New Arrivals: More Notsu Notecards, New Notecard Holders, Plus Midori XS Stationery Accessories!

Just in time for the holidays, we received a giant box from Notsu yesterday with more Centre Rise Notecard Sets (featuring vertical “To Do” cards), the Centre Notecard Set (featuring horizontal “To Do” cards), and two new colors of Notsu’s vegan leather Notecard Holders, which are now available in gray and dark brown!

We also offer the Midori XS Stationery kit components available for purchase separately, including the XS Staplers, Glue Tape, Correction Tape, and Paper Cutters. We’ve carried the popular XS Stationery travel kits for a while now, and you can now buy refills or the mini components separately to build your own kit. These are excellent office supplies for a go-bag or travel journaling.

Check out these items and more in our latest release of the annual T.G.S. Holiday Gift Guide! Note that we have special hours this week in our Nashville store, and will be open from 2:00pm-6:00pm Wednesday, Closed on Thursday (Thanksgiving), and will open from 10:0am-6:00pm Friday and Saturday to kick off the holiday shopping season! We hope to see you there!

The 2025 T.G.S. Holiday Gift Guide is Live! Plus Five Favorite Stationery Gifts

Our annual Holiday Gift Guide has been updated and is live on the site! Each year we revise this page to reflect new gift ideas and trends from the past year of stationery, and everything featured in the guide is not only available for online shopping but in person at our Brick-and-Mortar store, located in Nashville, Tennessee! We will have regular hours through the Holiday season and possibly open on a few additional Sundays between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day so stay tuned. If you’d like to make an appointment to shop on days that we are not showing as open please do reach out because I know everyone’s holidays are chaotic and we want to be as flexible as possible.

My Thoughts on Gifting Stationery and My Favorite Gifts I Give Every Year

It probably comes as no surprise to anyone that I give stationery as gifts every holiday season (and birthdays, etc.). But what I give does sometimes surprise people, because I try to keep it simple and relatively inexpensive as I don’t want the recipient to be afraid to actually use the item. Here are five of my personal favorite stationery gifts for family, friends, and colleagues. Most of these are featured in the Guide but I figured I’d add a bit of personal color for fun. I love recommending gifts for people, and find it one of the most fulfilling parts of running the retail side of T.G.S.

• Pocket Pens. Even if they don’t know it, everyone needs a pocket pen, and there are several out there that even the most non-stationery obsessed person can appreciate. The Lamy Pico was our top seller last holiday season, but we’ve also added Rite-in-the-Rain bullet pens which are great options for outdoorsy types. Rite-in-the-Rain makes a “nice” metal version, as well as a two-pack of the pressurized plastic pens.

• Pocket Notebooks. Field Notes always make a great gift for non-fountain pen users because you can usually find a theme to match their interests. (The National Parks series is a perennial favorite). For those with recipients who might want better paper, the Lochby versions aren’t as ornate but feature 68gsm Tomoe River Paper, and the Lochby Field Journal Mini or Pocket Journal makes a nice complement if you want to scale up the gift.

• Pencils. Some of my favorite gifts ever were thoughtful pencil gifts, and I’ve never had a pencil-themed gift go bad. Turns out may people like wood pencils, especially if you can find good ones because most non-stationery nerds assume that all pencils made these days are poor quality. Favorites include Camel pencils from Japan with the integrated erasers, Uni and Tombow “handwriting” pencils, and all of the novelties from Begoody that despite their quirkiness are good writers with excellent graphite. For recipients who enjoy technology, the Uni Kuru Toga KS or Alpha Gel Switch are inexpensive mechanical pencils that feature the Kuru-Toga’s auto-rotation mechanism.

• Bookmarks. I’m a reader, and most of my family and close friends appreciate a solid bookmark (or pack of “writable bookmarks” that you can use to take notes and annotate). Small and inexpensive, bookmarks make great stocking stuffers or small items for gift exchange parties.

• The Lamy Swift Rollerball Pen. Do I have a go-to recommendation for a gift for a nice pen for a “non pen person” (or even a pen person whose preferences you might not know)? Yes, and it’s the overlooked Lamy Swift retractable rollerball. Most people are sold when they see how the clip retracts into the barrel, which should keep you from trying to stick the pen in your pocket with the tip extended - NOT a good thing to do with a liquid rollerball. :)

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No, these aren’t made anymore (in 20 years) and I don’t sell them, but they remain one of my favorite holiday gifts ever received. (I later bought up several dozen on eBay.)

