Sunday Reading for May 18, 2025

1. 2025 Chicago Pen Show Recap and Report Card (via Pen Addict - Kimberly). I’m glad the Chicago Pen Show seems to be on the rise again, with a fresh location. Also wishing Kimberly a speedy recovery!

2. January-April 2025 in Stationery (via A Gathering of Curiosities). An excellent stationery retrospective, and I love reading about how people use their sandglasses.

3. Stationery Feed Episode 8 with Shawn Newtwon of Newton Pens (via DWRDNET). Derek interviews Shawn on his podcast/vidcast, where Shawn discusses his penmaking enterprise and his scholarship fund!

4. Twice as Many Bits! The Tactile Turn 16-Bit Is Here (via Inkdependence). I’ll have to get one of these. I don’t buy every Tactile Turn special release, but lately they’ve had a tendency to release “unmissable” ones like this that speak to my childhood.

5. 2025 Atlanta Pen Show Haul (via Feed Your Creativity). I make an appearance at around the 13:00 mark in some show footage!

6. Papakōlea Mauna Koa Fountain Pen (via Kanilea Pen Company). I don’t often highlight product releases in Sunday Reading, but I did want to highlight the latest release from Kanilea, which I’m adding to the list for my next pen show.

7. My Closet Stationery Stash (via Inky.Rocks). Uh oh, is this going be a think where we show off our closets of doom? Also, check out this walkthrough of desktop items for easy journaling!

8. Visit to G. Itoya in Tokyo Japan (via Inkredible Colours). Every time I see an Itoya visit recap, I think “7 Floors of Stationery - How?” This remains on the list.

9. Tom’s Studio Pocket Fountain Pen (via Dapprman). A very thorough and fair review of my favorite of the Tom’s Studio fountain pen offerings.

10. Kakimori Frost Fountain Pen in Violet (via Well-Appointed Desk). I’m still working on some new fountain pen offerings, but the Kakimori Frost may be on my list of pens to bring in. People seem to like it!

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In Case You Missed It…

This week on the blog I got back to reviewing, with an ink review (Taccia Aomurasaki - a dark purple-black), and a review of a new line of “economical” notebooks: the Maruman Spiral Note Basic Notebooks. Not mentioned in the review: I’m really starting to enjoy B5 as a size. Stay tuned….

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

The big news from earlier in the week is that we are running a pencil promotion through the entire month of May, where you can take 10% off all pencil and pencil-adjacent orders (excluding Blackwing and TWSBI). Just use the coupon code “PENCIL10” at checkout! We’ve added some personal favorites of mine, including the Tombow 4B and 6B penmanship/handwriting pencils, a new Lamy Multi Pen (the Logo Tri Pen), a blacked-out version of the Caran d’Ache 849 fountain pen, and a new variation of the TWSBI Diamond Mini. Each week you can check out the “Thursday Drops” post for news on new releases and announcements on brick-and-mortar store hours.

Maruman

Lamy

Yamamoto

Pilot

NEW T.G.S. Patreon Features - We’ve started a discord community!

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 (including the Taschenstift “Violet Tendencies”), the quarterly gently used sales, a monthly updates newsletter, and of course our monthly meetups. Patreon support starts as low as $3 per month, and if you pay annually there is a further discount. As noted above, we’ve recently started a Discord community for all paid Patreon supporters.

Notebook Review: Maruman Spiral Note Basic Notebook

Lower-cost paper for higher-cost times? You can’t dispute that recent events have been frustrating and confusing for U.S.-based stationery enthusiasts (and lovers of analog products in general) as a significant portion of them are made outside of the country and now subject to higher tariffs. With the cost of most products sourced outside the U.S. already having increased 10% or more, many of us find ourselves searching for lower-cost options. Fortunately there are many options out there that can probably absorb future price increases without destroying value.

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The main review ink I used for this review is Taccia Aomurasaki, in a medium JoWo Nib (Hinze Taschenstift). We reviewed this pen and ink combination earlier this week!

