New Arrivals: Large Format Notebooks (Composition Books and A4)

While most of my work-related daily notetaking occurs in smaller, more portable A5 and B6 slim notebooks, for longer writing and drafting (and sometimes for visual projects) I prefer to work with a larger canvas. In these cases, I go to the A4 size or a composition book. I’ve shown off pictures of my Midori MD Cotton F3 (the big size) notebook, which fits the Midori A4 paper cover. Lately, this has served as my “ink journal,” but I’m also thinking of adding a couple of the Midori A4 MD Light in lined or grid to use in a couple of ongoing work projects.

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The Midori MD A4-sized cover, shown next to the 5 Years Diary for scale.

Midori MD Cotton F3 and MD Light A4 Notebooks are currently available in the shop, along with other sizes of the MD Light and Midori MD Notebooks. For those who favor a traditional “Composition Book” size, we carry the wonderfully fountain pen friendly Rhodia Composition Books, as well as a range of fun designs from Mr. Boddington’s Studio. For those who prefer A4 spiral or staple-bound notebooks, check out our offerings from Maruman Mnemosyne and Clairefontaine.

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

Giveaway Monday: Pen Stand + Ink, Courtesy of Anderillium!

Continuing our string of giveaways throughout the month of June, today we have a 3D-printed pen and ink stand, plus a bottle of ink, courtesy of Anderillium! All you have to do is leave a comment on this post, or the accompanying post over on Instagram, to enter. The giveaway will run through Sunday, June 25 at 11:59pm CT, at which point I will number the comments and pick a winner using a random number generator.

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Colossal Squid Dark from the Cephalopod Series

The winner can choose any bottle of Anderillium Ink (that we have in stock) to accompany their pen stand. Need an idea for a comment? Tell us your favorite Anderillium color!

The Gentleman Stationer is supported by purchases from the T.G.S. Curated Shop and pledges via the T.G.S. Patreon Program. Many thanks for reading!

Sunday Reading for June 18, 2023

1. Finding Each Other: Social Media (via A Fleeting Ripple). This is a great idea for a post - most forms of social media are constantly changing, including in the fountain pen world, and it’s important to keep up with where people are as certain communities we’ve come to rely on to connect us change (or close altogether). See the last section of this post for details on where you can find me on social media and/or the broader internet these days.

2. #21PenQuestions from Inkdependence (via Inkdependence). This was a fun read. I’m going to go start working on my answers.

3. Finding the Purposeful Center of Writing in Analog (via mnmlscholar). A thoughtful reflection on why and how we do the work we do, and may or may not choose to do it in analog form.

4. Montblanc 149 Calligraphy Curved Nib (via Scrively). Depending on how you hold this pen (similar to a Kodachi or Naginata-Togi-style nib), you apparently can get some very nice line variation in a single nib. It’s interesting to see Montblanc get involved selling these kinds of nibs.

5. Kuretake Gansai Tambi Portable Watercolor Palette (via Fueled by Clouds and Coffee). While I don’t own a Watercolor Palette, or even any watercolors, I’ve long been curious about how palettes are used and refilled.

6. Life Schöpfer Notebook Review (via Blake’s Broadcast). Blake reviews a vintage exercise book-style notebook from Japanese stationery company Life.

7. Kaweco Bronze Sport (via Dapprman). While it’s a more expensive option, I also enjoy how bronze works as a material on pens.

8. Ink of the Week - Visconti Blue (via Fountain Pen Love). Visconti inks used to receive a lot more attention than they do today. They make a generally well-regarded blue ink that’s aptly described here as a bright “pure” blue.

9. Montblanc Writer’s Edition Franz Kafka Review (via SBRE Brown). The insect engraving on the nib does it for me.

10. Seven Years of Morning Pages (via From the Pen Cup). That sort of consistency is a huge accomplishment. Congratulations!

11. The Pen that Started It All (via Pen Addict - Kimberly). Everyone has that one first pen that kicked off the hobby for them. Mine was a Waterman Laureate.

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In Case You Missed It….

This week on the blog, we featured a guest post from R.B. Lemberg titled “The Ark of Pens,” which contained their thoughts on collecting and the fountain pen hobby. Since I’ve been doing a LOT of writing and editing this week, I’ve been using a combination of workhorse Pilot pens and blue-black inks. I wrote a post on six of my blue-black inks of choice, after I noticed that they showed a surprising amount of variation. Finally the YouTube Channel has a new “Currently Inked” video, in which I talk about three of the capless/retractable fountain pens I’ve been using lately.

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The Platinum Matte Curidas Fountain Pen comes with everything you need to get started writing!

This Week in the T.G.S. Curated Shop - Plus a Father’s Day Promotion

First things first: Through tonight at 11:59pm CT, grab an extra 10% off certain paper and desk accessories in the T.G.S. Curated Shop using the code “DAD10” at checkout. Also, if you’re looking for a last-minute gift (for Father’s Day or any occasions), after repeated request there I’ve introduced an electronic gift card option.

