Sunday Reading for June 9, 2024

June 9, 2024

Sailor’s Newest Fountain Pen! (via Inky Rocks). Sailor’s “Tuzu” has received a lot of attention lately. I need to get my hands on one.
Hinze Taschenschift (via Figboot on Pens). These Hinze Micarta pocket pens are always favorites at pen shows. I may have something to show y’all very soon…
Wanting and Having (via A Gathering of Curiosities). A beautiful piece about building a pen collection and, most of all, enjoying it.
Nib Comparison: Pilot Capless F, FM, and M (via Line Variation). A detailed comparison of Pilot nibs, both in terms of the line written and how the nibs are shaped. And congratulations on the one-year
Fountain Pen Review: 2024 Lamy Safari Special Edition Pink Cliff and Violet Blackberry (via Rants of the Archer). The more I write with the Pink Cliff and Violet Blackberry pens, the more they’ve grown on me. I’m also enjoying the second round of 2024 Safaris - more on those below.
Schon DSGN Monoc Nib Fountain Pen (via Blake’s Broadcast). The Monoc nib might be the most innovative addition to the fountain pen landscape in years. I’m following closely as Ian continues to add new finishes and nib sizes.
Scribo Rosso Melograno (via Fountain Pen Pharmacist). Scribo inks tend to be overlooked, and it’s unfortunate because some of their colors are absolutely stunning. Plus you get that gorgeous glass bottle.
Gravitas Skittle Dinkey (via Dapprman). I have a Dinkey that I picked up at the Los Angeles, and I’ve been enjoying this little pocket pen. Gravitas makes several different pocket pens in various sizes, and the Dinkey makes for a nice mid-sized pocket writing instrument.
Doodling with Fountain Pens: Petals Pattern (via Fountain Pen Love). This is a really cool way to use your pens and inks, though one I’ve not experimented much with.
Fountain Pen Review: Sailor Pro Gear Slim Follow the Mermaid (via Well-Appointed Desk). This is a great looking limited edition Sailor, and the market bears watching as the price comes down on some of these limited edition’s over the summer.

Metacil Writing Sample with Blackwing Soft Core Pencil

In Case You Missed It…

This week on the blog, I wrote a short review of a curious stationery product I discovered while in NYC back in March: the Metacil Pencil, which is one of those “infinity” pencils that doesn’t need sharpening. I was pleasantly surprised at the improvements in the technology over the past few years. I also recapped my travel kit for a short weekend family trip, which included no fountain pens! You can read more on why I built my specific travel kit this way and why I chose the things I did.

Lamy Safari Pina Colada and Cherry Blossom

This Week in the T.G.S. Curated Shop - Plus Updated gently used

The new Summer Lamy Safari Special Editions are here! Pina Colada (turquoise/yellow) and Cherry Blossom (pink/red) are both glossy finishes, and since I’m a sucker for anything with yellow on it, a medium Pina Colada went right into my pen case. Check out this week’s Thursday Drops post for the full list of Lamy pens that we have in stock, new Caran d’Ache pens and pencils, and more!

On Thursday I also posted some additional gently used stationery products, including a number of fountain pens from brands including Leonardo, Opus 88, Hightide and more, as well as some limited edition Baron Fig pencils from years ago. I’m clearing out some of my personal stash to raise funds for a couple of new projects I’m working on, which I hope to be able to announce soon! All purchases from the Gently Used Page can be combined with general TGS Curated Shop purchases for free shipping.

Gently Used Sale 2024 Baron Fig Pencils — I have a big stash of limited edition pencils that I’m never going to use up, including a handful of each of the pencils shown here! Check out the Gently Used Page if you’re interested. Patreon supporters already have had first pass.

Now is a Good Time to Check Out T.G.S. Patreon!

We’ve recently shared some news regarding our continued growth with our Patreon members. If you enjoy our content (whether here on the main website, Instagram, YouTube Channel or elsewhere), and would like early/extra access to shop releases and gently used stationery opportunities, consider supporting us via Patreon. We do our best to remain 100% self-supported without having to rely on third-party advertisers or affiliates. Of course, the number one way to help is to visit our curated retail shop! If you enjoy in-person and virtual meetups and having access to more personal content, consider joining the T.G.S. Patreon, which also includes access to early shop releases, the quarterly gently used sales, a monthly updates newsletter, and of course our monthly Zoom meetups. Patreon support starts as low as $3 per month, and if you pay annually there is a further discount.

