Deals & Drops: Post-Pen Show New Arrivals! Platinum, Field Notes, Caran d'Ache & More

September 2, 2021

There was a pile of boxes awaiting my return from the San Francisco Pen Show, including a fresh shipment of Limited Edition Platinum Preppies from Luxury Brands USA (the Platinum Distributor), the brand new Caran d’Ache 849 Rollerball Pens, a huge box of TWSBI Swipes and TWSBI Ink, the Field Notes “Trailhead” Edition, AND two new versions of the Kokuyo Sketch hardcover pocket notebooks: the dot grid “Trip Book” and the top-bound “Offset Book”. I’m finally up to date with loading everything into inventory and onto the site, so happy shopping!

The T.G.S. Curated Shop is an authorized retailer of all brands we carry. By shopping with us, you are supporting original content, pen reviews, pen show events, etc. from The Gentleman Stationer. If you would like to support us even further, please consider checking out the T.G.S. Patreon Program, which offers access to online meetups, exclusive discounts and pre-orders, and more!

Platinum Preppy Wa Limited Edition Fountain Pen. Platinum recently released the Preppy Wa, a special version of their Preppy cartridge fountain pen decorated with six different traditional Japanese patterns, all with unique symbolism. The Preppy is a great pen, for users both new and old, because even at this low price point ($7?!), it features Platinum’s Slip ‘n Seal technology that prevents the pen from drying out. (Review here.)
Caran d’Ache 849 Rollerball. If early sales are any indicator, Caran d’Ache has a hit on their hands with the new 849 Rollerball, a larger-diameter version of the 849 ballpoint. In fact, you don’t have to use this one as a rollerball at all since it accepts the Parker-style refills of your choice.
TWSBI Swipe Fountain Pen. These things were so popular in San Francisco that I ended up having to sell my demo pens. I have both the Smoke and Prussian Blue versions back in stock in all nib sizes, in addition to the full range of TWSBI cartridges and bottled ink.
Giuliano Mazzuoli Nuovo ITALIA Ballpoint/Mechanical Pencil. I appreciate practicality, and you can’t get much more practical than a high quality ballpoint that comes with three different color refills AND allows you to swap in a .7mm mechanical pencil insert. Throw in a design with historical significance, and you have a product tailor-made for the Curated Shop. Full write-up here.
Field Notes “Trailhead” Edition. Field Notes recently released their latest quarterly edition, a stunning combination of dark green and orange featuring a linen-textured cover and ORANGE staples! The back covers feature illustrations of North America’s three most famous trails, the Appalachian Trail, Pacific Crest, and the Continental Divide.
Kokuyo Trip Book and Offset Book Hardcover Pocket Notebooks. These long-format hardcover pocket notebooks have developed a cult following in both Japan and the United States, and now I can offer a dot grid version (the “Trip Book”) as well as a top-bound “Offset” version.

I made a short video comparing the Rollerball to the Ballpoint. Check it out here.

Be sure to check out those orange staples!

Pen Show Vendor Swag, courtesy of Rickshaw Bags!

San Francisco Pen Show: The Big Weekend Recap

September 1, 2021

What a weekend! The only other pen show I have attended that I can compare to the San Francisco Pen Show is Baltimore, and that’s because the focus remains on ensuring people have a positive experience, as opposed to cramming in as many people and vendors as possible. I’ll certainly return to the San Francisco Show, and next year (fingers crossed) I plan to have my own table. I met so many readers and customers over the weekend, and it was wonderful to match names (and online handles) with faces!

A little Pen Shows After Dark on Saturday night.

Some General Observations from the Weekend and What I Loved about the San Francisco Pen Show

It’s Truly “The Fun Pen Show”! As I noted above, you can tell that the organizers focused on ensuring that everyone had a good time, with events organized most nights for vendors and weekend pass holders. Highlights included a vintage pen auction on Friday night (rare these days), and live music on Saturday. The Pullman San Francisco Bay is also one of the nicer pen show hotels on the circuit, with breakfast available in the morning, an espresso bar (key!), and a bar with good drinks and excellent food.

Three Vanness-exclusive Robert Oster inks: Blue River, Hemp, and Hickory Aflame. (Charred Hickory, the non-shimmer version of Hickory Aflame, sold out quickly).

