Sunday Reading for November 9, 2025 (Fountain Pen Day Weekend Edition)

1. Ten Years on YouTube (via Figboot on Pens). Wow, that’s a HUGE anniversary. Congrats to David!

2. Ten Favorite Inks, November 2025 (via A Gathering of Curiosities). I am firmly on team “Ainezu is not a blue black”. This is a great list and I now have five or six additional inks I need to buy.

3. The Secret to Perfect Straight Lines: Architect Nibs Explained (via Doodlebud). I’ve never considered this aspect of the architect nib as I don’t really draw with fountain pens, but I can see how this would be a thing.

4. Even More Indie Makers (via Rachel’s Reflections). I love this resource, as I always find new independent pen makers on the list that I previously was not aware of.

5. Benu Haute Fountain Pen Review (via SBRE Brown). Benu has a new pen out, with a squared-off profile that you don’t typically see. This design could be considered more “classic” than most Benu releases.

6. Paper Mind Passepied Cream Paper Notebook Review (via Pen Addict - Kimberly). Passpied is a relatively rare Japanese paper that can be hard to find, as I believe it’s now in short supply. Originally used for book publishing, I love how this one feels.

7. Catch and Release (via From the Pen Cup). Hunting pencils in the wild! Literally!

8. Notebook Review: Stalogy 018 Editor’s Series 1/2 Year Notebook B6 Slim Size (via Well-Appointed Desk). I enjoyed seeing these B6 slim Stàlogy notebooks released, as I’m a huge fan of the B6 slim “café” size.

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This past weekend was a great weekend to break out your pens and celebrate!

In Case You Missed It…

Friday was Fountain Pen Day (always the first Friday of November!) and I spent the past few posts on the blog getting ready, in addition to prepping for the craziest three days in the shop we have ever had! Last week I did a refresh of my “Currently Inked” pens for the fall, and scaled things back a bit. I also wrote a two-part series in advance of Fountain Pen Day: Part I, How to Get Started with Fountain Pens; and Part II: An Overview of Fountain Pen Inks. If you’ve been looking to try fountain pens for the first time, Fountain Pen Day is a great time to get set up, and we’ve even put together a brief guide that will ship with all fountain pen purchases this weekend! See below for details.

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This Week in the T.G.S. Curated Shop: Don’t Miss the Fountain Pen Day Specials!

Our Fountain Pen Day promotions run through Sunday (tonight) at 11:59pm. Take 10% off most items across the store using “FPDAY10” at check out, and all items in the clearance section receive an automatic 15% off. Check out all of the various discounts and tiered free gift promotions here, though all freebies and swag are on a “while supplies last” basis. Note that some brands are excluded (mainly TWSBI, Pilot, and Roterfaden), though if you’re interested in a Roterfaden we are stocked with two different versions of the TGS_25 A5 Slim Taschenbegleiter and now is a great time to grab a discount on compatible refills and accessories!

Roterfaden

Pilot

Kaweco

Anterique

How You Can Further Support 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. The T.G.S. Patreon includes early access and discounts on exclusive shop releases, a monthly updates newsletter, and of course our monthly meetups. Patreon supporters also have access to the first two episodes of a new podcast experiment I’ve been working on with Lisa Vanness of Vanness Pens. More on this later, but for the time being the initial episodes are Patreon-exclusive.

Fountain Pen Day Weekend Specials Through Sunday! Discounts, Tiered Prize Promotions, and Thursday Drops

Happy Fountain Pen Day Weekend! A bit of a long post today, so buckle in because there are plenty of details. While Fountain Pen Day is the first Friday in November (and officially tomorrow), we will kick things off a day or so early because I’ll be in the shop all day on Friday and want to be sure everything is ready and working well in-advance. So as of today the following promotions are active through 11:59pm Sunday, November 9. Come by our Nashville Shop and mention this promotion and you can claim the same discount and get some swag!

• Fountain Pen Day General Discount: Most items in the shop are eligible for a 10% Discount using the code “FPDAY10” at checkout.

• Clearance items will receive a 15% discount, no code necessary, automatically applied at checkout. Note that this automatically applied discount will not show up until you go to check out your cart. We are clearing out the last handful of our recent collaboration with Hinze Pens, so act quickly if you want one of these at the special price!

• Discounts are stackable on some items, meaning that you can use the FPDAY10 discount on top of your clearance discount for certain items. (Some can’t be discounted beyond the clearance price.)

