New Arrivals: Zebra Sarasa Grand "Vintage" Series Gel Pens (2024 Upgraded Versions)

June 18, 2024

While the standard Zebra Sarasa gel pen has always seemed a touch too wet for me, I have enjoyed the more specialty Zebra releases, including the Sarasa Clip and other pens that can be imported from Japan. Even then, I was still surprised when I picked up a pen from the Zebra Sarasa Grand “Vintage” series to test early this year and it turned out to be one of the best gel pens that I’ve used in years. I actually enjoyed it so much so that we imported the entire line!

Zebra Sarasa Grand Writing Samples — Zebra’s “Vintage” line contains some insanely good colors, like “Red Black” and “Sepia Black”. Some, but not all, are available in the .3mm tip size as well as your standard (for Japan) .5mm.

We now offer the Sarasa Grand “Vintage” gel pens in both .3mm and .5mm tip sizes, as well as the full range of refills. The Sarasa Grand is Zebra’s “upgraded” Sarasa barrel, similar to Uni’s Jetstream Prime and Pilot’s G2 Limited. Note that the colors refer both to the barrel color and the ink color (i.e., a blue-black pen will have blue-black ink), though you can of course mix and match by purchasing extra refills. Happy Shopping!

Zebra Sarasa Grand 2024 vs. Old — The pens we carry are the new (revised) version of the Sarasa Grand (shown at right). Zebra shortened the metal portion of the barrel slightly to give the pen better balance, and the tip extends further from the opening. I personally think the new barrel is a touch more textured. It can be somewhat hard to find a “professional” looking gel pen, and the brushed aluminum barrels on these pens still look understated even in some of the brighter colors.

TGS x Newton Pens Majestic on Slip Cover — Introducing the T.G.S. x Newton Pens Majestic!

New TGS Collaboration Pens: Introducing (or Re-Introducing) Two of My Favorite Smaller Makers!

June 15, 2024

Over the past ten years running T.G.S., the most fun I’ve had and the best memories I’ve made all involve getting to know various artisan pen makers and learning about their different processes and techniques, and what differentiates their pens from everyone else’s. No two small makers are exactly alike, and in working with many of them on T.G.S. Shop collaborations over the years, I’ve gained an even greater appreciation for their dedication to their craft. For today’s post, I want to introduce two new T.G.S. collaboration pens, currently available for purchase in extremely small quantities. If you can’t get one of these pens or the design just isn’t for you, I encourage you to visit the two penmakers below and support them directly!

TGS x Newton Pens Majestic Hinze Nib Engraved — The engraving looks great against the crimson plating!

T.G.S. x Newton Pens Majestic Fountain Pen

The Majestic is one of my favorite models from Hot Springs, Arkansas-based Shawn Newton, with a comfortable, streamlined design. Our pen features a polished black cap and barrel with a red section, which leaves just a sliver of red visible when the pen is capped. For this release, we’ve outfitted the pen with a custom crimson-plated nib by Hinze Pens, which you may recognize from last year’s Hinze collaboration, only this time we’ve engraved it with the T.G.S. Logo! I’m truly pleased with how this pen turned out, and each one ships with a matching black and red pen sleeve from Elizabeth Newton Designs, as well background information on the pen’s design and a handwritten note from Shawn. These were made available to Patreon members yesterday and are available to the general readership today, priced at $210. Insured shipping is included. A handful of these pens remain available to ship immediately, and if there is additional interest after they sell out I can explore doing a second run.

T.G.S. x PensByPasquale Hand-Turned Dip Nib Holders

For the second, extremely small collaboration (this batch will likely be it due to maker capacity and availability of the material), We’re releasing a hand-turned dip nib holder from Columbia, Tennessee-based Nicholas Pasquale, who you may know as “PensByPasquale” on Instagram. The material is a small-batch Jonathon Brooks acrylic which I find reminiscent of my favorite Iroshizuku Ink, Yama-Budo, and these nib holders feature Nic’s signature angled end. There are only one or two of these left in the shop as I post this, and there will almost certainly not be a second run, so don’t sleep on them if you want one. They are compatible with both Kakimori metal nibs and standard dip nibs, and priced at $135. The nib holders have been made, but Nic and I are both traveling some this week so they will ship on June 24 when our schedules once again overlap.

Many thanks for all your support! We will have more exciting news to announce in the near future, probably next week, and greatly appreciate all of you. Stay tuned….

