Japan Trip Journal: A Visit to Kakimori, Including Custom Notebooks and the InkStand!

I’ve been waiting to post about one highlight of my trip to Tokyo: our visit to the Kakimori store, which included making our own custom notebooks and mixing a custom Kakimori ink at the “Inkstand” ink bar. While most people in the United States know Kakimori for their signature conical metal dip nibs, they actually offer a wide range of products, including an extensive paper and ink selection, high-end office supplies under the “Object Index” line, and a curated selection of products outside of their own brand.

View fullsize

All of the covers and papers in the sorter - the first step in the custom notebook process.

The Kakimori Custom Notebook Experience

Kakimori offers customers the ability to build their own spiral notebook, choosing from a diverse selection of covers, bindings, papers, and closures. While you can customize your notebook online via the Kakimori website, the experience is best enjoyed in-store, where you can make an appointment and hand-select everything in person.

View fullsize

You can choose up to four packs of paper per notebook, an add dividers if you wish.

Kakimori notebooks come in two sizes: B5 and B6, with a spiral binding. I built one in each size, mainly because I couldn’t narrow my cover choices and wanted a leather cover and a fabric cover. Paper was a bit easier, because the choices are somewhat more limited (OK Fools, Neue Grey, Bank Paper, and Conqueror Laid) and you can select up to four papers per notebook. Once you’ve selected your cover and paper, you can add things like bindings, elastics, snap closures, and dividers.

View fullsize

If you’re unsure, you can test each of the papers on offer!

The total cost for the two notebooks came to around $68. While not inexpensive, you’re paying for the experience as well as the physical product, and if you visit the Kakimori store again they will even refill the cover with fresh pages! So if, like me, you opted for the leather cover you can continue to enjoy it as it ages. (Note to self: plan to go back for a notebook refill.)

View fullsize

I chose two notebooks: a B5 with burgundy leather and black trim, and a lighter canvas B6.

View fullsize

I love Neue Gray paper (right). For both notebooks I chose a combination of this one, OK Fools, and Conqueror Laid. All of the papers on offer are fountain pen friendly.

The Kakimori Inkstand Experience: Mixing a Custom Kakimori Ink

While I love notebooks, I might have had more fun mixing my own custom Kakimori ink at the Kakimori “Inkstand.” Available by appointment only, the “Inkstand” experience gives you an hour to mix your own Kakimori ink from the 14 available colors in the Inkstand line of pigment inks. You will have a 15-minute orientation, followed by 45 minutes to mix and test inks to achieve your desired color. My goal was a dark green, and I spent most of the time experimenting with various combinations of yellow, black, and cactus green. I ended up very close to what I originally had in my head! Note that Kakimori inks are pigment inks, which require that you clean your fountain pen a bit more frequently to avoid clogging, since they are formulated from particles of pigment suspended in dye. The upside is the permanence and vibrant colors, as well as the ability to mix colors among others in the same line.

View fullsize

I made a mess very quickly. Not pictured: me spilling a bottle.

View fullsize

A close up of my various experiments!

View fullsize

And, the final result!

Takeaways and Where to Find Kakimori in the U.S.

If you’re ever in Tokyo, I highly recommend a visit to Kakimori because it was easily one of the highlights of my trip. Even if you don’t want to mix your own ink or create your own notebook, they have an extensive lineup of standard products. We have worked with Kakimori for years and regularly stock their dip nibs, fountain pens, pigment inks, and the “Object Index” line. It can sometimes take a while to get Kakimori products into the store since they need to be imported - and most are small-batch and made in small quantities - but we intend to continue carrying them for the foreseeable future!

View fullsize

While I didn’t end up using shimmer, I did mix a bit of Kakimori’s “Pearlescent” additive to see what my color would look like. I dropped a bit too much in. :)

In addition to our physical store, the Gentleman Stationer is supported by online purchases from the T.G.S. Curated Shop and pledges via the T.G.S. Patreon Program. For more Japan store visits, haul posts, and just some general commentary and observations from a place I’ve never visited before, be sure to follow the TGS Instagram and YouTube accounts!