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Some of the T.G.S. Vinyl Swag that will be included in Fountain Pen Day orders. (Roterfaden not included.) :)

In addition to the clearance sale and discounts, we’re running our annual tiered gift promotion, meaning that orders exceeding certain thresholds (before shipping and any taxes) will receive a free gift, while supplies last. [Note that the ink samples and special TGS Swag are in short supply and give the volume of orders we are having to substitute extra Fountain Pen Day swag or other stickers.]

• All Orders: Any order placed between now (Thursday, November 6) and 11:59pm on Sunday, November 9, will receive some official Fountain Pen Day swag such as a button or bookmark, along with a T.G.S. sticker.

• Orders $75 and above: In addition to Fountain Pen Day and standard T.G.S. Swag, you will receive an ink sample (either Colorverse or Diamine), plus a special vinyl sticker featuring one of our experimental T.G.S. Logo redesigns. There aren’t many of these T.G.S. logo stickers so only the first orders are guaranteed to get them.

We also have stock of the new TWSBI ECO Plum + Onyx Fountain Pen, so if you haven’t seen this one yet check it out online or swing by the shop!

Thursday Drops: Ink Palettes, Kakuno “Madoromi” Series, and More!

We have lots of exciting new arrivals for you this week including new Kakuno Fountain Pens from Pilot and Ceramic Handmade Ink Palettes by Busy Hands Studio. While we can’t discount our Roterfaden stock, including our recent exclusive TGS_25 release, now is a great time to pick up accessories and refills, which qualify for all of our promotions!

1. T.G.S. x Hinze Pen “Taschenstift” Special Edition Fountain Pen. We only have a few of these left, as I mentioned above, and we need to make room for new projects in the coming months! Now in the clearance section at special Fountain Pen Day pricing.

2. Roterfaden Taschenbegleiter TGS_25 A5 Slim. While it can’t be discounted, take advantage of the opportunity to pick up refills and accessories. The TGS25 is now available in green and grey leather, and we’re thrilled to offer two colorways.

3. Pilot Kakuno “Madoromi” Series Fountain Pens. This recent special edition Kakuno features a handful of cloudy pastel colors inspired by a theme of naps and dreams. It brought me joy to see Pilot do something special with one of my favorite basic fountain pens.

4. Busy Hand Studio Handmade Ceramic Ink Palettes. The ink fans in my readership requested that I bring in some additional accessories that can be used for ink mixing, including some sort of watercolor/ink palette! These ceramic palettes are handmade in the U.S. and come in a range of sizes.

5. Diamine Inkvent Calendars. It’s not too late, and a great opportunity to use your Fountain Pen Day discount! The original ink advent calendar gets you 24 12ml bottles of ink and one 30ml bottle of ink on the 25th day!

6. Kaweco AL-Sport Piston Filler Fountain Pen. You asked for it, so Kaweco has released the AL-Sport Piston Filler in a new navy blue color! Everyone who has seen this color in person enjoys it more than the original.

7. Kaweco Metal Sport Fountain Pens (Including the New “Titan” Sport). Kaweco recently released a Titanium version of the Kaweco Sport fountain pen to go along with the Brass, Stainless, and Bronze Sports. The polished titanium is lightweight and durable - one that will last a VERY long time.

8. Bindewerk Flex-Cover A5 Linen Notebooks. I’m glad these arrived in time for Fountain Pen Day, as Bindewerk makes one of my favorite fountain pen friendly notebooks on the market with nicely textured A5 paper that’s lightly ruled with dots or lines.

9. Tomoe River Hardcover and Softcover Notebooks. These Tomoe River notebooks feature anywhere from 196 to 368 pages of fountain pen friendly paper, with the Sanzen paper formulation.

10. Platinum Preppy Wa “Edo Monogatari” Special Edition Fountain Pens. We still have a handful of this year’s Platinum “Preppy Wa” fountain pens. Once they’re gone, they’re gone so last chance on these!

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Come see us in-store Thursday and Friday, 1pm-6pm, and Saturday 10am-6pm.

Fountain Pen Day Prep, Part II: An Overview of Fountain Pen Inks

Many new users find fountain pen inks just as, if not more, confusing than the pens themselves, and with the rapidly expanding ink market things haven’t really gotten much easier to navigate. Following up on Saturday’s initial post on How to Get Started with Fountain Pens, I thought it might be helpful to offer a general discussion/overview of fountain pen inks, as well as my brief thoughts on the different types of inks, refill styles, and what I personally enjoy most and recommend to those just starting out in the hobby.

