2022 Mid-Year Review, Part II: Favorite Shop Additions and A Huge Thank-You!

Thanks to you all, both the T.G.S. Curated Shop and the T.G.S. Patreon Program have grown significantly over the past year, which has allowed this site to shift from near-complete reliance on a third-party sponsorship/affiliate supported business model to one that’s self-sustaining. Not only do I believe that this is the healthiest approach in terms of keeping the site economically viable over the long term, but it’s been far more satisfying to me personally to select, vet, and choose my own curated set of recommended products, as opposed to relying on third-parties to deliver the writing experience readers ultimately expect after making a purchase following a review or other guidance I’ve offered.

For today’s mid-year recap post, I decided to focus on my five favorite products introduced in 2022, with a single selection from different product categories. I’ve got one pen, a paper product, a planning product, pen cases, and some washi tape (NSFW alert). I hope you enjoy using these products as much as I’ve enjoyed selecting and stocking them.

1. TWSBI Swipe Fountain Pen in Salmon. While the Swipe fountain pen is available in several other colors, for some reason this muted orange grabs me. I still haven’t picked one out for myself because I haven’t decided on the perfect matching ink (as one does).

2. Clairefontaine French-Ruled Looseleaf Sheets. My favorite stationery product of all time, and the one that started me down this personal rabbit hole of obsession, is now available in the shop! While the looseleaf sheets are a personal favorite, I love Clairefontaine’s French-ruled paper in general, and it’s available in notebook form.

3. Midori MD Diary Stickers. While they’re not huge sellers - probably because people are puzzled as to how, exactly, to use them - these simple and inexpensive planning products have revolutionized my own work notebooks because they easily allow me to set up a month-per-page calendar. The stickers come dated or undated.

4. Lochby Cases. I talked yesterday about the Quattro Four-Pen Case, and how it’s one of the best products I’ve reviewed this year. In general, the Lochby case lineup (and accompanying 68gsm Tomoe River paper products) have been a massive success, as I’m always on the lookout for quality waxed canvas products given their durability and aesthetics as they wear over time.

5. Grown-Person Washi Tape. Because sometimes you just need something that quickly describes the day in your journal without having to actually rehash it.

Please note that I am traveling the week of June 11 and orders placed during this time will ship out in five business days. I always include extras (stickers, notecards, ink samples, washi tapes, etc.) to orders placed during a travel period! Many thanks for your support.

2022 Mid-Year Review: Favorite Review Posts from the First Half of 2022

Well, maybe the “almost” first half of 2022. In normal times - and I guess we’re mostly back in normal times now - I take vacation in mid-June, and during that week I publish recap posts sharing favorite posts from the first half of the year. For this year’s format, I thought I’d do something a little different and pick my favorite product review post from each month. Enjoy!

1. January: Otto Hutt Design03 Fountain Pen. Otto Hutt has always been, to me, one of the more underappreciated German pen brands, offering exceptional quality and unique design at a fair price point. The Design03 is a slimmer pen, yet it’s well-balanced enough to offer a comfortable writing experience. It also comes in a variety of attractive finishes.

2. February: My Experience with the Drillog Metal Dip Pen: Hype vs. Reality. The Drillog dip pen finally arrived in December, and I spent the first few months putting it through paces. Unfortunately, my .5mm version did not write particularly well, but I’m happy to report that Drillog replaced it for me with a .8mm that performs much, much better. I’m working on a follow-up piece to address the differences in the two tip sizes, but suffice to say, if you’re looking to mainly do writing, as opposed to technical drawing or art, I’d recommend choosing the wider nib.

3. March: Schon DSGN Peek-A-Boo: So What Exactly is PEEK, Anyway? Schon DSGN’s engineered plastics fountain pens include both the ultem and PEEK versions, all three of which sport the same design that I find incredibly comfortable for longer working sessions. It helps that they accept JoWo nibs, allowing you to swap in your favorite customized nib unit, and are set up for easy eyedroppering to maximize ink capacity.

