Sunday Reading for September 3, 2023 (Labor Day Long Weekend Edition)

1. 2023 SF Pen Show - The Funnest Pen Show, aka Not a Quick Recap (via Pen Addict - Kimberly). Wow, this was an EXTREMELY comprehensive from someone who is probably the most qualified SF Pen Show tour guide in history.

2. Pen Show Recap: SF Pen Show (via Well-Appointed Desk). As always, Ana is a great table neighbor to have at a pen show!

3. What’s So Special About Specialty Nibs? (via Leigh Reyes). It was great getting to see Leigh again at this year’s SF Pen Show, and even better to read a post about her adventures in nib grinding at the show and what to think about when considering specialty nibs.

4. Method and Mayhem (A Gathering of Curiosities). New blog alert! So far, R.B. has offered a couple of incredibly thoughtful posts, including this one on writing and notetaking process.

5. Otto Hutt Design 08 Fountain Pen (via Blake’s Broadcast). The Otto Hutt Design 08 is one of those extremely expensive “design piece” fountain pens which never really went mainstream.

6. Traveling with Ink: Birmingham, August 2023 (via Fountain Pen Blog). A Pen Museum? This looks fascinating.

7. Dotted Sea Urchin (via Rachel’s Reflections). This is gorgeous hand-painted work.

8. Meet Your Maker: Jacob Pawloski, Mad Science Pen Company (via Pen Addict - Caroline). This latest round of pen shows was the first opportunity I had to see Jacob’s work in person, and at some point I’d love to get my hands on one of his pens.

9. M600 Red-White Special Edition (via Pelikan’s Perch). Pelikan is back with one of their new white M600’s, just in time for the upcoming Pelikan Hubs at the end of the month!

10. Five Painless Ways to Make Writing a Fun, Daily Habit (via Ink Journal). A great article from Tom on how to get started on longer-form writing projects and to keep moving forward.

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In Case You Missed It…

This week on the blog, I recovered from San Francisco. I recapped the show in this post from Wednesday, then talked about some of the new acquisitions I brought home yesterday. I’ll be resuming regular review content this coming week, though I haven’t yet decided where to begin!

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This Week in the Curated Shop - LABOR DAY PROMO, TWSBI Update and More

After some unexplained Fedex delays (lingering hurricane logistics?) TWSBI Indigo Blue pre-orders are set to arrive Tuesday and will go out immediately. You may start to see labels being generated for your orders over the weekend. We currently still have a few of these pens available for pre-order, and if all of the pre-order units sell out I will place another order quickly. Also, some of you who I met in San Francisco have asked about a restock of the TWSBI Diamond Mini-AL Grape fountain pens. Those are also set to arrive Tuesday, so I’ve made them available for order. Finally, we are running a Labor Day sale through tomorrow at 11:59pm CT: Take 10% off all ink and paper using the code LABOR10 at checkout. Happy shopping!

Pilot

TWSBI

Anderillium

Reading Accessories

Patreon Update - Support T.G.S. via Sample Sales, Early Access, and Meetups with Special Guests!

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. 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, and I recently reduced prices on certain items to continue the clear-out!

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! I’m working on something new - Guests for the monthly meetups! Stay tuned for details on a September special guest.

Unpacking the San Francisco Pen Show: A Deeper Dive into What I Brought Home

As I did after the D.C. Pen Show recap, I wanted to do a post that’s a bit of a deeper dive on what I picked up at the San Francisco Pen Show, especially since my weekend was spent mostly behind the table and these past few days at home were my first opportunity to explore most of my purchases, which were largely planned pre-show and executed in the last two hours on Sunday afternoon. It’s been like a pen show after a pen show!

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The Kyuseido (right) next to the Gravitas Ultemate Vac (left). The Kyuseido "Kakari” fountain pen was designed by C.Y. of Kyuseido in collaboration with Ben Walsh of Ben Walsh Design/Gravitas Pens.