No matter how you support us - even if just with a comment, recommendation, or encouraging word - we greatly appreciate your readership!

J. Herbin Cafe des Iles Brown Ink Writing Sample

Sunday Reading for May 26, 2024 (Memorial Day Weekend Edition)

May 26, 2024

Registration for the 2024 Pelikan Hubs Now Open (via Dapprman). Big news! Get your Pelikan Hubs registrations in to ensure you can participate in this year’s Hub in your city of choice.
Kyuseido Kakari FS Fountain Pen Review (via SBRE Brown). Ok, so this has inspired me to ink my Kakari back up and maybe do a Conid comparison.
Mad Science Pen Company Beta Type-R Vanness Collaboration Fountain Pen Review (via Pen Addict - Jeff). Long name, cool pen! I saw these in person at this year’s Arkansas Pen Show and kinda regret that I didn’t get to pick one up.
The Design Process of My Hit List (via Stationery Pizza). Keeping a list of action items/hit lists is one of the most basic organization techniques, and there are dozens of different ways to do it.
Pilot Iroshizuku Kiri-Same Fountain Pen Ink Review (via Blake’s Broadcast). The Iroshizuku grey inks don’t get enough attention, in my opinion!
Endless Creator Fountain Pen Review (via The Poor Penman). A great review of what is a “1.0 Design”. I still love that Endless took the risk here in putting something kinda weird to market.
Reading and Writing (via Goodwriterspens Blog). What came first/easiest for you?
Piston-happy and Chugging Along (via mnmlscholar). I can relate to the satisfaction of having a full workload and a piston full of ink!
Pen Review #812: Inkebara Sand (via Fountain Pen Pharmacist). These Inkebara inks are becoming extremely popular options, and this golden “Sand” color is one of the more popular inks, from what I understand.
Link Love: Visiting The Supply Closet (via Well-Appointed Desk). Let’s just say I’m VERY interested in store setup ideas lately, and this is an absolutely awesome idea for a shop-within-a-shop.

Waterman Laureat Fountain Pen Grip with Ink

In Case You Missed It….

This week I looked at two pens that are very different: First, the recently released TWSBI ECO Caffé Bronze fountain pen, which as the name indicates features TWSBI’s gorgeous bronze-toned trim. Second, I took another look at my first fountain pen, the now-discontinued Waterman Laureat, and offered some thoughts on what current pens on the market I find comparable. Finally, I also did a short post comparing the different grades of Blackwing graphite, which I haven’t done in some time and is timely considering the release of the “XX-Firm” variant in last quarter’s Volumes edition.

Also, please visit the T.G.S. YouTube Channel to check out our latest videos, including a demonstration of the recently released Blackwing Pencil Extender!

This Week in the T.G.S. Curated Shop - Sale and Giveaway!

It’s Memorial Day Weekend, and the kick off to Summer! Through Monday at 11:59pm CT, take 10% off your T.G.S. Curated Shop order using the coupon code “SUMMERSALE” at checkout. Also, don’t miss our weekend giveaway, featuring a Lamy AL-Star Rollerball, a Scriveiner Fountain Pen, and a Blackwing Pencil Assortment. Full details on both are in this week’s Thursday Drops post.

We’ve also received the latest release from Midori: the MD “A5 Square” Cotton notebook! Midori is starting to release the MD Cotton paper in some new formats (including a forthcoming standard A5 which has an undetermined arrival date). Now is a great time to stock up on refills for your notebook systems, and we have plenty of A5 notebook options that will fit Lochby and Roterfaden covers, including Tomoe River Paper options and a recent restock of the Laconic layouts!

Traveler's Company

Midori

TWSBI

Blackwing

Now is a Good Time to Check Out T.G.S. Patreon!

We’ve recently shared some news regarding our continued growth with our Patreon members, and have also recently added some items to the Patreon Shop. If you enjoy our content (whether here on the main website, Instagram, YouTube Channel or elsewhere), and would like early/extra access to shop releases and gently used stationery opportunities, consider supporting us via Patreon. We do our best to remain 100% self-supported without having to rely on third-party advertisers or affiliates. Of course, the number one way to help is to visit our curated retail shop! If you enjoy in-person and virtual meetups and having access to more personal content, consider joining the T.G.S. Patreon, which also includes access to early shop releases, the quarterly gently used sales, a monthly updates newsletter, and of course our monthly Zoom meetups. Patreon support starts as low as $3 per month, and if you pay annually there is a further discount.