The notebook I’m reviewing today, the Maruman “Spiral Note” Basic Notebook, is one such product. Considered a more economical counterpart to their flagship “Mnemosyne” notebooks, the Spiral Note features 70gsm paper (as opposed to 80gsm Mnemosyne), a simple kraft cover, and a single-wire spiral binding (compared to the Mnemosyne’s double). Maruman offers a multitude of different rulings, including .5mm grid or dot, 6.5mm lined, 8.0mm lined, and blank. There are 80 sheet and 40 sheet options, and pages are perforated, allowing you to easily tear out/archive individual pages. Perforations are a huge plus for me, as a perforated page allows me to take meeting notes in an A5 spiral notebook and then hole-punch any sheet I might want to move to one of my notebook systems.

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While this isn’t what I’d consider a heavy-sheening paper, you can see a hit of sheen on the blue ink here.

Despite the slight decrease in paper weight, performance remains impressive. To me, the paper feels slightly slicker than Mnemosyne, and somewhat similar to Tomoe River 68gsm, though maybe not quite as tactile? I’ve had no issues with feathering or bleedthrough, except for some pinpointing where I really bore down hard with the writing pressure, or did an especially wet swatch. Because the paper is relatively lightweight, darker inks may have some slight show-through on the other side, but you can easily use both sides of a page. I would say that the paper shows off sheen and shading moderately well.

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An especially wet writing sample, using a Schon DSGN Monoc Nib that I recently had Matthew Chen grind to a Kodachi. You can read more about it here.

So Who Is the Maruman Spiral Note Basic Notebook For?

While I think this is a great everyday notebook for anyone, I’d consider it perfect for a few different categories of users:

• People who use a LOT of notebooks, especially writers who draft longhand, or those in other note-intensive jobs. These are also perfect for those who want a more visually low-key option, since the simple kraft cover is unobtrusive and blends in alongside all of the generic office-supply-closet notebooks.

• Those who need to be able to scan or file individual pages and need a “looseleaf” option. Perforations are a too-often overlooked feature, in my opinion, especially for professionals who want or need to take notes on paper but have confidentiality obligations that require them to periodically shred paper. It’s nice to be able to do that without having to destroy the entire notebook.

• Students. If I had known about these notebooks in college they would have been the only thing I’d have used. I’d have used different rulings for different purposes, and then have the notebooks match.

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Takeaways and Where to Buy

If you’re looking for a low-cost, functional spiral notebook that features perforated pages and works well with most inks, I consider the Maruman Spiral Note Basic Notebook to be an excellent option, especially given that it currently costs $5.50 to $8, depending on size and page count. If I had to draw an immediate comparison, it would be to the now-discontinued Write Notepads spiral notebook. While the Write Notepads notebook definitely felt like a higher-end product, with a thicker cover and a more substantial spiral, it also cost $20. You simply couldn’t churn through these notebooks at the pace that I did, and I ended up having to find lower-cost everyday options, especially when I started doing different kinds of work that required me to regularly shred notebooks.

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Come check out our full range of Maruman in person!

These notebooks fit a market niche that I felt was lacking in our shop, so as of now we carry them in the B5 and A5 sizes, in both 80 and 40 sheet options. I believe some A4 formats are also available, which we may consider adding in the future. As I mentioned above, prices start at $5.50 and run up to $8, depending on format and page count. For those looking for something more upscale (with a sturdier plastic cover), we also stock many other Maruman products, including the excellent Maruman Mnemosyne notebooks and the Maruman x Kleid collaboration with the 2mm grid ruling.

Everything shown here is also available in our brick and mortar shop, which will be open regular hours this week (Thursday-Friday 1-6pm, and Saturday 10am-6pm). Come take a tour of our new look shop, which we’ve recently been updating. You can also read more about different fountain pen friendly papers in this archived post, and don’t miss the comments section!

Thursday Drops: What, There's Another Lamy Multi Pen? Plus Some Really Good Inexpensive Notebooks

Somehow I missed the memo that all of Lamy’s multi pens feature the same “gravity” switch mechanism as my beloved Lamy 2000 4-color ballpoint. Just this week I got my hands on the Logo Tri Pen, which at only $40 is a very nice multi pen that also accepts D1 refills. I think I need to build out the rest of the Lamy multi pen lineup…. In addition to the Logo Tri Pen, we have additional Lamy 2000 multi pens back in stock, along with the Uni Jetstream “Pure Malt” 4+1, and the Lamy 2000 Blackwood and Taxus pens.

