Sunday Reading for December 18, 2022

1. Thinking Backwards to Plan Forwards (via mnmlscholar). Alas, I have begun the process of setting up my own planner/notebook/journal system for 2023.

2. My Techo Kaigi for 2023 (via Pen Addict - Kimberly). I’ve never heard of the concept of a “Techo Kaigi”, or a process where you reflect on your planner(s) and journal(s). and whether it/they are working for you.

3. Montblanc x Fritz Schimpf Special Edition Italic Edge Fountain Pen (via Blake’s Broadcast). Montblanc’s bespoke nib program apparently allows you to customize a nib to your preference, and German retailer Fritz Schimpf created this crazy customization.

4. Flying: Opus 88 Minty (via a fleeting ripple). Finally! Someone who apparently loves the Minty as much as I do. Happy to have enabled!

5. Ridiculous Pens (via Rachel’s Reflections). This was a fun post in which Rachel looks at several pens with (overly?) intricate design elements.

6. BlueDew Writer Lapis (via Rants of the Archer). I’ve heard a lot about BlueDew fountain pens, particularly their flex pens. They offer standard nibs as well.

7. Ensso PIUMA Primary Manipulation Fountain Pen (via SBRE Brown). Apparently even Ensso is getting into the Primary Manipulation game?

8. Unlined Smythson Notebook (via Notebook Stories). Smythson notebooks went on sale in November, and I considered springing for a (still expensive) review sample, but I deferred because I couldn’t find a reliable review testing the paper with fountain pens. Now we have one!

9. Inkmas Day 7: Colorverse Chi-Town (via Well-Appointed Desk). I agree that this is sort of an odd color for a Chicago theme, but the ink looks interesting!

10. End of 2022 - A Bit of a Wrap Up (via Gourmet Pens). I love year-end wrap-ups and reflections from others in the pen world.

In Case You Missed It….

This week on the blog, I started the 2022 Year-End Review Process, with the first posts in this series. Part I was “Five Up, Five Down in the Personal Collection,” and Part II was “Favorite Products Reviewed in 2022”. I plan to keep the multi-part format that I started last year.

This Week in the Curated Shop

PSA: This weekend I’m shipping out all orders placed through today, and starting tomorrow (and definitely by Tuesday), Christmas delivery is MUCH less likely given the rush of packages that will be going out this week around the U.S. So get those gift orders in ASAP!

So what’s new in the shop? Lots of stuff continues to arrive. We’ve built our our offering of Maruman Mnemosyne products, with literally all the sizes of notebooks and notepads that we can get our hands on, in spiral and bound formats. The Mnemosyne line is exceptionally good fountain pen friendly paper that won’t break the bank, and best of all, the spiral bound notebooks are perforated. Also, now is an excellent time to pick up your planner for 2023. We have Traveler’s Notebook Planner Refills, as well as all sorts of undated planner options and the Midori Multi-Year Diaries!

Maruman Mnemosyne

Caran d'Ache

TWSBI

Reading Accessories

Consider T.G.S. Patreon!

For those who want to support T.G.S. without necessarily adding to their accumulation via shop purchases, the Patreon Program offers two options for tiers of support: $3 and $5 (with a discounted annual option) and plan on making monthly meetups, pen show events, and periodic exclusive content the primary benefits. Of course, Patreon members will continue to get first access to periodic sample sales, with right of first refusal on gently used pens. (Reminder that those items which made it through Patreon become available to the general readership.) Many thanks to all of you who already decided to back via Patreon. Your support means the world to me!

Sunday Reading for December 11, 2022

1. Lamy 2000 Fountain Pen Review (via The Poor Penman). I agree with a lot in this review, but I’m not convinced that the new Lamy 2000 pricing is unreasonable. $250 for a piston filling fountain pen with a 14k gold nib in today’s inflationary market seems, well, reasonable. (To compare, a steel nib cartridge-converter Esterbrook sells for $155-$195, depending on the color, which is pretty standard.) I think Lamy is seeing the effect of years of underpricing this flagship, which has created the perception that the Lamy 2000 should be a “cheap” pen.

2. The Go-To Notebook Review (via Blake’s Broadcast). Blake reviews this new collaboration between Chronicle Books and Mohawk Paper, which can be found at mainstream retail. But can it be considered fountain pen friendly?

3. Butterflies: KWZ Monarch (via A Fleeting Ripple). I have not seen this before, but if you like inks in the red-orange color spectrum, you will want to check this one out.

4. Color Traveler Delta Light Blue on Midori MD Cotton (via Inkredible Colours). A true “light blue,” as opposed to a turquoise, might be one of the few shades that I’ve never had in my collection.

