Sunday Reading for March 31, 2024 (How Is It Already April?)

1. 2024 Arkansas Pen Show - Recap and Report Card (via Pen Addict - Kimberly). What’s the week after a pen show without Kimberly’s epic recap post?

2. An Automatic Inky Pen?? (via Figboot on Pens). Sure, it may not look like the absolute best pen in the world, but I really do appreciate this kind of ingenuity. Especially at the $25 price point.

3. A Drafting Pencil Round-Up (via Urban Adventure League). If you’re a fan of drafting-style mechanical pencils, this is a cool overview of several workhorse models, some of which I’ve never used myself.

4. On Reading Difficult Books (via Writing at Large). Something I’ve been trying to do more and more…. This post has some excellent advice!

5. Link Love: Life Changes (via Well-Appointed Desk). Congratulations, Ana!

6. Aurora Optima Italic Nib Fountain Pen (via Blake’s Broadcast). The Aurora stock italic nib is different from the stub - the one I’ve used in the past can be quite sharp.

7. Clone Wars: Majohn A2 Fountain Pen Review (via A Fleeting Ripple). For those who wish Pilot would bring back the vintage faceted Vanishing Point, and who don’t want to pay the premium for the secondary market, the Majohn A2 is an “option.” I agree that the nibs are inconsistent, but they do fit standard Pilot VP nibs….

8. Embracing the Wider Side of Life (via mnmlscholar). I’ve also been branching out a bit, trying to incorporate more broad nibs into my writing rotation. It certainly helps run down the ink supply.

9. Quick Look: Ranga Pens (via The Poor Penman). Ranga Pens are underrate performers, especially if you pair them with a custom nib grind from Peyton Street Pens!

10. My Everyday Carry Notebooks (via Notebook Stories). I love the simplicity of the plain black leather notebooks here! (And the Plotter refills in the Filofax!)

11. “End of Trip” (via From the Pen Cup). Honestly, this is a major reason why I journal.

I enjoyed bringing the shop on the road to the Arkansas Pen Show this year!

In Case You Missed It….

I got back into the swing of things content-wise this week, recapping my trip to the Arkansas Pen Show and discussing why it’s quite enjoyable to take in a smaller pen show like last week’s adventure and the upcoming Atlanta Pen Show. I also wrote about a couple of different pens and pencils I’m using during this year’s tax season, including both a vintage extra-fine option as well as a cool leadholder from Penco.

Kaweco matched both the packaging and the included ink cartridge (Sunset Orange!) in this year’s Kaweco Collection release.

This Week in the T.G.S. Curated Shop - The Kaweco Apricot Pearl and an easter weekend promo

The big news in terms of new arrivals is this year’s “Kaweco Collection” release. Yes, I know everyone is waiting for the arrival of the Sport Piston Filler - it should be here in the next couple of weeks - but this translucent, pearlescent orange fountain pen is well worth a look! We also have a new color of the Uni Kuru Toga “Roulette” fountain pen, more pencil accessories, and the last of the print blanket Roterfadens. (There will be a restock on Roterfaden in the next couple of weeks but I’ll be bringing in some different colors.)

Finally, don’t forget to take advantage of our Spring/Easter promotion using the code “SPRING” at checkout for 10% off certain brands. You can view the details in this week’s Thursday Drops post, including any exclusions.

Kaweco

Lamy

Blackwing

Viarco

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Putting an Extra-Fine Point on It: Pens and Pencils for Tax Season

If I’ve seemed a bit absent from the pen internets lately, it’s not without good reason: I’ve spent much of the past two weeks either traveling to pen shows or finalizing taxes, like everyone else here in the States. While I do have an accountant to help me finalize any submissions, I’m in that weird spot where my business isn’t large enough to justify the expense of a regular bookkeeper, so I still do much of the work myself, and a lot of it requires manual review of invoices, reports, and related documentation.

But enough about the nuts and bolts of tax prep. Nobody really wants to read about that, and those of you who aren’t serial procrastinators probably finished your taxes weeks ago. Every year, however, I always plan to write a post about what pens (and pencils) I use to make it through the first weeks of April, and never get around to it because the entire experience burns me out and I don’t want to even think about taxes more than I have to. But this year is different! 2024 tax season overlapped with an interesting vintage acquisition that I made at the Arkansas Pen Show, inspiring this morning’s post.

