Sunday Reading for November 3, 2024 (Fountain Pen Day Weekend Edition!)

1. Pen and Stationery Super Haul! (via Inky.Rocks). Welcome back to the U.S.!

2. In Memoriam, Greg Hardy, Hardy Penwrights (via Pen Addict - Caroline). I was so sad to hear of Greg’s passing, and he will be sorely missed. He was one of the reliably good people to visit with every year at pen shows.

3. Papier Plume Honey Island Swamp Monster (via Figboot on Pens). I love a good murky green color!

4. You Can Keep Only One?! (via Olive Octopus Ink). As hard as it might be, these are some good choices. I have yet to embark on the “You Can Only Keep One” challenge.

5. Wacca Washi Calligraphy Paper Review (via Blake’s Broadcast). I’m not sure I’ve ever used washi paper for writing….

6. A New Chapter (via UK Fountain Pens). It looks like UK Fountain Pens is relaunching with a new voice!

7. 3 Oysters Caramel Macchiato (via Fountain Pen Pharmacist). 3 Oysters is a continually underrated brand that doesn’t get as much attention as it should.

8. The Paper Mind Cosmo Air Light Notebook (via Pen Addict - Sarah). Cosmo Air Light paper continues to be available, despite supposedly being discontinued. I’m all for it, since people do love this paper.

9. Restoring Order (Slowly) (via From the Pen Cup). I feel this, as I’m in the process of moving out of one of my offices after 14 years with multiple bankers boxes worth of accumulated junk. It’s been a long dig out.

10. November Planner Set-up and Ramble (via Well-Appointed Desk). It’s almost time to start prepping the planner for 2025!

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I’m really loving this Tom’s Studio “Midnight” Fibre Tip Ink: Yes, it’s water-resistant (I would almost say “waterproof”, as it survived a soak with minimal smearing), but it feathers in fountain pens as it’s quite wet and tailored to the fineliner experience.

In Case You Missed It…

This week on the blog, we celebrated Fountain Pen Day, and yesterday’s post discussed five reasons why I love the holiday! I also published a new “Ask TGS” installment that offered some advice on successfully using refillable and/or customizable fineliner and fibre tip pens.

This Week in the T.G.S. Curated Shop: Last Day for FPDay Discounts!

Don’t miss our special Fountain Pen Day offers, including a 10% discount and the possibility of a free pencil sampler and free fountain pen friendly paper sampler! We also have new arrivals from Field Notes, including the Birds and Trees of North America, the 5E Gaming Journals, and a huge restock of back editions. Midori MD Cotton paper is also back in stock, along with the 5-year and 3-Year limited edition 10th Anniversary journals!

Field Notes

Midori

Lamy

Dip Nibs

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 special Fountain Pen Day promo “mystery box” opportunity, while supplies last.

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

Ask TGS: Five Reasons I Love Fountain Pen Day Weekend!

I say “Fountain Pen Day Weekend”, because the celebration always starts early and keeps going through Sunday night. Today’s post might be relatively brief, because we’ve seen a steady stream of customers in the shop on Thursday and Friday, and I’m looking forward to a busy Saturday, which is always our busiest day anyway! It’s always fun to go to work with this particular business, but here are five reasons why I feel Fountain Pen Day is important and why I continue to support the annual event:

1. Building a Greater Sense of Community. I truly do hope that Fountain Pen Day remains something more than just an early “Black Friday,” because it’s important to take a day to remember that there’s a large community of enthusiasts around the world that values writing by hand and what it represents. While those of us who are able to visit a pen show or two (or seven) annually get this fix in person, for many that’s not possible, and Fountain Pen Day might be the next best thing.

2. A Reason to “Go Shopping” in Your Own Collection or Stash. I personally choose three or four pen and ink pairings from my personal collection that I haven’t used in far too long, and rediscover why I enjoy them. It’s a bit of an annual tradition during the week leading up to Fountain Pen Day to clean out everything I currently have inked and choose a fresh set that will close out the year. Do you have any Fountain Pen Day traditions?

3. An Excuse to Try New Writing Styles. Another “tradition” is that I choose a new-to-me writing instrument, ink, paper, or other writing-related accessory to broaden my horizons. This year it’s been the fine fibre-tipped brush pen. While I’ve spent most of the year getting deep into the refillable fineliner category, I recently inked up the Kuretake Karappo fine brush pen and really enjoyed it. It’s slightly firmer than a traditional brush pen, so you can use it for actual writing while still maintaining a touch of line variation.

4. Save Some Money. Yes, sometimes it’s nice to get a price break, especially if you’re trying a new brand or style of pen. While I always offer as much of a discount as I can for Fountain Pen Day, this year I wanted to do something to help beginners find their way in the increasingly crowded and confusing paper segment. Customers have asked for a fountain pen friendly paper “sampler” that allows them to try out various brands without having to purchase full notebooks or writing pads, so I assembled a limited number of them containing some of our more popular paper offerings. If this product gets a good reception, I’ll try to expand the selection and add it as a regular item.

