New Arrivals: The Caran d'Ache "Black Code" Lineup Has Expanded!

For 2025, Caran d’Ache has expanded their line of “Black Code” products to include a new “Black Code” Fixpencil and an 849 “XL Ballpoint” - a more substantial version of the classic 849 ballpoint pen with similar dimensions to the ever-popular Caran d’Ache 849 Rollerball. These join the Black Code 849 Ballpoint and Black Code Mechanical Pencil in what Caran d’Ache is now referring to as the “Black Edition” collection.

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I’ve been anxiously hoping for a Black Code Fixpencil for quite some time.

The “Black Code” ballpoint has been a T.G.S. hallmark since we launched in 2020, and the entire collection features a matte black finish with a matte black clip and matching black knock. The standard Black Code Ballpoint and Black Code Mechanical Pencil have also been restocked.

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BONUS: We have a small stock of a much-anticipated Uni Jetstream refill available for purchase in the store. We’re not sure when/if we will be able to get more, but if the Jetstream M17 interests you, be sure to pick one up!

In-Person Store hours will be our standard operating hours this week! Please come by and say hello if you are in the area.

New Arrivals: A Fresh Washi Shipment (Including more "Grown-Up" Tape!), Fixpencils, and More

Last week we listed a fairly large restock of many favorite washi tapes from iLootPaperie, including everyone’s favorite adults-only version. Also new in the shop are a new reading-themed washi tape, book-inspired vinyl stickers, as well as classic enamel pins with multiple themes that include snail mail, reading, and science.

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We’ve also recently restocked on the classic matte-black Caran d’Ache Fixpencil, including a handful of the “Creative Nomad” sets developed by Caran d’Ache in connection with Swiss lettering artist Rylsee, which include a limited edition Fixpencil, a pack of 3B leads, an eraser, Fibralo and Fibralo Brush fibre-tipped pens and a code to access an online creative class taught by Rylsee himself. Fixpencils take a 2mm lead refill, which comes in a range of hardnesses and can be sharpened to a fantastic point with a dedicated lead pointer.

The Gentleman Stationer is an authorized Caran d’Ache retailer and carries a broad selection of Caran d’Ache pens, pencils, and inks.

New Arrivals: Caran d'Ache + Nespresso 6th Edition, Plus a Pencil Restock

New arrivals in the shop this week include the latest collaboration between Caran d’Ache and Nespresso: the 6th Edition 849 Ballpoint featuring recycled aluminum derived from the midnight blue Kazaar capsule. The Caran d’Ache + Nespresso collaborations were one of the very first special edition lines we chose to stock in the shop, so they have a special place in my rotation and I always look forward to these annual releases! This pen features a matte midnight blue barrel with matching monochromoatic knock and clip, and ships with a medium black “Goliath” refill.

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We generally carry all of the Caran d’Ache special releases and most of the standard line products, including the 4th Edition Nespresso Swiss Wood Pencils, the gradient-inspired “Blue Lagoon” 849 ballpoint and mechanical pencil set, a couple remaining Keith Haring 849s, and the Rylsee Special Edition Fixpencil Lettering Sets. This latest shipment also included a full restock on Caran d’Ache pencils, including the Swiss Wood series, eraser-tipped office pencils, and the red, blue or green Fixpencil 884!

The Gentleman Stationer is an authorized retailer of Caran d’Ache Products.

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The Swiss Wood pencil will always be an iconic favorite!

Curated Shop Updates: Keith Haring from Caran d'Ache, plus the Rylsee "Creative Nomad" Fixpencil Set

I love the fall, not least because it’s always time for another round of Caran d’Ache collaboration releases! This year’s offerings feature a line of products inspired by pop artist Keith Haring, as well as a special edition Fixpencil set developed in collaboration with the Swiss lettering artists Rylsee. The latter is a truly special release, as it includes not only the Rylsee signature Fixpencil but a set of 3B leads, eraser, plus a set of Fibralo brush and fibre-tipped pens along with access to an online lettering course!

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Shown here is the Caran d’Ache Keith Haring Colour Set, which includes 10 water soluble colored pencils plus a Fibralo brush pen. Use them with the Keith Haring A5 Colour Pad, featuring 20 different prints.

