Sunday Reading for July 28, 2024

1. The Best Paper of the Last 1500 Years (via Inky Rocks). Fans of washi won’t want to miss this video! What a cool trip.

2. 2024 Pacific Northwest Pen Show - Recap and Report (via Pen Addict - Kimberly). This show received mixed reviews from vendors and attendees. It has some promise, given the location, but I gather logistics need to be improved.

3. Alabaster and Orange and no Immediate Clarity (via A Gathering of Curiosities). These are three beautiful acquisitions. I love the deliberate nature of this collection.

4. Two Caran d’Ache 849 Ballpoints Limited Editions: Keith Haring and Nespresso Kazaar Editions (via Writing at Large). I agree that these are two of the better 849 limited releases from the past few years, and very well executed. (We have limited stock of both remaining.)

5. Rulers & Fountain Pens (via Stationery Pizza). I use rulers with my fountain pens all the time, though you do have to be careful with the nib. Rulers are one of those somewhat-overlooked pieces of stationery kit that can be very useful to have on hand.

6. Digital Is Ephemeral (via Analog Office). I’m a big proponent of keeping both digital and hard/physical copies of important documents.

7. The Wing Sung 601a (via Left Hook Pens). Wing Sung’s vintage-style clone pens can be fun to play around with, and an easy way to decide whether you like a certain style before you commit to a vintage version. Quality control is all over the map.

8. Asvine V200 Fountain Pen Review (via SBRE Brown). Asvine finally made their true Conid Bulkfiller clone. I’ve handled one of these - it’s pretty close but the edges are sharper.

9. Kaweco Sport Carmine Fude Nib (via Mountain of Ink). Kelli reviews the latest Galen Leather exclusive release with a customized fude nib.

10. Sticky Note Day: Midori MD A7 Sticky Memo Pad (via Well-Appointed Desk). Looking for sticky notes that don’t feather or bleed? Midori MD Paper makes one of the better fountain pen friendly options.

In Case You Missed It…

The big news this week is that we’ve been moving - you can read some on the details here and in additional forthcoming posts later this week. We did introduce a new feature - the “Ask TGS” Resource page, which is the first step towards refreshing some of the Archival and Informational content on the website. Think of this as a standard “FAQ” (Frequently Asked Questions) Page that I plan to update and add to as we go along.

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It’s incredibly satisfying to finally have all of my stock out and readily visible. For example, inventory was showing that the TWSBI 700R Vac Iris was completely out of stock, but I actually have a lot of them.

This Week in the T.G.S. Curated Shop - We Are Now In Our Physical Location!

First of all, a huge thank you to all the readers and customers who have supported us over the years and made the move to our new space possible! (And especially those of you who have supported us by ordering this week during our move.) We took possession on Monday of a physical brick-and-mortar warehouse/shop space, which will allow us to (1) ship faster and more efficiently, (2) stock a greater variety of products, (3) produce more content, and (4) open a couple of days a week to customers in the Nashville area so that you can shop in person!

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We have all sorts of new Roterfaden Taschenbegleiters in stock, including two different black and red versions in leather and vegan-friendly danceflooring material.

We’ve continued to receive new stock over the past couple of weeks, including a fresh restock of Roterfaden binders in the A5 size (with 4-clip options!), as well as the new Platinum Preppy Wa Modern Maki-e limited editions and a bunch of new Caran d’Ache releases, including the new Claim Your Style Pens and Nespresso 849 releases. We have access to all of our inventory despite the move and are shipping orders on our regular schedule.

Platinum Pens

Endless

Caran d'Ache

Pilot

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, the T.G.S. Patreon includes these as well as 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!

Shop Update: Today, We Move!

I thought I’d be able to post some regular content that I’ve had in the works, but quickly figured out that is insane. I’m up bright and early with a rented cargo van moving fixtures and, hopefully, most of the remaining T.G.S. inventory from my old warehouse to the new location. But first, coffee.

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I did manage to get most of the ink unloaded this week!

Just a reminder, we are not closed and still shipping orders within our usual 2-3 business day time-frame, which I’m trying very hard to stick to given that the D.C. Pen Show is coming up this week. If you would like something delivered before I leave for the show Thursday, please try to get your orders in by Tuesday (Wednesday morning at the latest.) Many thanks for all your support, especially those of you who have made a special effort to patronize our little business as we endeavor to grow it and bring a new pen and stationery experience to the Nashville area!

Thursday Drops: Big Shop Restock on Roterfaden, Midori, Laban, and Platinum!

It’s move week here at TGS HQ (the new one, pic below!) but it’s still somewhat business as usual as we’re busy shipping orders and entering newly arrived items into stock. The other day we received a full shipment of A5 Roterfaden Taschenbegleiter binders, as well as a case of Profolio Oasis Notebooks and a restock of the excellent Laban Greek Mythology series inks. Those who are fans of the Aphrodite Pink and Artemis Navy will find plenty of those colors in stock! We also have Platinum Pens, Endless Recorder notebooks, and more.

