Stationery Feed Episode 7 with Lisa of Olive Octopus Ink (via DWRDNET). Derek continues his series of epic interviews, with Lisa from Olive Octopus.
Ouch - Discovering a Damaged Pen (via Line Variation). Not fun, but this happens from time to time. I’ve not seen a barrel break in that exact pattern, though I’ve seen plenty of weird stuff over the years.
M815 Metal Striped Blue Special Edition Fountain Pen (via Pelikan’s Perch). Wow, this one’s a stunner. I’ve not paid much attention to Pelikan in recent years but they have my attention.
More Notebook Systems? (via Stationery Pizza). There’s an infinite number of notebook systems if you disregard the “proprietary” nature and mix/combine them. :) Tip: you can punch “William Hannah” or “Circa” holes over a six-ring binder refill and it will usually work.
The Paper Mind Tranext Notebook Review (via Blake’s Broadcast). Tranext Paper is another proposed Cosmo Air Light replacement, which I have yet to get my hands on. Paper Mind is releasing another new notebook in their series.
A New Ink Database Column Has Joined the Game (via mnmlscholar). “Last Inked” is a useful metric, especially if you’re looking to ensure that nothing sits “lost” in your pen case. I regularly run into this problem.
Gravitas Piston Carbon Fountain Pen Review (via SBRE Brown). Hopefully Gravitas will be in D.C. or SF this year and I can get my hands on one of these.
Writech 2-in-1 Retractable Gel Pens (via Well-Appointed Desk). Someone had a handful of these in the shop this weekend and I was very impressed with the quality for the price point.
2025 Little Craft Fest (via Feed Your Creativity). The first thing I noticed was how nice the space was! I’ve heard this was an incredibly well-organized and well-run stationery event.
In Case You Missed It….
This week on the blog, I worked my way through the “Gray Paper, Volume 4” Yamamoto Paper Tasting Set, which honestly far exceeded my expectations. There are so many papers out there which we likely never will get to see in the larger formats such as A4 and A5, because it’s not cost-effective to print, much less import, pads and notebooks, but these Paper Tasting Samplers offer small notepads at a reasonable cost. I also discussed this particular set in the latest episode of “Currently Inked” on YouTube, and did a YouTube Plotter Walkthrough where I discuss how I organize my Plotter binders, discuss my notetaking and “Planner Strategy”, and more. (This is along the same lines as my prior Roterfaden Walkthrough, which has ended up being so popular that I thought I would do some similar discussions.)
We’ve added (and restocked) on a bunch of goods from The Well-Appointed Desk.
This Week in the T.G.S. Curated Shop - New Lamy Safaris, PAPER, Pencils, and a May “Pencil month” Promo!
New Lamy Safaris landed this week, in two new colors “Dark Dusk” and “Sunset”, in addition to the full range of current Yamamoto Paper “Paper Tasting” Samplers, A4 Paper Packs, and more Select Writing Pads. We also added Appointed as a brand, with both “The Notebook” and pencils available in the shop. Finally, we have new paper formats from Lochby, including the new A5 Slim format for narrower notebooks, a larger B5 size, and a planner version of the pocket notebook, all with the 68gsm Tomoe River Paper. Check out this week’s Thursday Drops for the full list of new arrivals.
Because we’ve brought in so many pencils this month (mainly woodcase, but some mechanical and leadholders as well), we’re declaring May “Pencil Month” here at T.G.S. and offering 10% off all Pencil and Pencil-related orders (excluding TWSBI and Blackwing, which can’t be discounted). The promotion will run through the end of May. Use “PENCIL10” at checkout to claim the promotion.
NEW T.G.S. Patreon Features - We’ve started a discord community!
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 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.