Sunday Reading: October 27, 2024

1. Maverick Marauder Stratified (via Figboot on Pens). I didn’t get an opportunity to really explore this year’s D.C. Pen Show until Sunday afternoon, so I missed Maverick! I do love unique striated resins.

2. Identifying as a Pencil Pusher (via Line Variation). While I’m not sure that I prefer them over woodcase pencils - the two are such different writing instruments! - I love mechanical pencils and there are a few in here I’ve never tried.

3. What Is In Your Perfect Pencil Kit? (via Pen Addict). For me, not much. In addition to the pencils, a long-point sharpener with a canister to catch shavings, and a canvas pouch.

4. Kaedey / Pilot Custom Maple Fountain Pen Review (via Weirdoforest Pens). Yet another reason to get myself to Japan.

5. Pilot Silvern Tsumugi Sterling Silver Fountain Pen (via Blake’s Broadcast). I’ve always wanted one of these pens, and I find myself moving more and more into the category of “Pilot Enthusiast”. Sterling silver is a beautiful material to use in penmaking, and yes, I allow the silver to tarnish!

6. Montblanc Haus (via Bleistift). A special black ink and pen that can only be purchased there? Pilgrimage time!

7. Spotlight on Stanford Pen Studio (via Rachel’s Reflections). A smaller maker that I’ve not heard much about, Stanford Pen Studio has some gorgeous creations. I love the idea of this series.

8. Taccia Ukiyo-E Hiroshige Asahanada (via Fountain Pen Pharmacists). Even though the very long names can sometimes make them a handful to review and discuss, Taccia inks have long been underrated. There are some excellent colors available!

9. Finishing a Work Notebook (via Notebook Stories). What do you do with your finished work notebooks? Unfortunately I have to either store them on-site or destroy them, most of the time, so I rarely (and sadly) dedicate nice notebooks to work, or use systems with individual pages that can easily be removed.

10. Laban Rosa Fountain Pen in Lilac (via Well-Appointed Desk). I have much experience with Laban’s Inks, but sadly not much with their pens. Ana is giving one away.

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A major goal of mine for 2025 is to consolidate what I’m using on a daily basis paper-wise, and get back to my notebook systems for day-to-day time management after trying Hobonichi for a year as an experiment.

In Case You Missed It….

This week on the blog we started our preparation for Fountain Pen Day - and 2025! The main post from this week was My 2025 Techo Kaigi (i.e., my annual planner review) in which I’ve decided that I will take a pass on Hobonichi for the next year despite having a mostly positive experience with the planners. At the end of the day, I need additional flexibility and I’m going to move back into my ring-based and modular notebook systems full-time. I also reviewed three inks from Tom’s Studio, as I was trying to find a nice purple ink to match to my Bokumondoh 149!

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The Tom’s Studio Wren is in stock, along with some new inks and other things!

Don’t Miss the Giveaway and Promotion: This Week in the T.G.S. Curated Shop

For starters, through the start of Fountain Pen Day (up until 11:59pm on Thursday October 31), we’re giving away two stationery gift sets, and running a fountain pen ink promotion in the shop! See the linked post for details. Also, there’s a bunch of new stuff that only recently arrived including a full restock of Tom’s Studio Lumos Pens, including a new color, “Raspberry”, the pocketable Tom’s Studio “Wren” fineliners, new Tom’s Studio inks (including a Midnight Blue specifically designed for the fibre-tipped/fineliner pens), an even some pencil accessories and mechanical pencils! We also have remaining stock of Inkvent Calendars, if you’re looking to ensure that you’re ready to get started as soon as the season begins!

Tom's Studio Pens

Traveler's Company

Lamy

Kakimori

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. For example, Patrons receive an extra bit off the TGS x Sunderland Collaboration Pen, and Patreon supporters have their own version of the “Free Ink” promo currently running in the shop through this week.

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

Ink Review: Three Dark Purples from Tom's Studio (Juniper, Iris, and Constellation)

This post started out as an experiment in which I attempted to find the perfect dark purple ink to pair with my Bokumondoh-enhanced Montblanc 149, but I ended up experimenting with and extensively testing the three darkest purple inks from the Tom’s Studio ink lineup. I figured I would go ahead and write up my thoughts on each one of them. Read on to the bottom to see my final verdict on the best match for the 149!

