Colorvent/Inkvent Recap: Days 11-20 Top Picks

December 24, 2025

So I got a bit behind on the Advent Calendars due to the holiday rush in the shop, but hopefully I’ll get caught up now that I have a couple days off! I do forget how much ink you end up accumulating with two calendars. (I can’t imagine keeping up with three or more like some people!) For today’s post I thought I would pick a handful that spoke to me and might make their way into the 3-4 inks from each calendar that I keep every year. If you missed the first two parts, check out my recaps of Days 1-5 and Days 6-10.

Day 16: Diamine Ruby Taffeta and Colorverse Polar Night

Diamine Ruby Taffeta and Colorverse Polar Night Day 16 — Taffeta is a dark red with a subtle gold shimmer, and Polar Night is a color-shifting ink that I’ll probably need to try out a bit more to see how dark it actually gets.

Day 19: Diamine Overcast and Colorverse Cosmic Reef

Day 20: Diamine Ambience and Colorverse Golden Airglow

Diamine Ambience and Colorverse Golden Airglow Day 20 — Two really nice shimmer inks. Is subtle shimmer growing on me? Golden Airglow was a favorite.

Takeaways So Far From This Year’s Calendars: Enough with the Green/Gold Super-Sheeners

Not only do they tend to smear, but they all end up looking the same to me whether the underlying color is blue, purple, green, etc. The handful of sheening inks included in this year’s Diamine Calendar were my least favorite, and from what I’ve heard from readers and customers it wasn’t an uncommon take. I am, however, interested in further exploring the Diamine pigment inks, though given how sticky some of them have been I will be careful with the pens I use.

Wonderland222 A5 Core (S) Planner Setup — The Wonderland222 A5 Core (S) might be the dated paper planner that actually meets my needs.

Finally, to everyone who has supported us through the holiday season, a huge thank you! We’re looking forward to a couple of days off and then we’re back at it, with the store open Friday and Saturday normal hours. (Yes, we will be closed Christmas Day.) In the meantime, I'm busy getting ready for 2026, including closing out my 2025 notebooks and setting up planners and notebook systems for 2026. Believe it or not, this is actually one of my favorite things to do during the last week of the holiday season. Be sure to check out my recent video walkthrough of my main 2026 Planner that I’m still in the process of setting up, and I’ll have more 2026 notebook content in the week ahead!

Diamine Inkvent Day 6 Fir and Fog Sample

Colorvent/Inkvent Recap: Days 6-10

December 13, 2025

Overall, this year’s ink Advent calendars seem to be a closer match than last year, with Diamine’s Inkvent Calendar and Colorverse’s “Colorvent” Calendar each containing an equal number of inks I could see myself actually using day-to-day. This second five-day stretch was a bit underwhelming for me, with a lot of lighter shading inks that don’t seem usable for my purposes and which I probably would have taken a pass on if they were introduced as part of the regular lineup. That said, Colorverse’s decision to include “Gleamix” (a shimmer additive) as one of the choices for the Colorvent calendar was fun. The way it works is that you add a small amount to a sample vial to make any ink a “shimmer ink”, which certainly makes some of the flat colors more visually interesting.

Check out my recap of Colorvent/Inkvent Days 1-5 here, if you missed it.

Day Six: Diamine Inkvent “Fir and Fog” and Colorverse Colorvent “Sungrazing Comet”

Colorverse Colorvent and Diamine Inkvent Day 6

Day Seven: Diamine Inkvent “Blush” and Colorverse Colorvent “LGM”

Colorverse Colorvent and Diamine Inkvent Day 7

Day Eight: Diamine Inkvent “Dream Catcher” and Colorverse Colorvent “Snow Angel”

Day Nine: Diamine Inkvent “Bittersweet” and Colorverse Colorvent “Morning frost on mars Gleamix”

Colorverse Colorvent Morning Frost on Mars Gleamix and Diamine Inkvent Bittersweet — Colorverse “Morning Frost on Mars” is not intended to be used as a stand-alone ink, but rather as an additive which is mixed with other inks to add shimmer and different color tones.

Day Ten: Diamine Inkvent “Nostalgia” and Colorverse Colorvent “Flame Nebula”

Diamine Inkvent Day 10 Nostalgia — Nostalgia is a color-shifting “Chameleon” ink and is up there with Fir & Fog on colors I might choose to stock as a regular offering.

