Heatwave… (via KraftyCats). Stay cool out there, people!
How Pen Companies Fail the Pen Community (via SBRE Brown). I agree with much of what Stephen says here. The proliferation of high-end pens that objectively don’t write well out of the box is still far too prevalent, and should never happen.
Meininger Art Material (Denver, Colorado) - A Quick Walkthrough (via Pen Addict - Kimberly). I love a good store tour! This is an absolutely HUGE art supply shop.
The DRILLOG v. 2 Machined Dip Nib (& Graft Spiral Barrel). The DRILLOG is back with a new Kickstarter, and from Ana’s observations, there have been some improvements, or maybe just a better explanation of what is reasonable to expect from the writing experience.
Stipula Etruria Magnifica Miele Selvatico 1.1 (via Dapprman). As a former fan of the Etruria, I’ve also found myself wondering what happened to Stipula over the years. I’m glad to hear that the quality is still generally good, and I’d love to pick up one of the faceted models.
Pencil Revolution Handmade Peekaboo Pride Notebook (via Writing at Large). Johnny at Pencil Revolution dove headlong into bookbinding over the past year or so, and I’m glad to see his work getting some attention!
Caramel Swirl: Visconti Rembrandt Eclipse (via a fleeting ripple). Visconti’s steel nib offerings are a bit of a mixed bag. Some I have tried have been very smooth, others on the drier side and scratchy. I’d recommend testing the secondary market.
Finishing My Greens: A Look at My Green Ink Stash (via Fountain Pen Blog). I likewise have come to the point where I’ve started to think hard about what new “stuff” I bring in to the house and add to the pen collection. That said, I have way too much ink that I need to start using or thin out.
TWSBI Midnight Blue on Muji Planting Tree (via Inkredible Colours). I love TWSBI’s Midnight Blue, and think it’s a highly underrated color in this particular range of blue-blacks (i.e., more of a “dark navy” than a “steel blue” or “blue-grey”).
RIIND Compact Pen Review (via Pen Addict - Jeff). RIIND is back with a smaller version of their knurled machine pen, which did very well the first time around. I’m excited to see if this one goes mainstream.
In Case You Missed It….
This week on the blog, I talked a little about my desire to downsize my pen collection, and how I want to organize things going forward. You all have given me a lot to think about in your well-thought-out comments and responses! I also posted an unboxing/walkthrough of my latest acquisition, one of the 2022 Limited Edition Traveler’s Notebook Sets, the “Traveler’s Hotel” edition. (No, I couldn’t resist.)
This Week in the Curated Shop
I’m getting to a point where I’m feeling better about excess inventory, and the new direction is starting to take shape. I’ve managed to clear out certain slow-selling products to make room for new curated goods, including another release of the 2022 Traveler’s Notebook Limited Editions, one of which already has sold out and another of which is very close. Don’t sleep on these!
Our inventory reduction sale will be coming to a close following the D.C. Pen Show, so if you’ve been looking to take advantage, you’re coming up on your last opportunity. Certain things have been marked down, and you can receive a general 10% off most pens, pencils, and paper, automatically applied at checkout. (Certain exclusions apply.)
Consider T.G.S. Patreon!
I would love for the T.G.S. Patreon to become a core method of support for the T.G.S. website, and have tried to streamline it. I’ll also need to be a bit more vocal about its availability and what it offers. The Patreon Program offers two options for tiers of support: $3 and $5, and plan on making monthly meetups, pen show events, and periodic exclusive content the primary benefits. Of course, Patreon members will continue to get first access to periodic sample sales, with right of first refusal on gently used pens. Attention Patreon Members: Yesterday I posted half-a dozen or so new “gently used” products to the sale page, so check it out. I’m doing a general “stash and sample” reduction, so more will follow.