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The Gentleman Stationer

Vintage Living in the Modern World.
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Thursday Drops: Summer Sangria Ink Giveaway, Hinze Crimson Nibs and More!

July 20, 2023

I’m simultaneously excited and somewhat sad to make this announcement: We are down to fewer than 10 remaining Hinze collaboration pens, and while I originally thought I would be able to bring some with me to the D.C. Pen Show the first week of August, that may not be the case. (I would really be surprised if they lasted until San Francisco at the end of August.) All that’s to say: If you’ve had your eyes on one of these, especially with the red nib, you don’t want to wait. To be clear, this isn’t a limited edition, and I’ll probably do more pens or something similar eventually, but I have other projects on my radar that will get attention first.

Crimson nib options are now available in all sizes!

To celebrate this milestone, we’re giving away one bottle of the “Summer Sangria” fountain pen ink that comes with every Hinze Pen! I ended up with an extra so I’m allowed to give it away. All you have to do is like this Instagram post and on Sunday after 11:59pm CT I will use a random number generator and draw a winner. Enjoy!

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

  1. T.G.S. x Hinze Collaboration Fountain Pen. Now available with the nano-plated nibs in crimson! We received a shipment of these gorgeous nibs yesterday, and have enough so that the fewer than 10 pens remaining can ship with either a black or crimson nib. (Note that if you want to take advantage of the pen + ink + Penwell bundle, by default that ships with the black nib, but send me a message and I will substitute the red at your request.)

  2. TWSBI ECO “Heat” Fountain Pen. I don’t think there could be a more seasonal release, whether you judge by either color or name. Alternatively, if anything with “heat” in the name is too much for you these days, we also have the cooler Cerulean Blue ECO, ECO-T Mint Blue, the “Ice Blue” Swipe, and more!

  3. Midori MD Dip Pen. Midori has expanded their lineup of pens this year to include not only their MD Fountain Pen and 70th Anniversary Fountain Pen and Ink, but this dip pen that includes the same fountain pen nib.

  4. TWSBI 580 AL Rose and ALR “Punch Pink”. We’re down to our last few of these two colors that will likely be discontinued in the near future. (They may already have been discontinued - this is the last remaining stock.)

  5. Stalogy Notebooks. The Stalogy 1/2-Year and 365-Day Notebooks have enough paper to cover their respective time periods - you can use them as daily notebooks, undated planners, or ignore the “daily” feature entirely and enjoy the lightweight paper and grid or dot ruling.

  6. Undated Calendar Stickers from Stalogy and Midori. Looking to add planner or calendar functionality to a standard notebook or undated planner? These stickers create an instant calendar page, and the Stalogy stickers can be moved!

  7. Laban Greek Mythology Fountain Pen Inks. We are fully restocked on the Laban Inks, including favorites such as Athena Grey, Artemis Navy Blue, and my favorite Aphrodite Pink!

  8. Composition Books. I personally love the classic composition book formats, and we have a range to offer! Mr. Boddington’s Studio makes what most would consider to be a “classic” composition book, while the Rhodia Composition Books contain excellent fountain pen friendly Rhodia paper.

  9. Midori XS Mini Stationery Kit. I’ve been keeping one of these mini-sized accessory kits tucked into my briefcase. They include a stapler,

  10. WMS & Co. Self-Inking Stamp. Honestly, my single-most-used desk accessory that isn’t pen and paper has lately been my self-inking stamp from WMS & Co. If you receive an order from us, it creates the “letterhead” portion of the note tucked into each order! The price includes both the nickel-plated stamp and a voucher for your custom imprint.

In TGS Curated Shop Tags Thursday Drops, TGS Curated Shop, TGS x Hinze Pens
1 Comment

2023 Bag Dump: What Do I Carry to Work?

July 19, 2023

Bag dump posts are insanely popular, whether on the internet or social media. I think mainly it’s because people (1) are generally nosy, and love to glean insights into other people’s lives via the things they carry with them; and (2) at least in the stationery community, would like some reassurance that they are not the only insane person who carries 12 fountain pens, three pads of A4 paper, a traveling inkwell, and 300 Post-it notes everywhere they go.

The main reason I’ve not done many true “bag dumps” in the past is because they can be difficult to photograph, and also because I have to be careful to protect the confidentiality of a lot of the papers, etc. that I carry with me for work. This is less of an issue recently since I’ve successfully taken a more paperless approach to certain work materials and try not to retain nearly as much in hard copy. More on that later! Meanwhile, here’s today’s bag dump:

Bag: Filson Original Twill Briefcase.

