Thursday Drops: New Reading Accessories from WMS + Co.!

This past week we updated the T.G.S. Curated Shop’s main page in a way that I hope makes it easier to navigate while also creating room to grow our various categories, including our selection of curated desk and reading accessories! This week we’re pleased to offer a selection of high-end bookmarks from WMS + Co., in your choice of sterling silver, bronze, and copper. All of these make exceptional gifts, whether it’s a mid-winter pick-me-up for yourself or a gift for someone else. In addition to the official “Reading and Desk Accessories”, many of our writing instruments and notebook systems offer products that pull double duty,

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In my humble opinion, everybody needs their own “ex libris” stamp.

Editor’s Note: Reading Accessories strike me as a neglected product category across the board. I’m not aware of many stores that stock items of interest to readers of physical books, and it’s one of the areas of the shop I’d like to grow. If you have favorite products that are hard for you to find and would like me to look into, I’d appreciate it if you’d drop me a comment or an e-mail through the Contact link.

The T.G.S. Curated Shop is an authorized retailer of WMS + Co. and other brands we stock. 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!

1. WMS + Co. Corner Page Markers. These bronze and copper corner bookmarks are surprisingly light, slipping easily over the corner of your page to mark your spot in your novel or journal. Currently available in both bronze and copper, with sterling silver on the way.

2. WMS + Co. Sterling Silver Page Points. We personally use all of the products that we stock in our Desk and Reading Accessories section (it’s how we curate, after all), and this set of three Sterling Silver Page Points is one of a handful of products that sees use every day. I keep two of them in the devotional books I read every morning, and a third in my current book-in-progress.

3. WMS + Co. Sterling Silver Page Markers. Looking for a slightly larger, more traditional bookmark? These Sterling Page Markers ship as a set of two.

4. WMS + Co. Bronze Octagonal Rubber Stamp. All of WMS + Co’s high-end rubber stamps come with a voucher that allows you to order your customization for no additional charge. While many people might opt for a letterhead stamp or professional credential, I chose a custom personal library stamp. (Because who actually gets rid of their books, right?) This heavy bronze stamp is cast from an antique version.

5. WMS + Co. “Philosophical” Hand Stamps. Jazz up your journals and written correspondence with your favorite quote. (Some are more work-friendly than others.) We also sell re-inkable stamp pads, which are not included.

6. Hightide Co. Folding Metal Book Stand. One of the original products that started the Curated Shop, and still a best seller. (Seriously, some people order like four of these at a time, and I get it, because you can use these in various places around your home, whether on your desk as a book, notebook, or pad holder, in the kitchen as a cookbook holder, or even as a stand to display larger artwork or photographs.

7. Caran d’Ache Editing Pencils in Red/Graphite and Highlighter/Graphite. A personal favorite that’s never far from my side when I’m working or reading, these Caran d’Ache double-ended pencils are infinitely practical. Sold individually or by the dozen.

8. Traveler’s Company Brass Ruler and Brass Template Bookmarks. The Traveler’s Company Brass Ruler and template bookmarks are best sellers, whether you use them as a straightedge or just a handy bookmark that can pull double-duty when necessary.

9. Traveler’s Company Brass Number Clips. Mark multiple places in your research volume, or turn your notebook into a multi-subject by creating sections with these brass clips from Traveler’s Company.

10. Traveler’s Company Brass Clip. Another “daily user” for me, which can serve double duty as a clip to hold open your Traveler’s Notebook or other journal while you write, or a book while you read.

Pen Roll vs. Pen Case: Why Consider One Over The Other?

I’m in the process of cleaning up/cleaning out my office here at “T.G.S. HQ,” in advance of some work we’re having done on the house, and part of the process has been taking an inventory of everything I have in my personal collection as well as items for the review queue that have never made their way onto the blog. One surprising find includes a large number of pen wraps and pen rolls, something I don’t believe I’ve ever written about at length. Pen rolls have grown in popularity to the point where most major brands have at least one in their lineup, and like pen cases, pen rolls come in a variety of designs and materials across a wide range of price points. I thought it might be helpful to offer my thoughts on pen rolls and why you might want to choose (or not choose) this type of carry over a traditional case.

