New Arrivals: Nakabayashi Yu-Sari Sheets and Notebooks, Logical Prime Notebooks, Scissors and More!

Until the last year or so, Nakabayashi and Profolio were two Japanese paper brands that didn’t receive as much attention in the U.S. as their peers. Now, I count them among the top sellers in our shop. These notebooks handle fountain pen ink extremely well, and they also feature a broad selection of rulings, including multi-lined rulings similar to longtime favorite Clairefontaine Seyes.

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You can read more about the Profolio Oasis in this post from last week. Today, we’re releasing a restock of the Nakabayashi Yu-Sari, Logical Prime, and Logical Air notebooks, along with Yu-Sari blank sheets in A5 and B5 sizes. Finally, don’t miss new additions to our desk and reading accessories store, including five-blade shredder scissors (perfect for those working remotely or in a smaller office), as well as new bookmarks with incorporated loupes.

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

Sunday Reading for December 24, 2024 (Christmas Eve Edition)

1. Currently Inked Christmas (via Pen Addict - Kimberly). Merry Christmas, to everyone celebrating!

2. Year in Review: What Happened with My 2023 Stationery Resolutions? (via A Gathering of Curiosities). I love this kind of accountability. :)

3. My Top Three Fountain Pens for 2023, and a Stationery Year in Review (via Urban Adventure League). Three great pocket/portable fountain pens here.

4. Year-in-Review - 2023 Pens (via Rachel’s Reflections). Rachel had a great year full of diverse acquisitions.

5. My Theme for 2024 (via From the Pen Cup). Something I’ve been thinking a lot about lately, personally. Still working on a theme….

6. Meet Your Maker - Tim Cullen, Hooligan Georgia (via Pen Addict - Caroline). If I have one personal acquisition goal for 2023, it might be to get a hold of one of Tim Cullen’s pens featuring his metalwork.

7. Kilk Celestial Blue & Black (via Figboot on Pens). I’m likewise a fan of Turkish brand Kilk’s design, especially the materials they use.

8. Diamine Inkvent 2023, Day 22 “Tinsel” (via Cheryl Lindo-Jones). Tinsel - a bright red with silver shimmer, might be the perfect “Christmas Red,” at least for me?

9. Burnham and Casein (via Goodwriterspens). I’m often asked about casein pens - casein is a milk-derived resin - which have a distinct highly coveted look among vintage pen enthusiasts, but are easy to damage and susceptible to rot.

10. Inkmas Day 11: Vinta Aegean Armada 1944 (via Well-Appointed Desk). One of my favorite Vinta ink showed up in the 12 days of Inkmas!

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Lots of new arrivals from TWSBI and Kaweco hit the shop (and my own personal Favorites list) at the end of 2023!

In Case You Missed It…

This week, I finished my year-end recaps on the blog. Don’t miss Part I: Five Favorite Acquisitions of 2023; Part II: Five Favorite Products Reviewed in 2023; Part III: Best Sellers from the T.G.S. Curated Shop; and Part IV: Series and Editorials. We’re also finishing up the 2023 Diamine Inkvent Calendar today and tomorrow, so tune in to the YouTube Channel to see what’s in store!

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This Week in the T.G.S. Curated Shop

I’m leaving the shop open for the next few days, and while we’re off today and tomorrow orders will be processed in the normal 2-3 business days time. We have lots of new arrivals, including Profolio Oasis Notebooks, a new shipment of Nakabayashi “Logical” and Yu-Sari notebooks, new Field Notes, and new washi tapes from MT Tapes. We have the Holiday Gift Guide for those of you still looking for New Year’s gifts, and for last-minute Christmas presents, we have digital gift cards!

E+M Highlighter Leads

Craighill Pens

Profolio Oasis

Field Notes

Support T.G.S. and Get the Rest of our Inkvent Content via Patreon!

