Sunday Reading for April 2, 2023

1. Atlanta Pen Show Weekend (via Well-Appointed Desk). I won’t make the show on Sunday - have to go home and get cracking on those taxes! - but if you’re in the area be sure to visit Ana at the Vanness Pens Table and Jesi at Dromgoole’s.

2. In Defense of the Slow, Inefficient Read … and the Long Point Pencil (via mnmlscholar). I’m glad to see that at least one other person has rejected the seemingly ubiquitous urgings for us all to become “speed readers”, as opposed to actually processing what choose to consume.

3. Platinum 3776 Coarse Nib Review (via Blake’s Broadcast). Platinum’s new “Coarse” nib has received a lot of attention lately, particularly as a platform for custom nib grinds since it has a lot of tipping material.

4. Awol: A Quick Life Update (via A Fleeting Ripple). It’s amazing how much difference a change of scenery can make to those of us who love our analog “stuff,” and how this can affect our happiness with where we live.

5. Shibui North Pocket Fox (via Rachel’s Reflections). I’ve never heard of this brand, but I love the pattern on the nib.

6. f-inks F1 SS316 Fountain Pen (via Rants of the Archer). A new fountain pen brand from the Philippines is launching? Here’s one that looks worth monitoring, as I generally love pens with this specific shape.

7. Caran d’Ache “Ultra Violet” Ink Review (via Scrively). Another blog that will be writing “lefty-specific” ink reviews, for those of you with overwriter concerns about fountain pen inks and whether they will smear.

8. Itoya Profolio A5 Notebook Review (via Pen Addict - Jeff). I recently had a chance to try out the paper in these notebooks and came away enjoying it. If you enjoy paper like Clairefontaine Seyes-ruled, consider giving this one a try.

9. What I’m Using This Week (via From the Pen Cup). Cool idea from Mary on how to make sure you’re rotating through all of the pens and pencils in your collection!

10. Traveler’s Short Trip Passport Size (via Well-Appointed Desk). If you visit the Traveler’s/Plotter table at a pen show, often you’ll find some Japan-only or more “experimental” refill options, like this short-version.

People shouldn’t sleep on the Laban Inks - they’re excellent. (Burkina Leonardo not included with purchase;))

In Case You Missed It…

This weekend I took a quick trip to the Atlanta Pen Show as an attendee-only, with my daughter. It was a lot of fun bringing her to her first “real” pen show, and I may write a feature at some point about introducing kids to fountain pens and how to introduce them to shows. Earlier in the week I reviewed two additional inks from the Laban “Greek Mythology” Ink series, Poseidon Green and Hera Dark Green, both of which are excellent everyday users in an ink line that’s increasingly becoming a staple for me.

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The Pilot Custom 74 (left) and the Pilot Custom 823 (right) fountain pens feature two of the most consistent, reliable nibs available.

Big News from the T.G.S. Curated Shop: Introducing Pilot Pens and Ink!

Though it’s been overshadowed a bit by Atlanta Pen Show travels, on Thursday we announced that The Gentleman Stationer is now an authorized retailer of Pilot Pens and inks, starting with our favorite Custom 823 and Custom 74 fountain pens and the entire line of Iroshizuku Inks! Our focus as retailers is on pens that you can use “all-day, every day,” and you can’t do much better than one of Pilot’s “Custom Series” as your daily workhorse. Check out our Thursday Drops post for the full list of new arrivals, which also includes the recently released TWSBI ECO “Persian Green”.

Pilot

TWSBI

Platinum

Life Stationery

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T.G.S. Patreon is currently the only non-shop means of support for the site, and features not only access to meetups and early gently used sales, but more exclusive content. Patreon support starts as low as $3 per month, and if you pay annually there is a further discount. In addition to purchases from The Curated Shop, Patreon allows us to continue to grow the site without relying on advertisements and affiliate marketing. If you’re interested in meetups and exclusive content, or simply supporting the site, we greatly appreciate your support! Our next meetup will be at our typical time, which is the third Saturday of every month at 8:30pm U.S. Central Time. Details are circulated through the Patreon feed, so Patreon members should be sure to sign up to get updates/alerts.

Pen Show Season Continues: The Atlanta Pen Show Is Today!

Well, technically it started yesterday, but I’m doing a one-day trip to the Atlanta Pen Show this year given how much travel I’ve done recently. My daughter wanted to go to a pen show, so we’re on the road once again and plan to visit the show on Saturday (and maybe Sunday) as attendees! I’ll be posting photos of the show from my Instagram account, so if you’d like to track our adventures you can follow along there. If you’re planning on attending the show, check out the full list of exhibitors beforehand, and you won’t want to miss the following vendors who are Atlanta-area locals (or at least relatively so):

• Total Office Products / The Pen Show. Jimmy Dolive has been the Atlanta Pen Show organizer for years, and always does a great job. Be sure to visit his table for limited and special edition modern pens.

