Happy INKSGIVING! Don't Miss the T.G.S. Thanksgiving-Week Sales and Promotions!

It’s the day before Thanksgiving, so you all know what that means…. It’s time to kick off the Holiday shopping season. As we do every year, we are running a series of discounts and promotions through Sunday, November 30 at 11:59pm US Central time. Here they are:

• 10% Off Most Items in Store using the Code “INKSGIVING” at Checkout. Some brands (i.e., TWSBI) do not allow us to discount, so exclusions apply.

• 20% Off any Clearance Items, which will be automatically applied at checkout. Note that you won’t see the discount until you click the “Check Out” button in the cart, and it will be applied before you pay.

• All orders over $75 will receive a large 3” T.G.S. Holographic water-bottle sticker in addition to your free shipping! Since quantities are limited, only those who use the INKSGIVING code will receive the promotional gift.

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Though not eligible for promotions, the new TWSBI ECO Cosmo + Onyx fountain pen is now available for pre-sale online. Pens will ship Friday (11/28).

Special In-Store Nashville Hours This Week: Closed Thursday on Thanksgiving

Due to the holiday this week, we have special hours at our Nashville shop. Note that we will be closed Thursday on Thanksgiving. We will be open Wednesday afternoon (11/26) from 2pm-6pm, Friday (11/28) from 10am-6pm, and Saturday (11/29) from 10am-6pm. All discounts will be honored in-store with mention of the INKSGIVING code! We hope to see you there!

Note that our showroom/shop has moved! To shop in-person, please come to Suite 107 on the front of our building (behind the “Tower”). You’ll know what I mean when you see it. ;)

Thursday Drops: Traveler's Sticker Release and Accordion Paper is BACK! Also, More Pencils and Sharpeners!

I’m finally through orders placed over the show weekend, with all of those shipped out yesterday! Today I dug into the “new arrivals” pile, which includes the long-awaited Traveler’s Notebook Sticker Release Paper and Accordion Fold papers! Formerly part of the “B-Sides and Rarities” collection, these were recently announced as additions to the regular collection of Traveler’s Notebook Specialty Papers, and are now available in both Standard and Passport sizes. We also have restocks on certain Laconic Tokyo items, as well as Caran d’Ache Pencils and M+R Sharpeners. And I’m not even halfway through the boxes…. Stay tuned!

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I know we’ve had a lot of new arrivals lately: To read more about our latest shop additions, check out this post featuring new notebooks from Nakabayashi and some new scissors, as well as this post announcing the arrival of plenty of new Clairefontaine paper products and restocked favorites!

The Gentleman Stationer is an authorized reseller of all brand sold.

1. Traveler’s Notebook Specialty Paper, Including Sticker Release and Accordion Paper. Traveler’s Company announced earlier this year that they were adding the Sticker Release Paper and Accordion Fold Paper to the regular lineup of Specialty Papers in both Standard and Passport sizes. They are now available!

2. Laconic Tokyo Zippered Pouches. I love zippered pouches. I move between briefcases, backpacks, and travel bags fairly frequently, and one way in which I do this is by keeping separate pouches packed with different items (stationery, paper, pens, chargers, cords, etc.) so that I can easily move them between bags.

3. Laconic Style Notebook Refills. While some versions continue to be on backorder, we just received a bunch of the “Spreadsheet” notebooks, as well as more Gantt Charts! These slim softcover A5 notebooks are excellent for covers like Roterfadens and the Lochby Field Journal, which allow you to use multiple refills.

4. Caran d’Ache Swiss Wood Pencils. I love to see that we’re selling more pencils these days, as one of my goals when I set out to expand the shop was to provide a home for many of the high-end pencil brands following the closure of CW Pencils. In addition to the standard Swiss Wood, we also carry the Nespresso Swiss Wood Collaboration and the Crayons de la Maison Caran d’Ache gift sets.

5. Caran d’Ache HB Office/School Pencils with Erasers. Caran d’Ache pencils are typically capped and don’t feature an eraser on the end. These are the exception, and quite popular. Available individually and by the dozen.

6. M+R Pencil Sharpeners. Looking for an excellent German brass pencil sharpener, with replaceable blades? We are restocked on the range of M+R sharpeners, including the long-point Castor and Pollux sharpeners, as well as both classic brass bullet versions.

7. Caran d’Ache 849 “Black Code” Ballpoint Pens and Mechanical Pencils. My first “signature” selection for the shop - while it’s not a special edition or an exclusive, it pretty much matches my stationery aesthetic perfectly. Mechanical pencils are now back in stock in addition to the ballpoint.

