New Arrivals: TWSBI ECO Caffé Bronze and Lumos Mini Fineliners!

The latest TWSBI ECO release is now available! The bronze trim pens released over the past year have been among my favorite, including both this latest coffee-colored fountain pen, dubbed the Caffé Bronze, and the restocked Indigo Blue + Bronze model. I find the bronze to be slightly darker and deeper in tone than TWSBI’s popular rose gold plating. The pens arrived yesterday so they are available to ship immediately.

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So what else is new? In addition the full-size Tom’s Studio Lumos Pro and Lumos Pro Duo pens, we now offer the pocketable Lumos Mini! If you’re a fan of fineliners, the Lumos pens are an excellent way to use your fountain pen and pigmented inks in a refillable fineliner format. The pens themselves are slim enough to fit into most planner loops, making them an excellent choice for Plotter. Read more about the Lumos series and how it works here.

The Gentleman Stationer is an authorized retailer of both Tom’s Studio and TWSBI products. T.G.S. is supported entirely by purchases from the T.G.S. Curated Shop and pledges via the T.G.S. Patreon Program.

Sunday Reading for April 28, 2024

1. 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.

2. 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?

3. 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.

4. You Can Only Keep One (via Well-Appointed Desk). And now it’s Laura’s turn!

5. 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.

6. 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.

7. 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.

8. Kokuyo Perpanep Notebooks (via Pen Addict - Kimberly). Are the Perpanep notebooks back? I was under the impression they had been discontinued.

9. My Ink 100: Part 3 - Swatch-a-Thon (via Well-Appointed Desk). Are you following along with Ana’s “Ink 100” project?

10. 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.

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.

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….

Traveler's Company

TWSBI

Stalogy

Tomoe River

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2024 Update to the "Best Pen" List: Top 5 Mechanical Pencils

Or maybe I should now say “Best Pen/Pencil” list? Earlier this month I teased some impending updates in the form of Mechanical and Woodcase pencil categories, and the “Mechanical Pencil” category is now live. I was waiting on an initial shipment of this favorite shown below to arrive before I launched, but overall there shouldn’t be too many surprises on the list! Enjoy!

If you don’t need the automatic lead advancement mechanism of the Kuru Toga Dive, the Pentel Sharp Kerry gives you a capped mechanical pencil option at a more reasonable price point.

Pen Review: Tom's Studio "The Studio Pocket" Fountain Pen (and Architect Nib!)

So why did I choose to review this relatively new, niche product during the T.G.S. 10th Anniversary month? Because it provides a great example of just how much the community has changed in the past decade-plus, both from an enthusiast and retail perspective.

In the early 2010s, when I first rediscovered fountain pens and stationery as a serious interest, the range of available products was still limited to your traditional "legacy" brands (Parker, Sheaffer, Waterman, Montblanc, Aurora, Omas, etc.). Sure, there were a lot of great pens available - including many I wish I had purchased at original retail and currently covet a great deal - but the market lacked many of the offbeat, original designs from smaller makers at a lower price point. There certainly weren't many "pocket" fountain pens available, as that product category didn't take off until Kaweco expanded the Sport lineup and began introducing other popular designs such as the Liliput.

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Today, smaller brands from independent makers and/or designers proliferate, such as Tom's Studio, which started out as a very small calligraphy-focused maker but which has gradually expanded into fountain pens, refillable fineliners, fountain pen inks, and even a recently released mechanical pencil. I reviewed the "Lumos" fineliner pens a week or so back, and in the meantime have been looking at two different fountain pens: the "Studio" and "Studio Pocket".

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The most interesting design aspect of the Studio Pocket fountain pen is that there are no threads on the cap or barrel. The cap closes using two o-rings embedded into grooves in the barrel section, and this is also how the pen posts. (While o-rings are made of rubber and won't last forever, this type of generic black o-ring is easily replaceable.) Thus far, I've had no issues with the cap staying on the pen or the pen posting securely. I love that there are no threads to interfere with the grip.

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Second, when you post the Studio Pocket, it extends to a much larger writing instrument that you typically see with pocket fountain pens. Made from machined aluminum, the faceted cap adds length without adding much weight at all. The pen rests comfortably in my hand and feels well-balanced. Sometimes manufacturers go for designs that are visually interesting but don't really end up working in the "real world" - i.e., when you actually want to write with the pen. This isn't such a situation. Per their own website, Tom's Studio pays careful attention to things like balance and ergonomics. It's not just lip service.

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So far my experience writing with the Tom's Studio "Studio Pocket" has been largely positive. In addition to the o-ring posting mechanism, a hallmark of the pen is the long textured section, which is intended to make the Studio Pocket usable regardless of how you hold your pen. The texture comes from machined micro-grooves, which are increasingly common in the machined pen world as a way to minimize the slippage that will inevitably occur with an untextured metal grip.