Thursday Drops: Uni Jetstream Extravaganza, Mechanical Pencils and Accessories, and More

June 13, 2024

This has been a big week for new arrivals! So far we have a limited/special edition Jetstream 4+1 multi pen that’s a collaboration between Uni and Japanese furniture maker Karimoku, as well as more of the special edition matte Jetstream Prime Ballpoints and those cool metal mechanical pencil lead cases I was showing off earlier!

If you’re getting ready for your summer travels, we also have more Lochby! The Quattro four-pen case is available in black and navy, and we also have Tool Rolls, and Field Journals ready to ship and accompany you wherever you may be headed this month or next. As per the usual, I plan to have these with me at the end-of-summer pen shows in D.C. and San Francisco, along with any Roterfaden Taschenbegleiter covers that don’t sell out online. Happy Shopping!

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

UPDATE: T.G.S. x PensByPasquale Dip Nib Holders. We have a small number of Kakimori-compatible dip nib holders in this exclusive collaboration with penmaker Nicholas Pasquale. These are made from a very small-batch Jonathon Brooks material and will be a one-off!
Uni Jetstream x Karimoku Limited Edition Multi Pens. One of my favorite personal purchases from this year has been this special edition Jetstream 4+1 Multi Pen that Uni developed with Japanese furniture maker Karimoku. Featuring matte blue and orange barrels, matte black trim and an oak or walnut grip, these are unique multi pens that I was super happy to add to my own collection. We also have the Bamboo 4+1 pens in stock as well.
Uni Jetstream Prime Ballpoints in Limited Finishes. At reader request, we brought back more of the Matte Olive and Matte Black Uni Jetstream Prime Ballpoints. The Olive and Mint finishes are special/limited editions, and I’ll continue to get them while I can, but I believe the others are standard releases. These pens come in point sizes ranging from .38mm to .7mm, with extra Parker-style refills available for purchase separately.
Uni Kuru Toga Alpha Gel Switch Mechanical Pencils in .3mm. Certain colors of the Uni Alpha Gel Switch Mechanical Pencils are now available in .3mm as well as .5mm. Read more on why we love this particular pencil here.
Uni Mechanical Pencil Lead Cases. These metal mechanical pencil lead cases caught my eye at Kinokuniya earlier this year, and I’ve spent the last three months trying to source these. They ship with either .5mm or .3mm mechanical pencil leads. You can read more about them here in yesterday’s post.
Caran d’Ache Fixpencils. Straddling the line between a woodcase pencil and traditional mechanical pencil is the Caran d’Ache Fixpencil: a hexagonal leadholder originally designed as a wartime replacement for woodcase pencils, so it maintains a similar barrel shape. We have the standard matte black version as well as the colorful Fixpencil 884 and the limited edition “Creative Nomad” Fixpencil Lettering Sets.
Lochby Quattro Pen/Pencil Cases. The Lochby Quattro holds four pens or pencils in opposing, offset slots so the pens don’t touch when the case is closed! These are always popular items over the summer when everyone travels, and we’ve restocked accordingly. We currently have Navy and Charcoal color options available.
Lochby Tool Rolls. Another high-capacity storage/travel option, the Tool Roll can hold nearly a dozen pens as well as other stationery items in the larger pockets and slots.
Lochby Venture Pouches. These double-sided stationery pouches include a pen case with slots on the reverse side! Check out this YouTube video to see how it works.
Raymay Patalino Stationery Cases. These modular cases have become a core part of my current packing and EDC strategy. I use the large one to hold any pens, scissors, rulers, metal bookmarks, and other items that I don’t mind touching. The smaller case holds my styluses for tablets and e-ink devices. The flat design makes it easy for them to fit into any bag.
M+R Pencil Sharpeners. We are restocked on M+R Pencil Sharpeners and Lead Pointers, as well as the replacement blades for the Castor + Pollux and standard M+R Sharpeners.

Caran d'Ache x Rylsee Fixpencil Limited Edition Sets — Don’t sleep on the Creative Nomad Fixpencil Set. In addition to a limited edition Fixpencil, you get a set of Caran d’Ache Lettering Pens plus an eraser and 3B Fixpencil Leads.

New Arrivals: More Fun from Uni Mitsubishi!

June 11, 2024

We had two giant boxes arrive here at T.G.S. HQ yesterday, and they included some fun products that I’ve been looking forward to arriving for months now! First up is the Uni Jetstream x Karimoku special edition 4+1 Multi Pen, which is a collaboration between Japanese furniture maker Karimoku and Uni Mitsubishi. These multi pens incorporate orange or blue matte finishes with walnut and oak wooden grips made from furniture scraps. As with the standard 4+1 Jetstream Multi Pen, these pens all feature .5mm Jetstream refills in blue, black, red, and green, as well as a .5mm mechanical pencil option. We also received a restock of the Uni Jetstream Prime Ballpoint pens in the Matte Olive and Matte Black, two colors that sold out nearly immediately and ended up as the subject of multiple restock requests. We have the other colors as well.

