Pilot Vanishing Point, Decimo, and E95s Fountain Pen Nib Comparisons

Sunday Reading for June 8, 2025

June 8, 2025

A Less Expensive Entry into A5 Planner Systems? Exploring the Laconic System (via dwrdnet). Tempted to try a 6-ring planner system but intimidated by what can be a high price of entry? Derek tested out the Laconic inserts that we’ve started stocking recently.
The Hooligan Pen Experience (via Pen Addict). It was fun getting to meet Tim in Atlanta this year, and hopefully I’ll be able to check out one of his pens in the future.
Live from the Triangle Pen Show 2025 (via Inkdependence). Mike has his live stream from this weekend’s 2025 Triangle Pen Show up and ready to go. I’ve never made it to Triangle - it’s not THAT far for me so this probably needs to change at some point.
Fifth Anniversary (via Inkredible Colours). Congrats on a five-year bloggiversary!
Holme and Hadfield Pen Deck (via Figboot on Pens). I enjoy seeing more accessory reviews, including creative solutions that combine pen storage and display.
Montblanc 146 Bespoke Calligraphy Left Oblique Fountain Pen Review (via Blake’s Broadcast). Looking for a highly specialized, very expensive custom nib? A crazy price comes with three tines!
Writing Around the Block (via Pen Addict - Sarah). Sometimes the writing comes, sometimes it doesn’t. I enjoy these dispatches from a working writer.
Mid-Year Techo Kaigi (via Well-Appointed Desk). Ana walks through her mid-year planner and notebook setup on video. I’m coming around to video being the better format for these sort of walkthroughs.
Hurtling into Posthumanism (via Writing Ball). You wouldn’t guess it from the news but not everyone is looking forward to handing over all of human experience over to AI. It’s refreshing to see it everyday at the shop - across generations - and the last paragraph of this one really hit home with me.

Pilot Decimo Fountain Pen in-hand with nib extended — I do love my Pilot Decimo in Harvest Yellow!

In Case You Missed It….

This week on the blog, I previewed an ink swatch session in which I took a look at all eight inks from the recently released Anderillium Ichthyoformes Series (Inks Inspired by Fish). The three dark reds were my favorites, and you can check out the entire video on the YouTube channel. This weekend I inked up both a Pilot Vanishing Point and a Pilot Decimo, because I wanted to revisit these pens to see whether my personal preference for the Decimo still held. It does, but I can use both pens. In Saturday’s post I offered five points of comparison and things to keep in mind when considering one over the other. Also, for those curious about how the filling mechanism works on this pen, I posted a short video demonstration showing how a cartridge works differently than a converter for this pen.

Laconic Tokyo Planner Stickers — Planner stickers like these allow you to turn any notebook into a planner.

This Week in the T.G.S. Curated Shop

So this was a big week in the shop. Not only did we get the entire Anderillium Ichthyoformes series inked and listed, but we also received a shipment of the Classic Fountain Pen Inks line from Papier Plume, along with the new TWSBI ECO in Matcha Green, the latest arrivals from Field Notes, and additional undated planner formats from Laconic Tokyo (including yet more Planner Stickers that you can use in notebooks)! Check out each week’s Thursday Drops post for updates on new releases and any specials we are running.

Papier Plume

Anderillium Inks

Multi Pens

Notsu

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.

Larger Laconic 6-Ring A5 Binders in white and navy

Sunday Reading for June 1, 2025 (How Is It June Already?)

June 1, 2025

DWRDNET Stationery Feed with Chad of Eel and Anchor (via dwrdnet). Interested in what goes into designing and pouring blanks for custom pens? Be sure to watch this interview with Chad from Eel and Anchor!
Teranishi Traveling Sepia and Antique Black; and a Meditation on Brown (via A Gathering of Curiosities). I’ve never been a huge fan of brown inks either, but off-blacks? All day. The trendiness of brown inks is an interesting phenomenon, as brown has historically been one of the more underutilized ink colors.
Pens, Papers, and a Way to Make the Lamy Ballpoints GOOD?! Unboxing from the Gentleman Stationer (via Inkdependence). Ok, a bit of self-promotion, but Mike walked through an unboxing of some of the Notsu stuff as well as the Uni/Lamy collaboration refill. Glad you enjoyed!
Kilk Celestial Twofer … and a Giveaway! (via Figboot on Pens). Kilk keeps killing it with their materials. I have a couple of their pens that I need to get back into the review queue.
Interview with an …? (via Olive Octopus). Lisa also sat down for an interview with Derek! Be sure to watch as they talk a lot about ink swatching and more.
Play It as It Lies (via Line Variation). Do you find how and why you write changes from year-to-year?
The Best of Collecting (via Fueled by Clouds and Coffee). This post resonated with me because I’m at a similar stage with pens, having moved into a more carefully considered acquisition phase.
Pilot Iroshizuku To-Ro (via Inkredible Colours). To-ro is one of the newer Iroshizuku colors, released late last year. It’s more of a golden orange.
What I’m Enjoying Today (via From The Pen Cup). I can’t wait for Lochby to bring the Field Journal Mini back in stock. These things are great.
8 Is Auspicious (via Pen Addict - Kimberly). Congrats on an 8-year fountain pen anniversary!

