Sunday Reading for October 19, 2025

1. 2025 Empire State Pen Show - Recap and Report Card (via Pen Addict - Kimberly). Kimberly reports in from the inaugural Empire State Pen Show in NYC. Her recap is similar to what I’ve heard from others who were there - that it was a good “first show” in a new location.

2. The London Autumn Pen Show 2025: My Haul (via Fountain Pen Blog). This year’s London Pen Show was a two-day show, and the recaps are starting to roll in!

3. London Pen Show October 2025 (via Dapprman). Another review/recap with lots of great vendor pictures. This would be a great show to attend and see some vendors who don’t typically attend U.S. shows.

4. London Pen Show Autumn 2025 (via UK Fountain Pens). I love seeing the wide range of different purchases that people came home with, including this Onoto Heritage.

5. How the Book of Alchemy Jumpstarted My Morning Journaling (via From the Pen Cup). I’ve never used journaling prompts either, but lately I’ve felt uninspired. Maybe I should check out this book as it seems interesting. I also love Mary’s shelf of completed journals!

6. Larger Rings: The Notebook Cover Upgrade You Didn’t Know You Needed (via dwrdnet). The MeePlus binders resemble Plotters but feature a few tweaks that make them different and potentially more suitable to certain users’ needs, including larger rings and rounded edges on the metal spine.

7. Unboxing the Latest Gentleman Stationer Mystery Box: The Adjacent Edition (via dwrdnet). For the past year I’ve been assembling quarterly stationery boxes for my Patreon members, and Derek unboxes the latest release which was a smaller run. Occasionally I can do enough of these for a public release.

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In Case You Missed It…

This past week was spent moving our brick-and-mortar shop to a new location on the front of our existing building, and getting ready for our in-store event with Newton Pens and Vanness Pens. You can read more about my decision to expand the shop and how/why we’ve organized things the way they are in the third installment of my “State of the Shop” series. I also did a short recap of this weekend’s event, including our after-hours Middle Tennessee Pen Club meetup. Look for more of these events as we continue to build out our shop and meetup space. A special thanks to everyone who came out to support us and our guests this weekend!

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Oh, and in addition to the new products, the existing Lochby Field Journal Mini is now available in a Black Multi-Cam pattern!

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

Given all the chaos of the move, I’ve been somewhat slow to get new arrivals listed, but lots of stuff arrived this week, including a restock of Penco Pens (including the Perfection Pocket Ballpoint) and a new D1 Multi Pen, as well as the full range of Hightide Sandglasses. We also have new the new Lochby Mini Venture Pouch and an A6-sized Field Folio, just in time for Hobonichi season!

Finally, the dated Traveler’s Refills have arrived in Standard and Passport, along with the 2026 Sticker Sets, Pencil Boards, and Transparent Plastic Folders. We have a good number of these available to ship immediately, along with Diamine Inkvent Calendars, 2026 Teal Edition!

Diamine Inkvent

Lochby Cases

Lochby Notebooks

Lamy

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. Patreon supporters also have access to the first two episodes of a new podcast experiment I’ve been working on with Lisa Vanness of Vanness Pens. More on this later, but for the time being the initial episodes are Patreon-exclusive.

Sunday Reading for October 12, 2025

1. 2025 Commonwealth Pen Show Notes (via Line Variation). A nice writeup on one of the many regional pen shows around the country. While a smaller show, Commonwealth had three nib workers and a mix of Modern and vintage.

2. Two Day London Pen Show This Weekend (via Dapprman). The London Autumn Pen Show moved to two days this fall! While it may be over by the time you get this due to time change, if you’re in the area remember to stop by to support your local shows, especially if they are trying to expand.

3. A Visit to Retro 51 (via Pen Addict - Kimberly). What’s the Dallas Pen Show without a post-show visit to Retro 51 HQ?

4. Papa J Studio (via Figboot on Pens). A fun video about a relatively new (to me) maker with some unique resins, including floral-infused patterns.

5. Little Rock Hotel Stream: Looking at My Latest Vanness Order and Some New To Me Typewriters (via dwrdnet). Now that’s a road trip!

6. Most Boring Pen I’ve Used - NEW Muji Pocket Fountain Pen (via Doodlebud). But isn’t boring good sometimes? It is to me.

7. Ink Review: Callifolio Orange Inks (via Mountain of Ink). Another excellent ink brand that tends to get lost among the dozens out there these days. Callifolio inks shade very nicely and work well in most pens.

8. Wonderland 222 Tomoe River Tomoegawa B6 (& Giveaway). Apparently some of their planners still use “old school” Tomoe River Paper, if you’ve been looking….