My go-to work carry remains my standard Filson briefcase in Otter Green. I love this bag not just because of its durability - it’s going on at least six years old - I find the interior well-organized and just big enough to fit all of my “daily needs” gear without becoming unwieldy. If I’m traveling for work or there’s a day when I need to carry larger physical files or other larger, heavier items like a bigger computer, I also have a Filson Zippered Tote.

My fountain pen carry from yesterday, from left: Pilot Custom 74 in Blue Stone, Sailor 1911 Large Black Luster, and my personal T.G.S. x Hinze Elementar.

Pens and Pencils: Versatility Is Key

For my workday, it won’t surprise you that I use many different pens, pencils, and highlighters. Currently, I’m carrying either a Rickshaw Bagworks three-pen sleeve or six-pen roll (both my own customized designs), or one of my Nock Co. Sinclair pen cases. As I’ve mentioned, I keep a lot of different fountain pens inked up, so if I want to switch out what I’m using on a daily basis I’ll typically just grab a different pen case that has new pens in it and rotate between them throughout the day. This week I’ve been carrying my Rickshaw Bagworks 3-pen sleeve with a Pilot Custom 74 in Blue Stone, a Sailor 1911 Large in Black Luster, and my personal T.G.S. x Hinze Pen Elementar (complete with the now-available Crimson nib).

Subtle matching.

Permanent residents in my work bag include a fistful of Pilot gel pens (currently Frixions, which I’ve enjoyed using, especially in the .4mm tip size), a Penco “Prime Timber” leadholder in Navy Blue, two Anterique click ballpoints, a Caran d’Ache “Black Code” ballpoint, a Caran d’Ache striped Paul Smith collaboration (no longer available, sorry!), and a pack of Kokuyo “Beetle-tip” Highlighters, which are a specialized Japanese highlighter that allows you to highlight in different line widths.

Notebooks and Paper: Paring it Back

One major difference you’ll notice is that I’ve pared back the number of notebooks I carry with me to work. Not only did I find that I wasn’t using them during the workday, but I felt less enjoyment mixing work and play by bringing my personal journals, etc. to the office, which isn’t really a “happy place” for me. I have a dedicated “work planner,” which is my William Hannah A5 in Agave/Mustard. While I plan to do a fuller write-up of this particular notebook system in the future, I generally love ring and disc-based planners/notebooks, and this one is mostly compatible with the Levenger Circa and Filofax refillable systems I use to archive work papers.

View fullsize William Hannah A5
View fullsize William Hannah A5 (Internal)

My Cortex Brand “Sidekick” covered notepad has been traveling to and from home with me, and it typically sits under my keyboard and serves as a repository for fleeting ideas and action items that I need to archive elsewhere. Once the page fills up, I’ll transfer these notes to another notebook/planner or digital app. I also carry one A4 pad (currently a Midori MD Grid) and one A5 pad (currently one of the Color Pads in blue), and I tend to burn through these pretty quickly so there is a lot of turnover.

I’ve really been leaning hard into the blue stationery lately, especially blue paper. From left, two Patreon thank-you notes on the way courtesy of G. Lalo Vergé de France, and the recently arrived Midori Soft Color Pad.

What I won’t get into here in any detail is tech/electronic products that I carry. It’s beyond the focus of the blog, though I may talk about it over on the Patreon in the future. That said, the computer sleeve (for my 2020 MacBook Air) is a Rickshaw Bagworks Horizontal Sleeve. My tablet of choice these days is a Remarkable 2 with the Typefolio (which I’m enjoying so far).

It looks like my last detailed bag dump post was from 2021, and while certain pieces of stationery I carry have been rotated out (probably not permanently), it’s comforting to see general overall consistency, which I take as an indication that I’m sticking to stuff that I use and not chasing trends. I’m on the road for a long weekend starting tomorrow, so Saturday’s post may look at my travel carry!

The Gentleman Stationer is supported entirely by purchases from the T.G.S. Curated Shop and pledges via the T.G.S. Patreon Program. This post does not contain paid third-party affiliate links.

In Bag Reviews, Editorial Tags Bag Dump, Editorial, Workflows
4 Comments

New Arrivals: More Midori! MD Soft Color A5 Writing Pads

July 18, 2023

More new arrivals from Midori! This week we receive a shipment of A5 Soft Color writing pads featuring 60 sheets of dot grid paper in the same colors as the popular Soft Color A5 soft cover notebooks. As you know, I really enjoy mixing things up by using fountain pen friendly paper in colors other than white, especially blues and greys. If this is something that interests you, we also offer G. Lalo laid writing paper and are actively working to bring in more!

