Thursday Drops: Retractable Pens, T.G.S. Penwell Last Call, Traveler's Spiral Ring Notebooks and More!

Earlier this week we announced the arrival of the Endless Creator Retractable Fountain Pen, a new original design from notebook-maker Endless that seeks to offer a retractable nib option for fountain pens at an accessible price point. In addition to the Endless Creator, additional colors of Anterique Pens, and Anterique mechanical pencils, we now have more Traveler’s Company Spiral Ring Notebooks, as well as new versions of both the Life Noble Note A5 Sidebound Notebooks and Stenographer’s Pads. Happy Shopping!

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

1. Endless Creator Retractable Fountain Pen. The Endless Creator Fountain Pen hit stores this week. I’ve been playing around with one and will have a fuller review at some point, but I’ve enjoyed the faceted body and interesting design. No issues with the pen on my end.

2. T.G.S. x Penwell “Aged Red” Collaboration. As I mentioned in last weekend’s Giveaway announcement, I’ll be pulling a handful of the T.G.S.-exclusive Penwells out of stock to use in connection with an exclusive fountain pen promotion in the coming weeks. I don’t know whether/when we’ll do another run of these, so last call!

3. Traveler’s Company Spiral Ring Notebooks. We received a shipment of the Traveler’s Company Spirals, featuring both the classic Midori MD Paper and the Midori Watercolor paper. These notebooks with Kraft paper covers make great journals and/or sketchbooks, especially now that we have the watercolor versions.

4. Anterique Classic Click Ballpoints. We now have the Anterique vintage-style ballpoint pens in 26 different colors. These pens include a .5mm low-viscosity refill similar to a Jetstream or Acroball, and leave a very fine line that dries quickly and doesn’t smear. You can even mix and match the different colors to create the pen(s) of your choice.

5. Anterique Brass Ballpoints. Anterique makes a brass-barrel version of the classic click pen, in four different colors (though the plastic parts are interchangeable with the upper section from the standard click pens).

6. Anterique Classic Click Mechanical Pencils. The .5mm mechanical pencils share the same vintage “click pen” look, and feature a retractable tip and “cushion spring” mechanism to prevent lead breakage.

7. Anterique “Mach Ball” Refills. These were on backorder for some time, but we now have a healthy stock of these Anterique .5mm “Mach Ball” refills. Feel free to stock up with your Anterique Pens!

8. Caran d’Ache + Paul Smith 849 Ballpoints. We have more of the Caran d’Ache and Paul Smith limited edition ballpoints currently in stock, though certain colors (Racing Green) go extremely fast.

9. Life Noble Note A5 Blank Notebooks. We received the plain unruled versions of the Life Noble Note A5 sidebound notebooks, so we can now offer all formats of this paper.

10. Life Stenographer’s Notebook (Graph Paper). The top-bound Life Stenographer’s pad features 50 sheets/100 pages of quality life paper in either classic steno or grid ruling.

Paper Review: The Write Notepads Landscape Notebook As a Drafting Workhorse

The response to last month's review of the Cortex Brand Sidekick Notepad was overwhelmingly positive - there's apparently much interest in this sort of practical “workhorse” stationery product - so I thought it might make sense to dive further into the landscape notebook/desk pad category. Today I'll be discussing the Write Notepads Landscape Notebook, a long-time favorite of mine which plays a similar, yet distinct, role in my personal workflow.

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Baltimore, Maryland-based Write Notepads is an independent print shop that makes a full line of spiral notebooks, writing pads, and pocket notebooks in both standard and limited editions. Back in 2020, when I launched the shop, they were one of the first to believe in my idea enough to allow me to carry their products, for which I'm grateful. The main reason I continue to carry the brand, however, is their commitment to quality, and maybe a little bit of ensuring that I personally have ongoing access to certain of the items in their lineup. (Disclaimer: As mentioned, we sell certain of the Write Notepads products directly in our shop. I don't think this affects my opinion of what has long been regarded as a good standard notebook by the community at large, but transparency is important.)

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Write Notepads spiral notebooks all feature a fairly durable kraft paper cover and a thick chipboard backing, bound together with a durable double spiral binding.

