State of The Gentleman Stationer: One Year As a (Brick-and-Mortar) Shop Owner, Plus Upcoming Events!

The other day a customer asked how long we had been open, and it hit me that a YEAR had passed since the physical T.G.S. Shop opened its doors on Kenilwood Drive in Nashville. So how has it gone? Despite an “eventful” 12 months, I have zero regrets about making the decision to start a brick-and-mortar shop and grow The Gentleman Stationer further. It’s not only helped me to fulfill a lifelong goal of operating and running my own business, but has given me the opportunity to create a space in my hometown that I’ve always wanted to exist: a local shop exclusively focused on high-end stationery for actual writing. I figured today I should take a bit to reflect on all I’ve learned over the past year, and also share some exciting new developments and news on upcoming events!

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And to think this is where we were a year ago!

Five Things I’ve Learned from Running a Brick-and-Mortar Stationery Store

1. Your Local Pen Community Is Important. While it may seem as though all hobbies - even analog ones - are moving online these days, I can’t imagine doing this without my regular customers and pen club members who continue to show up every weekend like clockwork. Their patronage and enthusiasm not only supports the shop directly, but directly contributes to growing our local community as a whole. Having regulars hanging out and talking in the store spreads the word about things like pen club, pen shows, new products, and events, which not only translates to return business but a growing local pen community. Middle Tennessee Fountain Pen Club meetings and annual events such as the upcoming Pelikan Hub seemingly draw more attendees every year!

2. My Online Presence Is Equally Critical. Even for local businesses focused on local customers, having an online presence is crucial because even those who want to shop local use the internet to find their local stationery store. And while there will always be a few things I wish I had done differently, growing the retail business online before attempting a brick-and-mortar store is not one of them. Everyone advised me that it would take 6 months to a year for customers to really start to “find you,” and while the physical shop more than funds itself now, having the online business provided a safety net that helped me sleep at night during those first months.

3. Steady Growth Is Better Than “Going Viral.” I’ve intentionally focused on steady growth of the business at a pace that I find both sustainable and enjoyable to run. Yes, I could invest heavily in cultivating a presence on every social media network, attending multiple pen shows and out-of-town events per month while others ran the shop in my absence, and bringing in every trendy new pen or ink line that comes my way, but that’s not the kind of business I want to run. I enjoy being in the shop personally, and my business model is focused on heavy curation and offering those products that I understand and can recommend coherently. We’re expanding, but at a pace I’m comfortable with.

4. I Actually Enjoy Running Events. More on this below, but I really enjoy organizing and hosting gatherings. Every Saturday in the shop feels like a pen show! I’d like to expand the T.G.S. in-store experience to include things like brand takeovers, trunk shows, classes and workshops, and even analog-themed community events like pen club meetups, game nights, and/or book clubs. We are adding additional space and reorganizing our current location to make it easier for us to play host, so look for additional details and announcements in the coming month as we are getting closer to making this a reality.

5. I Need 36 Hours in the Day. For anyone who has ever worked for themselves, this is self-explanatory. Even at a “sustainable” pace, there’s always something else to do, and for me it poses somewhat of a risk to my mental health and stamina because when I’m really enjoying a project I want to work on it all the time. Finding more of a balance - and a true day off - is going to be a focus for the year ahead.

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For our initial event - and hopefully to kick off our new shop location - Shawn and Lisa are coming to visit! They’ve both been invaluable friends and colleagues over the past year, and I’m looking forward to hosting!

A Special Announcement for Next Month: Lisa Vanness and Shawn Newton In-Store October 17-October 19!

So what’s next? Now that the growth phase has slowed down a bit, as mentioned I want to start holding some in-store special events. First up is a weekend takeover featuring my friends Lisa Vanness of Vanness Pens and Shawn Newton of Newton Pens, who will be in-store the weekend of October 17 through October 19 so save the date if you plan to be in Nashville! Lisa will be bringing exclusive inks and other uncommon items from Japan (among other things), and Shawn will of course have his Newton Pens lineup. Please stay tuned for exact details, including possible special/expanded hours.

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Want to Hear More Stationery Talk and Behind-the-Scenes Stories? We’re Launching a Podcast!