The main advantage of a pen roll, for me, is the combination of capacity and compact size in your bag. Both the Lochby Tool Roll (top) and the Superior Labor Leather Pen Roll (bottom) can hold a LOT of writing instruments, especially if you double (or quintuple) up. The Lochby also has pockets behind the elastic loops, so you can really cram it full if you need to.

Advantages of a Pen Roll Over a Pen Case

Compact Size without Sacrificing Capacity. For me, the main advantage of a pen roll over a traditional zippered, sleeve-style, or hard case is the ability to carry a larger number of pens without having the case completely take over your bag. For example, I love my 12-pen Galen Leather Hard Case, but if I need to carry a large volume of pens in my briefcase or another bag where space is at a premium, I’m probably going to opt for something like the Superior Labor Leather Pen Roll or the Lochby Tool Roll (or both - see below). If you’re well-organized, you can fit two dozen pens into two pen rolls and still take up less space in your bag than a single larger 12-pen case (a huge advantage for traveling to pen shows).

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Pen rolls lie flat when open on your desk, yet roll up to a compact size for storage.

Versatility. While most pen cases are sized for pens, pen rolls can be repurposed to carry other things, whether it’s other writing instruments such as mechanical pencils, ruling pens, or Pilot Parallels (shown above on the right), or even things like pen repair equipment, crafting knives, wrenches, and/or bike tools. Many pen rolls also fit a wide range of pen sizes (in terms of both length and diameter), and if you’re not squeamish about your pens touching, you can often double the stated capacity of the pen roll by sticking multiple pens in a single slot, especially with more slender writing instruments like ballpoints and gel pens.

Disadvantages of a Pen Roll (or Why You Might Prefer a Pen Case)

Security. While some pen rolls come with straps and secure closures, others need to be tied or rely on elastics, which are arguably less secure in the sense that it’s easier for them to fall open inadvertently. Some designs that don’t have a flap across the top leave your pens at risk of falling out. If you carry expensive pens, be sure to evaluate the security of a pen roll before you invest. (As an aside, items like the now-discontinued Nock Co. “Brasstown” drew on elements of both the pen roll and the pen case, allowing you to tuck a six-pen roll into a compact outer zippered case.) Likewise, if you’re going to be transporting pens inside checked luggage or another situation where they might be crushed, a pen roll might not be the best choice over a case with more structure.

If you value protection over all else, then a pen case is the way to go. Both the Galen Leather “Magnum Opus” 12 Pen Hard Case (bottom) and the Franklin-Christoph Covered Pen Tray (top) are excellent.

Scratch Protection. If you’re one of “those people” who freak out at the slightest prospect of your pens rubbing together or touching, pen rolls are probably not for you. While many designs incorporate flaps to minimize contact, it’s hard to avoid entirely and somewhat inherent in how pen rolls are designed. For this reason, I’d recommend pen rolls for those who use their pens regularly on the go, aren’t overly concerned with wear and tear, and who are mainly looking for a compact way to tote around a larger volume of “daily writers”, as opposed to rare collectibles. (I will say that in all the years I’ve been using pen cases and pen wraps, I’ve not experienced any damage to my pens from daily carry beyond micro-scratches. I’ll also say that if you’re NOT squeamish about pens touching, a pen wrap will generally offer more protection than overstuffing a traditional pen case or pen pouch.)

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The two pen rolls contain the same number of pens (24) as the two hard pen cases. I mainly use my pen rolls for transportation, while I use the larger pen cases for long-term storage and organization at home.

Takeaways

There’s no categorical recommendation here - I regularly carry both traditional pen cases and pen rolls, depending on where I’m going and what I’m doing. That said, for situations where I want to carry a larger number of pens with me in a smaller bag, such as a pen show or a local pen club meetup, I’m going with a pen roll (or “rolls,” plural) more often than not. Two current favorites, shown here in photos, are the Superior Labor Leather Pen Roll and the Lochby Tool Roll, which I just added to the T.G.S. Curated Shop. Other great options, which I’ve reviewed in the past, are the Nock Co. Brasstown if you can find one on the secondary market, as well as options from Rickshaw Bagworks. Also, many smaller makers craft their own pen wraps and rolls, and these make excellent pen show souvenirs, especially if you can snag one in a one-off material or fabric!

