Sunday Reading for August 10, 2025

1. What’s Inside This Mystery Stationery Box? (via dwrdnet). Derek unpacks our second curated stationery box, available quarterly via our Patreon (though this time we had a couple left over so at least one non-Patreon member got to grab one). If there’s enough demand we will expand and open it up a bit in the future.

2. 2025 Washington D.C. Fountain Pen Supershow (via Olive Octopus). Lisa has a very comprehensive D.C. recap, and she brought back a lot of fun stuff. I missed the NFP Designs table so it was interesting to see some of their newer designs up close.

3. 2025 D.C. Pen Show (via Rachel’s Reflections). That’s quite the D.C. Pen Show haul!

4. BUNGUBOX: Their Fountain Pens (via Inky.Rocks). I missed getting to see the Bungubox table at the D.C. show but look forward to visiting them in San Francisco.

5. Vintage Journal Ethics (via Notebook Stories). This isn’t something I’ve ever thought much about, and I also had no idea that people were selling other people’s old journals online? I like the idea in the comments about adopting pseudonyms for yourself/others in your journals and personal writing.

6. Chopping Block (via Line Variation). Sometimes you have to thin the accumulation. What process do you use to think through what to keep and what to let go?

7. Visit to Hands (Suntec Outlet) in Singapore (via Inkredible Colours). The fact that this isn’t even a true stationery store, and still has a selection like this, is incredible.

8. Dominant Industry Takasago Ink Swatch Paper Review (via Pen Addict - Kimberly). There’s a plethora of ink swatch cards and paper tools on the market these days, from brands like Col-o-Ring, Dominant Industries, and Iroful.

9. Ink Review: Wearingeul Wafarer (via Well-Appointed Desk). I’m not usually a shimmer ink fan, but the subtle Wayfarer is one that finds its way into my rotation semi-regularly.

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In Case You Missed It…

I spent most of this week recovering/getting caught up from the D.C. Pen Show, which I recapped on Wednesday. Yesterday I published a post on a topic that I’ve been thinking on for some time, and which has been the subject of several reader requests: my current favorite pencils. Note that my “favorites” posts are different than my “recommendations”, the latter of which focus much more on pens and pencils that might appeal to a broader audience as opposed to my specific needs. Check those out here.

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Iroful has come out with a set of 100 Ink Cards, perfect for sampling and swatching inks.

This Week in the T.G.S. Curated Shop: New LAMY AL-Stars!

The big news from this week is that the 2025 Lamy AL-Star releases (“Dark Dusk” and “Mint”) arrived over the weekend. Personally, my favorite is the Dark Dusk, as it’s a gorgeous deep purple blue worthy of its namesake. We also added knurled ebonite ballpoints from Laurett’s, a Japanese company that specializes in precision machining. Matching mechanical pencils are also available. On the paper side, we have Traveler’s-sized hardcover notebooks from Archer & Olive, as well as Iroful Planner-punched paper in Bible, Mini, and Mini 5 sizes.

Store hours for this coming week will be as normal! We will be open in-store Thursdays and Fridays from 1-6pm, and Saturday from 10am-6pm. We hope to see you in Nashville.

Laurett's

Lamy

Iroful

Kutsuwa Sharpeners

Consider Further Supporting T.G.S.!

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 special promotions, 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)! The T.G.S. Patreon includes early access and discounts on exclusive 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.

My Favorite Pencils: 2025 Edition

It’s been a LONG time since I’ve published any sort of “Favorite Pencils” list - lately many of you have been reminding me of this fact - so it’s time to revisit what is probably my second-most-used category of writing instruments. For purposes of this list, I’m going to mix woodcase and mechanical pencils to actually reflect what I’ve been using on a daily basis.

Note that this list is not intended to be a “Best Pencils” recommendation list, though I think all of these are very good. If you’re looking to get into quality writing pencils for the first time, check out our “Best Pens” Guide (which has a “Pencils” section). Today’s post is more of a discussion of what I personally have been enjoying, which is not necessarily what I would recommend to someone else.