5. An Opportunity to Support Your Local Artisans and Retailers, and Smaller Manufacturers. While it may seem self-interested since I’m a retailer and business owner in this space, I feel an obligation to remind everyone that this is a hard business. Margins are low and smaller retailers and makers face competition every day from bulk sellers, discounters, and the online giants of the world that encourage indiscriminate buying of “all the things” as opposed to more considered purchases of items that are both useful and well-made, and will serve you well for a long-time. I’ve always tried to focus both the site (and later, my shop) on this latter category. Every holiday season, whether it’s Fountain Pen Day or Black Friday, remember that where you spend your dollars matters, and if there’s a brand or maker that you love and want to remain in business, be sure to support them when it counts.

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While our supply of Fountain Pen Day Swag is running very low, we do have a few buttons and bookmarks remaining. I will continue to add these to orders placed through the weekend. Be sure to check out this post for all of our Fountain Pen Day specials.

Our brick-and-mortar location is open today from 10am - 6pm, and we’re continuing our 10%-off promotion on most brands through Sunday night at 11:59pm, U.S. Central Time. Keep your eye on this page here for updated hours and details on our location. Our door is along the walkway behind the “Flex Alarms” office!

It's Fountain Pen Day Weekend! Here are the T.G.S. Fountain Pen Day Promotions, In-Store and Online!

Happy Fountain Pen Day, everyone! On Friday, November 1 (or the first Friday in November), the international community of fountain pen enthusiasts comes together to celebrate our mutual love of pens, inks, and paper, as well as pencils, desk and reading accessories, and all things analog. And each year, we always have special sales and product offerings to celebrate through the weekend. Without further ado, here are the 2024 T.G.S. Fountain Pen Day specials, both online and in-store:

Online Promotions Available in the T.G.S. Curated Shop

Take 10% off most brands storewide all weekend (Now through Sunday at 11:59pm U.S. Central Time), using the coupon code “FPDAY24” at checkout. The normal exclusions apply, as certain brands such as TWSBI, Roterfaden, Sunderland, Blackwing, and Pilot are not subject to further discounting per manufacturer’s terms. All orders over $75 will continue to qualify for free shipping.

Orders over $50 (before shipping) will receive a full set of Fountain Pen Day swag, while supplies last. The full set includes the 2024 bookmark, button, and sticker. Orders below $50 will receive the 2024 bookmark. If supplies run out you will receive equivalent T.G.S. Swag or such other freebies as I have available!

Now for our online exclusive: We’ve assembled a limited number of Fountain Pen Friendly Paper Samplers and Woodcase Pencil Samplers, all priced at $10. Here’s the kicker - if your order exceeds $100, prior to shipping, you can get one of these samplers FOR FREE using the coupon code “FREEPAPER” or “FREEPENCILS” at checkout. IN THE INTEREST OF ALLOWING AS MANY PEOPLE AS POSSIBLE TO PARTICIPATE, ORDERS ARE LIMITED TO ONE SAMPLER PER CUSTOMER. NO EXCEPTIONS. Please choose either paper or pencils, not both. If both are added to an order, only one will be sent and requests for multiples will not be honored. This is a pure while-supplies-last promotion. Simply add your sampler of choice to the $100 order and use the applicable coupon code to remove the charge.

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If you buy a fountain pen in-store, you’ll definitely leave with some ink!

In-Store Specials! Come By and See Us in Our Nashville Shop

In-store purchases will be eligible for the 10% discount if you mention the FPDAY24 Code, and will also receive Fountain Pen Day Swag while supplies last. We are also going to be running some Fountain Pen Day / “TGS Grand Opening” in-store exclusives, which will only be announced in-store to those who come visit us in person, but they’re sure to be worth your while. See the “About” page for details on our physical location, hours, and how to find us. We will be open on Fountain Pen Day (Friday), from 1pm - 7pm. We hope to see you there!

The Gentleman Stationer is supported by purchases from the T.G.S. Curated Shop and pledges via the T.G.S. Patreon Program. Patreon supporters will be receiving a special offer this weekend, and our meetup will be held Saturday night, so please check the feed for details.

Ask TGS: Five Tips for Success with Refillable Fineliners

I’ve read a few posts and reviews recently discussing refillable fineliners and fibre-tipped pens such as those made by Tom’s Studio, Kuretake, and Kakimori, which have raised a number of questions about how to use these pens correctly, and what you can expect with respect to the performance of fountain pen inks in non-fountain pens. Personally, I’ve had success using these pens to the point where they might currently be near the top of my everyday user/workhorse pen rotation. Here are a few tips and tricks to get the most out of your refillable fineliners. The suggestions are mostly brand-agnostic and apply across the product category.

