New Arrivals: Toyo Steel Boxes in New Colors, Plus Kakimori Frost Fountain and Rollerball Pens!

Toyo steel storage boxes from Japan have become a popular stationery item for stationery enthusiasts, since they are stackable and can hold everything from pens to small bottles of ink to paper clips and other office supplies. We’re now pleased to offer these boxes in additional bright colors, including orange, yellow, and the more subdued “Glacier”. Note that these color options are made available to us by the distributor as they are imported and we do not know when additional colors will arrive. We currently have stock of the Toyo T-190, T-152, and T-150 models, which are the same sizes we previously have carried, just in new colors.

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Toyo boxes of the same shape stack nicely!

We continue to add new writing instruments and accessories from Kakimori, the most recent of which include the Frost line of fountain pens and rollerballs. The Frost rollerball has received the most interest so far, since it uses the “ink ball” technology similar to the Traveler’s Company brass rollerball pen. You can refill this pen using fountain pen ink, either with a cartridge or a converter. The Frost is available in five different translucent “frosted” colors, and features a long section that’s designed to be comfortable for extended writing sessions.

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Count me a fan of the colorful translucent frosted finish on the aptly named “Frost” fountain pens.

Our Nashville store hours are 1-6pm Thursday and Friday, and 10am-6pm Saturdays. While we do accept shopping by appointment, we require at least 24 hours notice and appointments are discretionary based on our schedule outside normal shop hours, especially during early January as we take inventory. Thanks for your understanding!

Thursday Drops: Get Organized for 2026 with Kakimori, Leuchtturm1917, Rickshaw and More!

2026 is here, and with the new year comes a ton of new arrivals! First up, as noted earlier this week, is our first collaboration with San Francisco-based Rickshaw Bagwords, a “Clouds” pattern designed by a member of our local pen club. We’ve also received a restock of Kakimori notebooks, including new designs, as well as most of the line of Leuchtturm1917 notebooks, including the 120g version with heavier paper and the Bullet Journal collaboration. We’ve also added the Leuchtturm1917 Drehgriffel pens in both gel and ballpoint, as well as the remaining items from our initial Craft Design Technology shipment. Enjoy!

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Rickshaw Bagworks’ most recent case design is the Fillmore, which opens like a book to lie flat on your desk. It’s a versatile design that can hold at least 6 pens, more if you pair with the Coozy 1, 2, or 3-pen sleeves which fit inside.

Our Nashville store is open normal hours this week, from 1-6pm on Thursday and Friday and from 10am-6pm on Saturday. Please come by and see these and more in person! Also, be sure and save the date for January 23-24, when Vanness Pens and Matthew’s Nibworks (Matthew Chen) will be joining us for a special Friday and Saturday in-store event. More to follow.

1. Kakimori Clothbound Notebooks. Japanese boutique stationery brand Kakimori famously releases special edition notebooks each year featuring cloth covers made using traditional Japanese techniques. We’ve recently received a fresh shipment, and while they tend to go fast, there are still several available.

2. T.G.S. x Rickshaw Bagworks Special Edition “Clouds” Pen Cases. Featuring artwork by Nick Dominguez, who is local to Nashville and an active member of our pen club, these Rickshaw cases come in three different color schemes. Each pattern was hand-drawn using multi-shading fountain pen inks, which makes this collaboration even more special.

3. Leuchtturm1917 Standard A5 Notebooks. Leuchtturm’s hardcover A5 notebooks are a classic piece of stationery. Their 80g paper is good enough for most EF-M fountain pens, and for years they served as a standard everyday work notebook on which I regularly relied. I even wrote half of a novel in one of the larger “Master” versions. We've had these in-store for a couple of weeks but I’ve only recently gotten my act together and listed them online.

4. Leuchtturm1917 120g and Bullet Journal Notebooks. While I personally find Leuchtturm’s standard 80g paper adequate for how I use their notebooks, if you’re a fan of broader nibs, wet inks, and even markers, consider the 120g paper. There’s also a series of Bullet Journal co-branded notebooks that use the same heavier stock.

