Sunday Reading for July 18, 2021

July 18, 2021

The Noodler’s Cinematic Universe: Six Degrees of Baystate Blue (via Left Hook Pens). It’s been FAR too long since anyone’s talked about the great “Baystate Blue controversy.” This is a must-read for those who joined the pen and stationery community in recent years, with history of the ink and why people continue using this vibrant color despite its quirks.
Lamy 2000 Brown (via Bleistift). I’m not sure how I feel about this version of what might be my favorite fountain pen in existence. Part of me loves that Lamy isn't diverging from its understated color palette on its Lamy 2000 limited editions. The other part of me is angry at the price point.
Schon DSGN Ultem Fountain Pen (via Pensplaining). Lisa over at Pensplaining reviews the new Schon DSGN fountain pen made from ultem, a material that has rarely been used in pen making until recently. I can’t wait to see one of these in person, hopefully in D.C.
Drillog: Precision Drill Tipped Dip Pen (via Gourmet Pens). Ok, this product is intriguing to me, but the price point is a bit too high for me to experiment with, since I’m not necessarily a huge dip pen user. Extremely cool idea, though.
An Interview with Rachel, The Creator of the Profolio Oasis Summit Notebook (via Fountain Pen Love). I enjoy reading interviews with the creators of products we enjoy. This one makes me want to go out and try a Profolio. (I also love B6-sized notebooks.)
Tono & Lims No. 11: The Boundary Between Like and Dislike (via Fountain Pen Pharmacist). I reviewed at Tono & Lims ink for the first time myself this week, and I have to say, with literally hundreds of different colors, they really do have to start getting creative with the names.
Birmingham Pen Company Antique Sepia Fountain Pen Ink (via Pen Addict). I’m in the process of exploring Birmingham Inks’ various lines as well, and particularly enjoy their more muted color scheme, which makes them excellent choices for work inks, provided they behave well. Keep checking back for more reviews in the future.
Narwhal Key West (via Well-Appointed Desk). I’ve jumped into exploring Narwhal’s pen line recently, but this one didn’t hold as much interest for me. Laura seems a bit underwhelmed as well.

In Case You Missed It….

This was a busy week on the blog! I wrote a few articles that were a bit of a change of pace for me, including this piece on customizing notebooks to meet your exact needs, which for me meant cutting down a thicker Stálogy 1/2 year notebook to fit my Traveler’s Notebook. I also continued some ink review work with this follow-up piece on water-resistance of TWSBI Inks, and a review of a new red ink that recently passed through my hands: Tono & Lims “Superstar T.”

Exclusive Sunderland Pen Update, and New This Week in the Curated Shop

I have very few exclusive Sunderland mk1 pens remaining in stock, and hope to receive another shipment so I’ll have some pens available to take with me to the D.C. Pen Show early next month. In the meantime, we’re fully stocked on notebook systems, from Traveler’s Notebook, to Stálogy, to Midori MD, all of which are infinitely customizable and perfect for getting yourself ready for back-to-work/back-to-school season. (I can’t believe it’s right around the corner.) Check out the links below and this week’s Deals & Drops Highlights for more details.

Stálogy

Midori MD

Traveler's Company

TWSBI

Consider Joining TGS Patreon for Access to Monthly Meetups and First Dibs on Gently Used Stationery, Exclusive Products and More!

For some additional fun, and to help support the blog consider joining the Patreon program. Patreon supporters receive special pricing and early access to product releases and collaborations such as the T.G.S. x Sunderland pen, in addition to other benefits. You can read more about T.G.S. Patreon here. This year I’ve introduced monthly online meetups, which take place on Friday or Saturday and have been super enjoyable. We’ve discussed our thoughts on pen shows restarting, recent arrivals in our personal collections, and more. I will also continue with periodic “sample sales” of gently used review items and T.G.S. collaborations, to which Patrons will have first access. The current sale is now live!