5. 25 Days of Dupes 2022 - Week 1 (via Rachel’s Reflections). Rachel takes a look at the Diamine Inkvent calendar and comparable inks from this year’s release.

6. A Balanced Academic Conference Carry Kit - the Non-Pen Parts (via mnmlscholar). A great gear post for conference carry - compact yet utilitarian.

7. A travel-friendly academic conference pen load out (via mnmlscholar). And the pen-and-ink counterpart for a conference carry.

8. Ink Review #737: Pennonia Balaton Blue (via Fountain Pen Pharmacist). Balaton Blue is one of my favorite multi-shading inks, with gorgeous shades of purple and blues.

9. Limited Edition Esterbrook Camden Oktoberfest (via Rants of the Archer). I’m a little late, because it’s far past Oktoberfest, but I’ve not paid attention to this release and it’s a pretty one.

10. On the first day of Inkmas… (via Well-Appointed Desk). Ana hits the road to Dromgoole’s in Houston and reports back with the first ink of Inkmas.

In Case You Missed It…

This week on the blog, I talked a bit about two of my favorite topics: Pens Under $40 and New Releases that Won’t Break the Bank, and the current state of my personal collection, as I’ve steadily been reducing my accumulation of “standard” release pens in favor of a more curated collection focused around independent and small-batch makers.

This Week in the T.G.S. Curated Shop

We had a bunch of new releases arrive, including the TWSBI Precision Ballpoints and Mechanical Pencils, which have sold rapidly, as well as a complete restock of new Caran d’Ache Colour Treasure Items including the newly arrived five jumbo / “Maxi” pencil sets. Pretty much all TWSBI fountain pens are available! Don’t forget to check out our 2022 Holiday Gift Guide, and remember that if you want to give your package the absolute best shot at arriving by Christmas, get your orders in by December 15 to account for any shipping delays. (Packages shipped after that date may make it in time, there’s just not much wiggle room.)

TWSBI

Kokuyo Highlighters

Midori

Field Notes

Consider T.G.S. Patreon!

For those who want to support T.G.S. without necessarily adding to their accumulation via shop purchases, the Patreon Program offers two options for tiers of support: $3 and $5 (with a discounted annual option) and plan on making monthly meetups, pen show events, and periodic exclusive content the primary benefits. Of course, Patreon members will continue to get first access to periodic sample sales, with right of first refusal on gently used pens. (Reminder that those items which made it through Patreon become available to the general readership, and this week you can get an extra 10% off Gently Used items with the coupon code referenced above!) Many thanks to all of you who already decided to back via Patreon. Your support means the world to me!

Sunday Reading for December 4, 2022

1. Diamine Invent 2022 Day 1: Bliss (via Writing at Large). I successfully resisted the siren song of the Inkvent Calendar, one more time, but I’m going to be following along with all of you opening up the new ink each day.

2. Diamine Invent 2021 21-25 (via Mountain of Ink). And if you haven’t finished your 2021 Inkvent Calendar yet (or simply want to see another example of what’s in store for you this year), check out Kelli’s post on the last five from 2021!

3. Phoenix Pen Stands Pen Tray and Rests (via KraftyCats). Pen trays are a grossly underappreciated desk accessory, and simple, functional designs such as this one need more exposure.

4. NaNoWriMo Wrap-up 2022 (via Pen Addict - Sarah). For all of you who participated in NaNoWriMo this year, congratulations!

5. A Third Bitly into Bullet Journaling for Teaching: Curriculum Pacing Logs (via mnmlscholar). I love reading posts about how people use bullet journaling and other notetaking techniques, even in professions completely different from my own.

6. Kilk Orient Fountain Pen Review (via SBRE Brown). The longer you do this pen reviewing gig, the harder it gets to find companies whose pens you haven’t yet tried. Turkish company Kilk is one of those companies on my list. That section shape looks extremely comfortable for how I hold the pen.

7. My Pen Collection, 2022 (via Notebook Stories). One of the longest-running notebook review sites on the internet talks about their pen collection!

8. Gravitas Pocket Fountain Pen Review (via Pen Addict - Jeff). If you enjoy the pocket pen format but would appreciate something a bit larger than a Kaweco Sport, consider giving these Gravitas pocket pens a try.

9. Ink Traveling Kit (via Well-Appointed Desk). Ever wonder how the Well-Appointed Desk travels to pen shows? (And I’m always happy to see the Lochby Field Journal shout-out!)

10. TGS in the NFocus Magazine Holiday Gift Guide! (via NFocus). Many thanks to my friends who saw fit to include me in this year’s NFocus Magazine Holiday Gift Guide! I’ve been trying to establish more of a local presence in the community.