1. Lamy CP1 “Twin Pen.” I’ve only recently discovered this 2-stage “multi pen” that combines a .5mm mechanical pencil with one D1 ballpoint. It’s an interesting format, and one that I’ve been using more around the shop. It lets you switch quickly between a pen and pencil, and since there’s only one pen option, there’s no paralysis-of-choice with respect to which ink color you’re going to use.

2. Camel Pencils. While the integrated eraser is cool, the two main reasons I love Camel pencils for everyday writing are (1) the relatively dark, not overly-smooth graphite and (2) the rounded hex barrel and smooth clear lacquer, which makes this pencil incredibly comfortable to hold. I also still have a personal stash of an old C.W. Pencil Enterprise 2B exclusive, which features a round barrel.

3. Blackwing Matte (i.e., “The Original,” MMX, "Black”). The original “new” Blackwing remains my favorite, even over the Blackwing 602. While the closest graphite equivalent is a 4B grade, the Blackwing Matte is remarkably non-smeary for a pencil this dark and I use it for writing in addition to sketching. Blackwing has also recently released red and green-barrel versions, and the soft core has been incorporated periodically into the Volumes series.

4. Pilot S20 .5mm Mechanical Pencil. I’ve raved about the S20 ballpoint, but I’ve only recently been able to get my hands on the mechanical pencil version. Both have the same “inverted hourglass” silhouette, which molds to my hand. The S20 Ballpoint and S20 Mechanical Pencil are rapidly becoming almost as critical to my everyday carry rotation as the Lamy 2000 fountain pen and Multi Pen.

5. Uni Kuru Toga KS or Alpha Gel Switch. I’ve tried the more expensive versions of Uni’s flagship mechanical pencil, like the Kuru Toga Dive, but I keep going back to the basic (and inexpensive) Kuru Toga KS and Alpha Gel models because I don’t have to worry about misplacing them around the house and the shop, or when I travel. While not a necessity, the Kuru Toga’s lead-rotation mechanism ensures that the point wears evenly, which not only keeps the lead sharp but reduces breakage. As I’ll discuss further below, I’ve been experimenting with softer mechanical pencil leads up to 4B, so this has come in handy.

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Why the move towards mechanical pencils? A lot of it has to do with convenience. As I’m moving around the shop, checking inventory, working on purchase orders/accounting, etc., it’s easier to work in pencil, and sometimes I don’t want to stop to manually sharpen a woodcase pencil. Though I tend to prefer darker graphite, I’ve brought in some mechanical pencil leads in softer grades. Currently, I probably wouldn’t recommend anything beyond 2B to customers for everyday writing, but if you are adventurous, I’ve personally been able to use 4B!

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Writing samples on the wonderfully toothy Appointed paper (great for graphite). Wood pencils sharpened with a NJK long point sharpener.

The last time I did a list like this was in January 2021, four-and-a-half years ago. Since today’s list looks completely different, it might be reasonable to ask whether I no longer enjoy the pencils on earlier versions. That’s not the case at all - I actually still use many of those pencils - but my life has changed quite a bit, and so have my needs, thus the greater emphasis on mechanical pencils. This is a great time to be a pencil fan, and I believe that overall selection and quality has increased in recent years, making it much more difficult to pick favorites.

If you enjoy our content, please consider supporting us by shopping our online store, visiting us in person at our Nashville storefront, or supporting us via Patreon.

Thursday Drops: Laurett's Pens and Pencils, Archer & Olive Notebooks, Plus Diplomat, TWSBI, and Nakabayashi Restocks

We’re back from the D.C. Pen Show and came home to a stack of boxes in our receiving area! As noted on Tuesday, we now have Archer & Olive hardcover A5 slim notebooks, which are the equivalent of a Traveler’s Notebook standard refill in hardback format. We also have freshly arrived Diplomat Viper fountain pens and a full TWSBI restock, including more of the recently released Serpentine Bronze fountain pens.