Those of you in the T.G.S. Patreon likely already know about this, since you’ve had access to the first two “pre-episodes,” but Lisa Vanness and I are launching a podcast that will be released 1-2 times per month, focused not just on the retail side of stationery but on more in-depth discussion of the stationery we personally enjoy and how we use it. For now, the episodes are Patreon-exclusive but look for a public release sometime during the fourth quarter of 2025.

A special huge thank-you to all of you who have supported the Gentleman Stationer going back to 2014, and who have made all this possible, especially our Patreon Supporters who believe in us enough to provide monthly support via the T.G.S. Patreon Program. Support goes beyond the monetary contribution - simply knowing that there is a dedicated group of people who believe in you and show up every month makes this worthwhile.

Five Boutique Paper Brands I'm Watching Closely and Why

Major paper brands don’t change much over the years. The predictability of brands like Midori, Clairefontaine, Maruman, Kokuyo, and others are a big reason why they remain so popular. You know what to expect, and larger companies (usually) manufacture their own products, so they buy paper in large quantities and maintain a healthy supply on hand in case of disruption. For example, this is why Hobonichi was able to continue producing its planners using the “old” Tomoe River Paper for years after it was discontinued.

Smaller boutique brands, on the other hand, usually have to outsource manufacturing and nearly always have to source their paper from a third party. As a small business owner myself, I know firsthand how difficult it is to source materials - especially when you can’t afford to purchase multiple years’ worth of supplies at once - and maintain consistent results from any sort of outside contractor. But as a retailer who sells many different brands, as well as an enthusiast who loves to support smaller makers, it also means that I have to periodically test certain smaller-batch products to make sure paper stock (and performance) hasn’t changed.

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Archer & Olive has one of the few hardback A5-Slim notebooks available.

Over the past year, I’ve made an effort to add to our curation smaller makers whose paper has been consistently high-performing, including with fountain pens. While I continue to watch any small boutique brand closely for things like paper stock, these five have performed consistently enough while I’ve had them in the shop that I can comfortably recommend them to anyone looking to try something different.

1. Notsu. I discovered Notsu by chance, when I was buying up samples of different brands of index cards looking for a dot grid layout with paper/cardstock capable of handling fountain pen inks. Not only have their index cards remained consistently good, but Notsu has been adding new formats and expanding their line of organizational accessories that almost make it an index card notebook system.

2. Lochby. I love Lochby’s waxed canvas covers and planners, but my favorite Lochby product line is the 68gsm Tomoe River Paper Notebooks. I’ve heard mixed rumors about whether or not the 68gsm Tomoe River Paper is still being made by Sanzen, so I’m encouraged by the fact that you cannot only still get it through Lochby but that Lochby is continuing to release new formats, including B5, TN (A5-Slim), and A7.

3. Levenger. As a lifelong user (sort of an exaggeration but not much) of Levenger products, I’ve learned to hoard their writing pads and Circa disc-punched paper when they source a good batch, because it has been inconsistent for fountain pen users over the years. The current version that we carry is wonderfully fountain pen friendly and I really hope that Levenger sticks with this paper supplier. If you’re looking for meeting-style or Cornell-ruled notetaking paper, the Annotation-ruled pads are a personal favorite.

4. Archer & Olive. I’ve only recently discovered Archer & Olive, which makes 160gsm notebooks that handle ink beautifully and are also really nice for writing. Best of all? Archer & Olive notebooks come in an A5-slim/TN/Traveler’s-equivalent hardcover format that’s the best I’ve seen since the old Soumkine notebooks. The notebooks come in either fabric or vegan leather covers, with a range of motifs. I’ve heard via customers who have used their products over the years that Archer & Olive has remained consistently good, so I’m likely going to bring in additional formats.

5. Anecdote. I picked up one of Anecdote’s buckram-covered A5 notebooks in a store somewhere in NYC years ago, and was thrilled to be able to add them directly to our store. While the paper seems to have changed a couple of times, it’s remained fairly fountain pen friendly for most nibs and inks, and the $20 price point makes this an attractive everyday notebook. Buckram behaves a lot like waxed-canvas in terms of texture and how it patinas.

