Sunday Reading for March 13, 2022

1. Spring 2022 London Pen Show (via Dapprman). Pen Show season is in full swing, and I really, really want to attend the second London Pen Show in the Fall if I can.

2. Four and a Half Hours at a Pen Show Goes Alarmingly Quickly (via UK Fountain Pens). I can certainly vouch for that! It’s like no time at all!

3. It’s a New Day: Esterbrook Nouveau Blue (via A Fleeting Ripple). Coincidentally, I picked up an Estie Nouveau Blue at the Baltimore Pen Show and I think it might be my favorite material they’ve released.

4. The Color-Matched and the Complimentary (via mnmlscholar). I actually tend to go for a more “complimentary” approach when I match pens and inks, though many people I know color match as well.

5. Wearingeul Lost (via Fountain Pen Pharmacist). South Korean ink company Wearingeul has taken off, especially since you can get many of their inks delivered same-day via Amazon Prime in the U.S. The inks are literature-themed, and in addition to double-shaders they have color-changing ink sets.

6. Vinta Inks Fairytale Collection (via Rants of the Archer). I’ve enjoyed discovering Vinta inks over the past couple of years, and some of their colors were among my favorite discoveries of 2021. This new set is based on fairytales and children's stories of the Philippines.

7. My Take on the Gravitas Pocket Pen (via UK Fountain Pens). I was able to handle some Gravitas pens for the first time this weekend, and they are now firmly on my list, especially the “Sentry.” I’m intrigued by the Pocket Pen as well.

8. Plotter Notebook Mini Size Now Available in the USA (via Notebook Stories). Plotter continues to expand their lineup, bringing a classic “mini” planner size to the U.S.

9. Wancher Sand Matte Fountain Pen (via Pencilcase Blog). Wancher’s latest matte black collaboration with Sailor (though it’s not co-branded) is an excellent option for those wishing Sailor released more matte black finishes.

10. Visconti Van Gogh Fountain Pen Review (via Pen Addict). The (relatively) lower priced option in Visconti’s lineup is one of my favorite releases from them, but again, you will likely need to get the nib tuned.

11. New Sailor Inks (via Well-Appointed Desk). These inks from the new “Yurameku” line are fascinating, and I had the chance to try a couple of them (“Seki” and “Yoi”) after-hours in Baltimore. They’re all “chromatic shaders” that have variations in tone and shading so that the color you see on the box may be quite different from what you see on the page - in a good way.

In Case You Missed It…

It’s Pen Show Week, specifically Baltimore, so this week’s posts have focused mainly on things to see at this year’s Baltimore Pen Show, as well as a post on flying with fountain pens and how to avoid leaks and a big mess when traveling. I’ll have a full show recap on the blog this week, but you can follow along in real-time via my Instagram account.

This Week in the Shop - Travel Week, a Special Promotion, and a “Gently Used” Update

Since I’m traveling, I’m running a small promotion with no coupon codes needed - all orders placed this week receive a complimentary gift that will ship with your orders starting Friday, upon my return. We’ve recently added all sorts of interesting things, ranging from desk pads to Japanese pencils to restocks on Write Notepads and Clairefontaine Paper. I also did a short shop feature on travel stationery and pocket pens as I was packing for Baltimore - be sure to check it out. Finally, don’t miss the recent update to the “Gently Used” stationery page, which I periodically unload old review samples, items from my personal collection, and otherwise things I can’t justify keeping around, all at significantly reduced prices.

TRC Brass

Pencils

WMS & Co

Book Darts

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, before whatever is left becomes available to the general readership.

Your Questions Answered: Flying with Fountain Pens

A common question I’m asked concerns fountain pens and travel, namely, “Can you fly with a fountain pen?” or “Can you take inked fountain pens on an airplane?” The answer I always give is “Yes”, with a few qualifications. I flew out to Baltimore on Thursday, and as my flight was sitting on the tarmac getting ready to leave Nashville, I realized that I had (inadvertently) packed five eyedroppered fountain pens, two Parker 51s with vintage aerometric filling systems, and a Lamy 2000, all of which were more than half-full of ink. Experiment time!