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You can really see the variation in tone between the top writing sample (made with the 149’s stub nib and a glass swizzle stick), the bottom left (.8mm Drillog dip pen), and a Kakimori dip nib, the latter of which is still wet.

No. 12: Juniper (“The Sheening Dark Purple”)

Tom’s Studio Juniper was the first ink that I tried, because I thought the combination of the dark purple and the gold sheen would pair quite well with the gold trim and raden finish on the 149. I wasn’t wrong, and have really enjoyed this pairing. It helps that, despite being a super sheener that finishes with a thick gold sheen over the dark purple, Juniper doesn’t smear once it’s dry. Those who love sheening inks - especially those inks that sheen in multiple colors - understand how rare that can be. In recent years, however, I’ve noticed that inkmakers have improved the overall performance of “sheeners,” and nowadays you don’t experience as often the situation where you open a journal entry from weeks/months/years ago and the ink still hasn’t dried. :(

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I took a pass at Juniper with a couple of different ink swatching tools to see if I could capture the different appearances of the ink. In a fine or extra-fine nib, it will look almost black (which I love), but the gold sheen takes over. The Kakimori writing sample (at right) has not completely dried yet, so this is how the ink looks when it’s still wet.

No. 9: Constellation (“The Purple Black”)

I would call Constellation the “non-sheening Purple Black” in this line. Well, there is some sheen, but it’s more of a glisten, roughly the same color as the ink itself (with maybe a hint of red?) so you’d still call this a purple once it dries. Constellation might also be the least “interesting” of these three inks, because it’s a fairly conservative, solid color. That said, it’s an excellent work ink that won’t look out of place on official correspondence or around the office. I would add that Constellation works great in the Tom’s Studio Lumos pens because it’s so saturated, and I’ve had this one loaded into my Lumos mini for several months without issue.

Constellation dries to a mostly dark purple-black. The tones are subtle.

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No. 11: Iris (“The Classic Purple”)

Iris might be one of my new favorite purple inks. It’s bright without being “nuclear”, with neither too much red nor too much pink, and it’s definitely not blue. It hits that “Waterman Violet” vibe, maybe slightly toned down and a bit darker? I enjoy using purples, but in order for me to be able to use them consistently at home and at work, the tone can’t be too crazy. This particular ink dries quickly, and I’ve had no issues with bleedthrough or staining (another potential issue to watch with brighter purples).

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Takeaways and Where to Buy

The Tom’s Studio ink line has turned into one of my everyday favorites (and not just because it’s what I’ve had hanging around the shop - though that’s an added benefit). As someone who appreciates darker colors and more subdued versions of pastels, most of these inks match my personal taste, and the fact that they’re relatively saturated makes them work well in the Lumos fineliners as well as fountain pens. If you’re interested in reading further about other colors, you can check out this previous post. I’ve found all of these inks low-maintenance and very well-behaved in the pens I’ve used them in, and have enjoyed the purples and the greens/green-blues the most.

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Tom’s Studio Inks are made in the U.K., possibly by Diamine, though it’s unconfirmed, and that would be consistent with the quality.

If I had to pick a favorite from the three I reviewed in this post, it would be a toss-up between Iris and Constellation. Iris offers that pop of bright purple/violet while not being eye-searing or too pink, while Constellation is the purple-black that I would use every day. Juniper will occasionally make it into the rotation, but I’m REALLY wanting to load the Iris into the Bokumondoh pen and get a bit of contrast between the black pen body and the ink!

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I do kind of wish the Juniper would stay that pure purple black color once it dried!

Tom’s Studio fountain pen inks currently come in 19 different colors and are priced at $16 for a 50ml bottle of ink. We also carry most of the Tom’s Studio Pens in our shop, and are freshly restocked with new arrivals.

The Gentleman Stationer is supported by purchases from the T.G.S. Curated Shop and pledges via the T.G.S. Patreon Program. If you enjoy our content, please consider supporting us directly. If you’re in the Nashville, Tennessee area, please visit us at our physical store!

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.