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Archer & Olive’s paper features a bright white dot grid ruling and is ink-friendly!

But what I’m most excited about today are these “WAKA” ebonite ballpoints and mechanical pencils from Laurett’s, a Japanese precision manufacturer known for their ultra-fine knurling. I visited the Laurett’s table at the D.C. Pen Show and couldn’t resist bringing some of these home with me. If they do well I will add additional colors of ebonite, of which there are plenty!

Come see all this stuff in person! We will be open at our Nashville location this weekend from 1-6pm Thursday and Friday, and from 10am-6pm on Saturday.

1. Laurett’s Ballpoint Pens and Mechanical Pencils. Laurett’s Japan is known for precision machining, and offers ebonite and anodized aluminum pens with some of the best knurling I’ve experienced. Limited quantities on these!

2. Archer & Olive A5-Slim Notebooks. We recently learned that people really love TN/A5-slim notebooks, and these hardcover notebooks from Archer & Olive feature 160 gsm dot grid paper that’s ink friendly, with three different cover designs in canvas or vegan leather.

3. Archer & Olive Vinyl Planner Tabs. These planner tabs allow you to organize your planner or notebook by month. Each set contains 24 tabs, with two stickers for each month.

4. Diplomat Viper Fountain Pens. The hooded Diplomat Viper is a unique fountain pen that you can pair with a matching rollerball to create a set (or you can mix and match colors like me). We currently have black, blue, and brown pens available.

5. TWSBI ECO Serpentine Bronze Fountain Pens. Our initial shipment of Serpentine Bronze fountain pens flew off the shelves, but we have more in all nib sizes.

6. Nakabayashi Paper. Nakabayashi offers fountain pen friendly paper in a wide variety of formats, led by the fountain pen friendly Yu-Sari paper in both notebook and looseleaf. Of all the paper we carry, Nakabayashi is our fastest-growing brand.

7. Nakabayashi Shredder Scissors. This unique desk accessory was a longtime favorite, and we’re happy to have more! If you need an easy way to quickly shred a document but don’t have access to a full-size shredder, these scissors offer a portable solution.

8. Uni Style Fit Meister 5 Multi Pens and Gel Refills. A classic conical-tip gel multi pen, the Uni Style Fit is one of those classic pens that has been around for a while but features a wide range of refills in a multitude of different tip sizes.

9. Pilot 4+1 Acroball Multi Pens. Did you know that these Pilot multipens take both Pilot’s excellent Acro Ink refills and will also work with the Uni Style Fit gel refills? They’re incredibly versatile!

10. Faber-Castell Perfect Pencil. The Perfect Pencil is a combination pencil cap/extender/sharpener that ships with one Faber-Castell “B” grade pencil but is compatible with most standard woodcase hex pencils.

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And, yes, we still have Yamamoto Bullet Jotters, plus the refill pads that include the newly released “Meringue” paper and others.

2025 D.C. Pen Show Recap: The Big Show Gets Bigger

Can you believe that I just returned home from what I’m pretty sure was the biggest D.C. Pen Show ever and I feel like I barely got to see any of it? Sometimes that’s what happens when you’re busy behind the table! I had a great time visiting with all of you who stopped by, either during the show or after-hours, and my suitcases came home much lighter than when I left. Unfortunately, because I was behind the table for most of the weekend, I only made it into one of the four ballrooms, and even then only for a few minutes. Where did I go when I did have free time? More on that below but some of you can probably guess from the pic above. IYKYK.

I posted a short YouTube video this morning showing how the Kaweco D.I.Y. machine works.

What Did I Do All Weekend? Teach Classes, Sell Notebooks, and Staff the Kaweco D.I.Y. Station

For those of you who missed my weekend updates, I didn’t arrive until late Friday afternoon due to flight cancellations on Thursday, and couldn’t set up until Saturday morning. Despite missing an entire day, the crowds on Saturday more than made up for it, and even Sunday was brisk, which was unusual. I was able to teach two sessions of my “Notebook Systems 101” workshop in the Vanness Pen Lounge, and both classes ended up with good turnouts and active question and answer sessions.

