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The Gentleman Stationer

Vintage Living in the Modern World.
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Traveler's Company Summer Sale Promotion

Thursday Drops: Memorial Day Weekend Sale Details and Yes, Another Giveaway!

May 23, 2024

Memorial Day Weekend here in the U.S. is here, as is the end of school (at least for our household) and the beginning of Summer. So let’s kick off the season with a sale and a giveaway! Now is a great time to kit out a new notebook for your travels or your adventures closer to home, and we’re happy to help you out with that. We are newly stocked on most Traveler’s Company refills, Midori A5 notebooks, Laconic A5 inserts, Tomoe River refills, and more!

For now through Monday at 11:59pm CT, take 10% off your order using the code “SUMMERSALE” at checkout! The code will apply to many different brands in our shop, though some (including TWSBI, Roterfaden, Pilot) are excluded due to manufacturers restrictions. In addition to the discount code, all orders over $75 automatically ship free with USPS.

Clockwise from top: Scriveiner Fountain Pen; Blackwing pencils (not necessarily representative of the prize pack), and a Lamy AL-Star Rollerball!

We’re also running another giveaway through the weekend: I’m in the process of clearing the T.G.S. HQ out a bit in preparation for a potential move, and there’s no reason the readership shouldn’t benefit! We have three prizes for this week’s giveaway: (1) a Lamy AL-Star Rollerball in the new “Fiery” finish; (2) an assortment of a dozen Blackwing Pencils, some standard, some limited Volumes from my personal back catalogue; and (3) another Scriveiner Fountain Pen that I can pass along now that I have my review of this brand in the pipeline. All you need to do to enter the giveaway is either leave a comment on this blog post or like the accompanying Instagram post featuring the giveaway. I will number all comments and likes and pick three winners using a random number generator.

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

  1. Traveler’s Notebook Starter Kits and Accessories. Gearing up for your travels? We have Traveler’s Company notebooks and accessories in-stock, including ONE remaining Tokyo Special Edition Traveler’s Notebook that apparently ended up mixed in with our standard stock. A full restock on these editions is still some time away, so at least one lucky customer will be able to take one home! Any remaining 2024 dated refills are now 40% off.

  2. Roterfaden Taschenbegleiter Covers. While we can’t discount Roterfaden, this is still an excellent opportunity to stock up on A6, A5, and A4 notebook refills compatible with this series of organizers.

  3. Lochby Field Journal and Related Gear. In the A5 size, we have Lochby notebook covers designed to fit the Lochby Tomoe River 68gsm notebooks, as well as the Lochby Tool Rolls and Quattro pen cases to hold all of your goods!

  4. Midori MD Notebook Covers. Whether you want leather, sturdy Japanese paper, or standard plastic covers, Midori’s notebook covers are sturdy and functional, and designed to fit the excellent standard MD Notebooks.

  5. Patalino Cases by Raymay. I love these flat-pack cases, which are perfect for pens, pencils, scissors, and more. I tend to move between bags during the week, and modular cases like these allow me to pack my stationery kit at the beginning of the week and simply move it from one bag to the other without much “repacking” involved. The front flap folds down magnetically, and includes a slot for a large eraser, mechanical pencil lead refills, etc.

  6. Traveler’s Company Tokyo Special Edition Brass Pencil. We bought a lot of these and still have a few in stock. I love the finish on them, and the orange eraser is outstanding.

  7. Craighill Caro Pen. I can’t praise the Craighill Caro Pen enough, as it’s been my constant companion since January. It’s a small pen that takes a D1 refill and attaches to it’s “dock” via a secure garter spring clip mechanism. Available in multiple finishes and perfect for attaching to a bag or keychain. You can read more on this pen here.

  8. Tom’s Studio Lumos Mini Refillable Fineliner. The Lumos “Mini” has become my pen of choice to carry in my Plotter Mini 5, as it slips into the pen slot on the Plotter quite well. The standard Lumos pens also make excellent planner pens. We’ve recently added the entire line of Tom’s Studio fountain pen inks to the shop - you can check out my overview of all the colors here, as well as my notes on a few favorites.

  9. Anterique Brass “Mach Ball” Ballpoint. An excellent low-viscosity ballpoint pen that can go anywhere with you - including in your planner pen loop!

  10. Laban “Greek Mythology” Inks. Some of my favorite colors to have been released during the past several years are included in this ink line, including the unique “Aphrodite Pink”! Laban has new distribution so it’s easier to keep these in stock.

In TGS Curated Shop Tags Thursday Drops, Summer Sale
28 Comments

Quick Look: Different Grades of Blackwing Graphite (Plus a Bonus YouTube Video)

May 21, 2024

Blackwing doesn’t use either of the typical graphite grading scales in their pencils. Instead of numbering them 1-4, or H, F, HB, B, etc., they’ve designated their different graphite formulations as “X-Firm”, “Firm”, “Balanced”, and “Soft”, with each core given its own standard production line pencil and rotated through the limited edition “Volumes” line. Last quarter’s Volumes release (Volume 2) even introduced a new “XX-Firm” formulation that’s the closest Blackwing has ever come to a true HB/No. 2 pencil. To date, it’s only available in this special release pencil.