This post does not contain paid third-party affiliate links, though the T.G.S. Curated Shop is an authorized retailer of Lochby and other brands we stock. 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!

Curated Shop Update: A Shop Redesign and Lochby Cases + Notebooks!

Over the past weekend I took care of something that was a long time coming, and redesigned the shop in a way that not only makes it more navigable but provides some much needed room to grow in a way that’s not cluttered and confusing. Going forward, the T.G.S. Curated Shop will have four main product pages: Pens and Pencils (+ Refills), Curated Paper + Notebook Systems, Curated Desk + Reading Accessories, and Washi Tape + Enamel Pins. You can check out the new shop landing page here, which breaks everything out by both section and brand.

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Introducing Lochby Cases + Notebooks

Also, please join me in welcoming Lochby to the Curated Shop, with their full range of notebook covers and pen cases made from durable, vegan-friendly waxed canvas! The current lineup includes the Lochby Field Journal, an open-sided notebook case/organizer capable of holding up to six slim A5 refills using a combination of front and back cover slots and four elastic cords. The Lochby Pocket Journal is a zippered case that holds up to two 3.5” x 5.5” pocket notebooks, along with cards, etc. (It will also fit a passport.) Both the Field Journal and the Pocket Notebook ship with one 72-page Lochby refill, which contains fountain-pen-friendly 68gsm Tomoe River Paper, with additional refills available for purchase separately. The Field Journal refills are available in Dot Grid, Lined, Plain, and Planner (6 months) rulings, while the Pocket Journal refills are available in Dot Grid, Lined, and Plain versions.

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Lochby also makes two dedicated pen cases: the Quattro four-pen case (which actually holds four-plus pens if you use the outer slots), and the Lochby Tool Roll, which can be used to hold anything from pens to bike tools to art supplies to whatever you might want to carry around with you. My favorite aspects of the Quattro are the offset pen slots that prevent unnecessary contact between pens when the case is closed, and a soft liner, both of which help protect against scratching.

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The entire Lochby lineup is attractively priced, especially given the quality, ranging from $39-$59 for the various cases, $8.99 for the A5 Tomoe River notebook, and $5.99 for the Tomoe River pocket notebook. You can check them out here, along with the rest of our carefully curated selection of products.

The T.G.S. Curated Shop is an authorized retailer of Lochby and other brands we stock. 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!

Sunday Reading for February 13, 2022

1. Pen Addict 500 (via Pen Addict). A huge congrats to Brad and Myke on 500 episodes! It’s crazy to think it’s been that long.

2. Pen Review: Platinum Curidas (via Macchiato Man). The Platinum Curidas, remember that? I need to break mine back out, and see if the cracked feeds are stable or have gotten worse and need replacement.

3. Journaling I (via InkSharks). What’s your preferred notebook for journaling? If you enjoy Tomoe River Paper, the Nanami Paper Seven Seas is an excellent choice

4. A Perfect Pen (via A Fleeting Ripple). The Lamy 2000 might be, for me, the perfect pen. I love reading stories about how like-minded people first discovered it.

5. Pen Collecting and the Curious Art of Curation (via mnmlscholar). There are many different ways to curate a pen collection, depending on what you want each addition to bring to the table.

6. Rocking Out with the Tibaldi Bamboo Trio (via UK Fountain Pens). Tibaldi, a Montegrappa “sub-brand”, has been making a name for itself by showcasing interesting materials in unique shapes.

7. State of the Art: Material Snobbery (via Comfortable Shoes Studio). Material snobbery is one of those things that subconsciously takes hold, and it creeps into other areas beyond art supplies, like stationery (i.e., notebooks). Do I really need a better notebook, or is the one I was going to use perfectly fine?

8. Taccia Spotlight Forest Eye Review (via Pen Addict). Kimberly reviews one of the steel-nibbed Taccia pens, and it’s a great reminder that the nibs are made by Sailor and excellent writers.

9. My New Whatever Journal (via Well-Appointed Desk). I’ve also started keeping a “whatever” notebook on me most of the time, where I don’t worry about what goes into it or whether it has any sort of consistent “theme” or dedicated use.

