Thursday Drops: Green Diplomat Vipers, Big Notsu Cards, and More Fountain Pen Restocks

I returned from the San Francisco Pen show to a box of the newly released Green Guilloche Diplomat Viper, which we have in both fountain pen and rollerball formats! For those unfamiliar with this pen, the Diplomat Viper is a hooded-nib fountain pen that features a single nib width (fine/medium) which is perfect for my own everyday writing. While I chose the Blue fountain pen, all of these colors are great.

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We have additional stock of the TWSBI Diamond 580 ALR Affogato + Onyx, as well as newly arrived restocks of the Lamy 2000 in fountain pen, rollerball, ballpoint, and even mechanical pencil formats. Finally, Notsu is back with large-format index cards (per Tuesday’s post), and all of the Roterfadens we brought home San Francisco are back in inventory if you didn’t get to visit us at the pen show. Happy Shopping!

We are open this week from 1-6pm on Thursday and Friday, and from 10am-6pm on Saturday. Come see us in person at our Nashville location, and keep track of updated hours on this page here.

1. Diplomat Viper Fountain Pens and Rollerballs in Green. The latest Diplomat Viper release is here, in a much-anticipated green color. We also have a full restock of the other three colors.

2. TWSBI Diamond 580 ALR Affogato + Onyx Fountain Pen. A sleeper hit at this year’s San Francisco Pen Show, many people came by the tables just to see TWSBI’s latest. The Onyx Trim really sets off the dark brown anodization on this 580 ALR. The Caribbean Blue + Onyx is also stunning, and it’s also been a sleeper favorite.

3. Roterfaden Taschenbegleiters in A5 and B6. All of the Taschenbegleiters that we took to San Francisco and did not sell (as well as those that didn’t make the trip) are now back into inventory as of this morning.

4. Sunderland Machine Works MK1 Machined Rollerball. One of my favorite non-fountain pens, these machined rollerballs take a range of gel refills (G2, Energel, Sarasa) with minimal hacking, and will also accept the threaded Montblanc-style rollerball and fineliner refills. While our store custom edition is currently on hiatus, we carry the range of standard Sunderland finishes.

5. Pilot Custom 823 Fountain Pens. We’ve restocked on the Pilot Custom 823 Fountain Pen in Amber, Smoke, and Clear, and between the three finishes I believe we have most nib sizes available. The Custom 823 has long been one of our “workhorse” fountain pens for everyday writing, mainly because the vacuum-filling system uses a valve shut-off feature to allow you to travel without fear of leaks.

6. Lamy 2000 Ballpoints. The ballpoint version of Lamy’s flagship fountain pen is not only reasonably priced, but comfortable for longer writing sessions and now compatible with the M17 Jetstream refill, which we offer in either .5mm or .7mm tip sizes.

7. Lamy 2000 Blackwood and Taxus Ballpoints. Did you know that the Lamy 2000 comes in two polished wood finishes as well? These take the same range of refills as the standard pen, and have slightly more heft than the Makrolon.

8. Oversized Notsu Notecards. Notsu’s excellent ink-friendly notecards are now available in a larger 5x7 format, and we have also restocked on most other sizes and layouts.

9. Colorverse “Top 3” Fountain Pen Inks. Colorverse released the top 3 inks from last year’s Colorvent Advent Calendar, and we are now happy to offer them in 50ml bottles. The three colors that won the vote were Christmas Star (Glistening/Shimmer), Pulsar Pulse (Sheening), and Milky Way (Glistening/Shimmer).

10. Taccia Tsuchi Returns! Years ago, I had tried Taccia “Tsuchi”, a darker golden brown based on the color of wheat. Despite thinking this one had been discontinued, I found it and have added a few bottles.

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Both Onyx-trim TWSBI Diamond 580 ALR fountain pens in Affogato (top) and Caribbean Blue (bottom).

New Arrivals: More Index Card Formats from Notsu!

We have more Notsu! One of our favorite discoveries of 2025 has been the Notsu Index Card system, which features a series of desktop notecard sets that include the “Centre Rise” and “To Do” organizers. The rounded dot grid version of these ink-friendly index cards is now available in a larger 5x7 format, and the cards are creased to fold to a more portable 3.5x5 inch size. We have also added the 3x5 grid/graph index cards. Be sure to check out all of our Notsu offerings, including not just the cases but accessories like vegan leather card holders, as well as Notsu’s line of notebooks and writing pads. Notsu cards are incredibly ink friendly, and one of the best options for index cards that handle fountain pens well.

Come see these and more in person as we are open this week from 1pm-6pm Thursday and Friday, and from 10am-6pm on Saturday!

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Thursday Drops: Labor Day Weekend Arrivals from Roterfaden and TWSBI, Plus More Correspondence Cards!

It’s San Francisco Pen Show Week, and I’m super excited because the San Francisco Show is always one of my favorite annual events. I unfortunately had to miss last year’s festivities, but I’ll be set up in the Oak Room sharing table space with Vanness Pens and Galen Leather! Note that we don’t have a full show setup, just Roterfaden, including a handful of the TGS_25 A5 Slim Binders. Be sure to come by early on Friday if you’re looking to pick one up in person, but the easiest way to be sure that you get one is to order online. Over half of this shipment has sold within 24 hours of being made available for purchase, and while I expect it to slow down some, I can’t guarantee that anything will be available through the weekend. I’ve also brought a fairly large selection of Roterfaden A5 Taschenbegleiters with me, and I’ve split the stock so that most of these will remain available for online purchase as well as in-person in San Francisco.