Kyuseido Pump Piston Filler (The “Kakari”?)

So of all the pens that I posted photos of on Instagram and in my main San Francisco recap, this is the one that prompted the most questions. I understand the official name is the “Kakari” (from Ben Walsh’s Instagram), and it’s a riff on the “bulkfiller” (lower-case) or syringe filler mechanism. More details will follow once I’ve had time to play with it. My particular pen features black PVD titanium trim (numbered edition of 40/50), and a 14k nib ground by C.Y. into a “Sankakusen”, which is his term for the kodachi/naginata-style grind. I basically use it like a soft architect, and so far it’s been a wonderful writer. An ebonite feed delivers a lot of ink, but the nib is well-tuned so that it doesn’t bleed through on most papers.

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My understanding is that the San Francisco Pen Show was a “soft launch” for this particular pen, and that we will be seeing more of it soon. It’s a premium product, priced at $660 including the custom grind, a price point which is slightly lower than than the Conid Bulkfiller with a titanium nib. I of course plan to do a much more in-depth post on this pen, though I need to wait until Kyuseido posts more information about the specifics of the design when it officially launches. We were both so busy at the show I didn’t have an opportunity to discuss the pen with C.Y. in any great detail.

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And, yes, my fine Monoc (left) was anodized in a rainbow gradient.

Schon DSGN Fine Monoc Nib

I reviewed the original Schon DSGN Monoc nib back in February, shortly after it’s initial launch. At the D.C. Pen Show, Ian revealed broad and fine versions of the Monoc, which I didn’t have a chance to test out. Then Ana, my table neighbor working for Vanness, bought one and brought it back to the table in San Francisco, and I was hooked. I mentioned this in my prior recap, but I needed to re-ink the pen after travel and take some pictures of the unique line variation this nib offers. While the original Monoc writes a medium line in normal “nib-down” position, and a fine/extra-fine on the reverse, this latest release writes a fine line in normal position and an medium architect line on the reverse. It’s extremely smooth either way, though I did move it from a Pocket Six to my Amber Ultem pen, as I think ink flows better in the Monoc through a converter.

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Gravitas Pens Ultemate Vac Filler

I’ve been wanting to pick up one of Ben Walsh’s polished Gravitas Ultem vacs, and it doesn’t disappoint. So many makers default to the matte finish with Ultem, and while I might prefer that visual on most designs, here the polished finish was clearly the right choice. I’m also digging the clipless, postable cap, and the titanium on the barrel gives the pen a nice balance. I stuck with the stainless steel EF nib, which writes well, and the section is threaded for a JoWo nib unit if I ever wanted to change it out.

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Skogsy Pens Micarta Fountain Pen

Did I mention I’ve become obsessed with Micarta as a material. Yes, I know it “stains”. No, I don’t care. And yes, you bet I dipped the section of this pen to fill it. I even got permission from Zach at Skogsy to do it. (He encourages this!)

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My two Micarta Fountain Pens: The Skogsy (left) and the Leonardo Momento Zero collaboration with Stilo e Stile (right).

For those unfamiliar, “Micarta” is a brand name for a thermoplastic made from resin-infused fiber (typically linen, canvas, paper, fiberglass, or carbon fiber), though it’s also used generically (“micarta”) to refer to materials made using similar techniques. It has a range of industrial uses, though the most familiar niche consumer applications are knife handles, pool cues, and guitar components. Once hardened and turned, Micarta takes on the feel of compressed sailcloth, and will wear smooth and patina depending on how it is used.

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Micarta is absorbent, so as you use your pens, knives, etc. they will take on a patina from hand oils and ink.

Durable and extremely light, Micarta makes for a fascinating pen material. I missed out on the original TWSBI Micarta release (which I talked about in my Pen Addict Podcast appearance EIGHT years ago!?!), but immediately picked up the Stilo e Stile collaboration with Leonardo Pens, and jumped at the chance to grab a Skogsy Pen in San Francisco. These things sold fast, and on Saturday morning I only had my pick of three!