Uni Mechanical Pencil Lead Case held open with hand — The case conveniently slides open with one hand to allow you easy access to the leads. No more dumping them out into your hand to refill your pencil!

But perhaps the thing I’m most excited about is the arrival of these Uni Metal Mechanical Pencil Lead cases, which ship with 40 smudge-proof HB leads in either .5mm or .3mm. (You can substitute your preferred grade of hardness, of course, since they’re standard length.) I had previously shown these off in a limited blue finish (now unavailable, unfortunately) upon my return from New York City earlier in the Spring. We of course have several models of the Uni Kuru Toga mechanical pencils and other options to complement your new case. Enjoy!

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 greatly appreciate your continued support!

Lamy Safari Pina Colada and Cherry Blossom Pens

Thursday Drops: New Lamy Safaris in Pina Colada and Cherry Blossom!

June 6, 2024

In short order, Lamy has released two additional special edition Safari pens for 2024, and this time both new colors are available in fountain pen, rollerball, ballpoint, and the .5mm mechanical pencil formats. Of the two new color combinations, the “Pina Colada” (turquoise/yellow) is my favorite, mostly due to the yellow clip and accents, though “Cherry Blossom” (red/pink) is another excellent color combination that’s consistently popular.

In addition to the recently released Safari Pina Colada and Cherry Blossom Special Editions, we have fresh stock of the Pink Cliff and Violet Blackberry pens, as well as the Fiery and Aquatic AL-Stars! Additional new releases and restocks are set out below, and don’t forget to check our “Gently Used” page, which has been updated and all items can be combined with the standard shop to hit the free shipping threshold at $75.

Lamy Safari Cherry Blossom and Pina Colada fountain pens uncapped — The contrast on both pens is really nice. I’m a sucker for anything yellow, so the Pina Colada is my preference, but Cherry Blossom/Sakura pens are always favorites!

Lamy Safari Special Editions in Pina Colada and Cherry Blossom. We currently have stock of the fountain pens, rollerballs, ballpoints, and mechanical pencils. Both colors are currently in-stock and available.
Lamy Safari Special Editions in Pink Cliff and Violet Blackberry. Don’t sleep on these special editions from earlier in the year, which feature a darker color scheme. It’s nice to see Lamy mix it up a bit!
Lamy AL-Star Special Editions in Fiery and Aquatic. The 2024 AL-Star release includes two metallic red and blue options, with matching transparent grip sections. We also have recently arrived stock of last year’s editions in Azure, Cosmic, and Whitesilver, as well as remaining Lilac and Petrol pens.
Lamy Special Edition Inks and Dark Lilac. The Pink Cliff and Violet Blackberry fountain pen releases were accompanied by two new matching inks, and promptly followed by the re-release (or re-formulation) of Dark Lilac. We have stock of all colors available.
Lamy Pico Pocket Ballpoints. The Pico is back in stock, with plenty now available in all colors! One of my all-around favorite pocket ballpoints, the Pico expands from the size of a tube of lip balm into something close to a full-sized writing instrument.
Metacil Infinity Pencils. As I discussed in yesterday’s post, “infinity pencils” (which typically need no sharpening) have been around for years, but only recently have companies perfected the tip formulation to where you get a writing experience that’s consistently legible at a 2H hardness.
Caran d’Ache Pencils. All of these longtime shop favorites are fully restocked, from the bicolor annotating pencils to the fabulous Swiss Wood. You can read more on our recent Caran d’Ache restock here.
Tom’s Studio Lumos Refillable Fineliner Pens. This relatively new product category is one that I want to lean into, as I’ve been using these refillable fineliners on a daily basis for the past few months. I even carry the pocketable Lumos “Mini” in the pen loop on my pocket notebook. Replacements are available for all tips and capillary fillers.
Midori MD Cotton Paper in A5 and A5 Square. Midori recently released new sizes of their 20% cotton paper, one of which is a standard A5! The “Square” version is quite popular in Japan, and we not only carry this shape but covers to match.
New Stálogy Notebook/Planner Accessories. We have the recently released special edition Stálogy 1/2-year notebook in white, along with the new notebook covers and additional removable planner and to-do stickers! You can now fully customize your Stálogy notebook/planner (though the stickers work on other papers as well).