New colors of the Mark’style Tous Les Jours!

In the Shop: Mark'style Tous Les Jours Ballpoint and Traveler's Ballpoint Restock

October 4, 2022

Those of us who are partial to marginalia and annotation tend to have strong preferences regarding the tools that we use, and in my case it’s the needle-tip ballpoint pen. Whenever I travel, the Traveler’s Company needle-tip ballpoint is usually found clipped to the cover of the book I’m reading or notebook that’s accompanying me, and when I’m at home, I either opt for a woodcase pencil or one of the Mark’style Tous Les Jours ballpoints, which use an Ohto Needle-tip refill similar to that found on the Traveler’s Company pen. We’re happy to announce that both pens are now back in stock and available for purchase, with the Mark’style pens available in 14 different finishes!

The T.G.S. Curated Shop is an authorized retailer of all brands sold, including Traveler’s Company and Marks. The Gentleman Stationer is supported entirely by purchases from the T.G.S. Curated Shop and pledges via the T.G.S. Patreon Program.

I spent the past week with Nahvalur Pens and Notebook Systems!

Sunday Reading for October 2, 2022

October 2, 2022

Gravitas Sentry Big Dropper & Delrin Fountain Pens (via Pencilcase Blog). I had the pleasure of meeting Ben Walsh and handling some of the Delrin and “Big Dropper” models at this year’s D.C. Pen Show. I was impressed with all of them and need to bring some in for review soon.
2022 Dallas Pen Show Recap (via Pen Addict - Kimberly). I’m happy to see a good overall review of the Dallas Pen Show, and heard great things from many attendees. There needs to be a strong lineup of smaller, regional shows.
Newsflash: Cosmo Air Light (via Well-Appointed Desk). Daryl at Musubi broke the news last week that Cosmo Air Light paper was being discontinued.
Kokuyo Auxiliary Hardcover Notebook (via Blake’s Broadcast). Kokuyo makes excellent hardcover notebooks, and these bound ledger-style notebooks look very interesting.
Semikolon Grand Voyage Notebook (via Fountain Pen Blog). I’ve always loved the look of Semikolon notebooks but in the past the paper has not worked well for me. I’m excited to see that the paper in this particular notebook got good reviews.
Diamine Monboddo’s Hat on Midori MD (via Inkredible Colors). Monboddo’s Hat is often recommended as a substitute for the coveted Lamy Dark Lilac, FWIW.
Do You Ever Regret Getting a Custom Nib Grind (via Chicana Writes). Early on, absolutely, but I’ve since accepted that sometimes I just made a bad choice and have passed those pens along to others. These days I try to keep a wider range of custom and standard grinds on hand since I know my preferences tend to change and I do different kinds of writing.
Endless Stationery Recorder Notebook Deep Ocean with 80 gsm Regalia Paper (via Rants of the Archer). Endless has moved away from Tomoe River 68gsm (presumably for supply reasons) and has substituted their own in-house paper.
Lamy Charged Green (via Dapprman). Reviews of this ink are few and far between, especially given how prevalent it was (as in, it was a difficult color to sell when Lamy issued it). Those who like bright green inks for annotation and possibly highlighting may want to consider it?
Troublemaker Grand River Sunset (via Mountain of Ink). I’ve recently discovered Troublemaker Inks, another brand from the Philippines that specializes in shading/sheening/shimmer/you-name-the-special-property.

In Case You Missed It…

This week on the blog, I reviewed the Nahvalur (formerly Narwhal) “Original Plus” Fountain Pen, which is Nahvalur’s revamped version of their inaugural pen from 2019, featuring a vacuum-filler fountain pen and redesigned materials. I also published Part III of my ongoing series on Notebook Systems, this week focusing on Traveler’s Notebook and what I refer to as “modular” notebook systems.

New This Week in the Curated Shop

This week saw the arrival of the TWSBI ECO in Cerulean Blue, an eye-popping deep-sea blue that I would actually describe as a more vibrant turquoise. We also restocked on the glow-in-the-dark TWSBI ECO Glow fountain pen, and launched Anderillium Inks as a new brand, so that you now have additional ink choices to pair with fountain pens purchased from our shop. Finally, the Mark’style Tous les Jours Needle-tip ballpoint is back in stock, in nearly a dozen different colors. These needle-tip ballpoints are a personal favorite. The refills last forever and will soon be sold separately (they use an Ohto cartridge).

TWSBI

Nahvalur

Penco

Anderillium

Many Thanks for Your Shop Support, and Please Consider T.G.S. Patreon!

