Thursday Drops: Planner Time, the Lamy 2000 Pine, and An Ongoing Promotion/Giveaway

Wow, that was fast. The Colorverse “Colorvent” calendars may have vanished in an instant, but those who missed the drop can still take part in Diamine Inkvent, which will give you 24 days of inky surprises to open in the lead-up to Christmas (or whenever you want). We also have the Lamy 2000 58th Anniversary release, Traveler’s Company limited edition items, a bunch of new arrivals and restocks from Blackwing, and more. We will continue to restock through the holiday season, but we are also entering the “shipping and restock delay” timeframe, so if you see something you like, please don’t sleep on it as resupply timelines may be unpredictable!

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Now is a great time to pick up a fountain pen, along with your notebook system of choice for 2025!

Don’t Miss Our Ongoing Giveaway and Pre-Fountain Pen Day Promotion!

This week and next, we are giving away two gift packages including a pen, a bottle of ink, paper, and T.G.S. Swag - visit this link for details on how to enter. In the run-up to Fountain Pen Day, we’re also running a pre-promotion, where any fountain pen purchase of $30 or more will receive a complimentary small bottle of ink, no coupon necessary. (“Fountain pen purchase” means any order $30 or more that includes a fountain pen, even if the fountain pen itself costs less.) This is a great opportunity to get set up to write with a fountain pen immediately, especially if you’re exploring fountain pens for the first time.

Our physical shop is open this weekend, starting today! Come see us from 1-6 on Thursday and Friday, and 10-6 on Saturday.

1. Lamy 2000 58th Anniversary “Pine” Fountain Pen Gift Set. The latest limited edition release from Lamy in “Pine” green Makrolon ships with two bonus items: a luxurious green Lamy notebook featuring 90gsm paper and a biography of designer Gerd A. Müller.

2. Diamine Inkvent Calendar, “Black Edition”. The 2025 Inkvent Calendars are on sale and shipping. Our allocation of the Colorverse “Colorvent” Calendars sold out in hours, but we have the latest Inkvent release in stock and ready to ship!

3. Traveler’s Company 2025 Dated Diaries. As I mentioned in yesterday’s post on my anticipated setup for 2025, I expect to use one of the Weekly+Memo refills for my personal journal/techo. We also have full stock of the 2025 Traveler’s Notebook Limited Edition Accessories, including limited folders, pencil boards, and stickers.

4. Stàlogy Special Edition White 1/2-year Notebook. We’re almost down to the last handful of 2024 Stàlogy special edition white notebooks, for those of you who prefer undated planners. If you use these as a traditional planner (they can also be used as a notebook), you will need two of the 1/2 year notebooks to get you through the year, or opt for one of the 365-day versions.

5. Stàlogy Calendar/Planner Stickers. These removable/replaceable planner stickers from Stàlogy allow you to customize a standard notebook or bare-bones planner to include a calendar or to do list. They can easily be moved from one page to another.

6. Write Notepads Weekly Planners. These undated spiral bound planners are conveniently printed in a “Landscape” orientation with a week to two pages, allowing the planner to show a full week lying open on your desk, or half the week underneath your keyboard. You can read more on how these work here.

7. Pilot Custom 823. As mentioned above, we’re running a fountain pen promotion it the run-up to Fountain Pen Day, and we have stock of the new Clear Pilot Custom 823 fountain pens! These pens are sold with a bottle of Pilot Namiki ink, so taking into account our current promotion your pen will come with two inks to get you started! Read our Workhorse Pens writeup here.

8. Pilot Custom 74. One of the most underrated pens on the market, the Pilot Custom 74 offers an excellent 14k gold nib at less than $200. Taking both cartridges and a converter (one of which is included), this pen has you ready to use bottled ink immediately. Read our writeup of the “Stone Blue” version here, which is an underrated stunner.

9. Lamy Studio Royal Matte Red. Lamy continues to kill it with their Studio releases. Between the Royal Matte Red, the Glacier Blue, and the All Black, the Studio continues to be one of my favorite workhorse recommendations.

10. Lamy Studio Piano Red. As with the Pilot Custom 74, the Lamy Studio “Piano” series, with the 14k gold nib option, is an excellent sub-$200 introduction to gold nib pens. I have the Piano Black and it’s a rotation regular.

Last year we did an unveiling of the day’s Inkvent each day, and we’ll plan to do the same this year!

My 2025 Techo Kaigi: A Mostly Fond Farewell to Hobonichi

As is natural in October, when planners go on sale for the coming year, I've been reviewing my current notebook setup and thinking about what I liked, what I disliked, and most importantly, how I can adjust my setup to better meet my needs in 2025. "Techo Kaigi" is a Japanese expression that refers to the figurative meeting you hold with yourself to address these issues. So, you can say I’ve been in back-to-back meetings with myself since October 1 trying to figure these things out!