10. How I Select My Next Ink to Use (via Too Many Inks). I love reading about other people’s systems that they use to ensure all the inks in their collection get cycled through. Read Part II here.

In Case You Missed It…

This week on the blog I reviewed a new A5 Leather Notebook Cover/Portfolio from Harber London, a brand I’ve never used before. I also posted my thoughts on the Drillog dip pen, a Kickstarter project that took off last year and garnered a lot of hype, but final results seem mixed at best. (Note: Drillog reached out and has offered to replace my nib. They looked at my writing sample and confirmed there is likely something wrong with the pen.)

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This week we’re happy to introduce Lochby to the Curated Shop!

This Week in the Curated Shop

In order to set up the shop for future growth, you’ll notice that things have been reorganized a bit, and you may see similar changes going forward. Our selection of pens and pencils, paper (including notebooks and notebook systems), curated desk and reading accessories, and washi tape and enamel pins are now organized on their own discrete pages to make things easier to navigate and give us room to expand. Check out this new format here. On the restock side, we are fully loaded up on most models of Caran d’Ache pens and pencils, including the latest Nespresso Swiss Wood Collaboration, and we just launched Lochby with their full range of notebook covers and Tomoe River refills!

Lochby

Caran d'Ache

Desk and Reading

Washi and Pins

Consider Joining TGS Patreon for Access to Monthly Meetups and First Dibs on Gently Used Stationery, Exclusive Products and More!

For some additional fun, and to help support the blog consider joining the Patreon program. Patreon supporters receive special pricing and early access to product releases and collaborations such as the T.G.S. x Sunderland pen, in addition to other benefits. You can read more about T.G.S. Patreon here. This year I’ve introduced monthly online meetups, which take place on Friday or Saturday and have been super enjoyable. The Patreon membership also has “first dibs” on my regular gently used stationery sales.

My Experience with the Drillog Metal Dip Pen: Hype vs. Reality

For those unfamiliar with Drillog, it’s a Japanese CNC-machined dip pen designed to look like a drill (hence the name) and advertised as being machined with “aircraft grade precision” (hence a hefty price tag). The pen launched last year on Kickstarter, and with as much hype as this product received, I couldn’t NOT back it. I’ve had my Drillog machined dip pen in hand for a few weeks now, and wanted to provide my initial impressions of this niche product that, while certainly interesting, I unfortunately can’t recommend until the manufacturer either works out the quality control issues or provides additional clarity on what ink and/or techniques need to be used to get the advertised performance.

As a preliminary note, I backed this product on Kickstarter and paid full price for it with my own money. I was not asked to review it or promote the Kickstarter in any way. You’re reading this as an unvarnished review from someone whose information comes from personal experience and the Kickstarter page, with no communications with the manufacturer.

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My experience with dip pens and calligraphy is rudimentary at best, so I came to the Drillog as a true novice, and mainly saw this as a tool that could help me sample inks and experience writing with more “high-maintenance” formulations without having to worry about cleaning them out of a fountain pen. I was especially intrigued by Drillog’s claim that a single dip can “fill a sheet of A4 paper with writing lines”, even though I could never really see myself actually using it for that long of a session. So does Drillog live up to the hype and promise? In short, no.

The top two writing samples were done with Ink Institute’s “Cat at Dawn,” a shading ink that’s on the watery side. The top paragraph was written with the Drillog, and I circled in red the two points at which the nib ran dry and I had to re-dip the pen. The middle paragraph was written with a glass pen, using the same ink. The last paragraph was written with Noodler’s Blue, a slightly thicker, more saturated in that performed better, but I still didn't get close more than a quarter page.

“Ink Retention Structure for Uninterrupted Writing”: I’ll start here because this is what drew me to the Drillog in the first place. I write very small and like to take notes and make annotations in tiny handwriting, so there was something attractive about the (theoretical) ability to quickly switch inks and play around with different colors in my journals and notebooks without having to flush and refill multiple fountain pens. And to be honest, the Drillog does allow you to do that, to a point. My issue is that despite testing a half-dozen inks with this thing, I’ve never been able to get more than a quarter page of writing out of the .5mm Drillog, much less the full “A4 page” touted by Shion, the manufacturer. That’s similar to what I get out of a $25 glass dip pen, which writes a much wetter line and lays down more ink. I’ve also experienced consistent hard starts and other problems with getting my Drillog to write, often having to dip the pen multiple times to get it started. Upon close inspection, the tip of my pen appears ever-so-slightly bent or curved, and one side of the pen won’t write at all because ink doesn’t flow through the grooves. While I plan to reach out to Shion to request a replacement (or an explanation), I’m disappointed something like this made it through QC at this price point.

