New Arrivals: Yamamoto Fountain Pen Friendly Papers, Viarco Pencils, and TWSBI Preorders!

Lots of news today! First Up: It’s been a long time since we’ve had a dedicated Tomoe River Paper writing pad available for purchase - the availability of this paper has been the subject of much discussion over the past few years - but as of yesterday, we now offer A5 writing pads from Yamamoto Paper containing two different versions: The “New” Sanzen S Tomoe River Paper or the prior version of Tomoe River still made by the Tomoegawa Paper Company. These pads have 200 sheets, and the Yamamoto Bank Paper version has 100. We also have limited availability of the Yamamoto Paper Fountain Pen Friendly Paper Sampler, which features 16 different types of fountain pen friendly Japanese papers, including a handful of which are being discontinued. (For those looking for the heavier 68g Tomoe River Paper, we recently received a restock of Lochby A5 notebooks and pocket notebooks).

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This might be my favorite of the six Viarco pencil designs. I ended up getting one of the half-gross sampler packs.

Viarco Pencils and Pencil Accessories from Portugal

We now have most of the Viarco vintage-inspired wood pencils in stock, in 7 different finishes and retro packaging. Viarco graphite is pleasantly tactile to use and isn’t waxy or smeary - it’s the type of graphite I used to love seeking out in school because it sharpens well and retains a point. These pencils are made in Portugal, in one of the last remaining operative pencil factories in Europe. To go along with your new pencils, why not pick up a NJK long-point sharpener from Japan? To see how this sharpener compares to other options out there, you can check out this post from a few years ago when I first received one from C.W. Pencil Enterprise.

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TWSBI ECO “Dark Sapphire” Pre-Orders

Last but not least, the TWSBI ECO “Dark Sapphire” is in-hand and ready to ship on tomorrow’s release date. We also have additional stock of the TWSBI Diamond 580 ALR in Black, which sold out nearly instantaneously the first time around. The 580 ALR Black will ship out today, with the Dark Sapphire ECOs going out the door tomorrow morning.

Note: We will be traveling for the later part of this week, so if it’s important for you to receive your order this week, please get it in by Wednesday morning so we can ensure it ships out. Many thanks for your support!

Thursday Drops: Caran d'Ache 849 "Blue Lagoon", The Return of the Kaweco Sketch-Up, Art Sports, and More!

It’s all about the gradients these days, and the latest release from Caran d’Ache is a gorgeous blue-grey-white 849 ballpoint and mechanical pencil set, which they’ve dubbed “Blue Lagoon” to reflect the colors of the polar lagoons that inspired it. It’s been a while since we’ve seen a limited 849, and this one follows up the Keith Haring and Paul Smith special releases from late last year, of which we still have some in stock!

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We’ve also received more Kaweco Sketch-Up Clutch Pencils, which you can find in our dedicated pencil store! These can be used with standard leads, highlighter leads, or even with the Kakimori Dip Nib to create a portable ink sampling tool.

A Pen Show Weekend Clearance Special

While we’re disappointed that we can’t make this weekend’s Baltimore Pen Show, we always like to offer some sort of special offer for pen show weekends! This week, we’re in the process of listing a bunch of new arrivals (as you’ll see below), and noticed that a fairly significant amount of shelf/storage space is being taken up by older items of which we only have 1 or 2 pieces remaining in stock. I’ve created a “Clearance” tag in the Pens, Notebooks/Paper, and Desk/Reading Accessories sections, for those items which won’t be coming back so take advantage of your last chance. Discounts of up to 25% available! We don’t do clearance sales very often, so now’s your chance….

1. Caran d’Ache “Blue Lagoon” Ballpoint and Mechanical Pencil Set. It’s been a bit since we’ve seen a new special release 849 from Caran d’Ache, and this one is all about the gradients! Each set includes a Caran d’Ache 849 ballpoint pen, as well as a matching .7mm mechanical pencil. (I say “matching” in that they feature the same colors, though the gradients are slightly different.)

2. Lamy Studio “Glacier” Fountain Pen. While we’re on an “Arctic Blue” theme, why not pair the “Blue Lagoon” Ballpoint and Mechanical Pencil Set with a Lamy “Glacier” Fountain Pen? These were an older special release so I’m not sure how long they will stick around.