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I’m somewhat irrationally excited about the Maruman Spiral Note Basic Notebooks. I’ve been looking for a relatively inexpensive fountain pen friendly “working” notebook to stock as a shop standard, and I may settle on these. Available in B5 and A5, they come in a wide range of different rulings. Finally, don’t forget that this month is Pencil Month at T.G.S., with 10% off all pencils and pencil-related items (excluding TWSBI and Blackwing) through the end of May. Just use the coupon code “PENCIL10” at checkout to claim your discount.

We’re open this weekend! Come see us in person at our Nashville location from 1pm-6pm Thursday and Friday, and Saturdays from 10am-6pm.

1. Lamy Logo Tri-Pen. The Lamy Tri Pen is one of those “back catalog” products that I missed, but it features the same turn-and-click gravity-driven mechanism as found in the Lamy 2000 multi pen, one of my all-time favorites.

2. Lamy Safari Dark Dusk and Sunset. This year’s Lamy Safari release returned to a monochromatic look, with dark glossy blue and a coral pink matte finishes to choose from. We have all formats (fountain pen, ballpoints, rollerballs, and mechanical pencils).

3. Lamy 2000 4-Color Ballpoint (Multi Pen). Yes, they are finally back in stock! One of the top sellers in our shop, across all categories, the Lamy 2000 multi pen has long been a personal favorite for everyday work due to it’s compatibility with a wide range of D1 refills. You can read more about this pen and why we like it here.

4. Lamy 2000 Blackwood and Taxus Ballpoint Pens. Yet another deep-cut from the Lamy catalog! These upscale wood ballpoints feature a polished finish and take the same Lamy M16 refill (or compatible substitute) as other Lamy ballpoints.

5. Uni “Pure Malt” Multi Pens and Ballpoints. Uni’s “Pure Malt” series, which features pens made from the woods used in Japanese whisky barrels, has been a cult favorite in Japan. We’re now happy to offer both the standard ballpoint and the Jetstream 4+1 Multi Pen in this finish.

6. Maruman Spiral Note Basic Notebooks. These simple spirals are perfect for work, school, and other everyday writing. We’re trying to add more relatively inexpensive fountain pen friendly paper where we can, given rising costs. These versatile notebooks are available in B5 and A5, currently.

7. Lochby 68gsm Tomoe River Notebooks. We are fully restocked on Lochby notebooks in nearly all sizes and rulings. (If it was available, we ordered it.) This includes A5, Pocket, B5 and A5 Slim.

8. New Tom’s Studio Fountain Pen Ink: Peaches & Cream (No. 20) and Ivy (No. 21). Tom’s Studio has released two new fountain pen inks, both of which feature some nice shading. Customers have responded well to the Tom’s Studio line of bottled inks, and I’m glad they continue to expand the offerings.

9. Tom’s Studio Lumos 11-Tip Set. You can once again separately purchase the full 11-tip set, which is the same set of 11-tips that is included with the original purchase of a Lumos Refillable Fineliner pen.

10. Tom’s Studio Lumos Grip and Rollstop. These are back in stock in black and natural leather, as well as a stitched cork version. If you find the Lumos a touch narrow for your comfort, these sleeves may help, and they also function as a rollstop to help prevent your pen from rolling off the desk.

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Ink Review: Taccia Utamaro Aomurasaki Is The Deepest of Purple-Blacks

It’s no secret that I enjoy darker, black-infused inks, ranging from my signature red-blacks to more conservative green-black and blue-black shades. If you’re looking for something a bit more adventurous than standard business-friendly blue-black, but which still won’t look out of place in everyday school or office use, why not consider a purple-black? The ink I’m reviewing today, Taccia Utamaro Aomurasaki from Taccia’s Ukiyo-e line, has been on the market for a while but is a relatively recent new discovery for me personally.

What Are the Taccia Ukiyo-e Inks?

