Sunday Reading for June 9, 2024

1. 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.

2. 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…

3. Wanting and Having (via A Gathering of Curiosities). A beautiful piece about building a pen collection and, most of all, enjoying it.

4. 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

5. 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.

6. 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.

7. 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.

8. 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.

9. 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.

10. 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.

View fullsize

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.

View fullsize

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.

View fullsize

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!

Adventures in Stationery Travel: What, No Fountain Pens?

I took a short trip this weekend for a family wedding, and while it’s been fun to catch up with everyone at night, several different factors combined to turn this into more of a working vacation for me. I knew this would be the case ahead of time, and planned accordingly, though with a bit of a different strategy: traveling light with only those tools that I knew I would use for the next three days. Posts about what products I personally use in my own life every day are among the most requested, so while I have a short break here before everybody else wakes up, I thought I would walk through my pen case, my notebooks, and other accessories with a few words on why I chose them and how I use them.

Five Writing Instruments: No Fountain Pens

On a trip where I know I’ll have little privacy and will therefore struggle to accomplish any enjoyable personal writing, I’ve given up on bringing multiple fountain pens. At most, I’ll take one, and here I’ve foregone a fountain pen altogether in favor of my two Tom’s Studio Lumos fineliners, which offer me the “fountain pen feel” and some colorful ink without having to worry about the pens leaking or burping ink on the plane. Otherwise, I tend to be a ballpoint-mechanical-pencil-multi-pen guy for work travel, and as I’ve become a more seasoned pen addict, have come to appreciate the simplicity of working with these tools when you just want to get stuff done. The Uni Jetstream 4+1 Multi Pen is a workhorse with its four different .5mm tips plus a mechanical pencil, though I’ve also been carrying this yellow and black Uni Kuru Toga Alpha Gel Switch nearly everywhere I go, simply because that grip is so dang comfortable.

View fullsize

Pen Cases: One for Pens, One for Styluses

The Rickshaw Bagworks Sinclair Model-R remains a favorite for travel, because you can cram a lot into it. The model shown here is the Vanness Pens / Leigh Reyes collaboration, which makes an excellent travel companion because the inevitable ink and coffee stains simply blend in! As I hinted I might on Instagram, I grabbed one of the small Raymay Patalino cases to carry my Apple Pencil, reMarkable Marker, and the Lamy Safari “Twin Pen” Stylus/Ballpoint combo. I actually love having a dedicated stylus case for when I travel, as it eliminates the inconvenience of fumbling around in your bag for a stylus that refuses to stay magnetically attached to the tablet and ends up at the bottom underneath everything else you’ve packed.

View fullsize

Introducing the Good Made Better Bibliofile! Though it might look a little complicated, the cords and fasteners are actually fairly easy to use. I’ve been carrying this device on an almost daily basis, and when used in combination with modular cases like the Sinclair Model R and Patalino, really cleans up the inside of your bag.

Notebooks and Paper: Planner, Binder, and E-ink Tablet

My “working duo” of an A5 Roterfaden Taschenbegleiter (with my Hobonichi Cousin and a Midori MD Cotton A5 notebook) and Plotter A5 binder traveled with me, along with my iPad Pro and reMarkable tablet. I plan to write a follow up post containing additional thoughts on tablets and e-ink devices soon - they have their place in my rotation, but they’ve never replaced certain parts of my paper-based workflow. What I really wanted to preview, however, is a new creation from Good Made Better, which I picked up in Chicago. Made from thick felt and elastic cords, the “Bibliofile” book carrier/protector holds your books and notebooks tightly together when they are in your bag - preventing those oh-so-annoying bent covers and pages while making packing a heck of a lot easier - and it can also serve as a portable bookshelf of sorts when you’re on the road. Like the pocket pen I teased, this is another “experimental” prototype product from Good Made Better that I hope takes off and goes mainstream, but for now you can buy it at pen shows.

View fullsize

Takeaways

I’m trying to pare down what I carry in my bag when I travel. Letting things sit unused, especially after taking the time to pack and lug them through the airport, creates a sense of anxiety and frustration, and I’ve found that I’m happier and more productive when I’m realistic in choosing the best tools for a trip. I’m seriously considering the idea of having a set “stationery travel pouch” that is always packed and ready to go, even if it means purchasing duplicates of a few key items (like mechanical pencils and multi-pens). A few friends have adopted this strategy, and I’m interested whether others have a specific travel setup that they use by default, simply so you don’t have to think too much about packing. Drop a comment or send me a message!