5. Leuchtturm1917 Softcover Notebooks. I often get asked whether Leuchtturm notebooks can easily fit inside a Roterfaden cover. Hardbacks can be tight, especially if you want to carry multiple notebooks in the cover, but Leuchtturm also makes softcover A5, B5, and B6 books using the same paper which are slimmer and more compatible with some covers.

6. Leuchtturm Drehgriffel Ballpoints and Gel Pens. The hexagonal Drehgriffel has caught on recently, because it’s surprisingly comfortable and comes in a wide range of colors. (“Rising Sun” is my favorite, and I prefer the fine gel pen over the ballpoint, but both are nice everyday writers.)

7. Craft Design Technology “Black Edition” Memo Pads and Pencil Sets. I’ve finally been able to list all of the products we received from CDT, including their recently released “Black Edition” memo pads that reflect colored pencils, pens, and standard graphite. The Pencil Set (sold separately) will net you a few colored pencils to use on the black paper, plus a NJK sharpener.

8. Craft Design Technology A4 Binders. These A4 binders are designed to hold Japanese 30-hole looseleaf paper, which we also carry. Each binder features a signature CDT pattern on the outside, and comes in three different colors.

9. Tono & Lims Fountain Pen Inks. We’ve added three different lines of Tono & Lims inks, including selections from the Signature Line, the Friendship Line, and the “Adult Night” Line. Given the positive reception to date, we are definitely looking to add more Tono & Lims inks in the future, so keep checking back.

10. Roterfaden Taschenbegleiter Restock. Since the stock changes so frequently, we have broken Roterfaden out into its own “shop” page, so we can better track all the different sizes and keep the stock levels more visible. We currently have various A5 covers, some B6 covers, and a few remaining A5 Slim TGS_25 models.

We currently have Leuchtturm1917 Softcover Notebooks in A5, B5 (Composition), and B6 (Café).

New Arrivals: Introducing the First T.G.S. Rickshaw Collaboration: "Clouds" by Nick Dominguez

We’re excited to finally reveal a project that’s been in the works for some time: our first collaboration with San Francisco-based Rickshaw Bagworks and a local member of our Nashville pen club, artist and designer Nick Dominguez! Featuring Nick’s signature “Clouds” pattern, we currently have nine cases from which to choose, including a Fillmore, Sinclair, and 2-Pen Coozy in three different color options. The Fillmore has six pen slots with room for more and opens like a book, while the Sinclair “Model R” has three pen slots with a more open design. The Coozy is your typical two pen sleeve. All Rickshaw cases feature their signature plush liner that protects pens from scratches and (most) drops.

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The Classic Sinclair “Model R” builds on the original Nock Co. design. This is one of my favorite pen cases of all time!

Nick created the “Clouds” design using multishading fountain pen inks. According to Nick,

“Multi-shading fountain pen inks and clouds have always captivated me for the same reason: their fluid, ever-shifting forms never look the same twice. This artwork aims to bring that parallel to life. Each cloud pattern flows and changes through color and variation, which is what makes working with and writing with these inks also so mesmerizing.”

The T.G.S. x Rickshaw cases are currently available in the “Cases and Accessories” Section of the T.G.S. Curated Shop, and will also be available in-store this week. Please note that we are unable to “hold” items for in-store purchase, though you are welcome to purchase online and select “in-store pickup” to reserve a case and collect your order during normal business hours.

Our Nashville store hours are 1-6pm Thursday and Friday, and 10am-6pm Saturdays. While we do accept shopping by appointment, we require at least 24 hours notice and appointments are discretionary based on our schedule outside normal shop hours, especially during early January as we take inventory. Thanks for your understanding!

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And of course there’s the 2-pen Coozy option, which holds two pens (or mechanical pencils) and will fit inside the Rickshaw zippered cases.

Weekly Drops: Tono & Lims Inks, Kakimori Restock, and More!

We’re happy to announce that we’ve received three new lines of ink from Tono & Lims, which is now available for purchase both in shop and online! Those familiar with Tono & Lims know that the brand is the result of a Japanese-South Korean collaboration between Japanese fountain pen enthusiasts and the South Korean ink producer Lim’s Lab. Tono & Lims loves to experiment with color, sheen, shimmer, and inside jokes, so the inks end up being a lot of fun (especially the names). We’ve swatched these inks on multiple papers to showcase how they can look different depending on which specific paper you use!