A Diverse Array of Vendors. The best pen shows, like San Francisco and Baltimore, feature a balance of large and small retailers, independent penmakers, vintage traders, non-pen artists and craftspeople, and even national brands. San Francisco mixed everyone together well, and the show was organized in a way that encouraged you to walk the entire layout. Vendors I saw at San Francisco who I’ve not seen at other shows included Curnow Bookbinding & Leatherwork (creators of the “Backpocket Journal”), Peyton Street Pens (from whom I acquired two custom pens with vintage nibs), Japanese stationery specialists Maido/Kinokuniya, Rickshaw Bagworks, and international brands Pilot, Traveler’s Company and Plotter (more on them below). You can view the full list of exhibitors here.

J.C. Ament was grinding away on Sunday morning!

LOTS of Options for Nib Work. If you came to the San Francisco Pen Show looking to get a nib ground, you were in luck. Mike Masuyama, Gena Salorino (Custom Nib Studio), Kirk Speer (Pen Realm), and J.C. Ament (The Nib Tailor, in his first show as a full-time nib grinder) were all present, and most had walk-up availability.

My Plotter planner and Curnow Coptic-Bound journal with a stork pattern.

Less Crowding. While I suspect traffic was down from prior years due to a combination of circumstances (pandemic, fires, etc.), a lot of people still came through the door, Pen shows with wider aisles and vendors spread out over multiple ballrooms are more pleasant to walk (not to mention to work). Not only do you not get pushed and shoved by the crowds when you’re trying to look at a pen at someone’s table (L.A., anyone?) but it’s even more important today when everyone is already a bit less comfortable due to the ongoing pandemic and the fact that masking and other precautions are required to ensure these events can happen safely.

OK, So What Was the Coolest Stuff I Saw This Weekend?

In addition to my two custom pens from Teri at Peyton Street Pens, I picked up a pair of Ultem Fountain Pens from Schon DSGN, a Galen Leather 12-pen hardshell leather pen case from Vanness, a Parker 51 for an exceptional price from vintage dealer John Strother, a couple bottles of Kiwi Inks, and some handmade coptic-bound journals from Curnow Bookbinding & Leatherworks, which I brought home as gifts. Perhaps the most interesting, for me personally, was a planner set I was offered by Plotter USA as part of a pilot program they are running to test their planner system prior to a U.S. release later this year. Plotter is owned by DesignPhil, the same company that brought us Midori MD and Traveler’s Notebook, and the brand accordingly features a similar aesthetic, but uses a ring binding system with the same six-hole layout as Filofax and other brands (so your hole punches and other accessories should work). I received the “Narrow” size, which is approximately the same dimensions as a Kokuyo Sketch Book - a size below my lovely B6 slim Cafe Note. I’ll be providing Plotter with feedback on the system over the next few months, and of course posting photos here.

Not technically a pen show picture, but the Platinum Preppy Wa’s are awesome and worth a look!

Otherwise, I enjoyed visiting with friends new and old, from the team at Kenro where I saw the Pininfarina PF2 for the first time, to the crew at Luxury Brands, who are helping to promote the launch of the latest from Platinum, the limited edition Platinum Preppy Wa (that’s right - a limited edition Preppy), which is really cool and as you would hope, priced in a way that should be accessible to most everyone. I also got to meet with the new owners of Retro 51, and I’m excited to see what they have in store for the future. Despite a somewhat rocky start (exacerbated by the pandemic and accompanying economic uncertainty), the new team seems enthusiastic and excited to make Retro more visible to the at-large community of pen enthusiasts, including attending more pen shows.

The Plotter (“Narrow”) compared against the Nanami Paper Cafe Note in B6 Slim (left).

Plotter is a brand that I think I’m going to enjoy exploring - it’s quite customizable with different inserts and accessories. Shown here are paper folders that can be used to organize notes by topic.

In short, San Francisco has made my list of “must-attend” pen shows, and I really want to spend more time with West Coast pen friends! If you missed my Friday/Day One Recap, you can check it out here.

This post does not contain affiliate links. The Gentleman Stationer is supported by purchases from the T.G.S. Curated Shop and reader donations. If you would like to support us even further, please consider checking out the T.G.S. Patreon Program, which offers access to online meetups, exclusive discounts and pre-orders, and more.

