Great Pen Stores: A Quick Trip to Anderson Pens Chicago and Atlas Stationers

I’m traveling on a short family trip to Chicago this weekend, and I did want to report back that, yes, I made time for a pen-related excursion to two excellent stationery stores, Anderson Pens Chicago and Atlas Stationers. Anderson Pens Chicago is the Chicago outpost of Appleton, Wisconsin-based Anderson Pens, run by longtime friends and pen enthusiasts Lisa and Brian Anderson. Pre-pandemic, I had been planning a trip to both the Chicago and Appleton stores, but the world changed and the Chicago location was forced to close due to their location in the Palmer House Hilton (which was also closed). I was happy to learn that the Chicago store is now reopened and Lisa was in for the day so I was able to stop by and visit for an hour or so! Anderson Pens carries the full line of Sailor pens and Sailor Ink Studio Inks (which I stocked up on), as well as a wide array of other brands.

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Both Anderson Pens Chicago and Atlas Stationers feature a massive selection of fountain pen ink. Shown here is Atlas Stationers’ “ink aisle.”

Atlas Stationers is another longtime, family-owned Chicago stationery retailer (est. 1939!) that’s only recently become more involved in the fountain pen scene, including attending pen shows. I ducked in on Friday afternoon shortly before closing, so unfortunately I didn’t have a lot of time to look around, but I did manage to pick up some new inks from the Laban “Greek Mythology” line, as well as a sample set of the Ferris Wheel Press “Bookshoppe” Collection Ink Charger Set.

Next time you’re in Chicago - and certainly if you live in the area - you owe it to yourself to visit both of these stores. I’ll be making follow-up visits in the future, when I’ll have a chance to do more thorough photography and I don’t have the time constraints of a family trip. I love to support independent stationery retailers, and I have a section on the website where I archive past reviews and recaps of in-person visits to retailers.

This post does not contain paid advertisements or affiliate links. The Gentleman Stationer is supported by purchases from The T.G.S. Curated Shop and the T.G.S. Patreon Program.

Deals & Drops: At Long Last, More Book Stands and Bullet Pens!

It’s been quite a while since we’ve had the Hightide Folding Book Stands in stock, and I’m happy to announced that they’re back, in nearly a dozen colors! These versatile desk accessories can hold anything from a book that you’re reading, to a tablet, to a notepad you’re using to transcribe handwritten notes. We also recently received a small shipment of Hightide 30 minute Sandglasses (Clear glass), so if you’ve been eyeing one of the larger sandglasses now’s your chance! Plenty of other new arrivals as well, and stay tuned for the release of the 2021 Holiday Gift Guide sometime next week, just in time for the start of the holiday shopping season.

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It folds flat for easy transport.

I did want to take a minute to talk holiday shipping. Given the high volume of orders all retailers receive in November and December, and more traffic with the carriers, deliveries may be delayed. This is something we have very little control over. While we are nearly always able to ship orders within 2-3 business days on our end, carrier delivery may take longer due to volume, weather, etc. USPS has been our default, but we now offer UPS Ground as an additional option and will be shifting some orders to UPS if postal delays get worse. Should you need an order expedited, please reach out to arrange expedited shipping. Just remember to be kind, and to place time-sensitive orders with plenty of time to spare.

All links to the T.G.S. Curated Shop, unless otherwise noted. By shopping with us directly, 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!

1. Hightide Co. Folding Metal Bookstands. Now available in 11 different colors. A T.G.S. favorite!

2. Hightide Co. Sandglasses. IMHO, everyone needs a non-digital timing device for their desk. Whether for your journaling sessions, morning pages, or simply longer periods of deep concentration, it’s sometimes nice to avoid the jarring buzz of a cell phone or alarm clock. 30, 15, 5, and 3-minute increments available.

3. Penco “Perfection” Bullet Pen. These sturdy pocket pens are perfect for those who love the “bullet-pen” format, but want something a bit more substantial. Featuring chrome, gold, and matte black finishes over a brass body, with lighter plastic versions also available.

