Mate” .5mm mechanical pencil that is sure to take you back to middle school!

Four different finishes of the Penco Prime Timber 2.0 (Grey, Navy, White, and Red), shown packaged with a lead pointer.

The Passer’s Mate comes in 12 different colors, and is refreshingly affordable at $3.50. The Prime Timber is a sturdy, well-balanced leadholder that clicks to advance the lead - as opposed to the usual gravity-driven clutch mechanism. It also ships with a lead pointer complete with receptacle to catch graphite shavings. Prime Timber 2.0 is available in four different finishes at $16. Available now!

We’re traveling this week, so any orders placed in the shop will have a 3-5 business day processing time instead of the typical 2-3, and will ship upon my return. As always when I travel, orders placed during “away time” will include extras like pens, pencils, or ink samples to accommodate for any short delay.

Notebook Systems: Introducing Laconic Tokyo

May 6, 2023

If I had to describe the Laconic Style notebook system, I would best characterize it as a modular, full-size A5 version of the Kokuyo Jibun Techo. (For those unfamiliar, the Jibun Techo is a dated planner/journal system that combines elements of the Hobonichi Techo with the “tall/slim” format of the Traveler’s Notebook.) The beauty of this particular notebook system is it’s customizability. You can choose from ten different 60-page A5 notebook refills, including four different planner formats (daily, weekly, monthly, or “100 days” with two days on each page), four “productivity” formats (To Do, Meeting, Spreadsheet, and Gantt Chart), and two "Lifestyle/Creativity” formats (Thinking and “My Life,” which some may recognize as similar to the “Life Book” component of the Jibun Techo).

Laconic Notebook Covers A5 — The full range of colorful Laconic covers!

While Laconic makes their own plastic notebook cover, capable of holding two refills, the beauty of this system is that the standard A5 size allows you to expand far beyond that using a system cover/organizer like the Roterfaden Taschenbegleiter or the Lochby Field Journal (which holds up to six of these softcover A5 refills). For example, you could select a Monthly Calendar, Weekly Calendar, and Daily Journal for your “Planner” section, and combine that with Meeting, To Do, and a “Thinking” refill for brainstorming sessions. All of the planner refills are undated, and therefore flexible for those who might skip a day/week/month every now and then.

Laconic Style Multiple Notebooks Cover — You can fit up to two of the A5 Notebooks into the Laconic Style plastic covers.

So how’s the paper? I’ve been testing a Monthly refill since I first spotted these at NY Now back in February, and I would compare the paper to standard Rhodia or Kokuyo Campus. It will work fine with most fountain pens in fine or medium nibs, though extremely wet inks and wider nibs (and particularly a combination of the two) will see some bleed-through. That said, I’m not sure it will be an issue for those drawn to this particular planner, because it’s plainly intended for those who write small. (To that end, a Lamy 2000 EF nib with Pilot Iroshizuku Shin Kai gave me no issues.)

Bonus: Laconic Style Bookmarkers

Honestly, even moreso than the notebook system, what really caught my eye were these Laconic “Bookmarkers,” a set of eight different bookmarks in various formats that allow you to take notes while you read or write in your journal.

The Bookmarkers are sold in packs of 24, and fold over the page to prevent slippage. It’s also occurred to me that the “Planner” and “To Do” bookmarks could be taped or pasted into a bullet journal or other notebooks to add functionality. Personally, the “Reading Memo” layouts appeal to me the most, but I’ve kept a set of each for myself and since I churn through bookmarks fairly regularly I’m sure they’ll get plenty of use.

Laconic Style Multiple Notebooks Bookmarks — As with most notebook systems, all of the Laconic products are designed to work together.

Takeaways and Further Reading: Where Does Laconic Fit in the overall universe of notebook systems?

In the grand scheme of things, Laconic probably fits somewhere in between a single notebook system (each of these refills can be carried individually) and a modular notebook system, because you can combine them in a multi-refill cover to create a planner/organizer/journaling system tailored to your own needs. Laconic Style covers, notebooks, and bookmarkers are available for purchase in the T.G.S. Curated Shop, and they’re actually quite inexpensive, starting at $5 for a pack of 24 bookmarks, and individual notebooks priced at $6.

Laconic Style Zippered Cases — The largest Laconic Zippered case is large enough to accommodate an A5 notebook or two.

I’ve previously written several pieces on “System Techo” and the different types of notebook systems available. If you’d like to read more, see below:

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 an authorized retailer of all brands sold, including Laconic. Please note that due to scheduled travel, orders placed after noon, U.S. Central Time on Saturday May 6, 2023 will have a 3-5 business day processing time. As always, we appreciate your support and slightly delayed orders will include extras!

