Sunday Reading for December 22, 2024

1. Year in Review: What happened with my 2024 Stationery Intentions? (via A Gathering of Curiosities). I love R.B.’s detailed recaps. A “Stationery of Interest” list is something that very much interests me for 2025.

2. Desiderata Vulcan (via Figboot on Pens). Pierre’s pens have a distinctive design, along with compatibility with the Zebra G calligraphy nib. I’m looking forward to seeing this one at a show in the coming year.

3. Dominant Industry Archiving Book: A Log of Atlantis (via Olive Octopus Ink). I’m intrigued by the concept of these ink archiving books, which are completely different from many of the various “currently inked” logbooks out there. These offer a unique way of interacting with your ink collection.

4. 2024 Journal Recap (via Line Variation). It’s that time of year to revisit journaling habits, including what worked in the past year and what you might want to try going forward.

5. Keeps the Blues Away: Nakabayashi Yu-Sari Lined A5 Notebook (via A Fleeting Ripple). Nakabayashi makes excellent workhorse paper, and the Yu-Sari paper in particular was designed to handle fountain pen ink.

6. Visit to Olympia+ in Nagoya Japan (via Inkredible Colours). What an uncommon design for a stationery store (at least here), but it reflects the extent to which a culture actually uses stationery and makes it a part of everyday life.

7. Top 5 Pens of 2024 (via Blake’s Broadcast). There are some really interesting choices in this Top 5 list, including some underappreciated brands.

8. Year in Review - 2024 Pens (via Rachel’s Reflections). Ok, Stanford Pen Studio now has me officially intrigued.

9. Rickshaw Fillmore Pen Case Review (via Pen Addict - Kimberly). I need to get a Fillmore. While I love my Sinclairs, I would like a Rickshaw case that zips all the way open and lies flat.

10. Inkmas 6: Top Inks for 2024 (via Well-Appointed Desk). Be sure to check out all of Ana’s “Inkmas” content, including this post on her top inks of 2024.

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In Case You Missed It….

This week on the blog, I published another round of 2024 recap content, including my top 5 pens of 2024. I also looked at the most popular inks (as judged by Instagram post) from the second 10 days of Inkvent and Colorvent. Spoiler alert: So far Colorvent is winning, and it’s not even close, in my opinion.

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

The big news in the shop this past week was that it was the last opportunity for holiday shopping with a reasonable possibility of Christmas delivery on shipped orders. You can still shop in person, as we will be having extended pre-holiday hours today (Sunday) from 12-5pm, and tomorrow (Monday) from 1-6pm. We will be closing Tuesday (Christmas Eve) and reopening for regular hours Friday, December 27. We will be shipping any orders placed between now and 12/24 on a next-business day basis, to get these to you as quickly as possible after the holidays.

TWSBI Amazonite fountain pens are now in-stock, as are the new Pilot Iroshizuku Inks. We also received a huge shipment of Lamy pens, so we are fully restocked on most models, including the Lamy 2000. Finally, we have more Caran d’Ache 849 Rollerballs as well as M+R brass pencil sharpeners. Check out this week’s Thursday Drops post for a full list of new arrivals.

TWSBI

Pilot

Iroshizuku Ink

Diamine

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Inkvent and Colorvent 2024: Recapping Days 11-20

I’ve been pleasantly surprised with the reaction to how I’ve handled Inkvent/Colorvent season this year, as everyone seems to enjoy the daily Instagram polls. I personally enjoy seeing which inks people prefer, and the poll results have definitely included some surprises. Without further ado, here are the top three inks from both the Colorverse Colorvent and Diamine Inkvent calendars, respectively. Note that these polls are not at all scientific, and depend entirely on how many people responded to the Instagram stories poll as of the date of this post. If your favorite ink isn’t included here, go vote! (And if you missed the recap of the first 10 days, you can check it out here.)

Top Three Colorverse “Colorvent” Inks from Days 11-20: NGC 2264, PUlsar pulse, and brinicles/milky Way (tie)

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Easily my favorite ink from both Colorvent and Inkvent. This dark green should be a frontrunner to be added to regular Colorverse lineup next year. Poll results were near-unanimous.

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It came as no surprise to me that Pulsar Pulse was a favorite.

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Ok, so the "third place” Colorvent ink was actually a tie between “Brinicles” and “Milky Way” (shown below). I enjoyed both inks so I decided to include both in the top “three”!

