Rethinking the Stationery World Post-Pandemic: Overcoming Burnout (via Well-Appointed Desk). Jaclyn’s post spoke to me a lot, and mirrors many of my own current feelings on where I stand with this hobby. I’m really looking forward to the D.C. Pen Show this year!
Which Papers Are Good Tomoe River Replacements? (via Fountain Pen Love). Expect a lot of similar posts from the stationery blogosphere as Tomoe River becomes scarce. (For a while or forever, who knows?)
Musubi Cosmo Air Light Folio Notebook (A5) (via Pen Addict). While we’re on the subject of Tomoe River replacements, I think Cosmo Air Light will end up being a favorite for everyday writing. I know that some people have trouble with thin lines, but since I won’t be using it for calligraphy and I generally use italic-style script when I write, I didn’t have an issue.
Ayush Paper Fountain Pen Books (via Rants of the Archer). Fans of textured paper may want to check these notebooks out.
Maruman Glyphy B6 Notebook Review (via Pen Addict). I love the look of this notebook, but the paper is a reminder that in terms of fountain pen friendliness, even Japanese companies may have discrepancies in performance between different products in their lineup, especially more “mass market” companies such as Maruman and Kokuyo.
KUM Pencut Scissors (via Left Hook Pens). I’ve been looking for a set of portable scissors. But don’t forget to remove them from your carry-on if/when you start traveling again.
Benu’s Talisman Foxglove is charming (pun intended) (via UK Fountain Pens). Benu continues to release new models on a regular schedule, and some of their recent releases have been more traditional in shape (i.e., a traditional cap with clip), if not in color. I like the orange/red/black combo here.
Delitape (via Bleistif). I’m always on the lookout for good inexpensive tape (the shop uses an exhorbitant amount), and apparently the AmazonBasics tape is made by a quality OEM manufacturer.
Pelikan M205 Petrol-Marbled (2021) (via Pelikan’s Perch). I’m not a huge fan of the marbled acrylic on this one, but those who like this particular “look” should enjoy it. Honestly, I prefer the pen with the black cap ring, as opposed to the chrome-plated one shown in the initial pre-release photos.
No, You Didn’t Miss Anything This Week!
I was on vacation. As in, I didn’t really do much at all with stationery, other than put the weekly links post together on Monday. I think I’m experiencing a bit of hobby burnout, and oddly enough am looking forward to going back into the day-job office a few days a week.
This Week In the Curated Shop….
I’ll be catching up on orders, starting this afternoon. UPDATE: As of now, Traveler’s Company “B-Sides and Rarities”, as well as Midori MD Cotton Notebooks, are live on the site. I currently have a small number of each refill, but more is on the way. I also have the Zippered Cotton Cases in both Standard and Passport sizes, which allow you to turn your Traveler’s Notebook into a wallet. (I’m eyeing one of these for my Passport, in particular.)
Visit T.G.S. on Reddit, and Consider Joining TGS Patreon for Access to Monthly Meetups and More!
I’ve been trying to expand into social media beyond Instagram, due to my dissatisfaction with the direction that platform is taking. Currently, you can also engage with me on Twitter, Facebook, and now on Reddit. (Honestly, I’m active on Twitter and Reddit moreso than Facebook, but I do read all the Facebook comments, eventually.) Mainly, I’m doing this because of Instagram’s algorithm-driven approach that buries content unless you’re endlessly posting to their various formats (“Reels,” Stories, posts, etc.) and actively monitoring your account to where you’re basically having to respond to comments and DMs in real time. This is impractical, because you end up spending all your time on their platform and not actually writing or running your business, and then most of this content is temporary (24hrs) and you have to jump on the “hamster wheel” again. Many people just want an easy way to receive updates on when I post new content to the blog. Twitter and Reddit allow me to do that reliably. If there’s one thing you can do to help support T.G.S., it’s sharing our content and spreading the word!
For some additional fun, and to help support the blog consider joining the Patreon program. You can read more about T.G.S. Patreon here. This year I’ve introduced monthly online meetups, which take place on Friday or Saturday and have been super enjoyable. We’ve discussed our thoughts on pen shows restarting, recent arrivals in our personal collections, and more. I will also continue with periodic “sample sales” of gently used review items, to which Patrons will have first access. The current sale is now live!