Thursday Drops: Which Watch? Take All Five! Introducing The Lochby Watch Wallet!

So I’ve been busy these last few days! In addition to reorganizing/cleaning up the shop, I’ve been prepping a new product for launch that focuses on a secondary passion: watches. While I’m not a “watch guy” to the same degree as pens, I’ve been on the hunt for a functional watch case that offers a good degree of protection while not costing an arm and a leg. So of course when I saw that Lochby was now offering a “Watch Wallet,” I was all-in on a test batch.

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The Lochby Watch Wallet holds three larger watches in the primary slots, with a microfiber lining and flap to protect your watches from scratches.

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The other side is technically intended to hold two straps and a spring bar tool, but you can also use it to hold two slimmer watches.

The Lochby Watch Wallet is now available for purchase in the Shop, in the three Lochby classic colors Brown, Charcoal, and Navy, priced at $59. The T.G.S. Curated Shop is an authorized retailer of all Lochby products, including the Field Journals and Pocket Journals, as well as pen and tool cases such as the Quattro four-pen case and the versatile Lochby Tool Roll. We’ve expanded our holdings to include all colors!

In addition to the main T.G.S. Curated Shop, I’ve updated the “Gently Used” Pens page. Be sure to check it out for deals on slightly used stationery in excellent condition, including some now-discontinued limited editions!

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In Pursuit of Balance: What's the Sweet Spot for "Oversized" Pens?

Almost exactly two years ago, I wrote a piece about the trend towards “oversized” pens, and how fountain pens were seemingly ever-increasing in size. I do think that things have calmed down a bit, with companies not chasing the extremes with pens as large as the Wahl-Eversharp Decobands and some of the ASC Pens special and limited editions. But companies continue to make oversized versions of many designs, and I sometimes find myself having to decide whether to buy the standard or “big version” of a given pen. How do I personally make this choice?

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Unposted, I find the Leonardo Momento Zero Grande to have near-perfect balance. But what if I almost always want to post my pens?

For me, by far the most important consideration when evaluating any fountain pen is balance. I use the term “balance” to refer to how the weight of the pen sits in your hand as you write. I like my pens to be either front-weighted (towards the section), or centered in the web of my hand between thumb and forefinger. Too much weight at the back leads to skipping and hand fatigue, at least for me.

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I love freaking people out by posting fancy pens. Yes, I know that posting might leave marks on the barrel, but (1) it hasn’t so far after 4 years of use; and (2) I don’t care that my pens look like they’re actually written with.

Even a very large pen can be well-balanced. For example, both the Leonardo Momento Zero Grande and the Esterbrook Estie “Oversized” have excellent balance unposted. (The Estie Oversize won’t post by design.) That said, both of those pens use a cartridge-converter system or lightweight piston to keep the pen from getting too back-heavy.

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The Leonardo Momento is probably just a touch too long for me to enjoy using posted, but it’s light enough that it’s workable to post the cap.

The issue I run into is how balance intersects with practicality. While there are always exceptions, it’s a general rule that unless you have larger hands, larger pens can be more difficult to post. The Estie Oversize doesn’t post at all, and the Momento Zero Grande sits at the threshold of what I can comfortably use. Even if the weight of the pen doesn’t cause an issue, pure length might make it look unwieldy. I enjoy posting my pens and nearly always have to do so at work. Most weekdays, I find myself running between meetings in different conference rooms, and I hate setting caps on crowded tables where they might get knocked onto the floor, covered with someone else’s papers, or, annoyingly, commented upon (“Why do you use that old pen?”) when I’m trying to focus on something else. It’s one of the many reasons why I will always love the iconic, yet extremely subtle, Lamy 2000. It posts deeply, is the perfect size for me, and looks relatively inconspicuous.

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Three of my favorite fountain pens that I think hit the sweet spot in terms of balance and practicality: From left, the Leonardo Moment Zero, the Montblanc 146, and the Lamy 2000.

Takeaways and Where to Buy

I have a decision to make. At the end of the day, modern oversized pens typically don’t fit my hands as well as the “standard” model. While there are certainly exceptions, the inability to post these larger pens without sacrificing balance, and the, ahem, “lack of subtlety” when using them at work, makes it hard for me to give them a regular spot in the rotation. Even though I enjoy pens such as the Leonardo Momento Zero Grande and Montblanc 149, I go back and forth on whether to keep them in my primary collection or sell them off in favor of acquiring what would be, to me, more usable pens in the standard size.

