Behind the Scenes: Getting Ready for a Pen Show (or Maybe Two...)

Given the level of response to the On the Paper Trail Pre-Pen Show Livestream and Episode 4: Recapping the California Pen Show, I thought it might be fun to offer a glimpse into the behind-the-scenes of our prep for this week’s Arkansas Pen Show, held at the Wyndham Riverfront in Little Rock Friday through Sunday. We have plenty of new stuff that arrived this week, which we’ll be taking with us! Follow along as I sort through it.

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A few of these have been out of stock for a while, and I was pushing to get them back in stock prior to Arkansas. Yes, Yamamoto Bank Paper is still with us and will be making an appearance.

My Pen Show Strategy - Lots of Paper and Accessories

I try to make the T.G.S. tables stand out at any show I attend, and that mostly means focusing on items that other vendors at the show are less likely to have, including store exclusives and other merchandise that customers want to see in person. For me, notebook systems and pen cases like Roterfaden, Yamamoto Ro-biki, and Lochby have been perennial hits at pen shows because it can be difficult to get a sense of how they work online and they demonstrate well in person. I also always try to bring fun items like the Hightide Sandglasses and Toyo Steel Boxes, as well as mechanical and woodcase pencils, which tend to be grossly underrepresented. Arkansas has always been a great show to shop accessories, as there are usually several vendors selling handmade leather notebook covers, journals and more. People ask me why I tend not to bring a broad range of fountain pens to pen shows, and the simple answer is that you can buy those elsewhere and I want my contribution to the show to be unique and additive.

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Yes, we have a LOT of new Roterfadens in stock, coming to a pen show near you! We have A5 and A4, so be sure to check them all out.

Arkansas Isn’t a Suitcase Show, WHich Means The Table Will Look Different!

Later this month T.G.S. will be attending the San Francisco Stationery Fest, where we will be largely limited to what we can pack into two suitcases. Being able to load displays and collapsible crates into a car before driving a few hours is much more convenient and makes for a different show setup, so don’t be surprised if you see a different look to the T.G.S tables in Arkansas as opposed to San Francisco. For the Arkansas show I’m able to bring things like spinner displays and racks, which is better for displaying heavier paper and larger notebooks. Obviously, you can’t lug that stuff onto an airplane, so while I’ll likely have Roterfaden with me the San Francisco Stationery Fest is definitely going to be heavier on things like pencils, multipens and washi tape!

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Yes, Canopus notebooks will make an appearance, freshly arrived from Japan!

Look for livestreams, videos, and more from this weekend’s festivities. While we’re out the store will be closed on Friday but open on Saturday! Be sure to check the Shop Hours page or the Google Profile for updates.

Nashville T.G.S. Special Event Recap, Day One, Plus Saturday Details

It’s taken me about a year to get here, but a primary reason I wanted to open a store was so that I could host events like the current weekend pop-up with Vanness Pens and Newton Pens! While we have moved the main T.G.S. Shop to Suite 107 on the front of the building, making it easier to find, Suite 113 (the “old” store) will be opened for special events like this weekend, and will also continue to serve as our office, warehouse, and fulfillment location. Come see us today (Saturday) from 10-6pm!

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Sign work courtesy of Shawn Newton, Photo courtesy of Lisa @ Olive Octopus!

Friday turned out to be super busy! We kicked off the weekend with normal business hours, and everyone had fun shopping our normal offerings as well as Shawn’s custom pens and specialty inks, ink samples, rare pens, and accessories from Vanness. After the shop “officially” closed we had a special Middle Tennessee Fountain Pen Club event with food and space to spread out. As we get settled into the new store and organize our warehouse, I plan to add additional seating, table-space, couches, etc. so that it’s easier to plan and grow these types of events. If you’re in the Nashville area (or reasonably close by), be sure to join the Middle Tennessee Fountain Pen Club, which now has a website in addition to the Facebook Page, so you’ll receive the announcements.

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Pre-opening setup with some of the stuff from Vanness, including Rickshaw, Galen Leather, Robert Oster Inks, Nagasawa Pens, and more! There is plenty of stock so if you missed Friday you have all day Saturday from 10-6pm to catch up.

