Thank You For Your Support, and How to Help T.G.S. Grow in 2022

Those of you who have been following this site over the years know that it’s undergone a bit of a transformation since 2020. While T.G.S. still posts at least two pieces of original content per week, the site no longer relies on third-party advertising and affiliate support to pay its bills. How do we keep the lights on? Direct reader support, whether that be through purchases in the T.G.S. Curated Shop or pledges via T.G.S. Patreon. I won’t make an extended plug here, but whether you’re a longtime reader or only recently discovered the site, I’d appreciate it if you’d take a brief moment to browse the carefully curated selection of goods in the shop, and/or visit the Patreon Page. Any level of support is greatly appreciated. We recently added annual memberships to the Patreon, which offers a discount on a paid-up-front subscription. I’m looking forward to 2022, and building on what we’ve been able to do with your generous support so far!

The T.G.S. Curated Shop is an authorized retailer of all brands sold. The goods stocked in the shop are carefully selected to match the mission of T.G.S. in general, which is to highlight well-made pens, pencils, paper, and desk and reading accessories that not only look great but are actually meant to be used in your everyday life.

Sunday Reading for January 2, 2022 (New Year's Edition)

1. My 2021 State of Pens (via Leigh Reyes). Leigh’s year-end updates are always thoughtful, well-taken, and full of links to content you may have missed throughout the year.

2. 2021 Is Hindsight (via Penquisition). A great year-end update from Evan. I’m looking forward to reading more of their content in the year to come.

3. A Pen Man in a Strange Land; Quick Update (via The Poor Penman). It’s always fun to learn a bit about the backstory behind different blogs and accounts. Best of luck!

4. Greatest of All Time Fountain Pens 2021 (via S.B.R.E. Brown). The 2021 GOAT List is live!

5. My 2022 Pen New Year Resolutions (and Laminated List) (via UK Fountain Pens). Anthony is taking a similar approach to what I did for 2021. I’ve found it a much more satisfying approach to collecting and using, with a lot less stress.

6. A State of Reflection (via Comfortable Shoes Studio). I’ve enjoyed following Les’s creative endeavors over the past year! Be sure to keep up with her blog, which features much more than stationery.

7. “Why Are You Selling This Pen When You Said It Was Perfect?” Five Reasons I Part with Greatness (via UK Fountain Pens). Just because a pen isn’t right for you long-term doesn’t mean it’s not a good (or even a great) pen. As Anthony points out, needs are different, and needs change.

8. Theme System Journal Review (via Pen Addict). I have an early version of the Theme System journal that I picked up a couple of years ago, and I’m finally going to try it out starting this month.

9. Tales of a Vandal Pen User: Reflecting on Eyedroppers (via Peaceable Writer). I’m also somewhat ambivalent about eyedroppers, but I certainly miss writing in cafes and libraries.

10. Ink Comparison: Kin Mokusei v. Apricot (via Well-Appointed Desk). If you’re having trouble keeping track of Sailor’s ink release history, Jesi has created a reference in this post. I’ve moved away from a lot of Sailor inks recently, but this is a handy tool if you have a large stash of Sailor inks and find yourself wondering if a newly released ink is similar to something you already own.

In Case You Missed It… “Resolution” Posts for 2022

I say that I’m not one for New Year’s Resolutions, but I did a couple of posts anyway: Five Intentions for 2022: What I Want to See From Myself, and Five Wishes for the Pen Community. You’ll notice that most of the posts in this weeks links involve similar content, and it’s encouraging to see that a lot of us seem to be on the same page headed into the new year!

This Week in the Curated Shop

It’s been a bang-up inaugural year for the shop, and I’m off to do my inventory count this afternoon (FUN!). Many thanks to all of you who participated in my year-end inventory promotion. While sales may be over, check out this post highlighting some products that are sure to help you with your New Year’s planning, as well as the new “Best-Sellers” category in the store! (BTW, the Planner promotion runs through tonight! Take 10% off all dated and undated planners before you have to head back to work.)

Planners

Sandglasses

Clipboards

Desk Trays

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. The Patreon membership also has “first dibs” on my regular gently used stationery sales. Check out the current sale, as there is at least one custom fountain pen remaining!

Best Wishes for 2022, and My Own Wishes for this Community

Happy New Year! Earlier this week (otherwise known as “last year”), I discussed five personal intentions for 2022. Today I’ll broaden the scope a bit, with a five-item wish list for the community at large. I know that we’re not supposed to “wish” for things that are entirely out of our control, but since all five of these are directed at the community (inclusive of myself), I’m going to call it fair game, as I’ll need to do my part to make sure these happen. Most of these build on themes discussed in my earlier post, so if you haven’t read that one yet, I’d encourage you to start there.

