Thursday Drops: New Colors from Anterique, Tom's Studio Lumos Brass, Tokyo Traveler's Notebooks and More!

Things are finally getting back to normal, at least on the back-office side. We’ve restocked on several favorite brands, including Tom’s Studio and Anterique, including a new limited edition Brass Lumos fineliner and several new colors of the standard and brass edition Anterique ballpoints. Don’t forget to check out the new Cactus-leather Roterfaden KL_24, as well as our dwindling stock of the Traveler’s Notebook Tokyo Edition.

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I’ve also opened up local pickup for the new location. If you are located in or traveling to the Nashville, Tennessee area, you can now pick up your order in person during specified hours or by appointment. After placing your order, you will receive an automated confirmation e-mail with details and I will follow up. We’re not quite ready for people to stop by to browse in person, but I will post hours as soon as we are fully set up, which will likely be September 1.

Many thanks to everyone who has supported TGS as we grow! The physical location is an exciting new development that should allow us to expand the range of products we can offer as well as provide a location to host events, etc.

1. Traveler’s Notebook Tokyo Limited Edition. The 2024 Traveler’s Notebook limited edition features a black leather cover adorned with the symbols of Tokyo, in silver. We have a handful of these left, and we’ve also restocked on nearly all Traveler’s Company refills and accessories.

2. Tom’s Studio Lumos Refillable Fineliner, Brass Limited Edition. The Tom’s Studio Lumos pens are one of the surprise hits from 2024 in our shop, though I probably shouldn’t be surprised since a refillable fineliner pen that allows you to use fountain pen ink is a fantastic idea. Now available in Brass, in standard Lumos, Lumos Pro Duo, and Lumos Mini versions. Read more on the Lumos and how it works here.

3. Tom’s Studio Lumos Pens, Standard Colors. We’ve also restocked on the standard Lumos pens in most colors, including the single-tip Lumos Write which comes with firmer marker-style tips if you prefer that feel for writing. (Personally I enjoy the softer standard Lumos fineliner tips as well, which are similar to a micron pen.)

4. Tom’s Studio “Studio Pocket” Fountain Pens. The Tom’s Studio pocket fountain pens feature a faceted cap design and allow you to easily swap the standard fine or medium nibs with one of the Tom’s Studio specialty nibs (the Architect is one of the better off-the-shelf architect grinds I have tried). Read more on our initial impressions here.

5. Anterique Ballpoints. These Japanese low-viscosity ballpoints take the classic click-pen design and upgrade it to something that’s refillable and can be used everyday. From a thicker plastic barrel to a higher quality knock to an excellent refill, even the basic plastic versions are fantastic pens, and they come in dozens of colors.

6. Anterique Ballpoints, Brass Editions. The heftier brass versions of the Anterique ballpoints feature the same general shape and refill, only with a machined brass barrel. The back part of the pen is interchangeable, so you can indeed swap colors.

7. Tom’s Studio Fountain Pen Inks. Tom’s Studio makes a line of excellent inks to go along with their Lumos refillable fineliners and fountain pens. These are standard water-based fountain pen inks (no shimmer) and stand out because it’s a relatively muted color palette across the line.

8. Roterfaden Taschenbegleiter KL_24 Cactus Leather Model. These didn’t arrive in time for me to have them ready to go in D.C., but there is a new vegan-friendly option in the Roterfaden lineup! This one features a soft cactus leather exterior and a new interior brushed cotton liner with zippered pockets and sleeves.

9. Roterfaden Taschenbegleiter LTD-022. The Taschenbegleiter that many people were looking for in D.C. (which I forgot to pack) was this standard black leather and red elastic. The Taschenbegleiter V-19 is the vegan-friendly version with a cover made from black danceflooring material.

10. Lochby Covers and Cases. All Lochby products are back in inventory following the D.C. Pen Show, ranging from the A5 Field Journal to the Tool Roll to the reversible Venture Pouch.

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2024 D.C. Pen Show Recap and Class Resources

Many thanks to everyone who came out and stopped by our table at this year’s D.C. Pen Show! It’s always enjoyable to meet readers in person and to put faces to names, and it never ceases to amaze me just how many people share this passion of ours. The 2024 D.C. Pen Show was easily the largest pen show I’ve been to in terms of number of vendors, and I suspect that once the attendee numbers come in, they’ll confirm that the show is still growing and has recovered from the “Pandemic lull” in attendee traffic.

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A shot of the third ballroom on Sunday afternoon, as everyone was starting to pack up.

Three Full Ballrooms of Pens, Inks, and Paper

I’ll be honest with you up front: The show was so busy that I saw very little of it - other than what I could see from my table - until Sunday afternoon. When you’re a full-time vendor trying to make a go of it as an actual business, it’s a very different show experience. I didn’t buy a single pen all weekend, which is the first time that’s ever happened. That said, if I had actually had the time to explore, it likely would have ended up as a financial disaster. This year there were three full ballrooms full of exhibitors: the main ballroom with major brands and retailers, a smaller “second” ballroom that mostly housed independent makers, and a third ballroom down the hall that featured most of the international attendees, including show favorite Galen Leather! Additional vendors were packed into the main entrance and hallways.

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Table neighbor Matthew Chen was grinding away at nibs all weekend!

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Fantastic Pens was attending their first pen show! They definitely raised the bar on the sign game.

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I picked up one of the Good Made Better ebonite pocket pens at the Chicago Pen Show. Dan has continued to perfect the design, all of which feature a faceted cap with a matte-finished ebonite.