For those coming by today, there will be a sign on the sidewalk outside directing everyone to where we’re set up. Many thanks to all of you who came out to support us in the new location, and to welcome everyone who to visit from out of town. I look forward to hosting more of these events in the future and further growing the pen community in the greater Nashville area!

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Also: Diamine Inkvent Calendars Are Here In-Store!

The 2026 Diamine Inkvent Calendars arrived Thursday afternoon, and I was able to swing by to pick them up on our way in to Friday’s event prior to opening. They’re now available both in-store and online, but supply is somewhat limited so please be sure to grab yours while they’re available.

Our regular in-store hours are Thursday and Friday from 1-6pm, and Saturdays from 10am-6pm. Be sure to check our Google Profile or main store page for up-to-date hours and special event details.

2025 San Francisco Pen Show Recap, Part III: My Pen Show Haul Video Walkthrough!

The third and final installment of my 2025 San Francisco Pen Show recaps is a walkthrough of the items I brought back with me from the show! I discussed these in a little bit of detail in Part I, but there are a few extras in this one, plus a writing sample with the glass pens. Be sure to check out the rest of the San Francisco recaps:

• Part I: General Show Impressions

• Part II: Takeaways from Workshops and Seminars

That concludes pen show season for me. See you at next year’s shows!

The Gentleman Stationer is supported entirely by purchases from the T.G.S. Curated Shop and pledges via the T.G.S Patreon Program. Please consider supporting us directly if you enjoy our content. You can also visit our brick-and-mortar store in Nashville, Tennessee, open Thursday-Saturday.

2025 San Francisco Pen Show Recap, Part II: Panel Takeaways

In Wednesday’s general recap of the 2025 San Francisco Pen Show, I discussed how one of my favorite aspects of the San Francisco Pen Show is the content. The show offers a wide range of classes, workshops, and discussion panels on topics ranging from nib tuning to calligraphy to zentangling, and of course fountain pens, inks, and paper! Today I’ll discuss my observations and takeaways from the two I attended last weekend.

Thursday Evening Panel Discussion: Exhibitors from Singapore and Japan Discuss Their Preferred Inks, Pens, and Paper

For me, the show kicked off on Thursday night with a panel discussion moderated by Lisa Vanness of Vanness Pens. The panel featured four guests: Naoyuki Takeuchi, the head of Ink Planning and Development at Nagasawa Stationery in Kobe Japan; Daryl Lim of Atelier Musubi; Satoru of seY Pen; and renowned nib artisan Yukio Nagahara, who attended the show with his company The Nib Shaper. (I was lucky enough to snag a front row seat since I agreed to act as “Timer” and did my best to keep everyone on schedule.)

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Takeuchi-san discusses his favorite fountain pen while his translator Anastasia looks on. Photo credit to Matthew Chen / Vanness Pens.

The discussion (and the follow-on Q&A) continued for well over an hour, so a complete recap of all the topics that were discussed is impossible. That said, here are my top three takeaways that I found the most interesting/insightful:

1. How does Nagasawa come up with ideas for hundreds of inks? More on this below, but Takeuchi-san provided some insight into how he comes up with ideas for the nearly 200 inks in the “Kobe Inks” collection. Interestingly enough, he described being able to “see things in color,” meaning that when he sees a landscape or building or natural wonder, he sees the color, as opposed to the shape. All of the Kobe Inks are inspired by landmarks and scenery around Kobe Japan, and the colors they evoke.

2. Do different regions/countries have different paper preferences? Apparently, the answer is yes, and I found this part of the discussion fascinating. According to Daryl Lim of Atelier Musubi, the North American fountain pen market strongly prefers ultra smooth, coated papers such as Tomoe River and Cosmo Air Light, whereas the Asian and European markets prefer more absorbent/textured paper such as Midori MD Cotton and similar European products with higher cotton content. My personal observation is that the North American market (and particularly the U.S. market), is heavily influenced by the belief that unless paper has absolutely zero bleedthrough/showthrough/feathering, it cannot be considered “fountain pen friendly” and should not be used or sold as suitable for fountain pens. Other markets are apparently much more tolerant of different ink behaviors on different paper, and will even accept slight feathering on certain paper in exchange for the shorter dry times and more cushiony writing feel.

