The Cookie Monster of Pens (via A Gathering of Curiosities). A great article reflecting on a lot of the “end of the hobby” discussions surrounding recent price increases. My personal observation so far has been that people are indeed still buying pens, but they are being more intentional about what they buy.
Newly Inked for 2026 (via Pen Addict - Kimberly). 48 pens is a bit much for me to keep track of, but I’m up there at the moment and am in the process of reworking my current rotation, as well as the lineup of shop testers.
25 Memorable Inks in 2025 (via Olive Octopus). As always, Lisa picks the uncommon and unusual ink colors that force you to break out your wallet. Some of these are really hard to find.
Live from the Philly Pen Show 2026 (via Inkdependence). Mike does his first pen show walkthrough of the 2026 pen show calendar! Philly comes early every year but it’s good to see the show in progress.
Top 10 Underrated Pens (via Figboot on Pens). I can get behind a lot of the pens on this list, especially the Lamy Dialog CC. The standard Dialog3 is a touch big for me.
Visit to Zenrido Shintoshin in Okinawa, Japan (via Inkredible Colours). I love how event the small office supply-style stationery stores have their own exclusive shop inks.
mnmlscholar Has Migrated to Le Substack (via mnmlscholar). Be sure to catch up at the new location!
2026 Nolty Gold Planner Differences (via Notebook Stories). Nolty is a brand that I’ve been learning more about, and so far I’ve been impressed. They have a lot of undated formats that can also be used as notebooks, in addition to the dated varieties.
Digital Declutter Step 4: The Music (via Well-Appointed Desk). As a collector of analog music in various formats, should we add the iPod to the list?
In Case You Missed It… We Released a Podcast!
This week’s big content release wasn’t on the website, at least not directly. Lisa Vanness and I released our first episode of On the Paper Trail - a podcast that we expect to release twice monthly, discussing our collective experience in stationery both as enthusiasts and shop owners. In this first episode, we discuss our 2026 notebook setups and how we plan to use them. I did a follow-up video for the T.G.S. YouTube Channel that took a more detailed overhead look at my own choices. Finally, since we are hosting a joint T.G.S./Vanness event at the T.G.S. Shop next weekend (January 23-24) with Matthew Chen, I wrote a post discussing things to consider when preparing to get a nib tuned or ground.
We’ve added a couple of new Roterfadens to the Roterfaden Shop page, including this Cognac leather cover with “Raw White” felt interior. (Model LTD_036)
This Week in the T.G.S. Curated Shop - Toyo Boxes, Kakimori Ink, and Pilot Specialty Nibs
This was a big week for restocks in the shop, with Pilot Kakunos and Explorers, Toyo Steel Boxes, and Kakimori Pigmented Inks all arriving earlier in the week. We also received our initial shipment of the Colorverse “Red Horse” 2026 series, which includes four different variations on a dark red ink (one standard, three different shimmers). Finally, we’ve added the Pilot Custom 743 in the Verdigris Green (with the FA nib), as well as the Custom 912 with three additional 14k specialty Japanese nibs. Be sure to check out each week’s Thursday drops post for a full list of new arrivals.
This coming week we will be open from 1-6pm Thursday and Friday, as well as from 10am-6pm on Saturday. As I mentioned, Lisa Vanness and Matthew Chen will be on site Friday and Saturday during normal business hours, and both the current front shop (Suite 107 showroom) and the office/warehouse space (Suite 113) will be open. If you would like to reserve at time for nib work with Matthew, you can use this reservation link, but walk-ins will also be taken on an as-available basis.
How to Support T.G.S. and Our Various Projects
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. The T.G.S. Patreon includes early access and discounts on exclusive shop releases, a monthly updates newsletter, and of course our monthly meetups. As of this morning, ALL Patreon supporters (including non-paying free members) have access to one or more initial “practice” episodes of “On the Paper Trail”.