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I do think it’s important to push back on the narrative - often implied but sometimes express - that the “better pen” or “more luxurious pen” is always the larger version. Companies subtly push this by making the larger version more expensive, and the thread of FOMO that tends to run through the community whenever a new model or design is released encourages that nagging voice at the back of your head asking whether you’ll later regret not picking up the “more expensive” or “upgraded” version. Don’t fall prey to this - I certainly have in the past - because bigger is NOT always better, especially with writing instruments, and the best pen for you is the one you will comfortably use long-term.

This post does not contain sponsored content or affiliate links. The Gentleman Stationer is supported entirely by purchases from the T.G.S. Curated Shop and pledges through the T.G.S. Patreon Program.

In the Shop: Mid-Summer Spruce-up, Discontinued Pens and Limited Editions

We spent the weekend getting the “shop” (i.e., the warehouse) spruced up for a revamp, and it’s a much less intimidating prospect now that we’ve cleared out some excess inventory. You can actually see what’s in and out-of-stock, which is helpful! As it turns out, I found some extra items that I thought were long sold out, and which are now live in the shop, including:

1. Hightide Folding Metal Bookstands in White, Red, Pink, and Blue.

2. TWSBI ECO Jade. If you missed this one, I found another with an EF nib in stock.

3. TWSBI ECO Lilac. I’ve heard through the grapevine that these are slated to be discontinued (or at least go out of production for a while). We have a handful.

4. Midori MD 70th Anniversary Fountain Pen and Ink Sets. Just a few of these remain!

Also, Traveler’s Notebook Limited Editions are getting low. We still have several “Traveler’s Airline” editions in stock, which is a standard size with a blue cover, but only one “Traveler’s Train” passport edition and maybe one or two Hotel notebooks left.

Finally, check out the new layout!

We’ll also be bringing in more Maruman Mnemosyne!

And don’t forget that we also carry core stationery such as Rhodia and Clairefontaine!

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

Sunday Reading for July 24, 2022

1. Heatwave… (via KraftyCats). Stay cool out there, people!

2. How Pen Companies Fail the Pen Community (via SBRE Brown). I agree with much of what Stephen says here. The proliferation of high-end pens that objectively don’t write well out of the box is still far too prevalent, and should never happen.

3. Meininger Art Material (Denver, Colorado) - A Quick Walkthrough (via Pen Addict - Kimberly). I love a good store tour! This is an absolutely HUGE art supply shop.

4. The DRILLOG v. 2 Machined Dip Nib (& Graft Spiral Barrel). The DRILLOG is back with a new Kickstarter, and from Ana’s observations, there have been some improvements, or maybe just a better explanation of what is reasonable to expect from the writing experience.

5. Stipula Etruria Magnifica Miele Selvatico 1.1 (via Dapprman). As a former fan of the Etruria, I’ve also found myself wondering what happened to Stipula over the years. I’m glad to hear that the quality is still generally good, and I’d love to pick up one of the faceted models.

6. Pencil Revolution Handmade Peekaboo Pride Notebook (via Writing at Large). Johnny at Pencil Revolution dove headlong into bookbinding over the past year or so, and I’m glad to see his work getting some attention!

7. Caramel Swirl: Visconti Rembrandt Eclipse (via a fleeting ripple). Visconti’s steel nib offerings are a bit of a mixed bag. Some I have tried have been very smooth, others on the drier side and scratchy. I’d recommend testing the secondary market.

8. Finishing My Greens: A Look at My Green Ink Stash (via Fountain Pen Blog). I likewise have come to the point where I’ve started to think hard about what new “stuff” I bring in to the house and add to the pen collection. That said, I have way too much ink that I need to start using or thin out.

9. TWSBI Midnight Blue on Muji Planting Tree (via Inkredible Colours). I love TWSBI’s Midnight Blue, and think it’s a highly underrated color in this particular range of blue-blacks (i.e., more of a “dark navy” than a “steel blue” or “blue-grey”).

10. RIIND Compact Pen Review (via Pen Addict - Jeff). RIIND is back with a smaller version of their knurled machine pen, which did very well the first time around. I’m excited to see if this one goes mainstream.

