Not that many of us were planning on leaving the house anyway, but we have a combination holiday/snow day here in the States, and I figured I’d do my part to celebrate! For today only, take 10% off orders in The Curated Shop, using the coupon code “SNOWEDIN”. Orders may be delayed for a couple days since I’m, well, currently snowed/iced in, and won’t be driving anywhere to ship packages. Stay safe out there!
Introducing the Caran d'Ache Léman Fountain Pen (in "Klein Blue" Lacquer!)
This morning I’m introducing the latest Caran d’Ache + Klein Blue collaboration product that’s made its way into The T.G.S. Curated Shop - the Caran d’Ache Léman Fountain Pen in the signature Klein Blue lacquer. I’ll confess - I’ve been more than a bit nervous in advance of this launch, as it’s my first foray into (1) stocking a limited edition fountain pen and (2) a high-end one at that, but after getting my hands on the other Klein Blue products I’ve fallen in love with this shade of ultramarine to such a degree that I couldn’t pass up the opportunity.
The Caran d’Ache Léman is, by most accounts, unfortunately overlooked by the U.S. community of fountain pen enthusiasts. Similar to pens from other European brands such as modern Waterman, S.T. Dupont, and Otto Hutt, which focus on a more understated design, the Léman tends to fly under the radar despite many characteristics that warrant closer consideration. Let’s take a look.
By today’s standards, the Léman is a moderately sized fountain pen, measuring 5.5” capped, 5” uncapped/unposted, and 6.25” posted. Proportions-wise, it feels similar in hand to the Otto Hutt Design 06 or the Montegrappa Passione, with slightly more heft and a longer section. The body of the pen is lacquered brass, so the Léman has some weight to it, but it’s balanced to the point where I personally did not have issues writing with the pen posted or unposted. Like the Otto Hutt Design 06, the section has a concave hourglass shape to it, though as I mentioned, the Léman’s section is longer and the shape less pronounced, offering a bit more room to adjust your grip on this pen.
The Léman comes equipped with a rhodium-plated 18k gold nib, which writes a moderately wet line with just a touch of feedback that I found pleasant. The cartridge-converter filling system accepts both the included Caran d’Ache converter, as well as short international cartridges.
The Caran d’Ache Léman fountain pen shown here next to the Otto Hutt Design 06.
The Caran d’Ache Léman Klein Blue Limited Edition Gift Set
I’m pleased to offer the Caran d’Ache Léman in the T.G.S. Curated Shop, in the limited edition Klein Blue finish. Due to the limited nature of this release, I was only able to procure two pens for sale, both with 18k medium nibs. Each pen ships in a gift box, with 50ml bottle of Caran d’Ache Chromatics limited edition Ultramarine ink. These are priced at $640 per set, which will include fully insured shipping. You can check out the rest of the Caran d’Ache + Klein Blue products I have available here.
Sales through the T.G.S. Curated Shop are how I plan to support this website going forward. As such, if I am posting information about a product I sell, that fact will be plainly disclosed, much as I disclose sponsor/affiliate relationships.
My Personal Traveler's Notebook, Plus Traveler's Notebooks in The Curated Shop!
Earlier this month, I teased my notebook setup for 2021, and the biggest change was that I have my Traveler’s Notebook firmly back in the rotation. Two things drove this: (1) After experimenting with pretty much every notebook format out there, I’ve come to realize that I prefer taller/narrower notebooks for most of my writing as opposed to a standard A4 or A5; and (2) I prefer versatile formats that allow me to easily subdivide notebooks into sections and add planners and organizing accessories, without being locked into a “dated planner” system. After using the Traveler’s Notebook on and off for the past six years, I’ve come full circle and feel very much at home here. Today’s post is a few shots of my personal notebook setup, with a brief description on how I use each one and links to the specific refills.
For organizational purposes, my Traveler’s Notebook has sticker pouches on the inside of the cover, as well as one of the zippered PVC pouches to hold things like paper clips, stamps, and a few Book Darts.
After the zippered pouch, I have a Kraft Paper Folder that I use to hold travel itineraries, notes, and other loose paper (typically folded). Back when I was traveling extensively for work, any hard copy travel documentation went in here.
The first refill I use is the Standard size “Free Diary” (Weekly + Memo), which I use for blog planning (with notes) and logging various things I track during the week. It can also serve as a mini-journal and repository for quotes and snippets of things I’ve read during the week.
The second refill I use is the “Free Diary (Daily),” which is an undated daily planner refill that I use as a journal. (Since I don’t always write every day, I tend to ignore the numbered pages and just write in the date.) These refills have enough pages for 60 days, assuming one day per page.
The last refill I’m using (for notes, etc.) is the standard blank MD Paper refill that ships with all Traveler’s Notebook starter kits.