Sunday Reading for July 11, 2021

July 11, 2021

Updating My Top 3 Pens for 2021 (via UK Fountain Pens). In his installment of Appelboom’s popular video series, Anthony shows off his top three pens from 2021, including one major new addition to his collection.
England v. Italy (via Dapprman). Great choices for each side!
Scribo Arancio di Sicilia (via Fountain Pen Pharmacist). I have essentially the entire range of Scribo inks here in my office, ready for review, and after seeing the pictures of this orange it will definitely be one of the first I ink up.
Gravitas Entry Fountain Pen Black (via Rants of the Archer). In addition to some of their more wild designs, like the “Skittles” pens, Gravitas has an entry level model as well.
Profolio Oasis Summit Notebook Review (via Fountain Pen Love). I’ve not used the Profolio notebook series before, but the paper looks quality and the ruling on this one interesting.
Monteverde Jungle Collection Part I and Part II (via Mountain of Ink). Monteverde is at it again, releasing yet another set of interesting ink colors. While I’ve not used their pens much, their inks are generally high-quality.
Sailor Pro Gear Slim Mini Fountain Pen (via Pencilcase Blog). I owned a couple of Pro Gear Minis, back before I sold off a large chunk of my Sailor collection. These are very nice pens, especially if you value a pen that can go from compact to nearly full-size when posted.
Fountain Pen Quest Trail Log (via FPQuest). Ray has written a lot lately about his dark green Lamy Aion, and I have to say, despite the Aion not being one of my favorite entries in Lamy’s lineup, this pen looks really nice.
Platinum Procyon Review (via Pen Addict). Brad reviews the Platinum Procyon. I know that many people find this pen “boring,” but I find the shape insanely comfortable - moreso than the Preppy or Plaisir.
Lennon Toolbar Egret Paper (via Well-Appointed Desk). Let the Tomoe River replacement wars continue!

In Case You Missed It….

The big news on the site this week was the launch of my most recent product collaboration, a store-exclusive Sunderland mk1 gel/rollerball pen in bead-blasted matte black and red! I followed up with a post yesterday on why I chose this particular pen and design. I also wrote a quick review on a “workhorse ink” I’ve been using recently, TWSBI Blue-Black.

This Week in the Curated Shop

In addition to launching the Sunderland pen, this week I added Stálogy notebooks/planners to the store! Available in two sizes, A5 1/2 year and 365 days, Stálogy notebooks are quite popular - the Instagram response surprised me! - probably because they can double as a traditional grid notebook or undated planner. On the pen side of things, TWSBI Diamond 580 ALR “Prussian Blue” fountain pens arrived, as well as TWSBI ECO “Lilac” fountain pens.

TWSBI

Traveler's Company

Quo Vadis

Rhodia

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Sunday Reading for June 27, 2021

June 27, 2021

When One Nib Is Not Enough (via Pen Addict). Stacked Nibs have received a lot of attention lately, and they’re on my list of “things I need to try out at pen shows” once I have the opportunity to travel again later this summer.
The TWSBI Eco 2 Years Later (via Left Hook Pens). The Eco is an especially durable fountain pen, which is somewhat astounding at the price point. I’m glad to see that it’s caught on (and that someone else out there appreciates the transparent orange version).
Ink Institute Cat at Noon (via Fountain Pen Pharmacist). So I heard about the Ink Institute “Cat” series last night on our T.G.S. Patreon meetup, and now I’m looking to track some of these down. “Cat at Noon” is sold out nearly everywhere, and it’s one of those “double shading” inks with multiple colors and tones.
Stanford Wood Studios Impressionist Series (via Rants of the Archer). A new custom penmaker from South Africa? Count me as interested! These pens appear incredibly well-designed and well-finished.
Magna Carta Elements Water (via Dapprman). The material on this larger pen from India (with a house made nib!) is gorgeous. I just may have to pick one of these up.
Lamy 2000 Mechanical Pencil .7mm (via Scrively). The one member of the Lamy 2000 family that I have never tried! I love mechanical pencils, and I love the Lamy 2000, so I’m not sure what I’ve been waiting for.
Nuuna Flexcover Notebook (via Fountain Pen Love). Nuuna paper is extremely good quality, even for fountain pens, and they have some of the more unique designs out there as far as notebooks go. I believe Vanness Pens is the only U.S.-based retailer that stocks the brand.
Narwhal Yellow Tang Fountain Pen (via Comfortable Shoes Studio). I have the purple version of this fountain pen inked up for review, and so far I’m also liking this pen at around the $50 price point.
Pebble Stationery Cosmo Air Light x Liberty London (via Mountain of Ink). I’m really glad to see Cosmo Air Light circulating more widely in notebook form! I also love this cover collaboration by Pebble.
Musgrave Sampler Pack (via Pencil Revolution). Best stationery packaging ever. Fight me.