4. April: Lochby Quattro Four Pen Case. If there’s one item I’ve acquired this year that’s become a staple in my everyday carry, it’s the Lochby Quattro Four Pen Case, a zippered waxed canvas case that snugly holds four fountain pens in conveniently offset pen slots, to minimize contact and potential damage to the finish of your pens.

5. May: Exploring Custom Nibs: Predator Hybrid by Mark Bacas. Another excellent “investment” in my everyday carry, I had Mark grind one of his specialty nibs onto a TWSBI Diamond 580 Nib Unit. The Predator Hybrid features an ultra-extra fine tip on the “normal” side, and an architect/brush on the reverse.

All opinions expressed in reviews are my own. The Gentleman Stationer is supported entirely by purchases from the T.G.S. Curated Shop and pledges via the T.G.S. Patreon Program.

Vacation Reading: Week of June 13, 2022

1. Where Lamy Daren’t Go…. (via Penquisition). I will now purchase both of this year’s Safari releases, since Evan has shown us what is possible with some tinkering and a little bit of courage.

2. BlueDew Flex Fountain Pen: Too Good To Be True? (via Pen Addict - Kimberly). For those looking for dip-nib-style flex, Kimberly reviews another option from a brand I’m not familiar with.

3. Comparing Common Nib Grinds (via Rachel’s Reflections). An excellent illustration of the differences in some of the more common nib grinds, showing both how the nib is modified and how the modification changes your handwriting.

4. 12 for 12: Our 12 Favorite Products for Our 12th Anniversary (via Well-Appointed Desk). Congratulations to Ana and team for this milestone, and thanks for including us!

5. Flexibility and Searchability in Taking Notes (via mnmlscholar). I love the science/art of notetaking, especially reading about how people archive their notes for later cross-referencing.

6. Romillo No. 7 Fountain Pen (via Blake’s Broadcast). These pens, which feature handmade nibs, continue to fascinate me, even though they tend to require a lot of tinkering, from what I hear.

7. An Ode to Cheap Pens: Faber-Castell Grip Fountain Pen (via A Fleeting Ripple). I’ve long believed that Faber-Castell makes some of the best inexpensive fountain pens available. They unfortunately have always received far less attention than I think they should.

8. IWI Colors of Nature Slight Snow (via Fountain Pen Pharmacist). I love dusky purples, though this one appears to me (or my screen) as more on the pink side. Either way, it’s an interesting color that should still be legible despite the desaturation and shading.

9. Cult Pens Diamine Flower Inks Set Exclusive (via Dapprman). Diamine is releasing a new set of flower-themed inks. I loved the first set and will probably try to pick these up as well.

10. Stilo&Stile x Leonardo Momento Zero Prisma Fountain Pen (via Gourmet Pens). Leonardo is now getting on board the prismatic/rainbow anodized train. I’m not sure this particular design is for me but everything they do is great quality.

In Case You Missed It….

Last week on the blog I published a piece on enjoying a hobby in the midst of an economic downturn or other financial pressures, something we all unfortunately have to do the longer we pursue a passion because, well, life happens. I also reviewed one of my favorite new nib grinds - the “Perspective” nib from Gena Salorino from Custom Nib Studios. If you appreciate versatile nibs that give you many different writing options in a single package, you absolutely need to check this one out.

This Week in the Curated Shop

I’m on vacation, so our usual 2-3 business day shipping time will be extended to 5 business days. That said, we’re still processing orders and any orders placed during this window will go out promptly on my return, with some extras included such as stickers, ink samples, etc.. We’re fully restocked on Midori MD Paper, including the Limited 70th Anniversary MD Light Notebooks and Fountain Pen & Ink Sets, and we also still have plenty of Lochby Quattro Four Pen Cases, Pocket Journals, and Tool Rolls! Check out even more links below.

Caran d'Ache

Traveler's Company

Platinum

CW&T

T.G.S. From The Archives

Vacation week seems like a good time for a reminder to check out the 2022 “Best Pens” list, updated to reflect recent preferences. Enjoy!