The Gentleman Stationer is supported by purchases from the T.G.S. Curated Shop and pledges via the T.G.S. Patreon Program. You can also come visit us and see any products we sell directly at our physical stationery store in Nashville, Tennessee! Also, please visit our Holiday Gift Guide page if you would like guidance on stationery-related gifting, and we’re also happy to discuss in-person.

Pilot Prera Fountain Pens in Solid Colors

Thursday Drops: Pilot Custom 74 Lavender Fog, Pilot Preras, Colorvent Calendars and More!

October 9, 2025

Ok, so with the arrival of the 2025 Colorverse Colorvent Calendars, the holiday season has officially kicked off! If you’re looking to acquire a Colorvent Calendar for this year, please don’t sleep on these as we are already more than halfway sold through our allocation, and once these are gone there will be no more. And no, I have not opened mine yet - there will be no spoilers here until December 1!

Pilot Custom 74 Lavender Fog and Honey Yellow Pilot Prera — I decided to pick a SFM in the Lavender Fog, and a Medium Honey Yellow Prera!

We also received the first shipment of the U.S. exclusive Pilot Custom 74, “Lavender Fog.” I was especially excited for this pen because Pilot has chosen to release it in four relatively uncommon nib sizes: Soft Fine, Soft Medium, Soft Fine-Medium, and Double Broad. (As a huge FM fan, that’s what I picked.) In addition to the Custom 74, we’ve received the latest solid-color Pilot Preras, and have restocked on nearly all Pilot fountain pens and inks!

Our Nashville store is open this weekend from 1-6pm on Thursday and Friday, and from 10-6pm on Saturday. Note that we will be in our current location (Suite 113) before moving over to Suite 107 on the front of the building NEXT WEEK, just in time for our in-store event with Vanness Pens and Newton Pens. Hope to see you there!

Pilot Custom 74 Lavender Fog. This year’s U.S. exclusive release from Pilot features a gorgeous translucent lavender acrylic that to me appears to have almost grey undertones. The kicker is the nib selection here. Soft Fine-Medium for the win.
New Pilot Prera Fountain Pens. I’ve never been the biggest fan of the clear Prera, but once Pilot announced these vintage-y solid colors (Empress Teal, Honey Yellow, Porcelain White, and Cinnamon Brown), I jumped. The Prera is an excellent mid-range Pilot that should appeal to those looking for a midsized pen that is small enough to be portable yet posts long enough to write with for more extensive sessions.
Colorverse Colorvent. Whether you’re an Advent calendar fanatic or simply looking for a way to jumpstart your ink collection by experimenting with 25 different colors, the Colorverse Colorvent Calendar is an excellent solution!
Lamy Studio “Orion” Edition (Fountain Pens, Ballpoints, and Rollerballs). The latest Studio release from Lamy features a deep burgundy matte finish. I personally opted for the rollerball this time, and also went ahead and pulled a Royal Red Matte fountain pen because who knows how long those will last….
Pilot E95s Fountain Pens. We’ve restocked in all nib sizes of what I’d consider one of the best buys on the market for a gold-nib fountain pen. The burgundy and ivory color combination offers a unique look.
Pilot Explorer Fountain Pens and Rollerballs. Pilot’s Explorer line is undergoing a refresh, with some colors being phased out and possibly new colors substituting in. If you’ve been eyeing one of the existing colors, this may be the last shipment before they change over.
Hightide Sandglasses. One of our original items offered in the shop remains one of our top sellers! We have these hourglasses/sandglasses in different colors and time intervals.
Anecdote Hardcover Notebooks. I love the feel of the buckram covers of the Anecdote A5 notebooks, and these have a nice price point. Most colors are back in stock.
Lochby Field Journals and Field Folios. Available in multiple sizes and colors, the Lochby Field Journals (strap closure) and Field Folios (zipper closure) are cord-based journals that can hold up to 6 slim notebooks. The waxed-canvas exterior will patina nicely and makes an excellent alternative for those who don’t want leather.
Notsu Index Cards. These fountain pen friendly index cards are available in graph and dot grid layouts, productivity formats, and a large 5x7 foldable size. Notsu also makes a line of accessories to help you carry and organize your cards.

2025 Colorverse Colorvent Calendars are here!

October 7, 2025

Yes, it’s that time of year already! The 2025 Colorverse Colorvent Calendars have arrived, with 24 new inks ready for you to open starting December 1 (or immediately). Note that the colors pictured below are last year’s colors, and are solely to give you a sample look at what you can expect from this year’s calendar, which is a mystery…. No spoilers!

