Thursday Drops: Start Gearing Up for Travel Season

May 12, 2022

Summer is here (earlier than usual, at least for us), and whether you’re doing extensive travel or sticking closer to home, we the Curated Shop is stocked with everything you need to be able to write on the go. We recently received a wide array of travel-friendly products, including a complete restock of Traveler’s Notebooks, some newly arrived Traveler’s Company Spiral Ring Notebooks, and new reading accessories such as these slim Midori bookmarks, perfect for marking your place on the go without adding undo weight.

These low-profile divider stickers are super convenient. I like them because they stay out of the way, but are there when you need them. For me, the numbered dividers are useful to divide my work notebook into sections by month.

We’ve also introduced a new category: Notebook Dividers! We now offer a series of different tools that you can use to divide your planner or notebook into sections, including both metal and plastic/tape-style clips and dividers. These are super convenient (and inexpensive to boot).

The T.G.S. Curated Shop is an authorized retailer of all brands sold.

Traveler’s Company Spiral Ring Notebooks. These versatile notebooks feature a reinforced kraft cover and 100 pages/200 sheets of white Midori MD paper, perfect for use as a journal, notebook, sketchbook, and/or scrapbook. In other words - great for travel! Inexpensive and available in three different sizes: A5 Slim, A6 Slim, and B6, the latter of which can also be turned vertically to use reporter-style.
Midori 70th Anniversary Five-Year Journal. While the Three-Year version is sold out, we have a couple Five-Year journals in stock with the limited edition recycled green leather cover.
Midori 70th Anniversary MD Notebook Slim Limited Edition. Looking for a lighter-weight carry to take with you this summer? These MD Notebook “Light” format versions come as a seven-notebook set, each with different-color threaded bindings and matching grid-rulings.
Midori Clip Bookmarkers. Available in sets of four, with four different themes including travel, weather, flowers, and, of course, cats, these .1mm thin metal book markers can be used to mark your place in the book you’re reading, and can even be used as a stencil for decorating your journals/planners/notebooks.
Midori MD Notebook Dividers. Available in either metal or plastic/tape style, these low-profile notebook dividers offer an easy and inexpensive way to divide your notebook or bullet journal into sections. Personally, I use the numbered Midori tabs to divide my work Traveler’s Notebook into months.

All the various patterns of the Midori MD Clip Bookmarkers. The “Travel” theme is my favorite.

Exploring Stock Custom Nibs: The Esterbrook Needlepoint by Kirk Speer

May 11, 2022

In my past few pen show reviews, particularly my review of the Baltimore Pen Show, I remarked on how there are many more nib grinders working at pen shows than there used to be. The result is not only shorter wait times and more options for those looking to tune or customize their fountain pens to their personal preferences, but a wider range of styles and specialties that only make this hobby more fun and more interesting.

A secondary benefit to having more working nib grinders is yet another trend: manufacturers offering pre-ground specialty nibs as an add-on to standard pens. While Franklin-Christoph has done this for years, with their Masuyama, SIG, and Nagahara-ground nibs, Esterbrook now offers a cursive italic (“Journaler”), an architect (“Scribe”), and now a needlepoint, from Kirk Speer of Pen Realm.

Kirk Speer Esterbrook Needlepoint Nib — This Kirk Speer needlepoint nib from Esterbrook balances a narrow line with smooth writing.

Needlepoint grinds, or “extra, extra-fine” or “ultra-extra fine” nibs, aren’t necessarily as popular among enthusiasts as stubs, italics, and architects. They require you to use light writing pressure, or else the sharp tip will dig into the paper, and even with a light hand needlepoint nibs can feel toothy, which some people consider “scratchy.” That said, if you have small handwriting, or need a fountain pen to use for annotations or marginalia, I’m a firm believer that you need at least one needlepoint nib in your collection.

Kirk ground this needlepoint from a fine, as opposed to an extra-fine. Having more tipping to work with on the original nib often leads to better results, in my experience, especially if you value smoothness.

