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T.G.S. x Sunderland mk1 Pens Are Now Available For Purchase!

July 8, 2021

As of early this morning, the pens are live in the shop! I’m quite excited to hear what people think of this collaboration with Pennsylvania-based Sunderland Machine Works. The Sunderland mk1 might be my favorite machined pen of all time, and for this special store exclusive we chose a bead-blasted, matte black finish with a bead-blasted DLC-coated clip. The section is a matte red/burgundy, with the overall color scheme designed to evoke the T.G.S. burgundy & black. Note that this will not be a “limited” edition - we commissioned an initial run of 50 pens, and I received the first half or so this week with more on the way. So if it sells out, don’t worry, I can and will get more! Visit the Curated Shop to purchase. All pens ship with a black Pilot .7mm G2 refill, and will also accept MB rollerball and fineliner refills. To read more about why I love the Sunderland mk1, check out my review of their standard model.

A key selling point of the Sunderland mk1 is the lack of any external threads that might interfere with your grip. The threads are actually inside the tip of the pen! — A key selling point of the Sunderland mk1 is the lack of any external threads that might interfere with your grip. The threads are actually *inside* the tip of the pen!

All orders automatically qualify for free domestic U.S. shipping, so be sure to combine your order with any other items you have your eye on in the shop! We carry a wide range of pens, paper, and desk and reading accessories. Recently, we also added the TWSBI Diamond 580 ALR in “Prussian Blue,” as well as the new TWSBI ECO Lilac, to our offerings!

The T.G.S. Curated Shop is an authorized retailer of all brands we carry. By shopping with us, you are supporting original content, pen reviews, pen show events, etc. from The Gentleman Stationer. If you would like to support us even further, please consider checking out the T.G.S. Patreon Program, which offers access to online meetups, exclusive discounts and pre-orders, and more!

Rhodia’s classic writing pads are available in both letter and A5 size, including dot grid, graph, and lined rulings.

Classics of Stationery: Rhodia Pads and Notebooks in the T.G.S. Curated Shop

July 6, 2021

While I’m always glad to see new paper brands emerging, and stationery enthusiasts nerding out over the latest and greatest new specialty fountain pen paper from Japan, the downside is that the constant search for the “next best thing” causes you to overlook the excellent (and often less expensive) options that are already available. Case-in-point are fountain-pen friendly pads and notebooks from French stationery company Rhodia, whose paper comes from the same mill as sibling company Clairefontaine. While I don't see much of a difference at all in performance, Rhodia products feature a more understated (some might say “office friendly”) black and orange design, as opposed Clairefontaine’s bright pastels.

We’ve chosen to stock our shop with a select group of Rhodia products, ranging from the ever-popular Webnotebook and Writing Pads, to the recently released Rhodia Composition Book, a more upscale, fountain-pen friendly take on the American classic. Visit the T.G.S. Curated Shop for our full selection of Rhodia products, along with Clairefontaine and Quo Vadis notebooks. Remember that all domestic U.S. orders over $75, and all international orders over $250, ship free!

You can read further on what we consider fountain-pen friendly paper, and why we choose to stock the brands we sell, via these links. Many thanks for your continued support!

Turn Any Notebook Into A Planner with Midori MD Diary Stickers

June 22, 2021

New to the shop this week: Midori MD Diary Stickers, a simple yet highly effective way to turn your notebook into a planner, habit tracker, or calendar. Each pack comes with 16 undated calendar stickers made from Midori MD Paper that are designed to fit any Midori MD Notebook, even the B6 Slim or the MD Cotton “F” series. (Of course, you aren’t limited to using these with Midori MD Notebooks. You can pop them into your notebook of choice for maximum versatility.)

Midori MD Diary Stickers are shown here atop a B6 Slim MD Notebook and the smallest (F0) MD Cotton Notebook.

Midori MD Diary Stickers are currently available for purchase in the T.G.S. Curated Shop, priced at $8.50 per pack of 16. Please note that we also recently received a shipment of Midori products, so most items should be in stock, including newly arrived A5 Clear Covers designed to fit the A5 “Codex” Day-to-a-Page Notebook. As always, many thanks for your support!

The Gentleman Stationer is an authorized retailer of all brands sold in the T.G.S. Curated Shop.

