Thursday Drops: Caran d'Ache + Paul Smith 849 Ballpoints, Refilling on Refills, and More!

Happy Thursday! It’s a short work week and we’re almost to the weekend again, so hang in there! We have lots of fun stuff to discuss today. In addition to receiving a new shipment of Write Notepads Notebooks, we are also fully restocked on the ever-popular Caran d’Ache + Paul Smith collaboration 849 ballpoint pens, as well as Rollerball refills from Caran d’Ache and the excellent low-viscosity refills from Anterique. (Those interested in how to use the Anterique refills in vintage Bic Clic-style pens should read this recent post.) Over the past few weeks, we’ve also expanded our selection of fountain pens from TWSBI and Nahvalur, with additional models from the ECO-T and the Original Plus lines. Happy Shopping!

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

1. Caran d’Ache + Paul Smith 849 Ballpoint Pens. This year’s bicolor release is back in stock in all colors, with the Racing Green/Navy and Cobalt/Emerald color combinations leading the way in popularity so far.

2. Anterique Stationers Brass Ballpoint Pens. These well-balanced ballpoints from Japanese stationery Anterique combine vintage click-pen design with a modern brass barrel to offer an exceptional combination of balance and durability. I walk through the entire Anterique line in this recent YouTube video.

3. Caran d’Ache 849 Rollerball Pens. With this most recent shipment, all colors of the larger Caran d’Ache 849 Rollerball pens are back in stock, including favorites white and grey.

4. Caran d’Ache 849 Ballpoint Pens in Anthracite Grey. Of the standard colors, the matte Anthracite Grey is the top seller. We also have the mechanical pencil version!

5. Caran d’Ache 849 Rollerball Refills. I’m generally not a fan of rollerball refills and their tendency to bleed, but even I’ve had to change my tune a bit with these. As I wrote last month, I’ve had good luck in getting these to fit the standard 849 ballpoint body in addition to the larger Rollerball.

6. Anterique Stationers Low-Viscosity Ballpoint Refills. We just received a massive shipment of the Anterique refills and have a good stock for the foreseeable future!

7. TWSBI ECO-T Fountain Pens in Mint and Saffron. The ECO-T has become a personal favorite from the TWSBI lineup, and I go back and forth on whether it’s due to the rounded triangular grip or the colors.

8. ECO-T Jade and Rose Gold Ink Set. We still have a few of this winter’s Jade + Rose Gold ECO-T gift sets, for those who don’t want to miss out on this special edition.

9. Nahvalur Original Plus Fountain Pens in Lovina Black and Matira White. Nahvalur recently sent another shipment of their Vacuum-filler pens in black and white with rose gold trim. Over on the YouTube Channel, I did a short video looking at these pens in more detail, and I also did a longer video on how to use the vacuum filler system for those who are curious.

10. Washi Tape and Enamel Pins. Traveling this summer? A fan of sending postcards? Fun washi tape is a great way to decorate written correspondence, and we have plenty of it, along with our enamel pins that you can wear to the library this summer to show your love of stationery and reading!

Thursday Drops: Breaking Down The Desk Pad, By Category

In yesterday’s post, I looked at what might be the current pinnacle of the “Desk Pad” product category: the Cortex Brand Sidekick Notepad. While the Sidekick makes for an exceptional work tool, as I mentioned yesterday, it’s a specialized piece of stationery designed to serve a specific role in your workflow, and therefore may not work for everyone, especially if you use paper in large quantities. The T.G.S. Curated Shop stocks an array of landscape desk pads and landscape-style notebooks intended to meet a more diverse range of needs.

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WMS & Co. Calendar Pads, in Full and Keyboard size.

Category 1: Landscape-Style Planners and Calendar Pads

From spiral bound notebooks that can be used as a traditional planner to tear-off desk pads that sit beneath a keyboard, undated calendar products are flexible tools you can use to organize your workweek appointments, or collect your notes and to-dos day-by-day. For a portable solution akin to the Sidekick (i.e., a durable product you can carry between meetings and locations), consider the Write Notepads Weekly Planner, which features a week-on-two pages layout in a landscape format. Other flexible options include the WMS & Co. Planner Desk Pads, which are tear-off writing pads that come in two different sizes (Full and Keyboard), both featuring a weekly calendar layout.