8. Caran d’Ache Chromatics Bottled Ink. I love the color range of the Caran d’Ache “Chromatics” line, and you all apparently agree since it’s sold rapidly. We now have all colors back in stock.

9. Pilot Iroshizuku Ku-Jaku Ink. When I brought Iroshizuku into the shop a few months ago, the one that was on perpetual backorder was “Ku-Jaku” (“Peacock”), a favorite of those who love darker teal inks. For a brighter teal, the excellent “Sui-Gyoku” is a new addition.

10. Lochby Cases and Covers. Following my return from the D.C. Pen Show, all Lochby cases and covers are now relisted in the shop and available for purchase. At last check all colors are in stock but I will likely need to reorder prior to San Francisco.

Fountain Pen Day Weekend 2022: The T.G.S. Promotions and Giveaway Featuring TWSBI and Penwell

Tomorrow is Fountain Pen Day 2022, representing the 11th anniversary of our community’s “holiday” to celebrate the writing instruments we love! To follow along with the festivities, including gatherings, promotions, and giveaways, please check out the Fountain Pen Day site for a full list of participating sponsors, as well as some exclusive FPDay-branded products being sold by select partners.

The Gentleman Stationer has been a proud supporter of Fountain Pen Day for many years, and I look forward each year to crafting my own promotions, sales, and special content. This year, we have a three-part promotion that includes freebies with any orders from the store, a discount code good on select brands from the shop through the weekend, and a huge giveaway! All promotions start today, Thursday (11/3), and run through Sunday (11/6).

T.G.S. Curated Shop Promotional Offers (i.e., Free Stuff!)

In celebration of Fountain Pen Day, the following promotional offers are now live. No coupon code is needed to take advantage of these freebies, as they will be automatically included with qualifying orders.

1. Fountain Pen Day Swag with All Orders. Every order placed during this promotion will receive a free piece of Fountain Pen Day Swag, whether that’s a sticker or a bookmark (or for really big orders, both!). Cary was also kind enough to throw in some Esterbrook-branded swag, so you may find that in your package as well.

2. T.G.S. Swag Pack with All Orders over $50. All orders in excess of $50 will also receive, in addition to the Fountain Pen Day swag, a free pack of Gentleman Stationer buttons and stickers!

3. All Fountain Pen Orders Ship with a Complimentary Ink Sample. Some of you have taken advantage of this promotion already, as I’ve done a “quiet preview” this week, but through Sunday all fountain pen purchases will ship with a complimentary sample of ink from Anderillium or other brands I have on hand.

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T.G.S. Swag Packs are Back!

Shop Discount and Clearance Pricing on Select Brands Through Sunday!

Take 10% off most brands through Sunday, using the coupon code “FOUNTAINPEN” at checkout! Note that due to agreements with brands like TWSBI and others, I cannot discount certain products beyond my advertised pricing. I’ve also placed certain items on sale throughout the shop, including some big clearance discounts on stuff that also qualifies for the 10% off coupon on top of the promotional pricing! Items you’ll want to take a look at, including the remaining stock of the now-discontinued Soumkine planners. All sale items are marked so that they should appear in the “SALE” section of each page. Remember that all domestic U.S. orders over $75 ship free, so you can really stack the discounts here!

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Fountain Pen Day Weekend Giveaway with Three Great Prizes!

Last but not least, we are giving away three exceptional (hey, at least IMHO) prizes. To enter, comment on this post and let us know how you are celebrating Fountain Pen Day, or alternatively tell us about your best fountain pen-related memory! No Instagram or other social media entries for this contest, and the only way to enter and win is to comment here. Just be sure to leave an e-mail address when prompted so that I have a way to contact you if you win. After the giveaway closes on Sunday, November 6 at 11:59 pm US Central Time, I will number the comments in order received, and using a random number generator to pick three winners. This giveaway is open to everyone, but if shipping is exorbitant I may ask that you chip in on international packages. The prizes are as follows:

1. Limited Edition T.G.S. “Aged Red” Penwell. We recently restocked on our signature Penwell, designed in collaboration with Good Made Better, and what better way to celebrate Fountain Pen Day than to give away what I consider to be one of the best fountain pen-specific accessories on the market!

2. TWSBI “Glow Purple” ECO Fountain Pen. We can’t have a Fountain Pen Day Giveaway without a fountain pen! Win one of TWSBI’s latest releases, and if you don’t want to wait for the giveaway to conclude, we have additional pens in stock and available for purchase!

3. Soumkine “Agenda” with Mustard Cover. The Soumkine Planners are being discontinued, but I set a few of the coveted “mustard” cover planners aside for my own use and for a future giveaway! These hardcover “agendas” are undated, with fountain pen friendly paper and a flexible format.

