Thursday Drops: Notsu Restock, Zebra Sarasa Grands, and Memorial Day Weekend Sale and Clearance

You all really can’t get enough of the index cards! We were basically sold out as of yesterday afternoon, but today I picked up a fresh box in the mail from Notsu, which included not just additional Centre Rise notecard sets but also 3x5 Dot Grid Cards with rounded corners. Other new arrivals include a restock of the Zebra Sarasa Grand Vintage gel pens (the upgraded anodized models) in most of the popular .5mm tip size, as well as additional TRAVELER’S Notebooks in Olive and Camel. (The Camel has been backordered for a long time, and I know people have been waiting for it.)

View fullsize

Oh, and a bonus: The “New” Iroshizuku colors are back in stock! Syun-gyo, Rikka, and To-ro are all available in relatively limited quantities, but hopefully they will be easier to restock going forward.

For Memorial Day Weekend, all items in the Clearance and Sale section receive an automatic 20% off, instead of the usual 15%. Our pencil sale continues through the end of the month (excluding Blackwing and TWSBI products). Use “PENCIL10” at checkout to claim your discount. The physical store will be open Thursday and Friday 1-6pm, and Saturday from 10am-6pm, with potential Sunday hours given that it’s a long weekend. Stay tuned.

1. Notsu Centre Rise Card Sets. You all keep buying them, so we’ll keep restocking them for as long as we can, in whatever colors we can get! The Notsu Centre Rise includes 50 Vertical “To Do” Notecards, dividers, and a magnetic carrying case that doubles as a notecard stand for your desk.

2. Notsu 3x5 Dot Grid Index Cards. The standard Notsu 3x5 Dot Grid Index Cards with rounded edges are back! These cards likewise fit the Centre Rise cases, and can be used interchangeably with the “To Do” system.

3. Notsu Dot Grid Writing Pads. Notsu also makes letter-sized and A5-ish Dot Grid writing pads, which are great general-use desktop paper pads.

4. Notsu Index Card Holder. These vegan leather card sleeves hold a handful of 3x5 index cards, with a magnetic “portfolio” feature to hold one card while writing, along with a pen loop.

5. Zebra Sarasa Grand Gel Pen Restock. These excellent gel pens are back in stock in the upgraded “Sarasa Grand” style, which features a textured anodized metal barrel with a matching refill. Extra refills are available separately. The .5mm had almost completely sold out, but is now available in all shades.

6. Maruman Spiral Note Basic Notebooks. These simple, utilitarian notebooks from Maruman feature slightly lighter paper than the flagship Mnemosyne lineup, but handle fountain pen ink just fine and are an excellent economical option for everyday writing. Multiple rulings available in both A5 and B5 sizes.

7. Traveler’s Notebooks in All Colors. All colors are back in stock as of yesterday, including the Standard Size in Camel and Olive. Get ready for your summer adventures with a brand new Traveler’s Notebook!

8. Lochby Field Folio. If the narrower width of the Traveler’s Notebook doesn’t suit your needs, consider the A5 Lochby Field Folio, which is a zippered version of the classic Lochby Field Journal minus the hook-and-loop closure. The Field Folio also contains an interior pen loop.

9. Lochby Field Journal and Pocket Journal Refills. We recently received a massive restock of the Lochby A5 and pocket-sized notebooks, all of which contain 68gsm Tomoe River paper. These can be used with the Lochby cases, or with any similarly sized notebook system.

10. Lochby B5 and A5 Slim Notebooks. AND, Lochby has recently released a larger B5 version of their slim notebooks, as well as an A5 Slim Version which should fit Travelers and other similarly sized A5 Slim/Personal notebooks.

View fullsize

AND the last TGS x Sunderland Special Edition is in the case. Anyone want it?

Joe's Picks: Five Underappreciated Stationery Items Across Five Different Categories

For today’s post, I thought it might be fun to offer five different “picks” from five different stationery categories, highlighting what I’d consider to be underappreciated products that don’t get as much attention as they perhaps should. Most aren’t trendy, and some have been around for quite a while. Someone asked me this question the other day when I was in the shop and I thought it might make for an interesting exercise on the blog.

Some of these picks highlight a specific product, while others name a brand or product line if the individual items are heavily dependent on personal preference (i.e., ink color). Note that this isn’t a “best of” list, but rather my response to the question: “What should I try that often goes overlooked?”

1. Fountain Pens. Pilot Kakuno. No, it’s not just for kids! (Though it’s a great first fountain pen to give anyone, regardless of age.) Because of the smiley-face nib, the Kakuno tends to get written off as a novelty, but it features the same excellent nib as the Pilot Explorer, Metropolitan, and Prera. I have one of the red and grey models, and for a no-nonsense cartridge pen that comes in at under $20, the Kakuno should get way more mainstream attention than it does.