So I use three refills total for writing. After the last refill, I have one more pocket sticker on the back cover. Here, you can also see the Medium Pen Holder in Blue (with my Traveler’s Company Brass Ballpoint Pen). This particular Traveler’s Notebook cover was a limited edition from a few years ago, but Traveler’s Company has since released a standard blue notebook. I purchased the orange band separately, as part of a Traveler’s Notebook Repair Kit that allows you to upgrade your band to one of eight colors.
New Traveler’s Company Products Available in The T.G.S. Curated Shop
As you may have seen already, I’m happy to announce that the T.G.S. Curated Shop now stocks the full line of Traveler’s Notebook Starter Kits, Refills, and Accessories! I currently have notebooks available in most sizes and colors (both Standard and Passport), as well as most of the paper refills and accessories, though some are on backorder with the distributor. Please feel free to reach out directly if you have any questions about the Traveler’s Notebook system and how I personally use it. I will also be posting more in-depth Traveler’s Notebook content in the coming months, including a Passport notebook I’m setting up for pocket carry.
This post contains links to the T.G.S. Curated Shop. All products shown here are authentic Traveler’s Company products. The Gentleman Stationer is an authorized retailer of Traveler’s Company Products and The Traveler’s Notebook.
M+R Brass Sharpeners: Point Comparison
One goal of mine for 2021 is to publish more content responsive to reader questions, and a common question I’ve received is how the points of the various M+R brass pencil sharpeners compare to one another. For today’s post I’ve put together a quick pictorial showing how each works, using a commonly available pencil (the Tombow 2558 HB) for comparison purposes.
Note: All sharpeners and pencils pictured here are available for purchase in the T.G.S. Curated Shop, which along with the T.G.S. Patreon Program is how I support the site. Many thanks!
The Tombow 2258 is a relatively inexpensive, high-quality HB office pencil that works well with nearly all sharpeners.
Brass Bullet Pencil Sharpener
I’ve said before that I believe M+R’s “Brass Bullet” sharpener to be an essential piece of stationery kit. While not a long-point sharpener, the Brass Bullet is versatile, portable, and at $6, inexpensive. It’s also durable, and with replacement blades, can last a very long time. (Purchase here)
M+R Brass Bullet
“Castor” Long Point Pencil Sharpener
If you enjoy the format of the Brass Bullet, but prefer a longer point on your pencil, the “Castor” brass sharpener offers a single-hole option, making for a more portable format and simpler operation than two-stage sharpeners such as the KUM Long-Point or KUM Masterpiece. (Purchase here)
M+R Castor
“Pollux” Long Point Pencil Sharpener
The Pollux represents an attempt at a modern version of vintage “concave” sharpeners, which creates an extra-long, nearly curved point that’s fun to write with (but even more fun to sharpen). Given the unique nature of this sharpener, it’s important to know that it doesn’t work particularly well with ultra-soft or low-quality graphite. Most pencils from companies such as Blackwing, Mitsubishi, and Tombow, such as that shown here, will be fine. (Purchase here)
M+R Pollux
M+R Brass Lead Pointer
For those looking for an upgrade over the built-in sharpener on your Caran d’Ache fixpencil or other lead holder, the M+R Brass Lead Pointer is worth consideration. With two holes sized to fit both 2mm and 3.2mm leads, it’s a versatile sharpener capable of putting a sharp point on your lead holder pencil. It’s also pocketable like the brass bullet, so it won’t bulk up your kit. (Purchase here)
M+R Lead Pointer
A side-by-side point comparison, from left: Brass Bullet, Pollux, and Castor. Replacement blades are also available, for both the standard sharpeners and the Castor/Pollux.
Klein Blue Pencil Sets from Caran d'Ache
This fall Caran d’Ache launched a collaboration with the estate of artist Yves Klein, in which they released items from their catalogue in the artist’s signature shade of ultramarine blue. The Caran d’Ache + Klein Blue limited editions include this set of four luxury HB pencils, which feature high quality unfinished cedar dipped in Yves Klein’s signature ultramarine pigment. Now available in the T.G.S. Curated Shop, along with other Caran d’Ache pencil sets such as the Crayons de la Maison Caran d’Ache, Edition No. 9, as well as the Swiss Wood Gift Set.
My initial allocation of these Klein Blue sets was extremely limited and sold out quickly. While I received more this time, I do expect these to follow suit, so if you’ve been waiting on these I wouldn’t hesitate.
I sell the pencils referred to in this post via the T.G.S. Curated Shop. If you enjoy the content on The Gentleman Stationer, please consider purchasing directly from us, where possible, or supporting us on Patreon. My goal is to make this website entirely independent and self-sustaining going forward.