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Enigma Stationery Special Edition No. 3

Another table neighbor got me on the first day. I mentioned that Enigma Stationery was right next door, and we had both done collaborations with Hinze Pens. Dan and I ended up swapping a couple of pens from our latest limited runs, and I took home this gorgeous Enigma Special Edition #3 turned by Hinze from a custom in-house Enigma blank. I also love the matching turquoise nib and have a couple ideas for the perfect ink to match this one. (Iroshizuku Sui-Gyoku, perhaps? That seems to be my new favorite.)

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A close-up look at these two Hinze Pens! (Sorry, ours is now sold out but I think Enigma has some left in stock!)

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Pilot Custom 74 Burgundy Demonstrator with EF Nib

Yeah, yeah, don’t shop your own supply, I know, but someone wanted to dip this Custom 74 at the SF Show and I noticed for the first time that the burgundy demonstrator features a smoke black section and finial and it’s a burgundy and smoke pen and my signature colors and I don’t have a Pilot Custom 74 with an EF nib and I talked myself into keeping it. So there.

Yes I do plan to remove the sticker.

As I’ve demonstrated, you can still do an extreme amount of damage to your wallet with only two hours to spend shopping at the SF Pen Show (and even without leaving your own table). Even so, I’m considering dialing back show attendance as an exhibitor next year, and refocusing more on the informational/content/after-hours aspects, and maybe even hosting workshops and seminars. It’s more in line with what I want to get out of the show experience, since logistics dictate that I’m never going to be a multiple-table vendor and my time is likely better spent visiting with makers, distributors, readers and attendees. Stay tuned for future show plans! I may have one or two more in me this year.

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 advertising or third-party affiliate links.

Thursday Drops: Mnemosyne A4 Notebooks, Midori Multi-Year Diaries Back in Stock!

I had hoped that a few of these restocks would arrive before the San Francisco Pen Show, but as it turned out, I wouldn’t have been able to fit much into my already-overweight bags anyway! We once again have Mnemosyne spiral-bound notebooks in A4 size, as well as B5 and A5, in most rulings. Also, Midori 10, 5, and 3-Year Diaries are available. Several new shop arrivals are queued up for later this week or early next, including the new TWSBI ECO Indigo Blue with Bronze Trim that’s now available for pre-order. Happy shopping!

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TWSBI’s latest ECO release features bronze trim.

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

1. Maruman Mnemosyne Spiral Bound Notebooks. Stocked in A4, A5, and some B6, Mnemosyne spiral notebooks are among the best out there in terms of fountain pen friendliness. The pages are perforated, which is a huge plus for me personally.

2. Midori MD 10-year, 5-year, and 3-Year Diaries. These excellent hardbound multi-year diaries allow you to view easily view your prior-year’s entries. As you record the events of the day or previous day, you can review what you were doing on the same day as far back as 10 years ago.

3. Laconic Tokyo A5 Notebooks. These slim softcover A5 notebooks come in an array of specialized layouts, ranging from calendar formats to oddball (yet versatile!) rulings such as “Spreadsheet” and “Gantt Chart”. These notebooks will fit standard A5-sized notebook covers such as the Lochby Field Journal.

4. Traveler’s Company Notebook Covers and Refills. We have Standard-sized Traveler’s Notebook Covers back in stock in nearly all colors, including the newly released Olive. Specialty Paper refills such as Lightweight (Tomoe River), Sticker Release, Watercolor, and Sketch are also available.

5. Nakabayashi Notebooks. We’ve gone all-in on Nakabayashi’s excellent paper, including the Logical Prime, Logical Air, and the Yu-Sari variants, all of which handle ink beautifully and feature unique rulings. Their lined ruling is reminiscent of French-Ruled (Seyes) paper!