Nashville T.G.S. Special Event Recap, Day One, Plus Saturday Details

It’s taken me about a year to get here, but a primary reason I wanted to open a store was so that I could host events like the current weekend pop-up with Vanness Pens and Newton Pens! While we have moved the main T.G.S. Shop to Suite 107 on the front of the building, making it easier to find, Suite 113 (the “old” store) will be opened for special events like this weekend, and will also continue to serve as our office, warehouse, and fulfillment location. Come see us today (Saturday) from 10-6pm!

View fullsize

Sign work courtesy of Shawn Newton, Photo courtesy of Lisa @ Olive Octopus!

Friday turned out to be super busy! We kicked off the weekend with normal business hours, and everyone had fun shopping our normal offerings as well as Shawn’s custom pens and specialty inks, ink samples, rare pens, and accessories from Vanness. After the shop “officially” closed we had a special Middle Tennessee Fountain Pen Club event with food and space to spread out. As we get settled into the new store and organize our warehouse, I plan to add additional seating, table-space, couches, etc. so that it’s easier to plan and grow these types of events. If you’re in the Nashville area (or reasonably close by), be sure to join the Middle Tennessee Fountain Pen Club, which now has a website in addition to the Facebook Page, so you’ll receive the announcements.

View fullsize

Pre-opening setup with some of the stuff from Vanness, including Rickshaw, Galen Leather, Robert Oster Inks, Nagasawa Pens, and more! There is plenty of stock so if you missed Friday you have all day Saturday from 10-6pm to catch up.

For those coming by today, there will be a sign on the sidewalk outside directing everyone to where we’re set up. Many thanks to all of you who came out to support us in the new location, and to welcome everyone who to visit from out of town. I look forward to hosting more of these events in the future and further growing the pen community in the greater Nashville area!

View fullsize

Also: Diamine Inkvent Calendars Are Here In-Store!

The 2026 Diamine Inkvent Calendars arrived Thursday afternoon, and I was able to swing by to pick them up on our way in to Friday’s event prior to opening. They’re now available both in-store and online, but supply is somewhat limited so please be sure to grab yours while they’re available.

Our regular in-store hours are Thursday and Friday from 1-6pm, and Saturdays from 10am-6pm. Be sure to check our Google Profile or main store page for up-to-date hours and special event details.

My Personal Ranking of the 2024 Lamy Safaris and AL-Stars

This year, Lamy released not one, but two rounds of special edition Safari and AL-Star pens. Because 2024 marked my first full year as a Lamy retailer carrying all of the special editions (plus now with a dedicated space to have them all easily accessible for comparison), I thought it might be fun to take a look at all of the fountain pens together and discuss my favorites from what seems like an especially busy year for Lamy.

View fullsize

From left: Pink Cliff, Violet Blackberry, Piña Colada, and Cherry Blossom

Ranking My Favorite 2024 Lamy Safaris

The 2024 Lamy Safari releases kicked off with “Pink Cliff” and “Violet Blackberry” back in February. Featuring dark navy and violet barrels paired with pink and purple grip sections, these two pens marked something of a departure from the recent trend of more traditional releases. While I found the contrast refreshing, I’m sure it wasn’t for everyone. The more recent “Piña Colada” and “Cherry Blossom” hit stores in June, and once again featured two-toned pens but with a completely different look. I’d rank them as follows, in terms of personal preference:

1. Piña Colada. I love yellow pens, feel the color is drastically underutilized across the pen industry, and let it be known that I will buy any Safari with a yellow clip.

2. Pink Cliff. A blue-grey matte barrel offset with an eye-searing pink section? Somehow it works. The matte texture lifts this one over Violet Blackberry for me.

3. Violet Blackberry. Two different shades of purple makes for a great looking Safari, but if given the choice, I’m always going with matte texture over gloss.

4. Cherry Blossom. A really nice looking pink pen, and I definitely dig the red clip, but this shade of cherry blossom pink isn’t really my thing aesthetically. The new “Autumn Pink” AL-Star, on the other hand….

View fullsize

Four AL-Star fountain pens from left: Fiery, Aquatic, Autumn Pink, and Sage Green.