In Case You Missed It….

This week on the blog, I talked a little about my desire to downsize my pen collection, and how I want to organize things going forward. You all have given me a lot to think about in your well-thought-out comments and responses! I also posted an unboxing/walkthrough of my latest acquisition, one of the 2022 Limited Edition Traveler’s Notebook Sets, the “Traveler’s Hotel” edition. (No, I couldn’t resist.)

This Week in the Curated Shop

I’m getting to a point where I’m feeling better about excess inventory, and the new direction is starting to take shape. I’ve managed to clear out certain slow-selling products to make room for new curated goods, including another release of the 2022 Traveler’s Notebook Limited Editions, one of which already has sold out and another of which is very close. Don’t sleep on these!

Our inventory reduction sale will be coming to a close following the D.C. Pen Show, so if you’ve been looking to take advantage, you’re coming up on your last opportunity. Certain things have been marked down, and you can receive a general 10% off most pens, pencils, and paper, automatically applied at checkout. (Certain exclusions apply.)

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Traveler's Company

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Lochby Cases

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Maruman Mnemosyne

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Washi Tapes!

Consider T.G.S. Patreon!

I would love for the T.G.S. Patreon to become a core method of support for the T.G.S. website, and have tried to streamline it. I’ll also need to be a bit more vocal about its availability and what it offers. The Patreon Program offers two options for tiers of support: $3 and $5, and plan on making monthly meetups, pen show events, and periodic exclusive content the primary benefits. Of course, Patreon members will continue to get first access to periodic sample sales, with right of first refusal on gently used pens. Attention Patreon Members: Yesterday I posted half-a dozen or so new “gently used” products to the sale page, so check it out. I’m doing a general “stash and sample” reduction, so more will follow.

OK, So I Caved: The Traveler's Notebook 2022 "Traveler's Hotel" Limited Edition

To all of you out there who have been taunting me that I would be unable to resist keeping one of these: You are 100% absolutely right. I caved this morning, and have no regrets. Maybe it’s because I’ve been pruning back my stationery accumulation and have made some room for one or two new things, but in any event, meet my new pen show/pen review notebook that’s going to be housing most of my notes for the blog! Enjoy this progressive unboxing of the Traveler’s Notebook 2022 “Traveler’s Hotel” Limited Edition!

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Everything arrives tastefully and minimally packaged, with careful attention to the details of the “Hotel” theme.

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I love Traveler’s Notebook’s burnished brown leather. The foil-stamped lettering is a rose-gold tone. And if you love vintage-style stickers, well, you’ll be happy.

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The hotel-themed refill included with the notebook contains the cream-colored plain Midori MD paper.

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Each 2022 Limited Edition Traveler’s Notebook comes with a brass charm. The “Hotel” notebook includes a suitcase. The other sets contain a different charm matching their respective themes.

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The pencil was the pleasant surprise (though I wouldn’t recommend splurging on the set just to get the pencil). It feels like a Palomino, with thick black lacquer, and quality wood/graphite.

Takeaways and Where to Buy

Am I happy? Yes. I’ve relied on my Traveler’s Notebook more and more this year. You simply can’t beat the opportunities to customize the notebook for your personal needs, and I enjoy the tall/narrow format because I tend to take notes in a bullet or list-style. As I mentioned above, I plan to use this particular notebook for blog/pen-related notes and research, while I maintain my standard blue-cover Traveler’s Notebook as separate notebook for day job/household management.

My three primary notebooks. Two Traveler’s Notebooks and my brown Lochby Field Journal.

You can purchase the 2022 limited edition notebook featured here in the T.G.S. Curated Shop, along with the standard lineup of Traveler’s Notebooks and refills, as Traveler’s Company has been, and likely will remain, one of the select brands I plan to stock going forward. The four 2022 limited edition releases include, in the Standard Size, “Traveler’s Hotel” (pictured here) and “Traveler’s Airline”. In the Passport size, the releases include “Traveler’s Train” and “Traveler’s Records”. (Unfortunately, “Traveler’s Records” has sold out, but I have a few remaining in each of the other designs.)

The T.G.S. Curated Shop is an authorized retailer of Traveler’s Notebook and all other brands we carry.