The two extremes. “Soft” graphite at top compared against the XXF Graphite in the Volume 2, compared against the Tombow HB.

I love Blackwing pencils because even their “lightest” shade of graphite is relatively dark. As a fan of dark pencils, I regularly use most of the standard Blackwings, as well a full pencil chest of their special editions. Despite the darker core, Blackwings retain their points well - even the soft graphite in my favorite “Blackwing Matte” with low-smear performance. My second favorite would probably be the “X-Firm” Blackwing Natural, but that’s more an aesthetic preference than anything to do with performance!

How It Works Blackwing Pencil Extender YouTube Link

For a fun bonus, check out our latest YouTube video which dropped today, where I look at the Blackwing Pencil Extender and how it works.

As of last month, the T.G.S. Curated Shop is an official Blackwing retailer! We carry the full range of pencils, accessories, and even paper (the excellent “Illegal Pad”) in our curated stationery shop, which is how the site gets supported.

In Pencils, TGS Curated Shop Tags TGS Curated Shop, Blackwing
1 Comment
New 2024 Additions and Arrivals

So many new arrivals! (And no, my new Waterman Exception is not for sale.)

Thursday Drops: All the New Pens and Inks So Far, Plus Pen Storage! (And Maybe a Giveaway?)

May 16, 2024

2024 has been a whirlwind of a year. So much has happened in the past five months, including four pen shows, countless new releases, and shipping LOTS of orders! To recap a bit, we still have some remaining stock of 2024 new releases and special editions, and will restock as we can. We’ve also been swimming in a bunch of new arrivals as our shop expands, including everything posted Tuesday (Patalino and Kept cases).

Kaweco Sport Fountain Pens and Ballpoint

Overall, this has been a great year for Lamy and Kaweco releases. I’ve personally enjoyed the new Kaweco pens, particularly the Art Sport, and TWSBI has been regularly releasing excellent new color/trim combinations to the point that I sort of wish they would slow it down because my own pen cases are getting full!

Finally, don’t miss the giveaway included in yesterday’s post on the line of Tom’s Studio fountain pen inks! You can win a bottle of “Cassis” or “Strawberry Jam” - red of course!

  1. Kaweco Sport Piston Filler Fountain Pen. We have some remaining stock of the initial release of the Kaweco Sport piston filler, which ships in a set with a vintage-style bottle of blue ink. Check out my YouTube video in which I walk through this fun new addition to the Kaweco lineup!

  2. Kaweco Collection Apricot Pearl Sport Fountain Pen. This year’s Kaweco Collection features a translucent AND pearlescent orange acrylic. It’s a beautiful pen and a great addition to the “Collection” Sports.

  3. Kaweco Art Sport Fountain Pens. I want to see Kaweco do more with the Art Sport line. The “Terrazzo” finish has been inked up and in my pen case pretty much non-stop since these arrived late last year.

  4. Blackwing Volumes 710 “Jerry Garcia” Edition. These colorful matte-finish pencils feature Blackwing’s softest core, which is coincidentally my favorite.

  5. Traveler’s Company “Tokyo” Limited Edition Pencil. We have a handful of this year’s limited edition Traveler’s Company Pencil, though the notebooks and refills remain sold out and subject to re-order.

  6. Lamy Safari “Pink Cliff” and “Violet Blackberry” Special Editions. These are two of my favorite Safari releases in a long time. It’s been difficult to choose a favorite between the two, but Pink Cliff is the one that’s stayed inked up. We also have both limited edition matching inks available.

  7. Lamy AL-Star “Fiery” and “Aquatic” Special Editions. These turned out to be some pretty stunning finishes. The AL-Star lends itself to nice blues and reds, given the brushed metal construction. We also acquired a shipment of prior years’ editions as well.

  8. TWSBI Special Editions, Including the Caffé Bronze ECO. TWSBI has been on a tear this year, and we have stock of nearly all recently released special editions that include the ECO Caffé Bronze (with bronze-toned trim!), the ECO “Dark Sapphire”, the ECO Creme and Rose Gold, and some remaining stock of the Kai Piston Filler.

  9. Tom’s Studio Pens. We have all sizes of the Lumos Fineliners back in stock, some remaining colors of the Studio and Studio Pocket, and a fresh restock of the pre-ground fountain pen nibs, including the Architect!

  10. Tom’s Studio Fountain Pen Inks (Also Suitable for Lumos Pens). We now carry the full line of Tom’s Studio fountain pen inks (currently at 19 different colors), per the note above and yesterday’s post that walks through the entire lineup!

The Gentleman Stationer is an authorized reseller of the brands featured here.

We’re giving away two of the colors pictured here! Check out yesterday’s blog post and our Instagram account for details!

In TGS Curated Shop Tags Thursday Drops, TGS Curated Shop
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New Arrivals: Raymay Patalino Cases and SlideNote Covers!