Instagram Poll Results

My first thought was to ask the readership (via Instagram): Which pens do you think will leak? Here’s what you all thought:

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Two of the eyedroppers were Opus 88 Japanese-style pens with the shut-off valve, so I didn’t include them in the poll. Predictably, they didn’t leak.

Real World Results

And the “real world” test results? The only pen that truly leaked - meaning that it dumped a bunch of ink into the cap to the point where I had to rinse it out - was one of two Parker 51s with a vintage aerometric-filling system. Interestingly, a modern “fantasy” Parker 51 that used the same filling system but had a modern barrel and cap didn’t leak or even burp ink slightly. All three Schon Design eyedroppers had absolutely zero ink in the cap or on the nib, and my Lamy 2000 had a blob of ink on the feed that required me to blot it prior to writing. Importantly, I did NOT keep these pens “nibs up” during the flight. They were in my bag, in my pen case on their sides as I had to slide my backpack under the seat.

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This unintentional experiment confirmed that you don’t have to worry excessively about flying with fountain pens. It’s never been something that I obsessed over, and these results are typical of what I’ve experienced over the years. Only one out of eight pens burped a significant amount of ink into the cap, though no ink leaked into my pen case, and that one pen was a vintage pen which I probably shouldn’t have flown with inked up anyway.

Tips and Techniques for Flying with Fountain Pens

If you absolutely want to minimize the possibility of a leak when flying with fountain pens, I might suggest the following general tips:

• Fly with eyedropper/vacuum-filler pens with shut-off valves, such as Opus 88 pens, the TWSBI Vac700R, or the Pilot Custom 823 (among others).

• Make sure any pens with other filling systems are full. This sounds counterintuitive, but it’s the expansion of air inside the filling system as air pressure changes that pushes ink out of the nib during a flight. If you remove the air by filling the pen immediately before taking off, you have a smaller chance of a leak.

• Remove your pens from your carry-on bag and fly with them nibs-up in the seat pocket in front of you. Just don’t forget to take them with you when you deplane. I’ve heard horror stories.

• Don't fly with vintage pens inked, especially vacumatic and aerometric filling systems. I’m no vintage pen expert, and can’t say why specifically these pens (in my experience) tend to leak more often than modern pens, but I suspect it’s due to modern feed/section/housing designs that minimize leakage. The majority of airplanes leaks I’ve experienced have involved me flying with vintage pens to or from a pen show.

Again, these are not absolutes, and there are no guarantees that you won’t have an issue, but I’ve had a lot of success flying with fountain pens and regularly do so.

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Check in on my regular updates from Baltimore via Instagram!

Check Out My Instagram for Real-Time Photos of the 2022 Baltimore Pen Show!

I’ve been posting a series of pictures from the 2022 Baltimore Pen Show, ranging from crowd photos to vendors to nib grinders. It’s a combination of posts and stories (the latter of which are saved to the highlights so they don’t expire), and I’ll continue through today. To give you some examples of what you can find at the show, I picked up several inks from the Laban “Greek Mythology” series, took delivery of some specialty nib grinds I ordered from Custom Nib Studio (Gena Salorino), and had nibs ground in person by J.C. Ament (The Nib Tailor) and Josh Lax (J.J. Lax Pen Co).

Also, to celebrate the Baltimore Pen Show, and to compensate for the fact that I don’t have a table, all orders placed in the Curated Shop while I’m traveling this week will receive a free gift, and I’ve also added some new items from my personal collection to the Gently Used page.

This post does not contain paid third-party affiliate links, and I paid for all products featured in this post with my own funds. The Gentleman Stationer relies upon purchases from the T.G.S. Curated Shop and the T.G.S. Patreon Program for support.

Pen Show Prep 2022: A Short List of Things to See at the Baltimore Pen Show

Today’s post will be relatively short - I’m in full “panic packing” mode as I get ready to leave town for just over a week, which is actually the longest I’ve been on the road in nearly two years. I checked the Baltimore Pen Show website this morning and found that the list of exhibitors had been updated to reflect what I presume is the final group of vendors attending the show. Here is my own “short list”, though you know I’ll just end up wandering around for three days and discover a bunch of other ways to get into trouble!