If you enjoy our content (whether here on the main website, Instagram, YouTube Channel or elsewhere), there are several ways that you can support us. We do our best to remain 100% self-supported without having to rely on third-party advertisers or affiliates. Of course, the number one way to help is to visit our curated retail shop, especially during the upcoming holiday season! If you enjoy in-person and virtual meetups and having access to more personal content, consider joining the T.G.S. Patreon, which also includes early access to quarterly gently used sales. Patreon support starts as low as $3 per month, and if you pay annually there is a further discount. This month, Patreon supporters have access to additional Inkvent content, including commentary on my favorite Diamine Inkvent inks and more. The first of these Inkvent posts is public, so please check out Patreon to learn more!

No matter how you support us - even if just with a comment, recommendation, or encouraging word - we greatly appreciate your readership!

Year-End Review, Part IV: Series and Editorials

As the years have gone on (The Gentleman Stationer will celebrate 10 years in April 2024), content has shifted somewhat from pure reviews to more of a 50/50 balance between specific product reviews and more “big picture” content that offers an overview of general product categories and how more specific products fit into the overall scheme of what’s available. To that end, TGS content in 2023 was heavily influenced by reader questions, as I aimed to be more responsive to what I perceived as the needs of the readership. Did this result in a more “scattered” range of content without a central theme? Possibly, but I also found unresolved loose-ends in some of the longer-running series, as well as gaps in coverage of certain product categories that needed to be filled.

TGS Responds! Your Questions Answered

Even if I can’t respond to all of the e-mails, direct messages, and snail mail correspondence, I do read every one, and I try to maintain a master list of questions that inspires future content. If the same question resurfaces frequently enough, I’ll answer it directly. Here are some of the questions I answered in 2023:

• #21PenQuestions from The Gentleman Stationer (My responses to this year’s internet trend)

• #5MorePenQuestions: What I Really Wanted to Answer (My own attempt to add a bit more depth to the analysis)

• Questions from the T.G.S. Mailbag (Frequently Asked Questions to which I wanted to respond directly)

• How to Get the Best Writing Experience with Shimmer Inks

• Fountain Pen Basics: 5 Best Practices for Fountain Pen Users

• Five Things You Can Do To Introduce New Users to Nice Pens

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

• My Personal Approach to Vintage Fountain Pens

• How Do You Curate Your Shop? (If you’re interested in my decision to open a companion shop, and the “philosophy” that guides my stocking decisions, I’d encourage you to read this post.)

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Updates to Established Series (i.e., Workhorse Pens, Fountain Pen Friendly Paper, etc.)

You can find links to the full range of series content in the “Resources” section, but here I’ll recap some new additions from 2023.

• The Gentleman Stationer’s Favorite Fountain Pen Inks Inaugural Edition (2023) (People have been asking me to do a “favorite inks” list for years, and this was fun so I’ll likely update it.)

• The Best Paper for Everyday Writing, Part VI: Legal Pads (I’m a lawyer. How did I go nearly ten years without ranking legal pads?)

• Workhorse Pens: Considerations and Pitfalls of High-Capacity Pocket Fountain Pens

• Pocket Fountain Pens, Part II: Further Reflections on Pocket Carry

• Personal Workflow: It’s More Than Novelty - Different Paper Rulings for Different Purposes

Updated Review Archive, Best Pens, and 2023 Holiday Gift Guide

I’ve (mostly) kept up with the T.G.S. Fountain Pen Review Archive in real time, adding new pens to the archive as I review them. Every spring I also update the “Best Pens List”, and in the fall, I launch the Holiday Gift Guide! These remain live throughout the year as I feel they provide good general references for those seeking guidance in their pen purchasing decisions.

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I attended the Dallas Pen Show for the first time this year, and spent a LOT of time perusing available vintage pens.

Pen Show Recaps and Travel Posts

2023 was a year of travel, and while I hopefully don’t have to hit the road quite as much in 2024, that’s likely an unrealistic expectation as there are so many places I want to visit, both to expand my own horizons and interact with the readership. As I travel, I generally post recaps of my trips, including pen shows and trade shows (there’s a difference!), as well as the occasional vacation post to share my stationery travel gear of choice.

