Sunday Reading for August 4, 2024 (D.C. Pen Show Edition)

1. Pilot Custom 743 - Ranking the Nibs (via Pen Addict - Kimberly). Pilot now offers the full range of specialty nibs to the U.S. market. I hope to bring some of these options to our own shop soon.

2. Delta Dune…or Is It Duna? (via Figboot on Pens). The old Delta pen company was one of my early favorites when I first got seriously into the hobby. The revived Delta has some interesting designs and I hope to have some time to see their wares today.

3. On Traveling When Older (via Urban Adventure League). A lot resonated with me in this piece. My style of travel has definitely changed (dare I say “slowed dramatically”) as I’ve gotten older.

4. Hakase Part II: NJ15A, the Pen (via Dapprman). Part 2 of the Hakase journey - actually receiving the pen!

5. Pencil Boards? (via Stationery Pizza). Posts that simply pose a question are sometimes fun. Do you use pencil boards? How and where? I have a few but seldom break them out. (On the flip side, I agree the Traveler’s Notebook Brass Clip is an insanely useful accessory.)

6. Reader Question No. 9: How Long Do You Keep Your Notes (via Analog Office). I tend to hang on to everything that isn’t pure “scrap paper”, especially journals and notebooks that form a snapshot in time.

7. Ink Omakase: July 2024 (via Inkredible Colours). This is an awesome idea!

8. Prepping for a Pen Show (via Rachel’s Reflections). I’m not nearly this organized, and my show experiences - especially prep - would definitely improve if I were. I especially like the idea of taking a pre-show nib inventory.

9. Journaling to Improve Handwriting and for Posterity (via The Postman’s Knock). Journaling can also be a way to practice and improve your handwriting without it feeling like “handwriting practice.”

10. Stationery Store Day (via Well-Appointed Desk). Many thanks to all of you who supported us this weekend, both in person at the D.C. Pen Show and online! I wasn’t aware Stationery Store Day is a thing, but with Record Store Day, etc., it should be!

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In Case You Missed It…

This week on the blog I wrote a post about building out a new office, and the various choices I have to make with respect to layout, furniture, and accessories. I also shared my Friday report from the 2024 D.C. Pen Show, and hopefully I will have some time to wander the show today and do a more in-depth report on independent makers and new brands attending the D.C. Show for the first time.

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This Week in the T.G.S. Curated Shop - Tokyo Traveler’s Notebooks and the Pen Show Weekend Discount!

This week’s theme was “Restock!” We’ve been running down our stock of heavier items in advance of our move, so that we would be able to have shipments directly delivered to the new space. We now have most of the Traveler’s, Midori MD, and Maruman Mnemosyne restocked and available for purchase, along with newly arrived Traveler’s Notebook “Tokyo” Limited Editions and a new vegan-friendly Roterfaden Taschenbegleiter in black cactus leather.

Also, many thanks to those of you who sat in on my “notebook systems” overview course at the Vanness Pen Lounge in D.C.! For those who missed out on the fun, you can take 10% of most brands using the coupon code PENSHOW10 at checkout (some brand exclusions apply). I’ll be at the D.C. Pen Show until close to closing time, so come see me at the table next to between Vanness and Matthew’s Nib Works.

Roterfaden

Traveler's Company

Platinum

Endless

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!

2024 D.C. Pen Show: Friday Report! (Plus Directions to Our Table)

Greetings from the 2024 Washington D.C. Fountain Pen Supershow! I wasn’t quite sure what to expect from this year’s show, mainly because I’ve been tied up with the move to our new shop and all that entails, but also because the past few post-Pandemic D.C. Pen Shows have felt “off” in terms of traffic. Fridays have been somewhat slow, with fewer weekend pass-holders making a full weekend of the experience and the main rush deferred until Saturday. Yesterday, however, was easily the busiest I have seen the D.C. Pen Show since 2019. The hotel is completely booked with a packed restaurant and bar, so apparently many out-of-towners decided to fly or drive in to attend the show.