Get Your Holiday Orders in Early (Or Shop in Person), and Other Tips for Surviving the Holiday Season

Thanksgiving is late this year (and the weather here has felt like Spring), so there’s been a delayed start to the traditional holiday shopping season. While our shipping times have remained fairly fast, with orders typically out the door within 2 business days, we have no control over carrier delivery times and things like carrier strikes. I would advise giving yourself 10 days grace if you need something for a gift by a specific date. Note that during the holiday season, due to unpredictable delays, some carriers are not considering a package “lost” until 20 days have passed on a domestic delivery, and up to 6 weeks for international shipments. If you need something expedited, please send us an e-mail and we can explore overnight or express shipping options. And of course, you can always come by and shop in person all the way up to Christmas Eve!

As stressful as it is, I always love the holiday season! Enjoy the gift guide, thank you for your support, and as always, please reach out if you have any questions.

Thursday Drops: Pilot and Tom's Studio Restock, Stickers, Staplers, and More for the Holidays!

The holiday shopping season is here and we’re doing our best to restock as much as we can as fast as we can! This week we received a restock of Pilot fountain pens, including additional Pilot Custom 823s and many favorite colors of Iroshizuku ink such as Asa Gao, Yama Budo, and Kon Peki. We also received more Tom’s Studio Lumos and Wren refillable fineliners. Finally, as I noted yesterday both on the blog and on YouTube, we’ve also introduced more desk accessories, including Zenith Staplers from Italy, and we have a wide range of new stickers and washi available from MT Tapes and iLootPaperie!

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It’s not just higher-end Pilot that we have back in stock. In addition to the Custom 823, we also have more of the new Pilot Prera fountain pens, as well as the new Kakuno Special Editions!

I have been receiving e-mails from many of you inquiring about holiday gift ideas, and I will respond as quickly as I can. I did, however, want to issue a general P.S.A. that if you are looking for holiday delivery in December, please get orders in as quickly as possible. While we ship within 2-3 business days, both USPS and UPS will likely begin experiencing shipping and delivery delays starting around Thanksgiving, if not already, and many are predicting that this year will be worse. Building in time to handle lost packages, insurance claims, and time for shipping any replacements will help us ensure timely delivery of gifts.

Our Nashville shop is open this week Thursday and Friday from 1pm-6pm, and from 10am-6pm on Saturday. Next week we will be closed on Thanksgiving Day (Thursday) but will be open regular hours Friday and Saturday. Hope to see you there!

1. Pilot Custom 823 Fountain Pens. We have the Pilot Custom 823 available in all colors and most nib sizes, including Signature nibs in the Amber acrylic. Read more about the Custom 823 and why we love this high-capacity vacuum filler here.

2. Tom’s Studio Lumo Pro Duo in Clementine. Tom’s Studio has released its dual-tip fineliner in a warm matte orange finish that’s perfectly timed for autumn and the holiday season! We also received a restock of most colors of the standard Lumos, and have special edition “Splash” and Titanium finishes as well.

3. Tom’s Studio Wren in Clementine. I was surprised to see a Clementine Wren as well! For those looking for a pocketable fineliner with a standard writing tip, the Wren is an excellent option and now features the same warm matte orange Clementine finish. Standard color options are also restocked.

4. Diplomat Viper Fountain Pens and Rollerballs. We have additional Viper fountain pens in Blue, Black, and Brown, with Green on the way. All Rollerballs are back in stock. The Viper is an excellent hooded-nib fountain pen at an accessible price point, with a highly usable F/M nib.

5. Zenith 590 and Zenith 591 Plier-Style Staplers. I couldn’t resist these cool desk accessories from Italy, available in five different color combinations chosen by us for the shop. We showcased these on the blog and in a YouTube demonstration video. Compatible staples are also available.

6. Life Airmail Writing Pads and Envelopes. We now once again offer both the Life Airmail Writing Pads and matching envelopes. These feature lightweight, yet still ink-friendly, onionskin paper like that used for classic Airmail written correspondence.

7. Levenger Notabandeau Book Bands. These elastic book bands will fit around an A5 or similar notebook, as well as a standard hardcover book, for those who like to be able to tuck pens, glasses, and other accessories for a lightweight and streamlined carry.

8. Levenger Library Card Bookmarks. Bookmarks are another accessory obsession of mine, and Levenger makes great ones. I love bookmarks that double as notecards for annotation purposes. These are inspired by vintage library cards! Tent-style notetaking bookmarks are also available.

9. MT Washi Tapes. We have both restocks and new arrivals from the MT “Encyclopedia” series, as well as many of the popular “Maps and Travel” Patterns. There is also a new coffee-themed “Upcycle” series themed around coffee that uses paper from recycled coffee filters.

10. iLootPaperie Stickers and Enamel Pins. We have lots of fun vinyl stickers and enamel pins from our friends at iLootPaperie, featuring themes ranging from snail mail to typewriters.

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The Zenith 590 comes in two multi-color finishes!

New Arrivals: Refreshed Washi, Sticker, and Pin Selection!