3. Kaweco Art Sport Fountain Pens. Did you miss out on the Kaweco Art Sport fountain pens the first time around? We have more, including the Terrazzo and Hickory Brown, which sold quite fast.

4. Kaweco Sketch-Up Clutch Pencils. It’s not just for drawing anymore! Many people use the Kaweco Sketch-Up clutch pencil as a nibholder for their Kakimori Brass and Stainless Steel Dip Nibs, which you can now purchase directly from us. For more info on how to make that work, check out this post here.

5. Lamy Safari Special Edition Fountain Pens and Rollerballs. The new Lamy Safari “Pink Cliff” and “Violet Blackberry” are in stock and ready to ship!

6. Lamy “Noto” Ballpoints in Deep Blue and Chocolate. I’ve been writing all week with the triangular “Noto” ballpoint pens, and after going back and forth, I finally selected a “Deep Blue” version as my personal pen, so it’s going into the pen case.

7. Lamy “econ” Ballpoint Pens. Characterized by their bright colors and matte textured grip, the round “econ” ballpoint features the same M16 refill as the Lamy 2000 ballpoint, the Noto, and others!

8. Lamy Notebooks. Lamy’s proprietary ruling is quite unique, featuring a mix of grid, lines, and dots. The paper is absorbent, so it dries relatively quickly compared to many other fountain pen friendly options.

9. Nahvalur Nautilus “Ruby Koi” Fountain Pens. We have two remaining “Ruby Koi” special release fountain pens, including one gold and one stainless steel nib version.

10. M+R Brass Pencil Sharpeners. We received a full restock of M+R Brass Pencil sharpeners in all the various forms, including replacement blades!

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The T.G.S. Curated Shop is an authorized retailer. The Gentleman Stationer is supported entirely by purchases from the T.G.S. Curated Shop and pledges via the T.G.S. Patreon Program.

New Arrivals: Lamy Notebooks and Yet Another Interesting Paper Ruling!

As part of our never-ending quest to curate the most interesting paper rulings, we’ve added Lamy notebooks to the shop! Available in Hardcover, Softcover, and “Booklet” (Softcover Slim) formats, all of the Lamy A5 notebooks feature Lamy’s proprietary paper ruling, which is a combination of lines, grids, and dots. The slim booklets are perfect for notebook systems like the Roterfaden Taschenbegleiter and the Lochby Field Journal, since you can carry multiple books under one cover. The 90g Italian paper is absorbent, so it dries quickly, and handles most fountain pen inks very well!

Lamy’s signature paper ruling is great for those who like both lined and grid notebooks. You can alternate between the two.

The hardcover and softcover versions are priced at $25, and the three-pack of booklets are priced at $15. In addition to Lamy paper, we’ve also recently restocked on Clairefontaine notebooks and writing pads in most of the formats that we regularly carry. Happy shopping!

The Gentleman Stationer is an authorized retailer of Clairefontaine and Lamy products.

Thursday Drops: New Lamy Safaris + Matching Inks, Pencil Shop Launch, and More!

Yesterday’s post took a look at the 2024 Lamy Safari Special Edition fountain pens and bottled inks, which this year includes some wild color combinations dubbed “Pink Cliff” and “Violet Blackberry”. As of this morning, rollerball versions of the Safari pens are also available for purchase!

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These Japanese “handwriting” pencils have been favorites over the years: I use them for anything from notetaking to scoring music.

Last week we also unveiled our expanded pencil section of the shop, which allows us to offer a better curated selection of wood and mechanical pencils, as well as pencil accessories such as sharpeners and erasers. We have more of the Caran d’Ache Fixpencil “Creative Nomad” sets, new mechanical pencils from Uni and Tombow, and dark handwriting pencils from Kitaboshi and Uni in 4B, 6B, and 10B hardnesses. We’re looking to bring even more pencil stuff into the shop in the weeks and months to come, so stay tuned!

The Gentleman Stationer is supported by purchases from the TGS Curated Shopa the TGS Patreon Program. Many thanks for all your support!

1. Lamy Safari 2024 Special Edition Fountain Pens. This year’s special edition Lamy Safari fountain pens feature two different colorways: Pink Cliff and Violet Blackberry, with matte and glossy textures, respectively.

