Thursday Drops: Pilot and Tom's Studio Restock, Stickers, Staplers, and More for the Holidays!

The holiday shopping season is here and we’re doing our best to restock as much as we can as fast as we can! This week we received a restock of Pilot fountain pens, including additional Pilot Custom 823s and many favorite colors of Iroshizuku ink such as Asa Gao, Yama Budo, and Kon Peki. We also received more Tom’s Studio Lumos and Wren refillable fineliners. Finally, as I noted yesterday both on the blog and on YouTube, we’ve also introduced more desk accessories, including Zenith Staplers from Italy, and we have a wide range of new stickers and washi available from MT Tapes and iLootPaperie!

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It’s not just higher-end Pilot that we have back in stock. In addition to the Custom 823, we also have more of the new Pilot Prera fountain pens, as well as the new Kakuno Special Editions!

I have been receiving e-mails from many of you inquiring about holiday gift ideas, and I will respond as quickly as I can. I did, however, want to issue a general P.S.A. that if you are looking for holiday delivery in December, please get orders in as quickly as possible. While we ship within 2-3 business days, both USPS and UPS will likely begin experiencing shipping and delivery delays starting around Thanksgiving, if not already, and many are predicting that this year will be worse. Building in time to handle lost packages, insurance claims, and time for shipping any replacements will help us ensure timely delivery of gifts.

Our Nashville shop is open this week Thursday and Friday from 1pm-6pm, and from 10am-6pm on Saturday. Next week we will be closed on Thanksgiving Day (Thursday) but will be open regular hours Friday and Saturday. Hope to see you there!

1. Pilot Custom 823 Fountain Pens. We have the Pilot Custom 823 available in all colors and most nib sizes, including Signature nibs in the Amber acrylic. Read more about the Custom 823 and why we love this high-capacity vacuum filler here.

2. Tom’s Studio Lumo Pro Duo in Clementine. Tom’s Studio has released its dual-tip fineliner in a warm matte orange finish that’s perfectly timed for autumn and the holiday season! We also received a restock of most colors of the standard Lumos, and have special edition “Splash” and Titanium finishes as well.

3. Tom’s Studio Wren in Clementine. I was surprised to see a Clementine Wren as well! For those looking for a pocketable fineliner with a standard writing tip, the Wren is an excellent option and now features the same warm matte orange Clementine finish. Standard color options are also restocked.

4. Diplomat Viper Fountain Pens and Rollerballs. We have additional Viper fountain pens in Blue, Black, and Brown, with Green on the way. All Rollerballs are back in stock. The Viper is an excellent hooded-nib fountain pen at an accessible price point, with a highly usable F/M nib.

5. Zenith 590 and Zenith 591 Plier-Style Staplers. I couldn’t resist these cool desk accessories from Italy, available in five different color combinations chosen by us for the shop. We showcased these on the blog and in a YouTube demonstration video. Compatible staples are also available.

6. Life Airmail Writing Pads and Envelopes. We now once again offer both the Life Airmail Writing Pads and matching envelopes. These feature lightweight, yet still ink-friendly, onionskin paper like that used for classic Airmail written correspondence.

7. Levenger Notabandeau Book Bands. These elastic book bands will fit around an A5 or similar notebook, as well as a standard hardcover book, for those who like to be able to tuck pens, glasses, and other accessories for a lightweight and streamlined carry.

8. Levenger Library Card Bookmarks. Bookmarks are another accessory obsession of mine, and Levenger makes great ones. I love bookmarks that double as notecards for annotation purposes. These are inspired by vintage library cards! Tent-style notetaking bookmarks are also available.

9. MT Washi Tapes. We have both restocks and new arrivals from the MT “Encyclopedia” series, as well as many of the popular “Maps and Travel” Patterns. There is also a new coffee-themed “Upcycle” series themed around coffee that uses paper from recycled coffee filters.

10. iLootPaperie Stickers and Enamel Pins. We have lots of fun vinyl stickers and enamel pins from our friends at iLootPaperie, featuring themes ranging from snail mail to typewriters.

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The Zenith 590 comes in two multi-color finishes!