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If you miss out on the stock available at the table in San Francisco, I will have my personal Roterfadens available for attendees to check out in person.

We also have the new TWSBI Diamond 580 ALR Affogato, which pairs a deep brown expresso finish with TWSBI’s Onyx Trim, as well as a restock of the Pilot Custom 823 fountain pen, Lamy Dark Dusk AL-Stars, and Well-Appointed Desk Letterpress notepads in new designs. Happy Shopping!

Please note that our Nashville Brick-and-Mortar Store is closed this weekend due to Pen Show Travels. Thanks to everyone who came by for special hours on Tuesday. We will reopen the week of 9/2 for normal hours, and online orders will continue to ship in the normal 2-3 business day time frame. Kindly remember that Monday is Labor Day, which is a business/postal holiday.

1. Roterfaden TGS_25 Special Edition Restock. The second round of our collaboration with Roterfaden has arrived and is now available for purchase! This A5 Slim Taschenbegleiter fits most Traveler’s Standard refills, as well as the Lochby Voyager notebooks that contain 68g Tomoe River.

2. Roterfaden Replacement Elastics. Many of you who are interested in the TGS_25 expressed interest in replacement elastic bands. These thinner bands will fit A5 and B6 Taschenbegleiters, and are sold in two color sets each containing three different cords.

3. TWSBI Diamond 580 ALR Affogato with Onyx Fountain Pen. The latest release from TWSBI’s “Breakfast Collection” has arrived, and this one is a stunner, pairing espresso-colored anodized trim with the black onyx plating.

4. Lamy Safari Multi Color Special Editions. The latest Lamy Special Edition release features an All-Black and All-White gloss Safari, paired with a multi colored finial and swappable bands that you can use to customize your pen. (I went with the All Black Safari and paired it with a Saffron/Orange band, which looks amazing.)

5. Pilot Custom 823 Fountain Pens. At long last, we received a restock of the Pilot Custom 823 in Amber and Smoke. Between the three available colors, we have most nib sizes available.

6. Lamy “Dark Dusk” and “Mint” AL-Star Fountain Pens. Our allocation of the Dark Dusk fountain pens sold out nearly immediately and I had to reorder. While the midnight blue Dark Dusk has been the most popular by far, the cool green “Mint” pen should also prove popular.

7. Uni Signo RT1 Gel Pens. The RT1 is Uni’s upgraded retractable gel pen that features its signature fine tips but with a soft textured barrel that’s comfortable to hold. Ink is vibrant and dries quickly.

8. Yamamoto Ro-Biki Canvas Cover in Mint. The Ro-Biki notebook system uses another “A5 slim” style refill that’s slightly narrower than standard Traveler’s/TN. We have the Ro-Biki canvas cover available in a new Mint Green. To see how this system works, check out this YouTube video where I do a walkthrough demonstration.

9. Well-Appointed Desk Memo Pads. These letterpress memo pads from the Well-Appointed Desk/Skylab Letterpress now come in additional designs, including the popular “Side Quests” and all T-Rex/Velociraptor motifs.

10. Well-Appointed Desk and Skylab Letterpress Greeting Cards. As noted above, we continue to build out our correspondence and greeting card offerings in their own shop page. These vintage-inspired greeting cards are available individually or as an assorted pack of four, with one of each design.

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On the Way to San Francisco: Guess What Showed Up on the Way Out?

They’re back, and a day earlier than expected! We have a fresh restock of the TGS_25 Roterfaden, in the A5 Slim/TN size, ready to head out the door. Thanks to everyone who has pre-ordered one of these covers via Patreon - we have plenty remaining from this shipment and have made them available for purchase via the standard store page. Additional Roterfaden Taschenbegleiter sizes are also available.

While I am working to get as many of these shipped and out the door to you today before we leave for the San Francisco Pen Show this afternoon, online orders for the TGS_25 may ship next week. We will have a handful of these available at the show (we will be combined with Vanness Pens at their table in the Oak Room), but given the crowd expected at the San Francisco Pen Show the best way to reserve one is to order online. Stock will NOT be held by request. Many thanks for all your support, and if you will be at the San Francisco show, come say hello!

Note that our brick and mortar store is closed this weekend (Thursday 8/27-Saturday 8/29) while we travel. We will reopen the week of September 1. Please check the main store page or our Google listing for current hours.

New Arrivals: The New TWSBI Diamond 580 AL Affogato with Onyx Trim, Now Available for Pre-Order!

TWSBI’s latest entry in the “breakfast collection” introduces the Diamond 580 ALR “Affogato” fountain pen, featuring TWSBI’s black onyx trim. The coffee inspired breakfast pens have proven popular, and this larger pen features the same black trim as the 580 ALR “Caribbean with Onyx” model. For those who prefer the TWSBI ECO, we are restocked on the other pens in this line, including the ECO Espresso Bronze, Caffé Bronze, Crème Rose Gold, and Matcha Green.

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On a slightly different note, we continue to expand our selection of high-end (yet “everyday”) gel pens and mechanical pencils, which now include the Uni Signo RT1 as well as the Kokuyo Enpitsu Sharp series. The Enpitsu Sharp pencils are particularly interesting because they come in lead sizes ranging from .3mm all the way up to 1.3mm!

Note that we have special hours this week since we are traveling to the San Francisco Pen Show. Our brick-and-mortar store will be closed this weekend (Thursday - Sunday), but online orders will continue to be processed/ship within our standard 3 business-day time frame. We are having special hours today (Tuesday 8/26) from 1-6pm, so get your shopping in if there’s anything you’d like to come see in person!