New arrivals this past week include the Matte Curidas Retractable Fountain Pen from Platinum, available in all three colors. We’ve also restocked on Midori MD Cotton Paper in both the pad and notebook format, and have A4 sized Midori MD Light Notebooks.

Platinum

Write Notepads

Anterique

Endless

Where Am I Online? (Other than Here)

Prompted by Dennis’ post above, maybe this is a good time to take a moment to talk about where I live in the online pen world, and where you can find me other than here on the primary T.G.S. website. I’m most active on Instagram (@gentlemanstationer), given that the visual aspect of pens, ink, and paper lends itself to a more photo and video-intensive application. While I do repost content to Twitter (@vintagegntlmn), for those of you who I know use it like a news feed, lately I’ve been more active on Mastodon (@gentlemanstationer.mastodon.social) since I feel that community tends to lend itself to more civil discussion and has a growing stationery contingent.

While I’m interested in participating more in communities such as Twitch, Slack, Discord and Reddit (u/gentlemanstationer and r/gentlemanstationer), and agree that all of those platforms have vibrant communities of enthusiasts, my time commitments are limited and I can’t really do anything justice by trying to engage everywhere on a deep level. Because any content/advice/interactions you have on traditional social media can be fleeting and subject to the whims of third-parties who probably don’t have “growing community” and preserving knowledge long-term as their central aim, my central point of engagement will always be here at T.G.S., since I own the platform and have a large degree of control over what happens to my content and can take steps to keep the dialog on a respectful level. If you’d like to participate in more personal interaction (including monthly meetups), consider joining our Patreon. I’m also working on more video content over on the T.G.S. YouTube Channel.

As always, many thanks for your support!

Tones Within Tones: Blue-Black Inks of Choice

We’re running a sale this weekend in the shop for Father’s Day - through 11:59pm on Sunday, June 18, take 10% off paper and desk accessories using the coupon code “DAD10” at checkout!

A while back I did an "inks of choice" post in which, for the first time, I discussed my favorite inks by broad color category. This wasn't easy, as many of the colors I love and use on a regular basis aren't easy to categorize. Is it a blue? A blue-black? A dusky purple? Is this a yellow or an orange? A red or a brown? Is burgundy it's own color family? (You get the idea.)

Lately I've been involved in a project at my job that has required me to do more writing than I've done in a long time, given my mostly supervisory responsibilities at this point in my career. This has resulted in (1) a lot of different pens getting written dry; and (2) lots of different pens getting inked up, mainly with unassuming blue-black inks chosen for both performance and the fact that they're less distracting than other brighter options. Whenever I get caught up in a project like this one, and find myself looking at multiple inks in the same color family, I end up struck by how much variation there is among supposedly "identical" inks and ultimately realize that it's a key part of why I have so much fun with this hobby. Here, you have six inks that vary pretty wildly, even within brands. At the same time, it’s fun to see the commonalities that certain brands have, like that Pilot red sheen!

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My standard ink testing paper is Midori MD Cotton. It accurately reflects color despite being slightly off-white, and showcases ink properties such as sheen and shading fairly well.

Five Inks of Choice (Blue-Black)

Iroshizuku Tsuki-Yo. Tsuki-Yo won the "Blue-Black" slot in the "Favorite Inks" post, and as I mentioned in that post, the main reason I love Tsuki-Yo so much is because it's not your traditional blue-black ink. Typically translated as "Moonlight", this ink features a navy undertone with reddish sheen - an office-friendly ink with just enough subtlety to make it interesting for fountain pen aficionados.

Iroshizuku Shin-Kai. Shin-Kai is what I would call the "true" blue-black in the Iroshizuku lineup. Typically translated as "Deep Sea," Shin-Kai somewhat resembles standard Pilot Blue-Black, but dries to an almost steel grey with blue undertones and, again, red sheen.

Pilot Blue-Black. Whenever I get a new Vanishing Point or other Pilot cartridge-converter pen, often the first ink to run through that pen is a standard Pilot Blue-Black ink cartridge. This particular ink has a degree of water-resistance, which is one reason why so many people enjoy it. What surprises me the most with this ink is the degree of red sheen this ink exhibits, which is even more pronounced than its Iroshizuku counterparts.

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I forget how much red sheen Pilot inks exhibit, until I swatch them next to other brands. The standard Pilot Blue-Black is kind of crazy, though the sheen only really comes out

Caran d'Ache Magnetic Blue. The "Grey-Blue-Black" of this group, albeit with purple (?) undertones when wet, Caran d'Ache Magnetic Blue is the most "traditional" blue-black ink of this group. It exhibits some shading but no sheen.

