Travel Update: Upcoming T.G.S. Show Dates and More!

This weekend I’m once again on the road to NY NOW and Shoppe Object, two of the larger stationery trade shows in the U.S. While not as large as Paper World (probably the biggest international stationery trade show that’s held every year in Frankfurt), NY Now is the place to go if you’re a retailer and want to a preview of the year’s new releases from brands like Kaweco, Lamy, and Blackwing, while Shoppe Object tends to showcase smaller boutique manufacturers and distributors. Both shows are a great venue to discover new brands - in fact, this is where I met representatives from Anterique, Nakabayashi, Laconic, HMM, and Craighill. I don’t believe I ever would have brought some of the more unusual brands into the shop or discovered their wares at all had I not taken a flier and visited these two shows, both of which are outside the typical “fountain pen show circuit”.

I’ll be periodically posting from the weekend (as I’m allowed, since some announcements on new products, etc. may be subject to blackouts). I’ve attended these shows twice before, so if you’re curious about exactly how they work be sure to check out last year’s recap.

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2024 Pen Show Updates - Where We’ll Be This Spring

Also, T.G.S. will be attending the 2024 California Pen Show in the Los Angeles area from February 16-18. And guess what? I’m teaching a seminar and semi-responsible (with Vanness Pens) for hosting the Pen Shows after Dark event! After that, we will have a table at the Arkansas Pen Show in Little Rock. I hope to see you at one of these events!

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 all your support!

Travel Chronicles: Actually Traveling with a "Traveler's Notebook"

As befits its name, the Traveler’s Notebook makes a fabulous traveling companion, or so I’ve found on more than one occasion over the past month. Since I’m on the road for a brief long-weekend trip before a hectic week that includes Fountain Pen Day and my eventual return to the office, I thought it might be fun to take a look at the specific setup that I’m using in my personal Traveler’s Notebook, namely the accessories.

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Accessories - Folders, Cases, and Card Holders for the Road

For me, the accessories are the most important items for a “travel” rig since they transform the Traveler’s Notebook from a “notebook” to a functional travel portfolio/wallet. I’m currently outside the U.S., so I need to carry more documentation that I typically would on a domestic flight, including a passport, customs documents, cash, etc., as well as multiple credit cards, identification, and paper copies of my itinerary and confirmations. Here are the various accessories currently in my Traveler’s Notebook:

• Zippered PVC Case. While I always use the clear PVC zippered case to hold things like stamps, paper clips, and Book Darts, this weekend I used it to carry my Passport and customs receipts while moving through the airport. It’s a convenient - yet relatively secure - way for me to keep these documents handy. (I wouldn’t recommend storing these documents in your notebook when you’re not actively using them. Keep them in the hotel safe or concealed on your person!)

• Traveler’s Notebook Pocket Stickers. Like the PVC Zippered pouch above and the folder discussed below, you can add pockets to the front and back covers of your Traveler’s notebook to hold printed copies of confirmations and itineraries, cards, and more. They aren’t necessary for the particular cover I’m using on this trip (more on that below), but I have them in both of my Standard leather covers.

• Traveler’s Notebook Sticky Notes. I’m a sticky note addict who is never without a healthy supply of them. I make “side notes” to myself when I’m journaling, annotate books that I’m reading, and most importantly, leave last-minute notes to the dogsitter while I’m running out the door late for my flight. Though I might not use them regularly when I travel, I can’t bring myself to leave them at home.

• 2024 Limited Edition Plastic Folders and Pencil Boards. I didn’t realize how useful pencil boards (and journaling stencils in general) were until I began using one of my Atelier Musubi notebooks as my personal journal. Not only does it allow you to change up the ruling as you work your way through a blank notebook, but here it helps in situations where you don’t have a sturdy, level writing surface, especially for a fountain pen. A pencil board can also “firm up” the softer Traveler’s Notebook cover, creating a better platform for writing while standing.

• Brass Binder Clip. Whenever I’m writing on the go, and especially when I sometimes have to write standing up, on an airline seatback tray table, or other cramped space, I rely on the Traveler’s Company Brass Binder clip to help hold the notebook open, to mark my place in a specific refill, and even to just clip papers together. This clip is actually one of my most-used stationery accessories across the board, as I switch it between different systems and also carry it in my Roterfadens and Plotters.