I enjoyed reviewing the Sidekick Notepad, and the more structured layout of that pad has found its place in my workflow. Certain types of writing that I do, however, requires unformatted paper, and I can burn through a LOT of it quickly. Take yesterday, for example. I spent much of the day on Zoom calls and/or reviewing e-mails in order to collect input from a dozen different people on a project, while simultaneously processing my thoughts into a longer-form outline that will eventually make it's way into a 50-page memorandum. Since I almost always do my first draft of anything by hand, I had a landscape-style notebook (the one pictured here) beneath my keyboard and essentially took notes in "draft" form as I went back and forth in conversation. By the end of the day I had filled four or five pages, with more looseleaf notes taken on a Baron Fig Mastermind pad.

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Obviously I can’t show you the actual writing I do in my day job, but it’s nice to be able to write a continuous line horizontally across the page in this format.

Why this personal anecdote? To illustrate why and how I take use case into context whenever I discuss a product, offer a recommendation, and/or make choices for my own setup. For example, in my review of the Sidekick, I noted that it might not be a cost-effective option for "those who burn through 5+ sheets of paper on a daily basis, or who only use desk pads for taking lots of notes and drafting documents." Essentially I was talking about myself and a subset of the T.G.S. readership that I know maintain similar working habits. While none of the paper I use is inexpensive, in order to afford my preferences I do try to keep an eye on the overall cost of the paper I use for certain specific writing-intensive projects, and lately I've even tried to move some of my longhand work to an e-ink tablet (more on that later).

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I’ve had very good luck using Write Notepads paper successfully with broad nibs and stubs, even combined with very wet inks.

Given the type of writing that I do, Write Notepads is one of several brands that strikes a balance between paper quality and cost. The paper works well with fountain pens, and is absorbent enough to dry relatively quickly when I'm writing quick notes at work and need to flip the page. The sturdy chipboard covers hold up in a bag, and will last a long time in storage if I need to maintain work notes long-term. Are these notebooks perfect? No. For one thing, I REALLY wish the pages were perforated, and I'd probably be willing to pay a few bucks extra per notebook for that feature. The Landscape Notebook would - in my opinion - be perfectly sized if it were a half-inch shorter to allow for a better fit beneath the keyboard. But no "perfect" product exists - this hobby wouldn't be fun if it did, right? - and that's why I'll likely already have a rotating stable of different pens, pads, and notebooks to collectively get me through my work week.

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Despite the absorbency, there is no bleedthrough and very little, if any, show-through on the paper.

Takeaways and Where to Buy

Certain products are great because they're just solid, well-executed examples of what they are, and while not inexpensive, cost-effective enough to allow you to use them in larger quantities without feeling too guilty or extravagant. I've long loved the vintage aesthetic of the Write Notepads spiral notebooks, and whether I'm working with fountain pen, ballpoint, or pencil, the paper remains a staple of my workday.

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Color selection continues to expand. Arctic Blue is my personal favorite, followed by Pistachio.

We sell most of the entire Write Notepads lineup directly, via our online shop, at pen shows we visit, and for local pickup in the greater Nashville, Tennessee area. The Landscape Notebook is priced at $20 for a 120-page notebook (writing front and back) and available in several different colors, including Black, Pistachio, Plum, Arctic Blue, and Forest. (While technically sold only in a lined ruling, if you prefer dot grid paper, you can achieve the same landscape effect by taking a Write Notepads Dot Grid Spiral Notebook and turning it sideways.) Those who prefer more structure to the notebook they have sitting under their keyboard may want to look at the Weekly Planner layout, which also features the spiral binding on the side, not the top.

Further Reading

If you're interested in reading more on landscape-style notepads, my other two favorite options include the Cortex Brand Sidekick Notepad (recently reviewed and discussed above), and the Baron Fig Mastermind, which might be the most inexpensive option in my everyday paper arsenal and a top choice for everyday "scratch paper".

The Gentleman Stationer is supported entirely by purchases from the T.G.S. Curated Shop and pledges via the T.G.S. Patreon Program. This post does not contain paid advertising or affiliate links.

New Arrivals: Anterique Ballpoints + Mechanical Pencils in 26 Colors, plus the Endless Creator Fountain Pen!