While paper and notebook systems tend to be our primary focus around here, by far one of my favorite aspects of running the store is curating our selection of washi tape, stickers, pins, and other small accessories. Why? Because it’s pure fun, especially when you get to dive into the more irreverent designs like all the quirky stuff from iLootPaperie.

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Retro Collage Washi from MT Tapes.

This week we have a whole array of new stickers themed around snail mail, typewriters, and reading. We also have a bunch of new enamel pins, including some really timely pencil-themed pins, a “Par Pigeon” pin, and more! Finally, MT Washi Tape is back in stock, including Travel/Maps and Encyclopedia themed tapes. Be sure to check all of these out, as they will make great gifts for the upcoming holiday season!

Come see these and more in-person in our Nashville shop! We are open Thursday and Friday from 1-6pm, and Saturday from 10am-6pm. Any updates or special events will be posted to the shop page here.

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Of all the new pins, this one is my favorite. For obvious reasons. :)

Thursday Drops: Canopus Paper, Gel Pens, Low-Viscosity Ballpoints, and Post-Fountain Pen Day Recovery!

Except for a handful of backorder items, all of the Fountain Pen Day orders have been shipped! Many thanks to everyone who supported us last weekend, either in-person or online, and it made for one of our most successful events ever! This week we’re busy restocking and getting ready for the holidays, and the week after Fountain Pen Day is the perfect time to, well, take a brief break from fountain pens. :) We have restocked on favorite gel pens, including the Uni Zento Flow and Uni Zento standard, as well as the Pilot Hi-Tec-C Coleto Multi Pens. We also have a fresh shipment of goods from Yamamoto Paper in Japan, including their new “Canopus Note” A5 Notebooks, as well as more Bible-size Bullet Jotters and Bullet Jotter Refills.

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We’re restocking on most of our papers in advance of the holiday season.

We are open in-store normal hours this week, from 1-6pm Thursday and Friday and 10am-6pm on Saturday. Please come by and see these and more in-person!

1. Yamamoto Paper Canopus Note A5 Notebooks. Canopus is Yamamoto’s latest paper experiment, specially formulated for a soft writing feel and excellent color reproduction for brighter inks with shade and shimmer. Hopefully availability remains consistent as this paper has been quite popular.

2. Uni Zento Flow and Zento Standard Gel Pens. The Uni Zento is the latest Japanese gel pen craze, featuring an ultra-smooth, low-friction writing experience that makes for a great daily driver. The Zento Flow features an upgraded metal barrel for increased durability, while the standard comes in a range of colors. (All pens have black ink.)

3. Uni Jetstream Prime Lite-Touch Special Editions. We’ve received a new shipment of Jetstream Prime Lite-Touch pens in special edition colors. Note that these are standard .5mm retractable ballpoints and not multi pens.

4. Uni Jetstream Prime Lite-Touch 4+1 Multi Pens. But we do have new 4+1 Multi Pens in new special edition colors, this time with a gloss finish! As is typical for Japanese market Jetstream limited editions, these are in nice muted pastel shades.

5. Pilot Hi-Tec-C Coleto 1000 Multi-Pens. The higher-end 4 slot Coleto barrels are back in stock! Available in matte black, matte brown, silver, blue, and red. Refills are sold separately (link below), allowing you to build your perfect multi pen using Pilot’s cult favorite needle-tip gel refill.

6. Pilot Hi-Tec-C Coleto Refills. We have Hi-Tec-C Coleto refills available in tip sizes ranging from .38mm to .5mm, as well as mechanical pencil options.

7. Yamamoto Paper Bullet Jotters (Bible-Size). These compact notepad holders were a big hit at the D.C. Pen Show in August, and the paper inserts will work with most Bible-size 6-ring binders if you punch-holes in the paper. Each Jotter holds two pads of paper, and ships with one each of Slight White and Soliste.

8. Yamamoto Paper Bullet Pads. We now have additional Bullet Jotter refills with Sanzen Tomoe River, Slight White, and Meringue Paper available.

9. Pilot G-Tec-C4 Gel Pens. The needle-tip Pilot Hi-Tec-C was the first Japanese gel pen that captured my imagination all the way back in 2014 when I started this blog, and the “G-Tec-C4” is the .4mm U.S. market version. We have a limited quantity in black and blue. (It’s the standard stick-pen version of the Hi-Tec-C Coleto multi pen.)

10. Roterfaden Taschenbegleiter TGS_25 A5-Slim. We continue to have stock of our special edition Roterfaden cover in the A5-Slim size, which will fit any refills and accessories with A5 Slim dimensions (8.3” x 4.3”). Don’t miss our new color, since this now comes in light grey as well as the dark green.

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We’ve greatly expanded our selection of high-end specialty notebooks from Japan, including these hardcover Tomoe River notebooks as well as softcover in both 52gsm and 68gsm.