Deals & Drops: Holiday Shipping Update/Cutoff and Last Call on Low-Stock Items

December 9, 2021

Now that we’re about two weeks out from Christmas, I probably should provide an update on where I am, shipping-wise. I’m happy to report that I’ve managed to stay on top of orders despite being historically busy (thank you, everyone!) and have mostly managed to get everything out the door within 2-3 business days of an order being placed. If you have not received an order confirmation, let me know. That’s likely due to the Amazon Web Services outage that took place earlier this week, that prevented my shipping software from sending automatic updates. It didn’t actually affect me getting anything out the door so your orders should be on the way.

While I of course can’t guarantee that a carrier will deliver anything by a certain date, I suspect that all orders placed by early to mid-next week will arrive by Christmas. In addition to the new arrivals from Life Stationery and CW+T, I wanted to highlight in today’s post some low-stock and last-call items that are either going away forever because they’re limited, or may be subject to a lengthy restock period. You’re also doing me a solid by clearing some of the older special and limited editions out to make room for new arrivals, since I’m already having to start my buying for 2022! In addition to the items featured below, please check out the 2021 T.G.S. Holiday Gift Guide!

All links to the T.G.S. Curated Shop, unless otherwise noted. By shopping with us directly, 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!

Platinum Preppy Wa Limited Editions. I am down to the last few Preppy Wa limited edition pens, in a few of the colors. If you’ve been sleeping on these, what’s left is all there is, though I do hope that Platinum continues to issue limited edition versions of the Preppy fountain pen in the future.
Caran d’Ache Ecridor Racing Mechanical Pencil. The Ecridor “Racing” series is one of the best-looking releases from this past year, combining black chrome with a red racing stripe in an automotive-inspired design. I have exactly one mechanical pencil remaining in stock.
T.G.S. x Sunderland Special Edition MK1 Rollerball Pen. I won’t be restocking these until after the first of the year, so if you’ve had your eye on one for the holidays, or don’t want to wait, I only have a few left.
Most WMS & Co. Reading and Desk Accessories. While these are favorites of mine and I will certainly restock them, I’m currently low due to this entire range making exceptionally thoughtful holiday gifts for readers and home library enthusiasts. Last year I did almost all of my own Christmas shopping from the WMS & Co. lineup. (and the gifts were a hit!)
Mazzuoli Nobile ITALIA Ballpoint/Mechanical Pencil Combination Set. My favorite from the Giuliano Mazzuoli lineup, the ITALIA combines history with with a practical design. The pen/pencil ships with three different Schmidt Easyflow ballpoint refills and a .7mm mechanical pencil insert for maximum versatility.
Caran d’Ache Infinite 888 Swiss Cross Edition. The Infinite series is one of the better-kept secrets in the Caran d’Ache lineup and a surprise best-seller, and the Swiss Cross version might be my favorite. I have a couple of the mechanical pencils left in stock. Check out the standard Infinite series here.
Field Notes “Fifty” and “Trailhead” Editions. We tend to be selective in which Field Notes editions we stock, and these are two of the best that we’ve seen in a while. (“Trailhead” might be my favorite from the past couple years, actually.) We didn’t buy many of these and once they’re gone, we won’t restock.
Wilco x Field Notes Box Set. Know any Wilco fans who might appreciate this collection of six Field Notes pocket notebooks designed in collaboration with the members of the band? I have exactly one and probably won’t restock this one.
Penco “Perfection Light” Pocket Ballpoints. While the Penco “Perfection” Brass Bullet Pen has been popular, we’ve been selling a lot of the lightweight plastic version, which also takes a universal D1 refill. We’re down to two colors and will try to restock in the future, but it may be a little while.
Traveler’s Company “Travel Tools” Special Edition Refill. This special edition cover uses high quality Midori MD paper, perfect for all Traveler’s Notebooks and “Traveler’s-sized” covers. I picked up a bunch of these while I could, but haven’t done a great job of putting them out there. I love the cover design!

Stock-up Obsession: "B" and "2B" Pencils

December 8, 2021

When CW Pencil Enterprises announced earlier this year that it was closing, my first instinct was to stock up on their store exclusives and those items that you couldn’t easily get elsewhere. In addition to their custom pencil pouches, a copy of Caroline’s book, and Billy Reid desk accessories tray, I made a huge purchase of a bulk box of 2B Camel pencils. I don’t think it’s a full gross, but it’s something like 100 pencils and I don’t see myself using these up anytime soon. Why this particular purchase, you might ask? Because I’ve settled on 2B as my perfect graphite hardness.

Camel 2B Pencils CW Pencil Enterprise Edition — There’s nothing like the look of a bulk box of pencils. All that untapped potential….

Orange caps on a box of a dozen Staedtler Noris 2B pencils.