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

Adventures in Weird Stationery: The Metacil "Infinity" Pencil

So-called “infinity” or “forever” pencils have been around for years, marketing themselves as anytime/anywhere writing instruments that never need to be sharpened. The Metacil barrel is made from lightweight machined aluminum, and the tip contains some sort of aluminum alloy, possibly with graphite blended in for added darkness. While the points technically won’t last forever, you can write with them for a very long time without having to replace the tip.

View fullsize

Though the pencil itself is branded “sun-star,” the packaging has Bandai Namco as the maker.

When I visited Kinokuniya in New York back in March, I picked up a couple of Bandai-Namco “Metacil” pencils on a whim, and found myself pleasantly surprised by how well these things wrote. While they certainly won’t replace mechanical or woodcase pencils in my everyday writing rotation, I see a few reasons why these pencils are increasingly popular for specific use cases:

• No wood shavings or graphite dust. While the sharpening process can be meditative/contemplative and is one of the main reasons I love writing with woodcase pencils, under certain circumstances it can be inconvenient (i.e., when you need to make quick notes in a meeting or find yourself working in a location where there’s no convenient way to clean up your sharpening “mess”). I also give them convenience points for portability, such as when I’m reading on the patio, in a park, or on the beach and either can’t or don’t want to carry a sharpener with me.

• Lighter "2H” grade markings are easy to erase. I like to annotate books and make small checkmarks, etc. in books that I’ve borrowed. These need to be erased prior to the book being returned to its owner. Marks made by lighter-grade graphite and pencils such as the Metacil erase with little effort, making them excellent annotation tools.

• Portability without risk of lead breakage. I’ve been dropping my Metacil pencils into a general stationery pouch without issue. I treat them like a stylus (Apple Pencil, reMarkable Marker, Kindle Scribe Stylus, etc.) and they’ve held up quite well. I wouldn’t recommend carrying these in your pocket, as the point is quite hard and you could accidentally stick yourself in the leg.

View fullsize

A stand-alone Metacil writing sample on Blackwing “Illegal Pad” paper.

View fullsize

Another shot of the writing sample on the same paper, compared here to the Blackwing “Soft” core found in the Blackwing Matte pencils. This is basically a comparison between 2H and 4B graphite.

Tips for Writing with Infinity Pencils

There isn’t really a drawback to infinity pencils, other than you don’t get the tactile experience of writing with a woodcase pencil that so many people love. They’re sort of an odd stationery item that will appeal to certain people like myself who enjoy using pencils to mark stuff up but occasionally find themselves in circumstances where they can’t sharpen a woodcase pencil and they don’t want to deal with possible lead breakage and graphite dust that still happens with mechanical pencils and leadholders. As I referenced earlier in this post, I’d generally compare the Metacil hardness to 2H graphite with ordinary use. Writing on a harder surface or paper with more texture will result in a darker line and the best overall tactile feel. Darkness will also increase with added writing pressure. While the inability to sharpen the tip may affect your ability to write smaller script, I’ve found the point size consistently usable, and I have small-ish handwriting.

View fullsize

I love my red Metacil (as of yet unavailable for me to stock), but I think the “Stormtrooper” white version looks best in person.

We currently have a small test batch of the full-size Metacil Pencils in the Curated Shop, priced at $15, in either a black or white finish. If they do well I’ll try to seek out other colors. “Infinity pencil” technology seems to have come a long way since I first tried these out back in 2015(?), when they were so light you could barely read the mark. The Metacil has actually been something I pick up and write with, and has turned into one of my “porch pencils” of choice.

View fullsize

While you likely won’t have to replace the tip due to wear for a very long time, the tips screw out for easy replacement. I should have them sourced in the shop soon.

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: Caran d'Ache + Nespresso 6th Edition, Plus a Pencil Restock

New arrivals in the shop this week include the latest collaboration between Caran d’Ache and Nespresso: the 6th Edition 849 Ballpoint featuring recycled aluminum derived from the midnight blue Kazaar capsule. The Caran d’Ache + Nespresso collaborations were one of the very first special edition lines we chose to stock in the shop, so they have a special place in my rotation and I always look forward to these annual releases! This pen features a matte midnight blue barrel with matching monochromoatic knock and clip, and ships with a medium black “Goliath” refill.