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Given the connection people have long drawn between the “Advent Calendar inks” and shimmer, I’m surprised that the Colorvent Calendar hasn’t included more shimmer inks. That said, those that have appeared in the calendar are very good.

Top Three Diamine “Inkvent” Inks from Days 11-20

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Snow Glob surprised me with how popular it was, yet it’s sort of understandable since it’s one of the more “usable” Inkvent inks from this year.

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Winterberry, with it’s deep red hue and pink shimmer, is probably my own favorite from this year’s Diamine shimmer inks.

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Blue inks with red sheen are always popular. No exceptions.

Overall Takeaways from Inkvent/Colorvent, Part II

My personal takeaways from the first ten days hold true: the Colorverse Colorvent calendar contains more inks that I would use as everyday writers, whereas the Diamine Inkvent calendar features inks that are more traditionally “festive” and associated with winter and the holiday season. Given how much I’ve enjoyed the Colorverse inks, I’m strongly considering adding Colorverse to the shop as a standard brand in 2025. The dark green NGC 2264 is my favorite ink so far from both calendars, and it’s not even close. Stay tuned for the final five days and a general wrap up next week!

We have exactly ONE Diamine Inkvent calendar left. It’s not too late to grab samples of all the inks! Even though the inky advent calendars are mostly sold out, we still have plenty of ink available in our shop, including lots of recently added brands! If you’d like to peruse ink in person, we have extended holiday hours Saturday through Monday before taking a long-awaited break for Christmas. Come see us!

Thursday Drops: Last Call for Christmas! Tom's Studio, Iroshizuku Inks, TWSBI ECO Amazonite

While we’re probably past the point of any delivery being guaranteed for Christmas, we will continue to ship up until December 23, when most of our shipping partners slow down. Plus, even a late-arriving gift is still a gift! We have restocks continuing to arrive, including new shipments from TWSBI, Lamy, Tom’s Studio, Caran d’Ache, and more. Just yesterday, we received a fresh restock of Tom’s Studio fountain pens (including pens with Architect nibs pre-installed), additional Lamy 2000 pens, and of course the new TWSBI ECO Amazonite.

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Oh, and we have new Roterfadens as well!

So what about in-person shopping? Many of you have stopped by “by appointment” this week, and public hours start today. For this last holiday shopping weekend, we will be open Thursday and Friday from 1-6pm, Saturday from 10-7pm, and Sunday from 1-5pm. We will be closed December 24-December 26, and reopen on the 27th. We will definitely be closed on New Year’s Day but otherwise business as usual.

Domestic U.S. orders over $75 ship free. Please review our shipping policies and time estimates prior to placing an international order. Orders to Canada may be delayed due to the aftermath of the postal strike, and UK orders are subject to a minimum due to VAT rules. We are open this week Thursday through Sunday! View up-to-date hours here.

1. TWSBI ECO Amazonite Fountain Pens. This new “Amazonite” material from TWSBI is created by mixing colors during the injection molding process, and as a result no two pens look alike! This material has a slightly different feel than your typical plastic TWSBI. Pens are in-stock and shipping.

2. New Iroshizuku Inks. Three new colors of Iroshizuku inks (Rikka, To-ro, and Syun-gyo) have landed in the shop, and you can see color swatches in Tuesday’s post. We have a blue, a shading orange, and a deep black/brown/red that might be my favorite.

3. Tom’s Studio Fountain Pen Restock. We have additional stock of the Tom’s Studio “Studio Pocket” fountain pen, including pens that ship with the Tom’s Studio Architect Nib pre-installed. Architect Nibs and Pro-Flex (Zebra G) nibs are once again available for purchase separately.

4. Tom’s Studio Wren Pocket Fineliner. The Tom’s Studio Wren is a refillable fineliner that comes in a pocketable size. We also have additional Lumos Pro Duo pens in stock as of yesterday.

5. Tom’s Studio Ink Restock. All colors of Tom’s Studio Ink is back in stock, including Pigmented Black and the Midnight Blue Fineliner Ink, specially formulated to work in the Lumos and Wren fineliner pens.

6. Lamy 2000 “Taxus” and “Blackwood” Ballpoints. The Lamy 2000 ballpoint doesn’t just come in Makrolon, did you know? These polished wood finishes add an interesting twist to the Lamy 2000’s classic design profile.

7. Caran d’Ache “Cosmic Blue” and “Cosmic Gold” 849 Ballpoints. The latest special edition releases from Caran d’Ache feature a metallic gradient finish that adds a “festive” element to an underlying industrial look. The blue might be my favorite here.

