Sunday Reading for March 16, 2025

1. Stationery and School: My Personal Round-Up (via Urban Adventure League). I love bag dumps and everyday carry posts, especially when it’s about stationery being used in a relatable everyday context.

2. Drawing Table Unpacked (via Fueled by Clouds & Coffee). More awesome scenes from non-internet real life.

3. BWIPS 2025 Recap (via Rachel’s Reflections). A great comprehensive recap of the Baltimore Pen Show by someone who’s attended nearly all of them! I also heard this year’s show was quiet, both in terms of attendance and purchase activity.

4. Baltimore Washington International Pen Show Recap (via Penquisition). Eric has a great recap of BWIPS 2025, with a ton of vendor pictures.

5. 2025 Baltimore Pen Show Recap (via Pen Addict - Kimberly). And we also have Kimberly’s always-comprehensive Baltimore recap! I hope some of you got to take her class on handwriting.

6. Traveler’s Company Stamp Caravan at Hands (via Inkredible Colours). Another stop on the Traveler’s stamp tour! People apparently stake out the events and buy up the limited items, like a mini pen show.

7. The Amazing…and Reasonably Priced, Vazir Horizon (via Figboot on Pens). I like the streamlined shape on this pen, from a newer company I haven’t yet experienced.

8. Santini Giant Faceted Venezia Fountain Pen Review (via Blake’s Broadcast). The Santini Giant is one of those pens I would love to have in my collection, especially with their gorgeous materials, but unfortunately the size just doesn’t work for me.

9. Iroful Notebook Review (via Fountain Pen Love). A comprehensive post discussing Iroful paper as a Cosmo Air Light replacement.

10. Nanami Seven Seas - Old and New Tomoe River Paper Side by Side (via Well-Appointed Desk). I still get questions about how the two compare. Here’s a comparison for a specific popular Tomoe River notebook.

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In Case You Missed It….

This week on the blog I continued to play around with video content, posting my currently inked lineup for the month of March 2025 and talking about my efforts to shop my own stash and reduce, overall, the number of pens in my collection. I also walked through yet another of my mini-collections, and honestly, probably not a mini-collection but a major theme of my pen accumulation in general: Yellow pens! Finally, I’m posting more video content on the T.G.S. YouTube Channel, some of which overlaps with what I’m doing on the blog, and other content which is entirely separate. Mostly it’s been a lot of personal sharing, such as this week’s Currently Inked video and a travel bag dump from the week before.

Believe it or not, we already only have one remaining black with pink suede Taschenbegleiter remaining in stock! Thanks to everyone who’s taken one of these home - I will have a selection with me in Arkansas.

This Week in the T.G.S. Curated Shop: Roterfaden is Back!

We received a major restock of Roterfaden Taschenbegleiter binders this week, including binders with four clips, binders in the classic black+red color combination, and binders with blue felt or pink suede interior, which are somewhat uncommon options you don’t see much. Check out Tuesday’s post for full details. We also have the new Kaweco Honey Sport fountain pens, the new Lamy Scarlet Safaris, a Lochby restock, and lots more. All of the new arrivals are summarized in each week’s Thursday Drops (though after this week’s post went up, we also received a bunch of new ink from Taccia and Lamy - including the new Petrol and Sepia).

Also, please note that the shop will be closed except for by appointment for the upcoming week - we will be in attendance at the Arkansas Pen show from Thursday March 20 through Monday March 23. Any orders placed before close of business on Thursday will ship before then and the rest upon my return.

Kaweco

Lamy

Taccia Inks

New Lamy Ink!

Check Out T.G.S. Patreon for Breaking news and first access/Special pricing on exclusives and Sample Sales

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.

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

Favorite Fountain Pens: Is There a Specific Color You Gravitate Towards?

People approach this hobby/passion/calling from many different angles. Some love pens because they’re collectors, and amass impressive archives of a specific brand or model that cover every variant released over decades (if not a century). Others take a purely utilitarian approach, treating their pens as tools, often settling on a single pen that meets their writing needs and never feeling the need to branch out to anything else. I take a middle approach: I definitely have my favorites that I use more than others (75% of the time, perhaps?) but I also have a bit of “collector” in me as well.

If You Make It In Yellow, I Will Probably Buy It

I collect in two ways. First, I try to have at least one example of major vintage pens in my personal collection, and sometimes more if different variations - usually colors - of a specific model interest me. For example, I currently have one Parker Vacumatic, and a handful of Parker 51s. While I might add some more Vacumatics after my prized blue one broke during a botched vintage pen repair (long story that I will tell later), I don’t feel the need to collect and example of every Parker, and the ones I do have are very much user-grade examples. To me, part of the fun of writing with a vintage pen is the idea that I can use an item in the same way that it was used by the original owner 75-100 years ago, and remark on how little has changed. The pen doesn’t need to be pristine or valuable to give you that experience. As I noted in this recent video, the Parker 45 I showed off cost me $65, even with a 14k nib!