Taccia is a brand that was created in the U.S. and sources its inks from Japan. It’s been all but confirmed that Taccia inks are made by Teranishi, which alongside Taccia is a member of the Nakabayashi group of companies. In recent years, Taccia has expanded their ink offerings from their original standard line to include the “Ukiyo-e” inks, the “Jeans” series, and the new “Roughna Sketch” series. The Ukiyo-e has probably received the most attention, due to both the intricate box artwork and the fact that this line includes some amazing and unusual colors. The inks are inspired by artwork from four different artists from Japan’s Edo period (17th Century), reflected on the packaging. “Aomurasaki”, shown here, is from the collection of four inks inspired by the work of Kitagawa Utamaro.

Aomurasaki is a deep purple-black. The purple will come out with broader, wetter nibs, while the ink will appear more black in finer nibs. (Fine nib writing sample shown here alongside a swatch.)

Aomurasaki: One of Three Takes on Dark Purple

Within the Ukiyo-e line, Taccia has included multiple takes on one color. For example, there are three different shades of purple (Nakamurasaki, Aomurasaki, and Umemurasaki), with the Aomurasaki shown here being the darkest. I was looking for the darkest of purple inks to pair with my Hinze Taschenstift in the “Violet Tendencies CrazyFibre, as I wanted the darker ink to offset the lighter barrel and lilac nib. I rarely find permanent pairings, but this might be one, and if I had enough ink to sell with the pen, I’d even consider packaging them together. Anyone have any other candidates for me to try?

The tone is EXACTLY what I was looking for.

Like their sibling brand Teranishi Guitar, Taccia inks offer solid performance across the entire line. They flow well while still drying in a reasonable amount of time, with Aomurasaki perfectly balanced in this regard - it’s a great ink to use for everyday writing and it’s worked quite well on multiple types of paper. The Itoya Profolio Oasis paper used here handled it without issue, of course, but I’ve also had great luck on ordinary office paper. The pen shown here has been inked with Aomurasaki for several weeks, without any clogging, skipping, or drying.

By the way, Itoya’s Profolio paper handles ink incredibly well. It dries relatively quickly, even with a q-tip swab like this one, and there was absolutely zero bleed-through.

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Taccia Aomurasaki

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Taccia Nakamurasaki

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Taccia Umemurasaki

Takeaways and Where to Buy

Taccia inks, in my opinion, have been unfairly overlooked, mainly because Taccia doesn’t do as much marketing as other major ink-focused Japanese brands like Sailor. I personally think these Taccia inks perform just as well as, if not better than, any other Japanese brand. While the standard Taccia lineup is excellent, I tend to lean towards the Ukiyo-e inks simply because the colors have so much depth. Other favorites of mine include Hokusai Sabimidori, as well as most of the other deep green, blue, and purple shades.

All of the Taccia Ukiyo-e inks are currently available in our shop, and if you enjoy the Taccia inks, you will also want to check out the Teranishi Guitar inks since they behave similarly, but the colors are distinct with very little overlap.

New Arrivals: Tombow Mono 4B and 6B Pencils, a May Pencil Promotion, and Lochby Tomoe 68gsm!

In case you missed it from this weekend, we’ve declared May “Pencil Month” here at T.G.S., and are offering 10% off all pencil and pencil accessory orders through 5/31, using the coupon code “PENCIL10” at checkout. We have all sorts of new pencils from brands including Appointed, Tombow (including the 4B and 6B Mono pencils pictured here and discussed in our latest “Currently Inked” video), Musgrave, and Viarco, as well as a wide range of sharpeners, extenders, erasers, and more. Sale applies to both wood and mechanical pencils, but please note that Blackwing and TWBSI are excluded due to manufacturers’ restrictions.

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Lochby A5 Slim, B5, and Pocket “Planner” (a new layout).

New Formats of Lochby Paper (Tomoe River 68gsm)

I have a soft spot for Lochby because they use 68gsm Tomoe River Paper, one of my favorite fountain pen friendly papers available. Not only have we restocked on all ruling in the standard A5 and “pocket” size formats, but Lochby has recently added two new sizes: a larger format B5 notebook, and a more compact A5 Slim format. These versatile notebooks can be used in Lochby covers as well as a wide range of other compatible notebook systems, as long as the size matches.

Everything shown here is also available in our brick and mortar shop, which will be open regular hours this week (Thursday-Friday 1-6pm, and Saturday 10am-6pm). Come take a tour of our new look shop, which we’ve recently been updating.