In Case You Missed It…

This week on the blog I published my thoughts on a pending Kickstarter project, the “Writewell” writing desk from our friends at Good Made Better. You have a little less than two weeks left to back the project, if you’re interested! I also wrote this editorial piece on “Hot Takes” and myths about pens, including several common misconceptions about our hobby/passion that I hear from new users.

This Week in The T.G.S. Curated Shop - New Arrivals and Holiday Season Craziness!

Just in time for the Holiday shopping season craziness, TONS of new stuff is hitting the store, and I’ll be listing it as fast as I possibly can. This week saw the arrival of the TWSBI Swipe Fountain Pen in the new “Ice Blue” finish, a color truly suitable for winter. There’s also been a full TWSBI restock, including all colors of the Swipe, both ECO Glows, and the Vac700R Iris. Finally, this week we received the Midori MD Multi-Year Journals in three, five, and ten-year formats. Read more about these and more restocks in this week’s Thursday Drops post.

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Midori MD Notebooks

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Caran d'Ache

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Field Notes

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Opus 88

Consider T.G.S. Patreon!

For those who want to support T.G.S. without necessarily adding to their accumulation via shop purchases, the Patreon Program offers two options for tiers of support: $3 and $5 (with a discounted annual option) and plan on making monthly meetups, pen show events, and periodic exclusive content the primary benefits. Of course, Patreon members will continue to get first access to periodic sample sales, with right of first refusal on gently used pens. (Reminder that those items which made it through Patreon become available to the general readership, and this week you can get an extra 10% off Gently Used items with the coupon code referenced above!) Many thanks to all of you who already decided to back via Patreon. Your support means the world to me!

Sunday Reading for November 27, 2022

1. Still So Much To Be Grateful For (via Pen Addict - Kimberly). As a community, we do indeed have so much to be grateful for! And while I don’t spend a lot of time on Twitch, this list resonates with me.

2. Pelikan Hubs 2022 - Philadelphia: A Recap (via Pelikan’s Perch). I had a blast hosting this year’s Nashville-area Pelikan Hub, and have enjoyed reading about the different Hubs around the world. I will echo that finding a suitable location has become difficult as the event grows in size and popularity.

3. Slowing the Shopping (via Rachel’s Reflections). While this one may come too late for many of us (myself included), it’s still the holiday shopping season, with the temptation to overindulge.

4. A Case Against Black Friday (via Caroline Finds It - Caroline Weaver). If you’re not subscribed to Caroline’s newsletter, and are interested in reading about not just thoughtfully curated products in various categories but small business in general, you should subscribe ASAP.

5. Cosmo Air Light B6 Slim Notebook (via Well-Appointed Desk). I never got much into Cosmo Air Light as a paper, though I did enjoy the samples I used. If its properties interest you, get the notebooks while you can!

6. Kakimori B6 Bank Paper Planner Review (via Blake’s Broadcast). With changes to Tomoe River and, at least for now, the impending demise of Cosmo Air Light, people are looking for alternatives. Bank Paper has emerged as a favorite for many.

7. Heavy Duty: A5 Rhodia Notepad (via A Fleeting Ripple). I’ve been reading a lot in the pen community about how Rhodia is overrated. While there is definitely inconsistency among the different products, as a general matter I still consider it very good for the price point, especially for paper you plan to use in higher volume, such as at work.

8. Curating Towards Custom (via mnmlscholar). My own collection as a whole is starting to curate towards custom, and I’m very happy with that!

9. Meet Your Maker - Meg Blackburn, Black Robin Pens (via Pen Addict - Caroline). I always love reading about new (to me at least) makers, and I have a running list of makers whose pens I want to try. Add Black Robin Pens to the list!

In Case You Missed It…

Since this week was a holiday week here in the States, and one that traditionally kicks off the holiday shopping craziness, the focus was on a lot of sales. While there didn’t seem to be as many insane 30-50% off promotions (which hopefully signals a healthier approach to these types of things on the part of both businesses and consumers), it’s still a good time to pick up items you’ve had your eye on at a slight discount. That said, remember to support your independent shops and makers, who due to economics may not be able to offer the same type of discounting as big box or major online outlets. I published this “Indie Gift Guide” to complement my own annual shop Holiday Gift Guide (discussed below), focusing on those independent makers I have supported over the past year. I did also write a piece on my pencil “mini-collection,” which I’ve trimmed down over the years but still brings me a lot of joy.