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In Case You Missed It….

This week on the blog I previewed our new shop/showroom build-out, which is located at the front of our current location and should streamline things for in-person visitors, including making the entrance easier to find. I am moving over inventory this week and should be on track to open in the new location this coming weekend! I also did an especially relevant “Ask TGS” post concerning the Pilot “Soft” nibs featured in the new Custom 74 Lavender Fog, after I received a couple of concerning customer question and online inquiries about whether these should be considered flex nibs. (They’re not.)

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We’ve restocked on Penco Pens and Hightide Desk Accessories, including these slim D1 Multi-Pens here.

New Arrivals in the T.G.S. Curated Shop

This was a busy week, as the pre-holiday shipments started rolling in! We have very few remaining Colorverse Colorvent Calendars, and only a handful of Custom 74 Lavender Fog pens from our initial shipment, so if you’ve had your eye on one of these please don't wait. We also have the new Pilot Prera fountain pens, and we’ve further expanded our written correspondence shop with the addition of Original Crown Mill stationery from Belgium. This excellent laid writing paper can be used for standard writing as well, but it rose to fame as a fountain pen-friendly correspondence paper that’s still relatively reasonable price-wise. Be sure to check out each week’s Thursday Drops post for a full list of new arrivals!

Original Crown Mill

Pilot Iroshizuku

Penco

Pilot Pens

Nashville Event on October 17-18: T.G.S. Event with Vanness Pens and Newton Pens!

The big news is that we will be having an in-store event on Friday and Saturday, October 17th and 18th, with pen maker Shawn Newton and Lisa Vanness of Vanness Pens, who will be bringing many different items we don’t regularly stock! Be sure to stop by if you are in the area as this will be sure to be a fun weekend. We’ll also have some in-store specials such as stamps and stickers so bring your notebooks. If everything goes to plan we will also open up the new TGS retail space, which will be on the front of the building!

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. Patreon supporters also have access to the first two episodes of a new podcast experiment I’ve been working on with Lisa Vanness of Vanness Pens. More on this later, but for the time being the initial episodes are Patreon-exclusive.

Sunday Reading for October 5, 2025

1. QWERTYbound Safari (via Writing Ball). Did you know there’s a typewriter show, in addition to the pen show circuit? Typewriters are also apparently easier to source in antique stores than reasonably priced vintage fountain pens.

2. 2025 Dallas Pen Show Recap (via Pen Addict - Kimberly). Be sure you read all the way to the end for the pics of the Texas State Fair.

3. Recap of MIPS2025 (via Inkredible Colours). A great recap of the inaugural Malaysian International Pen Show!

4. Checking Out a Blind Box from The Gentleman Stationer (via Inkdependence). I do these blind boxes for my Patreon members, and occasionally if I have extras they will go live. I may look to expand them in the future but it’s a big endeavor for a small operation like ours.

5. #12PenPersonQuestions (via Line Variation). Congrats to Lisa at Olive Octopus for coming up with this wildly successful trend. I enjoy reading all of these entries and learning more about our community.

6. Rupert Answers the #12PenPersonQuestions List (via Fountain Pen Blog). Another set of thoughtful answers!

7. Weirdoforest Travels 2025 (via Weirdoforest Pens). Great travel photos and a great collection of travel sketches with ink!

8. The New Paper Republic Le Trifold Leather Journal (via Inky.Rocks). Paper Republic seems to be all over the place these days! I’ve heard mixed reviews on their paper but the trifold design is interesting.

9. My Travel Writing System (via SBRE Brown). I love hearing about what people take with them on their travels, and coming up with some new techniques because I find myself forgetting to write much when traveling.

10. Uniball Jetstream Prime 3 Color Lite Touch Ballpoint Multi Pen Review (via Pen Addict). I’m in agreement with Brad that this is one of the best multi pens for the money currently on the market. The Lite Touch refill is outstanding.

11. Underappreciated Ink Brands: Vinta Inks (via Well-Appointed Desk). Yes, be sure not to forget the solid standbys that sometimes get outshined by the constant stream of new arrivals!

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In Case You Missed It…

I had a bit of an inky theme this week! I reviewed the Pilot Iro-Utsushi Dip Pen, which is one of the best low-cost dip pen options on the market and it’s not even close, IMHO. It’s somewhat rare to find dip pens that use fountain pen nibs, though more brands are releasing them given the popularity of ink sampling and doodling. I also answered a new “Ask TGS” question related to ink safety, since this is something I was asked three or four times this weekend alone.