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Most pen brands make their own cartridges, but some (Pilot, Platinum, Lamy) use a proprietary format. Always be sure the cartridges you use are compatible with your pen brand.

Cartridges vs. Bottled Ink

You can fill fountain pens from a traditional ink bottle or use cartridges, and with a few limited exceptions, I almost always recommend that new users start out with cartridges. It’s an easy recommendation, not least because most beginner and budget-friendly fountain pens use cartridges and include one with the purchase of the pen. You refill the fountain pen simply by popping out the old/empty cartridge and inserting a new one. When you’re just starting out, this lets you learn how the pen works and focus on the writing itself, and to be honest I still like to use cartridges when I travel because it’s a lower-friction solution to refilling fountain pens. Most basic cartridge inks (blues, blacks, and blue-blacks) perform quite well on most paper types, and when in doubt I will select the blue-black option as it’s usually, but not always, the best-performing “cheap paper ink”.

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An example of inks that shimmer (the grey ink) and shade (the yellow ink at the bottom). All shown here are from last year’s Colorverse Colorvent advent calendar. Colorverse is an example of a boutique ink brand that focuses on special properties like shimmer, sheen, and shading, as well as saturated standard colors like the dark red shown above.

Standard Inks vs. Inks with “Special Properties”

I’m regularly confronted with readers and customers confused and overwhelmed by (1) the sheer number of inks on the market; and (2) all of the different types of inks available, mainly those with special properties. Between standard inks (solid color), shimmer inks (contains sparkle/glitter), super-sheeners (dries with a multicolor shine/sheen on top), super-shaders (shows varying depths of color), multi-shaders (shows different color tones), pigmented inks (permanent), and more, the universe of fountain pen ink can quickly confound those new to the hobby. My standard advice is that “simple is better” at first, and to slowly add additional inks to your collection once you feel comfortable with how fountain pens generally work - especially cleaning them - because usually the worst that an ink can do to a pen is clog the nib and feed, which a thorough cleaning will fix. Personally, while I have some shading inks that I really love and use often, I tend to stick with standard fountain pen inks that dry quickly and work on a wide range of papers. I typically refer to these as my “workhorse inks”, sort of similar to my “workhorse pens” category.

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Taccia inks are an example of a brand that makes excellent low-maintenance ink that doesn’t over-invest in “special properties” like shimmer and sheen. These inks work great in most pens and are a staple of my own rotation.

How Many Ink Colors Does one Need?

Trust me, even if you’re deliberate in selecting inks and only purchase a few bottles per year, if you are in this hobby long enough you will end up with more ink than you can ever use in a lifetime. I spent my first year in the hobby with five or six inks, and probably only three or four that I used regularly. To start out, and to get a sense of what colors you enjoy writing with, pick up a standard blue, a black or blue-black, and one or two brighter colors like red, green, orange, or purple. I found that I really enjoyed writing with different shades of red and green, and those colors are now heavily represented in my personal collection.

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Remember that a good writing experience is about the combination of pen, ink, and paper

At the end of the day, you can use any ink you want as long as you have the right pen and paper to pair with it. You’ll learn that some inks are dry, and require a wetter nib, and that some inks are wet, which may require a narrower, drier nib and/or more absorbent or heavily coated paper. An important aspect of enjoying fountain pens - especially if you get deep into the hobby, is learning how these three factors (pen, ink, and paper) interact with each other and how to adjust one to accommodate the others. The customization is the fun part!

Further Reading

Because I started out as a pen enthusiast and over the years have become more a paper and notebook obsessive than anything, I’ve not fallen as deeply down the ink rabbit hole as many people. I have, however, written a fair bit on my favorite inks for everyday use. I’ve collected these posts in the “Resources” Section and many users have found them helpful over the years, especially if they’re looking for work-friendly inks appropriate for a wide range of papers. You can also view our Pen Review Archive, and our recently updated “Hierarchies of Fountain Pen Friendly Paper” resource in which I make a rough attempt to categorize different paper brands in terms of their compatibility with fountain pens.

Interested in fountain pens but don’t know where to start? Come see us in person! Our Nashville shop will be open this Thursday and Friday (Fountain Pen Day) from 1pm-6pm, and from 10am-6pm on Saturday. Stay tuned for special announcements, as we may open the back room for pen and ink testing, lessons, etc.