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But What About That Architect Nib:)

Yes, the Architect nib. In recent months, Tom's Studio has received much attention for their interchangeable nib units, which now includes a "Pro Flex" (Zebra G Calligraphy setup), a "Semi-Flex" (your typical stainless steel nib with a longer slit down the midde), a "Cursive Italic" (which I've found to be more of a traditional italic, but that's a matter of preference), and the Architect. So far, the Pro-flex and Architect Nibs are the best of the bunch. This is an amazingly smooth, broad architect-style nib, which at $19 offers incredible value, especially to those who have never tried an architect nib and have been hesitant to send a prized pen off to a nibgrinder simply to experiment. For those new to fountain pens, an architect nib is ground to a wedge-like shape, with narrower downstrokes and broader cross strokes. (You often hear it described as a "reverse stub.") Please note that Tom’s Studio nibs are only compatible with Tom’s Studio pens. These are specially made to fit the Studio and Studio Pocket, and while you may be able to swap them into different housings, I have not experimented with this and it’s not an advertised feature.

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I've found broader architect nibs to be more forgiving of writing angles, making this a better option for a stock nib than a finer grind as it should work for more people.

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You can read more about why I enjoy architect-style nibs (as well as other nib grinds) in this post. Over the years, the architect has become a favorite custom grind of mine, and it seems crazy that you can now get a stock architect that’s this good at this price point. The narrow downstrokes are compatible with my smaller handwriting, and I love the angular look it lends to my notes. The writing sample shown here is with the stock Tom’s Studio black ink cartridge on Clairefontaine paper.

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The Studio Pocket is a pocket fountain pen, and marketed as cartridge-only. Each pen ships with a converter/syringe device that you can use to refill your spent cartridges with the ink of your choice.

Takeaways and Where to Buy

I've been thoroughly enjoying the Studio Pocket, which I opted for in the dark purple "Iris" color. I immediately swapped out the stock fine nib and have been using the Architect's nib nearly exclusively, and I'm fairly confident it will remain installed in this pen indefinitely. The more I use this pen, the more I appreciate the faceted design. It's both a roll-stop and a satisfying fidget toy to roll around in your hand!

The Studio Pocket comes in seven different colors. From left: Black, Sage, Ivy, Wisteria, Iris, Mulberry, and Blush.

We've recently launched Tom's Studio as a brand in the T.G.S. Curated Shop, and it's been a popular addition. The Lumos fineliners sold out nearly immediately, and we plan to restock them as soon as possible. On the fountain pen side, we have both the original "Studio" fountain pen and the "Studio Pocket" shown here. We currently offer the Studio Pocket in either a fine or medium nib, priced at $108. Specialty nibs are sold separately, though with our next order we may consider stocking the fountain pens with the specialty nibs installed. (That's a bit of an investment, so it totally depends on the overall level of interest.) I do think that $108 +$19 for a pocket fountain pen with two nibs, one of which is a pre-ground architect, represents a decent deal, especially if you're experimenting for the first time with an architect nib and don't want to lay out $50+ for a custom grind.

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

TGS Anniversary Promotion: Bonus Stickers and a Giveaway!

T.G.S. is 10 years old this month! To celebrate our “bloggiversary,” (or “webbiversary,” or whatever you want to call it), we’re going to be giving some some stuff away and running a TGS Swag/Sticker promotion in the shop. Through the end of the month, all T.G.S. Curated Shop orders that qualify for free shipping are going to receive one of our large 3” holographic water-bottle stickers, while supplies last. If we run out of stickers, we’ll substitute a couple coasters, an acrylic pin, or something similar. As a reminder, all orders over $75 qualify for free shipping in the T.G.S. Shop, and no coupon code is necessary as we’ll just add the items to your package when we ship. There’s plenty to check out in the shop, as we’ve recently received a fresh shipment of Roterfaden Taschenbegleiters, new releases from Lamy and Kaweco, as well as some offbeat multi pen and gel pen items from Uni!

Don’t Miss Our Giveaway Courtesy of Scriveiner!

UK-based Scriveiner fountain pens recently sent me a box full of fountain pens and rollerballs, some of which I am retaining for review purposes, but others that I’m going to be giving away two fountain pens as part of our 10th Anniversary festivities! All you need to do to enter is leave a comment on this blog post or like the Instagram post that will go up today. For the comment, share your favorite T.G.S. review or a favorite pen that you learned about through T.G.S.! It’s always fun to hear what content people have found helpful. Winners will be drawn by assigning a number to all comments and likes and choosing winners via a random number generator. This is open to all but international winners may be asked to pay shipping.

As always, thanks for reading!

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