Thursday Drops: Filling in the Gaps with Pilot and Kaweco, Plus a Major Lochby Restock and MYSTERY BOXES!

The theme from this month so far has been “filling in the gaps” with core offerings from brands like Pilot and Kaweco that we have been meaning to offer but due to availability and/or space issues, have not been able to stock until recently! This week, we received a large shipment of Pilot Metropolitan fountain pens and rollerballs/ballpoints, as well as Pilot Parallels and Kaweco Sport rollerballs, ballpoints, and mechanical pencils. You should now be able to complete fountain pen and ballpoint/pencil sets. We’ve also restocked on most of our Lochby cases - including the popular Field Sling - and have added all of the Lochby 6-ring Field Binders, which is an exciting addition to their lineup.

Last but not least, we’ve assembled a series of curated Mystery Boxes in our Clearance section! These were made available to T.G.S. Patreon Members yesterday, and we have several additional boxes left for the general readership. Please read the product description for what each box entails. It’s been a lot of fun to put these together over the past few days.

Come see these and more in person this weekend! We are open standard hours, 1-6pm Thursday and Friday, and 10am-6pm on Saturday. Be sure to check our posted shop hours for any updates.

1. Pilot Metropolitan Fountain Pens. We’ve added the excellent Pilot Metropolitan fountain pen to our general lineup. Available not just in fine and medium, but also in the unique medium stub/italic.

2. Pilot Metropolitan Ballpoints and Rollerballs. An often overlooked daily driver, the Metropolitan rollerball accepts Pilot G2 and other similarly sized refills, and the ballpoint uses the excellent Dr. Grip-style cartridge.

3. Pilot Custom 912. We now have the Pilot Custom 912 in all “soft” nib designations, including my favorite Soft Fine Medium! For an overview of Pilot’s “Custom” series and where the Custom 912 fits in, check out this post from a couple weeks ago.

4. Pilot Parallel Calligraphy Pens. One popular in-store request has been for the Pilot Parallel series of calligraphy pens, featuring Pilot’s “parallel plate” nibs in sizes ranging from 1.5mm all the way up to 6.0mm.

5. TWSBI Vac700R. We’ve restocked on TWSBI’s Vac700R, including the standard clear version as well as what looks like it may be the last run of Kyanite Blue, so don’t sleep on those if you want one.

6. Kaweco Classic Sport Ballpoints, Rollerballs, and Mechanical Pencils. Looking for a rollerball, ballpoint, or mechanical pencil to match your Kaweco fountain pen? The rollerball takes the universal Parker-style refill, and the ballpoint is a D1, so you can mix and match refill styles to create whatever type of pen you want, really.

7. Platinum Preppy Black Limited Editions. Platinum’s latest limited edition Preppy release is an all-Black version (with yellow, white, or orange writing). It’s a sharp looking update to the Preppy and I hope they make this a standard.

8. Lochby Field Binders (6-Ring). Lochby brings the popular 6-ring binder format to its line of waxed canvas covers. Available in A5, A6, and A7, you can also purchase 68g Tomoe River 6-ring refills.

9. Lochby Sidekick v.2. The Sidekick is back (in Charcoal, at least). Lochby’s A7 wallet/pocket notebook cover returns after a bit of a redesign, including the incorporation of RFID blocking technology.

10. Lochby Field Sling. Last but not least, the popular “Field Sling” A5 bag returns in all colors. We have these available to see in-person in store as well.

Our sample closet needs cleaning out!

New Arrivals (Pilot Metropolitans!) and On The Paper Trail Live Event Tickets Are Available!

Lots of fun new arrivals landed this week, for which a couple of you received a sneak preview in-store on Saturday: We now have the Pilot Metropolitan (or the MR as it’s known in certain markets). The Metropolitan is an excellent entry-level to mid-range pen from Pilot, which comes in classic colors like black and silver as well as the colorful “Retro Pop” line. We currently stock not only Metropolitan fountain pens, but also the rollerballs and ballpoints. The Metropolitan rollerball takes a Pilot G2 gel or other similarly sized refill, and the ballpoint accepts the Dr. Grip refill, which is great because that means you can use the finer-tip “Cocoon” cartridge that ships with the Pilot S20. All of these pens make great everyday workhorses.

On the Paper Trail: Live in Nashville Event Tickets Are Available!

