Thursday Drops: Vacation Edition

It’s been a busy few weeks in the shop, with multiple products arriving and more on the way. We need a break, and are headed out of town tomorrow for the fall school holiday, traveling Friday, October 7 through Saturday, October 15. All orders placed before noon tomorrow (October 7), U.S. Central Time, will ship the following week. As is usual when I’m on vacation, I’ll plan to include some free samples and “extras” with your orders! I also plan to be running a giveaway (or two) over the next week so stay tuned.

In the meantime, feel free to peruse our latest arrivals and restocks, and be mindful of the shipping cutoff if you’re looking for this to arrive next week!

The T.G.S. Curated Shop is an authorized retailer of all brands sold (with the exception of any gently used or secondhand products).

1. TWSBI ECO in Cerulean Blue. TWSBI’s latest release is an absolute stunner. “Cerulean” is a rich turquoise that’s incredibly difficult to photograph and looks almost electric.

2. TWSBI ECO in Glow Green. We’re fully restocked on TWSBI’s first glow-in-the-dark pen, which as sold faster than any pen we’ve ever stocked.

3. TWSBI ECO in Transparent Yellow. Of all the ECO color demonstrators we’ve ever stocked, this one is my personal favorite (fan of yellow pens and all).

4. Nahvalur “Original Plus” Fountain Pen. The pen company formerly known as Narwhal re-released it’s “Original” series equipped with a vacuum-filler mechanism, in four new acrylic patterns. You can read a full write-up of this pen here.

5. Nahvalur Nautilus in Stylophora Berry Ebonite. We have several of these pens available, including in the broader nib sizes that are perfect for customization. Smooth writers with lots of tipping. Read the write-up here.

6. Anderillium Ink Cephalopod and Avian Series Fountain Pen Inks. We’ve made an effort to expand the range of bottled inks we have available, as we now offer mostly piston-fill and vacuum-filler fountain pens.

7. Traveler’s Company 2022 Limited Edition “Traveler’s Airlines” Notebook. Exactly one left in stock! If you’ve had your eye on one of the 2022 limited editions, now’s your chance. We have all of the standard Traveler’s Notebooks covers and accessories in stock as well.

8. Lochby Cases and Covers. We have the full range of Lochby cases in stock, including both the popular Field Journal notebook covers (capable of holding up to six A5 inserts), as well as the Quattro four-pen case.

9. Mark'style Tous Les Jours Needle-tip Ballpoints. Looking for an excellent needle-tip ballpoint to annotate books you’re reading and/or write small in your planner? Consider these hexagonal woodcase clicky pens that use a needle-tip Ohto refill.

10. Gently Used Items in the T.G.S. Curated Shop. Occasionally we offer for sale gently used pens, inks, and other stationery products from the “review side” of the site. Currently available options includes a first-run Leonardo Momento Zero in “Primary Manipulation”.

Pen Review: Nahvalur Nautilus Ebonite Fountain Pen

Last week, I looked at the Nahvalur “Original Plus,” the updated vacuum-filler version of the Nahvalur “Original” fountain pen, and this week I’ll turn my attention to what is fast becoming Nahvalur’s “flagship”: the Nautilus fountain pen. Originally released under the Narwhal branding - with some current models still featuring the “Narwhal” engraving and logo on both the nib and cap band - the Nautilus has been around for a few years but recently has gained traction following a series of special editions and pen show exclusives in unique ebonites. The two pens I’m looking at in this post include a pen show exclusive that I received in Atlanta (the blue striated limited edition, numbered 205/400) and the “Stylophora Berry” release that I picked up in D.C. at the Nahvalur table.

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Two different ebonites: striated blue (left) and “Stylophora Berry” (right).

Design and Build Quality

The Nautilus has received quite a bit of attention since its release due to its distinctive looks, which are plainly inspired by its namesake, the famed submarine from Jules Verne’s 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. (RIP best Disney ride ever.) Nautical motifs predominate, including a torpedo/submarine shape, an engraved “waves” pattern on the cap band, and three “porthole” ink windows, which I consider more of a design flourish than anything else. The “portholes” can sometimes struggle to let in enough light to offer great visibility on the ink supply, but it’s still a cool visual touch nonetheless.

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The porthole ink window and engraved cap band (still showing Narwhal branding, as this pen was released prior to the rebrand).

By far, my favorite aspect of the Nautilus fountain pen is Nahvalur’s use of premium ebonite in striking striated patterns. Why do I enjoy ebonite as a material for fountain pens? For starters, it feels solid in the hand - lightweight yet sturdy, with a warmth that acrylics and resins sometimes lack. You get a lot of visually interesting variation in the material that exudes some of the vintage vibe you get from celluloid or cellulose acetate without the price premium that those materials command.

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Writing Experience

Given its shape, the Nautilus obviously doesn’t post. Nonetheless, this is a well-balanced pen that’s incredibly comfortable to write with, even for extended periods of time. Like the Original Plus, the nib on the Nautilus is smooth and requires very little pressure to write. The dark blue Nautilus pictured here initially featured a round double-broad (BB) nib with a lot of tipping - not usually my cup of tea - and while it wrote well out of the box, I chose to have it ground to a “Mini-Naginata”-style nib by C.Y. of Tokyo Station Pens. It’s of course now an excellent writer. My Stylophora Berry Nautilus (the purple pen) has a standard Nahvalur fine nib, and while it definitely writes on the broader side for a “fine”, the consistently wet line makes for a pleasant writing experience.