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In the Shop: New Arrivals from Midori and Traveler's Company

June 15, 2021

I had packages waiting for me when I returned from vacation - lots of packages. First up, I received a shipment of the Traveler’s Company “B-Sides and Rarities” refills and accessories, described as “a range of refills that are a little out of the ordinary.” These include “Washable Paper” made from the same material as laundry tags intended to survive a trip through the washing machine, “Super Lightweight“ paper that is even thinner than Tomoe River, and a “Letter Pad” featuring sheets of Midori MD Cotton Paper with lines on one side and grid on the other.

More offbeat refills, not primarily intended for writing, include a “Sticker Release Paper” designed to hold a sticker collection, an “Accordion Paper” insert that folds out like a roadmap, “Message Card” refills that contain letterpress-style notes to exchange with friends you meet on your travels, and zippered cotton cases that allow you to use your Traveler’s Notebook as a wallet. I plan to have a more thorough, in-depth review of certain refills this week.

The MD Cotton Notebooks shown compared against a standard Midori MD A5.

Finally, we now carry Midori MD Cotton Notebooks, in sizes F0, F2, and F3. These slightly larger formats, originally intended for art but equally good for writing, offer a larger page dimension inspired by the golden ratio. Midori MD Cotton Paper is among my favorite writing papers, and behaves exceptionally well with fountain pen ink. Visit the shop for additional details!

The End of Tomoe River (?) and Possible Replacements

June 4, 2021

The pen blogs and podcasts have been filled with reports of the imminent demise of our community’s beloved Tomoe River Paper, known for its ability to withstand fountain pen ink despite its extremely light weight. Jesi has the full details over at the Well-Appointed Desk, but suffice to say, it looks like the rumors are true. Personally, I’m not the world’s largest Tomoe River fan - it’s great paper, but I enjoy others equally - so I’m not hoarding or stocking up beyond picking up a couple extra Nanami Cafe Note refills. Plus, various companies are apparently in the process of developing similar products. For now, we continue to have Tomoe River loose sheets in stock, but I can’t guarantee we’ll be able to get more. We also stock a wide range of fountain pen friendly paper from other brands, which you may want to try out if you haven’t already.

Note: While most orders placed today will ship out before I leave, due to some unanticipated family travel, orders placed between Friday 6/4 and Saturday 6/12 will ship on 6/13, after my return. Thank you for understanding, and I’ll be sure to thrown in a little something extra for your trouble. Many thanks!

Midori MD Paper. Midori MD is becoming my favorite Japanese fountain pen friendly paper. It comes in multiple formats and sizes, including A6, A5, and B6 notebooks. I currently stock lined, grid, dot grid, and framed journal versions, as well as the day-to-a-page “Codex” notebooks, which have become extremely popular.
Midori MD Cotton Paper. Extremely ink friendly, 100% cotton paper that also works quite well in typewriters. In addition to the A4 and A5 paper pads, I recently received a shipment of MD Cotton Paper notebooks, and going forward will try to stock this paper in both pad and notebook formats.
Traveler’s Notebook Refills. Traveler’s Company was spun off from Midori into a stand-alone brand years ago, and as such the standard refills use Midori MD paper. While the “Lightweight Paper” specialty refill currently contains Tomoe River paper, the word on the street is that Traveler’s Company is developing their own “replacements”, some of which will be featured in the “B Sides and Rarities” refills that I have on the way. For more information on the Traveler’s Company notebook system and how you can use it, start with this post.
Clairefontaine & Rhodia. Both legendary paper brands have a reputation as rock-solid alternatives for fountain pen enthusiasts, though they tend to fall by the wayside in favor of trendier (and often much-hyped) Japanese alternatives. Clairefontaine paper is a personal favorite of mine, especially the A5 Clothbound French-ruled notebook.
Write Notepads. Last but not least, the first brand we ever carried here remains one of the best. Bound in Baltimore, Maryland, Write Notepads paper makes a wide range of fountain pen friendly spiral notebooks and writing pads, in a variety of rulings.

NOTE: As discussed the other day, all notebooks will ship with complimentary “library pouches” until my supply is exhausted!

For further reading and an overview of additional paper brands, check out our Guide to Fountain Pen Friendly Paper. The T.G.S. Curated Shop is an authorized retailer of all brands we carry. By shopping with us, you are supporting original content, pen reviews, pen show events, etc. from The Gentleman Stationer. If you would like to support us even further, please consider checking out the T.G.S. Patreon Program. Many thanks!