Now, all true pencil lovers understand that the graphite hardness scale can vary significantly between brands and regions. A Japanese “HB” pencil, for example, might feel identical to a German 2B, and leave nearly as dark a line. I tend not to dwell too much on these differences, however. If there’s a “B” or “2B” version of any pencil available, it’s what I’ll buy, and chances are, it will work very well for me, striking the right balance of darkness and usability (meaning that the graphite won’t smear across the page).

Both the Tombow 2558 HB and Uni-Mitsubishi 9850 HB leave a smooth, dark line, especially for an HB-grade pencil, but they still don’t quite touch the darkness of the Staedtler Noris 2B, much less the extremely dark Camel 2B.

So what are my favorite 2B Pencils? Well, the 2B Camels that I picked up are wonderful, with their streamlined eraser that sits flush with the barrel. You get the look of an eraserless, “capped” pencil without losing any functionality. (See the pics below for how they do this - I always wondered “how much eraser” you actually get - turns out its a lot.) I’ve also grown fond of the 2B Staedtler Noris, that classic German school pencil that’s seemingly everywhere in Europe but difficult to find in the U.S. The 2B version has an orange cap, to differentiate it from the red, yellow, and black HB that’s typically considered the “standard” Noris. And though not a true 2B - some say more like a 4B but nobody really knows what the heck they are - I’m partial to the Blackwing Matte (or the Blackwing MMX, or “Original,” or whatever you want to call it). Sure, it’s soft, but for some reason I find the “softest” Blackwing maintains its point much better, and smears less, than the Pearl. Mechanical pencil refills are a no-brainer, with most brands offering “B” and “2B” options in both standard mechanical pencil leads and leadholder refills. That’s my default choice.

Now I just need to work on stocking some “B” and “2B” pencils for the shop. If anyone has a contact at Camel, hit me up! These are quite difficult to find anywhere else and I would hate to see them become even more difficult to obtain. I’m having visions of a red Camel with a black eraser….

This post does not contain paid third-party affiliate links. All products pictured in this review were purchased with my own funds, for my own use. Purchases from the T.G.S. Curated Shop support 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!

Introducing Life Stationery Writing Pads

December 7, 2021

The T.G.S. Curated Shop has always featured a wide range of luxury writing pads, including those from brands such as Write Notepads, Rhodia, Clairefontaine, and now, Life Stationery. We just received a shipment of Life A4 Noble Note, Letter-sized Bank Paper, and A4 Typewriter pads, all of which are available for purchase as of this morning. If you haven’t tried Life paper, it’s some of the most versatile Japanese paper out there, whether you’re looking for smooth (Noble Note), textured (Bank Paper), or lightweight (Typewriting Paper). The Noble Note and Bank Paper pads contain a whopping 100 sheets! Check out these and other Life Stationery products here.

The T.G.S. Curated Shop is an authorized retailer of all brands sold. By shopping with us directly, 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!

A paper specifically made for typewriters? Count me in!

Private Reserve D.C. Supershow Blue: A Classic Returns

December 4, 2021

Private Reserve Ink has really been through the wringer over the years, passing through the hands of three separate owners and finally ending up in the hands of Yafa, the current owners/distributors of Monteverde and several other brands. One of the original boutique ink brands that existed alongside Noodler’s from the time I entered the hobby, I’ve had mixed success using Private Reserve throughout my “pen career.” When I first started out, these inks were the only option you had if you wanted highly saturated reds, greens, and blues, but those colors often came with a lot of baggage in the form of slow dry times/smearing, a tendency to stain, and at one point, a propensity to grow mold due to a formulation error. Fortunately, these issues were eventually sorted out, and the new inks exhibit none of these problems. In fact, they’re quite good.

Private Reserve DC Supershow Blue Writing Sample — Private Reserve DC Supershow Blue pops off the page, in the way that many inks haven’t done since Parker discontinued the Penman Sapphire.

To answer the question of “Just how good?”, during my recent visit to Anderson Pens I selected a bottle of what was once one of the highest-maintenance fountain pen inks out there: Private Reserve D.C. Supershow Blue. A saturated blue originally designed to mimic long-discontinued cult ink Parker Penman Sapphire, the old formulation of Supershow Blue was, for me, impossible to use. I found that it never dried, and would clog pens to the point that I would have to prime the feed by twisting the converter a bit any time I stopped writing for more than a day. That said, Supershow Blue is an absolutely gorgeous color, so if Yafa’s most recent take on Private Reserve rendered this color useable, it would be a huge win for everybody.

DC Supershow Blue and its characteristic red sheen - only this time no smearing!

