Thursday Drops: Sandglass Restock, Lamy AL-Star Pine and Flamingo, and More Accessories!

Two huge boxes of Hightide Sandglasses landed this week, including most colors in the larger sizes! Turquoise has been the most-requested color, and we’ve been able to stock it in both the 30-minute and 15-minute intervals, along with the Hightide folding metal book stands, Penco drafting ballpoint pens, and more! The Lamy AL-Star in Pine is also back, because the response to that particular color has been so strong. (We also took the opportunity to order more Dark Dusk, last year’s favorite.) And don’t miss the latest Diplomat Viper release in Silver Guilloché, which arrived in both fountain pen and rollerball.

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Finally, as we discussed in this week’s episode of On the Paper Trail, it’s almost the last pre-pen show call for the T.G.S.-exclusive Roterfaden TGS_25. I’ll be pulling some stock to take with me to the Arkansas Pen Show and San Francisco Stationery Fest later this month.

We have normal Nashville shop hours this week, open from 1-6pm Thursday and Friday, and from 10am-6pm on Saturday. Come by and see these and more in-person!

1. Hightide Sandglasses. We received a fresh shipment of Hightide Sandglasses, including more 30 and 15-minute intervals. We even have more of the less common Turquoise color in 30-minute variants. If you’re interested in reading further on how you can use a sandglass or hourglass to replace digital timers, check out this post.

2. Hightide Folding Metal Book Stands. Another original product from the early days of the T.G.S. Curated Shop that remains enduringly popular. You can use these to hold books, notebooks (especially while you’re typing notes), or even a tablet.

3. Penco Drafting Ballpoint Pens and Pencils. The popular miniature drafting pens and pencils from Penco are restocked in both pencil and ballpoint. The ballpoints have been out of stock and backordered for a while.

4. Lamy AL-Star in Pine and Flamingo. We’ve restocked all of this year’s Lamy AL-Star release in Pine, which sold out nearly immediately and is the clear winner of the two, though Flamingo is a great dusty pink.

5. Lamy 2000 Fountain Pens. The Lamy 2000 is back in stock in all nib sizes, including the fine nib, our most popular option.

6. Lamy 2000 Ballpoint in Taxus and Blackwood. Two overlooked entries from the Lamy 2000 lineup, the Taxus and Blackwood trade Makrolon for turned wood. Taxus is probably my favorite.

7. Lamy x Uni M17 Jetstream Refill. What to pair with your Lamy 2000 ballpoint pen? Maybe one of the Jetstream Lamy-compatible refills! We have both the .5mm and .7mm options.

8. Laurett’s Waka Ebonite Ballpoint Pens. One of my favorite items that I’ve discovered over the past year, these ballpoints feature knurling on ebonite by a Japanese company known for precision machine work. The pens take Parker-style refills so you can customize them with your ink of choice, though they ship with a standard Schmidt ballpoint refill.

9. Penco Multi Pens. Did you know that Penco also makes a D1 multi pen in addition to their standard Perfection bullet pens? These 2+1 pens (2 pens + a mechanical pencil) come in a range of nice-looking matte colors.

10. iLootPaperie Washi Tape and Stickers. We have iLootPaperie washi tape restocked, including many old favorites and some new designs!

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New Arrivals: Hightide / Penco Restock, Plus Don't Miss a Special In-Store Event This Week!

At long last, we’ve received a major restock of Hightide and Penco products, including all sizes of the Hightide Hourglasses in 30, 15, 5, and 3-minute intervals! One of my personal favorite desk accessories, my main use is for timing writing/work intervals but you can use them anytime you don’t want the jarring buzz of an electronic timer or a phone on your desk distracting you when you’re trying to concentrate on something that requires true focus. We also have additional stock of the Penco Perfection pocket pens and the Perfection Light, as well as additional Penco Pocket Drafting Pens, Pocket Drafting Pencils, and new Multi-Pens!

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These slim D1 Multipens are portable and functional, containing two ballpoint pen options and a .5mm mechanical pencil.

Don’t Miss Our Special In-Store Event This Coming Weekend in Nashville!

If you’re in the area, we will be having an in-store event on Friday, October 17th and Saturday, October 18th, with pen maker Shawn Newton and Lisa Vanness of Vanness Pens, who will be in-store with many different items we don’t regularly stock! Be sure to stop by if you are in the area as this will be sure to be a fun weekend. We’ll also have some in-store specials such as stamps and stickers so bring your notebooks. If everything goes to plan we will also open up the new TGS retail space, which will be on the front of the building in Suite 107.

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Many thanks to Lisa at Olive Octopus for the graphic!

Thursday Drops: New Notsu Notecard Sets, Notecard Holders, and More Desk Accessories!

Notsu Notecards Sets are back, including several new designs! In addition to more of the popular “Centre Rise” vertical to-do index cards, we have the “Centre” Set that features a horizontal card layout, and which is compatible with both “To Do” and “Weekly Planner” cards sold separately in packs of 50. Nakabayashi paper has been fully restocked in most formats, and of course we have the Levenger writing pads that we reviewed yesterday. Happy shopping!

Come browse our wares in person! We are open in-store today and tomorrow from 1-6pm, and Saturday from 9-3pm (closing a bit early but opening early to compensate), so please come by and check out all of our new stuff!

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The new Hightide Bicolor Sandglasses feature 30-minute and a new 10-minute interval.

1. Notsu “Centre” Notecard Set. Notsu’s ink friendly notecards/index cards were a big hit when we brought them in last month. These vertical “To Do” notecards are scored so that you can fold them for easy carry in a wallet or shirt pocket, plus the box transforms into a magnetic stand for your desk. (I have some pictures of how it works here.)