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Three pens/pencils for tax season: The Penco Prime Timber 2.0 leadholder, a Caran d’Ache Fixpencil, and a vintage Parker 51 “Flighter”.

Vintage Extra-Fine Nibs and Dagger-Sharp Leadholders

If there’s one frustration among those of us who naturally have very small handwriting or or work in professions where we regularly annotate documents or take smaller notes, it’s the absence of (1) truly “extra fine” fountain pen nibs that write consistently small out of the box and (2) reliably good pencils - and sharpeners - that can hold a point for any substantial length of time. Sure, all of these things do exist, but mostly in import products and on the higher-end of the price spectrum. The standard steel “fine” or “extra-fine” fountain pen nib from Bock and JoWo - ubiquitous in modern pens - isn’t small enough for the type of notetaking I do regularly, so I have to rely on custom-ground needlepoints and Japanese gold nibs like the fine and extra-fine nibs from Pilot and Sailor.

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This particular Parker 51 almost gets me as fine a line as I can get out of my Pilot Vanishing Point extra-fine nib.

This wasn’t always the case. Back when most bookkeeping and accounting work was done manually, it sustained a market for truly “extra-fine” nibs (preferably ones that were stiff to allow you to write very, very small with consistent inkflow, and which you sometimes see designated as “accounting nibs”). Case-in-point: the extra-fine nib on this Parker 51 “flighter” fountain pen I picked up at the pen show last week. I own a lot of Parker 51 fountain pens, and most of the nibs are standard fines or what I would consider a fine-medium: nothing like the smooth extra-fine nib on this one, which so far has held up wonderfully with reliable inkflow. I wouldn’t go so far as to call this pen a “needlepoint,” but it writes a line comparable to the extra-fine nib in Pilot Custom 74 or Vanishing Point, which I consider the most reliable, readily available, and reasonably priced writing experience for those looking to write very small with a fountain pen.

Otherwise, for very small writing I’m using a mechanical pencil, a .5mm low-viscosity ballpoint, or if I’m looking to keep things interesting, a leadholder pencil. One thing that I love about leadholders like the Caran d’Ache Fixpencil or the Penco Prime Timber is the ability to put an extremely sharp point on them, making them a favorite for art, drafting, or - like me - writing absolutely minute script. The 2mm and 3mm leads that these pencils use often sharpen better than the standard cores used in woodcase pencils, and you can easily change the hardness of the graphite to adjust point retention. In my experience, leadholder graphite tends to run slightly harder than its designation, so even a B or 2B drafting lead can get you both a very sharp point and a dark line.

To get the best point on a leadholder, I’d recommend you invest in a stand-alone lead pointer with replaceable blades, as the integrated sharpener in the cap of many leadholders isn’t of the highest quality. Sure, it’s serviceable in a pinch, but you won’t get the needle-tip that you see pictured here.

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Properly sharpened graphite will almost always get you a finer line than a pen.

Takeaways and Where to Buy

I’ve been using my Penco leadholder and new 51 nearly exclusively for the past week, and recommend both as excellent tools for everyday work. Unfortunately, finding a suitable vintage nib for your needs likely requires a trip to a pen show or some back-and-forth with a reputable vintage pen dealer. Parker 51 nibs typically aren’t marked, and I’ve noticed a lot of variability in size between different pens that supposedly have the same nib, so I almost always like to write with them before I purchase. I acquired this particular Parker 51 from Danny Fudge at The Write Pen, who has become my go-to resource for all things vintage. The Penco “Prime Timber” leadholder is sold in our own shop - it’s an inexpensive quality leadholder that includes an excellent lead pointer in the packaging. We also have a selection of Caran d’Ache Fixpencils and graphite refills, as well as the ultra-sharp M+R Brass Lead pointer, which has holes for sharpening two different lead widths and replaceable blades.

Do you have a favorite tax-time tool? (Not Turbotax or Quickbooks, sorry, analog only! :)) Bonus points if you still use a leatherbound ledger!

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!

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.