I don’t think I quite prepared myself for bringing in the ENTIRE LINE of the Anterique ballpoint pens and mechanical pencils. These top-sellers are now listed in a whopping 26 different colors for the ballpoint pens, along with the .5mm mechanical pencils, which come in eight different colors at the moment with probably more on the way. A few things to know about the Anterique Ballpoints specifically:

• The barrel tops and bottoms are all interchangeable. While we also carry a selection of bicolor pens released in partnership with Mark’s Tokyo (which feature the Mark’style “Days” motif), you can combine different colors of the standard Anterique ballpoints to create your own unique style.

• In addition to the standard vintage click-pen, we also carry the brass barrel “upgrade”, sold in four different colors. Note that you can customize your brass pen by swapping in the upper piece from one of the 26 standard colors. (Pens are all sold separately - any modifications are your own project!)

• I’ve had some success swapping the excellent Anterique .5mm Mach Ball refill into vintage Bic Clic Pens. For a short discussion on how to do this, and how certain editions of the Bic Clic might require some hacks and modifications, check out this post.

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The Anterique Mechanical Pencils maintain the same vintage style design with what they describe as a "cushion slide mechanism" that prevents the core from breaking when strong writing pressure is applied. With heavy pressure, a spring releases the lead upwards, preventing breakage.

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The Endless Creator Retractable Fountain Pen Has Arrived!

While it’s been a topic of conversation since its announcement at the beginning of the year, the Endless Creator Retractable Fountain Pen has finally landed at retailers. This retractable (i.e., capless) fountain pen features a push-button mechanism similar to the Pilot Capless/Vanishing Point and the Platinum Curidas, but with an original faceted design that’s distinct from anything else on the market. So far, I’ve been impressed with the tester I’ve been using, and it’s a fun product for the $50 price point. These are currently in stock and available with fine nibs only.

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The Gentleman Stationer is an authorized retailer of all brands sold, and is supported by purchases via the T.G.S. Curated Shop and pledges via the T.G.S. Patreon Program.

Sunday Reading for June 4, 2023

1. Meet Your Maker: Jason Miller, Jason Neil Penworks (via Pen Addict - Caroline). I was lucky enough to score a table next to Jason Neil Penworks at this year’s Arkansas Show, and picked up a Tucker model in the Damascus material. Stay tuned!

2. The Life-Changing Magic of Keeping a File Index (via Analog Office). I’m trying to go paperless where the paper is essentially “junk paper,” but it’s hard as it seems to keep piling up. I saw this and could immediately relate.

3. Iroshizuku Syo-ro (via Fountain Pen Love). It’s always great to see the standard Iroshizuku ink lineup getting some love. Syo-ro is a gorgeous teal with a bit of red sheen.

4. Dominant Industry Tsavorite (via Mountain of Ink). Wow, jade/teal colors tend to be in fashion these days! I can’t tell you how many times I’ve almost picked up a bottle of this specific ink.

5. Ensso Italia Primary Manipulation IV Fountain Pen (via SBRE Brown). I’m glad to see more companies doing different pens in the various Primary Manipulation materials!

6. Benu Skull & Roses Crow Fountain Pen (via Well-Appointed Desk). I love this line from Benu and need to pick up one of the S&R models.

7. Sakae Tomoe River Notebook Review (via Blake’s Broadcast). The 68gsm version is an all-time favorite. I hope it doesn’t go away.

8. Sun’s Out: No Review (via A Fleeting Ripple). We were blessed with a gorgeous May featuring lower temperatures and lot’s of sun, but it looks like for us, the summer heat is here. That said, I’ve been doing a lot of writing on the porch!

9. Third Anniversary (via Inkredible Colours). Congratulations on this achievement! And it sounds like it was quite a year!

10. Dead Gel Refills (via Bleistift). Gel and rollerball refills tend to dry out and “die” at a higher rate than ballpoints, which can last for years. Use your gel pens!

11. Writing for Memory’s Sake (via Pen Addict - Kimberly). Writing by hand is good for your memory, and not just because it memorializes things.

12. “Can I Keep This?” (via From the Pen Cup). If it’s an office-supply pen, sometimes I don’t even ask;)

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In Case You Missed It…Reviews + Giveaway!