The engraving on the nib is the same as on the Original Plus, though both of these Nautilus pens have rose gold nibs and trim. As a general observation, Nahvalur fountain pens tend to feature a fair bit of tipping, making them excellent platforms for nib customization (especially in the “B” and “BB” nib widths).

Since it’s a piston filler, the Nautilus holds a lot of ink, making it a writer’s workhorse. I’ve had one of these pens in rotation at any given time since late Spring, and I’ve especially enjoyed using them in my journals for longer sessions at night and early in the morning. Larger, unique pens like the Nautilus tend to be a bit too “conversation-piece-y” for my office environment, but I have taken them to work with me, and there’s absolutely no reason why you couldn’t rely on this pen as your daily driver. I will note that for whatever reason, I’ve found that ebonite pens don’t necessarily travel well in that they tend to burp ink in response to air pressure and temperature changes more than other types of pens. If you’re looking for a pen to take on an airplane, go with the Original Plus, which features a shutoff valve.

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Writing samples for the Nahvalur Nautilus standard fine nib (top) in Wearingeul Metamorphosis, and custom-ground BB nib (bottom) in Anderillium Colossal Squid Dark. The Anderillium “Cephalopod” ink series seems like a great match conceptually for these pens. Writing sample is on Life Noble Note paper in grid layout.

Takeaways and Where to Buy

One reason why I love the Nautilus is that there’s nothing quite like it currently on the market. If I had to choose a “peer” pen, I would compare it to something like the Opus 88 Jazz or Omar (with a slight price increase to account for the piston and the premium ebonite), and the standard Leonardo Momento Zero with a steel nib. I would avoid calling any of these pens direct “competitors,” because they are extremely different aesthetically, and Nahvalur pens definitely have their own unique visuals and writing feel.

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You can really see the unique pattern in the ebonite on the sections of both pens.

As Nahvalur has grown as a company and expanded its retail presence, the Nautilus lineup has likewise expanded and can now be found at most Nahvalur retailers. The T.G.S. Curated Shop currently stocks the Nahvalur Nautilus in the aubergine “Stylophora Berry” ebonite pictured here, priced at $160. There will be more versions joining in the near future. As I’ve mentioned before, one of the major things I look for when deciding to bring new items (and especially pens) into the shop is value, and after six months of regular use, the Nautilus continues to impress at this price point. Any time a company releases a unique-looking ebonite piston filler under $200, they have my attention, and I look forward to seeing what Nahvalur has in store for this particular model in the future.

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A size comparison, showing two Nahvalur Nautilus fountain pens with, from left, the Nahvalur Original Plus in Gold Ocellatus, a TWSBI 580, and a Schon DSGN full-size.

Disclaimer: The T.G.S. Curated Shop is an authorized retailer of select Nahvalur Fountain Pens, including the Nahvalur Original Plus and Nautilus “Stylophora Berry” pictured here. While I acquired the Stylophora Berry with my own funds, I did receive the blue “Pelagia Noctiluca” for review purposes, free of charge. This post does not contain third-party affiliate links.

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

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.

Sunday Reading for October 2, 2022

1. 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.

2. 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.

3. Newsflash: Cosmo Air Light (via Well-Appointed Desk). Daryl at Musubi broke the news last week that Cosmo Air Light paper was being discontinued.

4. Kokuyo Auxiliary Hardcover Notebook (via Blake’s Broadcast). Kokuyo makes excellent hardcover notebooks, and these bound ledger-style notebooks look very interesting.

5. 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.

6. 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.

7. 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.

8. 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.

9. 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?

10. 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.

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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!)

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

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.

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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.

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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.

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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).

Further Reading and Retail Options

I’ve previously written several different posts on the Traveler’s Notebook system, which describe various layouts I’ve used over the years, how I went about cutting down the Stalogy half-year notebook, and a short guide on how to attach multiple refills and literally stuff the notebook to the gills. In short, there’s a lot out there if you’re curious. (Pro Tip: These notebooks are capable of holding MUCH more than two refills, and I can’t emphasize enough the versatility of the system. The benefit of having a large established community of users is that you can run a simple internet search and immediately discover dozens of ways to set up the notebook.)

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I do have to admit, I’m biased towards this system because I love the aesthetic, the spirit behind it, and the “go-anywhere” functionality. When I started up the T.G.S. Curated Shop, one of the products on my shortlist of things I wanted to carry was the Traveler’s Notebook, and Traveler’s Company was kind enough to immediately approve me as a retailer even though I was small and just starting out. I’m glad so many people seem to agree that this is a wonderfully versatile system that can bring you years of enjoyment even as your needs evolve over time. If this system interests you, you can check out the full range of Traveler’s Notebooks and Accessories in our curated selection of goods.

This post is part of a larger ongoing series on Notebook Systems. If you missed the first two installments, you can get caught up starting with Part I, which gives a general overview of Notebook Systems and System Techo in general, and Part II, which specifically discusses the Plotter ring-based system and how I’ve been using it. This post does not contain third-party affiliate links or paid sponsorships, as the Gentleman Stationer is supported entirely by purchases from the T.G.S. Curated Shop and pledges via the T.G.S. Patreon Program.