New Arrivals: Stationery Sets from Belle & Union, Plus Washi Tapes from Papier Platz and Oeda Letterpress!

We’ve continued to build out the written correspondence section of the shop, adding additional notecard/envelope sets as well as traditional half and full-sheet letter sets. San Antonio-based Belle & Union uses 100% cotton paper printed with snail mail and analog-themed motifs, and they’ve even assembled a desk box that contains both notecards and letter paper so you have a complete correspondence set ready to go for whatever type of writing you need to do. Be sure to check out the full line of Belle & Union products both online and in-store!

We’ve also expanded our washi tape offerings to include new designs from Papier Platz and Oeda Letterpress, two Japanese brands specializing in stationery and calligraphy-themed tapes and other accessories. Papier Platz has collaborated with Japanese artist Eric Small Things on a line of washi tapes that includes fountain pen ink, bookshelves, and desk art - these are among my favorite of the new washi tapes, particularly the “My Desk” and “Writing Utensils” designs.

View fullsize

We will be open normal hours this week in our Nashville shop, from 1-6pm Thursday and Friday, and from 10am-6pm Saturday. Stop by to see these and more in-person!

New Arrivals: Happy InCoWriMo! Stock Up on Letter Writing Supplies with Our Latest Promo!

Did you know that every February is InCoWriMo? That’s short for “International Correspondence Writing Month”, and it’s been taking place since 2013. While it’s technically a challenge, where the goal is to write one piece of snail-mail correspondence every day throughout the month, you’re still participating even if you send one letter! There’s a complete InCoWriMo website with resources to help you get started, including an address exchange for those looking for more pen pals.

View fullsize

To help everyone kick off InCoWriMo, we’ve created an “InCoWriMo” section of our paper store, where we’ve pulled all the letter pads, envelopes, and more. This entire section will be 10% off for the month of February, using the coupon code “SNAILMAIL” at checkout! We recently received a restock of favorite letter-writing products, including Midori MD and Midori MD Cotton Letter Pads and envelopes, Clairefontaine Triomphe writing pads in A4 and A5 size, G. Lalo “Vergé de France” paper and envelopes, and many more options that can be used for written correspondence. A handful of items are sold out to start the month, but are in the process of being restocked so stay tuned.

Come visit us in person! Public hours are Thursday and Friday from 1-6pm, Saturday from 10-6pm, and otherwise by appointment. We look forward to seeing you this week!

Shop Update: Paper for Letter Writing

Even though I failed to get my act together in time to participate in NaNoWriMo last month, I’ve tried to do better with my letter writing, especially now that I have access to a ready stream of paper that’s more appropriate for casual letter writing. I’ve never been one for dedicated “stationery sets,” other than correspondence cards that people have sent me over the years, preferring to rely on standard writing pads that offer more writing space. (Hey, when I do write letters, they tend to be longer.) If you’ve ever received a letter from me, you’ll know that I prefer three types of paper: Clairefontaine Triomphe, Midori MD Cotton, and standard 52gsm Tomoe River paper (which is currently hard to source due to manufacturing changes). What do I like about these specific papers? They’re all “standard” enough to be both readily available and reasonably priced, while still maintaining that classic “vintage stock” feel that’s nicer than a standard legal pad, for both the writer and the recipient.

We’re happy to carry most of these papers in the shop, along with a few other quirky options.

View fullsize

Bright-white Clairefontaine Triomphe paper really shows off the ink!

Clairefontaine Triomphe

Available in both blank and lined formats, I would call Clairefontaine Triomphe my workhorse letter-writing paper of choice, since it’s both readily available, inexpensive, and ink-friendly. I love that it’s sold in bound writing pads, so you can use it for general writing and notetaking as well as correspondence. Available now in both A4 and A5 sizes, starting at only $5 USD.

Midori MD Writing Pads (MD Cotton and MD Standard)

If you favor more absorbent paper than Clairefontaine, or if you sometimes enjoy using pencils to write your letters, Midori MD Writing Pads are an excellent option. The unlined MD Cotton Paper has the best overall feel of any writing paper out there (in my opinion) and my only regret is that they don’t make it with a ruling. At the end of the day, I’ve simply adapted to using unlined paper. As I’ve mentioned before Midori MD pads are excellent for letter writing, and they can pull double-duty as a desk pad since they are bound on two sides and can be turned into a landscape orientation to fit beneath a keyboard. Available in both A4 and A5 sizes, starting at $10 for MD Cotton and $12 for standard Midori MD.

Life Noble Note and Bank Paper

While Japanese Stationery Company “Life” sits outside the stationery mainstream, receiving less attention than peers like Midori, many people find their paper equally as good and it’s developed a cult following. Their “Noble Note” 100-sheet writing pads come in blank, lined, and grid rulings. Personally, I find Life’s standard paper to behave closest to standard Midori MD, though perhaps with a bit more texture? If you favor toothier, more absorbent paper, check out their heavier, vintage-style Bank Paper. Available in A4 size, starting at $26 for a 100-sheet pad of Noble Note, and $28 for a 100-sheet pad of Bank Paper.

WMS & Co. ColorPads

Though color-coated paper is extremely hit or miss with fountain pens, I’ve had a lot of fun lately sending notes on the ColorPads from WMS & Co, mainly using ballpoint pen and pencil. (Colored Pencil looks exceptionally good on the grey paper.) I have one of the “Large Square” ColorPads on my desk at work, which I use for both taking notes and sending professional correspondence (thank-yous, cover notes, etc.). The best part is that all of the WMS & Co desk pads contain a minimum of 185 sheets of paper, so they’ll basically last forever. Available from $25.

WMS & Co makes writing pads in a variety of shapes and sizes. I’ve been using the large square ones (center) for work cover notes and casual correspondence.

Disclaimer: The T.G.S. Curated Shop is an authorized retailer of all brands shown here. The Gentleman Stationer is supported entirely by purchases from the T.G.S. Curated Shop and the T.G.S. Patreon Program.