If you’ve been following our podcast, you may have heard that we are hosting our first “On The Paper Trail Live” Event in Nashville from October 16-18. While there will of course be shopping opportunities, along with exclusive products, we are looking to host a community-oriented event focused on opportunities to connect with vendors and other people who are enthusiastic about paper, pens, and the analog lifestyle. Listen to Episode 7 of On The Paper Trail for a more in-depth discussion of what this unique weekend will entail!

The event will take place at the Hilton Garden Inn in Cool Springs (Franklin). Both weekend passes and day passes are available. Stay tuned for the full schedule of classes, workshops, and vendors. All details regarding location, accommodation, and ticketing can be found in this post.

Come see us this week in-store! We will be open 1-6pm Thursday and Friday, and from 10am-5pm on Saturday.

Thursday Drops: New Inks from Tono & Lims, TV-Inspired Blackwings, and More Lamy Studios!

After an extended detour courtesy of Fedex, our most recent shipment of Tono & Lims Fountain pen inks has arrived! We’ve added additional inks from the Friendship line, including the entire “Bechorium” series, selections from the Remastered Limited Edition lines, and the new “Deep Field” inks that include some of the craziest multi-shading inks I’ve used. On the ink side, we’ve also restocked on Herbin 1670 Anniversary shimmer inks, the Colorverse Top 3 pen and ink sets, and Anderillium Inks!

The latest shimmer ink from the Tono & Lims Bechorium Series (part of the “Friendship” line).

Since graduation season already has started, we thought it might be helpful to spotlight a couple of gift ideas for graduation presents. The Lamy Studio and Lamy Swift are go-to recommendations, since they feature a modern design and and accessible price point. We recently added rollerball and ballpoint versions of the standard Studio to our lineup.

Come see these and more in person this weekend! We are open standard hours, 1-6pm Thursday and Friday, and 10am-6pm on Saturday. Be sure to check our posted shop hours for any updates.

1. Tono & Lims “Deep Field” Fountain Pens Inks. Or “Deeep Field”, as they sometimes style it! These two inks, “Laniakea” and “Great Attractor”, might be my favorite from this most recent batch, showing some of the wildest multi-shading out there.

2. Tono & Lims Remastered Limited Edition Fountain Pen Inks. How did they come up with the hundreds of inks in their lines? Many of them are exclusives made for shops and pen shows around the world, but Tono & Lims recently has started to “remaster” and release certain of these show inks for the overseas market. We have eight or so currently in stock, many of which showcase lots of shading.

3. Tono & Lims “Friendship Line” Fountain Pen Inks. Our last batch of inks included “Bechorium Chloride,” a shading green with shimmer, and we’ve added three other inks from the Bechorium series that complement this one. You can see these (along with their swatches) in-store.

4. MD Product Cotton A5 Notebooks. We use MD Cotton paper to swatch all of our inks, as I love how this paper reproduces color. It’s also an excellent workhorse ink for everyday writing, as it’s more absorbent while remaining fountain pen friendly. Cotton paper has better dry times than coated papers like Tomoe River or Clairefontaine. Also available in writing pad format.

5. Colorverse Colorvent “Top 3” Pen & Ink Sets. Each year following the release of the annual “Colorvent” Calendar, Colorverse has released a selection of the Top 3 inks from that year’s calendar in larger bottles and an exclusive set. This year’s set finally arrived, and features three bottles of ink plus a fountain pen!

6. Blackwing Volume 343 (The TV Pencil). Anyone of a certain age (including my own) will recognize this color pattern! The latest Blackwing pencil release features extra-firm graphite in addition to the classic TV test pattern.

7. Herbin 1670 Anniversary Inks. This line of shimmer inks includes some classics like Emerald of Chivor and the more recently released Opale Nocturne. We now offer smaller 15ml bottles in addition to the larger 50ml.

8. Lamy Studio Pens. It’s graduation season, and we’ve restocked on one of the best all-around “gifting pens” out there - the Lamy Studio. Available not just in a fountain pen format but in an excellent rollerball and ballpoint, the Studio makes a reasonably priced, modern gift for graduates at any level. Special edition colors are also available.

9. Lamy Swift Capless Rollerball. Those looking for a capless pen should consider the Lamy Swift. An excellent workhorse, it likewise makes a great gift or just an everyday driver for yourself. Read more about why we like this pen here.

10. Nicolau Washi Tape. Our friend Nick Dominguez (who also designed our exclusive Rickshaw design) has released his first round of washi tapes! These look amazing, so be sure to pick one up while this first batch is still available.