This week on the blog I reviewed a recent release from Tactile Turn: the “Deep Space” Seasonal Edition in the “Side Click” format. I won’t say that Tactile Turn has perfected the EDC click pen, but it’s close. As part of my ongoing efforts to update certain of the older content on this site, I’m not only revisiting brands I haven’t looked at in some time, but also pens like the excellent Pilot Custom 74 fountain pen - a longtime go-to recommendation here at T.G.S. and a pen that continues to be a relative bargain.

Finally, last night we announced a giveaway! Check out this Instagram post for a chance to win an original Walnut Penwell pen holder. Enter by liking the post on Instagram or leaving a comment on either this blog post or yesterday’s Custom 74 Review. The giveaway closes tomorrow at 11:59pm CT, and I’ll pick a winner by assigning a number to each entry and using a random number generator.

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Last call for T.G.S. Penwells! We’re down to the last of this batch, and I don’t plan on doing another run for the time being due to a need to focus on other projects.

This Week in the Curated Shop: Last Call Warning!

In connection with the Penwell-themed giveaway: We are down to the last of the T.G.S.-exclusive Penwells in “Aged Red”. If you’d like to ensure you get one, please get your orders in this week. Depending on how many remain, I plan to pull some of the remaining stock for a special promotion we are doing in early July, in connection with our first exclusive fountain pen collaboration that we’ve been working on.

This past week we had restocks of the Caran d’Ache 849 + Paul Smith collaboration, which we are restocking as quickly as we can given how fast some colors sell out, along with the CdA Rollerball refills and certain popular colors of the various 849 models. We also received fresh shipments of Write Notepads Spiral Notebooks, new Jotters and Planners from WMS & Co., and Traveler’s Notebook refills and accessories.

Pilot Pens

WMS & Co.

TWSBI

Anterique

Consider Supporting Us Via T.G.S. Patreon!

T.G.S. Patreon is currently the only non-shop means of support for the site, and features not only access to meetups and early gently used sales, but more exclusive content. Patreon support starts as low as $3 per month, and if you pay annually there is a further discount. In addition to purchases from The Curated Shop, Patreon allows us to continue to grow the site without relying on advertisements and affiliate marketing. If you’re interested in meetups and exclusive content, or simply supporting the site, we greatly appreciate your support! Note that Patrons will have early access to our forthcoming special release that should be arriving either later this month or early July, including pre-order opportunities and possibly exclusive access to certain add-ons. June is a good time to join!

Review Revisited: The Pilot Custom 74 Fountain Pen

One downside to blog longevity is the need to ensure that all of the content on your site remains relevant. Certain of the older pen reviews here on T.G.S. are out of date: the pricing discussion might no longer be accurate, the original retailer out-of-business, or - as is the case today - the manufacturer has completely overhauled the lineup and selection of pens available. Today we revisit the Pilot Custom 74: a fountain pen that's regularly appeared in posts and "Best Pen" lists over the years, but which hasn't received any stand-alone in-depth treatment in quite a while.

The Pilot Custom 74 + Lamy 2000

The Pilot Custom 74: A Highly Underrated Deep Value Proposition for a Workhorse fountain Pen

Along with the Lamy 2000, the Pilot Vanishing Point, and the Pelikan M205/M200, the Pilot Custom 74 was among the first "nice" fountain pens that I purchased in the early 2010s. It may actually have been the first 14k gold nib pen I bought, and I opted for the Violet demonstrator. (The original review has my only remaining photo of this that pen I deeply regret selling - so it goes.) Since then, Pilot has leaned heavily into the Custom 74 in the North American market, with eight different demonstrator colors currently available, as compared to the former four. It remains an excellent - and highly underrated - everyday writer.

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Today, the Pilot Custom 74 fountain pen sits in the same market "sweet spot" that it has for years, and potentially has developed into an even more competitive price/value proposition as your options for gold nib pens under $200 dwindle to basically nothing else. While Pilot doesn't expressly advertise it as such, I would peg the Custom 74 as Pilot's answer to the Platinum 3776 and the Sailor 1911, albeit at a price point $30-50 lower than these other two. The Custom 74 is a mid-size pen that will fit most hands comfortably due to its ability to be used posted or unposted, and features a smooth and reliable 14k gold nib. Pilot, of course, doesn't play the limited edition strategy to the same degree as Platinum and Sailor, so for the moment you're limited to the "stock" colors, but that may be changing.

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The sweet Pilot No. 5 nib on the Custom 74. All current models feature rhodium plated trim with no gold trim options available.