It’s 4:00pm, so that means a raffle drawing at the Pilot Pens table. This is a scene I haven’t seen in years.

The 2024 show spans three hotel ballrooms, building on last year’s expansion in terms of the number of vendors and amount of sheer space the show is occupying in the hotel. Because there are three major pen shows taking place in the U.S. this August (the D.C. Pen Show, Stationery Fest in New York City, and the San Francisco Pen Show), many international vendors have decided to make a full month of it and are staying over to hit all three. If you can make it to any of these shows, there’s a deep roster of Japanese and European vendors present, including Opus 88 from Taiwan, who I don’t believe I’ve ever seen at a show before! There are also 8 different nib grinders.

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Don’t miss out on the fun in the Vanness Pens Lounge, where there’s a rotating cast of characters holding classes on everything from ink swatching to folded nibs to my own presentation on notebook systems! Yesterday I hung out for a while at the tail end of the show

If I’ve heard one complaint from attendees, it’s that the show has become more difficult to navigate as it’s grown. This year, the organizers posted a QR Code with a link to an interactive map, though even that hasn’t seemed to help much. Part of the fun of a pen show is wandering for three days and discovering new things, but if you’re an attendee with limited time, you do need to an easier way to find specific tables. One thing I’ll be contemplating in my post-show recap is whether the D.C. Pen Show has, in fact, grown too big. At a minimum, it seems to have outgrown it’s current location.

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Come Visit Our Table: Where We’re Located!

We are sharing table space with our friends at Vanness Pens this year, so you can find us next to Matthew’s Nib Works (Matthew Chen) in the front hallway. Whenever I attend a pen show, I try to bring brands that won’t also be found at a dozen different tables at the show. This year, I chose to bring Lochby cases (which are always a favorite at pen shows - lots of attendees end up needing additional storage to take pens home!), and Roterfaden, which I’ve never brought to a show before and has received a lot of interest. Taschenbegleiter systems are a bit of an investment, and it’s often helpful to be able to view and handle them in person before making a final decision on whether it will work for you. We also have Anterique Brass Ballpoints and Multi Pens from Uni and Pilot, which lots of attendees have been surprised to discover since it’s not something you typically see at any U.S. pen show. While Friday was busy, we brought plenty of stock so track us down!

If you can’t visit us at the show, you can still join in the pen show fun by using the coupon code “PENSHOW10” at checkout for 10% off most shop orders, good through Sunday evening!

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

Thursday Drops for August 1, 2024: More Tokyo Edition Traveler's Notebooks, Cactus Leather Roterfadens, and More!

Well, maybe more like Wednesday night drops, but we’re traveling bright and early tomorrow to the D.C. Pen Show, which runs August 1 through August 4 (Thursday through Sunday). In general, Thursday is a trader day, primarily vintage, though there are some people who do set up in the afternoon. I will be next to the Vanness Pens table, and also assisting in the Vanness Pen Lounge where I’ll be hosting a course on notebook systems and generally visiting through the weekend. I’ll have samples from various systems including Traveler’s Company, Lochby, Roterfaden and more, as well as product available for purchase back at the table.

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Of course, if you can’t join in the fun at the D.C. Pen Show, as always you can take 10% off most shop orders through 11:59pm Sunday on August 4 using the coupon code “PENSHOW10” at checkout. Some exclusions apply due to brand restrictions, including TWSBI, Roterfaden, Pilot, and a few others. We currently have a fresh shipment of the limited edition Tokyo Traveler’s Notebooks, some new Roterfaden Taschenbegleiters that include a Cactus Leather A5 version (entirely vegan!), and a fresh shipment of nearly all Maruman Mnemosyne Notebooks and Life Paper. Happy shopping and I hope to see you starting tomorrow!

Many thanks to everyone who has supported us this week as we moved to our new shop. We look forward to welcoming you in person soon!

1. Tokyo Limited Edition Traveler’s Notebook. Featuring a black standard cover adorned with symbols of Tokyo, this is a gorgeous edition that comes with two elastic bands: one in standard black and one in a sakura pink. Guess which one I went for!

