Introducing "On the Paper Trail," a New Podcast/Video Collaboration with Lisa Vanness of Vanness Pens!

I’ve been mentioning this in passing for a few months now, but since we’ve been trickling out some excerpts from this ongoing collaboration, it’s time to make a formal announcement! My friend Lisa Vanness of Vanness Pens and I are collaborating on a video series/podcast with the working title of “On the Paper Trail.” We both have a decade+ of experience in the stationery community and industry so we’re hopeful you’ll find what we have to say interesting and helpful. As we’ve been working through the technical side of things and getting used to recording, we’ve been releasing our “practice” episodes to the T.G.S. Patreon community, which has been a invaluable source of feedback and encouragement. Members can still access the full episodes via the Patreon feed. (There are four.) When the project officially launches it will have its own channel. Follow the T.G.S. and Vanness YouTube Channels for updates.

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Not a customer order, but representative of what we’ve been seeing.

Holiday Shipping PSA - If You Need Something by Mid-Month Get Your Orders In As Soon as Possible.

The content we’ve chosen to share so far relates to holiday shipping timelines, since that’s a topic of concern given questions we’ve both been receiving through our respective businesses. Now is the time of year that we start to see shipping delays, missed package scans, and lost items. While both T.G.S. and Vanness ship quickly (within 2 business days if not sooner), increased order volume not only impacts our fulfillment but results in a general slowdown across carriers. The TLDR version is: get your orders in soon, especially if you need something by Christmas or New Year’s. Once we hit December 15, it’s probably going to be better to shop in person for last-minute gifts, as we cannot guarantee any delivery times given general unreliability of carrier estimates.

If you enjoy our content, please consider supporting us through the T.G.S. Curated Shop or by visiting our Patreon, which features extra content and more hangout opportunities. And, of course, you can also come visit us in person at our Nashville Shop!

New on T.G.S. YouTube: Setting Up the Tom's Studio Wren Fineliner Pen

As I was setting up the new Tom’s Studio Wren display/testing station in the shop this past weekend, I filmed the process, including how to fill the pens, and talked a bit about what inks work best in fineliners like the Wren and the Tom’s Studio Lumos. If you’re not subscribed to the T.G.S. YouTube Channel, please consider checking it out, as I’m doing more video content on topics that better lend themselves to visual demonstrations. I hope you enjoy!

The Gentleman Stationer is supported by purchases from the T.G.S. Curated Shop and pledges via the T.G.S. Patreon Program. If you enjoy our content, please consider supporting us directly. Many thanks!

Plotter Walkthrough: How I Use My Plotter Binders (Video)

This one’s been a long-time coming. Readers have been asking me for more notetaking and organizational “technique” content, which I’ve discovered is pretty hard to do here on the blog. It’s much easier to show people how I use various notebook systems, and in-store customers have remarked that my store demonstrations and explanations would make compelling video content. I’ve previously done similar videos on Roterfaden and certain of the Lochby cases. Today I walk through three of my Plotter binders, including the Mini 5 (Pocket-size), Bible Size, and Standard A5. I’ve also written some about what Plotter is and how I use it, but in this video I actually flip through all of the notebooks and talk about the accessories and how they each fit into my workflow. I’ve also added Chapters so that you can jump to the specific notebook you want to hear about, but please do listen to the intro because it does provide a general overview of Plotter and the overall role it plays for me.

Note: We are not Plotter retailers, and have no affiliation with the brand other than that we enjoy using their products. I will note that many of the items we sell (including looseleaf papers and paper pads from Midori, Clairefontaine, Yamamoto Paper, Nakabayashi, and Iroful) can be trimmed and/or hole-punched to use in Plotter and other notebook systems, which is actually how I personally use much of the paper I consume.

We are supported entirely by purchases from the T.G.S. Curated Shop and pledges via the T.G.S. Patreon Program. Our brick and mortar shop will be open Thursday and Saturday this week, and this Friday by appointment. Typically we have regular Friday hours, but I need to finish upgrading some displays and plan to take the afternoon to do that work. Come see us on Saturday and check out the new look!

A New Episode of "Currently Inked" Is Live! Hands-on with our Hinze Pen and "Summer Sangria" Ink!

For your Friday night enjoyment, a new episode of “Currently Inked” is live over on the YouTube Channel, where we take a hands-on look at our Hinze Pen Collaboration and “Summer Sangria” Ink! Happy Weekend!

Catch Up on "Currently Inked," Our Series of Short Youtube Videos!

While The Gentleman Stationer features primarily written content, I have made an effort to update our Youtube Channel over the past month, reorganizing and refreshing some legacy content, posting some new shorts, and releasing a series of videos most Mondays titled “Currently Inked,” in which I look at a new shop arrival or a pen/ink/notebook I’m currently using. The latest entry is a video companion to last week’s post on hacking Caran d’Ache refills, which demonstrates the three hacks I talked about on the blog.

Certain items lend themselves better to video demonstration than others, and Youtube content will hopefully be complementary to what you find here on the blog. If you’re on Youtube and find our content helpful, please consider subscribing, as it helps us grow and increase our reach across all channels!

Want to See a Specific Video? Let Me Know!

Many of you have been kind enough to send in suggestions of specific demonstrations and comparisons that you’d like to see in a video. I love this kind of input, so please keep it up, either through the “Contact Me” link, the comments, or a DM. I receive a lot of e-mail, so it sometimes takes me a bit to respond, but I do read (and greatly appreciate) all of your comments and correspondence.

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