Personal Stationery Obsessions: Zenith Plier-Style Staplers

Beyond pens and paper, I enjoy desk and reading accessories, including bookmarks, analog timers, scissors, pencil sharpeners, and more. I’ve written a lot about these previous categories, but haven’t dealt much with another common office tool: the stapler! I’ve long been obsessed with the Zenith plier-style staplers from Italy, which are different from classic “desktop” model that you usually see in the U.S. Not only do these staplers have a unique and somewhat quirky design, but I find them more ergonomic to use as they require very little pressure.

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I had a hard time choosing which of these colors I wanted for my personal stapler. It was a toss-up between the red and the yellow model, but I ultimately went with the red.

What Do I Look for in a Quality Stapler?

Because I like to work on paper, I frequently print out articles and documents to read and annotate, so my staplers see a lot of use. Honestly, you don’t realize how important a quality stapler is until you have a bad one. In my opinion, a good stapler has the following:

• Good ergonomics, light weight, and the ability to staple at least 10 pages with minimal pressure.

• An anti-jam feature that prevents the stapler from getting clogged/blocked.

• Maneuverability so that you can precisely place the staple where you need it.

• A relatively compact size so you can tuck it away. I’ve been trying to limit the amount of stuff that sits on my desk to the things I’m actually using at any given time.

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The Zenith staplers tick all of these boxes for me. Not only are they more compact and lightweight than my classic vintage-style desktop staplers, but the smaller staples are easy to position precisely on documents and don’t jam nearly as much as the larger standard-size U.S. staples. Refilling the Zenith stapler is straightforward: You simply push the “trigger” part of the handle forward and lift the top to access the dispensing mechanism. Drop in your staples, snap it shut, and you’re ready to go.

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Once you open the top, reloading the stapler should be a familiar experience for most people.

Note: The Zenith 590 and Zenith 591 look nearly identical and are roughly the same size, but they take different staples. The Zenith 590 takes Zenith 130 Staples, which are slightly larger than the No. 10 staples that fit the Zenith 591. (No. 10 staples are a common size in Japan - the original target market for the Zenith 591 - and the same size staples that fit “mini staplers” like those found in the Midori XS Stationery Kit.) Each stapler ships with a box of 1000 Zenith-brand staples, which are among some of the sharpest I’ve used. They posed no issues even with thicker paper and are rated for up to 15 sheets.

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The classic Zenith 590 is the 590 “Mix” style, featuring four different colors.

Takeaways and Where to Buy

Though plier-style staplers can be somewhat uncommon in the U.S., you can find them if you look. I first saw these Zenith models at C.W. Pencil Enterprise 5 or 6 years ago, and meant to purchase one before they closed, but I missed the opportunity and they fell off my radar. Fortunately I’ve been able to source a handful of Zenith colors for the shop in both the 590 and 591 models, along with compatible staples (which are commonly available). I would love to make this a core offering of the Desk Accessories/Office Supplies category, and have just been looking for the right opportunity to bring these in. I hope you all like them as much as I do.

The Gentleman Stationer is supported by purchases from the T.G.S. Curated Shop and pledges via the T.G.S. Patreon Program. You can also come visit us and see any products we sell directly at our physical stationery store in Nashville, Tennessee!

If you would like to see a demonstration of how the Zenith 591 Stapler works, head on over to our YouTube channel. After initially posting this review, I decided to do a quick video showing how to use and reload the Zenith.

New Arrivals: Refreshed Washi, Sticker, and Pin Selection!

While paper and notebook systems tend to be our primary focus around here, by far one of my favorite aspects of running the store is curating our selection of washi tape, stickers, pins, and other small accessories. Why? Because it’s pure fun, especially when you get to dive into the more irreverent designs like all the quirky stuff from iLootPaperie.

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Retro Collage Washi from MT Tapes.

This week we have a whole array of new stickers themed around snail mail, typewriters, and reading. We also have a bunch of new enamel pins, including some really timely pencil-themed pins, a “Par Pigeon” pin, and more! Finally, MT Washi Tape is back in stock, including Travel/Maps and Encyclopedia themed tapes. Be sure to check all of these out, as they will make great gifts for the upcoming holiday season!

