Thursday Drops: New Pentel Mechanical Pencils, TWSBI ECO-T Eggplant Purple, and More!

Another big week in the shop! As we prepare to move into our new space sometime over the next month, we’re trying to walk the line between bringing in too many restocks/new arrivals that we will subsequently have to move, while still keeping up on the releases that seem to keep coming. This week we have one of my personal favorite mechanical pencils from Pentel, as well as a gorgeous new translucent purple TWSBI ECO-T that they’ve dubbed “Eggplant Purple”. In recent weeks we’ve also added a bunch of new gel and multi pen releases from Uni and Zebra, and restocked on the classic Jetstream Prime in limited finishes. Help us lighten our move and pick this stuff up today!

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We don’t anticipate any disruption in shipping while we move into our new space (which will likely include an in-person shopping option eventually!), but if that changes I will be sure to keep you all posted with the details. Many thanks for all your support!

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

1. TWSBI ECO-T “Eggplant Purple” Fountain Pen. TWSBI released their summer ECO-T, and it’s a gorgeous translucent purple. Available now in all nib sizes. TWSBI indicated that this would be a small batch so we’re planning on this shipment possibly being it for this particular color.

2. Pentel Sharp Kerry Mechanical Pencil. The original capped mechanical pencil (1971!), the Pentel Sharp Kerry features a knock and an eraser incorporated into the cap, so you can post the cap on the back as you write and still have full mechanical pencil functionality. Don’t miss yesterday’s review.

3. Uni Kuru Toga Alpha Gel Switch. This favorite mechanical pencil from Uni Mitsubishi features a soft and comfortable, yet durable, gel grip and now comes in both .3mm and .5mm lead sizes. Read our review here.

4. Uni Mechanical Pencil Lead Metal Cases. Prefer a long-lasting reusable accessory to the stock plastic lead cases? Check out these metal refill holders, which come stocked with 40 pieces of Uni’s smudge-proof HB .3mm or .5mm leads.

5. Lamy Safari 2024 Special Edition Fountain Pens. We have stock of all the Lamy special releases from this year, including the recently released “Pina Colada” and “Cherry Blossom” pens and pencils, as well as the “Pink Cliff” and “Violet Blackberry” models.

6. TWSBI Diamond 580 AL “Iceberg” Fountain Pen. This cool blue color is stunning, and “glacier” or “ice blue” colorways are always a favorite. I wish pen companies kept this shade in the standard lineup.

7. Zebra Sarasa Grand Vintage Gel Pens. We finally added a high-end retractable gel pen to the shop. The 2024 version of the Zebra Sarasa Grand features a redesigned body and the same great refill in nearly a dozen different vintage-inspired colors. Read my full thoughts here.

8. Updated Stálogy Accessories. In addition to this year’s limited edition white Stálogy notebooks, we have accessories including the recently released stitched notebook covers, sticky notes, and more.

9. Roterfaden Taschenbegleiter Organizers. We have a nice selection of A4, A5, and A6 Taschenbegleiter notebook covers in both leather and vegan materials, ready to ship! These covers are compatible with most standard-sized slim notebooks in the corresponding size, and the clips are removable if you want to carry fewer than 3 notebooks.

10. Lochby Cases and Notebook Covers. We have most Lochby models in stock, as well as the Lochby Field Journal and Pocket Journal notebook refills that contain excellent, fountain pen friendly 68gsm Tomoe River Paper.

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Stalogy removable calendar stickers can be transferred from page to page as necessary. To Do list options are also available.

Capped Mechanical Pencils: Who Did It Better, Pentel Sharp Kerry or Uni Kuru Toga Dive?

To my knowledge, the "capped mechanical pencil" market is mostly divided between two popular options: The Pentel Sharp Kerry and the recently released Kuru Toga Dive. (Yes, I know there are other models out there that feature a cap, but these two get 90% of the mainstream attention.) When I refer to a capped mechanical pencil, it's basically what it sounds like: a traditional mechanical pencil with a pen-style cap that protects the tip when not in use. For those who enjoy writing with a pencil but lament the difficulties of pocket carry, these pencils can offer a level of convenience and usability beyond the bullet pencil (which still requires that you carry a sharpener).