We’ve been surprised at the level of enthusiasm and support for our curated retail strategy over the past couple of months, and after careful consideration are beginning to build out our inventory with more brands and product categories. I love managing this aspect of T.G.S., as it offers me the opportunity to directly put great stationery - including brands I feel are underappreciated and underemphasized - into your hands. For those who want to support T.G.S. without necessarily adding to their accumulation, 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. (Reminder that those pens which made it through Patreon are now available to the general readership!)

Traveler's Notebook Stamps San Francisco Pen Show

Guide to Notebook Systems, Part III: Traveler's Notebook and the "Modular" Approach

October 1, 2022

Welcome to the third Saturday installment of my “Guide to Notebook Systems” Series! Today we’ll be talking about Traveler’s Company, a brand I’ve actually written about a lot, since it’s been on the market for many years, and the Traveler’s Notebook, which represents one of the longest-standing items in my stationery toolkit. The Traveler’s Notebook falls into what I would call the “notebook cover plus modular refill” category of notebook systems, meaning that the central component is the leather cover starter kit, which you can customize by adding different refill booklets and functional accessories, all held in place with elastic cords. The main difference between these types of systems and a “System Techo” like Plotter is, of course, that you have to operate at the “notebook level” rather than with individual pages.

Traveler's Notebook Stuffed and Slim — My two Traveler’s Notebooks, which contain both my pen show journal (top) and work notebook (bottom).

The Traveler’s Notebook is versatile, and I’ve used it in many different ways over the years as my needs have changed. When I first started out, I used it as a traditional paper planner. The Traveler’s Company undated “Weekly + Memo” planner refills usually lasted me a little over six months, and if you prefer the day-to-a-page format, the “Free Diary,” lasted around three. These days, I don’t use a paper planner to keep a calendar, so my Traveler’s Notebooks have morphed into more of a “journal”. Here’s what I mean:

For work (as in, my day job), I like to keep a written record of what I work on each day. My current writing setup isn’t a Traveler’s Notebook refill, but rather a cut-down Stalogy half-year journal that I’ve combined with these Midori MD Calendar stickers and section divider stickers to create some sort of “planner”-BuJo (bullet journal) hybrid. Essentially, I’ll use 2-3 pages for a week and write brief summaries of how I’ve spent my time and what I’ve accomplished on each day, while also including important meeting notes and tracking longer term tasks. At the back of my “work” Traveler’s Notebook, I’ve included a standard blank refill that’s essentially used as scratch paper.
I also keep a second “personal” Traveler’s Notebook that I recently added, which is one of the “Traveler’s Hotel” 2022 limited editions. I’m more of a hotel enthusiast than an aviation or train buff, so the choice was fairly easy. For 2022, this notebook has become my “pen show” journal, and it contains stickers, photos, writing samples, and personal notes from all of my pen show travel. I’m honestly not sure what I will use this for in 2023, or whether I will consolidate my Traveler’s Notebook carry under a single cover as I rely more on Plotter.

Traveler’s Company undated planner refills are insanely versatile. The Weekly+Memo Refill is a favorite.

So who is this sort of notebook system for, and what are its advantages and disadvantages?

Someone who likes to journal, especially creatively. The major advantage to these modular systems, and especially established ones like Traveler’s Notebook, is that there is a wide array of existing refills and accessories for pretty much any use case. Would you like to watercolor in your journal? There’s a refill for that. Prefer thicker drawing or sketch paper? Ditto. There are even kraft paper refills for scrapbooking.
Someone who travels a lot (hence the name) and doesn’t want to carry multiple notebooks with them. With modular systems, you can carry your planner, journal, and sketchbook all in a single cover yet in separate “notebooks”. There are a variety of pouch and folder accessories to carry things like printed tickets, itineraries, and receipts. The Standard Traveler’s Notebook has a tall, narrow format that’s easy to slip into a bag, and the smaller Passport version is even more compact. If you prefer something that uses larger refills with more writing surface, both the Lochby Field Journal and the Roterfaden covers operate on a similar principle (though Roterfaden uses clips instead of cords).
Someone who doesn’t need to move around, file, or dispose of individual pages of notes. This is what makes the Traveler’s Notebook system difficult for me to use for things like meeting and research notes, and why I will likely lean more heavily on “System Techo” ring-based systems in the future for these purposes. But if you have fairly specialized job responsibilities, or don’t need to segregate your notes by a large number of clients or projects, a Traveler’s-style system may work just fine.

If the “tall narrow” notebook format isn’t your thing, Lochby (shown here) and Roterfaden both make A5 modular covers capable of holding multiple refills (or even multiple full-size notebooks).