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This Week in the T.G.S. Curated Shop, and Save the Date for October 17-18th in Nashville!

We’ve had several new arrivals in the shop, including the Brass Wren from Tom’s Studio, which is a great accompaniment to the new Lumos finishes, as well as the latest Lamy Studio “Orion” release in a gorgeous matte burgundy. We also have the TWSBI ECO Carrara + Onyx, additional stock of the Lamy AL-Star in Dark Dusk, Lochby Voyager A5 Slim Notebook Cover, and more! Be sure to check out each weeks Thursday Drops post for all of the new releases and arrivals.

TWSBI

Lamy

Laconic

Correspondence

The big news is that we will be having an in-store event on Friday and Saturday, October 17th and 18th, with pen maker Shawn Newton and Lisa Vanness of Vanness Pens, who will be bringing many different items we don’t regularly stock! Be sure to stop by if you are in the area as this will be sure to be a fun weekend. We’ll also have some in-store specials such as stamps and stickers so bring your notebooks. If everything goes to plan we will also open up the new TGS retail space, which will be on the front of the building!

Thank You For Supporting TGS - Consider our patreon!

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. Patreon supporters also have access to the first two episodes of a new podcast experiment I’ve been working on with Lisa Vanness of Vanness Pens. More on this later, but for the time being the initial episodes are Patreon-exclusive.

Sunday Reading for September 28, 2025

1. Ink Swatching Tools Update (via Olive Octopus). Lisa walks through her latest ink swatching tools setup, which tends to be more involved than the process I recently discussed since she does much more with inks to explore their various properties.

2. Totally Should’ve Tag - Stationery Edition (via Rachel’s Reflections). Ok, this isn’t a trend I was aware of but I think I can get on board with it. I have my own thoughts on a few of these.

3. Challenge Results: How Did My Starter Pens Week Go? (via Well-Appointed Desk). Ana took Derek’s challenge to only use inexpensive “starter” pens for a week! Follow along to see how she fared.

4. What’s the Difference? Gravitas Monster vs Other Vac Fillers (via Doodlebud). A nice video review of a pen that’s received a lot of publicity lately. I enjoy bead-blasted texture on aluminum.

5. Why Am I Doing This? Why Not? (via From the Pen Cup). Mary always manages to uncover these fun stationery experiments. Here, the junk mail collage.

6. Buc-ee’s Stationery Hunt: What Surprises Await? (via dwrdnet). I never would have thought to hunt stationery at Buc-ee’s. I want that logo pen.

7. Meet Your Maker: Dennis Humm, Denn’s Pens (via Pen Addict - Caroline). I still keep finding new reasons to attend the London Pen Show. Some of these designs are super unique.

8. Stilo & Stile + Leonardo Poliedrica Desiderio (via Figboot on Pens). An interesting new design from Leonardo in a limited edition finish. Facets on a Leonardo pen?

9. Kaweco AL Sport Piston Filler Fountain Pen Review (via Pen Addict). I love discovering fellow fans of the Kaweco piston fillers. I think these are a great evolution of the Sport line to give people more choice over format.

10. M805 Metal Sleeve Special Edition Fountain Pen (via Pelikan’s Perch). A somewhat unique new design for Pelikan - not necessarily my style but props for trying something different.

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In Case You Missed It…

This week on the blog I did a “State of T.G.S.” post, talking about a handful of things I’ve learned in my first year as a brick-and-mortar shop owner. There are also a few announcements about upcoming events at T.G.S., discussed further below. I also spent a fair bit of time with ink yesterday, building out some of our swatch books in-store, and thought it might be fun to talk about the different tools and techniques I use to create ink swatches not only for T.G.S. use but to organize my personal collection.

I’ve also posted a few new videos to the T.G.S. YouTube Channel this week! The first was a quick video tutorial I filmed on setting up the Tom’s Studio Wren Fineliner, when I was filling the Wren tester pens for the shop. The second was a quick video flip through of my ink swatch notebooks.

Ok, I’m definitely keeping one of these. No questions asked.

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

The biggest new arrival from this week was the TWSBI ECO Carrara + Onyx, which is now available. We also have a fresh shipment of Tom’s Studio Lumos and Wren fineliners, as well as the excellent Tom’s Studio pigmented black ink which is back in stock and available. We also have the latest Blackwing Volumes (Keith Haring!) and more of the excellent one-step long-point sharpeners. We finally received a fresh shipment of Midori MD Cotton A5 and A4 pads, which I’m happy to report are now fully stocked since we were running dangerously low for a while there. And for those of you “Strategist” readers still scouring the internet for Anterique pens, we have plenty of them, despite your best efforts to clean us out!

