Return from San Francisco and TWSBI ECO Indigo Blue + Bronze Pre-Orders!

August 29, 2023

As of (very) late last night, I’m back from the San Francisco Pen Show and, despite the physical tiredness, totally energized from getting to spend time with the members of this wonderful community in person! I will have a full show recap tomorrow or Thursday, and while I didn’t get out from behind my table as much as I would have liked, I still brought home fun stuff to share. More to come. :)

TWSBI Indigo Blue and Bronze Pre-Orders Are Now Live

Pre-orders for TWSBI’s latest ECO release - the Indigo Blue with Bronze Trim - are live as of August 28, 2023. I expect the pens to arrive later this week, potentially early next, and they will ship as soon as I have them in stock. You can reserve yours now!

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

Toyooka Craft Tray with Pilot Custom 74s — So yes, I purchased another Toyooka Craft Tray for “display purposes” - showcasing the Pilot Custom 74s at the TGS Table.

Pen Show Report: Friday at the San Francisco Pen Show!

August 26, 2023

Because there are so many special vendors traveling in from around the world to attend the San Francisco International Pen Show - mainly vendors from Japan - Friday morning features the classic rush of early attendees lined up outside the show before the doors open to weekend pass holders at 8 a.m. Big draws at this year’s show include Urushi Studio Bokumondoh, Bungubox, Cute Things from Japan, Toyooka Craft, Stylo-Art, Eboya, and more! Long lines lasted through the morning, though things calmed down a bit mid-afternoon.

San Francisco Foyer Hallway Shot — The only shot I managed to get down the Foyer hallway outside the main ballroom!

Given that I’m holding down a table solo this weekend, I didn’t have much of a chance to scope out what other people were selling. (Hopefully there will be some stuff left on Sunday afternoon, but after D.C., my wallet won’t complain if that doesn’t pan out.) Please come by the table today! I’m located between Enigma Stationery (Source of the Cinnamon Roll plushy procured for daughter) and Vanness Pens! We have plenty of stuff still available, given that I brought two massive suitcases full of stuff after I ran out in D.C., though we are out of or running low on certain colors of Lochby cases and Anterique pens. Be sure to hit us up early if there’s something specific that you have your heart set on!

Cinnamon Roll Plushy — My sole purchase yesterday. :)

TGS Table Setup Arkansas Pen Show — My setup from the 2023 Arkansas Pen Show. Just look for the Bowler!

Thursday Drops: What's Coming to San Francisco? More Than I've Ever Taken to a Show!

August 24, 2023

So as I write this I’m in the Delta Skyclub at LAX, with an hour or so to burn before I make my connection to San Francisco. Thankfully, the Delta App tells me that both of my bags made it as far as Los Angeles, so there’s that! This week’s Thursday Drops will focus heavily on what I’m bringing to the show with me - a selection of products that I think tend to be underpromoted at pen shows, either due to vendors thinking they are too “common” to take to a show despite being excellent (i.e., the Lamy 2000 and Pilot Custom 74), or simply because they aren’t widely distributed (i.e., Lochby cases and paper refills).

Some items (Pilot Custom 74 fountain pens, certain TWSBI models) are available in limited quantities and therefore will be taken out of stock in the shop later tonight before going live at the show tomorrow. Other items (such as most Lochby goods and the Anterique pens) will remain in stock in the online store AND available in person at the San Francisco Pen Show. Our table is located between Vanness Pens and Enigma Stationery, so we’re in good company. Come see us!

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

Pilot Custom 74 Fountain Pens. We will have at the table the excellent Custom 74 demonstrator in all colors and nib sizes. Read our recent review revisited here.
Lamy 2000 Pens (and Pencils). A personal favorite across the board, ranging from the iconic fountain pen to the matching rollerball, ballpoint, and mechanical pencil, the latter of which I reviewed yesterday.
TWSBI Diamond 580 Sunset Yellow. We have a handful of the latest TWSBI release, in this excellent gold/light orange color. I plan to restock once I return home, in time for the Navy Blue + Bronze Eco release!
TWSBI Diamond Mini AL Grape. TWSBI is doing more with the pocketable Diamond Mini lately, and I love it. The cap threads onto the back of the barrel when posting to create a full-sized writing experience.
TWSBI Diamond Mini White and Rose Gold II. Like the White and Rose Gold II Diamond 580, only smaller!
Lochby Field Journals. At the last few pen shows I’ve attended, it’s been a toss-up between the Lochby Field Journal and the Lochby Venture Pouch for most popular table item! This go-round I will also have the Lochby refill notebooks to allow you to build out your ideal planner/notebook setup at the table, and you will also be able to add-on accessories such as a pen case or roll.
Lochby Venture Pouch. One of those surprising products that sells extremely well in person but struggles online - or maybe it’s not so surprising! A stationery pouch that incorporates a four-slot zippered pen-case into the design is a bit hard to show off without an in-person demo. I did try.
Lochby Tool Roll. I failed the DC show crowd by only having a handful of these available for purchase at the table. I’m bringing more to San Francisco!
Lochby Quattro 4-Pen Case. The classic four-pen zippered case with offset slots so your pens don’t touch! All three colors will be with me this weekend.
Anterique Ballpoint Pens. Finally, the Anterique Ballpoints are one of my favorite discoveries from the past year, and I can’t wait to take them to a show. Everyone who buys one ends up getting more.