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Pentel Sharp Kerry: Excellent Since 1971

You rarely find a piece of stationery that's remained essentially unchanged for more than 50 years. Other examples I can think of off the top of my head would be classics such as the Lamy 2000 or the Pilot Capless/Vanishing Point. Does 50+ years make a pen or pencil "iconic"? In my book, yes. And if the form of this pencil looks familiar to all you fountain pen lovers, that's no coincidence: Pentel designed this pencil to appeal to fountain pen users by offering a design that wouldn't look out of place on their desk or in their pen case alongside more expensive writing instruments. The design is reminiscent of the Pilot Myu or Murex fountain pens from the same era (1970s). For more on the history of the Pentel Sharp Kerry, you can check out this article from the Pen Addict, which originally appeared on Mai-Bun.com.

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Practically speaking, I can easily see why the design of the Pentel Sharp Kerry hasn't changed in a half-century. It’s insanely comfortable to use. Posted, the pencil measures 5.25" long, so it sits right in the center of my hand. The long, smooth section accommodates a wide variety of different grips. Best of all, there is a button incorporated into the cap, so when the pen is uncapped and the cap posted on the back, you can still activate the knock. Unlike many technical-style mechanical pencils with their knurled grip and somewhat heavy all-metal construction, the Sharp Kerry feels designed for writing. It's one of the most well-balanced mechanical pencils in my collection, and the absence of a pronounced texture on the grip allows you to write for long sessions without discomfort.

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The Pentel Sharp Kerry is designed to be used posted. Evidence? The knock button on the cap can be removed to reveal a Pentel eraser!

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I kind of can’t believe I haven’t previously noticed the design similarities between the Pentel Sharp Kerry Mechanical Pencil (left) and the vintage Pilot Myu fountain pen (right).

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Hmmm. I’m starting to like it even more.

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The Uni Kuru Toga Dive in “Abyss Blue”.

Uni Kuru Toga Dive: Innovative Technology in a “no-Knock” format, But at What Price?

Mechanical pencils often feel like a less-discussed subset of the stationery world, but if you’ve followed the reaction to the announcement, release, discontinuation, and re-release of the Kuru Toga "Dive" over the past two years, you’ll quickly come to realize that there is a significant level of interest. I'm actually not sure that any product release generated as much "controversy" as the Dive, particularly after Uni raised the price in the U.S. by nearly 30%, supposedly to undercut resellers who were buying up stock and reselling the pencils at marked-up rates. I never grasped the logic or strategy here, but I understand that they have since walked it back, and in any event the pencils are not even currently available other than on the secondary market. It will be interesting to see what happens if/when the Dive reappears - and I hope it does, because it’s a really good pencil! For me the question is one of value: do you appreciate the high-tech features, or are you good with a standard Kuru Toga?

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The dial allows you to adjust lead length.

So what makes the Kuru Toga Dive special? In addition to Uni's signature Kuru Toga lead rotation mechanism (which maintains a sharp point on the pencil by automatically rotating the lead as you write), the Kuru Toga Dive automatically advances the lead when you uncap the pencil. You rotate the grip in order to set the desired length ("Min," "Mid", or "Max") and the pencil does the rest. I love this kind of innovation, even if I personally prefer to set/control my own lead length manually. (More on that below.)

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The cap on the Kuru Toga Dive is magnetic, so it caps and posts securely.

The Dive is a large mechanical pencil. Unlike the Pentel Sharp Kerry, it can easily be used posted or unposted. Some might even consider the Dive unwieldy with the cap posted, but given the plastic/acrylic construction, I didn't find it too heavy and regularly use it this way. (The Dive is actually lighter (.7oz) than the Sharp Kerry (.8oz).) That said, there is one drawback for me: Unlike the Pentel Sharp Kerry, you cannot manually advance the lead via the cap, which I find to be something of an inconvenience if the auto-advance mechanism doesn't keep up or if you have lead breakage. If lead breakage occurs, you have to unpost the pencil in order to hit the knock, as well as to access the eraser.

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The eraser on the Kuru Toga Dive can only be accessed by unposting the pen and removing the knock.

Takeaways: Which Do I Prefer?

These two pencils have completely different feature sets, and sit in two wildly different price brackets, so an apples-to-apples comparison is hard. That said, if I had to recommend spending $20 on the Pentel Sharp Kerry or $70-100 on the Uni Kuru Toga Dive (assuming you can find one), I would probably say start with the Kerry simply because (1) it's a classic piece of stationery that has been around for a long time and is an easy addition to our “best pencils” list; and (2) it will give you a good sense of whether this style of mechanical pencil appeals to you. I personally value the Kerry's ability to advance the lead manually when the cap is posted - as noted above, the auto-advance feature on the Kuru-Toga Dive can be convenient, but sometimes doesn’t keep up if you’re a fast writer or write with heavy pressure, and having to unpost the pen to advance more lead can be annoying.