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I picked up several Roterfadens in TGS “Signature” colors black and red, including a vegan version.

Next week we will be traveling to the D.C. Pen Show Thursday Aug. 1 through Aug. 4. While this shouldn’t delay shipping too much - I’ll head home to help ship all orders before flying out to Stationery Fest in NYC that Wednesday - if you have something you would like to arrive by the end of next week, please try to get orders in by Monday to ensure timely delivery. And come see us with Vanness Pens in the downstairs Pen Lounge at the D.C. Show!

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!

1. Roterfaden Taschenbegleiter Binders. We have mostly A5 binders in this latest shipment, though we still have some of the recycled leather A4 portfolios in the grey/honey suede combination. We also stocked up on the four-clip version, as that is a popular request. The LTD 020 binder features four standard clips, whereas the LTD015 features four clips with an adjustable elastic that allows you to move the clips between A5 and A6 size refills.

2. Profolio Oasis Notebooks. Fans of multi-lined paper should definitely check out the Profolio Oasis notebook line, which comes in five different colors and three sizes, including A6, A5, and the increasingly popular B5.

3. Platinum Preppy Wa “Modern Maki-e” Second Edition Fountain Pens. Platinum’s brought the limited edition game back to a lower price point with their second Preppy Wa “Modern Maki-e” release, featuring six new designs inspired by scenes from Japanese folklore.

4. Platinum Prefounte Fountain Pens. Potentially my new favorite “first fountain pen” recommendation, the Prefounte takes what’s great about the Platinum Preppy and classes it up, just a bit. It’s also a great everyday writer and work pen for those who don’t want to risk their more expensive pens in open-desk and other setups.

5. Platinum Desk Pens. Fans of the Prefounte and Plaisir will want to check out the Platinum Desk Pen. While the format of the desk pen itself may not necessarily work for you, the extra-fine stainless steel nib is a joy to write with, maintaining a slight bounce. I’ve had good luck transferring it to the other Platinum steel-nib pens, and for those who enjoy the desk pen format, there’s a base unit.

6. Laban Greek Mythology Fountain Pen Inks. The popular Laban
   Greek Mythology series is back in stock, including the hard-to-find Aphrodite Pink and Artemis Navy Blue.

7. Platinum Carbon Black and Pigment Blue Inks. Looking for permanent inks? Platinum makes some of the best, with Carbon Black being a favorite waterproof black option.

8. Hightide Co. Sandglasses. Our most popular desk accessory is back in stock. We have all time increments available, including 30, 15, 5, and 3 minutes, as well as the 15 minute “slim” design. You can read more on how you can use a sandglass/hourglass here.

9. Hightide Metal Book Stands. These folding metal book stands are infinitely useful, as they hold not just books and journals but writing pads, tablets and more. I use them while transcribing notes and handwritten drafts, and keep one folded flat in my briefcase.

10. Blackwing Illegal Pads. We once again have Blackwing’s excellent legal pads in grid, dot, and lined layouts. Some of the best true “legal pads” I’ve used, these are sold in packs of 2 pads each. Though designed around pencils, they also work quite well with fountain pens.

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A work very much in progress, but stay tuned!

New Resource: Introducing the "Ask TGS" Page!

I receive a lot of different questions from readers and customers, and because I can’t always respond in a timely manner due to the volume of correspondence and time constraints, I wanted to put together a site resource compiling answers to and links discussing some of the more common inquiries. I currently have these organized by topic (General, Pens and Ink, Paper, and Shop-related), but I may add to this over time. Please check out the new resource here!

While we are neck-deep in our move to a new shop location this week, we are still shipping orders within our typical 2-3 business day time frame. Many thanks to everyone who has continued to support us during this exciting, yet very scary, time! I look forward to sharing pictures of the new space as it comes together and hopefully seeing many of you in person.

New Arrivals: Pre-D.C. Pen Show Roterfaden Restock, Including Four Clip Binders

The 2024 D.C. Pen Show really snuck up on us this time, as we’re just over a week away! Combined with the move to our new space - that’s currently in-progress! - it feels like we have little time to prepare. That said, we did receive a fresh shipment of Roterfaden Taschenbegleiter binders from Germany, which I will list now and plan to take any remaining stock with us to the show. This shipment contains mostly A5 sizes, including several binders with four sets of clips, which is one of the more commonly requested versions. (Note that the LTD_015 model contains adjustable elastic, allowing you to carry not just an A5 insert but the smaller A6.) All of these Taschenbegleiters are ready to ship immediately.

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We also received a restock of Profolio Oasis notebooks, with their specialized multi-lined rulings. The A5 size would be appropriate for Roterfaden, just saying….

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