2023 San Francisco Pen Show Recap: Could It Get Even Bigger Than D.C.?

Apparently it can get really darn close. If you read my recap of the 2023 D.C. Pen Show, I described it as the biggest pen show I’ve ever attended, both in terms of number of vendors and number of attendees. While I don’t think this year’s San Francisco Pen Show ended up being larger than D.C., it was extremely well-attended and, as always, featured a unique selection of vendors different from any other show.

A Wide Range of Worldwide Vendors, Especially from Japan

The San Francisco Pen Show features more Japanese vendors than any other U.S. pen show, and probably any other worldwide pen show other than the Tokyo International Pen Show. Attendees included Urushi Studio Bokumondoh, Bungubox, Cute Things from Japan, Toyooka Craft, Stylo-Art, Eboya, and Nagasawa Stationery, among others. Many people remarked that this show was much more heavily focused on paper, washi, stamps, and other stationery goods than most pen shows, which is a bit of a welcome change and certainly made the show unique. (There are some crazy haul spreads being posted on Instagram!) San Francisco is also an excellent opportunity to attend workshops, classes, and free seminars, with a robust list of offerings that I had the chance to sample last year.

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An early morning view down the hallway outside the main ballroom, which included Vanness Pens, Schon DSGN, Bungubox and more!

Dozens of U.S. vendors and makers were also in attendance at San Francisco, including Vanness Pens, Enigma Stationery, and more. Vanness re-released their collaboration with Rickshaw Bagworks and Leigh Reyes (I picked up a pen roll and a Sinclair), and Distributor Luxury Brands USA hosted the master engraver of Waldmann at their table, who spent the weekend engraving custom Xetra Vienna fountain pens in a fascinating demonstration of skill.

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In addition to the Musubi Notebooks, I picked up samples of Neue Gray paper, which as far as I know is a new product out of Japan that was selling organizer refills in A5 and Bible sizes.

Of course, Atelier Musubi also set up around the corner from us, and brought both a new series of pocket notebooks featuring Spica Bond paper, as well as their new in-house “Rasa” paper. I have samples, and will offer my thoughts as soon as I’ve had an opportunity to test them out.

The SF Pen Show Continues to Be a Well-Run Event

The hallmark of the San Francisco Pen Show is that it’s incredibly well-organized. The cost of an expensive city adds to the difficulty in pulling off a show like this one, requiring periodic adjustments such as this year’s hotel change, but the show experience itself didn’t suffer. While I slightly preferred the old location (I think the space was a touch nicer), and the after-hours scene initially felt a bit scattered with attendees split between two hotels, by Saturday night people seem to have found their crowds and by all accounts the auction and live recording of the Stationery Cafe podcast were both well-attended.

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Our table setup this year!

Views from Behind the T.G.S. Table

I enjoyed visiting with everyone who stopped by the T.G.S. table! I understand that we were somewhat difficult to find, especially when the show was shoulder-to-shoulder crowded on Friday afternoon and most of the day on Saturday. The fun thing about exhibiting in both D.C. and San Francisco is the fact that attendees are interested in wildly different things - best sellers from San Francisco included Anterique Pens, Penwells (we have two left!), TWSBI Diamond Mini fountain pens, Lamy 2000 Multi Pens, and the Lamy Pico, as opposed to Lochby cases in D.C. I was thrilled to bring mostly empty suitcases home with me.

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The last remaining pen from the T.G.S. x Hinze Pens collaboration, including our last remaining bottle of Summer Sangria ink. While this pen currently features a black 1.1mm stub, I have a few different nib options still available. Message me if you’re interested.

I have mixed feelings about having a table at pen shows. While it offers a central location for people to come find you, and it can be nice to have some respite from the crowds (as well as a way to pay for the cost of attendance), I miss the exploration, the ability to visit with other exhibitors, and the opportunity to learn about new and upcoming products that I can in turn use to create content and pass on knowledge to readers. (This also helps me to make more informed decisions about what to stock in the shop.) While I’ve enjoyed exhibiting at a handful of shows this year, next pen show season may have a more balanced approach, with T.G.S. tables at a few shows, classes and after-hours events at others, and a few I attend for fun.