Don’t Miss the T.G.S. Curated Shop Cyber-Week Sale - Use “GIVETHANKS” for 10% Off Most Items

Through Monday, use the coupon code “GIVETHANKS” at checkout to take an extra 10% off most items in the Curated Shop (excluding TWSBI). It’s our way of thanking readers and repeat customers, and hopefully gives you a little help with a head start on your holiday shopping. This week we had a major restock on most Caran d’Ache items, including the arrival of the “Colour Treasure” limited editions and the 10th release of the Crayons de la Maison Caran d’Ache.

Caran d'Ache

Field Notes

Opus 88

Desk Accessories

Consider T.G.S. Patreon - New “Gently Used” Items in the Patreon Shop!

For those who want to support T.G.S. without necessarily adding to their accumulation via shop purchases, the Patreon Program offers two options for tiers of support: $3 and $5 (with a discounted annual option) and plan on making monthly meetups, pen show events, and periodic exclusive content the primary benefits. Of course, Patreon members will continue to get first access to periodic sample sales, with right of first refusal on gently used pens. (Reminder that those items which made it through Patreon become available to the general readership, and this week you can get an extra 10% off Gently Used items with the coupon code referenced above!) Many thanks to all of you who already decided to back via Patreon. Your support means the world to me!

Thanksgiving Thursday Drops and Cyber Week Promotions

Happy Thanksgiving, Everyone! We’re eminently grateful for all of you, our readers and customers. Take 10% off most items store-wide through Monday at 11:59pm, US Central Time using the coupon code “GIVETHANKS” at checkout. As always, domestic U.S. orders over $75 ship free. (Yes, the code should still work in the “Gently Used” section, though technically it’s not part of the main shop!)

This year’s finish on the Crayons de la Maison Caran d’Ache includes two natural-finish pencils.

A bunch of new items hit the site this week that you won’t want to miss, primarily the launch of the Caran d’Ache “Colour Treasure” collection and a general Caran d’Ache restock, ranging from 849 fountain pens to bicolor pencils to the newly released set of Crayons de la Maison Caran d’Ache. The promotion extends across categories, not just writing instruments, so be sure to check out our selection of Curated Notebooks and Paper, Desk and Reading Accessories, and Washi Tape and Pins. If you’re getting a head start on gifting prior to December, you may find our 2022 Gift Guide helpful, and we’ll have additional content through the weekend.

1. Caran d’Ache 849 Ballpoint “Colour Treasure” limited edition. This year’s holiday edition from Caran d’Ache comes in two different variants, a warm tone featuring shades of red, yellow, orange, and pink, and a cooler tone focusing on blues and green. The design is intended to evoke Caran d’Ache’s iconic colored pencil sets.

2. Caran d’Ache “Crayons de la Maison Caran d’Ache, Edition No. 10. This year’s release is scented with “Patchouli’s Wood,” the latest collaboration between Caran d’Ache and Swiss Parfumier Mizensir. This year’s set includes some gorgeous pencils - always an eagerly anticipated release!

3. T.G.S. Exclusive Penwell in “Aged Red”. Looking for a gorgeous gift for the fountain pen enthusiast in your life? Check out this T.G.S.-exclusive edition of the Penwell, in a special “Aged Red” finish designed to evoke the look of urushi lacquer.

4. Opus 88 Fountain Pens. There’s never been a better time to test out an Opus 88 fountain pen, what with a holiday discount and all. We have both the “Minty” and “Jazz” Japanese-style eyedroppers in stock, as well as a selection of fountain pen inks to fill them with.

5. Nahvalur Nautilus Ebonite Fountain Pens. I plan to write more on ebonite as a material in the near future, but what spurred me to explore this category was the Nahvalur (formerly Narwhal) Nautilus fountain pen, which we currently stock in the “Stylophora Berry” finish, along with the Nahvalur “Original Plus” vacuum filler.

6. Hightide Attaché Marbled Fountain Pen. This small, lightweight pocket fountain pen features a clip and a smooth fine nib. I’ve been enjoying using this for portable planner carry, and shockingly have been loving the basic black version.

7. Caran d’Ache 849 Fountain Pen. Certain of the primary colors have been out of stock for a while, but we recently received a new shipment just in time for the holidays.

8. Caran d’Ache 2022 Limited Edition 849 in Dark Violet and Pastel Yellow. Don’t pick up just one, get both, since the colors complement each other nicely. The “Dark Violet” finish features yellow writing, and vice versa.

9. Caran d’Ache “Claim Your Style” Edition No. 4. I don’t necessarily know why, exactly, but this year’s Claim Your Style colors feel fall-ish, and since we’re just now getting “Fall” weather here in Tennessee, these feel especially timely.

10. M+R Brass Pencil Sharpeners. We have the Pollux back in stock, as well as most of the other M+R Brass sharpeners, including the brass bullets with and without the keychain holes.

The T.G.S. Curated Shop is an authorized retailer of all brands sold.