You can read more on my personal Traveler’s Notebook Setups here, and if you’d like a tutorial on how to install and connect different refills in the Traveler’s Notebook covers, I’ve also done posts on that in the past.

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My favorite notebook cover ever. No I won’t part with it.

For those Who Ask, No, That’s Not an Official Traveler’s Notebook Cover and This One is Unfortunately Unobtainium, Though I Hope That Changes.

It’s actually an older Roterfaden model cut in an A5 slim size, which is no longer made. I love it because it easily fits Traveler’s Company and other similarly sized refills, and I’m hoping that Roterfaden will agree to bring it back. You can, of course, clip Traveler’s Company refills and accessories into the regular A5 Roterfaden covers, and you can take advantage of their stitched-in card pockets for credits cards and IDs.

This is a very short trip, as I’ll be back Monday, so no delays to regular content, etc. Maybe I’ll do one-more travel-related post on my return?

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It’s a toss-up for me whether the PVC Zippered Pouch or the Brass Clip is the more overall useful stationery accessory.

The canvas slots on the inside cover of this particular Roterfaden transform this cover into an excellent oversized travel wallet.

The Gentleman Stationer is supported entirely by purchases from the T.G.S. Curated Shop and pledges via the T.G.S. Patreon Program. The Gentleman Stationer is also an authorized retailer of both Traveler’s Company and Roterfaden products.

Back from Vacation! Recapping The Year In Pen Show Travel, Upcoming Shows, Etc.

Since we are back in town today, any orders placed over the past week should start shipping out this afternoon, and you will see labels and tracking numbers being generated over the weekend. Remember - all orders placed in the shop through 11:59pm Sunday (10/15) will receive some of the new/restocked T.G.S. Swag that I recently ordered! Many thanks for continuing to support us while we were out on this much-needed break!

To recap 2023 a bit: I attended a lot of pen shows! If you’ve missed reading about my year in pen-related travels the first time around, I’ve linked to most of my show recaps below.

• NY NOW and Shoppe Object (Trade Show, not a Pen Show, but it was still fun!).

• 2023 Baltimore Pen Show

• 2023 Arkansas Pen Show

• 2023 Atlanta Pen Show

• 2023 Washington, D.C. Fountain Pen Supershow

• 2023 San Francisco Pen Show

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Maybe I’m looking forward to hunting more vintage in Ohio?

I don’t currently plan on doing any additional shows as a vendor this year, though as I mentioned I may attend the Ohio Pen Show during the first weekend of November. Other shows taking place during October include the Colorado Pen Show (this weekend!) and the Detroit Pen Show next weekend (October 20-22, 2023). The Scriptus show also takes place in Toronto on October 29. You still have several opportunities to get a pen show in before things shut down in November and December. Stay tuned as I will continue to be off from the day job through the first week of November, and have a bunch of fun content planned!

Adventures in Pen Travel and Pens for Vacation, 2023 Edition

Now that I’ve had a few days to decompress, It seems like a good opportunity to talk a bit more about my travels over the past two months, the ongoing “hard reset” of my work and personal life, and, of course, my marathon pen cleaning session last week.

I recently announced that I’m changing day jobs, which is a big move for me. I held my old position for nearly 10 years, and while I won’t be changing employers, I’m stepping into a role that (1) involves less of an overall time commitment; and (2) has fewer administrative responsibilities. One reason for the shift is the rapid growth of T.G.S. - while it’s not yet a full-time project, it requires more attention each month, and I’m of course more than happy to rearrange my working life to accommodate the expansion. That said, it’s likely going to require a complete reorganization of my workflows and how I go about my daily working life if I want to keep things manageable.

These two pens - shown here with a new ink I tested at the Dallas Pen Show - stayed in rotation!

The biggest change is the lack of formal structure. My new duties are primarily project-based, allowing me to work mostly remotely, on my own schedule. Outside of the posting routine that I’ve fallen into over the years, T.G.S. also doesn’t have a “schedule”, so my greatest concern about the new arrangement involves my ability to structure my time in a way that ensures that (A) I get everything done, and (B) I keep work confined to “regular” hours as much as I can, allowing me to have a greater semblance of a personal life that includes picking back up other hobbies and interests that I’ve necessarily had to let slide. Case-in-point: I’ve not done nearly as much personal writing and journaling as I would have liked over the past year, despite having a half-dozen notebooks “in rotation” and 30+ fountain pens inked up.