• Nib Grinds. My priority at pen shows is to get nibs worked on if they need it, so my first order of business will be to get on the list for one of the many workers who will be at the show. Per the exhibitor list, this might include The Nib Tailor, Custom Nib Studio, Pen Realm, J.J. Lax Pen Co., and All in the Nib.

• Franklin-Christoph. As I mentioned in my “Pen Show Prep 2022” post, one of the most popular things to do at a show is to check out the Franklin-Christoph prototype trays that they set out each morning, and I usually pick up at least one or two of these pens, which give me the opportunity to add on a custom SIG grind on a versatile JoWo No. 6 nib.

• Schon DSGN. I REALLY want to pick up of the new anodized full-sized fountain pens, as well as a faceted multicolor anodized Pocket Six. Ian always brings a few unique things to pen shows and sometimes launches new colors. If I can find a No. 8 Bock nib, I might try to get a spare section for one of my Ultem pens.

• Kanilea Pen Company. It’s been a bit of a tradition for me to pick up one Kanilea Pen per year, either at the Baltimore Show or the D.C. Pen Show. I haven’t seen Hugh and Karol for a while, so I’m looking forward to seeing what they bring to Baltimore!

• Ink. If there’s one area where the show looks light this year, its general-purpose ink vendors. Dromgoole’s is still on the list, as is Federalist Pens and Paper, but other larger ink-heavy vendors like Vanness are not attending. Personally, I’m looking to pick up additional inks from Ferris Wheel Press, as well as several of the Laban Greek Mythology inks.

• Vintage Pens. Yes, I’m looking to add a few more vintage pens to my collection, and possibly building out some of the mini-collections I’ve accumulated over the years, like my set of Parker Sonnets and possibly some more Parker 51s.

Attending your first pen show? Be sure to check out last week’s post on Pen Show Prep! If you have any questions about Baltimore or shows in general, feel free to drop me a line!

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I’m pretty sure that at least two of my Kanilea pens are Baltimore Pen Show Purchases!

Get Your Shop Orders in Today - Last Call

I’m looking forward to seeing everyone at the show! Just a friendly reminder that any T.G.S. Curated Shop Orders placed after closed of business today (5pm U.S. Central Time) will ship upon my return Friday, March 18. Many thanks for your understanding!

The Gentleman Stationer is supported entirely by reader contributions and purchases from the T.G.S. Curated Shop and the T.G.S. Patreon Program, which offers access to online meetups, exclusive discounts and pre-orders, and more! This post does not contain paid third-party affiliate links.

Shop Update: Grades of Graphite, from 6B to F

Headed into 2022, one stationery niche I wanted to be sure continued to thrive was graphite, and that pencil lovers continued to have an outlet to purchase pencils in all grades of graphite, both individually and by the dozen or in a set. We recently filled out our selection of pencils on offer in The Curated Shop, and now feature a range of high-end pencils from multiple brands in hardnesses ranging anywhere from 6B to F.

On the darker end of the scale, we offer pencils in the 6B to 3B range, including a pencil set from Midori MD that features five different pencils in 6B, 4B, 2B, B, and HB hardnesses, along with pencil caps and a sharpener. Fans of softer graphite may also want to check out the Tombow Mono and Mitsubishi Hi-Uni, both of which are available in the dark-but-still-usable 2B and B grades, as well as the 3B Caran d’Ache Edelweiss. We’ve recently added the Tombow 2558 in “B”, so there’s now a darker option to this everyday workhorse.

A little behind-the-scenes look at our pencil shelf!

As mentioned above, nearly all of our pencils are available individually or by the dozen, in addition to a handful of pencil sampler or gift sets from Midori and Caran d’Ache and, of course, erasers and sharpeners. Visit the T.G.S. Curated Shop to check out the full range, along with our curated selection of pens, paper, and desk and reading accessories.