8. Taccia Ukiyo-e Inks. Based on the work of four different artists from Japan’s Edo Period, Taccia’s Ukiyo-e ink line features over a dozen wonderfully muted colors - perfect for those who want to add an interesting element to their writing without a loud color.

9. Lamy Pico Ballpoint Pen. Sales of the Lamy Pico always soar around the holidays, as this cool extendable pocket pen is one of the more practical pocket writing tools around.

10. Pilot Birdie and Birdie Switch Ballpoints/Pencils. Those looking for an ultra-slim planner or wallet pen will want to consider the Birdie. Currently available as both a mechanical pencil and a mechanical pencil/ballpoint combination.

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2024 Year-End Review: My Five Most-Used Pens of 2024

Every December, I recap the previous year by discussing favorites, including favorite new product discoveries, most-used pens, favorite product reviews, and more. Last week, I talked about five favorite product discoveries from 2024: new and new-to-me products that I discovered over the past 12 months. Today’s recap offers my five most-used pens from this year. There are some old favorites on this list, which isn’t really surprising since it’s been such a busy year, and when I’m busy I tend to default to my “workhorses”, but there are also a couple of new entries.

1. Lamy 2000: Fountain Pens and Rollerball. The Lamy 2000 fountain pen continues to form the core of my everyday writing rotation. It’s long been my favorite pen, both because I enjoy the writing experience and because, as an understated design classic, it’s always pleasant to look at. This past year, I added the limited edition “Pine” version of the fountain pen, and I also began using the rollerball once I discovered the Ohto CR-305 .5mm refill - a low-bleed rollerball refill that’s causing me to reconsider rollerballs as an option once again.

2. Pilot Custom 823. These pens hold so much ink, and they’re so convenient for travel, that I rarely go any period of time without having one inked up. This year I’ve primarily used my Amber medium that has a Mark Bacas blade grind (sort of a Naginata/soft-architect).

3. Tom’s Studio Lumos Write. The Lumos Pro Duo is cool, with it’s double tip, but since I use my fineliners mostly to write, not draw, the single-tip Lumos Write model is my pen of choice. This model is a bit less expensive than the standard Lumos, and comes with a smaller set of firmer writing tips. I’ve been using either standard black ink or the Tom’s Studio “Midnight” fineliner ink in this pen, with good results.

4. Montblanc 146 UNICEF Edition. Sure, it’s basically a “boring” standard black Montblanc 146 with platinum trim, but this particular pen sports an excellent “Perspective” grind from Gena Salorino at Custom Nib Studio. It’s their version of the Naginata-style grind, and makes for an excellent everyday writer that I find more practical than an architect.

5. Tactile Turn “Vice” Short Side-Click. I don’t know why I like this particular pen so much - it’s probably the 1980s Florida connection - but regardless of the reason, it’s been a constant companion since I picked it up this summer. I still feel strongly that the “Short” version of the Tactile Turn Side-Click has the best balance for me personally. The fact that it accepts Parker-style refills makes the Side Click a versatile choice for those who need a durable EDC ballpoint.

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’re interested in talking inks and seeing our swatches and growing selection, come see us in-person! We’re open this week Thursday-Sunday, and otherwise by appointment.

New Arrivals: New Iroshizuku Inks! Check out Syun-gyo, To-ro, and Rikka

Three new Pilot Iroshizuku inks have arrived! To-ro (a bright orange); Rikka (a vibrant blue), and Syun-gyo (what I would call a “black cherry” red) are now available, replacing the three inks that were phased out earlier this year. Of these, Syun-gyo is probably my favorite, simply because it’s a color that touches on both dark red and black - two shades that don’t get much attention from Pilot.

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This one’s going into a pen immediately.

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A very nice color that many people are excited about. Personally, there are already a lot of blues in the Iroshizuku lineup.

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To-ro is a nice orange that should shade well. All ink samples are on 52gsm Sanzen Tomoe River Paper.

All Pilot Iroshizuku inks are currently in-stock, priced at $24 per bottle. We carry a wide range of Pilot inks and pens, both fountain and standard. And, of course, we have a growing selection of many other fountain pen inks available to peruse both online and in-person.

In-person store hours this week will be Thursday and Friday from 1-6pm, Saturday from 10-7pm, and Sunday from 12-5pm. We will open for last-minute shopping the afternoon of Monday, December 23 from 1-5pm, and then close for the Christmas holidays. Standard (non-holiday) hours resume December 27th. Many thanks to everyone who has supported us this holiday season.