Know that I appreciate you all and I always enjoy rewarding my loyal readers and customers every Fountain Pen Day! Please be sure to visit all of the FPDay sponsors and take advantage of their offers and special promotions, as Fountain Pen Day really kicks off the last two months of the year that are so important for small businesses.

The Gentleman Stationer is supported entirely by purchases from the T.G.S. Curated Shop and the T.G.S. Patreon Program. This post does not contain paid advertising or third-party affiliate links. Discount code promotion excludes TWSBI and Lochby.

Thursday Drops: Parting with Some Gently Used Favorites, Lochby Restock and More!

As we expand the shop and (as always) look for more items to review and write about, I periodically need to clear out pens and other items that I’ve acquired over the years, either for review purposes or personal use. Those pens sometimes make an appearance on the T.G.S. “Gently Used” page, where they are not technically part of the official Curated Shop, but can nonetheless be combined with orders of new products for shipping and checkout. This week I listed a bunch of pens, including some rare limited editions, and a few remain available. All of these will automatically qualify for free shipping.

The Nahvalur “Original Plus” in Gold Ocellatus

In addition to the Gently Used update, we have restocked on most of our Lochby cases after the August/September pen show rush, including the Quattro four-pen cases and the Lochby Venture pouches in all colors. Also, remember that for the month of September, to welcome Nahvalur to the shop, all purchases of Nahvalur fountain pens include a complimentary ink sample chosen to match the color of your pen! We’ve had a lot of fun selecting and shipping these out already!

The T.G.S. Curated Shop is an authorized retailer of all brands shown here.

1. Leonardo Officina Italiana Momento Zero Grande Primary Manipulation Series 1 (Gently Used). After much consideration, I’ve decided to let go of most of my Momento Zero Grande collection, and will be selling them off in the coming months. That particular model, while excellent and comfortable to use, doesn’t receive as much regular use as my standard Momento Zero fountain pens. I currently have the “Vesuvio” from the original run remaining for sale.

2. Cross Peerless 125 (featuring an 18k Sailor Nib) (Gently Used). Love Sailor nibs but wish the pens had a touch more heft and a higher-capacity converter? Consider the Cross Peerless 125, which I don’t believe is made anymore.

3. Visconti Van Gogh “Vincent’s Chair” Fountain Pen (Gently Used). The Visconti Van Gogh is perhaps my personal favorite of all the Visconti fountain pen options, and this one in particular was a bit hard to let go. It features a stainless steel fine nib tuned by Mark Bacas.

4. Nahvalur Nautilus in “Stylophora Berry” Ebonite. I’ve long admired ebonite pens, and wished that manufacturers would do more with this material in their standard lines. Nahvalur (formerly “Narwhal Pens”) has steadily released new versions of the Nautilus in different ebonites, including this gorgeous striated aubergine material that I’m happy to offer in the shop.

5. Nahvalur “Original Plus” Vacuum Filler. Nahvalur re-released the Narwhal “Original” with a catch - in addition to reworking the signature swirled acrylic, they switched the filling mechanism from a piston to a vacuum-filler. What has really surprised me about this pen, however, is how smooth the nibs are.

6. TWSBI Diamond 580 Iris Fountain Pen. TWSBI’s latest entry in the Diamond 580 series is arguably my favorite to date, pairing the iridescent “Iris” finish with the classic design and reliable, high-capacity piston.

7. Platinum Plaisir Aura Fountain Pen 2022 Special Edition. I’m glad to see these start to catch on, as the Plaisir is a spectacular everyday fountain pen with one of the best low-cost nibs on the market. The pearlescent finish on this special edition contains a slight hint of color to match the different sections.

8. Lochby Quattro Four-Pen Case. One of my favorite finds of the past year, the Lochby Quattro holds four pens in offset slots, so that they pens and clips don’t make contact when the case is zippered shut. Built from durable waxed canvas, the Quattro should protect your pens for years to come.

9. Lochby Venture Pouch. A combination pouch and zippered pen case, the Venture Pouch can be used as both a carry all for ballpoint/gel pens, document flags, clips, etc. in the top “pouch” compartment, while also offering several individual slots in a second, zippered compartment that can be used for larger pens or cables.

10. Hightide Hourglasses. The other day I wrote a short piece about the advantages of using an analog timer where you might otherwise use a cell phone. We have a stock of these Hightide Hourglasses in 30, 15, 5, and 3-minute intervals.

Thursday Drops: Pens, Pens, and More Pens, Plus Undated Sumkin Planners!

