New Arrivals: Paul Smith x Caran d'Ache Edition No. 4!

They’re here! Finally, we get a follow-up to the wildly successful release that helped us kick off the T.G.S. Curated Shop all the way back in 2020. This new collaboration between designer Paul Smith and Swiss brand Caran d’Ache features the iconic Caran d’Ache 849 ballpoint in six color combinations: Racing Green + Navy, Warm Red + Melrose Pink, Cobalt + Emerald, Sky Blue + Lavender, Chartreuse + Rose, and Cyan + Steel. Available now for purchase, though some colors are going fast and we will restock more soon.

All six color combinations from this year’s Paul Smith/Caran d’Ache collaboration. Which one is your favorite?

We carry a wide range of Caran d’Ache products in our shop, including the 849 ballpoints, the larger 849 Rollerball, and - recently arrived - the full range of Chromatics fountain pen inks.

The T.G.S. Curated Shop is an authorized retailer of all brands sold, including Caran d’Ache.

New Arrivals: Caran d'Ache Chromatics Inks in 50ml Bottles!

On yesterday’s Currently Inked video, I mentioned that Caran d’Ache Chromatics inks would be joining the T.G.S. Curated Shop in 50ml bottle format. We now have all 11 colors in stock and ready to ship! This is in addition to the major Caran d’Ache restock from a couple of weeks ago, in which favorites like the 849 Black Code, the 849 Original, and more were added back to the shop.

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The Caran d’Ache ink bottle is slightly angled to make filling easier.

The Caran d’Ache Chromatics series features unique and vibrant colors. Favorites include “Infinite Grey”, which has purple undertones and looks almost silver in some light when it dries. “Divine Pink” reminds me of a slightly darker Iroshizuku Yama-Budo, and “Delicate Green” is a very legible grass green suitable for everyday writing. Caran d’Ache Chromatics inks are available now, priced at $35 for a 50ml bottle.

The Gentleman Stationer is an authorized retailer of all brands sold, including Caran d’Ache. Many thanks for your support!

Currently Inked for Monday, April 17, 2023: A Demonstration on Swapping Lamy Nibs

Happy Monday! As I mentioned last night on Instagram, I wanted to do a quick video demonstration of how to change the nib on a Lamy Safari/AL-Star/Studio/LX. It’s typically a pretty straightforward process, using the technique of wrapping a small piece of cellophane sticky tape (Scotch Tape for those of us in the states) around the nib and pulling it off. I say “typically,” because as you will see in the Youtube video, sometimes things don’t go according to plan. On one of my Lamy Studios, the nib simply would not come unstuck, so I ended up pulling the entire nib/feed assembly and sliding them together into the section of another Studio. (It’s not as scary as it sounds. You really have to manhandle any of the lower-priced Lamy pens in order to break them. All of my gold-nibs survived the process shown in the video, but for good measure do practice on the stainless steel version first!)

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The Lamy “Cursive” Calligraphy nib features narrower downstrokes and slightly wider cross-strokes, similar to an architect grind.

Lamy Replacement Nibs (Including the Cursive Calligraphy nibs) Are Now Available in the Shop

Yesterday I announced that the T.G.S. Curated Shop is an authorized Lamy retailer! We carry the full line of Lamy 2000 models (fountain pen, ballpoints, rollerballs, multipens, and mechanical pencils), select pens from the Safari and AL-Star lineup, and all of the refills. Look for us to add additional items in the future. As I note in the video, we stock stainless steel Lamy replacement nibs in most sizes, as well as the Cursive Calligraphy nib, which is ostensibly intended to write cursive script such as Chinese and Japanese characters, but is ground similarly to an architect/Kodachi/Naginata-style nib. If you’ve been interested in trying one of these nib styles, but have hesitated to sacrifice a pen on a nib grind that you don’t know you’ll like, one of these nibs could be a relatively inexpensive experiment. I’ve enjoyed it enough to swap the cursive nib onto two of my personal pens and will be definitely writing more in the weeks to come.