Undated Planner Layout - My preferred weekly — An undated 2-page weekly spread: my favorite planner layout.

In Case You Missed It….

This week’s content features a new “Ask TGS” post, titled “What’s the Best Paper for Pencils?”. I get a lot of requests for recommendations, both online and in-store, and this one has been appearing more frequently than most. I also discussed Five Reasons I Prefer Undated Calendars and Planners, which I’ve talked about before without ever dedicating an entire post to the subject.

Brown Pilot Legno Multi Pen shown in-hand for scale

This Week in the T.G.S. Curated Shop

For the beginning of June we have loads of new arrivals, including all the new Field Notes special editions, a new line of 6-ring binder inserts, Planner Stickers, and more from Laconic Tokyo, and new multi pens from Pilot! On the ink front, the rest of the new Ichthyoformes Series arrived from Anderillium, including three dark red colors that I’m planning on diving into this week. Be sure to check out each week’s Thursday Drops post for updates.

This coming week we will be back to regular hours in the shop. Thursday and Friday 1-6pm, and Saturday 10am-6pm. Since I had to take part of yesterday off, we will be having some extra hours this afternoon (Sunday) from 1-5pm.

Laconic

Pilot Multi Pens

Pilot S20 Mechanical Pencils

Anderillium Ink

NEW T.G.S. Patreon Features - We’ve started a discord community!

Lots of Writing This Week: Maruman Spiral Note — I got more writing done this week and it felt good.

Sunday Reading for May 25, 2025

May 25, 2025

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.

TGS Curated Stationery Box Unpacking Thumbnail

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.

TGS Curated Shop Lots of Paper on the Shelves

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.

Iroshizuku Ink

Zebra

Maruman

Notsu

NEW T.G.S. Patreon Features - We’ve started a discord community!

Sunday Reading for May 18, 2025

May 18, 2025

2025 Chicago Pen Show Recap and Report Card (via Pen Addict - Kimberly). I’m glad the Chicago Pen Show seems to be on the rise again, with a fresh location. Also wishing Kimberly a speedy recovery!
January-April 2025 in Stationery (via A Gathering of Curiosities). An excellent stationery retrospective, and I love reading about how people use their sandglasses.
Stationery Feed Episode 8 with Shawn Newtwon of Newton Pens (via DWRDNET). Derek interviews Shawn on his podcast/vidcast, where Shawn discusses his penmaking enterprise and his scholarship fund!
Twice as Many Bits! The Tactile Turn 16-Bit Is Here (via Inkdependence). I’ll have to get one of these. I don’t buy every Tactile Turn special release, but lately they’ve had a tendency to release “unmissable” ones like this that speak to my childhood.
2025 Atlanta Pen Show Haul (via Feed Your Creativity). I make an appearance at around the 13:00 mark in some show footage!
Papakōlea Mauna Koa Fountain Pen (via Kanilea Pen Company). I don’t often highlight product releases in Sunday Reading, but I did want to highlight the latest release from Kanilea, which I’m adding to the list for my next pen show.
My Closet Stationery Stash (via Inky.Rocks). Uh oh, is this going be a think where we show off our closets of doom? Also, check out this walkthrough of desktop items for easy journaling!
Visit to G. Itoya in Tokyo Japan (via Inkredible Colours). Every time I see an Itoya visit recap, I think “7 Floors of Stationery - How?” This remains on the list.
Tom’s Studio Pocket Fountain Pen (via Dapprman). A very thorough and fair review of my favorite of the Tom’s Studio fountain pen offerings.
Kakimori Frost Fountain Pen in Violet (via Well-Appointed Desk). I’m still working on some new fountain pen offerings, but the Kakimori Frost may be on my list of pens to bring in. People seem to like it!

In Case You Missed It…

This week on the blog I got back to reviewing, with an ink review (Taccia Aomurasaki - a dark purple-black), and a review of a new line of “economical” notebooks: the Maruman Spiral Note Basic Notebooks. Not mentioned in the review: I’m really starting to enjoy B5 as a size. Stay tuned….