Ranking My Favorite 2024 Lamy AL-Stars

1. Sage Green. This one’s simply beautiful. I love the transparent green section and the tone of the barrel goes well with the black clip and nib. There’s not much more to say here other than this pen looks really good.

2. Aquatic. Same as above. While the fountain pen is shown here for demonstrative purposes, I’ve been using the .5mm Aquatic AL-Star mechanical pencil, as I’ve tried to explore different formats of popular models that I’d previously only used as fountain pens.

3. Autumn Pink. I have a thing for muted pastel shades, and while the Sage Green is definitely my favorite, Autumn Pink is a somewhat unique take on a color (pink) that’s hard to pull off. I expect both of these particular AL-Star pens to do well.

4. Fiery. What? This is T.G.S. and the red pen with the black clip comes in last place? First of all, it’s really not last place since this was a darn good batch of AL-Stars. For me it comes down to the red being slightly too pink for my personal preference, and the muted pink of “Autumn Pink” being slightly more interesting to look at. But again, these are all great looking pens.

View fullsize

The two winners, at least for me.

So What Are My Personal 2024 Favorites overall?

If I had to pick two pens from the 2024 releases, I would choose the Piña Colada Safari and the Sage Green AL-Star. I definitely felt a bit of a disconnect between the Pink Cliff/Violet Blackberry and Piña Colada/Cherry Blossom Safari releases - there really wasn’t a consistent theme other than all four pens feature contrasting sections and barrels - but at the end of the day the yellow on the Piña Colada pushed it over the top. Sage Green takes first place out of the AL-Star releases, as I really love this color. (Tom’s Studio uses a similar “Sage” aluminum in both their fountain pens and the Lumos series.) I had a more difficult time choosing, however, as I enjoyed most of this year’s AL-Star colors.

View fullsize

Takeaways and Where to Buy

Every year I look forward to Lamy’s announcement of their special editions, and while I’m probably on “Team Safari” in terms of which pen shape/model I prefer to use on a regular basis, it’s close, and this time the AL-Star won the design battle. After years of different blue tones and very light neutral colors, Lamy built on the success of Lilac and Petrol and took the AL-Star in a different direction with brighter shades that work well in brushed aluminum. The matching clear sections and black trim look sharp, and I’ll likely choose one of each color to keep in a different format (i.e., a Sage Green fountain pen, Aquatic mechanical pencil, Fiery rollerball, and Autumn Pink ballpoint). Viewing the Fiery and Aquatic releases alongside Sage and Autumn Pink also makes me consider them differently, as I personally think they look better as part of a four-pen set than as a somewhat staid red/blue release.

View fullsize

View fullsize

We have all of the Lamy Safaris and AL-Star’s in stock at our shop, along with curated selections from Lamy’s regular lineup. I was also pleased to see that Lamy decided to release a mechanical pencil in both the Sage Green and Autumn Pink this time around. You can check them out online or in person, as our physical store will be open this weekend!

The Gentleman Stationer is supported by purchases from the T.G.S. Curated Shop and pledges from the T.G.S. Patreon Program.

A Mid-Summer Update from T.G.S.: Lots of Changes on the Horizon, Including a Brick-and-Mortar Shopping Option Plus Pen Shows!

Those of you who are Patreon members or who subscribe to the shop newsletter may already be aware of some of these announcements, but I figured it was time to update the general readership since we are now very close to our move date! For the past year, I’ve been searching for a physical location for T.G.S., and given rising commercial real estate costs in the greater Nashville, Tennessee area, it hasn’t been easy to find suitable space that’s also reasonably priced. As it turns out, we have a lease on a location, and will be taking possession towards the end of July.

This is an extremely exciting new development for us (me and my family, who collectively run T.G.S.), and will allow us to expand both the T.G.S. Curated Shop as well as the range of pen-related content we can provide through our various media channels. Currently, I don’t have dedicated studio space for photography and video, which necessarily limits the quantity and quality of content that I can produce. The educational and informational content we offer here at T.G.S. will remain a core part of what we do, and a big part of this move is about expanding what we can offer the pen community in that regard.