2. Lamy Safari 2024 Special Edition Rollerballs. As of this morning, we have the rollerball versions of both Pink Cliff and Violet Blackberry listed for sale as well! Enjoy!

3. Special Edition Lamy Bottled Ink. We have a couple of bottles remaining from this initial shipment. “Cliff” is a rich navy blue, while “Blackberry Violet” is a super-sheening purple.

4. Lamy Studio “Glacier” Fountain Pens and Rollerballs. We managed to snag some of the Lamy Studio fountain pens and rollerballs in the ice blue “Glacier” finish, which is a personal favorite.

5. Pilot Explorer Fountain Pens. We received a shipment of Pilot Explorer fountain pens, including the popular matte black pens in both fine and medium nib sizes. The Explorer is an excellent pen at a competitive price point.

6. Uni Kuru Toga Alpha Gel Switch Mechanical Pencil. The Uni Kuru Toga is one of my favorite mechanical pencils, with its automatic lead-rotation that helps maintain a fresh point on the graphite. The “Switch” lets you turn off the rotating mechanism, which some believe offers greater stability. And the gel grip is insanely comfortable.

7. Caran d’Ache x Rylsee “Creative Nomad” Limited Edition Fixpencil Set. We have additional stock of the current limited edition Fixpencil Set, which includes a special pencil and select lettering pens in a set assembled by Swiss lettering artist Rylsee.

8. Kitaboshi 10B Pencils. Yes, you read that correctly. If 10B is a bit much for you, we also have 4B and 6B “Penmanship” or “Handwriting” pencils from Uni. I love all of them, especially for marking stuff up and doodling.

9. Tombow Mono Graph Mechanical Pencils and Mono Graph Pastels. I only recently discovered Tombow mechanical pencils and their “shaker” mechanism, which allows you to advance the lead by shaking the barrel of the pencil.

10. Uni Smudge-Proof and Hi-Uni Mechanical Pencil Leads. Uni makes some of the best mechanical pencil lead available. We have both Uni’s standard “smudge-proof” graphite (self-explanatory), as well as the Hi-Uni, which uses graphite similar to the excellent Hi-Uni woodcase pencils.

California Pen Show Workshop Recap: Paper for Everyday Writing

Many thanks to everyone who came out to see me at the 2024 California Pen Show! We had a great turnout at the “Stationery for Everyday Writing” Workshops on Friday and Saturday, and since I’ve had a couple requests for the names of the paper samples we discussed, I thought I would post them. Just a reminder that the promotional code distributed to workshop attendees (and Patreon members) is valid through February 29, 2024 (end of the month). If you attended the seminar and lost the code or need the details of the promotional offer, please contact me and I will send them to you.

Four of My Favorite Papers for Everyday Writing

• Write Notepads Paper. Relatively inexpensive, absorbent, and available in a wide variety of formats and rulings, Write Notepads paper is among my favorite for everyday writing and notetaking.

• Midori MD Paper. Another excellent Japanese paper that’s cost-effective enough to be used everyday. I especially enjoy their writing pads, which can be used vertically and horizontally (“landscape mode”). MD Paper is used in standard Traveler’s Company refills, and if you’re looking for something slightly more absorbent, you should try the MD Cotton version.

• Clairefontaine French-Ruled Looseleaf Paper. The multi-lined paper handed out at the workshop was Clairefontaine French-ruled (or “Seyes-ruled”) looseleaf paper in the A4 format. Clairefontaine is often most people’s first experience with fountain-pen friendly paper, and while it’s slower to dry than the other options listed here, it’s also less expensive and more widely available.

• Tomoe River 68gsm Paper. While the long-term availability of this paper is subject to debate, given recent manufacturing changes, it continues to be available from some sources (including the Lochby refills that we sell). 68gsm Tomoe River Paper is still quite thin, though a bit thicker and slightly more absorbent than the lighter-weight 52gsm version so it dries quicker.

For additional fountain pen friendly paper recommendations, check out our post titled “Hierarchies of Fountain Pen Friendly Paper,” which will walk you through these options and more.

The Gentleman Stationer is an authorized reseller of the brands we sell, and is supported entirely by purchases from the T.G.S. Curated Shop and pledges via the T.G.S. Patreon Program.