In Case You Missed It…

This week on the blog I looked at the new line of Esterbrook Inks, which should be hitting stores in the next couple of weeks. There are six standard colors plus three shimmer inks. I also wrote a piece that discussed stationery subscription services and their ongoing role, if any, in the current state of the stationery market.

New This Week In the Curated Shop

Check out this post for a detailed run-down of everything that’s newly arrived, but the highlights include the Field Notes “Fifty” edition, a restock on Field Notes Archival Wooden Boxes, and a new size of Life x Kleid notebooks. Many thanks for all of your support!

Caran d'Ache

TWSBI

Traveler's Company

Field Notes

Visit T.G.S. on Reddit, and Consider Joining TGS Patreon for Access to Monthly Meetups and More!

I’ve been trying to expand into social media beyond Instagram, due to my dissatisfaction with the direction that platform is taking. Currently, you can also engage with me on Twitter, Facebook, and now on Reddit. (Honestly, I’m active on Twitter and Reddit moreso than Facebook, but I do read all the Facebook comments, eventually.) Mainly, I’m doing this because of Instagram’s algorithm-driven approach that buries content unless you’re endlessly posting to their various formats (“Reels,” Stories, posts, etc.) and actively monitoring your account to where you’re basically having to respond to comments and DMs in real time. This is impractical, because you end up spending all your time on their platform and not actually writing or running your business, and then most of this content is temporary (24hrs) and you have to jump on the “hamster wheel” again. Many people just want an easy way to receive updates on when I post new content to the blog. Twitter and Reddit allow me to do that reliably. If there’s one thing you can do to help support T.G.S., it’s sharing our content and spreading the word!

For some additional fun, and to help support the blog consider joining the Patreon program. You can read more about T.G.S. Patreon here. This year I’ve introduced monthly online meetups, which take place on Friday or Saturday and have been super enjoyable. We’ve discussed our thoughts on pen shows restarting, recent arrivals in our personal collections, and more. I will also continue with periodic “sample sales” of gently used review items, to which Patrons will have first access. The current sale is now live!

Sunday Reading for June 20, 2021

June 20, 2021

Tomoe River: The Full Story (via Fudefan). If you’ve not been following the Tokyo Inklings podcast, you should. Jacob, one of the hosts and writer of the blog “Fudefan,” has well-researched, up-to-date information on the Tomoe River paper situation. So now they’re saying production may continue, only outsourced?
Upturned and Downturned Nibs (via Left Hook Pens). I’ve never gone full fude, but I’ve enjoyed slightly upturned nibs from PenBBS and (vintage) Sheaffer. In terms of downturned nibs, the MIdori MD fountain pen, with its slightly downturned “beak” nib, is an exceptional writer.
Pelikan M205 Moonstone Fountain Pen Review (via Pen Addict). Sarah reviews Pelikan’s M205 latest “gemstone” release in a grey transparent acrylic with sparkles. I have to say, these pens tend to be hard to photograph but this one looks really good.
Nanami Zen Paper (via Well-Appointed Desk). Since the Tomoe River paper supply appears to be threatened (at least temporarily while the manufacturer sorts things out), Nanami is exploring alternatives. See the article for information on how to get a sample of this new paper from Nanami.
New Brew Inks (via Rants of the Archer). These colors look great, as do the bottles.
Montblanc Petrol Blue (via Fountain Pen Pharmacist). Montblanc jumped on the “Petrol” ink trend, but this color has never really appealed to me, for some reason. I never sprang for Lamy’s version, either.
Yoseka Ink (via Mountain of Ink). So Yoseka Stationery is now selling their own line of ink? I love this green color.