• Ryan Krusac Pens. Ryan’s carved scrimshaw pens are always one of my first stops at any show, and he typically brings a large inventory to Atlanta.

• Carolina Pen Company (Jonathon Brooks). Jonathon is based right across the state line in South Carolina, making Atlanta his “home show.”

• Mythic Pens. I’m looking forward to spending some time at Brad’s table, which I missed during my short Atlanta Pen Show trip last year.

• Stacy Robinson Pens. The “Navigator” model (pictured above) was one of my favorite discoveries from 2022, and I ended up taking home three of those pens from Atlanta. I can’t wait to see what Stacy has today.

If you’re attending the show, enjoy! I always enjoy visiting the Atlanta Pen Show as it’s definitely on the smaller side and is quite easy to navigates, especially for first-time pen show attendees. You can read my recap of the 2022 show here.

The Gentleman Stationer is supported entirely by purchases from the T.G.S. Curated Shop and pledges via the T.G.S. Patreon Program.

Thursday Drops: Pilot Fountain Pens, Iroshizuku Inks, and More!

At long last, we’re pleased to welcome Pilot to the T.G.S. Curated Shop! We currently have both the Pilot Custom 74 Fountain Pen and the Pilot Custom 823 Fountain Pen available in all colors and nib sizes. In addition to our existing stock of inks and refills, we have added the entire line of Pilot Iroshizuku Inks, as well as standard Pilot bottled inks and cartridges.

The Pilot Custom 823, with its vacuum-filling system and large 14k nib, is a classic workhorse. Included with every pen is a large bottle of Pilot/Namiki Blue ink.

Happy shopping, and we look forward to further expanding our product lines in the coming weeks. Stay tuned!

1. Pilot Custom 74. Of all the pens I’ve regretted selling over the years, the one I miss the most is an older violet Pilot Custom 74 that I no longer own (and which, of course, is no longer made). As we build out the Curated Shop, we’re focused on the workhorse pens that are a years-long mainstay on the T.G.S. “Best Pens” list.

2. Pilot Custom 823. As with the Custom 74 above, the Custom 823 is a slightly larger, reliable everyday writer that holds a ton of ink in its high-capacity vacuum-filling system. It’s an excellent pen for travel, both due to the ink capacity and the shutoff valve that protects you from spills while flying.

3. TWSBI ECO Persian Green Fountain Pen (Pre-Order). The latest TWBSI Eco release will arrive tomorrow and start shipping over the weekend. Reserve yours now!

4. Platinum Preppy Wa “Modern Maki-e” Limited Edition. These gorgeous limited edition versions of the Platinum Preppy bring Maki-e style artwork to the everyday. Featuring six silk-screened designs of traditional Japanese motifs.

5. Nahvalur Nautilus Cephalopod Black and Bronze Corydoras Fountain Pens. It’s hard to go wrong with classic black ebonite, especially when paired with antiqued bronze or blacked out trim.

6. Pilot Iroshizuku Fountain Pen Inks. Pilot’s luxury Iroshizuku lineup contains some of the best fountain pen ink on the market, in my opinion. Featuring as many as 24 colors inspired by the scenery of Japan, these inks are reliable performers that come in a gorgeous (and sturdy) glass bottle.

7. J. Herbin Fountain Pen Inks. As I’ve moved back to more “basic” (read: lower-maintenance) stationery in my own life, I’ve rediscovered the J. Herbin inks, particularly colors such as Vert Empire and Bleu des Profondeurs.

8. Life Noble Note Notebooks. Life Stationery makes excellent fountain pen friendly paper, and we now offer the standard Life Noble Note notebooks in both A4 and A5 sizes.

9. Life Specialty Paper. In addition to the Noble Note series, Life makes specialty paper products that include Bank Paper pads, Airmail-style writing paper, Stenographer’s Notebooks, and more!

10. Midori Multi-Year Diaries. Looking for an easier way to develop a daily journaling habit? How about a multi-year diary that only requires you to write a few lines for each day. We have the 10-year, Five-year, and Three-year versions in stock.

The Gentleman Stationer is an authorized retailer of all brands sold.

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Sui-Gyoku is one of the new arrivals in the Iroshizuku lineup. This one could be a favorite. I love the color. Shown here on Tomoe River 52g paper.