This particular nib, ground for Esterbrook by Kirk Speer of Pen Realm, is smoother than most needlepoints I’ve used, making it a perfect nib for those who want something that writes a narrower line than your typical JoWo steel extra fine nib, but isn’t so fine that it can’t easily be used for everyday writing. I would compare this needlepoint nib to a standard Japanese extra-fine nib (or even some Japanese fine nibs), rather than something like the Platinum Ultra-Extra Fine or the Franklin-Christoph Nagahara nibs. That said, because these nibs are ground by hand, there will lbe at least some variation between them, and the nib I received may not be identical to every nib out there.

Needlepoint Nib Comparison — Comparing the line from a Platinum Ultra-Extra Fine Nib (top), the Franklin-Christoph Nagahara needlepoint (middle), and the Esterbrook by Kirk Speer needlepoint (bottom). The Esterbrook nib writes a wider line, but is much smoother and better for everyday writing than the other two, which many people find too toothy. (I personally love them, but I have situations where I need to write very, very small.)

Takeaways and Where to Buy

Esterbrook has done the pen community a great service by introducing these custom nib options into its standard lineup, and by making it easier to get a custom nib grind as an add-on to your purchase of an Esterbrook pen without having to travel to a pen show or separately send your pen off to a nib grinder for what can be a weeks-long waiting period. While an ultra-fine needlepoint grind may not be for everyone, I found this particular nib to be well-made, and it will have a permanent home among my various Esties.

Esterbrook-Estie-Honeycomb — The Esterbrook featured here is the Honeycomb with Chrome Trim, one of my favorite materials.

You can purchase the nib and pen featured in this review from most Esterbrook retailers, including our friends at Vanness Pens. Typically, the custom-ground Esterbrook nibs cost an additional $48, with most of the markup going to cover the cost of the nib work. (To compare, having a pen ground to a needlepoint typically costs around $50, excluding the cost of shipping.) If you’re interested in further exploring Kirk’s work and having him grind or modify a pen for you, visit his site at Pen Realm.

New in the Curated Shop: Caran d'Ache 849 Mechanical Pencils in Black Code, Gold Bar, and Brut Rosé Finishes

May 10, 2022

For the longest time, I found myself wishing that Caran d’Ache released matching mechanical pencils in their premium finishes, but apart from the Ecridor Racing series, this wasn’t a possibility. Until now. Caran d’Ache recently announced the release of the 849 “Black Code”, “Gold Bar,” and “Brut Rosé” .7mm mechanical pencils, which complement the existing ballpoints. Personally, the Gold Bar is fast becoming my favorite - surprisingly, perhaps, given my love for all things matte black.

Caran d'Ache Gold Bar Mechanical Pencil — The Gold Bar finish is criminally underappreciated, IMHO.

These Caran d’Ache “Pop Line” mechanical pencils are priced at $42, the same as the ballpoint, and currently available for purchase in the Caran d’Ache section of the T.G.S. Curated Shop. If you’re looking for a matching set, purchasing both automatically qualifies for free shipping, with no coupon code necessary at checkout.

The T.G.S. Curated Shop is an authorized retailer of Caran d’Ache and all other brands we carry.

Caran d'Ache Brut Rosé Mechanical Pencil — Both the Black Code (shown top) and the Brut Rosé (shown here) are impossible to keep in stock as ballpoints.

Paper Review: First Impressions of the New Sanzen Tomoe River Paper

May 7, 2022

Fans of the original lightweight Tomoe River Paper were disappointed to hear last year that it was being discontinued. After a lot of back-and-forth over whether the paper was truly gone forever, it was announced that Japanese paper company Sanzen had purchased the formula and naming rights from Tomoegawa, and Tomoe River Paper would go back into production. But would it be the same? That’s the big question.

A comparison of the original Tomoe River (top) vs. the new Sanzen version (bottom). I have more comparisons of writing samples below.