I had chosen 2024 for an experiment of sorts: I would purchase three different styles of the popular Hobonichi planners: the Hobonichi Cousin A5 (Day-to-a-Page); Hobonichi Weeks Mega ("tall skinny" format week-to-a-page with room for notes); and a standard Hobonichi A6 (Day-to-a-page, to be used as a journal). While I didn't expect to reliably write in each of these on a daily basis, with the possible exception of the Cousin, I did manage to use each planner consistently for stretches of time, giving me a sense of what format and layout I liked best. After a full year with Hobonichi, I don’t think I’ll be making any permanent additions or substitutions to my usual carry. Here’s why:

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My 2024 carry: Hobonichi A5 Cousin in my Roterfaden A5; Hobonichi Weeks in an aftermarket leather wallet/case; and a Hobonichi A6, which served as my journal and eventually went into it’s own leather cover.

What Can I Rule Out Immediately? The Classic A6 Hobonichi Techo

This decision isn't so much a reflection on the Hobonichi itself, but rather a realization that the A6 size doesn't work for me as either a planner or journal. A6 is a "between" size for me, meaning that it doesn't offer me enough space to fully flesh out my thoughts on a day, yet at the same time leaves too much white space if I simply want to micro-journal, jot a few thoughts down and/or habit track. I enjoy having a longer-form journal, but I have a lifetime supply of very nice standard A5 notebooks and composition books (including some gorgeous examples I've collected from Choosing Keeping and other shops) that I look forward to using.

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Two Choosing Keeping Notebooks Purchased in London.

Daily Work Planner/notebook: I need more flexibility Than the HobonicHi Cousin Offers

Of the three planners I purchased for 2024, I used the Hobonichi Cousin A5 the most - everyday in fact. I loved having the full day on one page, with the time stamped left-hand column used for time-blocking alongside plenty of space to take notes. The downside? This thing is BIG. Even if I had opted for the Hobonichi Cousin Avec (which is the A5 Cousin broken into two 6 month segments), I still would find myself carrying around a hefty notebook filled with used pages that can't be disposed of or reorganized easily.

For 2025 I plan to return to a ring or disc-based system using either my William Hannah A5 or Plotter A5 binders. If I can find a compatible refill that features a day-to-a-page layout, I will go with Plotter, since I love the minimalist aesthetic and don't plan to carry more than a week or two of pages at a time. The benefit to me of both the Plotter and William Hannah systems is the ability to easily discard or archive pages that I don't need anymore, while also being able to insert blank pages if I need more space or want to keep additional papers and notes organized chronologically by day. If you have a recommendation for a day-to-a-page Plotter-compatible refill, please let me know! I’m looking.

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That said, if you don't need this sort of page-level or daily flexibility, and don't mind carrying around a larger book, the Hobonichi Cousin is an incredibly versatile planner with at least three different calendar layouts (monthly, weekly, day-to-a-page) that offer planning, journaling, and habit-tracking functionality. The Cousin can definitely be your one-stop-shop, especially if you're comfortable keeping your work and personal life in a single book. I 100% recommend it as an excellent product, but it sadly doesn’t meet my exact needs.

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The Standard Size Traveler’s Notebook is just a bit taller and wider than the weeks, while not sacrificing the tall/skinny format I love so much.

I'm Really Torn on the Hobonichi Weeks, But I'm Moving Back to a Traveler's Notebook

I loved the Hobonichi Weeks, but I'm probably still moving on. Why? I've been using this smaller notebook to track certain things such as exercise, reading, household tasks, and other random notes and observations that I want to keep organized in a "dated" format but separate from my work life. While I love the week-on-two pages layout, which is similar to the Traveler's Company "Weekly + Memo" format, I need just a touch more space as I found myself coming up short at times in the Hobonichi Weeks. As a result, I'll probably be returning to a Standard-size Traveler's Notebook, especially since that will give me the ability to add on additional notebooks and accessories (like pouches) to streamline my carry. I've already set aside a 2025 Weekly+Memo refill set for myself. You can read more on my previous Traveler’s Notebook setups here, and I’ve missed them badly during the past year.

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The Weekly+Memo Format works extremely well for me as a personal planner/logbook. I’ve never used a dated Traveler’s refill before - this year will be the first.

Summary: How Do I Envision My 2025 Daily Carry?