2. Fountain Pen Inks. Anything by Taccia. I won’t pick a color here, but I’ve repeatedly discussed here how Taccia inks are criminally underrated. While certain Ukiyo-e inks (such as Sabimidori and Aomurasaki) receive most of the attention, the standard Taccia line is excellent and competitively priced. The offbeat “Jeans” line has some interesting blacks and blue-blacks.

3. Notebooks. Quo Vadis Habana. One of the brands from within the Exaclair family, the Quo Vadis Habana is a go-to for personal journaling. Slightly larger than standard A5, the Habana contains Clairefontaine paper, but be sure to opt for the bright white dot grid version, as I’ve had mixed results with the ivory lined version in recent years. Featuring a leatherette cover, I’ve always considered this particular notebook higher-end than the Rhodia Webnotebook. The “Webbie” is also good, but I prefer the Habana’s slightly larger page and better paper.

4. Ballpoint Pens: Bic Cristal. I always get criticized for being a proponent of this mass-produced pen, but I consider it a classic of modern consumer design and actually like how it writes. I’m not alone: The original creator of Spoke Design used to make the “Baux Pen”, which is an aluminum upgraded barrel for the Bic Cristal refill that I still love. I guess there’s not enough of a demand to keep these going full time, though the website says they might be coming back in 2025?

5. Rollerballs/Gel Pens: Anything by Ohto. Ohto is a Japanese company that specializes in lower-cost rollerballs and needle-tip gel and ballpoint pens. I also strongly suspect that they are the “white label” manufacturer for many similar products on the market. The pen bodies themselves are nothing fancy, but the refills are always fantastic and the overall price makes for an attractive value proposition. Examples include the CR01 and CR02 Rollerballs, as well as the Jotter-inspired Flash-Dry gel pens.

Unpacking Our First Curated Stationery Box: Check Out T.G.S. on YouTube

We recently did something special, and offered our Patreon supporters a limited run of 10 Curated Stationery Boxes with the same theme as today’s post. Each box included around a half-dozen hand-picked items that fall into what I consider the “underappreciated” category, whether they’re long-existing items buried in manufacturer’s back-catalogs or newly released items that haven’t received much attention. If you’re interested in getting in on the next round, be sure to check out our Patreon program.

If you’re ever in the Nashville, Tennessee area, please stop in and see us! We’d love to welcome you in store and answer any questions you may have. The Gentleman Stationer is open this week Thursday (1-6) and Friday (1-6) and Saturday from 10-4. Our site is entirely self-supported through the shop and the T.G.S. Patreon Program.

New Arrivals: Lotsa Notsu and New (to Us) Arrivals from the Back Catalog

Many thanks to Brad at the Pen Addict for giving us a shout yesterday, and I’m glad to see that he’s enjoying the Notsu Index Cards he picked up at the Atlanta Pen Show! (He’s also giving some away!) These fountain pen friendly index card sets tend to sell out quickly after they arrive, but we’re constantly restocking so if the exact item you want isn’t showing as in-stock, be sure to check back. That said, we currently do have the “Centre Rise” Index Card organizer sets in stock, each of which ships with 50 Vertical “To Do” cards, dividers, and a magnetic box that doubles as a card stand/organizer for your desk. We also have blank cards (with both rounded or standard corners), as well as the vegan leather magnetic card holders that come with a pen loop and offer a stable writing platform on the go. Check out all of our current Notsu offerings here.

View fullsize

The TWSBI Diamond Mini is back in stock, including in the “Classic” variant.

Plus Some Underappreciated Gems from Lamy and TWSBI….

As we’re discovering once you have access to the full manufacturers’ catalogs, there are tons of exceptionally good pens, pencils, and more out there that don’t receive much attention from the FOMO factory on social media simply because they’re not “new”, despite being well-made and even unique! We had a few such items arrive recently, including the Lamy Logo “Tri Pen” Multi Pen (which uses the same gravity-driven color selector as the Lamy 2000), as well as the TWSBI Diamond Mini in the “Classic” (Black Cap) color. We make every effort to stock some of the lesser known pens, some of which fly under the radar for reasons I cannot comprehend. (Like the polished wood Lamy 2000 ballpoints….)

Don’t forget that through the end of May, we are running a pencil promotion where you can get 10% off all pencils and pencil accessories using “PENCIL10” at checkout (excluding Blackwing and TWSBI)! We’d also love to host you in person. Our brick-and-mortar shop is open Thursday and Friday from 1-6pm, and Saturday from 10am-6pm. Keep an eye on this page for details and updates.

View fullsize

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!

View fullsize

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….

View fullsize

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.

View fullsize

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.

View fullsize

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.

View fullsize

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.

View fullsize

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.

View fullsize

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!