No matter how you support us - even if just with a comment, recommendation, or encouraging word - we greatly appreciate your readership!

Sunday Reading for May 19, 2024

May 19, 2024

Kaweco Sport Piston (via Figboot on Pens). David gives his thoughts on Kaweco’s latest Sport release, with a very comprehensive video walkthrough of the Sport Piston Filler.
Do Less, Swatch More, Use More, Repeat (via Pen Addict - Kimberly). Do you swatch all your inks? If so, how do you use the swatches? Do you refer to them often?
BIGiDESIGN USA Fountain EDC Review (via Writing at Large). Seems like I missed this release. Has the Ultem craze passed us by, as I don’t recall this one getting much in the way of announcements? I’m sure this particular pen - launched via Kickstarter - will receive some additional tweaking and iterations, as with most BIGiDESIGN products.
Meet and Greet with the Visconti Opera Gold (via Line Variation). Visconti is one of those brands that has never really captivated me in the same way as others, but certain of their models have a consistent following, including the Opera and the Homo Sapiens. The Opera is one of Visconti’s larger pens.
Sharing a Custom Silver Nib (via SBRE Brown). Why has silver not caught on as a nibmaking material (other than cost)? I’d be curious.
Pilot Parallel Calligraphy Fountain Pen Review. Fewer things are more fun to play around with than a Pilot Parallel. From calligraphy to nib modifications, they’re an inexpensive way to explore different ways to enhance your handwriting.
Pelikan P10 Twist - A Quick Look (via The Poor Penman). I wish Pelikan would start re-issuing some of their lower-priced entries from years past. This particular pen is apparently available as “new old stock” from certain retailers.
Alwych Notebooks Discontinued (via Notebook Stories). I hope not! While I’ve never used these personally, I’ve always admired the aesthetic and the concept.
Randomizing Pen and Ink Choices (via Pen Addict). I might try this once but I’m way too much of a control freak to have this become “the way”.
Sailor Manyo, Anniversary Set (via Well-Appointed Desk). The Sailor Manyo line is expanding yet again! I have a few Manyo inks but have had trouble keeping up with all of the Sailor releases.

Six Blackwing Pencils from the Chicago Pen Show — Six Blackwing Pencils picked up at the Chicago Pen Show! (Yes, I’m both a dealer and a “collector”, though these will get used.)

In Case You Missed It… (And Don’t Miss the Giveaway!)

This week on the blog I swatched and offered my thoughts on the entire line of Tom’s Studio Inks. We’re also giving away two bottles, so be sure to read all the way to the end of the post for details on the giveaway, which closes at 11:59pm CT tonight. I also published the last installment of the 2024 “Best Pens” update, which was a list of - well - woodcase pencils. These updates are likely done for the year, so enjoy!

For those of you who aren’t aware, I’ve been posting additional video content over on the T.G.S. YouTube Channel! This week I looked at two of my favorite multi pens: the Lamy 2000 4-Color Ballpoint and Uni Jetstream 4&1 in Mimosa Yellow.

Favorite Multi Pens Uni Jetstream 4&1 Collection, shown on Toyooka Craft Pen Tray

This Week in the T.G.S. Curated Shop

In addition to the launch of the Raymay Patalino collection of pen cases, we restocked on most Tom’s Studio products, including the Lumos refillable fineliners in most sizes (including the new Lumos Mini), the pre-ground Architect nibs, and of course the entire line of bottled ink. We also have the latest TWSBI release, the ECO Caffé Bronze, Diamond 580ALR Matte Black pens, and the latest Blackwing Volumes Release: the Jerry Garcia pencils in the soft graphite.

We’ve expanded the shop fairly quickly over the first half of the year, and there have been many new arrivals and releases in March and April alone. We still have remaining stock of many of them, so please do check out this week’s Thursday Drops post for a summary of what’s left!

Pilot Pens

Blackwing

Roterfaden

Tom's Studio

What’s Up with TGS Patreon? What a subscription will get you

If you enjoy our content (whether here on the main website, Instagram, YouTube Channel or elsewhere), and would like early/extra access to shop releases and gently used stationery opportunities, consider supporting us via Patreon. We do our best to remain 100% self-supported without having to rely on third-party advertisers or affiliates. Of course, the number one way to help is to visit our curated retail shop! If you enjoy in-person and virtual meetups and having access to more personal content, consider joining the T.G.S. Patreon, which also includes access to early shop releases, the quarterly gently used sales, a monthly updates newsletter, and of course our monthly Zoom meetups. Patreon support starts as low as $3 per month, and if you pay annually there is a further discount.