2. Notsu “Centre Rise” Notecard Set. The popular Notsu “Centre Rise” is back in stock in black, with only limited quantities available at this time but more on the way. If the magnetic stand is not important to you, a hard box of the vertical “To Do” cards is separately available.

3. Notsu Notecard Holder. Looking to streamline your workflow and carry just a few notecards plus a pen? This vegan leather notecard holder features a magnetic clip and a pen loop, plus a back pocket to hold notecards and business cards.

4. Notsu Notecards. We have Notsu index cards in a variety of formats, including dot grid 4”x6” and 3”x5”, horizontal and vertical “To Do” layouts, and a useful “Weekly Plan” layout.

5. Exacompta Index Cards. Featuring Clairefontaine paper, Exacompta is known for making fountain pen friendly index cards in various rulings. Multi color versions available as well.

6. Levenger Freeleaf Notepads. Looking for an annotation ruled legal pad that won’t break the bank? I’ve long been a fan of Levenger’s versatile layouts, and I have what amounts to a lifetime stash of these pads in my personal archive.

7. Nakabayashi Paper Restock. We recently received a full restock of the Logical Air, Logical Prime, and Yu-Sari papers, in clothbound, spiral, and looseleaf formats.

8. Hightide Sandglasses and New Bicolor Sandglasses. Hightide Sandglasses are longtime shop favorites, and we’ve recently added three new bicolor glasses in 30-minute and 10-minute variants.

9. Levenger Bomber Jacket Leather Pen Cases. These started selling on-site in the store as soon as I took them out of the box. Featuring seven pen slots and a zippered pouch in the middle, these pen cases make for a carry solution that’s both practical and luxurious.

10. Levenger Canvas Stationery Pouches (Set of 2). These carry-all pouches come in a set of two, allowing you to hold notecards, small notebooks, page markers, pens, pencils, and more.

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New in the Shop: Outfit Your Desk in Style with New Arrivals from Hightide!

Happy November, everyone! Today marks the end of “Spooky Season” and the first foray into the last two months of the year (aka the “Holiday Season” for many). While the updated 2022 T.G.S. Holiday Gift Guide won’t be released for another couple of weeks, we have spent the past few months bringing in favorite gift-friendly items that should be well-stocked through the end of the year, including a fresh batch of goods from Hightide Japan! Currently we have all Hightide and Penco products in stock, including the favorite Hightide Sandglasses in 30, 15, 5, and 3-minute intervals, in all the colors we could get our hands on. To read more on how you can incorporate an hourglass into your daily workflow as a non-disruptive “analog timer”, check out this post here.

The versatile folding metal bookstand is one of my most-used desk accessories (yes, it even holds a tablet). It folds flat to easily slip into a bag.

We’ve also restocked favorites such as the marbled melamine pen trays in both the rectangular and round (pictured above) shapes, the folding metal bookstands in nearly a dozen different colors, and the Penco “Perfection” bullet ballpoints, all of which make insanely good ideas for those looking to get a jump on the gifting season.

The Gentleman Stationer is an authorized retailer of all brands shown, including Hightide and Penco.

In the Shop: How I Use My Hourglass (And Tell Us How You Use Yours!)

Over the past few years, one of the most popular items in our shop has been the Hightide Hourglass. I often have people remark that they would love to add one of these beautiful pieces to their desk setup, but they don’t know how they would use it. I thought it might be helpful to offer a few examples of how I either personally use this analog timer, or how other people have indicated that they use them day-to-day.

1. Timing Work Sessions. As someone with a fairly sedentary day job that requires relatively long hours researching, writing, and drafting, I’ve come to appreciate the importance of taking regular breaks to stand, walk around, and stretch. Setting the hourglass next to my laptop is a calm, non-jarring reminder to stop working every so often and get up!

2. Mindfulness or Breathing Exercises. I’ve had several people tell me that they love to use the hourglass as a focal point while they meditate or practice mindfulness exercises.

3. Journaling or Morning Pages. I’ve used my 30-minute Hourglass to get myself back into the habit of journaling or writing morning pages when I don’t feel like it. Pick up a pen and a notebook or pad of paper, turn the glass, and write whatever comes to mind until the sand runs out. Most of the time I don’t stop at 30 minutes.

4. Cooking Timers. While I’ve never personally done this, I’ve had people tell me that they use the three and five-minute hourglasses as timers for cooking eggs and steeping tea, among other things.

5. As a Simple Reminder of Time Passing and the Need to Appreciate the Moment. Whether as a formal Memento Mori or simply a reminder that time is fleeting and you need to do whatever it is that you really want to do with your life, even a small hourglass can serve as a subtle prompt to keep you on track.

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From left, the 30, 15, 5, and 3-minute interval hourglasses!

Personally, I can’t stand using my phone as an alarm. While of course it’s sometimes necessary (for example, when you need to be somewhere important and you can get into the zone and just not notice the hourglass), I find any sort of alarm or alert jarring and disruptive to flow and concentration. An analog timer like an hourglass is a much gentler, more serene method of timing that I I actually enjoy and look forward to using. So tell us, if you’ve purchased one (from us or elsewhere), how do you use yours? I honestly love to hear how these products are put to work in the real world!

The T.G.S. Curated Shop currently has hourglasses (or “sandglasses”) available in four different intervals (30, 15, 5, and 3 minutes), and multiple colors. Of all the colors, I would have to say the Amber is my favorite, followed by the Green or Turquoise, though of course it’s a matter of personal preference!

The T.G.S. Curated Shop is an authorized retailer of all products shown, including Hightide Hourglasses and other accessories.