In addition to these limited quantity releases (more of which will be coming in the next few weeks), we’ve added to our selection of Caran d’Ache woodcase pencils (as well as our wide selection of pencils in general) and at customer request, expanded our line of Fixpencil replacement leads to include 12-packs. You can view the full selection of Caran d’Ache products, including all the new arrivals, here.

The Gentleman Stationer is an authorized retailer of all brands sold, including Caran d’Ache.

Tones Within Tones: Blue-Black Inks of Choice

We’re running a sale this weekend in the shop for Father’s Day - through 11:59pm on Sunday, June 18, take 10% off paper and desk accessories using the coupon code “DAD10” at checkout!

A while back I did an "inks of choice" post in which, for the first time, I discussed my favorite inks by broad color category. This wasn't easy, as many of the colors I love and use on a regular basis aren't easy to categorize. Is it a blue? A blue-black? A dusky purple? Is this a yellow or an orange? A red or a brown? Is burgundy it's own color family? (You get the idea.)

Lately I've been involved in a project at my job that has required me to do more writing than I've done in a long time, given my mostly supervisory responsibilities at this point in my career. This has resulted in (1) a lot of different pens getting written dry; and (2) lots of different pens getting inked up, mainly with unassuming blue-black inks chosen for both performance and the fact that they're less distracting than other brighter options. Whenever I get caught up in a project like this one, and find myself looking at multiple inks in the same color family, I end up struck by how much variation there is among supposedly "identical" inks and ultimately realize that it's a key part of why I have so much fun with this hobby. Here, you have six inks that vary pretty wildly, even within brands. At the same time, it’s fun to see the commonalities that certain brands have, like that Pilot red sheen!

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My standard ink testing paper is Midori MD Cotton. It accurately reflects color despite being slightly off-white, and showcases ink properties such as sheen and shading fairly well.

Five Inks of Choice (Blue-Black)

Iroshizuku Tsuki-Yo. Tsuki-Yo won the "Blue-Black" slot in the "Favorite Inks" post, and as I mentioned in that post, the main reason I love Tsuki-Yo so much is because it's not your traditional blue-black ink. Typically translated as "Moonlight", this ink features a navy undertone with reddish sheen - an office-friendly ink with just enough subtlety to make it interesting for fountain pen aficionados.

Iroshizuku Shin-Kai. Shin-Kai is what I would call the "true" blue-black in the Iroshizuku lineup. Typically translated as "Deep Sea," Shin-Kai somewhat resembles standard Pilot Blue-Black, but dries to an almost steel grey with blue undertones and, again, red sheen.

Pilot Blue-Black. Whenever I get a new Vanishing Point or other Pilot cartridge-converter pen, often the first ink to run through that pen is a standard Pilot Blue-Black ink cartridge. This particular ink has a degree of water-resistance, which is one reason why so many people enjoy it. What surprises me the most with this ink is the degree of red sheen this ink exhibits, which is even more pronounced than its Iroshizuku counterparts.

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I forget how much red sheen Pilot inks exhibit, until I swatch them next to other brands. The standard Pilot Blue-Black is kind of crazy, though the sheen only really comes out

Caran d'Ache Magnetic Blue. The "Grey-Blue-Black" of this group, albeit with purple (?) undertones when wet, Caran d'Ache Magnetic Blue is the most "traditional" blue-black ink of this group. It exhibits some shading but no sheen.

Platinum Blue-Black. Another standard Japanese blue-black ink that I use primarily in cartridge form, Platinum Blue-Black is more blue than other options, and also shows a good degree of water resistance.

Sailor Nano Souboku. Sailor makes a line of "nano" pigmented inks that are permanent, yet still "safe" for use in fountain pens. I've reviewed Kiwa-Guro (the "Nano-Black") in the past, but I've had this pack of the blue-black Souboku cartridges for more than a year and figured that I needed to put them through the rotation. Souboku looks almost teal when wet, and dries to a lighter blue-black shade than the other inks shown here. I like the Sailor "Nano" pigmented inks because they are permanent and tend to perform well on even the cheapest of office papers.

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These three are the more “standard” blue-black inks that I’ve used.

Note: Why so many cartridges, you may ask? During my office reorganization/clean-out project from earlier this year, I came across more than a dozen boxes of cartridges, some of which had to be tossed because the ink had evaporated. Cartridges don't last forever, so if you have them, use them!

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

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Look Ma! No Bleed-through!