Ink Review: Laban Greek Mythology Poseidon Green and Hera Dark Green

The Laban Greek Mythology Inks continue to impress me with their range of colors, and today I’ll look at the two excellent greens from the lineup (though one I would characterize as a bit more blue/teal). Either way, as someone who loves ink in both of these particular shades, both the Poseidon Green (Blue?) and Hera Dark Green have become standbys in my work pens.

Laban Poseidon Green (or Blue? or Teal?)

First up is “Poseidon Green,” which I view as more of a teal/turquoise blue, but whatever you might call this color, I love it. It’s actually the first ink from this series that I tried, and it has some wonderful shading properties in a nib that provides line variation, especially in those places where the ink pools on the paper. Laban nailed the color matching here. Poseidon (Roman equivalent: Neptune) is the ancient Greek god of the sea, and while this particular color may not necessarily evoke the ocean where I personally go to the beach, they’ve attempted to capture the blue of the Mediterranean islands.

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Not a trident, but a fountain pen!

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Laban Hera Dark Green

Hera Dark Green is more of your traditional dark green “workhorse ink”. Hera (Roman equivalent: Juno) is the ancient Greek goddess of marriage and “the home,” so I’m not sure I see the connection between the dark green color of this ink and Hera’s traditional affiliations, but it’s a lovely ink nonetheless. As with Poseidon, you’ll experience some shading, with dark teal and grey undertones. Both Poseidon and Hera are drier inks than some of the other Laban colors like Athena Grey, Artemis Navy Blue, and Demeter Brown. That’s not to say they hard-start or dry up in the pen, and I’ve never had that issue with either. It’s more that I’ve noticed they take very little time to dry, making them quite good for work. These are two of the better Laban inks for working on cheaper papers at the office.

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Takeaways and Where to Buy

Laban continues to impress me with the Greek Mythology series. As I’ve mentioned before, it’s one of the few ink lines where I purchased a bottle of every color as quickly as I could, but again that says just as much about my personal fascination with mythology as it does about their excellent quality.

You can purchase the Laban Greek Mythology Inks directly from us in the T.G.S. Curated Shop, priced at $25 for a 50ml bottle. At this point, I’ve almost made my way through the entire lineup of the Laban Greek Mythology inks, and have reviewed Athena Grey and Artemis Navy Blue, Apollo Orange and Aphrodite Pink, and Ares Red. Some really interesting options remain, including Demeter Brown, Hermes Sky Blue, and Zeus Purple. Stay tuned as I round out this series of ten!

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My Leonardo Momento Zero Maestro in Burkina Celluloid, alongside my Montblanc 146 UNICEF (with the small sapphire on top).

Bonus! The Return of Two Favorite Pens with New Nib Grinds

Back in September at the San Francisco Pen Show, I left a handful of pens with Gena at Custom Nib Studio for modification. Just before the Arkansas Pen Show, I received my pens in the mail, including two to which Gena had added their “Perspective” grind that I love so much. Both of these grinds are just as good as the original I had added to my Pelikan M800 Stone Garden and reviewed last year. You’ll notice that both pens I’ve used for today’s ink reviews feature Perspective nibs, which I highly recommend to those who are looking for some of the line variation of an Architect without the sharp edges. Plus, you get the ability to change line width from EF to Medium by adjusting your writing angle!

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The Gentleman Stationer is supported entirely by purchases from the T.G.S. Curated Shop and pledges via the T.G.S. Patreon Program, and is an authorized retailer of all brands sold, including Laban.

New Arrivals: Bank Paper, Typewriting Paper, and Airmail Paper from Life Stationery!

After a bit of an unintentional hiatus, Life Paper - including all specialty varieties - is back in stock! Favorites include the 100-sheet Bank Paper pads in both Letter and A5 sizes, Typewriting Paper, and the new (to us) ultra-lightweight Airmail paper. We even added the spiral bound stenographer’s notebook in classic Gregg-style ruling. Whether you’re looking for dedicated correspondence paper or the classic Noble Note writing pads and notebooks, all of the Life stationery is fountain pen friendly.

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Life is one of the few brands that continues to make specialty papers such as Bank Paper, Typewriting Paper, and Stenographer’s notebooks.

Visit our Curated Paper shop to view our full selection, as we continue to add new brands regularly. Many thanks for your support!

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I love the classic green chipboard cover.

The Gentleman Stationer is supported entirely by purchases from the T.G.S. Curated Shop and pledges via the T.G.S. Patreon Program. We are authorized resellers of all brands sold.