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Don't get me wrong, I love my Kuru Toga Dive, and I've actually been trying to get my hands on these for the shop but they've been unavailable to both U.S. and Japanese distributors for much of the past year. Could Uni be in the middle of a redesign? A metal barrel perhaps? We'll see. For now, we do have stock of the Pentel Sharp Kerry in five different colors (blue, green, black, grey, and pink), all in the .5mm tip size. Pentel occasionally releases the Kerry in limited colors, and I plan to try to get these as they become available.

The two pencils featured in this review were purchased with my own funds for my own use. I've owned my green Pentel Sharp Kerry for years, and the Kuru Toga Dive was purchased at Kinokuniya in NYC for around $75 at the time. The Gentleman Stationer is currently supported by purchases from the T.G.S. Curated Shop (including an expansive range of woodcase and mechanical pencils) and pledges via the T.G.S. Patreon Program. If you enjoy our content, please consider supporting us directly!

New Arrivals: TWSBI ECO-T "Eggplant Purple" and TWSBI Diamond 580 AL "Iceberg"

This week we have not one, but two, TWSBI summer releases featured! First up: the TWSBI Diamond 580 AL “Iceberg”, which features ice-blue anodized components in TWSBI’s classic piston-filler design. Second is the TWSBI ECO-T in “Eggplant Purple.” This one strikes me as a particularly “summer-y” color because I have purple eggplants growing in my garden as we speak. According to TWSBI, the purple ECO-T will be a smaller run than other recent releases, so if you like the look of this pen, be sure to reserve one or place an order upon release. Any pens ordered from us will ship starting tomorrow.

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Ice blue, “Glacier”, “Iceberg,” whatever you want to call it; It’s one of the most underrated stationery color schemes out there. Shown here is the TWSBI Diamond 580 AL Iceberg alongside the Lamy Studio “Glacier”.

The TWSBI Diamond 580 AL in “Iceberg” (which I’ll probably continue to think of and refer to as “glacier”) is in-stock and available to ship immediately. The Eggplant Purple ECO-T is in our shop with an official release date of tomorrow (June 26). Over the past month or so, we’ve restocked on most TWSBI models, including the 2024 releases, so if you missed out on an earlier release or want to check out the back catalogue, we have you covered!

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The Gentleman Stationer is supported entirely by purchases from the T.G.S. Curated Shop and pledges via the T.G.S. Patreon Program. Many thanks for your support!

Sunday Reading for June 23, 2024

1. How to Move Your Fountain Pens Across the World (via Inky Rocks). I’ve not moved in more than a decade. The prospect of this would be daunting… Best of luck on the move!

2. Working with Plotter A5: Chart Grid and Blue Quadrant Inserts (via A Gathering of Curiosities). Plotter has released a bunch of new formats recently. I agree with R.B. that many of these “experiments” can be frustrating if you find a format that you like only to have it discontinued.

3. New Collaboration! Visconti Voyager Del Mar (via Figboot on Pens). David has a new collaboration with Visconti now available, and it’s a gorgeous offering. Visconti fans should be sure to check this one out.

4. Visiting Stationery Shops in Portugal and Spain (via Inkredible Colours). It’s time for summer travels, and of course pen-related travelogues!

5. Lessons Learned from Inkvent 2023 (via Pen Addict - Kimberly). Inkvent in June? Why not? Kimberly had some interesting favorites from last year’s release.

6. New Leonardo Model…The Dodici (via Figboot on Pens). A faceted Leonardo? “Dodici” apparently refers to 12 sides / 12 facets. Sign me up to check this one out at some point!

7. Traveling with Ink: North Devon, June 2024 (via Fountain Pen Blog). Now that’s a gorgeous location to get some writing done!

8. Platinum 3776 with a Coarse (C) Nib (via Dapprman). I’ve never been a big user of Platinum’s broader nibs, but many people love this one. Personally, it’s never intrigued me.

9. Do You Need Blotter Paper? (via Well-Appointed Desk). I keep a sheet of blotter paper in any non-absorbent notebook, especially those that use Tomoe River Paper. It lets me close the notebook quickly without worrying about ink transferring between two pages of writing.

10. Stipula Etruria Rainbow Stiflex Nib Fountain Pen Review (via Blake’s Broadcast). The Stipula Etruria fountain pen was a favorite of mine early on in my collecting days, back when they focused on celluloid releases. I’ve not tried any of the newer pens, as the gold nibs have a steep premium.

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I still can’t get over this nib! You’ll be seeing a lot more of it!