1. Choose a Saturated Ink for Maximum Legibility. Most refillable fineliners use a cotton or fabric “wick”-style cartridge to hold the ink. You fill the pen by placing the end of the wick into your ink bottle or sample vial, and part of the fun is watching the ink work its way up the refill. After inserting the wick into the section, the “feed” part of the fibre tip should extend into the saturated cotton, and once you see the tip change color, the pen is ready to write. While this is a very straightforward way to fill a pen, the mechanics of writing work differently than with a fountain pen. A fountain pen nib and feed operate essentially as a controlled leak, with a relatively large amount of ink applied to the page compared to something like a fineliner, which works more like a brush. As a result, inks that are lighter in tone and/or designed to shade may appear extremely light in a fineliner, compared to more saturated inks, due to less ink being applied to the page. Use darker, more saturated colors to maximize legibility for writing with a fineliner, unless you are expressly looking for the lighter tone.

2. Don’t Expect Shimmer Inks or Inks with Special Properties to Behave the Same as in a Fountain Pen. This one should be self-explanatory, but the large particles that give “shimmer ink” the shimmering effect cannot be absorbed by a wick reservoir and can’t flow through the fineliner tip. While a shimmer ink might technically “work” in the fineliner, the color you see will almost certainly be the base color in the ink, minus the shimmer particles. Similarly, I’ve found that some pigmented inks don’t work as well in fineliners, while others (presumably with smaller particles of solid pigment) work better. I would still say that the best performers have been regular water-based fountain pen inks.

3. Don’t Leave the Cap Off Your Fineliner for an Extended Period of Time. If the ink dries out in a fineliner nib, it will need to be flushed with water to get the pen writing again. Sometimes you can fix the issue by simply wiping the tip with a wet paper towel to remove dried ink, but the easiest fix is to not let the pen dry out in the first place.

4. When Changing Colors, Let the Wick and Tip Dry Completely Before Refilling. Where a refillable reservoir is included (as with the Tom’s Studio Lumos or Wren), it is absolutely intended to be rinsed and reused several times before being replaced. I’ve had the best luck completely submerging the refill in a bowl of water and squeezing the ink out multiple times until the refill is white again. The tips can typically be rinsed under a faucet, though you may need to soak them with certain inks. Place the tips and reservoir on a paper towel and allow to fully dry (24+ hours, preferably) before attempting to refill.

5. Think Carefully About How You Plan to Use the Pen Before Filling It. Given that it can be a bit of a chore to change ink colors, you should give a bit of extra thought to ink choice and tip size on the front end. (It’s especially important for single-use pens like the Kakimori Colour Liners.) As I mentioned above, if you’re going to use fineliners for writing or sketching, and it’s important for you to write a dark line, you should choose a very dark, saturated ink.

So what inks have I had the most success using in my refillable fineliners? More saturated solid colors by Tom’s Studio and Diamine have worked extremely well. The darker purples, blues, and greens have given me no trouble, and I’ve recently enjoyed the new Midnight Blue Fibre Tip ink, specifically designed by Tom’s Studio for saturation and flow in the fibre-tipped pens. I mentioned in my recent rollerball writeup that I’ve struggled to find a blue-black rollerball or fineliner refill, and low-and-behold, this new ink appeared literally the next week.

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I’ve also run some of the Laban Greek Mythology Inks through my Kakimori Colour Liners, and the more saturated colors such as Ares Red and Artemis Navy Blue work exceptionally well. More nuanced colors like Aphrodite Pink are legible, yet appear lighter than they would in a fountain pen and you therefore lose some of the brown/grey/pink nuance to the color. While there’s no substitute for your own experimentation, I’m playing around with as many inks as possible so you don’t have to!

We carry a fairly wide selection of refillable fineliners and fibre-tipped pens in our shop, from the Tom’s Studio Lumos and Wren pens to the Kakimori Colour Liners, with Kuretake pens on the way. If you have additional questions regarding these pens and how they work, feel free to reach out using our contact link.

New Arrivals: Introducing the Tom's Studio Wren Fibre-Tipped Pen, Specialized Fineliner Ink, and More!

On Saturday, we received a huge box of restock goodies from Tom’s Studio, including the “Wren” pocket-sized fibre-tipped pen, available in five different colors, including two soft matte finishes (Black and Midnight Blue). For those who felt the “Studio” Pocket Fountain Pen was a bit too large to be truly pocketable, the Wren uses the same o-ring posting mechanism in a smaller format. While definitely a smaller, pocketable pen, it posts to a comfortable pocket-pen length, and I’ve been using it for several days without issue. I absolutely love the new “Midnight” Fibre-tipped ink, designed to maximize flow through the Lumos and Wren pens.

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The Wren refills in the same way as the Lumos, using the capillary wick.

For those who have been waiting on a restock of the Lumos refillable fineliners, we received additional pens in pretty much every color and style, including a new “Raspberry” color. We also have new Tom’s Studio pencil accessories, including .5mm mechanical pencils, and pencil holders/extenders to give your pencils better balance and a longer life!

The Gentleman Stationer is an authorized reseller of Tom’s Studio products. If you’re in the Nashville, Tennessee area, come see us in-store, and don’t miss our ongoing giveaway and promotion which runs through Thursday evening!

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The new “Raspberry” Lumos, second from bottom.