Thursday Drops: New Arrivals from Craft Design Technology, EMOTT Fineliners, and 40+ Zebra Mildliners!

Is this week’s theme markers and highlighters? Maybe so. I teased that a bit with my Mildliner reference in Episode 8 of On The Paper Trail (released yesterday!). We have 40+ different colors of Zebra’s signature dual-tip highlighters, to complement the ultra-precise Pilot Kiri-Na and a recent shipment of Pilot Frixion highlighters that are a collaboration with Craft Design Technology.

Speaking of, we’ve received a full restock of Craft Design Technology products, including old favorites as well as new arrivals. All CDT multi pens are once again available, as well as the Frixion highlighters and the new NJK Pencil Sharpeners. Last but not least, the Platinum Preppy “Black Edition” is here!

See these and more in-person! Come visit us in our Nashville store this weekend from 1-6pm Thursday and Friday, and from 10am-6pm on Saturday.

1. Zebra Mildliners (40+ Colors!). We now carry Zebra’s popular “Mildliner” highlighters in 40+ different colors. Mildliners are known for their soft color palette and dual tips, with both a traditional “chisel-tip” highlighter and a finer marker for fine highlighting and annotations.

2. Uni EMOTT .4mm Fineliners Sets. The “EMOTT” fineliners are designed to deliver consistent line widths and to minimize wear and breakage on the top. Available in dozens of colors, we’ve chosen 12 different five-marker sets, which come with a small stand that allows you to keep them at the ready on your desk or even when you travel.

3. Platinum Preppy Black Edition. This limited/special edition Platinum Preppy release was a bit of a sleeper. Platinum has released its popular Preppy fountain pen in black. Each nib size has a different color writing on the barrel.

4. Craft Design Technology x NJK Long-Point Pencil Sharpener. CDT partnered with one of my favorite stationery companies, NJK, to create a custom version of their classic long-point pencil sharpener.

5. Craft Design Technology x Camel Wood Pencil Set. Need something to sharpen with your new CDT/NJK sharpener? Camel pencils feature the integrated eraser that sits flush with the barrel, and their graphite features an excellent combination of darkness and point retention.

6. Craft Design Technology x Pilot Frixion Highlighters. Over the years, Pilot has added multiple product categories to its Frixion line, including highlighters. The three markers that CDT has chosen here (yellow, blue and grey) are quite visible, and are available either individually or as a set of three.

7. Craft Design Technology x Pilot Frixion3 Multi Pen. We get regular requests for a Frixion multi pen, so guess what? The CDT Frixion3 is back. This is a sharp looking pen with its dark green barrel, a CDT signature.

8. Craft Design Technology A5 and A6 Memo Pads. While the mint green is (obviously) the most popular, there’s always a cream-colored paper option for you purists. These notepads feature a very small grid, but not quite as fine as Kleid.

9. Craft Design Technology Memo Roll Sticky Notes. Count me a fan of these sticky notes that come in a roll format and which you can cut down to the exact size you need. They’re also movable at least a few times, meaning that they can be peeled up and moved around as necessary.

10. Updated Correspondence Cards and Letter Sets. We’ve refreshed our stock of notecards and letter sets to include new Belle & Union icons, Graphilo letter pads, and more!

New Arrivals: TWSBI ECO Rootbeer + Bronze Pre-orders, Plus a Craft Design Technology Restock!

The latest TWSBI ECO has landed: “Rootbeer” pairs transparent brown acrylic with TWSBI’s popular bronze trim. After a run of solid colors, it’s nice to see a transparent release, as the bronze-trim versions have been among the most popular of the ECO fountain pens. These pens are available for pre-order starting today (4/28), and the pens will begin shipping Thursday, April 30.

Craft Design Technology Products Have Been Restocked, Plus New Arrivals!

Tokyo-based design house Craft Design Technology specializes in re-envisioning classic stationery products with their own aesthetic, including pens like the Zebra Sharbo-X multi pen, the Pentel Sharp Kerry, Pentel Sign Pen, and the Pilot Frixion 3 Multi Pen. In addition to these excellent writing instruments, CDT has become known for their mint green notepads, memo rolls, and other unique paper products. Most recently, CDT announced a series of Pilot Frixion Highlighters, sold individually or in sets of three, along with a special NJK long-point pencil sharpener featuring their own design scheme!

We will be open normal hours this week in our Nashville shop, from 1-6pm Thursday and Friday, and from 10am-6pm Saturday. Stop by to see these and more in-person!