In Case You Missed It….

This week on the blog, I took a more in-depth look at the new Traveler’s Company “B-Sides and Rarities” Collection. Part I looked at the Washable Paper and Super Lightweight Paper refills, while Part II looked at, well, everything else, including the Midori Cotton Letter Pad and the Zippered Cotton Case, two favorites. This week’s Deals & Drops post offered some last-minute Father’s Day gift ideas, whether for yourself or others.

New This Week In the Curated Shop!

In addition to the Traveler’s Notebook “B-Sides and Rarities,” I’ve received a restock order on most other Traveler’s Company products, including the brass accessories, refills, and notebooks, so that I have nearly the entire line available for purchase. I’ve also restocked on Midori MD Codex notebooks, which have sold like crazy. Finally, Field Notes Archival Wooden boxes are back!

Midori MD

Midori MD Cotton

Traveler's Company

Field Notes

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Sunday Reading for June 13, 2021

June 13, 2021

Rethinking the Stationery World Post-Pandemic: Overcoming Burnout (via Well-Appointed Desk). Jaclyn’s post spoke to me a lot, and mirrors many of my own current feelings on where I stand with this hobby. I’m really looking forward to the D.C. Pen Show this year!
Which Papers Are Good Tomoe River Replacements? (via Fountain Pen Love). Expect a lot of similar posts from the stationery blogosphere as Tomoe River becomes scarce. (For a while or forever, who knows?)
Musubi Cosmo Air Light Folio Notebook (A5) (via Pen Addict). While we’re on the subject of Tomoe River replacements, I think Cosmo Air Light will end up being a favorite for everyday writing. I know that some people have trouble with thin lines, but since I won’t be using it for calligraphy and I generally use italic-style script when I write, I didn’t have an issue.
Ayush Paper Fountain Pen Books (via Rants of the Archer). Fans of textured paper may want to check these notebooks out.
Maruman Glyphy B6 Notebook Review (via Pen Addict). I love the look of this notebook, but the paper is a reminder that in terms of fountain pen friendliness, even Japanese companies may have discrepancies in performance between different products in their lineup, especially more “mass market” companies such as Maruman and Kokuyo.
KUM Pencut Scissors (via Left Hook Pens). I’ve been looking for a set of portable scissors. But don’t forget to remove them from your carry-on if/when you start traveling again.
Benu’s Talisman Foxglove is charming (pun intended) (via UK Fountain Pens). Benu continues to release new models on a regular schedule, and some of their recent releases have been more traditional in shape (i.e., a traditional cap with clip), if not in color. I like the orange/red/black combo here.
Delitape (via Bleistif). I’m always on the lookout for good inexpensive tape (the shop uses an exhorbitant amount), and apparently the AmazonBasics tape is made by a quality OEM manufacturer.
Pelikan M205 Petrol-Marbled (2021) (via Pelikan’s Perch). I’m not a huge fan of the marbled acrylic on this one, but those who like this particular “look” should enjoy it. Honestly, I prefer the pen with the black cap ring, as opposed to the chrome-plated one shown in the initial pre-release photos.

No, You Didn’t Miss Anything This Week!

I was on vacation. As in, I didn’t really do much at all with stationery, other than put the weekly links post together on Monday. I think I’m experiencing a bit of hobby burnout, and oddly enough am looking forward to going back into the day-job office a few days a week.

This Week In the Curated Shop….

I’ll be catching up on orders, starting this afternoon. UPDATE: As of now, Traveler’s Company “B-Sides and Rarities”, as well as Midori MD Cotton Notebooks, are live on the site. I currently have a small number of each refill, but more is on the way. I also have the Zippered Cotton Cases in both Standard and Passport sizes, which allow you to turn your Traveler’s Notebook into a wallet. (I’m eyeing one of these for my Passport, in particular.)

Zippered Case (Standard)

Zippered Case (Passport)

B-Sides (Passport)

B-Sides (Standard)

MD Cotton Notebooks