May 14, 2024

We’ve had some requests for additional pen and pencil cases, and have been looking at bringing in reasonably priced options appropriate for everyday carry. While at NYNow back in January, I came across this line of flat stationery cases by Raymay, from their “Patalino” line. Available in three colors and two different sizes, these cases will hold your pens, mechanical pencils, scissors, rulers, and even feature a pocket to hold a large eraser or case of mechanical pencil leads. I like these cases because they pack flat at only 1” thick, making them very convenient for travel and modular packing that you can easily move between bags. The “Small” case starts at $15, and the “Large” sizes at $21. We also have higher-capacity rectangular pouches from the “Kept” line.

All three colors are currently available in the large size, with black and blue available in the smaller size.

We’ve also had some requests to bring in binders and covers that fit the Clairefontaine looseleaf french-ruled sheets (as well as the other A4 looseleaf and pad-bound paper that we carry). We now have SlideNote covers in the A4 size, which will hold approximately 30 sheets of most A4 paper using a convenient clip binding that allows you to easily swap out and/or rearrange pages.

The Gentleman Stationer is supported by purchases from the T.G.S. Curated Shop and pledges via the T.G.S. Patreon Program. Many thanks for all your support!

In TGS Curated Shop Tags New Release, SlideNote, Raymay, Pen Cases, TGS Curated Shop
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Thursday Drops: Blackwing Jerry Garcia Pencils, Pencil Extenders, Eraser, and the Pentel Kerry!

May 9, 2024

I don’t know about you, but I personally think Blackwing has absolutely nailed the past handful of releases. Volume 2 featured a “cracked” glow in the dark finish, with an extra-firm graphite that I personally really enjoyed. That said, this latest Jerry Garcia-themed release features a matte finish with Blackwing’s softest core, which is my personal favorite of all the various Blackwing graphites out there so I’m loving this one as well.

All of the Blackwing accessories look great in the new white finish!

It doesn’t stop there: We now have the Blackwing Handheld Erasers (really big and soft and erase quite nicely!) and Blackwing Pencil Extenders, as well as more of the one-step long-point sharpeners. Both the Handheld Erasers and Long-Point Sharpeners all come in three different colors (black, white, and grey) so you can make yourself a matching set. Finally, if you’re looking to try out Blackwing for the first time, or searching for a gift for a Mom, Dad, or upcoming graduate, the Blackwing Pencil Essentials Set is back in stock. It has one of each pencil from the standard line, along with a one-step sharpener and a pencil cap.

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

  1. Blackwing Volume 710 Jerry Garcia Pencils. It took me a while to get some of these in, but I wasn’t going to pass them up given that they feature the soft graphite, which is my favorite of the Blackwing cores.

  2. Blackwing Volume 2 Limited Edition Pencils. The Jerry Garcia pencil above followed Volume 2, which not only has the awesome cracked glow-in-the-dark design but also features a specially formulated extra-firm graphite, for those who love an HB or F grade pencil.

  3. Blackwing One-Step Long Point Pencil Sharpeners. Blackwing’s excellent long point sharpener, which only requires one step to achieve a nice, slightly curved point, is now available in three colors: black, grey, and white.

  4. Blackwing Pencil Extender. Blackwing has been on a tear with their accessories lately, and this pencil extender attaches to the ferrule of your Blackwing Pencil, giving you a nice way to use up that jar of 1” Blackwing stubs!

  5. Blackwing Handheld Eraser. Not a fan of the integrated Blackwing eraser? Or most integrated pencil erasers, for that matter? I love this new soft handheld eraser by Blackwing, in three different cases. It’s giant and refillable.

  6. Blackwing “Illegal Pads”. One of my favorite legal pad products is Blackwing’s take on the classic legal pad. Available in traditional ruled (complete with the line down the middle!), graph, and dot, this paper even handles fountain pen ink well.

  7. Pentel Sharp Kerry Mechanical Pencil. Currently only available in grey, though more colors are in the works! This .5mm mechanical pencil features a capped design that protects the tip while the pencil is in your pocket, yet still allows you to click to advance the lead when posted.

  8. Pilot Explorer Fountain Pens in New Colors! The Pilot Explorer is easily one of our best selling fountain pens under $30, and we’ve added additional colors: Turquoise, Lime Green, and Silver! These all come with matte black trim and look sharp. (Full matte black pens are back in stock as well.)

  9. Pilot Iroshizuku Ink Cartridges. In addition to the full line of excellent Pilot Iroshizuku bottled inks, we now have the full line of available cartridges (which are most of the popular colors).

  10. Tom’s Studio Fountain Pen Inks. The Tom’s Studio line of Lumos pens has sold extremely well, as have the fountain pens and specialty nibs. But what about the inks? Tom’s Studio has nearly two dozen inks available, including a pigmented black for those who desire a micron-like experience for their Lumos.

Be sure to keep checking our Pilot range, as we’re constantly restocking on some colors that were sold out. I believe we have all of the Iroshizuku inks in cartridge and bottle form.

In TGS Curated Shop Tags Thursday Drops, TGS Curated Shop, Blackwing
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