View fullsize

I’ve been attending multiple retail trade shows over the past couple of years preparing to expand the various lines of stationery we can offer, as well as partnering with manufacturers and brands on additional exclusive collaborations.

Will There Be an In-Person Shopping Option in Nashville? Yes! But Not Immediately.

As soon as we are able to move over our warehouse and office/fulfillment operations, we will offer in-person order pickup from a fixed location in the Nashville area. Once we take possession, I will post the address and pickup instructions here on the site, but I can go ahead and let my local customers know that the new location is near Berry Hill and central to most of the greater Nashville Metropolitan area. In the coming months - hopefully prior to the holidays - we plan to have a small retail area set up within our space that will allow people to come and shop our various product lines in person. Store hours will be forthcoming.

View fullsize

D.C. Pen Show Details: Come See T.G.S. In Person!

Due to the impending move, which is currently scheduled to take place the week before the D.C. Pen Show, we will not have time to assemble a full table’s worth of inventory for either the D.C. or San Francisco Pen Shows in August. That said, we will be in attendance, teaming up with our friends at Vanness Pens to help staff the new Vanness Pen Lounge in D.C.! The Pen Lounge will be located in the downstairs conference area below the main ballroom (which at past shows had been used as the “maker’s area” before last year’s hotel remodel. Stay tuned for further details as we get closer to the main event, but this space will feature an area for attendees to socialize, ask questions from a rotating cast of volunteers, and attend mini-classes and workshops throughout the weekend.

In addition to helping staff the Lounge, I will be hosting a workshop on notebook systems, and will have a small selection of samples from brands including Roterfaden, Lochby, Traveler’s Company, Midori, Laconic, and more. While I can’t commit to bringing items for in-person purchase, since our ability to restock inventory may be limited by the move, I will try to have a small selection of T.G.S. products available for purchase at the Vanness tables. Please let me know if there is something you specifically want to see and I will try to make it happen!

The Gentleman Stationer is supported entirely by purchases from the T.G.S. Curated Shop and pledges via the T.G.S. Patreon Program.

Great Pen Stores: A Quick Trip to Anderson Pens Chicago and Atlas Stationers

I’m traveling on a short family trip to Chicago this weekend, and I did want to report back that, yes, I made time for a pen-related excursion to two excellent stationery stores, Anderson Pens Chicago and Atlas Stationers. Anderson Pens Chicago is the Chicago outpost of Appleton, Wisconsin-based Anderson Pens, run by longtime friends and pen enthusiasts Lisa and Brian Anderson. Pre-pandemic, I had been planning a trip to both the Chicago and Appleton stores, but the world changed and the Chicago location was forced to close due to their location in the Palmer House Hilton (which was also closed). I was happy to learn that the Chicago store is now reopened and Lisa was in for the day so I was able to stop by and visit for an hour or so! Anderson Pens carries the full line of Sailor pens and Sailor Ink Studio Inks (which I stocked up on), as well as a wide array of other brands.

View fullsize

Both Anderson Pens Chicago and Atlas Stationers feature a massive selection of fountain pen ink. Shown here is Atlas Stationers’ “ink aisle.”

Atlas Stationers is another longtime, family-owned Chicago stationery retailer (est. 1939!) that’s only recently become more involved in the fountain pen scene, including attending pen shows. I ducked in on Friday afternoon shortly before closing, so unfortunately I didn’t have a lot of time to look around, but I did manage to pick up some new inks from the Laban “Greek Mythology” line, as well as a sample set of the Ferris Wheel Press “Bookshoppe” Collection Ink Charger Set.

Next time you’re in Chicago - and certainly if you live in the area - you owe it to yourself to visit both of these stores. I’ll be making follow-up visits in the future, when I’ll have a chance to do more thorough photography and I don’t have the time constraints of a family trip. I love to support independent stationery retailers, and I have a section on the website where I archive past reviews and recaps of in-person visits to retailers.

This post does not contain paid advertisements or affiliate links. The Gentleman Stationer is supported by purchases from The T.G.S. Curated Shop and the T.G.S. Patreon Program.