DWRDNET Stationery Feed Interview with Ana from Well-Appointed Desk (via dwrdnet). Ana has a chance to sit down with Derek for an interview! (The house purse/bag is a brilliant idea.) I’ve been enjoying listening to all of these. If you missed my interview, the link is here.
Do Notebooks Destroy Memorization Skills? (via Notebook Stories). Honestly, my own notebooks help me remember minor short-term details because I don’t have the brain capacity, but on the flip side if I journal or write about more significant issues and events, I tend to remember them in greater detail.
What’s the Difference? Sailor Music vs. Stub Nib (via Doodlebud). Sailor’s take on the music nib is basically an extremely broad, wet stub. I do like stubs but this one has always been a bit much for me.
The Pleasure of Craftsmanship: The Alfie Tray (via A Gathering of Curiosities). I really need to get a hold of one of these. Oh wait I just bought one.
Twenty Years of the Urban Adventure League Blog (via Urban Adventure League). Congratulations on a huge achievement! Twenty years of any sort of creative project is a massive accomplishment.
MD Paper Products Pop Up at Kinokuniya (via Inkredible Colours). I scoured the photos looking for any evidence that ruled versions of the MD Cotton notebooks might be returning, but no such luck, apparently….
Stationery for Your Worst Enemy (via Rachel’s Reflections). Ahab FTW. Hopefully they’ll end up like me with ink on their wall, running all the way up to the ceiling.
Magasin Sennelier (via Pens! Paper! Pencils!). I love this shop and can’t wait to get back there.
Untangling My Zen (via From the Pen Cup). Many people use zentangles to unwind (and also to try out pens, inks, and paper). I’ve always been interested in learning more about this, but too many hobbies, too little time….
Dominant Industry Log of Elixir/Log of Atlantis Inks (via Well-Appointed Desk). Ok, I need to get an ink archiving book to play around with. I’m sold.
I picked up one of these. If you don’t recognize it you will soon enough, as I plan to write about it soon!
In Case You Missed It….
This week was mid-year review week for 2025! I honestly don’t know how we got there already, but we are there! I recapped my favorite posts from the first six months of the year, as well as my currently inked fountain pens that I just revamped with fresh inks this month. I’ve had some new acquisitions come into my hands this month, and also dug through my “archive” for some old favorites that I haven’t used in far too long.
All the Lamy Crystal inks: So many underrated colors in this lineup.
This Week in the T.G.S. Curated Shop
New stuff keeps arriving! This week featured the return of the Lochby Field Journal Mini, which has been out of stock since January. Currently it’s available only in brown, but hopefully we will have the other colors back in stock soon. Lochby has also added a B5 Field Folio, which has the zippered closure and is large enough to carry a B5 notebook or a composition book. On the fountain pen front, we now have the popular Diplomat Viper, which is a hooded fountain pen that also has a matching rollerball. Finally, we have the Lamy Crystal inks in stock, which is a more saturated ink that Lamy makes in a wider range of colors. Peridot has long been one of my favorite green inks. Be sure to check out each week’s Thursday Drops post for new arrivals and more. This week’s post featured a few favorite 2025 new releases as well, in the spirit of our mid-year review.
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.