I have multiple occupations and many different personal interests, so my exact "daily carry" changes, depending on what I'm doing. On a typical day, however, my briefcase or backpack will likely hold three main items: the work planner/notebook (whatever it ends up being), a personal Traveler's Notebook, and a Roterfaden binder containing individual notebooks that house anything from my personal journal to scratch notebooks to project-specific refills. If you've been following this site over the years, you've probably noticed that the overall nature of my setup hasn't changed much: I usually go with three modular notebooks or binders, though I have played around with different formats and brands. For 2024, I hadn't used Hobonichi in a few years, and wanted to revisit the brand on a broader level to see if I should incorporate one of the many formats into my hybrid system. Overall, even though I don't plan on making any long-term changes, I did enjoy the experiment!

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 enjoy our pen and stationery-related content, please consider supporting us by shopping directly or pledging. Many thanks for reading!

New Arrivals: Are You Ready for Inkvent/Colorvent? How About a Green Lamy 2000!

It’s calendar season! And not just time to pre-order your 2025 planners, but it’s also time to pick up the Advent-style calendar of your choice. This year, we’re fortunate enough to be able to offer two limited edition “ink calendars”: the Inkvent “Black Edition” Calendar from Diamine, and the new “Colorvent” Calendar from Colorverse! If you recall, last year I had an absolute blast working my way through the 2023 Inkvent set, and I ended up recording a short video of each ink as I opened and swatched it. I plan to do the same this year, though I’m still trying to decide whether to pick one of the two calendars or try to do both. Any suggestions?!?

I will add that if you have your heart set on a Colorvent Calendar, these are in extremely short supply. We have a fairly large allocation of the Inkvent Calendars but don’t sleep on the Colorverse as they are rapidly selling out. Our allocation should arrive later this week or early next and will ship immediately as soon as we have them.

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The 58th Anniversary Lamy 2000 Lands in the Shop!

I’m personally tempted on this one, but I also need to pay inventory bills for the holidays! We’ve received a number of the latest Lamy 2000 limited edition fountain pens in a dark “Pine” green color. Each pen ships in a luxury gift set, featuring a matching dark green notebook and a biography of Gerd A. Müller, designer of the Lamy 2000 and other products. The pens are in our hands and available to ship immediately, and can be seen in-person at our brick-and-mortar location.

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Don’t Forget About Our Ongoing Free Ink Promotion!

From now until Fountain Pen Day (Friday, November 1), we’re also running a sales promo, in which any fountain pen purchase of $30 or more from our shop will include a small bottle of ink free of charge. This will likely be a small bottle of Herbin, Anderillium, Diamine, or other ink that we have in our “sample chest”. The color will be a surprise, though we will do our best to match it to your pen! The $30 purchase limit excludes shipping, but you can reach that number by combining a fountain pen with other items. (i.e., you can purchase a $15 fountain pen and add a $15 notebook, and still have that qualify as a “Fountain Pen purchase” for purposes of the promotion). See the full details, as well as the details of our pre-Fountain Pen Day giveaway, here.

Many thanks for your support! If you are in the Nashville, Tennessee area, please come say hello in person at our new physical location. View details and hours here.

Pre-Fountain Pen Day Giveaways, Plus Details on In-Store Events and "Grand Opening"!

I know Fountain Pen Day isn’t for another two weeks, but since I’ve got to start planning for our first “in-store” Fountain Pen Day celebration, I figured why not kick things off a bit early with a giveaway and promotion that will run up until Fountain Pen Day on Friday, November 1! For those unfamiliar, Fountain Pen Day is celebrated on the first Friday of November, and is celebrated worldwide as a time to embrace, promote and share the use of fountain pens. Read more on the official Fountain Pen Day website.

First Up, Giveaway Details!

From now through Fountain Pen Day, we’re giving away two fun “starter sets”, each of which includes a pen, two pocket-sized notebooks, and a small bottle of ink from Anderillium! The two specific giveaway prizes include:

• Kakimori Colour Liner Brush Pen. In addition to the pen, you will receive a small bottle of Anderillium ink, a Tomoe River Pocket Notebook from Lochby, and a TGS-stamped Pocket Notebook from Scout Books.

• Platinum Plaisir “Aura” Fountain Pen. In addition to the Platinum Fountain pen, which is a .3mm/fine nib and will ship with a converter installed, the Plaisir will also include a small bottle of Anderillium Ink and both pocket notebooks.

Both packs will also include a bunch of T.G.S. Swag, including buttons, stickers, and more!

Giveaway rules are simple: Either comment on this post or like the accompanying Instagram post that will go up shortly. I will number all comments and likes and pick two winners using a random number generator. Giveaway will run through 11:59pm US Central Time on Thursday, October 31. While the giveaway is open to everyone (both those in the U.S. and Internationally), I may ask international winners to chip in on shipping, depending on the cost. The value of each package is approximately $30-40.

You can take a video tour of our shop on the YouTube Channel!

Grand Opening / Pre-Fountain Pen Day Promotion!