The Write Notepads Landscape Ruled Notebook in Pistachio

Category 2: Landscape-Style Spiral Notebooks

Some people prefer a sturdy spiral notebook that keeps their notes in one place and allows for archival retention, whether as a matter of personal preference or a work requirement. The Write Notepads Landscape Notebook has long been one of our top selling products, and features a unique lined ruling that runs horizontally. (Pro tip: If you want a Landscape Notebook with dot grid ruling, all you have to do is turn the standard Write Notepads Dot Grid spiral notebook sideways - there’s no header, just a blank page, so they work in either landscape or standard “mode”.) Similarly, Maruman’s Mnemosyne line of spiral notebooks features a landscape layout for certain rulings, including their grid and blank notebooks.

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Soft Midori MD Cotton Paper is not only fountain pen friendly, but excellent for pencils.

Category 3: Blank Writing Pads

We carry a wide array of blank desk and writing pads, all of which work well with a range of writing instruments, including fountain pens. Favorites include the Midori MD and Midori MD Cotton pads, which are glue-bound on two sides for added durability and are designed to be used as either landscape-style pads beneath a keyboard or as a standard notepad with a vertical orientation. In addition to their Planner Desk Pads discussed above, WMS & Co. makes a selection of blank desk pads for standard notetaking, including versions in different shapes and colors.

Do you have a favorite brand of desk pad that you think we should carry? We’re always looking to bring in new lines and products, so please let us know!

Just a reminder that through Monday, May 29 at 11:59pm CT, we are running a Memorial Day Weekend Sale! Take 10% off all shop orders using the code “SUMMER23” at checkout. Some exclusions (i.e., TWSBI) apply.

New Arrivals: Kit Your Traveler's Notebook Out for Your Summer Travels!

I nearly spouted coffee across the table this morning when my daughter told me that the last day of school is this coming Thursday! Where did the year go? At the same time, I’m ready for summer, and all it entails. Work quiets down, and I usually change out my Traveler’s Notebooks to feature more journaling-style inserts as opposed to the productivity and planner-focused build-outs that I’ll use during the Fall through Spring months.

Introducing the New Traveler’s Notebook Repair Kit in Spare Colors

One of my favorite aspects of the Traveler’s Notebook system is its customizability, including the ability to change the elastic to add a pop of color to the outside of your notebook. Traveler’s has begun releasing their Repair Kits in new color combinations, including this Version 010 (Spare Colors). While certain of the colors in this package were previously available in the standard pack, this (relatively) new release is notable for the addition of a grey-blue elastic cord, which I think would look awesome on the black, blue, or even the olive notebook covers.

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Traveler’s has decided to release the repair kits in different color combinations. The “Spare Colors” comes with the five replacement cords shown here, plus two replacement bookmark strings and a spare fastener.

We are currently fairly well-stocked with most Traveler’s Notebook Starter Kits in both Standard and Passport sizes, as well as most refills. For those of you looking for the B-Sides and Rarities collection, our inventory is low because I understand that these are in the process of being added to the regular lineup and will reappear at some point in the future. If you want these refills, get them now as we are very low and I don’t have a firm ETA on the new versions. Many thanks for your support!

This week is a great time to get started with Traveler’s Notebook or one of our other notebook systems, as we are running a Memorial Day Sales Promotion through 11:59pm CT on Monday, May 29. Take 10% off your total order using the coupon code “SUMMER23” at checkout. Some exclusions (such as TWSBI) apply.

Thursday Drops: TWSBI ECO-T Mint, Nakabayashi Paper, Lamy Restock and More!

Between the TWSBI ECO and the TWSBI ECO-T, I might fall firmly in the ECO-T camp. I love the triangular cap, and sculpted grips on both the ECO-T as well as Lamy’s Safari/AL-Star don’t bother me. This week we added the ECO-T in Mint (more of a “minty blue” than a “minty green”) to the shop, which complements the recently released ECO-T Saffron and Jade/Rose Gold. You can read more about the ECO-T and other triangular grip pens in this recent post. As noted below, we also have more of the Nakabayashi Logical Prime notebooks, and more Lamy pens and replacement nibs. Happy Shopping!