No matter how you support us - even if just with a comment, recommendation, or encouraging word - we greatly appreciate your readership!

Pen Show Pens from First Half of 2024, shown on my desk — This month’s Patreon update included a few words on some of my pen show acquisitions so far this year!

Tom's Studio Ink Swatching Project in Progress — My latest ink brand swatching project. Coming soon!

Sunday Reading for May 12, 2024

May 12, 2024

2024 Chicago Pen Show - Not My Usual Recap (via Pen Addict - Kimberly). It was fun attending this show solely as an attendee with no table to mind. As Kimberly points out, this show would benefit from a different hotel.
Thinking More on Binders (via Stationery Pizza). I love binder systems, and I’ve been exploring just how many different binder systems there are out there. (It’s quite a large number!).
Pineider Milano Leather Notebook (via Blake’s Broadcast). As a stationer who has traditionally specialized in paper for written correspondence, it’s extremely interesting to see Pineider make a leatherbound notebook.
Dominant Industry Leaf Green (via Fountain Pen Pharmacist). Dominant industry makes some exceptionally good dark green inks. This one is a favorite, along with the “Autumn Forest” dark green shimmer ink.
Scriveiner Brushed Copper EDC Pen (via Dapprman). Scriveiner has been blitzing reviewers lately with samples of their pens, and honestly, it may be working in expanding the brand’s reputation beyond “Amazon Pen”. The handful of pens I received for review have been quite nice.
Doodling with Fountain Pens: Circles Pattern (via Fountain Pen Love). Though I’m not a doodler, I love to watch people create these patters and show off their ink. Full pages of these doodles are gorgeous to see at shows.
Desiderata Pens Dumka Review (via SBRE Brown). Pierre has a new model out, and I was able to see some of his ebonite creations at the Chicago Show!
Lamy Violet Blackberry (via Mountain of Ink). Somewhat overshadowed by the release of Lamy Dark Lilac was this year’s sleeper hit, Violet Blackberry. This one is more of an eggplant and a nice shade of purple with sheen that doesn’t smear!
Lamy AL-Star Aquatic Fountain Pen (via Pen Addict - Jeff). Lamy did a great job on this year’s releases across the board. Even with their seeming fixation on blue AL-Star releases that explorer every possible shade of turquoise known to humankind, they somehow manage to make it work.
Ink 100: Part 5 The Final Reveal (via Well-Appointed Desk). If you’re looking for the conclusion of Ana’s “Ink 100” project, here it is!

In Case You Missed It….

Uni Mitsubishi Multi Pen 4&1 — The Uni Jetstream: What’s in your multi pen?

This week I reviewed a favorite workhorse multi pen, the Uni Jetstream 4&1, which they are now making with bamboo and reclaimed wood grips! The Uni Jetstream is, to me, the quintessential multi pen refill, and a pen built around that ink formulation needs no further modification. I also did a fresh “Ask TGS” post in response to a few conversations I’ve had at the Arkansas and Chicago Pen Shows, in which people have told me that they felt overwhelmed by paper choice when putting together a notebook system for the first time. Yesterday’s post discusses three “starter” paper recommendations for refills that work well with most pens and fountain pen inks.

This Week in the T.G.S. Curated Shop

The latest Blackwing Volumes (Volume 710 “Jerry Garcia” - with a soft core!) is here, along with new colors of the one step handheld sharpener, as well as the larger handheld erasers and pencil extenders. We also have the full range of Tom’s Studio fountain pen inks that have been added to the shop, as well as restocks on the Lumos Fineliners.

Finally, the big news is that we have the Tom’s Studio Architect nibs back in stock, along with Pro Flex and Cursive Italic! These fit the Tom’s Studio fountain pens and are sold as a separate nib unit.

Blackwing

Uni Mitsubishi

Slidenote A4 Covers

Patalino Stationery Cases

Support us on patreon and get access to our monthly meetup and extra content!