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Some of these fall into the “almost yellow” category. From left: Nakaya Long Piccolo, Kasama Una in Ultem, Mark’s Tous Les Jours metal gel pen, Leonardo Momento Zero Maestro in Omas Burkina Celluloid, and my Conway Stewart Model 100 in Honey Noire.

Second, I tend to accumulate and, yes, “collect” pens by color. You might think from the overall visual theme of T.G.S. that most of my pens are some combination of red and black. While I do have a lot of red pens, and a deep red is one of those tones that makes me happy, so does yellow. Not necessarily a bright yellow, but anything that’s a more muted mustard, saffron, or even a yellow-green is more often than not an insta-buy. There isn’t any real strategy behind this collection. It’s not organized my model, brand, or even type of pen. It’s just something I enjoy, and these days I’ll take that because it’s exactly what I need.

That said, I do my best to avoid mindless accumulation. I currently have several binders of pens, most of which I own not because they fit into some overall “theme” but simply because the design/color/backstory makes me happy. I’ve been thinking about this issue a lot lately, as I’ve made a commitment to unload a significant number of pens (5 per month) throughout 2025. While there will be some harder choices in the year to come, right now the standard is “does this particular pen make me want to use it, and does it make me happy when I use it?” (I refuse to use the phrase “spark joy.”) Through March, I’ve sold off 15+ pens and have only added two or three. I’m actually excited to see what my collection looks like by year-end!

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Those pens I have added this year haven’t been very expensive, including the new Kaweco Sport Honey (right) and one of the remaining Kaweco Perkeo “Indian Summer” fountain pens. The mechanical pencil is the Uni Kuru Toga Alpha Gel Switch. The yellow and black version is my favorite.

SO WHAT’S next for the collection? A couple of recent additions

Do I really need another Kaweco Sport? No, but since the new “Honey” color is the exact shade of yellow that I enjoy, I added one to the collection anyway and inked it up immediately. No regrets. I also had the opportunity to re-acquire a pen that I regret selling: the Kaweco Perkeo in the yellow/green and black “Indian Summer” colorway that was so popular a few years ago. At NY Now in January, I found out that the distributor had a few remaining in stock and I managed to acquire some mediums. What do I think I’m going to pass on? The Lamy Scarlet fountain pen. While they’re great looking pens, and I’m glad to see Lamy move to more muted shades like Scarlet and Steel Black in the standard lineup, It’s not really that exact shade of red that speaks to me. I may claim one of the mechanical pencils, though, as I really love my Lamy AL-Star mechanical pencil and I don’t have a Safari version.

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 enjoyed this post, consider supporting us directly! You can always drop in to our brick-and-mortar shop. Check for open hours and details on the location here.

Thursday Drops: Kaweco Collection Honey Sport Has Arrived; Roterfaden Taschenbegleiters, and Diamine!

It’s finally here! The Kaweco Collection “Honey” Sport fountain pen has landed. I’ve been keeping this one under the hat since I first saw it at NYNow back in January, and I certainly hope this one sticks around for a while as it’s sure to be a favorite. We also have a restock of many different Kaweco products, including clips, foldable mini converters, AL Sport and Classic Sport Piston Fillers, and more.

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As I mentioned Tuesday, most sizes and colors of Roterfaden Taschenbegleiter covers are back in stock, including the new Ltd_033 Black + Antique Rose color combination. We also have new Blackwing releases (and a restock of erasers and sharpeners), plus new ballpoints from Anterique and Lamy!

We will have normal operating hours in the store from 1-6pm on Thursday and Friday, and 10-6pm on Saturday. Many thanks for all your support!

1. Kaweco Collection “Honey” Sport. This might be my favorite of the Kaweco Collection releases, even over the excellent “Olive”. I love yellow pens. Some might call this one a “Mustard” yellow, but I guess that depends on the mustard….

2. Roterfaden Taschenbegleiter Covers. As noted in Tuesday’s “New Releases” post, we have a new round of Roterfaden covers available for sale in the shop. Several already have gone off to good homes, including one of the new Black Leather / “Antique Rose” suede combinations pictured above.