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The Kaweco D.I.Y. Sport: Joe’s Version.

Surprisingly, the most fun I had was working the Kaweco D.I.Y. Sport station. For those unfamiliar with Kaweco’s “D.I.Y.” setup, for the past couple of years they have been shipping two machines to retailers, which when set up allow customers to assemble their own Kaweco Sport fountain pen. It’s a pretty simple process, where you use one machine to press the nib unit into the section, and another to assemble the blind cap, outer cap, and finial. Vanness Pens had two different color options, and you could mix and match between the two. I chose a teal pen with a burgundy section, and filmed the assembly process.

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My D.C. Pen Show Haul

I had a very small D.C. Pen Show haul, which included the one item I was hoping to track down at either the D.C. Pen Show or the San Francisco Pen Show later this month: a glass pen from Hanabi Glass Studio. I’ve long admired Lucas’s work, and with my limited time, I made a beeline for his table on Sunday morning during the slower weekend pass early admission hours. While he had sold a lot of pens on Friday and Saturday, plenty remained and I was able to get one of the styles I’ve been admiring. It writes exceptionally well, with a tip size that I would characterize as a fine. Look for more of this pen as I do ink samples and comparisons in the future. It’s a work of art.

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I also stopped by the Laurett’s table late on Sunday before they packed up, in order to pick up some of their ebonite ballpoints and mechanical pencils. I brought home several for the shop, so look for these in the coming days. (Let’s just say I bought every red and black version I could get my hands on.) For those unfamiliar with Laurett’s, it’s a Japanese precision machining company that specializes in knurling. And it’s great knurling, if you’re into that sort of thing.

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The Laurett’s “WAKA” ballpoints feature intricate knurling on the grip section. It’s insanely comfortable to hold.

Overall, this was an outstanding D.C. Pen Show, reminiscent of the 2015-2017 era. Do I wish I had more time to roam the show? Sure, but I should have that opportunity in San Francisco since I will not have my own table and will be mainly helping out my friends at Vanness Pens. (I may bring some Roterfaden Taschenbegleiters with me if I can get additional stock - you all cleaned me out in D.C. and we currently have very few units remaining.) That said, I’m looking forward to a few weeks at home and in the shop. I have a ton of new arrivals, and some BIG news that we will be announcing towards the end of the month. Stay tuned!

We will be open at our Nashville location this weekend from 1-6pm Thursday and Friday, and from 10am-6pm on Saturday. We’d love to see you in person, or you can support T.G.S. by shopping via our online store or visiting our Patreon. Many thanks!

New Arrivals: Archer & Olive Notebooks and Vinyl Planner Tabs

We’ve discovered lately that everyone loves A5 Slim notebooks - and guess what? We have new ones! These hardcover notebooks from Archer & Olive are the same size as a Traveler’s refill and other A5 Slim products that use the 4.3” x 8.25” dimensions, and feature 144 pages of thick 160 gsm paper that takes fountain pen ink extremely well, with no ghosting, feathering, or bleed-through. In the past, we’ve carried hardcover notebooks with a similar profile, and I’m excited to have found these to add to our curation. Archer & Olive also makes Vinyl Planner Tabs, which are sold in packs of 24 (two of each month per pack) and allow you to divide any notebook or planner into dated sections.

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We currently stock these Archer & Olive notebooks in three different covers, with two canvas and one vegan leather option. We may add additional sizes and colors as more become available. The Vinyl Planner Tabs are currently available for purchase in two different color schemes: “Storybook” and “Wonderstruck”.

We are back from the 2025 D.C. Pen Show and will be open at our Nashville location this weekend from 1-6pm Thursday and Friday, and from 10am-6pm on Saturday.

Archer & Olive Vinyl Planner Tabs in the “Storybook” finish.