Nahvalur Original Plus Rose Gold Fountain Pens

Thursday Drops: Big Lochby and Lamy Restocks, New Nahvalur Original Plus Fountain Pens, and Paul Smith x Caran d'Ache!

May 4, 2023

This week we received two long-awaited releases: The Nahvalur Original Plus “Matira White” and “Lovina Black”, featuring rose gold trim, as well as the fourth Caran d’Ache + Paul Smith collaboration! We’ve also restocked on Lochby Venture pouches, Lamy Cursive nibs, and several models of Lamy pens. Note that we will be traveling starting Saturday night (family wedding), so order fulfillment may be 3-5 business days next week as opposed to your typical 2-3. If there’s something you’d like to have in your hands next week, please get your orders in by Saturday (May 6) at noon. Happy Shopping!

Oh, and did I mention that we have more Kaweco Sketch-up Clutch Pencils in new colors, as well as a “Softfeel” restock? The highlighter leads are also restocked.

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

Nahvalur Original Plus Rose Gold Fountain Pens. Nahvalur (formerly “Narwhal”) re-released their “Original” Fountain Pens in vacuum-filler form earlier this year, and recently followed up with a rose gold version that sold out quickly. We managed to get some additional stock in both the Matira White and Lovina Black. Read more on the Original Plus and it’s filling system here.
Caran d’Ache + Paul Smith Limited Edition 849 Ballpoint Pens. The Caran d’Ache / Paul Smith collaborations have been something of a tradition over the years, but the last one was released in 2020, so it’s been a while. This release features six different two-toned barrels in signature Paul Smith colors.
Lochby Venture Pouch Restock in All Colors! Those of you who came to see us at the Baltimore and Arkansas pen shows loved the Lochby Venture Pouches, and we now have more, in all colors. These reversible pen pouches feature a “standard” pen pouch on top, and open up to reveal a slotted pen case on the bottom. Read more here.
Lamy Cursive Nibs. I can say one thing - Lamy USA works fast. You all cleared us out of Lamy Cursive nibs in less than a week and we received more yesterday. You can read about this specific nib here, and upon request, I am happy to install one for you on any compatible Lamy pen purchased from our shop. Just send a message through the “Contact” link at the time you place your order.
Lamy 2000 Multipens. A not-surprising best seller has been the Lamy 2000 4-Color Ballpoint (their Multi-Pen), and we recently received a restock. This pen takes standard D1 refills, so you can either use Lamy’s excellent stock options or replace them with the D1 refill of your choice. The Lamy 2000 Multi Pen is a personal favorite and I’ve written about it a lot over the years.
Nahvalur Fountain Pen Inks. There hasn’t been much attention paid to them so far, but Nahvalur is releasing their own line of fountain pen inks, including these four nicely muted colors that are in offbeat shades I’ve enjoyed, especially the “Dark Forest”.
Lochby Field Journal A5 Refills. As long as Lochby has a stockpile of the 68gsm Tomoe River paper, I’m going to continue to carry these excellent A5 softcover notebooks! Five different rulings available, including dot, plain, lined, wide lined, and planner.
Midori MD Light A4 Notebooks. These slim A4 notebooks are sold in packs of three, in different rulings, and fit the standard Midori MD A4 notebook covers in PVC, Paper, and Leather. (You can get two notebooks in a cover by using the front and back cover slots.)
Midori MD Block 500 Sheet Notepads. These Midori desk pads feature 500 sheets of fountain pen friendly MD paper in blank, ruled, and grid format. The block pad measures 4x4”, around the size of a large post-it.
Expanded Inks and Refill Selection. In response to reader/customer requests, we’ve made an effort to expand our selection of bottled inks, and we also offer compatible refills for nearly every pen and mechanical pencil that we sell.

New Arrivals: Paul Smith x Caran d'Ache Edition No. 4!

May 2, 2023

They’re here! Finally, we get a follow-up to the wildly successful release that helped us kick off the T.G.S. Curated Shop all the way back in 2020. This new collaboration between designer Paul Smith and Swiss brand Caran d’Ache features the iconic Caran d’Ache 849 ballpoint in six color combinations: Racing Green + Navy, Warm Red + Melrose Pink, Cobalt + Emerald, Sky Blue + Lavender, Chartreuse + Rose, and Cyan + Steel. Available now for purchase, though some colors are going fast and we will restock more soon.