Thursday Drops: New Kaweco, Kuru Togas, and Tombow Precision Erasers! [Plus An Updated Easter Sale]

While the big news from this week was the arrival of the Kaweco Collection “Apricot Pearl” fountain pen, we’ve also gradually been restocking many of our core brands, including Caran d’Ache, Craighill, and more! The Uni Kuru Toga Elite/Roulette is now available in a silver finish in addition to black, and we have a wide range of mechanical pencils, leadholders, and wood pencils you can choose from. We recently brought in the Blackwing line, featuring their excellent wood pencils and accessories such as sharpeners and pencil caps, as well as the Viarco pencils from Portugal. Happy Shopping!

The print blanket covers feature a unique natural rubber/cotton blend!

Update: Take an extra 10% off your order this weekend using the coupon code “SPRING” at checkout. The code is valid on most orders but due to brand restrictions must exclude Pilot, TWSBI, Roterfaden, Nahvalur, and Kakimori. Orders over $100 this weekend get extra TGS Swag, including one of our new extra-large holographic water bottle stickers! Also, we have two of the A4 Print Blanket Roterfadens remaining after the Arkansas Pen Show. Since I’m changing things up a bit, the next couple of restocks likely won’t include this particular design, so if you’ve been on the fence about these now’s your chance!

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

1. Kaweco Sport Fountain Pen in Kaweco Collection “Apricot Pearl”. The new “Kaweco Collection” release hit shelves this past week, and we have this pearlescent orange pocket pen in stock for immediate shipment in nib sizes EF through BB. We also have the rest of the Kaweco Sport “Kaweco Collection” pens available for purchase, including the popular Olive.

2. Kaweco Art Sport Fountain Pens. The Art Sport collection features an integrated clip and turned resin, as opposed to the plastic on the standard Kaweco Sport. The four designs from this year’s release are all good, but after three months the Terrazzo remains my favorite. Read more here.

3. Uni Kuru Toga “Elite” Mechanical Pencil. We now offer the Kuru Toga “Elite” model (also known as the “Roulette”) in both black and silver finishes. The Roulette was my first Kuru Toga years ago.

4. Craighill Caro Keychain/Pocket Pen. As I mentioned in yesterday’s Arkansas Pen Show recap, people were picking up these little pocket pens all through the weekend. The keychain design allows you to keep your pen on you at all time, and the garter-spring cap closes securely. I’ve been carrying my pen for a couple of months now and have not personally had issues with it coming loose.

5. Caran d’Ache “Blue Lagoon” 849 Pen and Pencil Set. Gradient finishes are all the rage this year, and Caran d’Ache has released this cool blue/white/green 849 limited edition, which is sold only as a ballpoint/.7mm mechanical pencil set.

6. Nahvalur Nautilus Ruby Koi and Original Plus Matira Graphite / Lovina Quartz Special Edition Fountain Pens. We have remaining stock of both Nahvalur limited releases, and we’re down to our last couple of Ruby Koi pens! If you’ve been considering this one, I believe we have one gold nib and one steel.

7. E+M Clutch Pencils and Sharpeners. I’ve been really happy with the reception these E+M Clutch Pencils have received, as well as the stand-alone sharpeners capable of handling the wider 5.5 and 5.6mm leads.

8. Kaweco “Sketch Up” Clutch Pencils. For those who enjoy the faceted Kaweco Sketch Up, as well as the black and yellow “Softfeel” finish, we are restocked on all of the various colors, as well as the Kaweco refills.

9. Penco Prime Timber 2.0 Leadholder. Enjoy the functionality of a mechanical pencil but would prefer a thicker lead? This leadholder from Penco features a wood barrel with a click-to-advance mechanism.

10. Caran d’Ache Fixpencil. If you’re into leadholders, or merely looking for a starting point to test one out, the Caran d’Ache Fixpencil is a modern classic. We also have some remaining stock of the limited edition “Creative Nomad” set designed in collaboration with Swiss lettering artist Rylsee.

The new Kaweco Collection release is a light orange finish that’s both translucent and pearlescent!