4. Penco Drafting Ballpoint Pens and Pencils. A shorter, more portable version of the traditional hexagonal drafting pens/pencils, in either matte black or silver. The mechanical pencil sports a .5mm lead size.

5. Modern Fuel Bolt-Action Mechanical Pencil (via Kickstarter). Modern Fuel is back with a new design - a bolt-action version of its high-end mechanical pencil designed to last a lifetime. This latest design is available in copper, stainless steel, brass, and titanium. Only five days left on this project, which has raised over $138,000 to date.

6. Caran d’Ache 849 Rollerball. Back in stock in all colors! The 849 Rollerball keeps the shape of the Classic 849 ballpoint, only upsized and now compatible with Parker-style refills. If you’d like to learn more, check out this post taking an extended look at the pen.

7. Caran d’Ache 849 Claim Your Style, Edition No. 3. By far my favorite Claim Your Style edition, this year’s pens feature a more muted, monochromatic design than in years past.

8. Traveler’s Notebook 2022 Planners (and Undated Versions). It’s planner season, and likely will stay that way until early January. We carry the full range of dated and undated refills for your Traveler’s Notebook and other compatible notebook covers. 2022 versions are now in stock.

9. Midori MD 2022 Planner/Calendar Stickers. Don’t use/need a dedicated planner? Consider these stickers, made from Midori MD paper that allow you to turn any notebook into a planner (or easily add a page to a bullet journal, etc.).

10. Write Notepads Classic Hardcover Notebook in Dot Grid. Finally, one of my favorite Write Notepads products is now available with Dot Grid paper. I use one of these as my commonplace book, where (at least most of the time) transcribe notes from my reading.

Ink Review: How About A Super Sheener? A Look at Birmingham Pen Company "Angelfish"

I’ve spent a fair bit of time this year exploring the range of “super-shading” inks that have seemingly taken over the ink market, particularly the shading series from Pennonia, some of the lighter colors from Ferris Wheel Press such as the outstanding Madame Mulberry and Dusk In Bloom, and the “Cat” series from Ink Institute. (The Pennonia inks are currently the only ones I’ve reviewed, but I have posts in the works on the others as well.) Shading inks use a desaturated formulation to create varying tones in your writing and lend your lettering a vintage look.

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Birmingham Angelfish features a red sheen over a royal blue ink, shown here on Tomoe River paper.

On the flip side, “sheening” inks typically increase the dye saturation for a different effect. Not only does your writing take on a solid, more even tone, but you will see an overlay of red, green, or purple sheen once the ink dries. I’ve always been drawn to the vibrant dark-blue “sheener” inks, such as Organics Studio Nitrogen, Private Reserve D.C. Supershow Blue, and Diamine Majestic Blue, but have tended to experience slow dry times, poor flow, and a lot of smearing even weeks after the ink has dried. It wasn’t until I tried the ink pictured here, “Angelfish” from the Birmingham Pen Company, that I found a blue sheener I’ve been able to use every day.

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Pen and Ink Matching: Birmingham Angelfish paired with a Ryan Krusac x Lucky Star Pens L14 (no longer available).

The Birmingham Pen Company is a small pen and ink manufacturer based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, with a focus on small-batch fountain pens and hand-mixed and bottled ink. While I’ve not yet tried one of their pens, a few months ago I purchased several bottles of their inks, including a few from each of their different formulations. For those unfamiliar with the company, Birmingham makes their inks in a variety of formulas, ranging from the quick-drying “Swift” formula to the all-purpose “Crisp". The ink pictured here is from the “Rich” category, “built with a unique vehicle and dye combination to produce vibrant colors and intermittent sheen.”

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Sheen from another angle.