3. Blackwing Volumes No. 11: The Bill Russell Pencil and Notebook. The latest Blackwing Volumes has arrived, and it’s a tribute to Bill Russell and features a gorgeous black and green matte color combo. There’s also a limited edition A5 Blackwing Slate notebook, which includes a Volume 11 pencil in the pencil holder.

4. Diamine 160th Anniversary Fountain Pen Inks. All six colors of Diamine’s latest Anniversary series are back in stock. Most standard Diamine colors are also back in stock.

5. Kaweco AL Sport Piston Fountain Pens. The heftier, metal version of Kaweco’s recent piston filler, featuring an integrated clip. You can read our write up on this pen here, and watch our YouTube video showing how it works.

6. Kaweco Classic Sport Piston Fountain Pens. Less expensive than the AL-Sport version, the Classic Piston fountain pen gives you the piston functionality in the standard plastic Sport body, without the clip (which you can add on later.)

7. Kaweco Foldable Mini-Converters. Yes, they are small enough to fit the Kaweco Sport, and pretty much any other pocket pen! Read more about how they work here.

8. New Anterique Bicolor Ballpoint Pens. While you can always combine the interchangeable parts from any pen in the Anterique lineup to make the color combination you desire, I’ve managed to source these bicolor versions in many different color combinations.

9. Lamy Logo Ballpoint Pens. Like most other Lamy ballpoints, the Logo uses the excellent M16 refill. Featuring a textured grip section and a clip integrated into the knock, the Logo makes for a solid everyday writer at a low price point.

10. Lamy Xevo Ballpoint Pens. Want a great $10 everyday writer that looks professional and uses the Lamy M16 refill? The Xevo features a contoured triangular shape and a twist-action knock.

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The Lamy Logo ballpoint makes for a great everyday writer.

Currently Inked for March 12, 2025: Two New Vintage Pens

So it’s been a while since I published one of my “Currently Inked” videos. People seem to enjoy them, and I’ve had a few requests to do another one, so here goes!

This month I added four pens to the rotation: two old favorites and two “new” vintage pens (as in, new to me). The old favorites include the Aurora 88 Sigaro Blu and the Lamy 2000 in Stainless Steel, and the vintage pens are a classic Parker 45 with a 14k nib that I bought for $65 at the Dallas Pen Show, and an Aurora from the Archivi Storici collection, which I believe is a slimmer version of the vintage Aurora 88 since it has the same nib. The pen did not come with a box so I do not know the exact model. Help is appreciated. This is either a new old stock vintage pen or a modern reproduction using vintage components. The inks chosen are two favorite Iroshizuku Inks (Yama-Budo and Tsuki-Yo), as well as Taccia Ukiyo-e Hiroshige Ainezu.

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From left: Lamy 2000 Stainless Steel, Parker 45 in Grey; Aurora 88 in Sigaro Blu; and the Aurora Mystery Vintage pen from the Archivi Storici series, all in my Skogsy Rickshaw Bagworks Sinclair Model-R.

You can check out the full YouTube video here.

So Why Am I Restarting This Video Series (Other Than for Fun?)

One project of mine for 2025 is to let go of five unused pens every month, and a big part of that is actually putting things into rotation to see what I can/cannot bear to part with. So far, I’ve been successful, offloading between 15-20 pens during the first quarter through the Patreon monthly pen sales. If any of them survive, they will appear in the Gently Used section of the shop. Stay tuned!

Did you like this post and/or the video? The Gentleman Stationer is supported by purchases from the T.G.S. Curated Shop and pledges via the T.G.S. Patreon Program. To accompany this post, I filmed a short “unpacking” video (a true “bag dump”), which you can now view on the YouTube Channel!

New Arrivals: Roterfaden Restock! A4 and A5 Sizes, Plus New Accessories!

Roterfaden is back for the first restock of 2025! We just received a large shipment of A4 and A5 Taschenbegleiters, Notebooks, and Sheet Protectors. The Taschenbegleiters include a heavy restock of the black cover/red elastic combinations, as many of you reached out asking when that specific colorway would come back. We also have several of the four-clip models (the Taschenbegleiter LTD_020 and Taschenbegleiter LTD_15).

If you’re interested in learning more about how the Roterfaden Taschenbegleiter works, and how I use these covers, check out this blog post as well as my flipthrough YouTube Video (which is somewhat shockingly approaching 20,000 views).

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Roterfaden’s honey suede is probably my favorite of the interior materials.

All Taschenbegleiter purchases qualify for free domestic shipping, and these will be available to peruse in person at our shop later this week. We will have normal operating hours from 1-6pm on Thursday and Friday, and 10-6pm on Saturday. Many thanks for all your support!