2024 Arkansas Pen Show Recap: Or, 5 Reasons to Attend a Smaller Pen Show

Well, that was a weekend! I always enjoy my trips to Little Rock for the Arkansas Pen Show, and this year was no exception. Run by the Arkansas Pen Club, the Arkansas Pen Show is a smaller, regional pen show that draws excellent vendors - both vintage and modern - and pulls in a good crowd of friendly attendees. While I don’t have official numbers, this year appeared even more well-attended than last year, following the move to a new location with a bigger ballroom. Kudos to Shawn Newton and the rest of the Arkansas Pen Club leadership for organizing a great show. I thought it might be fun to orient this show recap around a more general discussion of why it’s fun to attend local shows in general, even if they’re not as big as the pen shows that get the most hype and attention online.

1. Smaller pen shows are more relaxed and easier to navigate. While bigger “events” like the D.C. Pen Show and San Francisco Pen Show feature international vendors unique to those shows (mainly due to the logistics of attendance), the sheer size of these shows can be overwhelming even to seasoned pen show veterans. There’s no way you can see everything, and the fear of “missing something good” creates a level of anxiety and frenetic energy that sort of lingers through the weekend. At a smaller show, particularly one that’s confined to a single ballroom, you really are able to visit every table, and when the foot traffic slows down, vendors are more than happy to have extended conversations about the pens they sell and stationery in general. You also never know what people will bring by to show you - just check out that Traveler’s Notebook pictured below!

2. Smaller shows offer more time to consider purchases. Larger shows draw larger crowds, and vendors can only bring so much product with them, especially if they are flying. Some tables come close to selling out of certain in-demand products by the end of the first day. At a show like the Arkansas Pen Show, however, there’s no such rush, and unless you have your eye on a very specific pen from a custom maker, you almost certainly have time to think about and consider your purchase without worrying that something will be gone ten minutes later. You can also have nibs tuned or ground on a walk-up basis - Matthew Chen (Matthew’s Nibworks) attended the Arkansas Pen Show, and while he kept busy all weekend, there was never a long line or even a wait list, to my knowledge.

3. Smaller pen shows have a friendlier atmosphere. While the pen community in general is pretty friendly and welcoming, the smaller, regional shows are often run by tight-knit local pen clubs. As a result, the shows themselves have more of a “party” atmosphere, as opposed to the trade show/convention/flea market hybrid you see elsewhere.

4. Smaller pen shows are typically less expensive to attend. If you’re within a few hours of a pen show, always take the opportunity to drive rather than fly! In addition to saving on airfare, smaller regional shows often have cheaper hotel rates (Arkansas was around $100 per night for the show rate at a fairly decent hotel), and the price of admission was $10 for the entire weekend.

5. Smaller pens shows support smaller sellers and independent makers. The Arkansas Pen Show features several vendors who don’t attend the major market pen shows, including many excellent, reputable vintage sellers. For example, I purchased both of the vintage pens discussed below from Danny Fudge of The Write Pen, and I’ve never had anything but good experiences buying from him in the past. Other unique vendors included Chad from Eel and Anchor, who was my table neighbor and came with dozens of custom pen blanks. Let’s just say I have some commissions and potential exclusive releases in the prototyping stage? You can check out the full list of show Exhibitors here.

Talking to customers can be a master class in how to truly USE stationery: This is a Traveler’s Company Passport-sized notebook!

So What Did I Sell and What Did I Buy?

On both they buying and selling front, my recent strategy has been sort of similar: bring stuff that nobody else is going to have and buy stuff that I probably can’t find elsewhere. At my table, I brought Roterfaden, Lochby, and Traveler’s Company notebook systems, a selection of fountain pens, as well as a pretty varied selection of mechanical pencils and leadholders. Pencils tend to be underrepresented at pen shows, even though I always have nearly a dozen people approach me at any given show asking where to find them. Uni Kuru Togas and the Penco Prime Timber 2.0 lead holder drew the most attention, as did the Anterique Brass Ballpoints, Craighill Caro keychain pens, and other less common offerings. Over the years, I’ve discovered that as a smaller vendor (both online and in person), the key to having a successful show is to add to the “treasure hunt” experience by ensuring that you’re not just selling the same stuff as your table neighbor, or items that are easy for attendees to find online.