If you enjoy our content (whether here on the main website, Instagram, YouTube Channel or elsewhere), there are several ways that you can support us. We do our best to remain 100% self-supported without having to rely on third-party advertisers or affiliates. Of course, the number one way to help is to visit our curated retail shop! If you enjoy in-person and virtual meetups and having access to more personal content, consider joining the T.G.S. Patreon, which also includes early access to quarterly gently used sales. Patreon support starts as low as $3 per month, and if you pay annually there is a further discount. Patreon supporters also get access to any pen show-exclusive specials and promotions.

No matter how you support us - even if just with a comment, recommendation, or encouraging word - we greatly appreciate your readership!

Pentel Sharp Kerry Mechanical Pencil Posted — A new favorite snuck into the Top 5 Mechanical Pencils!

Sunday Reading for April 28, 2024

April 28, 2024

The Most Expensive Pen I Have Ever Reviewed… The Danitrio Seiryu (via Figboot on Pens). Danitrio is one of those intriguing brands that surfaces from time to time. I don’t know a lot about the pens, which are works of art and tend to be priced accordingly.
Vintage vs. New in “Analog” Hobbies (via Urban Adventure League). An excellent discussion of how many hobbies with a vintage/analog theme still tend to skew “new” when it comes to buying gear. From a pen perspective, there are several reasons new users gravitate away from vintage (often unfairly/unreasonably), and it may warrant a new post?
I Can Only Keep One? (via Line Variation). I love these posts and reading about all the various choices people make and the reasons why, many of which are sentimental.
You Can Only Keep One (via Well-Appointed Desk). And now it’s Laura’s turn!
Work Carry (via Stationery Pizza). Glad to see I’m not the only one with a “heavy” work carry! I use a lot of different specific-purpose tools so my carry also tends to be heavier than what most people probably have with them.
Bloggiversary VII! (via Weirdoforest Pens). Congratulations on SEVEN YEARS! That’s a big one. It’s hard to write a blog, much less consistently for years over time, and a huge achievement to keep the content both regular and high quality.
Three Notebooks and Three Pens Go A-Traveling (via Inkredible Colours). This week is certainly appropriate for a story about a Traveler’s Notebook setup for actual traveling.
Kokuyo Perpanep Notebooks (via Pen Addict - Kimberly). Are the Perpanep notebooks back? I was under the impression they had been discontinued.
My Ink 100: Part 3 - Swatch-a-Thon (via Well-Appointed Desk). Are you following along with Ana’s “Ink 100” project?
Gourmet Pens Club - You Won’t Believe What Pen Makers Had To Say (via Gourmet Pens). This episode is definitely worth a listen. Much of what the makers had to say also goes for small retailers.

Scriveiner Fountain Pens and TGS Swag on Desktop — Don’t miss our giveaway with Scriveiner Pens (and our TGS Swag Promotion)!

In Case You Missed It… (And Don’t Miss the 10th Anniversary Giveaway!)

This week on the blog I reviewed the Tom’s Studio “Studio Pocket” Fountain Pen, which is a faceted pocket fountain pen that also features a range of custom-ground nibs that includes an exceptionally good Architect nib. (Which is also out of stock everywhere at the moment, including in our own store. Hopefully that will change soon as they make more!) Yesterday, I updated the “Best Pens” list again to include a new category: My Top 5 Mechanical Pencils! I want to build the list out to include mechanical, and eventually woodcase, pencils because they form such a core part of my own workflow.

Tom's Studio Lumos Tips with Writing Sample — More Lumos tips are available!

This Week in the T.G.S. Curated Shop: TWSBI ECO Caffé Bronze; A Tom’s Studio Lumos Restock, More Pilot Explorers, and More Lochby!

The waves of new releases and fun new arrivals continue! This weekend I’ve received a restock of the Tom’s Studio “Lumos” pens, including replacement tips in a wide variety of styles, as well as replacement reservoirs if you’d like a spare. The TWSBI ECO Caffé Bronze pens are in town and I will pick them up tomorrow to start shipping, so reserve yours now. Finally, after requests from many of you, we’ve restocked on Lochby and Pilot Explorer fountain pens (at least those colors we could get!) While we still have a handful of limited edition Traveler’s Company “Tokyo”-themed Traveler’s Notebook accessories, the notebooks themselves sold out in a matter of hours. We’ve ordered more, and hope to get a bigger allotment the next time around! Did I mention we have a ton of new Tomoe River Paper products and Stalogy? It just keeps coming….