Thursday Drops: Launch Day for the TWSBI ECO in Cerulean Blue, and a Glow Green Restock!

September 29, 2022

TWSBI Ecos in Cerulean Blue start shipping today! If you missed it, the Cerulean Blue ECO is the latest solid-color ECO, on the heels of the glow-in-the-dark “Glow Green” and in the wake of the retirement of the TWSBI ECO Lilac. (Note: We still have a few of the Lilac pens available, if you missed out on this release!) Along with our shipment of ECOs in Cerulean Blue, we also received a fresh restock of the TWSBI Glow Green fountain pens in all nib sizes. Finally, a reminder that our Nahvalur (formerly Narwhal) promotion ends tomorrow, with a free ink sample shipping with each new purchase of Nahvalur fountain pens. No coupon code necessary.

Happy Shopping!

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

TWSBI ECO Cerulean Blue Fountain Pen. The latest solid-color Eco release arrives in “Cerulean.” What ink are you going to choose to match with this one?
TWSBI ECO Glow Green Fountain Pen. The TWSBI Glow Green sold faster than any pen we’ve ever stocked, and for good reason - it’s the glow-in-the-dark TWSBI ECO that everyone has been demanding for years, and TWSBI absolutely nailed it.
Nahvalur Fountain Pen Ink Sample Promotion. Through September 30 (tomorrow!) we’re offering a complimentary ink sample with any purchase of Nahvalur fountain pens, including the new Original Plus as well as the Nahvalur Nautilus. Check out the review of the Original Plus, published yesterday.
Anderillium Inks: Cephalopod and Avian Series. Earlier this week we launched a new ink line, in order to be able to offer our customers more ink choices along with their fountain pen purchases. Anderillium is an excellent series of nature-themed inks, and I’ve been doing a lot of writing with “Colossal Squid Dark” from their Cephalopod series.
TWSBI Bottled Fountain Pen Ink. We’ve been out of stock of several colors of both the TWSBI 1791 Inks, and running low on standard workhorse favorites such as the Midnight Blue and the Blue-Black. All are restocked!
TWSBI Lilac Fountain Pen. This one’s going away, so get our remaining limited selection while you can!
Traveler’s Notebook “Airplane” Series Limited Edition Cover. The LAST ONE is in stock and available for purchase! If you’ve been holding out, now’s your chance. We’re also restocked on regular Traveler’s Notebook Covers, accessories and refills, including undated planner inserts.
Midori MD Notebooks in A4 Size. Those who appreciate a larger writing surface love the Midori MD paper in full-size A4. In addition to having the notebooks back in stock, we also have the full range of A4 covers, including paper and leather versions.
Midori MD Notebooks in B6 Slim Size. Similarly, we’re fully restocked on the popular B6 Slim “Cafe” or “Novel” sized notebooks in grid, lined, and blank rulings.

TWSBI Glow Green Dark Shot — Yes, it really does glow like this in the dark!

A Review Sort-of Revisited: The Nahvalur Original Plus Fountain Pen

September 28, 2022

I say “sort-of-revisited” because I previously reviewed the “original” Narwhal Original, and in the three years or so since publication Narwhal fountain pens has not only introduced a new version of the pen with a different filling mechanism, but has rebranded with a new name and logo, and will be known as Nahvalur Pens going forward. Nahvalur made the announcement at this year’s D.C. Pen Show. Apparently “Nahvalur” is the Icelandic word for “Narwhal,” and the choice was made for unspecified branding/trademark purposes. I don’t necessarily find this aspect of the pen industry all that interesting or exciting, though there has been much discussion elsewhere about the rebrand and “other matters.” I prefer to focus on the writing experience, but I will say that I like the new Nahvalur logo, and the new “Original Plus” fountain pen continues to move the company in the right direction.

We have yet to see the new Nahvalur logo and branding on the pens themselves, as the rebrand was only recently announced. Therefore, the current stock of Nahvalur pens still bear the name “Narwhal” on the box and cap band. (Hey - it could increase the collectibility if the design changes in the future, right?)

“Original” vs. “Original Plus”: What’s the Difference?

In terms of functionality, the biggest change is that on the Original Plus, Nahvalur switched the filling system from a piston to a vacuum-filler. More on that below. Aesthetically, the two pens share a lot of the same design language, with a few key distinctions. As I mentioned in my “Original” review, the bright swirled acrylic used in the first pen didn’t speak to me. As in, at all. Here, the look is much more subtle, as Nahvalur opted for a more transparent material that offers excellent visibility into the barrel while keeping swirls of the four signature colors: purple, yellow, green, and blue. It’s a subtler look that I believe will ultimately appeal to a wider audience.