Introducing the Caran d'Ache 849 Rollerball

August 31, 2021

Caran d’Ache recently announced, and I’m now proud to offer, the Caran d’Ache 849 in a larger-format rollerball pen, which accepts any Parker-style refill, including ballpoints. Approximately the same size as a Retro 51 Tornado, this latest entrant into the Caran d’Ache 849 lineup provides a larger option suitable for those who may find the standard Caran d’Ache 849 too narrow. The 849 now offers something for everyone!

Caran-d'Ache-849-Rollerball-in-Hand.jpeg

Available in five different colors (black, white, grey, red, and navy blue), the pen sports a matte finish, with the texture particularly pronounced on the black and grey versions. Priced at $48 each, you can now purchase directly from the T.G.S. Curated Shop!

The T.G.S. Curated Shop is an authorized retailer of all brands sold, including Caran d’Ache.

All five colors, from left: grey, white, black, red, and blue.

One of my pen show prizes from this weekend - a 12-pen hardshell case from Galen Leather. It’s natural undid leather, so it will patina like my Gfeller Cover for my Nanami Paper Cafe Note.

Weekly Links for August 30, 2021 (Post San Francisco Pen Show Edition)

August 30, 2021

Platinum Curidas Gran Red (via Rants of the Archer). The Curidas - Platinum’s entry point into the world of retractable nib fountain pens - started with a lot of hype, a cracked-feed scandal, and then a fair bit of quiet. Are you all still using your Curidas pens? This review has me wanting to break mine out again.
Esterbrook JR Paradise with Scribe Architect Nib: The Feelgood Hit of the Summer? (via UK Fountain Pens). Anthony reviews the latest Esterbrook JR release, as well as their latest specialty nib developed in collaboration with JJ Lax Pen Company. I’m torn between the yellow and the blue with the yellow finial.
Esterbrook JR Pocket Pen (Paradise Set, Tuxedo, and Vintage Esterbrook J) (via Macchiato Man). Yagan has an extraordinarily comprehensive review of the new Esterbrook JR “Paradise”, which includes a write up of the standard JR and the vintage Esterbrook J itself.
Pens in Daily Use August 2021 (via Dapprman). My fountain pen use has been fairly spotty this month, as I’ve been doing a bit of travel and I’m in the middle of rejiggering my work from home/office schedule. What pens I have been using have leaned very much towards the practical.
D-Initial Impressions (via Penquisition). Evan takes a look at the S.T. Dupont D-Initial, a new “entry level” model from the luxury French brand, which is one of the very few remaining pen brands that I have no personal experience with.
Lemome Notebook Review (via Fountain Pen Love). John reviews what appears to be a very nice inexpensive notebook that handles fountain pen ink quite well.
How I Manage Meeting Agendas with a Notes App (via Bump). Streamlining meetings? I’m all for that.
Pennonia Inks Part 6 (via Mountain of Ink). Kelli reviews several inks from Romanian company Pennonia, including several of their red inks that have caught my eye.
Retro 51 Tornado Vintage Metalsmith Rollerball, Raw Brass Review (via Pen Addict). Sarah reviews a raw brass version of the classic Retro, and I’m interested to see how these patina.
Musgrave Heritage Collection Pencil Set (via Well-Appointed Desk). Ana reviews all the pencils contained in the new Musgrave pencil sampler. I will be contacting winners of our own giveaway when I return from the San Francisco pen show!

In Case You Missed It….

I’m a day late on my links post, but that’s because I’m currently getting ready to fly back from San Francisco this morning, where I’ve been attending the 2021 San Francisco Pen Show. I’ll be posting a full writeup and recap of this awesome experience later this week, but for now read my takeaways from Day One (Friday), and you can also follow my stories/reels/posts over on Instagram. Before I left, I posted an update on my own personal workflow and what I’ve been using since the office reopened, one of many topics I get a lot of questions about.

This Week in the Curated Shop

It’s been a week of restocking following a very busy summer! I now have TWSBI Swipe Fountain Pens in all colors and nib sizes, as well as Prussian Blue 580 fountain pens, and more of the Blue-Black and Midnight Blue inks. TWSBI pens remain as popular as ever, even at pen shows with large contingents of experienced users! Other restocks include Kokuyo Sketch hardcover pocket notebooks, Traveler’s Notebook Lightweight Paper (Tomoe River Paper) refills, and more.