2. Roterfaden Taschenbegleiter KL_24 Cactus Leather Edition. This latest release from Roterfaden is 100% vegan friendly, featuring a soft cactus leather exterior, vegetable felt interior cover, and a waxed cotton lining that contains both pockets and a zippered pouch. Be sure to check out the pictures on this one as it’s quite unique. It also features an elastic to hold the notebook cover closed.

3. Life Typewriting Paper. Tokyo-based Life Stationery makes some of the more unique paper formulations out there, including this typewriter paper that not only stands up to a typewriter but also handles fountain pen ink.

4. Life Airmail Paper and Envelopes. Almost as thin as true onionskin, don’t be fooled because this paper will handle a fountain pen quite well, though you will be able to see through to the other side, so write on one side only.

5. Midori MD Letter Writing Paper. Available in both standard MD Paper and MD Cotton Paper, this popular lined paper (with matching envelopes sold separately) is a favorite among those who enjoy written correspondence and we’re glad to have it back in stock.

6. Maruman Mnemosyne Notebooks. These fountain pen friendly (and relatively cost-effective) notebooks are a favorite. Perforated pages for the win and they come in multiple rulings!

7. Hightide Folding Metal Book Stands. Available in nearly a dozen different colors, we’ve restocked these favorite desk accessories as we build out our physical shop. Read more about how I incorporate these into my own office workflow in yesterday’s post.

8. Hightide Sandglasses. Nearly all colors and sizes of the popular Hightide Sandglasses are back in stock. Read more about how you can incorporate analog timers into your everyday workflow.

9. Caran d’Ache Nespresso 849 Ballpoint Pen. This year’s Nespresso 849 special edition is a gorgeous matte midnight blue, with the pen’s body made partially from recycled Nespresso capsules.

10. Caran d’Ache “Claim Your Style” 849 Ballpoint Pens (Matte Gradient Editions). Caran d’Ache went all-in on the matte finishes this year, with the Claim-Your-Style 2024 releases also incorporating a two-color gradient.

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Everything will have a place in the new shop, including these NJK Pencil Sharpeners which we have on display!

Choosing Accessories and Arranging Space: Starting an Office from Scratch

While building out and stocking a brick-and-mortar store space is certainly exciting, and I’ve enjoyed the process every bit as much as I expected, designing an office involves an entirely different set of considerations and decisions. Informational content, instructional and educational resources, and online sales will always be a key focus of The Gentleman Stationer as a business, and that side of site operations requires their own space. For years, I’ve made do by running TGS out of my home office, which is a smaller home library-style space not designed to accommodate product storage, photography/videography, and the overall level of organization required to run a growing business.

The new T.G.S. location includes a back office area that takes up approximately 1/4 of the overall floorplan - not huge, but about twice the size of what I have now, which gives me a lot of additional space considering that the office area won’t have to share space with product, which will be held in the warehouse/storage area. I’ve been thinking a lot about how to lay this space out and how I want to use it. For example, I not only need dedicated digital workspaces (i.e., a place for a computer and a large monitor for photo and video editing), but also table space for analog work, including adequate room from spreading out books and papers as I draft a lot by hand. Finally, T.G.S. now requires a dedicated photograph and video “studio” (i.e., a corner of a room where I can stage/light photos and video, and then leave all of the equipment set up and not have to take it down when I want to work at my desk).

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One of my new photography backdrops in natural wood, along with one of the new cactus leather Roterfadens that just arrived in our recent shipment. Stay tuned!

Today I want to talk about five specific office components and how I’ve incorporated them into the new T.G.S. office thus far:

1. Two Desks, or a Desk/Table Desk/Credenza Combination. When I want to work on the computer, I want to work on the computer. When I want to work in a notebook and draft something by hand, I don’t want the computer sharing desk space because it’s distracting. Until now, I haven’t had the space to divide these into two separate areas, but now I have an entire room to build exactly what I need. I managed to find a very nice writing desk and credenza combination that someone was willing to let me have for the cost of moving it out of their house. (Pro Tip: Hire someone to move furniture this heavy.)