A good friend of mine placed a large order direct from Yamamoto Paper in Japan, and was kind enough to add a package of A4 Sanzen Tomoe River sheets to his order for me. I’ve had a week or so to test this paper out, and can offer you my initial thoughts. Short Answer: Those looking for an exact replica of classic 52gsm Tomoe River Paper (in terms of both feel and how the paper showcases ink colors) are going to be dissatisfied, those who appreciate any lightweight writing paper that handles fountain pen ink without feathering or bleeding will like this paper just fine, and those who use pencils in addition to fountain pens might strongly prefer the new paper over the old. Let me break this down:

Sanzen Tomoe River Paper feels stiffer and has more tooth. While it still manages to have that “crinkly” feel that some people loved about the original, the Sanzen version feels different - more like a traditional writing paper such as Midori MD. It also has more feedback - it’s not rough or scratchy, but the feedback is definitely noticeable when you do a side-by-side comparison with the original. I’ve heard some people complain about the paper “dragging” on nibs, and while I personally would not describe the feel as “draggy,” that may depend on the specific nibs you use and how sensitive you are to writing feel.
Sanzen Tomoe River Paper showcases ink much differently than the original. It’s neither good nor bad, but inks look different on the Sanzen paper than on the original: darker with less shading and sheen, and less-pronounced color variation in multi-chromatic inks. You will either like or dislike this property/feature, depending on how you want your inks to look, but there’s really no way to tell other than trying some for yourself. I tend to use less exciting inks for my daily writing than most people, and I don’t use my papers for art and/or calligraphy where ink properties might be more important, but if you do, you may end up disappointed.
Sanzen Tomoe River Paper may have less show-through and “ghosting.” I’ve had several questions via Instagram about whether there is “ghosting” with the new Sanzen version. For purposes of answering this question, I’ll equate “ghosting” to “show-through”, meaning that you can still see the writing on the reverse side of the page, even if the ink technically doesn’t bleed through. The short answer is yes, there is still show-through (as you would have with any thin paper - it’s unavoidable), but it’s not as pronounced. I say “may” above because it will likely depend heavily on the ink you use.
- Note: I personally define “ghosting” differently, and use it to refer to the transfer of ink or graphite from one page to another when you write on the back of a page that already has writing on it. With pencil, it’s near certain that you’ll experience some ghosting with anything HB or softer. With pens, it’s more a function of the ink used rather than the paper, but ultra-smooth paper will exacerbate the tendency of highly saturated or slow-drying inks to ghost.
Sanzen Tomoe River Paper will likely be more durable than the original. If I had one complaint about original Tomoe River Paper, it’s that the paper could be so thin and crinkly (especially in looseleaf form), that it could tear easily. For this reason, I often avoided using Tomoe River paper at work, and in situations where I needed a notebook or writing pad to travel in a backpack or briefcase. While far from scientific, I did a “tear test” on both the original Tomoe River and the Sanzen Tomoe River, and the Sanzen version feels stronger and rip-resistant.
Sanzen Tomoe River Paper is better for pencil. Given the additional tooth/texture, those of us who use pencils as much as fountain pens may well prefer the Sanzen version to the original, which could be a bit too “glassy smooth” for pencils. Because of the lack of texture, many found that the original Tomoe River Paper smeared with darker pencil, probably because ultra-smooth papers don’t hold the graphite as well as toothier versions.

In this picture, you can see a pronounced difference in color between the inks on Sanzen Tomoe River Paper (top) and the original 52gsm paper (bottom). The two inks are Vinta Perya and Vinta Sirena, respectively, both of which typically have multi-chromatic shading, which is not as visible on the Sanzen paper. To be fair, the lighting in my kitchen makes the Sanzen writing look darker than in real life, and the effect is more pronounced on the blue Perya than the more green-ish Sirena.

Note: In comparing Sanzen Tomoe River Paper with the “original” Tomoe River Paper, I am not distinguishing between any of the formulation changes in the original. Prior to being discontinued, the original paper changed at least once (to much discussion among paper connoisseurs). Because I could never tell a difference between the “new” and “old” original Tomoe River, and because the different versions are not easily identified, I’m not taking that into account in this comparison.