Platinum Blue-Black. Another standard Japanese blue-black ink that I use primarily in cartridge form, Platinum Blue-Black is more blue than other options, and also shows a good degree of water resistance.

Sailor Nano Souboku. Sailor makes a line of "nano" pigmented inks that are permanent, yet still "safe" for use in fountain pens. I've reviewed Kiwa-Guro (the "Nano-Black") in the past, but I've had this pack of the blue-black Souboku cartridges for more than a year and figured that I needed to put them through the rotation. Souboku looks almost teal when wet, and dries to a lighter blue-black shade than the other inks shown here. I like the Sailor "Nano" pigmented inks because they are permanent and tend to perform well on even the cheapest of office papers.

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These three are the more “standard” blue-black inks that I’ve used.

Note: Why so many cartridges, you may ask? During my office reorganization/clean-out project from earlier this year, I came across more than a dozen boxes of cartridges, some of which had to be tossed because the ink had evaporated. Cartridges don't last forever, so if you have them, use them!

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

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Look Ma! No Bleed-through!

Thursday Drops: Summing Up the New 2023 Fountain Pen Arrivals

We’re reaching the six-month midpoint of 2023, and typically around this time I’m on vacation and using the time off to summarize my favorite releases, reviews, and store arrivals for the year. Due to some family travel, our schedule has been thrown a bit and vacation moved up to last month, so for the first time in years I’m actually spending the month of June at home! I’ll of course be doing some mid-year recaps, but perhaps with a slightly different approach than in the past.

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From Left: Endless Creator, Pilot Vanishing Point, and Platinum Matte Curidas

In the shop, 2023 has seen us build out our selection of fountain pens, after spending the first two years thinking very carefully about what we wanted to carry. To date, the focus has been on “workhorse” pens that you can use for daily writing, spanning a range of price points, filling systems, and designs that now include a couple of recently released retractable nib pens. Today’s post highlights what we’ve added so far this year, and we have more on the way!

1. Lamy 2000 Fountain Pen. Since starting the shop, I’ve been waiting to bring in the Lamy 2000 line in its entirety, and we’re most of the way there. By far my favorite workhorse for everyday writing, the Lamy 2000 is one of my most-recommended fountain pens for those looking for a no-nonsense piston filler.

2. Pilot Custom 74 Fountain Pen. Similar to the Lamy 2000, the Pilot Custom 74 is one of those no-brainer recommendations where it’s hard to go wrong. Now available in 8 different demonstrator finishes with EF through Broad 14k nibs. Check out my recent “Review Revisited” for a closer look at the Custom 74.

3. Pilot Custom 823 Fountain Pen. Slightly larger than the Custom 74 and featuring a high-capacity vacuum filling system, the Pilot Custom 823 is the first “upgrade” for many fountain pen enthusiasts looking for a more technical fountain pen that’s remains approachable and not overly complex. The Custom 823 got the “Workhorse Pens” review treatment back in April.

4. Kaweco Sport and Skyline Sport Fountain Pens. Of course you need a pocket fountain pen in your rotation, and the standard Kaweco Sport (gold trim) and Skyline Sport (silver trim) is the first stop for most. It’s really hard to compete with the Mocha, Mint, and Fox Skyline colors!

5. Platinum Curidas Matte Fountain Pens. A retractable fountain pen? Of course we need one in our lineup. You can say I’m sort of obsessed with these Matte Curidas pens at the moment, especially the blue. I hope that Platinum continues to make this specific model.

6. Endless Creator Retractable Fountain Pen. I’m happy to see that there is more of a pricing spectrum with retractable nib fountain pens. Endless - makers of the “Recorder” notebook series, has released their “Creator” fountain pen at the $50 price point, and so far I’ve been impressed at what they’ve been able to do here with an original design while still keeping the price relatively accessible.

7. Platinum Preppy Wa “Modern Maki-e” Limited Editions. One reason I absolutely love the Preppy Wa is because it brings the fun of fountain pen limited editions to the lowest price point of all. The Platinum Preppy is an excellent entry level fountain pen, and the “Wa” series (now in it’s third rendition), continues with these Maki-e style designs.

8. Lamy AL-Star, Safari, and Vista. We plan to begin carrying the standard Lamy colors of the AL-Star and Safari in the near future, and currently stock a selection of the special release colors, including the Lilac and Petrol AL-Star fountain pens.

9. TWSBI Special Releases, including the ECO-T Saffron, ECO Persian Green, and Diamond Mini Grape. I may have to do a post specific to TWSBI in the near future, because over the past 12 months they have released some of my all-time favorite editions in some of my favorite colors. (Saffron and Purple? These could turn into classic TWSBI releases.)

10. Nahvalur Original Plus New Colors and Trim. Originally announced late last year, Nahvalur reworked it’s “Original” lineup to include a vacuum filling system in the original transparent acrylic demonstrators, and then two new models with rose gold trim.

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