I picked up pen No. 40/50 from the Kyuseido table, opting for the PVD Black Titanium finish.

My Pen Show Haul

As noted, I sadly didn’t have much time to explore the show until Sunday afternoon when I managed to run by the Kyuseido, Gravitas Pens, Neue Gray, and Bungubox tables. For someone who “didn’t have much time to shop,” I still managed to do a lot of damage, and it sort of scares me to think what might have happened if I had a full three days to roam! My pickups from this show included:

• Kyuseido Tokyo Pump Piston Filler with Sankakusen (Kodachi/Naginata-style) nib. Kyuseido Tokyo is the relatively new company started by C.Y. of Tokyo Inklings, and I look forward to sharing my thoughts on this unique pen, which features a filling system similar to a syringe filler / “bulk filler” mechanism.

• Gravitas Pens “Ultemate” Vac-filler. I’ve been wanting to pick up a Gravitas Vac for some time, in polished Ultem. I opted for a steel extra-fine nib and it writes very well.

• Schon DSGN Fine Monoc. The fine version of Schon DSGN’s in-house Monoc nib debuted in D.C., and offers a different writing experience from the medium version. Not only does it offer a finer tip size, but the inverse writes like an architect. Ian continues to amaze me with his creations!

• Micarta from Skogsy Pens. I’ve been on an Micarta pen kick recently, and I had to be quick to grab one of the last three from Zach and Amy’s table on Saturday morning! (Yes, they went that fast. The San Francisco Pen Show is known for having a very active Friday crowd. If you want the rarer stuff, buy a weekend pass and be sure to line up Friday morning!)

• Enigma Stationery Special Edition #3. Dan and I swapped Hinze Pens at the show, and I was happy to provide him with one of the T.G.S. Special Editions in exchange for one of these gorgeous pens in a house-made Enigma blank.

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My first show acquisition came on Saturday morning, with this Black Micarta pen from Skogsy Pens!

A Note to Vendors and Attendees: As Pen Show Attendance Grows, Thefts Are More Common

Unfortunately, there has been at least one major theft at nearly all of the bigger pen shows over the last couple of years, sadly the inevitable result of these shows growing in size and profile. This year in San Francisco, a man was caught stealing several thousand dollars worth of merchandise, ferrying it back and forth between his bag and his car. Fortunately, all stolen merchandise was recovered, but it serves as a reminder to vendors and attendees to pay attention to your bags and personal items. Pen Shows are public events, and you can’t simply assume that everyone there is trustworthy.

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After hours washi tape sharing!

Overall Show Impressions and Takeaways

While many had expressed concern that post-pandemic pen shows would never return to what they were before, dare I say that the last two I’ve attended turned out better than ever? The crowds are unbelievable, and the fact that the pen community continues to grow is a great sign going forward. San Francisco specifically is the pen show to attend if you’re a fan of Japanese pens and stationery, and it could be the next best thing to a trip to Japan itself. See you next year!

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 advertising or third-party affiliate links.

Return from San Francisco and TWSBI ECO Indigo Blue + Bronze Pre-Orders!

As of (very) late last night, I’m back from the San Francisco Pen Show and, despite the physical tiredness, totally energized from getting to spend time with the members of this wonderful community in person! I will have a full show recap tomorrow or Thursday, and while I didn’t get out from behind my table as much as I would have liked, I still brought home fun stuff to share. More to come. :)

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TWSBI Indigo Blue and Bronze Pre-Orders Are Now Live

Pre-orders for TWSBI’s latest ECO release - the Indigo Blue with Bronze Trim - are live as of August 28, 2023. I expect the pens to arrive later this week, potentially early next, and they will ship as soon as I have them in stock. You can reserve yours now!

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