1. Restore Balance to Social Media. I’ll be honest and up-front here: much of this list is going to sound like a screed against social media, and while I’m not anti-social media in principal, the past year has only confirmed my belief that, as least as currently utilized, it’s NOT a positive force for our community and the world as a whole. Whether it’s allowing the easy dissemination of bad information made to look convincing, or fueling FOMO by promoting commercialized influencer content that is nothing more than undisclosed paid advertising, social media is changing the face of our hobby by largely determining which brands and taste-makers get the most hype and attention. Sure, those of us who have been around pens for a long time know to look past this, but many who are just discovering the hobby do not. We would all do well to remember this the next time you’re scrolling. By all means, go ahead and enjoy the content, but keep in the back of your mind that what you’re seeing is being determined by an algorithm set by a company with no stake in the health or success of our community, and that behind the scenes there are smaller makers, writers, and creators, who you are not seeing because they don’t pay to play, and/or insist on retaining full control over their content and opinions. What can I do? For my part, I plan to try to amplify more well-considered, long-form content as opposed to uninformed hot takes and obvious puff pieces.

2. Pay More Attention to the Makers and Doers, not Accumulators. Related to point one. Stationery social media has started to devolve into a “Gotta Catch ‘em All” or “Look What I Bought” brag show. We’re all guilty of this, myself included. This kind of content generates clicks and attention, it’s quick and easy to produce, and it’s a “strategy” that businesses are encouraged to foster to direct potential customers to their brands and shops. It’s also vapid and does little to foster meaningful community dialogue. There’s a wealth of creators who not only buy a lot of pens but do stuff with them, whether they’re a writer, artist, or just a thoughtful individual looking to share knowledge and ideas. Again, explore beyond what “the algorithm” puts in front of you.

3. Drop the Fixation with Reviving Failed Brands and Create Something New. OK, so this one is more of an industry critique, but I’ll say it anyway: Esterbrook did a good job, and it’s here to stay, but stop trying to catch lightning in a bottle by resurrecting more failed pen brands. For example, with Leonardo and Maiora both releasing pens containing Delta DNA that are arguably better than anything Delta ever made, do we really need Delta to come back as a stand-alone brand? (Not to pick on them, I hope they do well, but it’s just that I’d personally prefer to see this funding and energy go towards bringing more Leonardos/Maioras/Scribos into the world.)

4. Stop Encouraging People to Hoard Hundreds of Bottles of Ink They Will Never Use. There’s been a flurry of articles recently discussing how the modern economy is based on fostering addictive behavior, including through the use of FOMO (“Fear of Missing Out”). The stationery industry isn’t immune to this, with its seemingly endless focus on limited editions, “seasons” of ink, and subscription services that result in more mindless consumption. I enjoy ink variety as much as the next person, but when you see brands starting to duplicate colors (intentionally or otherwise), and reducing ink volume while increasing prices and adding fancier bottle designs, it’s time for a new approach. This past year I sold off a huge chunk of my ink accumulation, cancelled a couple of subscriptions, and started buying samples and using what I already own.

5. Save Smaller Shops. Once again, industry participants, and particularly retailers, find themselves staring into a potential void of shutdowns, cancelled pen shows, and generalized economic uncertainty. Beloved NYC shop CW Pencil Enterprise closed this past year, and anyone could be next. As many people continue to do most of their stationery-related shopping online, it’s easy to succumb to the trap of price-shopping, taking advantage of deep-discount clearance sales and loss-leader promotions to get a pen for essentially nothing, even if it’s not something you would normally buy. If you value what the smaller businesses bring to the table, especially if they’re active participants in the community, consider, for example, foregoing the purchase of five heavily discounted $10 pens in favor of one $50 item from a smaller retailer or maker who can’t afford to exist on a 10% profit margin. If there’s anything that’s going to stifle innovation and diversity in the community, it’s race-to-the-bottom business practices.

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Maybe I’m starting to become one of those “get off my lawn” types who just can’t adapt to “new tech” and the “new way of doing business.” However, I don’t think that’s correct. I get plenty of that in my everyday life outside of this hobby, and what drew me here originally was the genuine feeling of community and the lack of overt commercialization - people were engaged because they were interested in cultivating a space where they weren’t being aggressively marketed to every minute of every day, and could enjoy the company of others with mutual interests in an analog-focused hobby where the barrier to entry, cost-wise, wasn’t all that high. I do have some concern that pens and stationery have been “discovered” and targeted as a new market for commercial exploitation, and while this could be positive in the sense that additional funding and attention might bring interesting new products to market, we need to be mindful that the “community” aspect does not get degraded by those whose only interest is monetary and who would view it as a way to profit without contributing in return.