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Smaller brands also experiment more with different formats, like this week-on-a-page planning pad from Notsu.

If you’d like to read more about fountain pen friendly papers and which ones I personally like, check out this long-running (and annually updated) post “Hierarchies of Fountain Pen Friendly Paper”, as well as this post from earlier this week where I talk about my favorite of the fountain pen friendly papers.

The Gentleman Stationer is supported by purchases from the T.G.S. Curated Shop (our online store) and pledges via the T.G.S Patreon Program. Come see these and more in our Nashville shop, where we are open from 1-6pm on Thursday and Friday, and from 10am-6pm on Saturday!

Hierarchies of Fountain Pen Friendly Paper: Updated Resource!

I’ve spent the last two days updating the site resource “Hierarchies of Fountain Pen Friendly Paper,” which was originally a blog post first published in 2021. It’s garnered such a good response - 50+ comments at last count - that I’ve left it in blog format just to maintain the active comment section. I periodically update the main article to account for changes in paper performance, new brands, and customer/reader feedback. Because I can’t test everything, I leave the comments open for suggestions.

What Were the Major Developments in 2025?

I added a handful of brands to the resource, and removed one or two others mainly due to availability issues. Here are the major changes:

• Write Notepads Drops Off the List. Write Notepads left the direct-to-consumer market, at least for now, to focus on B2B sales. While I understand that may change in the future, for now their products are not as widely available so I’m leaving them out of this resource which focuses primarily on retail products.

• Stàlogy and Blackwing Move Into Tier I. While I’ve considered these two brands “Tier II” fountain pen friendly paper in the past, I’ve noticed an increase in consistency so I’ve moved both of them into Tier I. With Blackwing, note that this refers only to their standard paper. Some of their special edition notebooks may use different paper which may or may not perform similarly.

• Notsu and Shorthand Make an Appearance. These two brands make new appearances in Tiers I and II, respectively. Notsu is one of my favorite new stationery brands out there, and their ink friendly index cards have become a staple of my personal rotation. Los Angeles-based Shorthand makes a wide range of notebooks, notepads, and correspondence stationery, and while I would limit fountain pens to extra-fine or fine nibs, I love the feel of their vintage-y off-white paper and sturdy covers and spiral bindings.

Note that this is not intended to be a “ranking,” and the order in which these papers appear in each tier are not intended to suggest that any one is objectively “better” than another. Also, even non-fountain pen friendly paper can be quality stationery. Certain high-end cotton papers are tactile and highly absorbent - quite pleasant to write on with pencil, ballpoint, and rollerballs - but they can’t handle the water-based ink found in most fountain pens. Enjoy, and as always, drop a comment if you have suggestions on paper I may not have tried.

The Gentleman Stationer is supported entirely by purchases from the T.G.S. Curated Shop and pledges via the T.G.S. Patreon Program. If you’d like to see any of the papers mentioned here in person, or even try some of them, come by our brick-and-mortar shop located in Nashville!

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Ask TGS: How Do You Recommend Fountain Pens to New Users?

We’ve had a lot of new pen enthusiasts discover our brick-and-mortar shop recently, including many who have never held, much less used, a fountain pen! As someone heavily invested in the growth of this community, it’s always incredibly gratifying to meet new users, especially when they leave with their first pen. But “Where do I start?” can be a difficult question to answer. Here’s my typical process, and I thought it might be fun to give you a behind-the-scenes look.

1. Start at the Testing Station. We have a testing station set up in-store (see pic at top) so that customers can write with a rotating selection of certain pens that we offer. As of now, the fountain pen part of the tray contains four pens: a Platinum Preppy with a fine nib, two TWSBI ECO fountain pens with a medium and broad nib, and a TWSBI Diamond 580 with a stub. I always ask the customer to write a few lines on Maruman Mnemosyne paper with the medium TWSBI nib, from which we can either go finer or broader depending on preference. I find that a TWSBI Medium serves as a nice baseline for determining preferences, so there’s usually always one of those inked up and on hand.