TLDR version: The latest version of this ink is great. To test out dry time/smear resistance, I layered it onto Write Notepads dot grid paper with a folded nib dip pen, and experienced absolutely no bleedthrough or feathering. Importantly, the ink dried relatively quickly, and after a few minutes you could run a finger across the page without any smearing or stickiness whatsoever - impressive since the ink is fairly wet. The color isn’t quite a match for Parker Penman Sapphire (see the comparison in the photo below), but it stands on its own as a great “bright blue” option.

Private Reserve DC Supershow Blue Penman Sapphire Comparison — So at this year’s Chicago Pen Show, the ink testing table contained a sample of Penman Sapphire, which I compared against the new formulation of Supershow Blue. The old Penman Ink has more of a violet hue, with additional red sheen. It does, however, smear much more than the Private Reserve, even two months later.

Takeaways and Where to Buy

Given how nice my experience with this ink has been, I’m definitely looking at picking up some additional colors. Private Reserve is widely available from most pen retailers, and generally inexpensive. As I mentioned, I purchased the bottle featured in this review at Anderson Pens Chicago. Most of the standard colors are priced at $15 for 60ml, quite a good deal, with specialty inks such as the “Infinity” series and the “Pearlescent” shimmer inks commanding a slight premium. Another longtime Private Reserve favorite is “Burgundy Mist,” which I reviewed relatively recently, and I look forward to revisiting both Sherwood Green and Tanzanite, inks that were once staples of my collection.

Private Reserve Ink Bottle — People either love or hate the Private Reserve Ink bottles. They feature a large volume (60ml) and a wide opening for easy filling with larger pens, but these bottles do tend to spatter/spill a bit since they always ship ***very*** full. Exercise care when opening!

Disclaimer: This post has been revised to reflect/disclose that as of June 2025, T.G.S. is now a retailer of Private Reserve Ink! You can purchase a selection of the Private Reserve Colors directly from our shop.

Deals & Drops: New Arrivals and Holiday Restock Reminders

December 3, 2021

Just a reminder to please consider the T.G.S. Curated Shop and other smaller retailers for your holiday shopping needs! We are currently fully stocked on pens, notebooks, and desk and reading accessories from a wide range of makers, including special products you won’t find anywhere else! In addition to the items featured below, please check out the 2021 T.G.S. Holiday Gift Guide!

T.G.S. x. Sunderland Machine Works mk1 Rollerball. Our exclusive matte black and burgundy rollerball is down to the last few pens from this initial run. If you’re looking for a unique gift, or just something nice for yourself that you’d like before the holidays, it’s an excellent option.
CW+T Pen-Type C. Though known for their popular Pen Type-A and Pen Type-B models, both of which house the full-size Pilot Hi-Tec-C refill, the Pen Type-C is a bookmark/pocket pen that features the Hi-Tec-C Coleto, a needle-tip multipen refill that comes in a wide array of colors. Titanium construction at an accessible price.
Penco “Perfection” Bullet Pen. Love the bullet pen format but wish your Space Pen had a bit more heft to it? This brass version by Penco comes in three different finishes, and accepts the universal D1 refill.
Caran d’Ache 849 Rollerball Pen. This one will likely make two of my 2021 year-end favorites lists: Favorite products stocked in the shop and favorite new releases in general. The larger barrel is extremely comfortable for longer writing sessions, and the fact that it accepts standard Parker-style refills makes it an extremely versatile choice on par with the Retro 51 Tornado.
Caran d’Ache Ecridor Racing .7mm Mechanical Pencil. Combining black chrome with a sharp red racing stripe, the Ecridor Racing series is the best-looking version of Caran d’Ache’s higher-end Ecridor pen/pencil that I’ve seen.
Caran d’Ache Claim Your Style Ballpoint, Edition No. 3. The monochrome color scheme from this year’s Claim Your Style pens is likely my favorite of the three releases, especially the dark blue, green, and orange versions.
Midori MD Fountain Pen. Midori’s fountain pen features the same off-white color scheme as the rest of their stationery products (like their “B” grade pencils), but that’s not what makes this one so much fun. They’ve tweaked the stainless steel nib from the Traveler’s Company brass fountain pen and angled it slightly downward to compensate for those who write with heavy pressure.
WMS & Co. Bronze Octagonal Custom Rubber Stamp. Of all the desk accessories made by WMS & Co., this customizable brass stamp is my favorite. I personally use it as an “ex libris” library stamp, but the purchase includes a voucher good for creating a custom stamp of your choice, whether that be a professional seal, return address, monogram, etc.
WMS & Co. Sterling Modern Page Markers and Page Points. These handcrafted sterling silver bookmarks are perennial sellers, and absolutely perfect gifts for any occasion if you have someone on your list who is a serious reader.
Traveler’s Company Brass Pen Case. I don’t know which of the Traveler’s Company brass accessories is my favorite, between this and the Brass Ruler. Don’t forget to check out other options like the Template Bookmark and Number Clips that you can use to organize your notebooks.