View fullsize

We generally carry all of the Caran d’Ache special releases and most of the standard line products, including the 4th Edition Nespresso Swiss Wood Pencils, the gradient-inspired “Blue Lagoon” 849 ballpoint and mechanical pencil set, a couple remaining Keith Haring 849s, and the Rylsee Special Edition Fixpencil Lettering Sets. This latest shipment also included a full restock on Caran d’Ache pencils, including the Swiss Wood series, eraser-tipped office pencils, and the red, blue or green Fixpencil 884!

The Gentleman Stationer is an authorized retailer of Caran d’Ache Products.

View fullsize

The Swiss Wood pencil will always be an iconic favorite!

Fountain Pen Basics: Don't Be Scared of Broad Nibs!

Last year I ran an Instagram poll in which I asked followers to vote on their preferred nib size. By a wide margin, fine and medium nibs won out, which corresponds to what I generally see going out the door in our shop. For today's post I thought I'd talk about my efforts over the past year to branch out beyond my default "medium" nib preference, and specifically my experiments with broad nibs for everyday writing.

Why Many People Avoid Broad Nibs (Including New Users)

If you find yourself in the “scared to try it” category, you’re not alone! Back when I first started using fountain pens, I could never envision myself using a broad nib for everyday writing and waited nearly three years before venturing beyond medium. Why? Here’s what my brain told me:

"Broad nibs are messy because there's too much ink."

"The ink will bleed through the page."

"My handwriting isn't that large."

While all of these statements have an element of truth, in the sense that broader nibs do put more ink on the page, I’ve found that the difference between a medium and a broad is not as pronounced as many believe, especially with standard stainless steel nibs. For sure, a GOLD broad nib can absolutely write very wet - especially when paired with an ebonite feed - but I've come to discover that broad JoWo and Bock stainless steel nibs might actually appeal more to me than the medium. How so?

• As you can see from the writing samples below, the line width on the stainless steel broad nib doesn't require me to increase the size of my handwriting, despite being ever-so-slightly broader.

• While the broad nib definitely writes an "inkier" line, the steel nibs aren't so wet that they cause performance issues - at least no more than a relatively wet medium. This added ink flow actually lends a smoother feel to the nib that I find pleasant for longer writing sessions, and allows me to see more of the ink's properties (shimmer, sheen, and/or shading).

• I go through more ink. I am still reluctant to flush a pen while it's partially filled with ink and prefer to write my pens dry. That said, I also like to rotate through my pen collection regularly. With broad nibs, you'll use more ink, which means more variety!

• Finally, broad nibs are ripe for customization! I’ve started ordering broad nibs with most of my custom pens, and it’s become my default size whenever I pick up a new TWSBI, because I know that if I ever get bored with the round broad nib I can always have it ground to an architect, stub, cursive italic, or Naginata-style/kodachi nib because there’s plenty of tipping available. You can even have a broad nib ground down to a fine or a needlepoint - for the most part, it’s easy for a nib grinder to take a nib down in size, but you obviously can’t go up! Also, where possible, consider experimenting with pens that have interchangeable nib units. In addition to having the nib ground, you can also just swap it out should you not like the experience.

View fullsize

A writing sample comparing stainless steel medium and broad nibs from the same brands. From top: Broad and Medium Magna carta No. 8 nibs, followed by Broad and Medium JoWo No. 6 nibs. Inks used were from Tom’s Studio, and the paper is Midori MD Cotton.

Give a Broad Nib a Try!

For beginners, TWSBI and JoWo currently make my favorite stainless steel broad nibs and are good places to start. My first broad nib was a TWSBI Diamond 540 that I loved because it wrote just slightly broader than the TWSBI medium, and it was followed by a broad nib unit for my Pilot Vanishing Point (which essentially writes like a medium from many other brands). Pilot and other Japanese brands might actually be an exception to the general rule of thumb that broad gold nibs run wet, as Japanese nibs tend to write narrower than their designated nib size.

So in short, don't be like me and wait three years before you try a broad, especially if you're already using medium nibs. You might find that you’ve been missing out!

The Gentleman Stationer is supported entirely by purchases from the T.G.S. Curated Shop and pledges via the T.G.S. Patreon Program. If you enjoy our content, please consider supporting us directly!