For the same reason, I’ve become more selective about what I purchase at shows. At this particular pen show, I added two more vintage pens to my collection: a Parker 51 Flighter (with the “wedding band” trim), and a Sterling Silver Parker 75. Both of these pens are fairly clean examples - though still “user grade” - and I’ve had the Parker 51 inked up since the night I bought it. The Parker 51 has a smooth extra-fine nib and the Parker 75 sports a broad, both of which are somewhat unusual. I also visited the Esterbrook table and picked up two pens that I suspect might be discontinued soon in these colors: the “Big J” in Lotus Green ebonite, and the “JR” in Pumpkin Latte. (Of course the two latter pens now have nib grinds from Matthew Chen!)

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From left, the “Big J” and “JR” pens from Esterbrook, a Parker 75 pen and pencil set, and a Parker 51 Flighter.

Overall, I enjoy my trips to Little Rock, which always includes an opportunity to shop at Vanness Pens in person! The current plan is to return next year, and I hope to see the show grow even more in the future. Thanks so much to the Arkansas Pen Club and all the attendees for showing us out-of-towners such a good time!

The Gentleman Stationer is supported entirely by purchases from the T.G.S. Curated Shop and pledges via the T.G.S. Patreon Program. If you enjoyed this content, please consider supporting us directly!

New Arrivals: Kaweco Collection Sport in Apricot Pearl!

After a bit of a delay due to customs, our allocation of the 2024 Kaweco Collection Sport fountain pens has arrived! This year’s color is “Apricot Pearl,” a muted orange with a translucent, pearlescent finish. Each pen ships with a cartridge of Kaweco Sunset Orange ink. The Apricot Pearl Sports are currently available for purchase, in nib sizes EF through BB.

Kaweco continues to sell the Kaweco Collection releases from prior years, and if orange isn’t your thing, we have plenty of these muted pastel Sports available. We also recently received a restock of the 2024 Kaweco Art Sport releases, which were a huge hit at this past weekend’s Arkansas Pen Show. People couldn’t get over the feel of the turned resin as opposed to the standard plastic on the Sport - it has a lot of warmth to it. Happy Shopping!

The Gentleman Stationer is an authorized retailer of Kaweco Pens.

Sunday Reading for March 24, 2024 (Arkansas Pen Show Edition)

1. Its Own Pen: Pilot Decimo Fountain Pen Review (via A Fleeting Ripple). Is the Decimo its own pen, or simply a smaller size option of the Vanishing Point? However you come out, many love this more slender retractable fountain pen.

2. London 2024 Spring Pen Show (via Dapprman). I’ve yet to make it over to a London Pen Show, despite my best efforts!

3. Blackwing 2X Firm Graphite Core Review (via Pen Addict). Brad reviews the latest release from Blackwing - their new Volumes edition features much harder graphite than they’ve used in the past. I have my own thoughts on harder grades of graphite, and prefer the softer cores, but if you absolutely need point retention Blackwing is meeting a new need here.

4. Ikkaku Pan-Long (via Figboot on Pens). Ikkaku is the luxury line being introduced by Nahvalur, featuring maki-e art and other traditional Japanese techniques.

5. Journalize Whimsical and Starry Night Inks (via Cheryl Lindo Jones). I had not seen the Journalize inks until this weekend, when Vanness had them at the shop and the show.

6. Sailor Ink Studio #123 Fountain Pen Ink Review (via Blake’s Broadcast). The Sailor Ink Studio line features dozens of inks with unique color properties, including double-shaders. #123 is one of the more popular inks from this particular line.

7. A Well Rested Four Pens Return to the Rotation (via mnmlscholar). There’s always something to be said for shopping your own collection for some novelty!

8. Swatching Inks from Vanness - Stream Recording (via The Poor Penman). I very rarely go on Twitch, but I always like to promote when someone else does something new.

9. Setting Up a New Journal (via Comfortable Shoes Studio). I’ve been fascinated with others’ journaling setups lately. Maybe because my own are feeling a little stale?