The Gentleman Stationer is an authorized retailer of all brands sold, including Midori. Please visit the T.G.S. Curated Shop for the full range of fountain pen friendly paper and notebooks.

In TGS Curated Shop Tags Midori MD Soft Color, Midori MD, Paper, TGS Curated Shop
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Fun mail week!

Sunday Reading for July 16, 2017

July 16, 2023
  1. Journaling Series: An Introduction (via Writing at Large). This looks like the start of an excellent multi-part series on journaling. The first installment, Journaling for Mental Clarity, is available.

  2. 21+5 Questions Answered to Celebrate 8 Years of Writing at Large (via Writing at Large). Congratulations on the bloggiversary! Also, I enjoyed reading answers to the five additional questions - personal stories about how people came to this hobby and why they stay fascinate me.

  3. Ink Review: Sailor x Tinterias Inks (via Well-Appointed Desk). They got me. Blue Corn and Agave are on the way.

  4. Aurora Optima Auroloide Green (via Dapprman). I’m very happy with my own Optima in Green “Auroloide” material, and I consider it to be one of the better materials Aurora offers.

  5. If Not a Fountain Pen, Then What? (via Line Variation). The Pilot v5 needle-tip rollerball is an excellent, and often overlooked, option.

  6. Meet My New Brother (via KraftyCats). While I have a few typewriters, I’ve so far resisted the urge to get into full-on typewriter enthusiasm. Space and all!

  7. Galen Leather Everyday Notebook (via Blake’s Broadcast). If you’re looking for a leather-bound Tomoe River Paper notebook, and don’t mind blank paper, these Galen Leather notebooks are excellent options.

  8. Two Fun Nibs for Lefties (via Fountain Pen Blog). The Delike bent nibs have come highly recommended as an inexpensive option. Should I check one out?

  9. Endless Explorer Refillable Journal Review (via Pen Addict - Sarah). Fans of the larger-format Endless “Storyboard” notebooks may want to consider this multi-refill cover system.

  10. Top 10 Under-Appreciated Ink Brands (via Well-Appointed Desk). There are many good recommendations on this list. Just because an ink’s not trendy, or the brand has been around for a long time, doesn’t mean it’s “boring” or not worth pursuing. To the contrary, I consider that a sign of quality.

  11. P.W. Akkerman #8 Diep-Duinwaterblauw (via Fountain Pen Love). I don’t currently have any Akkerman inks in my collection. I truly miss the bottles. Is No. 8 a possibility?

In Case You Missed It…

This week on the blog, I reviewed a pen that’s been in my “to review” queue for quite some time: The Newton Hale fountain pen by custom penmaker Shawn Newton. I also asked a question that I’ve been curious about: Do people intentionally match their inks to pens? How much thought goes into the process of inking pens?

Finally, a new episode of “Currently Inked” hit the YouTube Channel Friday afternoon! Don’t miss this up-close look at our Hinze collaboration pen and ink!

This Week in the T.G.S. Curated Shop: Crimson Nibs on Hinze Pens Now Available!

Ok, so the big news that many of you are apparently waiting for: The Crimson nibs from Hinze Pens are on their way! I have re-upped the stock of TGS x Hinze Pens that are available for purchase with the Crimson Nib, and these should ship out to you mid-week. I do have one ask: If you have been intending to purchase a Hinze Pen, but have been waiting for the Crimson nib to come back in stock, I would be forever grateful if you “preorder” this weekend. The nibs are being express shipped to me tomorrow, which means that if I have an accurate count of how many Crimson nibs I need, it will streamline/simplify things for both me and the team at Hinze Pens who are currently working to anodize these and get them in the mail.

As noted throughout the week, we’ve also received several restocks recently, including A5 Stalogy Notebooks and Midori MD Dip Pens, among other things. Stay tuned, as we are bringing more stock in each week as we prepare for both the D.C. and San Francisco Pen Shows!

Stalogy
Stalogy
TWSBI
TWSBI
Platinum
Platinum
Anterique
Anterique

Other Ways to Support T.G.S. and Gently Used Update!

Everything that didn’t sell to Patreon members, including some older limited edition Baron Fig items and notebooks, is now available for general purchase on the “Gently Used” page! If you’re interested in early access and a right of first refusal for the periodic sales, consider T.G.S. Patreon, which features not only access to meetups and the 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!

In LInks Tags Links
1 Comment

Pen Problems: Do You Feel Compelled to Match Pens and Inks?

