Battle of the Notebooks: Mnemosyne vs. Spiral Note (via dwrdnet). I don’t know that one is truly “better”, as these are somewhat different products with different intended purposes.
Conid Kingsize vs. Kyuseido Kakari vs. Pen BBS 355 (via Inky.Rocks). A nice comparison video walking through the similarities and differences of the three major “syringe filler” fountain pens out there.
Visit to KOKUYODOORS in Tokyo, Japan (via Inkredible Colours). I love seeing all of these stationery specialty shops - and brand-specific shops, no less - in Japanese airports.
How to Use a Notebook When Your Life Isn’t Busy (via Notebook Stories). Oh to have this problem again! :)
A Trio of 2025 Chicago Pen Show Inks (via Pen Addict - Kimberly). The Chicago Pen Show always has some great Chicago-inspired show-specific inks. Kimberly walks through the 2025 editions.
Dominant Industry 2025 Little Craft Fest 2025 Exclusives (via Well-Appointed Desk). Last month saw the inaugural “Little Craft Fest” in the Houston area, and Ana takes a look at two exclusive inks, one with shimmer and one without.
Hobonichi Techo 2025 Cover A5 Tragen Review (via Pen Addict - Sarah). Whether you’re a Hobonichi user or not, this is a nice-looking A5 notebook cover. I love the integrated zipper pouch.
Tool Review: Dominant Industry Ink Muddler/Glass Pen (via Well-Appointed Desk). An interesting little tool for testing and sampling inks, but given how small it is, whether or not you enjoy it probably depends on how you test and do your swatches.
In Case You Missed It….
This week published two posts, both from a new series I’m trying out titled “Joe’s Picks.” The first looks at five different stationery items that I think are underappreciated, across different product categories that include fountain pens, inks, paper, and more. The second looks at five inks of choice from within the Pilot Iroshizku lineup. There are some old standbys in there, as well as a couple of relatively new additions. Building on this week’s theme, I published a YouTube video walking through this quarter’s curated stationery box that was offered to our Patreon supporters, with the theme for this month being often overlooked items that I wanted to put out there. Patreon supporters should stay tuned for news about the next round of curated boxes, which should be available mid-summer, before pen show season starts.
This Week in the T.G.S. Curated Shop - PLUS Memorial day weekend promotions
This week’s highlights included a few big restocks: Notsu notecards, writing pads, and notecard sets are all back in stock, along with Zebra Sarasa Grand Vintage Gel Pens, and the latest colors from the Pilot Iroshizuku line. Don’t forget that through the end of the month, we are running a pencil sale: Use the code “PENCIL10” at checkout to claim 10% off all pencil and pencil-related orders, excluding Blackwing and TWSBI. We also have items in the Clearance section at 20% off, with the discount added automatically at checkout. Be sure to check out “Thursday Drops” each week for updates on new arrivals, restocks, and more.
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.