The Gentleman Stationer is supported entirely by purchases from the T.G.S. Curated Shop, and pledges via the T.G.S. Patreon Program.

New Arrivals: Anterique Ballpoints and Lamy Pico Pocket Pens!

Following the announcements of new fountain pens, clutch pencils, and more, it’s ballpoint week here in the T.G.S. Curated Shop! A good ballpoint pen has become one of my core everyday writing tools, and as ballpoint ink technology continues to improve, you no longer have to deal with the stickiness and smearing of traditional oil-based ballpoint pens. We’ve recently added a line of pens from Anterique Stationers of Japan, which use an excellent .5mm “Mach Ball” low-viscosity refill and comes in two different formats: a vintage-inspired click-pen design, as well as an upgraded “Brass Edition” with a machined brass barrel. As an added bonus, the parts of the Anterique pens are interchangeable so you can create your own perfect color combination. Standard pens start at $5.50, with the Brass Edition priced at $29.

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For this week’s “Currently Inked” video, we looked at both the Anterique lineup and a bonus surprise that arrived in the mail from WMS&Co. I’ve been more active on the Youtube Channel recently, so please give a follow there if you enjoy the video content, which will include more “hands on” demonstrations than is possible here on the blog.

Over the past couple of weeks, you may have noticed that we are now authorized retailers of select pens from Pilot, Kaweco, and now, Lamy! The first Lamy pen has arrived: the Lamy Pico pocket pen, which is an excellent EDC pocket carry option that extends from a compact 3.5” to a full 5”. We reviewed the Pico years ago, and it’s held up so well that we wanted to add it to our curation. Available now in multiple colors for under $40.

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The Lamy Pico is simply one of the best Pocket ballpoints available.

The Gentleman Stationer is an authorized retailer of all brands sold.

New Arrivals: TWSBI 580 ALR Punch Pink and TWSBI 580 AL Rose Fountain Pens, Plus a Saffron Restock!

Since you all cleaned us out of most of our top-selling TWSBI models, between pen shows and the series of recent new releases, we had to do an “emergency” restock! Many items have been marked as “out-of-stock” for some time, so it’s best to do a quick round-up of what’s available:

1. TWSBI ECO Persian Green. The latest TWSBI ECO is in-stock and ready to ship. I love the mid-century modern vibes that this particular color gives off.

2. TWSBI ECO-T Saffron, for those of you who couldn’t grab one in Baltimore! Based on color alone, this is my favorite TWSBI release to date. The shape of the grip and cap on the ECO-T is subtly different - read more about it here.

3. TWSBI Diamond 580 “Iris” Models in all nib sizes.

4. TWSBI Precision Ballpoint Pens and Mechanical Pencils.

5. TWSBI Inks and Ink Cartridges, including the TWSBI 1791 inks in all colors and the six-ink Sets.

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Honestly, I keep waiting for one of the new TWSBI designs to - well, maybe not flop, but simply “not wow” - but it hasn’t happened yet. The ECO-T Saffron and ECO Persian Green are both available now.

Last Chance to Get a TWSBI Diamond 580 ALR Punch Pink or 580 AL Rose

Long ago, TWSBI released both red and orange Diamond 580 models, which I now regret passing along in the spirit of “catch and release”. When I placed this last TWSBI order, I noticed that some stock remained of the Diamond 580 ALR “Punch Pink” and the Diamond 580 AL “Rose” models, which are available in VERY limited quantities in the shop, in specific nib sizes. Once these are gone, they’re gone, so this is a “last chance” opportunity, unless TWSBI decides to release a similar color down the road.

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The TWSBI Diamond 580 AL Rose and the ALR “Punch Pink” can be difficult to tell apart in some of the online photos, but this one shows the difference. The “Punch Pink” is much more of a reddish pink, and has the ALR texture on the grip plus a matching anodized cap band. The AL Rose is more of a true red, with a smooth section.

The Gentleman Stationer is an authorized retailer of all brands sold.