3. How was the Naginata/Kodachi nib developed? Another of my favorite answers, in which Yukio Nagahara was asked about the story behind the development of his father’s “Naginata” nib that was created for Sailor and now has taken on a life of its own, with Nagahara-san having named his particular version of the nib the “Kodachi”, and also having taught other nib workers such as Matthew Chen the grind so that they can add to the wealth of nib options out there. The metaphor he used was “water falling on a stone,” as the nib grinds evolve over time as each maker perfects their technique.

Saturday Ink Seminar with Nagasawa Bungu Center

On Saturday, Nagasawa representatives held their own seminar in which Takeuchi-san and his translator Anastasia discussed the history behind the Sailor Kobe inks and explained in-depth how the inks were created in the years following the Great Hanshin Earthquake that occurred in 1995 to raise the community’s morale by celebrating the city following the devastation that occurred. The inks are numbered in the order they were created, and according to Nagasawa, the first three remain among the most popular: No. 1 (Rokko Green), No. 2 (Hatoba Blue), and No. 3 (Old City Sepia). Seminar attendees were given an ink sample card with the opportunity to test dozens of different Kobe inks that Nagasawa had loaded into tester pens and passed around the tables.

The Nagasawa Team presenting on Saturday.

The seminar concluded with a Q&A session. While there were some insightful questions posed, and the Nagasawa team did a great job attempting to respond thoroughly to everybody, this session reinforced a personal frustration I have with the degree to which some fountain pen users get very wrapped up in the technical details of what is a strongly analog, inexact, and artistic product. The focus of the Nagasawa Seminar was the history behind the Kobe Ink Series, its strong ties to Kobe, Japan, and the artistry and creativity necessary to create 150 different inks inspired by specific places around a single city. Yet I was a little dismayed at the extent to which the initial questions focused on things like ink formulation, “ink safety,” color variation in bottles purchased years apart, etc. Even though the questions themselves were genuine and honest, they felt misplaced. The story being told focused on the history of a classic product that’s sincerely rooted in its community with a strong sense of place - something rare in today’s market and certainly a story you wouldn’t hear in another venue. It’s not how I personally would have chosen to pick the brain of the creator of one of the most famous ink lines in the world. Again, I was extremely impressed with how the Nagasawa representatives quite graciously answered all the questions posed, speaking through a translator and in light of the fact that the inks themselves are manufactured by Sailor, who handles things like ink formulation.

Takeaways from One of the Best Pen Shows I Have Attended in Years

The San Francisco Pen Show remains one of the best shows on the circuit in terms of content and variety of exhibitors. If you appreciate Japanese stationery, there is no better show in the United States. I’m not going to do a full discussion of show logistics, crowds, etc., as you can find that elsewhere. There certainly were issues with crowds, navigation, and the fact that the show has likely outgrown its current venue, but I still wouldn’t miss this one for the world. See you all next year!

Many thanks to everyone who made this trip to the San Francisco Pen Show possible, especially Vanness Pens for hosting us at their table! I definitely plan to return next year.

San Francisco Pen Show Saturday Update: Come See Us If You Can Fight Through the Crowds!

Greetings from San Francisco! We’re tucked into Oak Room, which is straight down the entrance hall, all the way to the back on the left. We’re sharing table space with our friends at Vanness Pens and Galen Leather, so please do come see us.

San Francisco is one of the busiest pen shows I’ve attended in years. Please take it slow, be patient and kind, and accept up front that things are selling out very, very quickly so you may have to hunt for some of the more unique items. Regardless of whether you can purchase on site, there’s still a LOT of fun stuff to see because many vendors have demos, like the Drillog table shown above.

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Hmmm.

If you’re looking for a Roterfaden TGS_25 at the show, those unfortunately sold out in a few hours on Friday morning, but there is very limited stock still available online. (I’m posting this link here at the request of several show attendees so people know exactly where to go.)

Please note that our Nashville Shop is closed today due to travel, and will reopen next week. Updated hours can be found here.