I hope to see many of you tomorrow!

Lamy 2000 Mechanical Pencil on Wood Stand

Completing the Set: Lamy 2000 Mechanical Pencil

August 23, 2023

Due to the combination of timeless design, ergonomics, and quality, the Lamy 2000 series tops my list of personal favorite writing instruments. I started with the Fountain Pen, next acquired the Ballpoint and Multi Pen, and then the Rollerball. But what about the Mechanical Pencil? Lamy offers both .5mm and .7mm mechanical pencil versions of the Lamy 2000 in the same brushed black Makrolon finish as the rest of the line, and I decided it’s long-past time to check it out.

Lamy 2000 Multi Pen Pencil Ballpoint compared side-by-side — From top, the Lamy 2000 4-Color Ballpoint / Multi Pen, the .5mm Mechanical Pencil, and the Ballpoint pen. You can also see different degrees of wear on the Makrolon as these pens/pencils are used and age. The Ballpoint dates to the 1980s, and is worn smooth. The multi pen is about 5-6 years old and starting to show signs of “break-in,” and the pencil is still brand new and therefore matte. I love the look of aged Makrolon!

In terms of design, the Lamy 2000 Mechanical Pencil offers no surprises - the form factor is more or less the same as the Lamy 2000 Ballpoint in terms of both look and dimensions. The differences are what you would expect: the standard metal knock is replaced by a Makrolon knock/eraser-cover engraved with a “5” or “7” on top to denote the lead width (a thoughtful detail, actually), and the tip of the pencil reveals a bit of the lead protector sleeve.

Lamy 2000 Mechanical Pencil with .5mm Point

Lamy 2000 Mechanical Pencil Eraser Cap Removed — As with most mechanical pencils, the knock on the Lamy 2000 can be removed to expose an eraser and to refill the lead.

In the hand, the Makrolon (fiberglass-blend) pencil is of course both lightweight, balanced, and tactile. With a mechanical pencil, you need to pay attention to balance in particular, as an excessively front-weighted or back-weighted pencil can place pressure on the graphite and lead to frequent breakage. I had no such issue here, especially since I use the durable Uni Kuru-Toga or Pentel graphite in most of my mechanical pencils. (The stock Lamy graphite is also very good.)

Lamy 2000 Mechanical Pencil In-Hand — In hand, this is a very lightweight mechanical pencil, which feels very much on par with both Lamy 2000 ballpoints (standard and multi pen).

While I have long adored Lamy’s 4-Color Ballpoint (the multi pen), the one knock on it (pun intended) is that it doesn’t include a mechanical pencil option like the Sailor Imperial Black. In my opinion, the next best thing is to have a matching mechanical pencil (or, as in my case, a full matching set ;)).

Lamy 2000 Full Set of Makrolon + Stainless Steel in Toyooka Craft Box — All the Lamy 2000 pens! (Well, most of them. I have more.)

Takeaways and Where to Buy

I’ve been a fan of the Lamy 2000 in all its iterations for well over a decade. The Lamy 2000 Mechanical Pencil is no exception, and if you’re a fan of either the overall Lamy 2000 design aesthetic or simply good quality mechanical pencils in general, this one deserves your consideration. As with other models of the Lamy 2000, we stock them directly in the T.G.S. Curated Shop, in both the .5mm and .7mm variations. The pricing on the Lamy 2000 Mechanical Pencil is around $55, which is the lowest price point of any pen or pencil in the Lamy 2000 range, making it a nice entry point if you would like to try the shape and feel before committing to a more expensive item.

Lamy 2000 Knocks on Ballpoints and Mechanical Pencil — The mechanical pencil is conveniently labeled “5” or “7”, depending on whether it’s the .5mm or .7mm version.

Shop Update: Olive Traveler's Notebooks Are Back in Stock!

August 22, 2023

Late last week we received a small shipment of the Standard Olive Traveler’s Notebook Covers. Since Traveler’s Company sets up their own table at the San Francisco Pen Show and sells directly there, I probably won’t be bringing these with me unless someone places an order for pen show delivery. We also have a few of the matching Olive Pen Holders, as well as Sticker Release and Accordion Refills in both Standard and Passport sizes, as these were recently added to the standard Traveler’s lineup. Orders will ship until close of business on Wednesday August 23, and even though we’re traveling anything placed over the weekend will probably still fall within the 2-3 business day time frame. Many thanks!