Many thanks for your support of The Gentleman Stationer! We rely entirely on purchases from the T.G.S. Curated Shop and pledges via the T.G.S. Patreon Program in order to keep the site going. If you enjoy the content, please consider visiting our shop or pledging! Even the smallest of amounts helps!

Exploring Custom Nibs: Custom Nib Studio "Perspective" Grind

When I was choosing pens to take on this latest trip, I leaned heavily towards loading up on specialty nib grinds that are an absolute joy to write with, because I really want to get some fun writing done. Whether that be journaling, a bit of “work” on the blog as opposed to the store, or simply playing around with pens, inks, and nibs, I feel like I haven’t had the chance to truly step away from the grind in a while. With that in mind, it’s a complete no-brainer that one of the pens I’d choose to take with me is my Pelikan M800 featuring the “Perspective” nib grind from Gena Salorino at Custom Nib Studio. Put simply, this nib is a joy to write with, whatever your specific use case.

View fullsize

This grind is a bit difficult to describe. Gena’s Perspective Nib combines the vertical/horizontal line variation of an architect with the variable line-width of a Naginata as you raise or lower the writing angle. It even writes an incredibly smooth XXF point on the reverse. The result might be the most versatile nib I’ve used. The standard writing angle can best be described as a forgiving medium architect, excellent for everyday writing because it omits sharp edges while still offering character and line variation. What sets this nib apart, however, is the fact that it can serve as an “all-in-one” workhorse. For example, I typically enjoy writing with a medium nib, but also need to be able to alternately write larger and smaller to highlight/underline and annotate, respectively. The Perspective lets you do it all with one pen.

One nib, four different writing options. The ink is Laban Poseidon Green.

View fullsize

From underneath, the Perspective grind appears almost wedge-shaped. You can see the tipping get wider, allowing you to write a wider line as you lower the angle.

I often talk about nib grinds as a way to salvage pens that you “like” but don’t “love”. Here, I asked Gena to modify the medium nib on my Pelikan M800 Stone Garden - a true workhorse pen that wrote too broad and wet a line for the type of writing I was doing. It bled through most of the paper used in my office (since we’ve recently cut costs even more and apparently gone even cheaper.) Paired with this grind, the M800 has arguably moved into my Top 5 Personal Pens, and I plan to send at least three more pens to Gena for the “Perspective” treatment.

Takeaways and Where to Buy

While you should absolutely take this glowing review with a grain of salt, since opinions on nib grinds reflect the personal preferences and use cases of the writer, the Perspective Nib from Custom Nib Studio is currently my favorite specialty nib grind. (I will say that everyone who has tried this nib - lefties included - has enjoyed it as well.) Fans of architect and Naginata-style nibs will certainly want to give this one a try.

View fullsize

If I’m working, and want to emphasize something that I wrote, it’s nice to be able to lower the angle for a bold underline.

The Perspective Grind costs $55. You can read more about this and other grinds Gena offers on the Custom Nib Studio website, or you can visit them at a pen show, where they’re regular attendees, though you’ll either want to take advantage of early sign-up prior to arrival at the show, or get there very early on show days for the best chance of getting a table slot.

This review is part of a larger review series on custom nib grinds. You can follow along here. I purchased the nib grind featured in this review with my own funds, for my own use. I was not compensated for this review, and all opinions expressed are my own. The Gentleman Stationer is supported entirely by purchases from the T.G.S. Curated Shop and pledges via the T.G.S. Patreon Program.

Housekeeping Updates: Vacation Time!

Just a couple of housekeeping updates for the coming week (6/11/22-6/18/22):

• Curated Shop Order Shipments: I will be on vacation next week, so any orders placed starting tomorrow (Saturday) morning will ship out when I return. Thanks for your support and understanding, and I always include extras (stickers, notecards, ink samples, washi tapes, etc.) to orders placed during a travel period.

• Our Current Giveaway Ends Sunday! Things have been getting buried on Instagram, and I know lots of people are on vacation, etc., so I wanted to make one last push to let people know that this giveaway is still live! Win a T.G.S. Sunderland Prototype, a Penwell Traveller, or a Musgrave Pencil Assortment! Hit the link for details.