Come see these and more in-person in our Nashville shop! We are open Thursday and Friday from 1-6pm, and Saturday from 10am-6pm. Any updates or special events will be posted to the shop page here.

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Of all the new pins, this one is my favorite. For obvious reasons. :)

Sunday Reading for November 16, 2025

1. Fountain Pen Day, 5 Years Later (via Olive Octopus Ink). A great post recapping how Lisa got into the hobby. Many thanks to Lisa for helping out with Fountain Pen Day, especially the Fountain Pens 101 guide that we have available in-store!

2. Discussing Making My First Two Pens and My Learning Process So Far (via dwrdnet). It’s been fun watching Derek work through the initial stages of learning to make pens.

3. The Pleasure of Writing Marketplace (via Figboot on Pens). I often get asked where the best place is to sell higher-end pens secondhand. This is one solution that's relatively recent.

4. Recap of TIPS 2025 (via Inkredible Colours). I am going to Tokyo next year. I am going to Tokyo next year….

5. Drewnem Pisane Orion (via Rachel’s Reflections). I’ve seen a couple people who brought one of these pens back from this year’s D.C. Pen Show and the workmanship is gorgeous.

6. Mayfair Pens Noldor Review (via The Poor Penman). I’ve enjoyed seeing Ben’s Mayfair Pens evolve over the years, as they are truly unique designs and he works with unique material combinations.

7. Writech Clictek Retractable Fountain Pen (via Dapprman). I’ve been seeing these Writech retractable pens quite a bit in the U.S. as well, and have heard good things about their performance.

8. Helen’s Creations NJ A5 Japanese Fabric Notebook Cover Review (via Pen Addict). These are beautiful fabric notebook covers!

9. What’s In My Bag: Illustrated Journal Travel Kit Edition (via Well-Appointed Desk). I love a good gear post, as always! This is an interesting kit to me because it’s a different type of journaling than what I would normally do!

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In Case You Missed It…

This week I finally answered the #12PenPersonQuestions, in two parts! You can read Part I (Questions 1-6) here, and Part II (Questions 7-12) here. This was a fun exercise and many thanks to Lisa for putting it together!

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This Week in the T.G.S. Curated Shop…. Canopus Note Paper!

This week saw the arrival of a relatively large shipment of Yamamoto’s Canopus Note A5 Notebooks, which contain Yamamoto’s most recent paper formulation designed to showcase ink in a manner similar to Cosmo Air Light, but with less “spreading” of the ink. We’ve really made an effort to restock on our less common papers recently, and now have more Tomoe River, Yamamoto Specialty Papers, “Paper Tasting” sampler packs, and the Yamamoto Bullet Jotters and refill pads. We also have a lot of newly arrived Japanese gel and multi pens, so do check out this week’s Thursday Drops for full details!

Our shop will be open this week normal hours, from 1-6pm on Thursday and Friday and from 10am-6pm on Saturday. Come by and see us in person and try out some of these pens, inks, and paper for yourself!

New Stickers!

Tomoe River

Kaweco

Pilot

How You Can Further Support T.G.S.

If you enjoy our content (whether here on the main website, Instagram, YouTube Channel or elsewhere), and would like early/extra access to shop releases and special promotions, consider supporting us via Patreon. The T.G.S. Patreon includes early access and discounts on exclusive shop releases, a monthly updates newsletter, and of course our monthly meetups. Patreon supporters also have access to the first two episodes of a new podcast experiment I’ve been working on with Lisa Vanness of Vanness Pens. More on this later, but for the time being the initial episodes are Patreon-exclusive.

12 Pen Person Questions, Part II

Many thanks to everyone who read and commented on Part I of my responses to the 12 Pen Person Questions! For those who are unfamiliar with this exercise, it was developed by my friend Lisa over at Olive Octopus Ink as a set of journaling prompts for those who might be looking to delve deeper into why they engage with this hobby. I’ve been working on my responses for the past few months with the idea that I would do a multi-post series. Here goes Part II!