I’ve been using Birmingham Angelfish for several months, and I’ve not experienced any smearing, bleeding, feathering, or slow dry times. It’s been a true pleasure to find a super-sheening royal blue ink that produces an effect I love without any of the undesirable side effects. I’m looking forward to experimenting with the other Birmingham colors, including the muted, earthy shades for which the company has become known.

Sheen can be much less visible on more absorbent paper (such as the Write Notepads paper pictured here), but Angelfish still gives you a bit of red!

To my knowledge, Birmingham inks are only sold directly via the Birmingham Pen Company website and not through other retail channels. Birmingham inks are quite reasonably priced, especially for a boutique brand, and are available in three different bottle sizes: 30ml ($13), 60ml ($16), and 120ml ($19). In addition to Angelfish, Birmingham makes three other “Rich” formula inks that are intended to sheen nicely. Be sure to check them out.

This post does not contain affiliate links, and I purchased the inks featured in this post with my own funds, for my own use. The Gentleman Stationer is supported by purchases from The T.G.S. Curated Shop and the T.G.S. Patreon Program.

Shop Update: A Restock on Old Favorites and a Continuing Clearance Sale on New and Used Products

Several old favorites are back in stock this week, just in time for the opening of the Holiday Shopping Season (though I refuse to publish my gift guide until after the second week of November, on a matter of principle). Currently we are fully restocked on Write Notepads Reporter Notebooks, letter-sized Memo Pads, Landscape Notebooks, and the Classic Hardcover Notebook, which is now available in dot grid paper!

I am also in the process of clearing out some old stock on products that I need to move in order to make room for new stuff arriving soon, and some of these I don’t plan to restock going forward. You can view the price reductions here. I’ve also further reduced prices on certain items listed in the “Gently Used” sale, including some very nice pens. Happy Shopping, and many thanks for all your support during the past several days of Fountain Pen Day craziness!

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The Write Notepads Classic Hardcover Notebook makes an excellent gift, and it’s now available in both lined and extremely versatile dot grid paper.

The T.G.S. Curated Shop is an authorized retailer of all brands carried, including Write Notepads. By shopping with us directly, 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!

Fountain Pen Day Weekend Giveaway! And Don't Miss the Ongoing Sale!

I always like to make Fountain Pen Day a weekend thing, and that’s why today T.G.S. is hosting a giveaway! We have some great prizes as a thank you to all the loyal readers out there, and to let you know how much we appreciate your support. To participate in the giveaway, simply use the Gleam widget below, which also sets forth the full terms and conditions. The TLDR version is that once the giveaway closes Monday night, I will pick three winners, one for each prize. I will reach out to you sometime next week to let you know you won and to give you your shipping information. The prizes for this year’s Fountain Pen Day Giveaway are:

1. T.G.S. x. Sunderland Machine Works Special Edition mk1 Rollerball. Yep, I set aside one pen as a special Fountain Pen Day giveaway prize. The T.G.S. x Sunderland mk1 is my first pen collaboration with a manufacturer, and it’s a staple in the T.G.S. Curated Shop. For additional information on specifications, etc., check out the shop listing.

2. Fountain Pen Day Leather Notebook Cover. Win a piece of original Fountain Pen Day Swag, purchased at the D.C. Pen Show many, many years ago. I don’t use pocket notebooks all that much, so I figured I should pay this one forward! Fits three standard Field Notes Sized pocket notebooks, using Traveler’s Notebook-style cords.

3. Scrikss Fountain Pen in Indigo. Galen Leather was kind enough to send me this Scrikss piston-fill fountain Pen, which features a pale blue finish with gold trim and a nice medium nib. Scrikss is a Turkish fountain pen manufacturer that is relatively hard to find here in the U.S.

Also, don’t forget that we are running a promotional sale in the T.G.S. Curated Shop through the weekend, so until 11:59pm Sunday night (November 7), you can grab 10% off all Curated Shop orders using the coupon code “FPD10”! (Excluding TWSBI and Sunderland.) For as long as supplies last, all orders will ship with a piece of Fountain Pen Day SWAG!