From now until Fountain Pen Day (Friday, November 1), we’re also running a sales promo! Any fountain pen purchase of $30 or more from our shop will include a small bottle of ink free of charge. This will likely be a small bottle of Herbin, Anderillium, or other ink that we have in our “sample chest”. The color will be a surprise, though we will do our best to match it to your pen! The $30 purchase limit excludes shipping, but you can reach that number by combining a fountain pen with other items. (i.e., you can purchase a $15 fountain pen and add a $15 notebook, and still have that qualify as a “Fountain Pen purchase” for purposes of the promotion).

We will announce our specific Fountain Pen Day deals closer to Nov. 1, but they will be different from this offer, which ends on October 31. Also, we are planning to host an all-day in-store event on Friday, November 1 (“Fountain Pen Day”), which will feature in-store exclusive promotions, in-store pen and ink testing, free samples, and whatever else I can think of. We’ve only recently launched our brick-and-mortar store so we’re looking forward to welcoming as many of you as possible in-person.

The Gentleman Stationer is supported by purchases through our own T.G.S. Curated Shop, and pledges via the T.G.S. Patreon Program. If you’d like to visit our store in-person, you can view location and hours here. Please spread the word, as we are newly opened in the Nashville, Tennessee area and want people to know where we are!

Sunday Reading for October 20, 2024

1. October 2024 London Pen Show - The Partial Visit (via Dapprman). I missed the London Pen Show by exactly a day. But I do want to go back in the Spring. A bunch of interesting brands here that are new to me!

2. Oblation Papers & Press Shop Visit (via Pen Addict - Kimberly). What a great shop layout!

3. Is the 2025 Hobonichi Paper Inadequate? (via Well-Appointed Desk). I’m not sure I’m going to use Hobonichi for 2025 anyway, so this really doesn’t apply to me, but apparently there is much controversy with the latest Hobonichi release. Perhaps batch inconsistency?

4. Finding the Plotter Size I Want (via Stationery Pizza). I can’t emphasize enough how nice a narrower notebook can be, especially to fit things like smaller sling bags.

5. Endless Storyboard Pocket Notebooks (via Blake’s Broadcast). Endless’s series of “theme” pocket notebooks has been around for a while, now featuring their proprietary Regalia paper.

6. Some Weeks It Takes Two Daily Drivers (via mnmlscholar). Only two? What about six? :)

7. Color Traveler Sardine Blue Gray (via Fountain Pen Pharmacist). Color Traveler has some excellent inks in the Blue-Gray range. It’s a fun brand that doesn't get nearly as much attention as it should.

8. NaNoWri…No (via Pen Addict - Sarah). So I missed all this!

9. The Montblanc 100 Day Writing Challenge - Epilogue (via Pete Denison). Writing challenges and journaling prompts are a great way to spark your creativity, and improve your handwriting!

10. Pelikan Hubs 2024 - A Recap (via Pelikan’s Perch). Another great Hub recap (with more ideas on future venues as the Hubs continue to grow).

In Case You Missed It….

This week on the blog I returned from a trip abroad and finally got around to some new content, both written and video! I wrote a piece on my recent experiments with rollerball refills, and whether I may have actually found a couple that will work for me long-term. I also reviewed the “Journeyman” mechanical ballpoint from Wingback, which is the subject of an ongoing Kickstarter campaign. Finally, I did a video review of two inks I picked up at L. Cornelissen & Son in London, which are from their “Historic” series and are based on vintage ink recipes used by famous historic figures such as Sir Isaac Newton and Virginia Woolf (which are the two inks I brought home with me).

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Diamine Inkvent calendars are available both online and in the shop. We’ve added some hours to our brick and mortar store and will be open Thursday through Saturday, with other days by appointment. Check out this page here for updated store hours and more.

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

As we get geared up for the holiday season, new arrivals and restocks are coming in. The biggest new arrival this week was probably the Lamy 2000 58th Anniversary “Pine” fountain pen set, which features a dark green Makrolon that ships with a Lamy notebook. We also received our allocation of the Traveler’s Company 2025 Dated Diaries, as well as all of the 2025 accessories including folders, stickers, pencil boards and more. Finally, Blackwing Volume 71 arrived, along with new Blackwing paper formats such as the spiral notebooks and reporter-style pads. Check out this week’s Thursday drops for all the details! (Oh, and Inkvent Calendars are here! I told you it was a busy week. :))

Traveler's Company

Lamy 2000

Sunderland

Blackwing

Check Out T.G.S. Patreon for Breaking news and first access/Special pricing on exclusives (Including the Sunderland Mk1)

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 either online (or in person, if you’re in the Nashville area)! 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. This month’s Patreon “special” is an extra bit off the TGS x Sunderland Collaboration Pen.

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