Sunderland MK1 Exclusive

Traveler's Company

Caran d'Ache 849

TWSBI

Consider Joining TGS Patreon for Access to Monthly Meetups and First Dibs on Gently Used Stationery, Exclusive Products and More!

For some additional fun, and to help support the blog consider joining the Patreon program. Patreon supporters receive special pricing and early access to product releases and collaborations such as the T.G.S. x Sunderland pen, in addition to other benefits. You can read more about T.G.S. Patreon here. This year I’ve introduced monthly online meetups, which take place on Friday or Saturday and have been super enjoyable. We’ve discussed our thoughts on pen shows restarting, recent arrivals in our personal collections, and more. I will also continue with periodic “sample sales” of gently used review items and T.G.S. collaborations, to which Patrons will have first access. The current sale is now live and features the inks that I’m selling off as I thin out my personal accumulation.

San Francisco Pen Show: Day 1 Recap

August 28, 2021

This week marked my first ever trip to the San Francisco Pen Show, which the show organizers affectionately dub “The Fun Pen Show”! There’s a reason too - the San Francisco show is set up in much more vendor and user-friendly way than many other larger shows such as D.C. and L.A., in addition to having some great after-hours events. The aisles are spaced widely, allowing for better browsing and a less crowded experience, which is especially important these days.

Get to the Schon DSGN table early - that way you get a chance at things like the “Black Ultem” on the right. (I swapped sections with the standard Amber Ultem to get the two-tone look.)

As with most larger shows, Friday is the “trader pass” day, which means that until 1pm, the show is only open to weekend pass holders and not the general public. For vendors, this can be a mixed bag, as it typically involves less foot traffic in the morning, but for attendees who purchase the three-day pass it can provide an opportunity to interact with vendors before they’re swamped with potential customers, as well as the chance to pick up limited or small quantity items before they sell out. (Since many vendors fly to the San Francisco Pen Show, they have to bring less stock than they would carry to a “driving show,” so I’d highly recommend springing for the trader pass.) Foot traffic yesterday definitely seemed a bit slower, similar to what I witnessed in D.C., and I suspect it’s due to the fact that in a normal year, many of the weekend trader passes are comprised of people who travel in from out-of-town. Unsurprisingly, with fewer people flying, you see slower Fridays, yet Saturdays and Sundays remain busy as locals and those with driving distance visit the show.

The Vanness-Vinta exclusive collaboration. Limited quantities available, and only at the show until next week, when it will go on sale on the Vanness website.

Once again, I’m behind the table with my friends from Vanness Pens, who brought with them from Little Rock a huge assortment of ink from Ferris Wheel Press, Pennonia, Robert Oster, Pilot Iroshizuku, and Vinta, including the Vanness exclusive, “Sodalite”! We also have a selection of pens from Scribo, Pilot, TWSBI, and more, in addition to new products from Galen Leather. While Kanilea Pen Co. and Ryan Krusac Studios are not attending this year, many others are, including Franklin-Christoph, Dromgoole’s, Luxury Brands, Schon DSGN, and more.

The inks available at the Kiwi Inks table. Kiwi is a brand I haven’t used before, and I picked up bottles of Nebula Space Kitty and Hyacinth Macaw.

I made several purchases on Friday, mainly of lower-stock items that I wanted to grab before they sold out. In addition to two Ultem Pens from Schon DSGN, I grabbed two handmade pens fitted with vintage Cartier and Eversharp nibs from Peyton Street Pens, as well as two bottles of Kiwi Inks. Since I was worried they would sell out by the end of the show, I also picked up this magnetic closure, hardshell leather case from Galen Leather. We still have a few remaining at the Vanness table, but these won’t last through the end of the weekend, so if you want one come by early.

Stay tuned for more updates from Saturday and Sunday at the San Francisco Show! Also, don’t forget that through tomorrow night, you can get 10% off any purchases in the T.G.S. Curated Shop by using the coupon code “SFPENSHOW” at checkout. All orders placed during a pen show weekend ship the following week, once I’m back in town.