• 2023 Bag Dump: What Do I Carry to Work

• 2023 Bag Dump, Part II: Travel Edition and Pen Show Packing

• Adventures in Pen Travel and Pens for Vacation

• Travel Kit: National Stationery Show Edition

• 2023 Dallas Pen Show Recap

• 2023 San Francisco Pen Show Recap

• 2023 DC Pen Show Recap

• 2023 Atlanta Pen Show Recap

• 2023 Arkansas Pen Show Recap

• 2023 Baltimore Pen Show Recap

• A Trade Show vs a Pen Show: My Trip to NY Now and Shoppe Object

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Inkvent was fun but I’m feeling ready to conclude for the year!

Expanded Patreon/YouTube Content and the 2023 Inkvent Calendar

The YouTube Channel has been reactivated! During the second half of 2023, I’ve made an effort to supplement the written content on the site with (1) additional video content to showcase more aspects of the pens I review here; and (2) offer some additional perspective on items I’m using week-to-week. Finally, I put together a nearly complete - three more days to go - overview of the 2023 Diamine Inkvent Calendar, which you can follow on this YouTube Playlist.

Our Patreon program has turned into a pen club of sorts, which offers access to monthly meetups on Saturday night via Zoom, as well as additional content and early access/preferred pricing on T.G.S. Curated Shop exclusive releases. I have a lot planned for 2024, so if this interests you please consider joining. (If you join for a year in advance, I believe Patreon offers a discount on the yearly pledge.)

Each year in December I recap the prior year, including favorite acquisitions (Part I), favorite products I reviewed (Part II), and top sellers from the T.G.S. Curated Shop (Part III). Stay tuned throughout the next two weeks for additional recap content.

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

Year-End Review, Part III: 2023 Best Sellers from the T.G.S. Curated Shop

This post is always the easiest year-end post to do because it’s straight-up math. For me there were also very few surprises: the items I thought would do the best were actually our top sellers, and I probably could’ve named the Anterique ballpoints and Caran d’Ache Infinite 888 pens off the top of my head. What surprised me somewhat was the popularity of the Lamy 2000, as well as how many Roterfaden organizers we’ve sold in so short a period of time. Stay tuned as we’ve already started on the buying for 2024. We also have several new arrivals from the past couple of weeks, including Profolio Notebooks, a Nakabayashi restock, and a fresh round of Caran d’Ache pencils!

The Gentleman Stationer is an authorized reseller of all brands sold. Check out the rest of our Year-End Review content, including Part I (Favorite New Acquisitions from 2023) and Part II (Favorite Products Reviewed in 2023).

1. Anterique Ballpoint Pens. This one came as no surprise to me, given how many different variations we carry and how well these vintage-style ballpoints write. My brass pen in Pearl Grey is always with me, and I have multiples of the standard pens and mechanical pencils scattered around my various workstations.

2. Laconic Bookmarkers. I’m continuing to look to resource the full range of the bookmarkers, because they ended up being insanely popular (as expected). For now, I’ve managed to get three or four of them in regular stock.

3. Midori MD Cotton Paper. Apparently my favorite all-around paper for fountain pens is also yours. Midori MD Cotton Paper handles ink well and comes in several formats, including writing pads, notebooks, letter pads, and at least for now, even a “B-Sides and Rarities” Traveler’s Company refill.

4. Lochby Field Journals and Refills. For those looking for a non-leather A5 notebook cover option, the Lochby Field Journal remains extremely popular, and the A5 refills continue to feature 68gsm Tomoe River Paper.

5. Hightide Sandglasses. A TGS Classic! The 30 and 15-minute increments remain the most popular iterations of Hightide’s analog timing device. For more information on how I use these and how you can incorporate them into your routine, I refer people to this post.

6. Lamy 2000 Pens. All of the various iterations of the Lamy 2000 (and recently, the Lamy Studio) have sold well, probably because it’s one of the best workhorse pens out there. Unassuming, reliable and with a timeless design, you can’t really go wrong with a Lamy 2000.

7. Roterfaden Taschenbegleiter Organizers. Honestly, these would probably be No. 1 on the list if we could keep them in stock. We have a restock order in the works, and hopefully it will arrive in time for the New Year. We currently have a couple of A5 and A6 covers in stock, in limited color options.