10. Private Reserve Ink, Infinity Blue (via Well-Appointed Desk). Private Reserve continues to experiment with special-property inks, including these new “extended cap off” inks.

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In Case You Missed It…

Between having to care for some under-the-weather family members and prepping to travel to the Arkansas Pen Show, I didn’t get as much writing done as I would’ve liked. That said, I wrote up a brief summary of five fun finds from my travels so far this year. I’m coming up on a period of several months where I won’t be on the road for an extended time, and I’m really looking forward to getting caught up!

This Week in the T.G.S. Curated Shop - Pen Show weekend promotion and new arrivals

Adding to this week’s mad rush was my attempt to get the last of the slew of new arrivals listed before I had to leave for Little Rock. Recent arrivals include the E+M Clutch Pencils, as well as the rest of my initial Blackwing Order that includes the “Illegal Pads”! Check out the Weekly Drops post for full details! We still have remaining stock from our initial shipment of Lamy Safari Special Editions, as well as many new AL-Star arrivals. Don’t forget that through tonight at 11:59pm CT, most orders placed this weekend are eligible for a 10% “Pen Show Weekend” discount using the coupon code PENSHOW10 at checkout. Some brands are excluded due to distributor policies.

Uni Pencils

Lamy

E+M Clutch Pencils

Blackwing Paper

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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! 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. Patreon supporters also get access to any pen show-exclusive specials and promotions, such as that offered to course attendees this weekend.

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Weekly Drops: Hi from the Arkansas Pen Show!

I’ve been quiet for the past few days, both here on the site and social media, and it’s because most of my time has been occupied by prep for and travel to Little Rock for the 2024 Arkansas Pen Show! Now that I’m here at the show, I can put out the public code for the standard pen show weekly discount and also highlight some new arrivals and special discounts. Take 10% off most shop orders (excluding certain brands that we are not allowed to discount) using the coupon code “PENSHOW10” at checkout. A few of the things we will be spotlighting at the show, plus new arrivals can be found listed below:

1. E+M Clutch Pencils in Various Finishes. We have wood E+M clutch pencils that can be used as either sketching tools or highlighters available for purchase! From the contoured “sketch” model to the round workman, these cool pencils are made in Germany and come in a wide range of both colorful and natural stains.

2. Blackwing “Illegal Pads”. We talked a bit about Blackwing last week, when we launched the Blackwing pencil collection as well as their sharpeners and other accessories. What I’m really excited about, however, is their range of legal pads that feature very good paper in a variety of rulings. These are good for both pen and pencil.

3. Anterique Brass Ballpoints. These well-balanced ballpoints pair a brass barrel with the excellent “Mach Ball” low-viscosity ballpoint refill. Nearly everyone who handles one of these pens in person loves them.

4. Lamy 2000 Multi Pens. The Lamy 2000 Multi Pen (or “4 Color Ballpoint”, for the purists) is one of my favorite workhorses because it’s capable of holding four different D1 refills, including the Uni Jetstream D1 or your preferred brand of choice. You can read more about why we like this specific pen here.

5. Pilot Custom 74 Fountain Pens. On our table this weekend we have the full range of Pilot Custom 74 fountain pens in all the various colors and nib sizes. If you’re interested in seeing them in person, do stop by, and of course we also have them available online!

6. Pilot Vanishing Point Fountain Pens. Another classic workhorse, the Vanishing Point fountain pen is perfect for those who don’t want to give up retractable pen convenience when they want to write with a fountain pen. Plus you can amass quite the collection of interchangeable nibs!

7. Lamy Special Edition Safari Ballpoints. The latest Lamy Safari ballpoint releases have arrived! Pink Cliff and Violet Blackberry have a more “blacked out” look than the brightly accented fountain pen and rollerball options.

8. Lamy Special Edition AL-Star Fountain Pens. The Safari’s slightly larger aluminum sibling is now available in several additional special edition finishes, including Whitesilver, Azure, and Cosmic. We’ve been trying to get whatever stock we can! Ballpoints are also available in Cosmic and Azure finishes.

9. Camel Pencils. These Japanese pencils with an integrated eraser are a longtime favorite among pencil aficionados. Available in two different wood stains with grey or white erasers.

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