New Arrivals: Pilot Kakuno "Madoromi" Series Fountain Pens

The Pilot Kakuno fountain pen is loved by fountain pen enthusiasts as a relatively inexpensive, reliable option perfect for both new and experienced users. I’ve always found the Kakuno comfortable to use, and it’s signature nib writes just as you would expect from a Pilot pen! I regularly have new users ask if they need to “upgrade” from their Kakuno to a more expensive pen, and are surprised to learn that I love the Kakuno myself as a great daily driver option - not just as a starter pen for beginners.

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This year, Pilot has released the Kakuno “Madoromi” series, which features five “drowsy” pastel colors inspired by a theme of naps and dreams. These pens are slightly translucent, and come in shades of milky white, blue, grey, and pink, paired with a gold-toned nib. Currently available with either a fine or medium nib. Get yours now, and we have recently restocked on other Pilot offerings including the Pilot Explorer Fountain Pen and the Pilot Prera. Standard Kakuno colors are also available.

The Gentleman Stationer is an authorized retailer of Pilot Pens. You can support us by shopping online or visiting us in person at our Nashville location, open Thursday and Friday from 1-6pm and Saturday from 10am-6pm. For extra content and exclusive offers, check out our Patreon program.

Sunday Reading for November 2, 2025

1. 2025 Orlando Pen Show: Bigger than Ever! (via Feed Your Creativity). The Orlando show seems to be growing, and I need to put this show on my list of ones to visit.

2. Pelikan Ink of the Year: Edelstein Apricot Achat (via Pen Addict - Kimberly). I took a pass on this year’s ink of the year and passed my bottle on to the group for a giveaway, but fans of a lighter pastel orange might be pleased with this one!

3. Comparative Overview: Pelikan M815 Metal Stripe Blue & Black (via Scrively). I think I might prefer the classic look of the black over the blue?

4. Esterbrook & Bungubox Estie Kachofugetsu Kingfisher (via Figboot on Pens). A pretty material on this Bungubox-Esterbrook collaboration.

5. Midori MD Notebook Cover A6 Goat Leather Review (via Pen Addict - Sarah). I’ve always found that natural leather covers tend to age the best, and these Midori versions are great ones to keep in mind as we enter the holiday gifting season.

6. A North Korean Fountain Pen? The Chollima 210 (via Figboot on Pens). Ok, any time you combine pens with history you have my attention. Now that’s a unique piece!

7. Ordering Overseas in the Tariff Era (via Well-Appointed Desk). Whether you are ordering to ship into or out of the U.S., give yourself more time. Lots of time…. Also, the only consistency is the inconsistency.

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If you’re curious about fountain pens but don’t know where to start, we have plenty of resources available to help. (10+ years worth on the site and more in-store!) Come see us on Fountain Pen Day!

In Case You Missed It….

This week I refreshed my personal carry for the change of seasons, with a new set of pens and inks for Fall! I also wrote a piece with advice for those looking to get into the Fountain Pens for the first time, as we are seeing so many new faces in our shop, with even more reaching out to me online.

These new Kakuno fountain pens from Pilot arrived yesterday, with a new gold tone nib and muted pastel barrels. (Yes, the smiley face is still there.)

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

So many new arrivals made their way into the shop this week that I can’t recap them all here. For that, please check out this week’s Weekly Drops post, which was actually postponed by a day because it took a while to get the inventory entered. But let’s just say we are fully stocked with the new TWSBI ECO Plum + Onyx, new Kaweco arrivals (including the AL-Sport Piston Filler in Navy and titanium “Titan” Sport), additional Diamine Inkvent Calendars (if you haven’t purchased yours yet), and the latest release from Pilot, the Kakuno Madoromi (“Drowsy” or “nap”) series.

For the week ahead, we will be open normal hours Thursday and Friday (Fountain Pen Day!) from 1-6pm, as well as 10am-6pm Saturday. Please come see us and check out the new front-facing showroom/shop in Suite 107!

Roterfaden

Kaweco

TWSBI

Stalogy B6

How You Can Further Support 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. The T.G.S. Patreon includes early access and discounts on exclusive shop releases, a monthly updates newsletter, and of course our monthly meetups. Patreon supporters also have access to the first two episodes of a new podcast experiment I’ve been working on with Lisa Vanness of Vanness Pens. More on this later, but for the time being the initial episodes are Patreon-exclusive.