Now, rant over, it’s time to cook some black-eyed peas and collard greens for good luck. Best wishes for a happy and fulfilling 2022!

Last year I decided to cut the cord on paid advertising and third-party sponsorship, and move T.G.S. in the direction of becoming self-sustaining so that I have more control over the direction of my content and the practices I’m encouraging. To that end, I launched the T.G.S. Patreon Program, which allows readers to support and engage with T.G.S. and other readers in a more direct way, as well as the T.G.S. Curated Shop, which lets me directly promote a select group of products that I believe dovetails with my core mission statement. Any support you can give us is greatly appreciated!

New Year's Clearance! Take 10% Off Certain Items to Prepare for 2022

I’m in the process of setting up my various planners/notebooks/pens/other writing and “productivity” gear for 2022, and if you’re currently doing the same, I’m happy to offer 10% off certain products through 12/31 to lend a hand. (Selfishly, I also want to clear out some inventory before I have to count over the weekend). In addition to an automatic 10% off all planners, for the next two days you can take 10% off Hightide Book Stands, Sandglasses, and Pen Trays, as well as all reading accessories from Book Darts and WMS & Co! All year-end discounts are automatically applied at checkout, so no need to use a coupon code.

A few other things to note in the Curated Shop:

1. Caran d’Ache Infinite 888 Ballpoints and Mechanical Pencils. I understand that these have been discontinued, and the shipment I just received will be my last. These are exceptional ballpoints and mechanical pencils at $6 each. Read more here.

2. Tomoe River Paper. I have a large supply of the Traveler’s Company “Lightweight Paper” refills in both Standard size and Passport size, which use Tomoe River 52gsm writing paper. As you may have heard elsewhere, production is being moved to a new company and a revamped paper should hit the market in 2022, but it won’t be quite the same. Of course, we also carry the full line of Traveler’s Company products, including Traveler’s Notebooks and the “TRC Brass” series of pens and accessories. Traveler’s Notebooks are incredibly versatile tools that I use every day in my own personal and professional life.

3. Life Stationery. In addition to the Life x Kleid “Noble Note” notebooks, we carry Life Writing Pads featuring not only standard Noble Note paper but Bank Paper and Typewriter Paper! Life is one of the more commonly overlooked Japanese stationery brands (undeservedly so).

4. CW+T Pen Type-C. Don’t sleep on this flat bookmark-style pen from CW+T, which uses the Hi-Tec-C Coleto multi-pen refill. I plan to post a full review in the coming weeks, but I’ve been doing a LOT of notetaking with this one lately. We are also fully restocked on the Pen Type-A and Pen Type-B, including a couple of the coveted Black Cerakote versions.

5. Field Notes Pocket Notebooks. We still have limited remaining stock of the “Fifty” and “Trailhead” editions, as well as a lot of the absolutely gorgeous “United States of Letterpress” and “National Parks” Editions, two of my favorites they’ve done over the past few years.

Your support matters and is greatly appreciated! Last year I decided to cut the cord on paid advertising and third-party sponsorship, and move T.G.S. in the direction of becoming self-sustaining so that I have more control over the direction of my content and the practices I’m encouraging. To that end, I launched the T.G.S. Patreon Program, which allows readers to support and engage with T.G.S. and other readers in a more direct way, as well as the T.G.S. Curated Shop, which lets me directly promote a select group of products that I believe dovetails with my core mission statement.

Five Intentions For 2022: What I Want To See From Myself

It’s that time again, when we’re all socially pressured to publish our “New Year’s Resolutions,” or otherwise publicly declare why we’re opposed to doing so. I’m taking a bit of a middle ground for 2022, throwing five out there but using the term “intentions” as opposed to “resolutions.” A resolution, at least to me, implies a concrete goal, and failure if it’s not realized. Also, certain things just aren’t subject to being measured or quantified, so “intention” fits better, especially where I don’t necessarily want to make wholesale changes, but rather expand on certain things I’m already doing. This post will focus more on the personal, and later this week I’ll have a follow-up post on things I’d like to see from the community and industry at large.

