Shop Update: Olive Traveler's Notebooks Are Back in Stock!

Late last week we received a small shipment of the Standard Olive Traveler’s Notebook Covers. Since Traveler’s Company sets up their own table at the San Francisco Pen Show and sells directly there, I probably won’t be bringing these with me unless someone places an order for pen show delivery. We also have a few of the matching Olive Pen Holders, as well as Sticker Release and Accordion Refills in both Standard and Passport sizes, as these were recently added to the standard Traveler’s lineup. Orders will ship until close of business on Wednesday August 23, and even though we’re traveling anything placed over the weekend will probably still fall within the 2-3 business day time frame. Many thanks!

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The Gentleman Stationer is an authorized retailer of all Traveler’s Company products, including the Traveler’s Notebook system as well as the Spiral Ring Notebooks and Watercolor Sketchbooks.

New Arrivals: Anderillium Inks Lepidopteran Series!

Anderillium is known for their bright - and sometimes offbeat - colors inspired by nature. The first two series of inks included the Avian Series (Birds) and the Cephalopod Series (Squids and Octopuses). Anderillium’s latest line of creations is the “Lepidopteran Series,” inspired by Butterflies and Moths, and it might be my favorite yet, especially for those who enjoy unusual and interesting brown inks with uncommon undertones. Be sure to take a look at “Toltype Moth Warm”, which has subtle pink tones, and “Atlas Moth Brown,” which has blue sheen.

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Anderillium Inks are well-priced at $14.50 for a 1.5oz, wide-mouthed “jam jar” bottle, with 8-bottle sample sets also available if you’d like to test the entire range. You can check out our entire selection of Anderillium offerings here.

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Further Reading and Ink Reviews

We’ve previously reviewed many of the different Anderillium inks here on the blog. Favorites include Cuttlefish Brown, Colossal Squid Dark and Kingfisher Green, and American Goldfinch Yellow. Enjoy!

The Gentleman Stationer is an authorized retailer of all brands sold, including Anderillium.

Notes From the Curated Shop: Five Desk Essentials for Your Office or Dedicated Writing Space

In addition to standard pens and paper, we stock a wide range of desk and reading accessories to make your everyday work and home life more enjoyable! The reason I love this particular product category is that it’s often overlooked by many pen retailers even though it’s a natural extension of an interest in writing. At this past weekend’s D.C. Pen Show - there will be a full recap forthcoming, I promise - I brought along a range of non-pen items that included a handful of cases and desk accessories, and they sold quite well. Here are five of my favorites currently in the shop that can help you build out your ultimate desk setup.

1. The Penwell Desktop Pen Holder. I’ve long been a fan of the Penwell desktop pen holder, which turns any capped fountain pen or rollerball into a desk pen! Good Made Better, the maker of the Penwell, was kind enough to do a custom run for our shop in a deep “Aged Red” finish.

2. Quality Scissors. Until I started using good scissors, I didn’t appreciate how invaluable they are, whether it comes to opening mail or packages, trimming photographs or mementos to paste into a scrapbook, or craft projects. We stock several brands of high-end scissors that are both sharp and functional.

3. A Compact Ruler or Straightedge. I always find myself needing to measure something, and it’s rarely long enough to warrant pulling out the measuring tape unless I’m shipping packages. Rulers also serve as a handy straightedge for formatting plain paper, or when you want to transform a standard notebook into a planner.

4. A Book Stand. Another long-running product I’ve carried is the Hightide Folding Metal Bookstand. While you can certainly use it for reading, it’s versatility goes far beyond that - I use mine to hold notepads and notebooks as I transcribe my notes or to hold a handwritten draft of a document as I’m typing it into the computer. This particular model conveniently folds flat for easy transport in a briefcase so you can take it on the road.

5. A Pen Tray. I keep a lot on my desk, and it’s helpful to have a catch-all to hold pens, pencils, paper clips, erasers, sharpeners, bits of paper - you get the idea. These Hightide Marbled Pen Trays are made from melamine and come in either long rectangular versions or a smaller round option.

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While these five categories are fairly mainstream, other more specialized products to consider include a self-inking stamp, which can be customized to feature your letterhead, return address, or signature to add to written correspondence, or an analogue timing device like a Sandglass. We’re actively adding additional “home office” and reading accessories, so keep checking back!

The Gentleman Stationer is an authorized retailer of all brands sold.

D.C. Pen Show Friday Brief Recap and Some Details on Where to Find Me!

