My Pen Picks for San Francisco Show & Tell (via Pen Addict - Kimberly). It was great to hang out with Kimberly this weekend, and yes, there were some great pens in here.
Two Years of Curiosities, and May-August 2025 in Stationery (via A Gathering of Curiosities). Congratulations on two years of blogging!
I Spent a Week Using Only Starter Fountain Pens: Here Is What I Found (via dwrdnet). Derek spent a week using a Pilot Kakuno and a Platinum Preppy with cartridges! See how he fared.
Plotter Mini5, But Make It a Wallet (via The Poor Penman). I will second the suggestion that the Plotter Mini5 makes an excellent wallet, with the wallet as the primary function.
Drillog Dip Pen (via Figboot on Pens). One of the things that I picked up this weekend in San Francisco was one of the Drillog 2.0 dip pens in a similar finish to what David reviews here.
Anterique Mach Ball Brass Edition Ballpoint Review (via Pen Addict). At some point we will have a wider selection of the brass pens back in stock! I’m working on it because so many of you have reached out to let me know how much you love the Anterique pens.
Unboxing and Trying Out Some Cool Pens! Multipens and a Beautiful Wooden Pilot S20 (via Inkdependence). Chalk up another win for the Pilot S20, one of my favorite low viscosity ballpoints.
This ICONIC Pen Needs a Relaunch - Rotring 600 (via Doodlebud). Do we need to bring back the Rotring 600 fountain pen? I never got to experience this one back when they were more readily available at reasonable prices.
Galen Leather Crazy Horse Havana Brown 10-Slot Zippered Case (via Well-Appointed Desk). I had a lot of hands-on time with the latest color from Galen Leather this weekend, and I’m really loving the darker brown.
Souverän M600 Art Collection - Rudi Rother Special Edition (via Pelikan’s Perch). I’m glad to see Pelikan sticking with the art collection, as I enjoyed seeing last year’s release even if I didn’t pick one up.
I managed to get my hands on the 2025 Pilot Custom 74 Special Release and try out the new nibs! This pen will be available in October, with Soft Fine, Soft Fine-Medium, and Soft Medium Nib Options.
In Case You Missed It…
This week I was traveling to and attending the San Francisco Pen Show, which is a large endeavor that took up much of my time so it was quiet on the content front. Look for a recap this week, as well as some additional photos and videos as I unpack. Many thanks to everyone who made it down the hallway to the Oak Room to visit us at the Vanness tables this week, as it was quite the struggle at times due to the crowds. The best thing about the San Francisco Pen Show, however, is the people, as it’s always a great time both during the show and after-hours!
What’s New in the T.G.S. Curated Shop?
Since we only took Roterfaden to San Francisco, getting ready for the show occupied most of my attention this week. We relaunched the TGS_25 A5 Slim Taschenbegleiter, and this second shipment went even quicker than the first. Currently only green elastic models remain in the A5 Slim, but we do have additional A5 and B6 covers available for purchase.
Lost in the shuffle a bit was the TWSBI Diamond 580 ALR “Affogato” with the onyx trim, which I was able to spend some time with at the pen show this weekend. It’s a gorgeous finish and one of the best looking TWSBI’s they’ve released. The combination of brown and black trim is one that’s not been used much, which is a shame. We also have the Lamy “Multi” Safari, Signo RT1s, and remaining stock of the Platinum Preppy Wa Modern Maki-e fountain pens. Be sure to check out each week’s Thursday Drops for a full list of new arrivals.
We will have normal hours this coming week, open from 1pm-6pm on Thursday and Friday and from 10am-6pm on Saturday. Please check our main shop page for updated info.
Consider Further Supporting T.G.S.!
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 special promotions, 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)! The T.G.S. Patreon includes early access and discounts on exclusive shop releases (including the Taschenstift “Violet Tendencies” and the Roterfaden TGS_25), 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.