Question 7: What is something you are proud of doing, achieving, or overcoming?

In recent years, I’ve struggled with a fear of “putting myself out there” on the internet in a way that’s more personally identifiable. I’m an intensely private person in many ways, and for years I kept T.G.S. fairly anonymous because I enjoyed traveling to stationery stores and pen shows and browsing without anyone recognizing me, making for a quiet weekend that I often needed to recover from a stressful day job. Of course, as T.G.S. has grown, that’s become far more difficult to do, and there’s an inevitable realization that there is so much of myself in this business - on both the content and retail sides - that it would actually hold the business back for me NOT to be out front and center. I realize from my own experience as a customer that people tend to identify more with brands that have a recognizable face behind them, and to that end I’ve been proud of my effort to overcome my shyness, appear in more “people pictures” at pen shows, use my full name, and even start a new project where it won’t be possible to hide at all. (iykyk, Patreon members.) Stay tuned, as everyone will be seeing much more of me in 2026, whether you like it or not!

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Question 8: You're going on a writing retreat anywhere in the world—where would you go, what would you write, and what would you write with?

I actually used to take at least one writing retreat every year, where I would spend some time not only writing but using the time to regroup and plan all of my various projects across the coming year. Given how busy everything has become, it’s not something I’ve had the opportunity to do since I opened the physical shop in Nashville. That said, if I restarted the practice, I would go to the same Atlantic-coast beach I’ve visited for most of my life, which has wide expanses of sand and plenty of time to walk and think. (I would also go when it’s relatively cold because … no people.) Most of the “writing time” involves walking and/or pacing while thinking through ideas, so I would definitely bring some sort of small pocket notebook to jot down notes, as well as a spiral notebook with perforated pages to use for drafting out ideas longhand. When I’m in “working mode,” I usually opt for low-distraction, straightforward writing tools like wood pencils or a workhorse fountain pen like the Lamy 2000 or the Pilot Custom 74, and maybe even a TWSBI ECO if I’m traveling to a place where I’ll be working in public spaces like a coffee shop and don’t want to worry about losing the pen.

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Question 9: What's a current or favorite creative outlet?

While part of me wishes that I were more creative with stationery and analog tools, the reality is that I spend so much time writing and immersed in the stationery world, I need a non-stationery outlet for creativity. I play music (guitar), and have had a standing weekly lesson with the same instructor since I was 12 years old, more than 30 years ago. That said, I do score music/tablature with a dark pencil, so if the answer must have a stationery angle to it, there is that.

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Question 10: What's something that causes you benign envy—the kind of admiration and desire that leads to inspiration or motivation?

Probably someone’s ability to conceptualize a product, design it, and bring it into existence, either by making it directly or finding someone to manufacture. I have many different ideas for unique stationery, and seeing so many friends and colleagues launch their own exclusive products they’ve created from scratch inspires me to make some of these ideas a reality. We’ve already done several different collaborations on existing products with existing brands, including Good Made Better, Sunderland Machine Works, Roterfaden, Newton Pens, and Hinze Pens, which has been a great first step, but I would love to release something truly original.

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I currently have two Lamy 2000 Fountain Pens inked up. Both in original Makrolon.

Question 11: What's a comfort item, material, or color?

My Lamy 2000 fountain pen. It was my first highly coveted stationery item, and remains my favorite. There’s something about the feel of the Makrolon finish in hand that brings comfort and reminds me of the excitement I felt when I first became deeply engaged in this hobby, because it was one of the first really nice fountain pens that I saved up and purchased early on in my career. Whenever I feel out-of-sorts, and need to journal or just write out my thoughts in a coherent manner, picking up the Lamy 2000 puts me in the right mindset.

Question 12: What would be a dream collaboration, project, or partnership?

A dark burgundy Lamy 2000 with black plated trim. I mean, what else? We’ll see how closely Lamy reads this blog.

If you enjoy our content, please consider supporting us through the T.G.S. Curated Shop or by visiting our Patreon, which features extra content and more hangout opportunities. And, of course, you can also come visit us in person at our Nashville Shop!