Those who own both the “original Original” and the “Original Plus” will note that the band has been moved from the body of the pen to the cap, probably to accommodate the change in filling system.

Build Quality and Filling System

The first thing I remarked when I picked up the Original Plus is how solid the pen feels in the hand. At the sub-$100 price point, and especially at the sub-$60 price point, one of the first things I look at is whether or not the pen feels flimsy or insubstantial, and whether I think it will hold up to true “workhorse” use as a daily writer. Here, the Original Plus easily feels as well-built and durable as the pens I consider to be its peers, the PenBBS 456 and the TWSBI Vac700R. All of the components feel tightly threaded, with no rattling or loose parts. The longer section is comfortable to hold, and the cap quickly deploys with 2.5-3 turns.

Nahvalur Original Plus Transparent Barrel — The advantage of a vacuum filler is that it uses the entire barrel as an ink reservoir, and here the more transparent material allows you to easily see your ink supply.

As I noted, the major design change is to the filling system. Nahvalur chose to substitute a vacuum-filling system for the piston, and I commend them for doing so. Though a vacuum filler can appear intimidating to new users, they’re fairly simple to use and hold a ton of ink. To fill the pen, you unscrew the blind cap at the end, extend the plunger, place the nib into an inkwell or ink bottle, and press down. The negative pressure will suck ink into the barrel, and you can repeat once or twice more to increase capacity. Even with one fill, however, you will typically get much more than your standard piston filler and certainly more than your standard cartridge-converter pen. Note that like a Japanese-style eyedropper, a vacuum filler has a “safety valve” that engages when the blind cap is screwed all the way down, which helps prevent leaks and makes these great pens for airplane travel. At some point, however, with the valve closed the feed may run dry, and you will need to slightly unscrew the blind cap to allow more ink to flow from the barrel to the nib. If I’m using a vacuum-filler for a longer writing session, I’ll go ahead and open the valve before I get started.

Nahvalur Original Plus Fountain Pen unposted — The Nahvalur Original Plus unposted. While the cap technically posts on the barrel, the pen ends up being so long that I can’t imagine anyone would be able to use it that way.

Overall Writing Experience

Those who enjoy smooth nibs will enjoy Nahvalur pens. Nahvalur/Narwhal has performed a lot of tuning on their nibs and feeds in-house, resulting in what I would characterize as a “glassy smooth” writing experience that requires very little pressure. As a result, the nibs write a slightly broader line than their designation and there is no “extra fine” nib option. (Even the “fine” writes more like what I’d consider a “fine-medium”.) Despite the smoothness, I’ve found Nahvalur’s nibs to perform well, and of the four different Nahvalur nibs I’ve used over the past few years, I’ve not experienced any skipping or other symptoms of “over polishing” (i.e., a baby’s bottom).

I really do hope that they keep the “leaping Narwhal” logo on the nib - it’s a charming touch.

A writing sample with a comparison between a medium and fine Nahvalur nib. Pro Tip: The broader Nahvalur nibs, and especially the “BB” option available in the Nautilus model, have a fair bit of tipping and therefore make excellent platforms for nib customization.

Takeaways and Where to Buy

With a cool vacuum filler system and priced at only $55, the Nahvalur Original Plus is a worthy successor to the Narwhal “Original,” and - at least in my opinion - improves upon the company’s original release. I personally prefer the more subtle look of the new pen, and for me the vacuum filling system is an upgrade. Of all the different fountain pen filling systems out there, vacuum-fillers seem to be the least represented, and while the Original Plus fountain pens have only been available for a short while, they seem like reasonably priced, reliable high-capacity workhorse options comparable to the TWSBI Vac700R and the PenBBS 456.

Nahvalur Original Plus and Nautilus Fountain Pens — My two personal Nahvalur fountain pens that I’ve been carrying recently: the Nahvalur Nautilus in “Stylophora Berry” ebonite (left) and the Original Plus in “Gold Ocellatus”.

The Gentleman Stationer recently became an authorized retailer of Nahvalur Pens, as we expand the number of brands we can offer you directly. You can therefore purchase the Nahvalur Original Plus directly from the T.G.S. Curated Shop, in each of the four color options, priced at $55. Through the end of this week, we are running a promotional offer in which you will receive a complimentary 4ml ink sample with the purchase of any Nahvalur fountain pen. No coupon code is necessary to take advantage of this deal!

Disclaimer: The T.G.S. Curated Shop is an authorized retailer of Nahvalur Pens.