We will be open this coming week for normal hours: 1-6pm Thursday and Friday, and from 10am-6pm Saturday. Please do keep checking back on the main store page for updated hours and special announcements.

Laconic Tokyo

Yamamoto / Ro-Biki

Belle & Union

Blackwing

Upcoming Events and New Brick-and-Mortar Store Announcements

So what have I been doing in my spare time? Building out a new section of the T.G.S. store on the front of our current location, where we will have a dedicated showroom/shop section! The space we currently occupy will continue to serve as our office and warehouse, as well as additional space for special events, classes, and workshops as we finish the transition. Our initial event, which will utilize the new space assuming everything stays on schedule, will be a trunk show/shop takeover the weekend of October 17-October 19, featuring Shawn Newton of Newton Pens and Lisa Vanness of Vanness Pens. Additional details and an exact schedule to follow.

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. Patreon supporters also have access to the first two episodes of a new podcast experiment I’ve been working on with Lisa Vanness of Vanness Pens. More on this later, but for the time being the initial episodes are Patreon-exclusive.

Sunday Reading for September 21, 2025

1. Ask Me Anything About Fountain Pens or Stationery - Live Q&A (via dwrdnet). Derek held an AMA that ran for well over an hour!

2. 12 Pen Person Questions (via Rachel’s Reflections). Rachel answers the #12penpersonquestions challenge. I get the feeling that I’ll be posting more of these over the coming weeks.

3. #12PenPersonQuestions (via Pen Addict). Brad also goes through all 12 questions!

4. Laura Answers the #12PenPersonQuestions List (via Well-Appointed Desk). These are super-interesting to me. Working on my own responses!

5. GOLD is Gone! What’s Happening to the Pilot Vanishing Point (via Doodlebud). While we haven’t heard anything directly from Pilot USA - or at least I haven’t - some of the Japanese versions of the VP are being discontinued. Stay tuned, but the VP is not going away entirely despite internet speculation.

6. Video-Review: Lamy Safari (Ballpoint) (via Scrively). I personally love the Lamy Safari ballpoint, from the click mechanism to the refill, though if you’re not a fan of the M16 you can always sub in the Jetstream M17.

7. Yamamoto Bullet Jotter Notebook Review (via Pen Addict - Kimberly). We do still have some stock of the Yamamoto Bullet Jotters, but we’re running low on the refills which we do plan to restock. Each Jotter comes with one pad of Slight White and one pad of Soliste.

8. I Had to Learn to Not Finish Notebooks (via Stationery Pizza). Do you always finish notebooks, throw them out if they’re not working, or save them?

9. Visit to Evergreen Stationery (Great World Outlet) in Singapore (via Inkredible Colours). I love “standard” stationery stores like this one, especially when they have the old school office products like bells.

10. 2025 Colorado Pen Show and Other Upcoming Education Opportunities (via Fountain Pen Love). The Colorado Pen Show is next month, and while we’re at it, the Dallas Pen Show is next week! Both are great regional shows.

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In Case You Missed It….

I’ve continued paper week, building on the update to the “Hierarchies of Fountain Pen Friendly Paper” with a post about my personal favorite papers that I like to use in my own writing life, as well as a post discussing 5 boutique brands that I’ve been experimenting with, and which I’m keeping an eye on to monitor paper consistency over time, though so far so good.

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Did I mention we are expanding into some additional space in our same location? Stay tuned.

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

Be sure to check out the latest arrivals from Tom’s Studio: The Lumos Pro Duo “Splash” series that comes in three 1980’s-inspired “Splatter” finishes, as well as a line of Titanium Lumos pens that are not only lightweight and durable but have a grippy brushed finish. On the paper side, we continue to have new arrivals from Midori, including a restock of the Codex A5, as well as a large shipment of Cloth & Paper Travel-style planners, sticky notes, and document flags/index tabs.

Other new items include the Dux Adjustable Brass Pencil Sharpener, with three settings for different graphite hardnesses and point styles, as well as a restock of many favorite iLootPaperie washi tapes, pins, and more.

Come see us in-store! We will be open this week normal hours, from 1-6pm on Thursday and Friday and 10am-6pm on Saturday. The online store is operational 24-7.

Tom's Studio

Blackwing

Midori

Dux

Consider Further Supporting T.G.S.! [New UPdates]

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. This past week, paid Patreon supporters gained access to a new podcast experiment I’ve been working on with Lisa Vanness of Vanness Pens. More on this later, but for the time being the initial episodes are Patreon-exclusive.

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.