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The 10 pens I took with me on vacation, identified and discussed below from left.

Current Setup: Fountain Pens

While of course there’s a lot that I’m thinking through and working on that I can’t publicly discuss here, I CAN tell you what I’m doing about my pen problem. The first order of business was to flush 20 or so pens, most of which had been inked for the Washington, D.C., San Francisco, and Dallas Pen Shows. The cleaning process was aided considerably by the Schon DSGN Luer Syringe Cleaning System, which Ian kindly gifted me in San Francisco to test out. The system consists of a series of fittings designed to attach to the section and/or nib unit of your pen, with different attachments made to fit JoWo, Bock, Pilot, and Sailor (with more to come). You can then thread a 1cc syringe into the fitting and easily flush out a pen in much less time than it would take you to clean using a converter, and with less mess than a bulb syringe. I left nine pens inked up, which I’ll identify from the photo above, listed from left:

• Santini Libra in Blue Swirled Ebonite: This pen is on loan from a friend, and I left it inked because I need to write with it and get it reviewed so I can return it to her! Santini pens have long interested me because they are made entirely in-house, nibs included! Though Santini visited this year’s D.C. Pen Show, I was disappointed that I didn’t have the chance to visit their table.

• Leonardo Momento Zero in Bohemian Twilight Resin. Jonathan Brooks’ Bohemian Twilight material is one of my favorites, and I couldn’t resist the opportunity to pick one of these up since I didn’t yet have a pen in this material in my personal collection. The ink I chose to pair with this pen? Queen Alexandra’s Birdwing Butterfly Green, from the recently released Anderillium Lepidopteran Series. It’s a slightly brighter dark green than the swirls in the pen, which complements it perfectly.

• Conid Bulkfiller Kingsize. I’m torn on Conid, and I’m still trying to figure out how I feel about the brand, especially compared with the Kyuseido Kakari (discussed more below). While extremely well-constructed, I’m not loving the Bock Titanium nib, and I hope to soon procure a gold nib option because I need more consistent inkflow and less of a “squeaky” writing experience. This pen is currently inked with Nahvalur “Dark Forest,” an excellent ink that I plan to review in more detail as soon as I’ve had the opportunity to try more from the series.

• Sailor Pro Gear “Moonlight over the Ocean”. I’ve long loved the form factor of the Sailor Pro Gear, and odd name aside, this edition spoke to me so I picked one up for my personal collection. It’s inked with Anderillium Atlas Moth Brown, also from the Lepidopteran Series. For some reason I thought this pen needed a good brown-black ink?

• TWSBI Diamond 580 ALR “Sunset Yellow”. I always have a TWSBI inked and in rotation, and the one I haven’t been able to put down is the recently released “Sunset Yellow,” - really more of an orange gold. The matching ink is Monarch Butterfly Orange, from yet again, the Anderillium Lepidopteran Series.

• Montblanc 149 in Rose Gold with Bokumondoh Urushi Work. This pen will stay inked for the foreseeable future because it’s beautiful, and the result of a year spent on the Studio Bokumondoh wait list. Fittingly, when I reviewed this pen nearly three years ago I was on vacation in the same spot I’m sitting in now typing this list.

• Kyuseido Kakari Fountain Pen. The Kakari is the first pen release from Kyuseido, the new company recently started with C.Y. of Tokyo Station Pens and the Tokyo Inklings podcast. I chose the black PVD titanium version, with a Sankakusen nib grind. It’s worth reading Kyuseido’s description of the “Pump-Piston” filling mechanism - you’ll see why this pen is of interest to so many people. The pen is currently inked with unobtanium: Diamine “Suman” created especially for this past year’s Manila Pen Show that a friend was kind enough to gift to me.