It’s safe to say that Friday at the 2023 D.C. Pen Show was the busiest I’ve seen it since pre-Pandemic (and we may be talking about some of the epic shows from 2017 and 2018). While things started out somewhat quiet early on, by lunch the main ballroom started to fill up, as weekend passholders made their morning purchases and the doors opened to the public at 12:00pm. The real rush came to our tables at around 2:00pm, as our table neighbors Pilot started giving their handwriting analysis seminar and raffling off pens (crowd above).

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I brought the remainder of the T.G.S. x Hinze Pen Collaboration fountain pens with me, with both red and black nibs AND the ink and Penwells!

The DC Pen Show is always a smaller show for TGS, as we try to bring a selection of stuff to the show while also leaving enough free time to circulate and take pictures to share with the readership. This year we have Lochby cases for sale, and as per usual the in-person winner on Friday was the Lochby Venture Pouch, the reversible stationery pouch that has two separate compartments that includes a slotted pen case. The Lochby Tool Roll and Field Journal also sold briskly. If you come looking for The Gentleman Stationer, I’m at the end of the Vanness Pens setup to the right in the hallway outside the main ballroom!

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Vanness has released a second exclusive collaboration with The Good Blue, in case you’re looking for a pen to tuck into your new Lochby case! This is “Vanness Green” splattered over black Cerakote! You can read my review of their first collaboration here.

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The renovated show hotel has a MUCH better setup this year for after-hours socializing, and each year the “Pen Show Carry” bags you see keep getting bigger, and bigger, and bigger….

I Almost Forgot Our Annual DC Pen Show Promotion! Use “PENSHOW10” at Checkout for 10% Off Most Orders!

Some exclusions will apply (like TWSBI), but most items are eligible for our annual DC Pen Show Sale that will run through Sunday at 11:59pm CT. Use the PENSHOW10 checkout code to claim a discount for those unable to attend the show in person, or for those who came to see something in person but found that I was unable to bring it with me!

Most of my show photos will be posted in my larger show recap next week, and I’ll have lots to talk about, both in terms of reactions to the show itself and a few things I’ll have picked up! Meanwhile, it’s time to go set up the table!

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

Shop Arrivals: New Nakabayashi Notebooks, and More Desk Accessories!

Nakabayashi Logical Prime Paper has become one of the top sellers in our shop, nearly overnight! In addition to restocking on the Logical Prime W-Ring (spiral-bound) and threadbound A5 notebooks, we’ve added the larger A4 spiral as well, in nearly all rulings! (One request that we’ve received over the past months is to bring in more A4-sized notebooks, and we’re actively working on it.)

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Nakabayashi’s 6mm and 7mm lined rulings are similar to French-ruled paper, and come in lie-flat threadbound notebooks in A4, A5, and B5 sizes.

Also now available in the shop: Nakabayashi Logical Air and Nakabayashi Yu-sari notebooks, both of which are extremely fountain pen friendly but differ slightly from the standard Nakabayashi Logical Prime. I would compare them as follows:

• Logical Prime paper feels like “standard” Japanese paper with a slightly quicker dry time than other brands. The paper showcases ink well, especially shading and sheening inks.

• Logical Air paper is lighter, as the name implies, and feels softer and more absorbent than the Logical Prime. Fans of Cosmo Air Light might enjoy Logical Air, as it has that same “cushiony” feel when you’re writing. Available in B5 and A4 sizes, lined ruling only.

• Yu-sari paper is thicker and feels more like Clairefontaine or Life. It has a slightly slower dry time than the Logical papers, but is absolutely fountain pen friendly. Available in both B5 and A5 sizes, as well as in A5 blank sheets.

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The thick Yu-Sari paper is perfect for letter writing. Pick up some of these A5 sheets for your correspondence needs!

As mentioned in the original post announcing the arrival of Logical Prime, the Nakabayashi lined ruling somewhat resembles Clairefontaine French-ruled paper, so fans of this ruling may want to check out these new notebooks, especially if they’ve been searching for a lie-flat option.

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We now have a wide selection of imported scissors in various sizes and functionalities.

Finally, we’ve added additional desk accessories, including high-end imported scissors, to our Reading and Desk Accessories Section! Be sure to check these out as we have models ranging from larger curved scissors to smaller “Exacto” scissors for precision cutting.

The Gentleman Stationer is an authorized retailer of all brands sold, including Nakabayashi.