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My personal favorite. A shimmer red with black sheen and a great name.

As noted in Tuesday’s post, we have also restocked products from Kakimori and Object Index, including the Kakimori dip nibs and a new line of miniature nib holders that are slightly smaller than the traditional calligraphy nib holder.

Our Nashville shop will be open from 1-6pm on Friday January 2, and from 10-6pm on Saturday January 3 (normal hours). We’re looking forward to getting back into the swing of things after a busy holiday season!

1. Tono & Lims Standard Line Inks. The standard line of Tono & Lims inks, with the numbered colors. To start I’ve picked a handful and we will be bringing in more as we get a sense of what people like.

2. Tono & Lims “Friendship” Line Inks. Ok, so I added some shimmer inks to the T.G.S. curation! This particular ink series is inspired by friends of the Tono & Lims brand, whether that’s collaborators or partner shops or others. There are some particularly interesting color combinations, and shimmer and other special properties are not overwhelming.

3. Tono & Lims “Adult Night” Inks. No, there’s nothing inappropriate going on here. This line of inks - mostly lightly scented - is themed around coffee, tea, and chocolate, with a touch of insomnia thrown in. (And Dynamite?)

4. Kakimori Dip Nibs. We’ve received a restock of the Kakimori conical metal nibs, as well as the standard writing nib which functions much like a fountain pen only there is no feed and is intended more for writing.

5. Kakimori Nib Holders. The standard Kakimori nib holders are available again in the Sakura wood finish. This is the longer nib holder in the classic shape.

6. Kakimori Mini Nib Holders. These “mini” nib holders are slightly smaller and more compact than a traditional nib holder, making it perfect for travel, portability, and those with smaller hands. It’s also a fun range of colors!

7. Object Index Modular Marker. We’ve brought back a selection of Kakimori’s popular “Object Index” line of high-end office supplies, including these “Modular Markers” that allow you to build a set of customizable fineliners and highlighters that stack in a way that lets you easily cycle through different tip sizes.

8. Kakimori Colour Liners Fineliner Markers. Kakimori first popularized fineliners that you can fill with your own inks to create a truly custom set. Several different tip sizes are available, ranging from standard writing points to chisel-tip markers for highlighting or drawing.

9. Pilot Prera Fountain Pens. The popular solid-color Pilot Prera fountain pens are back in stock, including the coveted Honey Yellow in both nib sizes.

10. The Roterfaden Shop at T.G.S. We are restocked on most versions of the Roterfaden Taschenbegleiter, including many different A5 designs and a handful of remaining TGS_25 in Grey. While we want to keep this special release in stock, there is no scheduled restock date at the moment on either the grey or green A5-Slim, and we are unable to take pre-orders or deposits.

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Allex Desk Scissors from Japan are now available in four different formats. Black Fluorine version is restocked, and we also have Jagged Blade (for cutting vinyl, etc.) and Thin Blade (for fine detail work) versions available.

New Arrivals: Kakimori Mini Nib Holders, Dip Nibs, and Colour Liners!

If you enjoy ink, you’ve probably heard of Kakimori and their conical metal nibs, which many love for drawing, writing, and ink swatching. We recently received a restock of the Kakimori dip nibs, including the new copper finish and the standard “pen nib”. We’ve also added the Kakimori Mini Nib Holders to our lineup, which are a shorter version of Kakimori’s standard dip nib holder (also back in stock).

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Finally, we’ve brought back the Kakimori “Colour Liner” refillable fineliners, in four different tip sizes. You essentially create your own marker by filling the included wick with your ink of choice. While technically disposable, these markers last a long time - I have several going for well over a year. Check out these and other Kakimori and Object Index products in our shop!

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For those who want to use their nib holder strictly for writing, Kakimori also makes a standard pen nib!

Please note that we are not open on New Year’s Eve or New Year’s Day this week, as we are finishing up shipping and counting inventory at year-end. We will be open normal hours Friday (1-6pm) and Saturday (10am-6pm).