What makes the Custom 74 stand out? The combination of excellent writing experience and the fact that it still maintains its $176 street price at most retailers. You heard that correctly: a sub-$200 price point for an exceptionally reliable Japanese fountain pen with a 14k gold nib. Even back in the early 2010s, when I purchased my first Custom 74 for around $150, I thought this pen represented great value, and that continues to be the case for the following reasons:

• Overall Writing Experience. Pilot nibs are consistently among the best standard nibs on the market - if not the best. In all my years writing with fountain pens, I don't think I've ever received a bad one. I can't say that about any other brands, as nearly all companies have their hiccups and in more than a decade buying and selling fountain pens I've had at least one dud from each brand (other than Pilot) that just didn't write perfectly out of the box. The Custom 74’s nib paired with the lightweight, comfortable barrel easily lends itself to longer writing sessions.

• Versatility. I mentioned above that the Custom 74's size makes it a versatile writing option that fits a wide range of hands. Prefer a shorter, slimmer pen? The barrel is long enough to comfortably use unposted. Have larger hands? The Custom 74 posts deeply, while not adding too much bulk. It's slim enough to fit most pen cases, shirt pockets, and even some planner loops and notebook cover pen holders. The pen fills with a cartridge-converter filling system, allowing you to use bottled ink or Pilot cartridges.

• Better Variety. Over the years, one big knock on this model was the lack of color options. Many people didn't want a clear demonstrator, and some found the orange, smoke grey, blue, and purple pens limiting. (Or "too wild" in the case of the orange and purple. I disagree, but hey, at least they added six new colors!) Today, you can chose from eight different pens: clear, blue, and smoke are still available, but Pilot has also added five additional demonstrators that include some gorgeous options that you don't see very often such as the "Blue Stone" (shown here), Teal, and Grenadine.

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The Custom 74 posts nicely, and features a traditional streamlined design with rounded ends. Like other Pilot pens such as the Custom 823 and Custom Urushi, the cap sports Pilot's triangular ball clip.

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Takeaways and Where to Buy

The Custom 74 has maintained a slot on my Best Pens list for years as one of my go-to recommendations not just for those looking to purchase their first fountain pen over $150, but for anyone looking for a reliable daily writer. It's up there with the Lamy 2000 and other workhorses. Is there any downside to adding one to your rotation? Not really, other than personal preference. Some may not like the design, and there's currently no non-demonstrator option in the U.S. market. Those who want a larger pen or higher-capacity filling system might want to opt for a bigger Pilot model like the Custom 743 or Custom 823, both of which also feature larger nibs (with accordingly larger price points). But again, these are preferences than true pros and cons.

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When I decided to bring the Custom 74 and the Custom 823 into the shop, I knew that I wanted to set one aside as a tester/demo pen that would also replace the Violet pen I regret selling all those years ago. I chose the "Blue Stone" model, which is a stunning blue-black color that, to me, complements both Pilot's standard blue-black ink, as well as Iroshizuku Shin-kai. ( I do wonder whether this is intentional on Pilot's part: you can find some near-identical parallels between the Custom 74 color offerings and the Iroshizuku ink lineup.)

After years of recommending this pen, we are proud to sell the Pilot Custom 74 directly in our shop, alongside the Pilot Custom 823, the full range of Iroshizuku Inks, and hopefully more Pilot options in the near future. The Custom 74 is currently priced at $176, is available in all eight colors and nib sizes extra fine through broad, and includes free domestic U.S. shipping.

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My Pilot Custom 74 in Blue Stone (top) with the rest of my “Workhorse Pen” kit from this week: The Lamy 2000 (right), the Cortex Brand Sidekick Notepad, and the Lochby Quattro pen case.

Further Reading

If you're interested in the Pilot Custom 74, you are likely exploring “Workhorse Pens” that you can use in your everyday writing. In that case, check out our “Workhorse Pens” series, which discusses similar options such as the Pilot Custom 823, the Lamy 2000, the Lamy Studio (with 14k gold nib), and more!

The Gentleman Stationer is an authorized reseller of all brands sold, including Pilot Pens. We are supported entirely by purchases through the T.G.S. Curated Shop, as well as pledges via the T.G.S. Patreon Program.