Best Fountain Pen Stores in Europe (via Figboot on Pens). I had the opportunity to talk with David about his trip when we were in Atlanta for the Atlanta Pen Show. He went to a LOT of great pen shops.
Beautiful Stationery Unboxing (via Inky.Rocks). Wow, talk about upping the online retail packaging game!
Tariffs, a Vibe (via A Gathering of Curiosities). A lot to unpack with everything that’s been going on recently. We still don’t know how/if/when tariffs will impact the retail side, with everything changing by the minute.
2025 Atlanta Pen Show Highlights (via Olive Octopus). Lisa has an epic Atlanta Pen Show Recap, and this one really shows that despite the organizational challenges, Atlanta remains a great show for attendees in terms of the vendors who attend.
Montblanc Boutique, Honolulu - Shop Visit (via Pen Addict-Kimberly). I’ve not set foot in a Montblanc boutique in a long time. Some of these new inks intrigue me, though.
How I Use My Notebooks: New Streamlined Weekly Review Format (via Writing at Large). This is a great series, for those of you looking to get more systematic or organized in how you use your notebooks and planners without adding too much structure.
Rober Oster Bless Your Heart (via Mountain of Ink). Don’t forget to check out the latest Vanness Pens Exclusive ink from Robert Oster!
The Pencils I Use (via Pens! Paper! Pencils!). I love reading about the tools people use - especially when they REALLY use them, like Ian.
Interview with Darrell Davis of D Squared Arts (via dwrdnet). Derek has a great interview with Darrell, who you may have seen at the Arkansas Pen Show and the various recaps. Darrell’s pens are unique because they’re inspired by his other art, including sculpture.
In Case You Missed It…
This week on the blog I reviewed something from the deep Lamy back catalog: the Lamy Swift capless rollerball, which features a unique retractable clip mechanism that prevents you (i.e., me) from ruining shirts by inadvertently sticking an open rollerball into the pocket. I also talked about micarta, an increasingly popular and unique penmaking material that I’ve made a part of my own collection - finally!
This Week in the T.G.S. Curated Shop
The shop is seeing restocks every day, and we’re also continuing to expand our offerings from both new and established brands. This week we added the new releases from the Caran d’Ache “Black Edition Collection,” which incorporates all of the previously released “Black Code” products as well as a new XL Ballpoint and Fixpencil. We received a shipment of the Uni “Pure Malt” ballpoints, as well as additional stock of the rare and discontinued papers collection from Yamamoto papr in Japan. Finally, we now also have the Pilot Capless Decimo, as well as a restock of Pilot Vanishing Point fountain pens!
Don’t miss our most recent exclusive release, the “Violet Tendencies” Hinze Taschenstift fountain pen made from CrazyFiber and paired with a purple anodized section and nib.
Check Out T.G.S. Patreon for Breaking news and first access/Special pricing on exclusives and Sample Sales
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 Zoom meetups. Patreon support starts as low as $3 per month, and if you pay annually there is a further discount.