2. Don’t go too expensive for a first fountain pen. I hesitate to venture too far outside the $20-40 price range for a first pen, and usually have an even less expensive option (here, the Preppy Wa) just to show that it’s possible to find a reliable everyday writer at a relatively inexpensive price point. Spending too much can lead to frustration with the inevitable learning curve, and I want people to feel free to take their new pen everywhere and write with it as much as they can without being overly afraid of loss or damage. I tend to start with Lamy Safaris, Kaweco Sports, or TWSBI ECOs.

3. Emphasize the combination of pen, ink, and paper for a good writing experience. Brands like Moleskine serves as a gateway to “nice” stationery for many people, so if I see that they come in with relatively non-fountain pen friendly paper I try to take time to explain that certain papers generally work better than others with fountain pens, and if there is a specific paper you want to use you may have to adjust the ink, nib size, etc. to get an optimal result if the paper isn’t intended for fountain pens. The Maruman Mnemosyne and Basic range works well and is usually what we have available for testing.

Sometimes people immediately recognize that a fountain pen isn’t for them, either because they don’t like the feel or because they hold the pen in such a way that it makes writing a clean line difficult. If that’s the case, we have a selection of gel, ballpoint, and rollerball pens (as well as pencils) available to compare. Even if they don’t find a fountain pen, it's valuable to be able to confirm preferences, which is the main reason I love having an in-store shopping option.

If you’ve been wanting to try a fountain pen (or any other type of pen for that matter), come see us in person and please don’t be embarrassed to ask questions. We wouldn’t have opened the store if we didn’t want to help new users discover this world. We are open this weekend from 10-6pm on Saturday, and will have special hours next week since we are traveling to the San Francisco Pen Show Thursday - Saturday.

For further reading and additional pen recommendations, please do check out the “Ask TGS/FAQ” page, as well as our “Best Pens” Guide that has been updated for 2025.

For those who will ask, here’s the current lineup, from left: Zebra Sarasa Grande Vintage, Uni Zento Flow, Uni One, Ohto CR02, Uni Jetstream Prime, Anterique Ballpoint in a custom parts-bin combo by yours truly, a Platinum Preppy Wa, TWSBI Diamond 580 ALR Nickel, TWSBI ECO Creme/Rose Gold, and a standard TWSBI ECO in black.

Updated Site Resources: Updated FAQ Page and Summer Pen Show Schedules

I’m trying to be more consistent in updating site resources such as the FAQ (“Ask TGS”) page, the Review Archive, the “Workhorse Pens” Series, and more. As of this morning, our FAQ Page has been updated with some additional information and to incorporate recent reviews from the “Ask TGS” series. With more than a decade’s worth of T.G.S. content, I’ve spend a considerable amount of time lately trying to curate it for those new to the site, with a focus on topics that will be of interest to those just starting to explore the world of good stationery. I enjoy writing this sort of content, and am always looking for suggestions on topics of interest, so please feel free to leave a comment or reach out with questions you’d like me to answer!

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At some point at every pen show - and especially the large ones, you will want to escape this.

The T.G.S. Summer Pen Show Schedule: D.C. and San Francisco!

I’ve also had a few questions about the summer pen show schedule. I’m currently planning to attend both the D.C. Pen Show (July 31-August 3) and the San Francisco Pen Show (August 29-September 1). While I may have some limited items for sale in D.C., I’ll mainly be camped out in the Vanness Pen Lounge downstairs holding workshops. The idea of a pen lounge was in response to attendee requests for a place to escape the crowds, especially on Saturdays (see above), with round tables for people to socialize with friends in a quieter environment and periodic workshops on pens, inks, notebook systems and more. We’re going to run this back with the team from Vanness Pens this year, so be sure to check out the details. You may have to scroll down a bit due to “unique” nature of the D.C. Pen Show website,

San Francisco is going to be a content-based trip for me, as I’ve not attended a pen show “for fun” in quite some time and also feel like I need to spend a little bit of time exploring new makers, helping friends out with their workshops and panels, and more.

We will be open this weekend in our physical shop from 10am-6pm on Saturday, and most weeks Thursday and Friday from 1pm-6pm leading up to the D.C. Pen Show. Be sure to check the shop page for up-to-date hours.