8. Traveler’s Notebook Standard Size Starter Kit. We recently restocked on the standard size Traveler’s Notebook in all colors except the recently released Olive version. Now is a great time to pick up a Traveler’s Notebook, especially if you plan to use it as your 2024 Calendar, as our dated Calendar refills are marked down.

9. Caran d’Ache 849 Paul Smith Special Edition. The fourth collaboration between Caran d’Ache and designer Paul Smith tops our Caran d’Ache sales list for the year, as these editions always do when they are released. We recently received a shipment of the British Racing Green version, which is by far the most popular though all the colors are excellent.

10. Caran d’Ache Infinite 888. One of the great unsung heroes of the pen world, the sturdy and inexpensive Caran d’Ache Infinite 888 features a standard ballpoint refill (the Swissride) that in my opinion rivals the Goliath. Now if they would only bring back the mechanical pencil…

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Year-End Review, Part II: Five Favorite Products Reviewed in 2023

As with my favorite acquisitions, my favorite reviews from 2023 leaned heavily towards small-batch and independent makers, and also reflected my efforts to branch out a bit and explore different aspects of the stationery world beyond the “workhorse” or “daily driver” pens, ink, and paper that have formed the core of my review content in the past. While people may be tired of hearing about the Schon DSGN Monoc :), there’s no denying that it’s one of the more influential and talked-about pens to have been released (and expanded upon) over the past year. Moreover, Toyooka Craft has cultivated a significant presence at U.S. pen shows, bringing their expansive range of accessories for attendees to peruse in person (and in my case, take home). I’ll talk a bit more later this month about my intentions for 2024 and how I plan to approach content in the New Year!

1. Schon DSGN Full-Sized Fountain Pen and Monoc Nib First Impressions. The Monoc nib, developed entirely in-house by Ian Schon and his team, might be the most talked about piece of stationery in 2023 (at least in the fountain pen world). I’ve enjoyed writing with my Monoc(s) throughout the past year and exploring the intricacies of this unique nib and feed system. I know it was linked in my “Five Favorites” installment from Saturday, but the follow-on review of the fine-nib Monoc fountain pen can be found here.

2. Pen Trays and Accessories: Toyooka Craft and the Beauty of Simplicity. I didn’t acquire that many pens in 2023. Instead, I focused on accessories and those things which enhance my enjoyment of the pens I already own. As items I interact with every day, my Toyooka Craft pen trays easily make the list of favorite discoveries, and I look forward to reviewing additional Toyooka Craft products in 2024.

3. The Cortex Brand Sidekick Notepad: Hype or Innovation? A Bit of Both. The Cortex Brand Sidekick Notepad straddles the online stationery and digital productivity communities, and it’s been interesting to see this product take off in popularity. I’ve enjoyed using mine - it’s a very well-thought-out product and I’m excited to review Cortex Brand’s expanded lineup as they’ve recently announced a new calendar version of the Sidekick that’s currently available.

4. TWSBI Precision Ballpoints and Mechanical Pencils. In addition to reviewing new products, I delved into the “new to me” category. The TWSBI Precision lineup of ballpoint pens and mechanical pencils has been around for years, but for whatever reason I stuck to TWSBI’s fountain pens. That’s a shame, because the Precision line is an excellent take on technical pens and pencils. I even added the Precision fountain pen, which shares the name but sports a slightly different design, and I plan to write about that in the future.

5. The Good Blue R615 “Titanium Blue” Vanness Exclusive Edition Fountain Pen. While people have had mixed results with the Good Blue pens, I’ve enjoyed using both their flex and “Zoom!” nibs. This review was more about breaking out of my own comfort zone than it was about the pen itself - I’ve traditionally shied away from flex nibs as “impractical”, but lately I’ve incorporated them into regular use. They’ve allowed me to enjoy different types of ink, and have also encouraged me to slow down and focus on improving my cursive handwriting.

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Each year in December I recap the prior year, including favorite acquisitions, favorite products I reviewed, and more. Stay tuned throughout the next two weeks for additional recap content.

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