July 15, 2023

So despite my best efforts to limit the number of pens that I keep inked at any given time, this (see above) happened. Again. Honestly, it’s kind of unavoidable given the nature of what I do. I’ve come to accept that things will get out of hand, and that periodic “resets” are required. The good news is that many of these pens are almost written dry, and I’ve already rinsed and cycled out three or so this morning.

My Mid-Year “Currently Inked” list. This needs to get cut in half quickly.

Which brings me to an interesting question (to me, at least), that I considered as I wrote out this mid-year “Currently Inked” list: Do most people try to match their pens with specific ink colors, or even specific inks? I’ve definitely noticed certain patterns to how I tend to ink pens:

  • Black pens or clear demonstrators (but not color demonstrators) are typically “inkable” with any color.

  • Any delicate vintage pen or pen with stainable material such as celluloid tends to get inked with a blue, black, or blue-black ink.

  • Brightly colored pens are almost always matched with the same color ink. For example, in the picture above, my Sailor Pro Gear Kure Azure is inked with Caran d’Ache Hypnotic Turquoise - an almost perfect dead-on pairing. Similarly, purple pens are almost always matched with purple inks. (The TWSBI Diamond Mini in Grape gets Waterman Tender Purple. I say “almost” because my Jason Neil Penworks Tucker, which has purple accents, is currently inked with Laban Hera Green, and for some reason this pairing really seems to work.)

  • The closest I have to a “dedicated ink” for a specific pen is Pilot Blue-Black for all of my Pilot Vanishing Points and Decimos, and either Iroshizuku Shin-Kai or Tsuki-Yo for my Lamy 2000 100th Anniversary Bauhaus Blue. For whatever reason, these specific inks fit the “workhorse” nature of the pens, and I rarely deviate.

Do you have “rules” for inking pens? Feel free to share them in the comments! And for those curious, here is the full typed list of the pen and ink combinations in my “Currently Inked” list pictured above, if you can’t read my handwriting. :) Where I’ve reviewed the pens or otherwise have a listing/content on the site, I’ve linked to it here. Otherwise you may be able to guess what I’m working on and what might be coming soon!

  1. Montblanc 146 UNICEF Edition, Medium “Perspective” Nib with Laban Hera Green Ink

  2. Lamy 2000 Bauhaus 100th Anniversary fountain pen, EF nib, with Iroshizuku Shin-Kai

  3. TGS x Hinze Pens Elementar Special Edition, EF nib, with “Sangria Red” Ink

  4. TGS x Hinze Pens Prototype, medium nib, with “Sangria Red”

  5. Opus 88 Jazz with medium Platinum 3776 Nib, with Herbin Poussière de Lune

  6. Conid Bulkfiller Kingsize, medium titanium nib, with Nahvalur Dark Forest

  7. TWSBI Diamond Mini in Grape, fine nib, with Waterman Tender Purple

  8. Desiderata Pens Soubriquet in Briar Ebonite, Zebra G dip nib, with Vinta Armada

  9. Vanness Pens x The Good Blue “Titanium Blue” Special Edition, fine titanium flex, with Papier Plume “Iron Lace”

  10. Nakaya Decapod in Kuro Tamenuri, soft medium nib, with Platinum Blue-Black

  11. Pilot Custom Heritage 912 with PO Nib, with Iroshizuku Shin Kai

  12. Platinum Matte Curidas in Matte Blue, medium nib, with a Platinum Mix-Free red mix

  13. Franklin-Christoph Model 66 Stabilis, medium SIG stub, with Iroshizuku Asa-Gao

  14. Sailor 1911 Black Luster, fine nib, with Sailor Souboku Pigmented Blue-Black

  15. Sailor Pro Gear Imperial Black, fine nib, with Sailor Souboku Pigmented Blue-Black

  16. Sailor Pro Gear Kure Azure, medium fine nib, with Caran d’Ache Hypnotic Turquoise

  17. Red Dragon Pen Company Custom in Parker Blue Velvet Cellulose Acetate, Franklin-Christoph medium SIG, with Pilot Iroshizuku Tsuki-Yo

  18. Pilot Custom 823 in Amber, Bacas medium blade grind, with Pilot Iroshizuku Tsuki-Yo

  19. Pilot Mustard Vanishing Point (Import), fine special alloy nib, with Pilot Blue-Black

  20. Pilot Custom 74 in Blue Stone, medium nib, with Pilot Blue-Black

  21. Newton Pens Orville in Conway Stewart Turquoise Fleck, medium nib, with Laban Demeter Brown

  22. Jason Neil Penworks Tucker, medium nib, with Laban Hera Green

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

In Editorial Tags Currently Inked, Editorial
12 Comments
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