Everyone’s been making a big deal ‘bout Hobonichi Day, but what if a more flexible, undated approach is your thing? We’ve got you covered! We recently received a shipment of the hardcover Sumkin (formerly Soumkine) “Oh My 307 Agendas” in Charcoal, though unfortunately the beloved mustard versions are no more. I also found a stash of Paris-themed blotter cards that shipped with one of my Sumkin/Soumkine orders, and purchases will receive a couple along with their shipment.

The Original Plus (right) has the makings of a sturdy workhorse, and it’s priced competitively.

Also, as noted on Tuesday, we welcomed a new brand to the shop, Nahvalur (formerly Narwhal)! We currently carry the Nahvalur Original Plus - an excellent vacuum-filler option that comes in four colors - as well as an ebonite version of the Nautilus in aubergine “Stylophora Berry” ebonite. I was going to make the initial promotion run through Monday, but let’s go ahead and make it month long: All Nahvalur purchases ship with a complimentary ink sample: We’re testing out several possible ink brand additions to the shop and are awash in inks. Purchase a Nahvalur pen and receive a “generous pour” of matching ink so you’re reading to write!

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My ink “experimentation station”. Serious about this, y’all.

What’s behind this push further into the world of fountain pens? We’ll see, but if the Nahvalur Original Plus and the Nautilus do well, we’re actively working to expand and possibly bring more of a pen presence to our local area. (For now, residents of the greater Nashville, Tennessee area can use the coupon code “615PICKUP” at checkout and e-mail me at joe (at) gentlemanstationer.com in order to arrange local pickup.)

The T.G.S. Curated Shop is an authorized retailer of all brands sold.

1. Nahvalur (Formerly Narwhal Pens) Original Plus Demonstrator. Don’t be afraid of the vacuum filler! At the D.C. Pen Show last month, Nahvalur unveiled it’s successor to the “Original” series, which in addition to switching to a high-capacity vacuum-filling system, moved to a more subtle acrylic to create a nice-looking pen.

2. TWSBI Vac Mini Fountain Pen. For those looking for something a bit more pocketable, we have a couple of TWSBI Vac Mini’s in stock, which also use a high-capacity vacuum-filling system to create a true “pocket ink tank.” Read the review of this one here.

3. Nahvalur “Nautilus” Piston Filler Fountain Pen in “Stylophora Berry” Ebonite. Nahvalur gave me one of these pens to test out at the Atlanta Pen Show back in April, and I’ve had it inked ever since. When I saw the pairing of eggplant striated ebonite and rose gold plated trim at the D.C. Show, I knew we would want to bring these in house.

4. The Latest TWSBI Releases! There are too many to name all of them, but TWSBI has been on a tear over the past few months with the ECO Glow Green, ECO Transparent Yellow, and Diamond 580 “Iris”, among others.

5. Sumkin (Formerly Soumkine) “Oh My 307” Undated Agendas. Sumkin has reimagined their brand lately, and for now has indicated that they will discontinue production of these hardcover notebooks. I managed to get another order in before they ran out, and we currently have stock in both Charcoal and Rose. While intended to be used as a flexible undated “agenda” or planner, the fountain pen friendly paper works equally well as a standard hardcover notebook with a rare “narrow” format.

6. Platinum Plaisir “Aura” Limited Edition Fountain Pens. The humble Plaisir has been getting more attention from Platinum, and that’s a good thing. The pearlescent white finish on this release subtly reflects the green, blue, or pink shade of the grip section, depending on how you angle the pen in the light. It’s a unique finish that makes me smile.

7. Midori 70th Anniversary Fountain Pen and Ink Set. For their 70th Anniversary, Midori released a whole bunch of limited edition products, ranging from special notebooks to five-year journals to full fountain pen and ink sets. This set not only gets you a special clear demonstrator featuring Midori’s excellent nib, but a bottle of ink and a converter.

8. Caran d’Ache 849 “Claim Your Style” Series 4. We haven’t forgotten about Caran d’Ache, one of our original brands to carry here in the Curated Shop. This year’s “Claim Your Style” Series features six new colors with a satin finish. I originally thought I preferred the blues but now can’t really pick a favorite. The yellow is a sleeper.

9. Penco “Perfection” Bullet Pens and Pocket Drafting Tools. Another old favorite is fully restocked, and the Penco Perfections (especially the “Light” pens) have been flying off the shelves.

10. Mazzuoli “Nobile ITALIA” Ballpoint/Mechanical Pencil. I haven’t made a plug for this exceptionally ergonomic ballpoint/mechanical pencil hybrid in a while, and that’s unfair. Designed to mimic the shape of its namesake airship, the Nobile ITALIA ships with three different Schmidt ballpoint refills, plus a .7mm mechanical pencil insert so you can change things up as your needs differ.