The Gentleman Stationer is supported entirely by reader contributions and purchases from the T.G.S. Curated Shop and the T.G.S. Patreon Program, which offers access to online meetups, exclusive discounts and pre-orders, and more! The T.G.S. Curated Shop is an authorized retailer of TWSBI and all other brands stocked.

Sunday Reading for March 6, 2022

1. Responsibility for Nibs (via Dapprman). Personally, I believe that responsibility for nib quality control must rest with the manufacturer. While I am perfectly happy to test fountain pens for customers before I ship them on, I’ll only do this upon request and usually limit myself to a visual inspection - there is a sizable number of people who do not want their new pens inked (or even the seal on the box broken) even if this is the only way for a retailer to really know whether a pen writes correctly.

2. How Does Nib Size Affect the Look of Your Handwriting (via Fountain Pen Love). Personally, I find that my own handwriting looks best in a fine/medium nib, with a soft cursive italic grind.

3. Staying Organized: Midori 1 Day 1 Page (via A Fleeting Ripple). The Midori MD 1 Day 1 Page Planner and undated Codex notebooks are exceptionally fountain pen friendly and an excellent option for a daily planner. (We sell the undated version in our own Curated Shop.)

4. Ink Review #657: Sheaffer Red (via Fountain Pen Pharmacist). I haven’t inked this one up in a while (and probably actually need to pick up a fresh bottle in Baltimore next week), but Sheaffer Skrip Red is one of the all-time great red inks out there.

5. The Many Faces of Shading Inks, or My Love Affair with Dry Inks (via mnmlscholar). This article does a great job of breaking down the variations in different shading inks, and it’s also a great reminder that drier-writing inks have their place too.

6. A Fine Entry Indeed: the Gravitas Entry (via UK Fountain Pens). Chalk up another win for Gravitas - again, I need to get my hands on one of these, although I’m thinking I might opt for the larger “Sentry” fountain pen.

7. Kobe 45 Silhouette Green (via Mountain of Ink). I love these dark grey-green inks from Sailor. There are many good ones out there.

8. My Plan for the London Pen Show this Weekend (via UK Fountain Pens). Things didn’t settle down enough for me to attend the London Show this Spring, but it’s still on my radar. Just looking at Anthony’s plans makes me envious!

9. Esterbrook Needle Point Nib Launch (via Esterbrook). A new custom grind from Esterbrook is available, offered in collaboration with Kirk Speer of Pen Realm.

10. Ink Review: Monarca Part 1 (via Well-Appointed Desk). I continue to be impressed with Monarca’s inks, and Jesi reviews three great colors here.

In Case You Missed It…

I had a busy week, between getting ready for the upcoming Baltimore Pen Show, the day job, and completing a long awaited review of the Schon DSGN PEEK-a-Boo fountain pen! I also wrote a piece revisiting some of my favorite desk pads, in conjunction with the launch of some new WMS + Co products (discussed more below).

Check Out New Offerings From the T.G.S. Curated Shop, and Be Sure to Sign Up for the Monthly Newsletter

I spent most of last weekend listing the newly arrived series of desk pads from WMS + Co, which are available in several different shapes, sizes, and colors, and all of which feature a massive number of pages made from heavy paper stock. (The white handles fountain pen ink quite well, the color-slicked paper is definitely more for pencils and gel/roller/ballpoints, though some fountain pen inks might have success.) We also received a full restock of Clairefontaine paper, including French-ruled notebooks, Triomphe writing pads, and the 1951 Series A5 Notebooks!

On Friday I also sent out the first monthly shop newsletter, which will send you shop news on new releases, pre-sales, and special offers directly to your inbox no more than once per month. (I hate daily/weekly spam just as much as you do.) You can check it out here, along with the first offer, 10% off dated and undated planners using the coupon code PLANNER10 at checkout. After this month, the newsletter and any included offers will be available to subscribers only.

Life Paper

Clairefontaine Paper

Tomoe River 68 gsm

Book Darts

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, and a bunch of new gently used products just hit the Patreon store page this past week!