• Nagasawa Kobe Affection Kyomachi Legend Blue Sailor 1911L. My friends at Vanness Pens are now the exclusive U.S. retail partner for Kobe Japan-based Nagasawa Stationery, and I couldn’t resist taking home two of their current Sailor collaborations from the Dallas Pen Show. The first is the 1911L version of the “Kyomachi Legend” pen, which features a metal section similar to that on my 1911 Black Luster. Currently I have this pen inked with Sailor Souboku in cartridge form. Perhaps the most surprising aspect of this pen is the broad nib I chose. I’ve never used a Sailor Broad (which frankly writes very much like a JoWo medium), and I’m enjoying it.

• Nagasawa Kobe Pro Gear Mini “Mouette”. The two-toned grey on this one got me, along with the fact that this edition of the Pro Gear Mini doesn’t have threads on the end of the barrel, allowing for quicker deployment. I inked this one up with Taccia Hiroshige-Ainezu, a beautiful grey that I’m enjoying.

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Current Setup: Notebooks

I took four notebooks with me: My Roterfaden A5 kitted out with my Laconic Monthly Calendar and two Plotter pads; my older (and now-discontinued) Traveler’s-sized Roterfaden with a few blank Traveler’s Midori MD refills; my Midori 5-Year Diary, and a Bank Paper journal from Atelier Musubi. As I mentioned above, I haven’t done much personal journaling and want to experiment with different formats. So far I’ve managed to write each day for at least an hour! What didn’t I bring? My Plotter notebooks. I use them more as binders to organize papers by topic, and since I’m not actively working on any projects this week I decided to leave them at home as I can incorporate pages from the Plotter notepads as necessary upon my return.

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One goal of mine is to streamline my everyday carry. As I journal more, I want to finish up several notebooks “in progress” and limit what’s active going forward.

I hope you enjoyed this little tour of my current stationery life! As you might imagine, things are a bit chaotic right now, but in a good way, as I’m excited about what’s to come. Stay tuned as I have much more to announce over the coming month!

The Gentleman Stationer is supported entirely by purchases from the T.G.S. Curated Shop and pledges via the T.G.S. Patreon Program. This post does not contain paid advertising or third-party affiliate links.

TGS Updates and The Next Week's Travel Schedule!

You may have seen the big news on my Instagram stories - I recently took on a new position at my day job that frees up a LOT more time to devote to other endeavors, including T.G.S. In the coming weeks you will probably see some changes here, including refreshed and updated informational resources such as the Fountain Pen Review Archive and other projects I’ve been working on. I also have new product collaborations in the works, and plan to continue our shop expansion with new details announced in the near future!

So What Does This New Transition Officially Entail? 

I've moved to a less demanding position with a negotiated set of responsibilities and a fixed annual time commitment. The goal is for this to result in more predictable hours and clearly defined boundaries. In the immediate future, I also requested and received a four-week sabbatical to take some time off and reset.

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I kicked off vacation with a full fountain pen reset. Turns out I had an absolutely ridiculous 30+ pens inked up, which is what happens with three pen shows in a month-and-a-half.

The next four weeks won't entirely be vacation: During this month, I need to make some decisions regarding how to best position TGS for future growth, including my 2024 Pen Show Strategy, new brand partnerships like Roterfaden (which has been extremely successful); and a launch plan for some content-related projects that I’ve had “in the works” for years without the time to complete them. I MAY consider attending the upcoming Detroit and/or Ohio Pen Shows, if time allows.

How Can You Help? Keep Reading!

It’s that simple! As long as you all keep coming back, reading, and engaging, I plan on running T.G.S. for the long term. For the next week posting may be irregular, as I really need some time off. Shop orders will continue to be accepted while I’m out of town, with processing time from 10/7 through 10/14 delayed by a couple of business days in addition to our normal shipping. Upon my return on 10/14, orders will resume shipping in the order they are received, and as per my usual practice when I’m out of town, all vacation orders will receive “extras” in the package. I recently placed an order for some fun TGS Swag in addition to our standard buttons and stickers, and you’ll be the first to receive them!

Many thanks, and please know that I greatly appreciate your readership and support! For some additional fun, consider joining the TGS Patreon Program. With more time on my hands, I have some ideas for expanding the Patreon and bringing content to readers there that is different, but still complementary, of the TGS site. Our next TGS Patreon Online Meetup is scheduled to take place the evening of October 21, at 8:30pm CT. I hope to see some new faces there!