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The drill-bit-like grooves in the nib are designed to hold a large volume of ink and, theoretically, allow you to write for a full A4 page before having to re-dip the nib. I’ve been unable to duplicate that in real life.

Ability to Use All Sorts of Inks and Easily Change Them. Drillog doesn’t expressly represent that the pen is intended to be used with fountain pen inks, but let’s be honest, that’s why many people ordered this pen and there needs to be more transparency around what users can reasonably expect. Jacob (writing at Fudefan) has done more extensive testing with the Drillog, and remarked that the nib appears to be sensitive to surface tension/ink viscosity, with certain inks performing better than others. Drillog also has a proviso on the Kickstarter page stating that “the area that can be written on may change due to the ink drying up.” I don’t know what they’re specifically referring to here, since there’s no context for the statement, but I suspect that because many fountain pen inks are water-based, with varying degrees of viscosity, surface tension, and saturation, thinner ink formulations may dry out on the nib before you have the chance to write the nib dry. This could be the source of the issues I’ve had with my pen, though I suspect that it has more to do with a manufacturing issue given the hard starts and scratchiness. Given the massive discrepancy between what I’ve experienced and what was advertised, I can’t get past that, especially where I can get similar performance in a less expensive product.

Performance aside, the Drillog is visually stunning, and a gorgeous piece of machining.

Comfortable and Convenient Nib Holder. I give credit where credit is due, and one area where Drillog did a nice job was the design of the nib holder. I opted for the longer round barrel, as opposed to the spiral or grooved designs, and I love the cap, which means that I can transport this dip pen easily to pen shows. Honestly, this is why I’ll probably hang on to the Drillog - so that I can sample different inks after hours in my pen show notebook. That said, you can find inexpensive capped glass dip pens by Moonman and other brands for much less money, and even if you have to buy a few to find one that works reliably, you’ll have spent much less money than on the Drillog.

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Takeaway and Final Thoughts

I hate to say it, but I consider the performance of my Drillog dip pen to be unacceptable for the price. At ¥25,692, which equates to roughly $225 at today’s exchange rate, that’s a huge premium for a dip pen that promises performance based on precision engineering - the source of the astronomic price tag - but fails to deliver a writing experience consistently better than much less expensive options. If I paid $50 for this pen, I might say it was “ok” and recommend that people pick it up if they’re interested in using it for testing inks or are looking for a machined dip nib with a very small tip that might be advantageous for certain types of lettering and other artwork requiring a great degree of precision. That said, I’m not sure what this offers the typical writing and ink enthusiast over a glass pen or inexpensive traditional XXF calligraphy nibs, other than the Drillog will last much longer and comes with a capped holder (which is quite cool).

This purchase was intended as an experiment, and I went into it suspecting the Drillog would likely not live up to the lofty promises, having read a handful of online reviews and comments similar to my own. Still, I expected more than this. I’ve also had the opportunity to test a handful of early-release “tester” Drillogs sent to other bloggers and reviewers, all of which worked much better than the one I received. That leads me to suspect that these review units were subjected to a higher level of QC testing than the ones that ultimately went out the door to paying customers, which is disappointing. A quick scan of the comments on the Kickstarter page confirms that I’m not the only one who’s had problems. I’ll be keeping on eye on Shion and Drillog to see if there are manufacturing tweaks made to a “version 2.0”, and whether they offer to take back any malfunctioning pens. So far, I’ve not seen any outreach in the Kickstarter comments.

UPDATE: Following this review, Drillog reached out, confirmed that it looks like something is wrong with my pen from the writing sample, and offered to send a replacement. I plan to take them up on it and will report back on how the new nib functions.

Disclaimer: As noted, I purchased the product featured in this review with my own funds, for my own personal use. All opinions expressed here are my own. This post does not contain affiliate links, and I was not compensated in any way for this review.