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

1. TWSBI ECO-T in Mint. Sure, this one’s been around for a while, but I keep forgetting how good it looks. As noted above, we now stock two models of the TWSBI ECO-T, in the Mint and the Saffron.

2. TWSBI Diamond Mini AL Grape. TWSBI’s latest release, is well, VERY purple. If you’re a fan of purple pens, you certainly don’t want to miss this one. Likewise, if you’re a fan of the TWSBI Diamond Mini, you don’t want to miss this one, as TWSBI doesn’t often release special editions of this model.

3. Nakabayashi Logical Prime Paper Notebooks. Since their introduction last week, these slim wirebound and threadbound notebooks have sold quite well. The lined paper in particular is available in both 6mm and 7mm rulings, with a French-ruled style layout. Read more here.

4. Laconic Tokyo “Style” Notebook System. I’m drawn to modular notebook and planner systems, particularly refill systems that work in more than one different cover. With Laconic, you can choose from multiple planner and notebook layouts Read more on how the various components of the Laconic Style system fit together here.

5. Penco Prime Timber 2.0 and Passer’s Mate Mechanical Pencils. Pens and pencils from Japanese manufacturer Penco have been a quiet success here in the store, and these recent arrivals are super cool. The Prime Timber is a mechanical pencil-style leadholder that clicks to advance and ships with a sharpener, and the Passer’s Mate is, well, retro.

6. Lochby Venture Pouch. You all cleaned us out of Lochby Venture Pouches at recent pen shows. We’re now restocked in all three colors. The hallmark of the Venture Pouch is that it’s reversible, with a traditional pen pouch on one side and a zippered pen case on the other. Read more here!

7. Lochby Field Journal. If you’re looking for a durable, secure way to house A5 refills such as the the Laconic inserts discussed above, or Midori MD Light paper, Lochby has you covered. Lochby’s own refills are also excellent, and feature 68 gsm Tomoe River Paper.

8. Lamy 2000 4-Color Ballpoint (Multi pen). Our top seller from the Lamy 2000 line, believe it or not. This classic multi pen accepts the versatile D1 refill format, so you can use Lamy’s own ballpoint refill or the gel/ballpoint/low-viscosity refill of your choice.

9. Lamy Cursive Nib. Given how popular these hybrid architect/Kodachi/blade/Naginata nibs are, we bought a bunch. We’ll even install them on a compatible Lamy Safari/AL-Star/Vista with purchase if you send us a request.

10. Lamy Vista Pens and Pencils. Lamy makes a much underloved demonstrator version of the Safari, which I personally enjoy because it’s just different. I say “underloved” because it just doesn’t get as much attention as other items in their lineup, but it should!

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I love the layout on the Nakabayashi Logical Prime Paper, from the rulings to the header.

New Arrivals: The TWSBI Diamond Mini AL Grape. This Thing is PURPLE!

I’ve been more excited than most about the arrival of the TWSBI Diamond Mini AL Grape, for two reasons: (1) the TWSBI Diamond Mini is one of the more underrated pens in TWSBI’s lineup, as a piston filler that posts to a full-size pen despite being a “mini”, and (2) the anodized aluminum plating on this particular model is an almost-psychedelic purple. If you’re a fan of purple pens, this is one you don’t want to pass up. Priced at $60 ($65 for the stub).

I’m serious. It’s so purple it almost glows.

TWSBI is due a shout-out for its release calendar so far in 2023. In addition to the Diamond Mini AL Grape, they’ve released new ECO and ECO-T fountain pens, including the ECO-T Saffron and the ECO Persian Green. We currently stock a wide range of TWSBI pens, including all of the recent limited releases and the standard Diamond Mini if purple isn’t your thing!

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The cap on the TWSBI Diamond Mini is threaded, so it posts securely.

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