In Case You Missed It…

This week on the blog, I compared two premium gel pen options: the Uni-ball One and Zebra Sarasa Grand Vintage. Gel pens are one of those categories I’ve unfortunately neglected over the years, and lately I’ve been surprised to discover how good many of them are. I also published my 2024 mid-year review, looking at five favorite posts from the first half of the year as we get ready for some big developments at T.G.S., hopefully starting next month!

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

This week we added the full line of Zebra Sarasa Grand Vintage Gel Pens, in both .3mm and .5mm tip sizes. We also have TWSBI 580 AL “Iceberg Blue” fountain pens available to ship immediately. As a PSA, we have exactly ONE of the Shawn Newton Majestic fountain pens remaining, and the PensByPasquale nib holds have sold out and will be going to their new homes starting tomorrow! While the one remaining Majestic is listed as an EF, we also have 1.1mm stub nibs available.

Be sure to check out this week’s Thursday Drops e-mail for details on all the new arrivals!

Uni Multi Pens

New Lamys!

Stálogy

Zebra Sarasa Grand

Check Out T.G.S. Patreon for Breaking news and first access/Special pricing on exclusives!

We’ve recently shared some news regarding our continued growth with our Patreon members. If you enjoy our content (whether here on the main website, Instagram, YouTube Channel or elsewhere), and would like early/extra access to shop releases and gently used stationery opportunities, consider supporting us via Patreon. 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 access to early shop releases, the quarterly gently used sales, a monthly updates newsletter, and of course our monthly Zoom meetups. Patreon support starts as low as $3 per month, and if you pay annually there is a further discount.

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

Mid-Year Review: Five Favorite Posts from the First Half of 2024 and a Big Announcement!

Most years, I take vacation during the month of June and use the time off to recharge. New content takes a back seat to a bit of rest, but for several different reasons (one of which is pretty exciting and discussed at the end of today’s post) that’s not the case this year. Nonetheless, I love doing the mid-year recaps and reviews because it lets me take stock of what I’ve done so far, compare it to my strategic plan, and plot the course for the second half of the year in terms of informational resources I plan to write, products to review, and - especially relevant this year - shop strategy! Today’s post looks at the five posts I had the most fun writing during the first six months of 2024, and which prompted the most reader feedback and engagement. Enjoy!

1. Strategic Paper Replacement: Adventures in E-Ink, Part I (The Physical Writing Experience). Yes, additional installments in this series are coming, but I’m taking my time with it because I’m still working through exactly how to explain the role these devices have come to play in my workflow. I will say that I’ve completely moved on from the iPad Pro and most “electronic handwriting” that I do is now on e-ink-based systems.

2. Pen Myth-Busting: Remember That Information on the Internet Has an Expiration Date. You may have noticed that in several posts so far this year, I’ve revisited reviews from the early years of T.G.S. That’s intentional, because companies change, manufacturing improves, and observations and conclusions from ten years ago aren’t always accurate.

3. #17InkQuestions from The Gentleman Stationer. I’ve enjoyed these writing prompts that have become popular over the past year or so. If you’re interested in learning about how different community members use their pens and inks, and how they got into the hobby in the first place, check out these posts.

4. How Fine is “Too Fine”? Comparing Tip Sizes Across Different Pen and Pencil Types. I’ve been trying to compile more informational resources for readers, and this post was an experiment that many have found useful. .38mm in one type of pen or pencil doesn’t necessarily equate to .38mm elsewhere.

5. First Impressions: Is the Tom’s Studio Lumos Series the Refillable Fineliner I’ve Been Waiting For? While this was a “first impressions” post, I can easily say that no pen has made its way into my regular rotation quicker than the Tom’s Studio Lumos fineliner. Refillable fineliners are one of those product categories that many have attempted but nobody seems to have really nailed, until now….

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Packed for vacation? Not quite.

And Some Big News for T.G.S. Fans… A Physical Location Later This Summer!

I wasn’t really sure how to drop this, but we’ve just signed a lease on a physical space in the Nashville, Tennessee area to house T.G.S., a project which has been taking up much of my time for the past year! While eventually there will be an in-person shopping option such as a showroom/retail store once I have it set up, the immediate need is office and warehouse space that lets us bring in additional help with fulfillment during the busier times of the year. The space is extremely flexible, and once we’re able to take possession later this summer I’ll be posting additional photos, hours for order pickup, and a further timeline on public hours once we’re ready. Stay tuned!

The Gentleman Stationer is supported entirely by purchases from the T.G.S. Curated Shop and pledges via the T.G.S. Patreon Program. We greatly appreciate your support, especially as we grow.