• Write More Fulfilling Content. Of course there will still be reviews and industry trends, but I want to continue to expand the scope of what we talk about here at The Gentleman Stationer, including a greater focus on the reasons people are drawn to analog tools and how we use them, not just the acquisition of stuff. Accumulating things for the purpose of social media posturing is not what this site has ever been about. (At least, it’s not what this site is supposed to be about, yet I admit I’m prone to falling into the same traps as everyone else.) I’ll talk about this a bit further below, but my main motivation in getting into this hobby and starting this blog has always been to discover new tools to help me do the “real” work in my everyday life. While T.G.S. has evolved into a bit more than a casual hobby, it’s still a small fraction of what I do on a daily basis, and I can still say that I’m not into pens for the sake of pens.

• Travel More and Reconnect. Community is important, and in-person interaction is crucial (even for this proud introvert). This might be a controversial topic to discuss right now, but here goes. Heading into year three of the pandemic, it doesn’t seem like COVID is going anywhere anytime soon, if ever. More people are deciding what level of risk they are willing or able to tolerate, and carrying on the best they can, mostly taking reasonable precautions. Personally, since I’m vaccinated and willing to take common-sense health precautions in my everyday life, I want to re-engage with family and friends in the coming year, including attending as many in-person events such as pen shows that I can. After much consideration, I currently have no plans to attend shows as a vendor, and would prefer to focus on helping to expand the range of non-consumption-centered experiences at these shows. Sure, it’s fun to shop, but as I noticed at some of the shows this year, without classes and social events they lose their luster and excitement fairly quickly. I’m increasingly intrigued by the idea of a PenCon/StationeryCon-type event that does NOT revolve around buying and selling, and maybe even prohibits it entirely. If you’re interested in helping to organize or facilitate something like this, hit me up.

• Minimize/Stash Reduction. You may have noticed an overarching theme here: FOCUS. I want to further refine my already-reduced collection of pens and inks to those that I regularly use for real writing. Those that don’t work for me personally are still great pens, and I need to find them homes where they will get used.

• Bring Other Interests Together. One of the many things I find fascinating about this community is the diversity of not only backgrounds but interests. If you’re into pens and stationery as a hobby, chances are you have a range of other interests (or obsessions) as well, including many that overlap with other members of the community. I’d love to find a way to better connect with people beyond the “pen world.” One aspect of the T.G.S. Patreon that I’ve enjoyed is getting to know readers during our face-to-face zoom calls and learning about what brought them here.

• Enjoy the Journey. 2022 will mark ten years of serious engagement as a user of fountain pens and stationery on a community level. As with any hobby, there’s a tendency to get so wrapped up in drama, such as quality control controversies, the “superiority” of certain brands, models, or (gag) limited edition releases, and petty personal conflict, that we tend to lose track of why and how we got here in the first place. Case in point. Every couple of months I get asked some version of the following question: “How do you use your pens/pencils/notebooks, is it solely to write reviews/make ink swatches/instagram posts?” The answer to that is “no,” and honestly it’s sometimes hard to get my head around the fact that such a thing (owning and writing with pens solely for the sake of reviewing pens and posting pictures on social media) could even exist, though I know it does and many people are quite happy with it and if they are there’s nothing wrong with that. That said, while I certainly enjoy exploring the world of well-made writing instruments, fine stationery, and related “stuff,” the testing/reviews I do here online represent a small fraction of the writing and work I do in my everyday life, and questions like this one makes me worry that this aspect of things gets lost. For as long as I can remember, writing things down by hand is how I’ve processed thoughts, emotions, and strategies; analyzed books I’m reading or ideas I’m studying; and started the initial draft of basically every piece of personal and professional writing I’ve ever done. I honestly don’t know how to do it any other way and it’s a fundamental part of who I am and how I operate. I want that to come through in the work I do here, and need to remind myself of it regularly, especially when I’m feeling burned out by the constant pressure to consume.

Anyway, I’ve thoroughly enjoyed 2021 with you all, regardless of whether it turned out exactly the way we all hoped, and I’m genuinely excited for 2022. I still plan to be here writing and hopefully will get to meet many of you in person. (Is the Philly Pen Show really in two weeks!?!)

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Perhaps my most important intention: Focus on the things that should be getting used but for whatever reason aren’t, like my Lamy 2000s.

Last year I decided to cut the cord on paid advertising and third-party sponsorship, and move T.G.S. in the direction of becoming self-sustaining so that I have more control over the direction of my content and the practices I’m encouraging. To that end, I launched the T.G.S. Patreon Program, which allows readers to support and engage with T.G.S. and other readers in a more direct way, as well as the T.G.S. Curated Shop, which lets me directly promote a select group of products that I believe dovetails with my core mission statement. Any support you can give us is greatly appreciated!