We also have the “Top 3” Inks from the 2024 Colorvent calendar that Colorverse chose to add to the permanent lineup. Two of them are “Glistening” (shimmer) inks while another is a sheener. All are available in full-sized bottles.

Don’t sleep on the Colorvent Calendars because retailers are given a limited allocation and once they’re gone, they’re gone. Colorvent Calendars are currently available for purchase online and any that remain will be made available in the brick-and-mortar store this week, Thursday and Friday 1-6pm and Saturday from 10-6pm.

Colorverse Colorvent 15ml Bottles — The Colorvent Calendars contain 24 individual 15ml bottles of new Colorverse inks. It’s almost like an instant ink collection!

Platinum Preppy Wa Modern Maki-e Fountain Pens, Season 3? — Which Preppy Wa Season are we on now? I think this might be Modern Maki-e, Season 3, but the fifth run of the Preppy Wa limited editions.

Friday Drops: New Platinum Preppy Wa Edo-Monogatami, Colorverse Colorvent Top 3, and More Viarco!

August 15, 2025

This week’s Drops post is a bit late, and it’s because I had to spend yesterday listing a bunch of new inventory as it arrived. New arrivals include the latest Platinum Preppy Wa “Modern Maki-e” series, dubbed “Edo-Monogatami” and themed around various aspects of life during Japan’s Edo period. (You may recall that the Taccia Ukiyo-e fountain pen inks reflect Edo period art, so consider whether these pens and inks might be a good match!)

Colorverse Top 3 2024 from the Colorvent, including Washi Tape

After a somewhat lengthy wait, we also have the much-anticipated Colorverse “Top 3” inks from the 2024 Colorvent Calendar, and the three colors chosen were Christmas Star, Pulsar Pulse, and Milky Way. You can purchase a set containing three 15ml bottles (one of each color) plus four complementary washi tapes, or you can purchase a standard 65ml bottle of individual colors. Finally, we have the new Lamy AL-Star pens and pencils highlighted in Tuesday’s post, as well as a full Viarco pencil restock.

Another reason why it’s been a bit quiet here recently - in addition to Pen Show travel - is that we are expanding our store! Next week we will be taking over a larger showroom to create dedicated viewing and shopping space (though we will still have our current location as our warehouse, office, and event space, and it will likely be some time before the new space is open.) Come see us this week on Thursday and Friday from 1-6pm, as well as Saturday from 10am-6pm, so you can see all of these and more in-person!

Platinum Preppy Wa “Modern Maki-e” Edo-Monogatami Special Editions. All of the most recent Platinum “Modern Maki-e” releases are now available, themed around life in Japan’s Edo period.
Colorverse Colorvent “Top 3” Ink Sets and Bottles. We knew it was coming, but Colorverse has finally released the Top 3 inks from the Colorvent Calendar, available either in a set of three 15ml ink bottles with matching washi tape, or as individual 65ml bottles.
Lamy AL-Star Dark Dusk and Mint Special Editions. The latest Lamy AL-Star pens and pencils have landed, in two new green and blue colorways.
Laurett’s Ebonite Ballpoint Pens and Mechanical Pencils. I picked up several of these Laurett’s machined ebonite ballpoints and mechanical pencils at the D.C. Pen Show after visiting the Laurett’s table. The combination of precision knurling and ebonite is unlike anything I’ve seen before.
Archer & Olive Traveler-sized Notebooks. These A5 Slim hardcover notebooks have proven popular so we are likely going to bring in additional sizes, as well as more of the Traveler’s-size notebooks.
Viarco Pencil Restock! We spent most of yesterday afternoon listing a half-dozen different varieties of Viarco pencils and accessories, including all of the standard office pencils in HB and B hardnesses as well as the vintage series. Oh, and…
Viarco Pencil Caps. Pencil caps are back! These simple metal spring-style pencil caps protect your long-point-sharpened wood pencils in transit. Available in the boxes of 8 or larger packs of 20.
Blackwing Volume 140 Pencils. We have some remaining stock of the latest Blackwing Volumes release, inspired by stainless steel cookware and the Maillard Reaction. These are very nice looking pencils, and there are also high-quality recipe cards to pair with the release.
Faber-Castell Perfect Pencil. The Perfect Pencil is back! We have the more reasonably priced version, which you won’t be afraid to carry and use as intended, as an everyday sharpener and pencil extender.
Faber-Castell Grip Trio Sharpener in New Colors. The Grip Trio pencil sharpener allows you to sharpen standard, jumbo, and colored pencils, and now comes in three new colors.