Caran d'Ache 849 Fountain Pen Blacked Out

This Week in the T.G.S. Curated Shop

The big news from earlier in the week is that we are running a pencil promotion through the entire month of May, where you can take 10% off all pencil and pencil-adjacent orders (excluding Blackwing and TWSBI). Just use the coupon code “PENCIL10” at checkout! We’ve added some personal favorites of mine, including the Tombow 4B and 6B penmanship/handwriting pencils, a new Lamy Multi Pen (the Logo Tri Pen), a blacked-out version of the Caran d’Ache 849 fountain pen, and a new variation of the TWSBI Diamond Mini. Each week you can check out the “Thursday Drops” post for news on new releases and announcements on brick-and-mortar store hours.

Maruman

Lamy

Yamamoto

Pilot

NEW T.G.S. Patreon Features - We’ve started a discord community!

Continuing Exploration of Rare Papers - Yamamoto

Sunday Reading for May 11, 2025

May 11, 2025

Stationery Feed Episode 7 with Lisa of Olive Octopus Ink (via DWRDNET). Derek continues his series of epic interviews, with Lisa from Olive Octopus.
Ouch - Discovering a Damaged Pen (via Line Variation). Not fun, but this happens from time to time. I’ve not seen a barrel break in that exact pattern, though I’ve seen plenty of weird stuff over the years.
M815 Metal Striped Blue Special Edition Fountain Pen (via Pelikan’s Perch). Wow, this one’s a stunner. I’ve not paid much attention to Pelikan in recent years but they have my attention.
More Notebook Systems? (via Stationery Pizza). There’s an infinite number of notebook systems if you disregard the “proprietary” nature and mix/combine them. :) Tip: you can punch “William Hannah” or “Circa” holes over a six-ring binder refill and it will usually work.
The Paper Mind Tranext Notebook Review (via Blake’s Broadcast). Tranext Paper is another proposed Cosmo Air Light replacement, which I have yet to get my hands on. Paper Mind is releasing another new notebook in their series.
A New Ink Database Column Has Joined the Game (via mnmlscholar). “Last Inked” is a useful metric, especially if you’re looking to ensure that nothing sits “lost” in your pen case. I regularly run into this problem.
Gravitas Piston Carbon Fountain Pen Review (via SBRE Brown). Hopefully Gravitas will be in D.C. or SF this year and I can get my hands on one of these.
Writech 2-in-1 Retractable Gel Pens (via Well-Appointed Desk). Someone had a handful of these in the shop this weekend and I was very impressed with the quality for the price point.
2025 Little Craft Fest (via Feed Your Creativity). The first thing I noticed was how nice the space was! I’ve heard this was an incredibly well-organized and well-run stationery event.

Currently Inked Video Caption, Tombow 4B

In Case You Missed It….

This week on the blog, I worked my way through the “Gray Paper, Volume 4” Yamamoto Paper Tasting Set, which honestly far exceeded my expectations. There are so many papers out there which we likely never will get to see in the larger formats such as A4 and A5, because it’s not cost-effective to print, much less import, pads and notebooks, but these Paper Tasting Samplers offer small notepads at a reasonable cost. I also discussed this particular set in the latest episode of “Currently Inked” on YouTube, and did a YouTube Plotter Walkthrough where I discuss how I organize my Plotter binders, discuss my notetaking and “Planner Strategy”, and more. (This is along the same lines as my prior Roterfaden Walkthrough, which has ended up being so popular that I thought I would do some similar discussions.)

Well-Apppointed Desk and Skylab Letterpress T Rex Raptor Lists — We’ve added (and restocked) on a bunch of goods from The Well-Appointed Desk.

This Week in the T.G.S. Curated Shop - New Lamy Safaris, PAPER, Pencils, and a May “Pencil month” Promo!

New Lamy Safaris landed this week, in two new colors “Dark Dusk” and “Sunset”, in addition to the full range of current Yamamoto Paper “Paper Tasting” Samplers, A4 Paper Packs, and more Select Writing Pads. We also added Appointed as a brand, with both “The Notebook” and pencils available in the shop. Finally, we have new paper formats from Lochby, including the new A5 Slim format for narrower notebooks, a larger B5 size, and a planner version of the pocket notebook, all with the 68gsm Tomoe River Paper. Check out this week’s Thursday Drops for the full list of new arrivals.

Because we’ve brought in so many pencils this month (mainly woodcase, but some mechanical and leadholders as well), we’re declaring May “Pencil Month” here at T.G.S. and offering 10% off all Pencil and Pencil-related orders (excluding TWSBI and Blackwing, which can’t be discounted). The promotion will run through the end of May. Use “PENCIL10” at checkout to claim the promotion.

Sunderland Machine Works

Caran d'Ache

TWSBI

Yamamoto Paper