2. An Ergonomic Chair. I know there are super-expensive versions out there, and many of them may be worth the money depending on your exact needs, but since the pandemic-era work-from-home boom there are more-than-serviceable generic versions. I found a nice mesh ergonomic chair with a headrest for around $200. When “bargain shopping” for this kind of office furniture, be sure to read the reviews carefully and look for ones with photographs, so that you can see in real-time how the product looks when assembled. Ergonomic seating is helpful not only for your back, but also for issues with arm fatigue and RSI from typing and writing by hand, as a good chair lets you adjust the height of the chair and armrest positions. I’ve gone through many ergonomic chairs over the years, and in my experience, the more adjustment options the better.

3. A Standing Desk That I Can Raise and Lower for Photography. This allows me not only to adjust the angle of the table for better lighting, but also mix-up the backdrop that I’ve used for T.G.S. product photography over the years. Like ergonomic chairs, standing desks and tables have come down in price due to increased demand, and you no longer have to shell out $1000 for a decent model. In my opinion, you can’t have enough table space in an office, and as someone who tends to pace and move around when I’m thinking, having another workspace where I can stand helps my focus and concentration.

4. LOTS of Pen Trays and Holders. Some people might call it “clutter”, but since my job depends on having multiple pens and other writing instruments easily accessible for reasons other than actually writing with them, such as comparison purposes, repair, photography, etc., I need space in the office for visible pen trays and cases to keep things from getting lost. The current T.G.S. setup presents a huge problem, as I have next to no open desk space and am constantly tucking pens into cups, boxes, albums, and cases only to be unable to locate them when I actually need them. My go-to pen tray is the Toyooka Craft 6-pen tray, and I’m looking at investing in larger 10/12-pen versions for shop display purposes. Good thing they’re going to be at the D.C. and San Francisco Pen Shows because I need more!

5. Space to Incorporate Book Stands. One of my favorite “practical” products that we sell in the store is the Hightide Folding Metal Book Stand. It folds flat, so when not in use, you can easily tuck it into a drawer or store it vertically in a filing cabinet. It also travels well in a bag or briefcase. How do I use it in practice? When I’m typing up handwritten drafts, I’ll set my notepad, notebook, or e-ink tablet in the bookstand next to my computer while I’m working. If I’m summarizing research or entering passages into a commonplace book, I can use it as an actual bookholder next to my journal.

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In a world where most offices are being downsized to cubbies, or even eliminated entirely in favor of shared desk space, I’m fortunate enough to have this bonus space to actually build out an office that’s more traditional than what most people use today. I promise to post photographs of the finished space, but for now it’s still a work in progress. You can see a shot of the “blank canvas” below, and if you’d like to follow along with how the physical storefront is coming together, be sure to check out both Instagram and YouTube, where I’ve posted videos of what I’ve been up to for the past couple of weeks.

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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. We greatly appreciate your support, especially as we grow the business and expand with a physical location!

New Arrivals: Pre-D.C. Restock on Traveler's Notebooks, Maruman Mnemosyne, and Life Specialty Papers

The post-move restock has commenced! This morning we received 12 giant boxes containing a long-awaited restock of Maruman Mnemosyne notebooks and pads in most formats and rulings, as well as a restock of Life paper including Bank Paper writing pads and letter pads, Typewriter Paper, Airmail Paper and more. For those of you who have asked about the Midori MD and MD Cotton Letter Writing Paper, that arrived as well with a shipment of Traveler’s Notebook starter kits in all colors and sizes. Keep checking back, and I plan to post more progress photos of the shop as it comes together. Many thanks for all your support, and I hope to see many of you at this week’s upcoming D.C. Pen Show!

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Life Typewriting Paper always sells out quickly, so I bought a lot this time.

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The shop shelving and displays are starting to go in and we’re thrilled!

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