Takeaways and Where to Buy

Sanzen Tomoe River Paper is not widely available at the moment, though that will likely change as it works its way through the supply chain. Personally, I think I’ll be perfectly happy with this new version, should I ever need to purchase additional Tomoe River notebooks, or should companies like Traveler’s Company and Musubi decide to start using this paper in their notebooks. (I have a lifetime supply of pretty much any sort of paper in existence, so I’m not particularly concerned about running low on original Tomoe River.) That said, the Sanzen Paper is different, and if you’re a die-hard fan of the original you shouldn’t expect it to duplicate the experience you’ve grown to love. This is essentially an entirely new paper, and should probably be considered on its own merits.

So where can you get this paper? The Yamamoto Paper Etsy Shop is currently the only source I’m aware of. It’s currently priced at $6.50 for a pack of 50 A4 sheets, with shipping costs of nearly $20 so you’ll want to stock up and make your order count. I expect I’ll be able to offer this paper in the Curated Shop at some point, though if you’re a die-hard fan of old Tomoe River you’ll be happy to know that I still have some 52 gsm paper available in the Traveler’s Notebook “Lightweight Paper” Specialty Refills, in both Standard and Passport sizes. (I tried to stock up on these while they’re still available for purchase). Lochby A5 and pocket notebook refills also feature the 68gsm Tomoe River, and I hear this paper will remain available but that’s by rumor only.

This post does not contain affiliate links. The Gentleman Stationer is supported entirely by purchases from the T.G.S. Curated Shop and pledges/donations via the T.G.S. Patreon Program.

Midori MD Five-Year Diary Layout — The Midori MD Five-Year Diary layout

Thursday Drops: Midori 70th Anniversary Three and Five-Year Diaries, and a Few More Sunderland MK1 Pens!

May 5, 2022

My final shipment of Midori 70th Anniversary products arrived this week, with a limited quantity of the three and five-year diaries in a special recycled green leather cover. If you’re unfamiliar with these hardbound journals/diaries, they contain 366 pages of MD Paper, one for each day, divided into either three or five slots, so that when you make your daily entry you can review the prior year(s) on that same page. I’ve kept these types of journals in the past and it can be fascinating, especially once you get 2-3 years in.

We also have a small number of Sunderland mk1 pens available for purchase, and unfortunately these may be the last pens available for quite some time. Sunderland is a bit backlogged on their machining, and as many of you have noticed they are completely sold out of standard pens on their website. If you’d like to learn more about this pen and what went into designing it, check out this post, as well as my review of the pen in general.

We’ve recently received restocks on Traveler’s Company, Midori, Caran d’Ache, Write Notepads and most of the other brands we carry. The T.G.S. Curated Shop is an authorized retailer of all brands stocked.

Midori 70th Anniversary Three and Five-Year Journals. These leather-bound diaries feature a recycled green leather cover, specially released for Midori’s 70th Anniversary, and come available in three and five-year formats. The three-year version is extremely limited.
T.G.S. x. Sunderland mk1 Rollerball Pen. Our second exclusive product collaboration features a matte black/matte burgundy finish, and accepts the Pilot G2 or Montblanc rollerball/fineliner refill. As I noted above, this will likely be the last chance to pick one of these up for a while.
Traveler’s Notebook Starter Kits, Refills, and Accessories. Many of the standard refills and accessories have been on backorder, but we’re now fully restocked on standard MD paper refills, undated diaries, and accessories like cases, folders, and even the popular brass ruler.
Caran D’Ache Claim Your Style Series 3. Last year’s “Claim Your Style” 849 ballpoint pen was my favorite of the three series, especially the “Night Blue” and “Moss Green”, though they all look great. I truly enjoy the more muted colors, as opposed to the bright-and-shiny pens that have become popular in recent years.
TWSBI ECO Jade Fountain Pen. I’ve heard murmurings that the TWSBI ECO Jade is going away, and that it’s a true special edition. We have pens available in a few nib sizes.

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