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I almost snagged that yellow ebonite pen, but I was good.

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The latest from Schon DSGN! I think this pen was a new release for the show.

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I shared table space with Vanness Pens, and Ana Reinert from the Well-Appointed Desk was swatching inks from Octopus Fluids, Van Diemans, and Laban all weekend!

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Hinze Pens brought these new plated nib designs!

I delved into this a bit more in my Patreon writeup, but several people commented that this year’s show may have been a bit too big. As you can see from the lead photo in this recap post, the aisles periodically clogged during giveaways, influencer meet-and-greets, etc., making it difficult for people to navigate the show and frustrating vendors who couldn’t get customers to their tables. A solution is beyond the scope of this post, but limiting the number of vendors and/or moving to a larger event space might be options for future D.C. Pen Shows. As for the current hotel, it’s fine as far as pen show venues go, but in my opinion there isn’t enough restaurant and bar space for attendees to gather after-hours, and the location is not particularly convenient for other shopping and dining alternatives.

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Later in the afternoon, my friend Dan (@dandon375) hosted a meet-and-greet where we got to play around with his collection of folded nibs, ruling pens, and modified Pilot Parallel calligraphy pens. This is the Franklin-Christoph DC Pen Show Special Edition Ink (an olive green) on 68gsm Tomoe River Paper.

Classes in the Pen Lounge: What Did You Think?

This year I worked with Vanness Pens on the Vanness Pen Lounge, which was a ballroom below the main show area that offered a quiet respite from the chaos that is the D.C. Pen Show. Throughout the weekend, the Pen Lounge hosted a running list of classes that included Fountain Pens 101 for beginners, a class on inks taught by Ana from the Well-Appointed Desk, and my own class on notebook systems. Basically, my class was a 30-60 minute overview of a handful of popular notebook and organizer systems that included the Traveler’s Notebook, the Lochby Field Journal, the Roterfaden Taschenbegleiter, and Plotter. For those who attended the class, I referenced some written resources that exist on the site: a general overview post on how to get started, and a multi-post series on specific notebook systems including those we discussed during the class. If you’d like to read further, see Part I (Background Information); Part II (Plotter/Ring Binders); Part III (Traveler’s Company/Modular); and Part IV (Single Notebooks). I also recently published an “Ask TGS” FAQ Page that contains certain of the information we discussed, as well as general resources for new users.

Overall, the Pen Lounge concept seemed well-received, especially at a show that drew a lot of first-time pen show attendees and ended up being very crowded. It was nice to have a quiet, well air-conditioned and ventilated space downstairs to rest for a moment, and I enjoyed having the opportunity to meet everyone away from the table.

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Did You Miss Out on the Fun? Product Links, Resources, and Details on More August Pen Show Opportunities!

As with most pen shows I attend, I needed to take a day to recover on Monday, but yesterday I was back in the shop and re-entered all products from the show into the online inventory. My personal show strategy when I have a table is not to bring all of the product lines that we carry, but rather to select unique products that won’t otherwise be represented at the show. This year I chose a handful of brands: Roterfaden and Lochby for the main table display, accented with some interesting pens from Anterique, Uni, and Pilot.

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Pens from the T.G.S. Table: Uni Jetstream 4+1 Multi Pens, Anterique Brass Ballpoints, and Pilot Hi-Tec-C Coleto Gel Multi Pens. Again, it’s fun to surprise people with items you don’t typically see at shows!

I had never seen the Roterfaden Taschenbegleiter organizers represented at a pen show, and since I was teaching a class on notebook systems, I figured that this past weekend would be as good a time as any to test it out. There’s a reason the Taschenbegleiter remains popular after all these years, even at a relatively high price point: It’s an intuitive, well-made organizer system, and the quality shines when you’re able to try it in person. It turns out that the Taschenbegleiter that drew the most attention was my 5+ year-old classic leather black model (new versions of which I carry in the shop but of course forgot to bring with me). Several people requested that I post the link to the specific model, which is the Taschenbegleiter LTD_022. All Lochby products that remain in stock are also back in inventory and listed on the site.

Because I need to finish moving into our physical shop space here in Nashville, I will not be attending Stationery Fest this week in New York City as originally planned. (If anyone was unable to get a three day pass and would like one, please reach out.) My next pen show will be the San Francisco Pen Show at the end of the month. I will not have a table but will rather be doing this show as an attendee, though if you’d like to place an order for show pickup I can probably make that work.

The Gentleman Stationer is supported by purchases from the T.G.S. Curated Shop and pledges via the T.G.S. Patreon Program. Stay tuned for details on our upcoming brick and mortar location, including visiting hours.

New Arrivals: Tom's Studio Lumos Brass Special Editions

I had a fun surprise waiting for me when I returned from this past weekend’s D.C. Pen Show. The Tom’s Studio Lumos refillable fineliners have been one of my favorite discoveries of 2024, and they recently released brass versions of the Lumos Pro, the Lumos Pro Duo, and the Lumos Mini! These pens function the same way as the standard Lumos pens, using the refillable fibre tip and wick system that allows you to use fountain pen inks in a fineliner format. You can read more about how these pens work here.

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In addition to the new Lumos Brass editions, we received additional stock of the standard Lumos pen models in most colors, Studio Pocket Fountain Pens (which you can of course pair with any of the Tom’s Studio Specialty Nibs sold separately), and all colors of the Tom’s Studio ink line. Tom’s Studio inks are water-based and appropriate for fountain pens as well as the Lumos line.

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

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The Lumos Pro Duo (left) and Lumos Mini in brass.

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.