Sunday Reading for December 7, 2025

1. Colorverse Inkvent: The First 6 Days of Ink Christmas! (via dwrdnet). Derek walks through the first few days of the Colorverse “Colorvent” ink advent calendar. As I’ll note in my own recap, I think Colorverse takes the prize for “usability” of the inks they decide to include.

2. The Sweetest Pen Show You Haven’t Heard of: Tainan Pen Show (via Inky.Rocks). That’s a fun show report, and check out that 9-layer nib…

3. #2025StationeryHighlights: Now as a Journaling Prompt! (via a Gathering of Curiosities). I’ve enjoyed working my way through these prompts this year, and I hope this is one trend that continues. I plan to answer these questions as part of my own year-end recap that I do every year.

4. 12 Pen Person Questions (via Weirdoforest Pens). I promise I’ll get caught up on posting all the different takes on these questions, as they are fascinating for people to read and get to know members of the community.

5. 25 Days of Dupes 2025 (Week 1) (via Rachel’s Reflections). This post works through the first week of the Diamine Inkvent Calendar and explores what inks are similar to each day’s reveal - whether from Diamine or another brand.

6. Doodling with Fountain Pens: How Ink Can Affect Doodling (via Fountain Pen Love). No matter how you use your fountain pens, the success of any project will depend on the combination of pen, ink, and paper, and how those three things interact.

7. The Retreat (via From the Pen Cup). Sounds like the perfect weekend setting. I always enjoy Mary’s posts.

8. Yamamoto Canopus Paper Review (via Pen Addict - Kimberly). We will be bringing the Canopus notebooks back, probably after the first of the year. Kimberly has a very detailed review on how this in-demand paper interacts with inks.

9. Inkmas Time Is Here Again! (via Well-Appointed Desk). Ana releases an annual flurry of ink reviews in December to close out the year and get caught up, and Inkmas has commenced!

10. The Wet Pen Western Trillium Ink Review (via Pen Addict). I’ve picked up several bottles of Wet Pen inks this year and have enjoyed the (generally murky) colors so far! They’re quite usable for everyday writing while remaining interesting.

In Case You Missed It…

This week I recapped the first five days of Diamine Inkvent and Colorverse Colorvent up on the blog, but most of my effort this week content-wise went into readying the launch of a new video/podcast project I’ve been working on with my friend Lisa Vanness of Vanness Pens! Titled “On the Paper Trail,” you can start looking for new episodes after the first of the year, but for now you can enjoy the video from our first livestream from Thursday evening where Lisa recaps here recent trip to Japan and more.

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This Week in the T.G.S. Curated Shop

It’s the Holiday Season, and in addition to getting your orders packed and out the door and keeping the Nashville store staffed, we still have new stuff coming in as many distributor orders placed pre-Thanksgiving have been somewhat delayed. Recent arrivals include a range of new Tomoe River notebooks from Karatis, which are made in Turkey and feature a very high page count of 52gsm cream-colored Tomoe River. The vegan leather journals feel very nice and would make great gifts. We also received restocks from Maruman and Lamy, as well as the new Field Notes “1943” edition! And while the new Lochby Field Slings sold out quickly, we do have new cases and colors in nearly all other formats. Be sure to check out each week’s “Thursday Drops” post for a recap of all new arrivals and other developments on the retail front!

Blackwing Volume 21

Tom's Studio

Karatis

Field Notes

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. As of this morning, ALL Patreon supporters (including non-paying free members) have access to one or more initial “practice” episodes of our podcast experiment discussed above.

Colorvent/Inkvent Recap, The First Five Days!

Last year was the first year with two ink Advent calendars, and I chose to do weekly “five day” updates and pushed daily updates to Instagram stories for those interested in following along in real time. I plan to do the same for 2025! As with last year’s calendars, the Diamine Inkvent Calendar and Colorverse Colorvent calendars are both very different. The Inkvent Calendar is definitely more festive, with colors inspired by the holiday season and named accordingly. The Colorvent Calendar sticks to Colorverse’s general “universe” and “space” themes, so it’s not exactly festive but fans of Colorverse Ink will get exactly what they love about the brand: new colors with a consistent theme in their signature comet-shaped bottle. Each year, Diamine releases ALL of the Inkvent inks as a special line, so you can purchase them later, and last year Colorverse selected the Top 3 and added them to the standard lineup. If you missed out on these and still want to play along, we have one or two remaining Diamine Inkvent Calendars available, but Colorvent has been sold out for some time.

This Year’s Ink Swatching Kit: Glass Pen and Iroful swatch cards

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This year’s Colorvent and Inkvent Swatch Kit: I’m using my Hanabi Glass Studio Glass Dip Pen that I picked up in D.C., along with Iroful Swatch Cards since I love how this paper shows off the ink.

Day One: Colorverse Colorvent Martian Dust and Diamine Inkvent Celestial Skies

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So far, I think Day 1 is my favorite: Diamine Celestial Sky with sheen, shade, and shimmer, and Colorverse Martian Dust, which is a deep burgundy with some gold sheen.

Day Two: Colorverse Colorvent Apollon and Diamine Inkvent “Energy”

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Day 2 featured the first “Super Sheener” as well as a really unique Colorverse Ink, “Apollon”.

Day 3: Diamine Inkvent Carousel (Pigmented) and Colorverse Colorvent Erebus Crater

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One thing I do appreciate about the Diamine Inkvent Calendar is that it allows you to experience all of their inks across the line, including the new pigment inks. This one feels a bit too “paint like” for my taste, and was somewhat hard to clean off my glass pen. Erebus Crater is a gorgeous multi-shader.

Day 4: Colorverse Colorvent Milky Sea Glistening and Diamine Inkvent Smoky Tobacco (Scented)

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Smoky Tobacco is not terrible as far as scented inks go, as those have traditionally been my least favorite. They’re just far too pungent for my taste. Milky Sea is an excellent Colorverse Glistening (Shimmer) ink.

Day 5: Colorverse Colorvent “Void” and Diamine Inkvent Marie Rose

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Ok, so neither one of these would necessarily be considered a holiday ink to me (and certainly not “Void,” but as some have pointed out, it may not be entirely off-topic). :)

I will be adding to this series of posts throughout “Inkvent” season as I unbox more of the calendars. Stay tuned!

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! Also, please visit our Holiday Gift Guide page if you would like guidance on stationery-related gifting, and we’re also happy to discuss in-person.

Thursday Drops: New Fountain Pen Nibs & Ink From Tom's Studio, Maruman Padfolios, and an In-Store Exclusive!

This has been a fun couple of days as we wind down from the first wave of holidays! We received a large shipment of new and restocked Tom’s Studio items, including both fountain pens (Studio and Studio Pocket) along with new nibs that include Zoom and Fude options. We also have new Tom’s Studio inks (Clementine and Espresso), plus a restock of Lamy pens and Lamy inks in all colors from the standard lineup. Finally, Tom’s Studio has released a new series of Wren Fineliners, the Wren - Write Off! which is made from reclaimed plastic from disposable pens. The caps are delightfully textured and paired with an aluminum writing section.

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Paper wise, the shop is fully stocked on Maruman, and though not specifically listed below, we have some TRAVELER’S Notebooks (Passport-size) in Olive, Brown, and Blue leather. TRAVELER’S has been experiencing material shortages, which is why the Standard size has not been available, but we continue to try to restock as we are able.

Our Nashville shop is open this week from 1-6pm on Thursday and Friday, and from 10am-5pm on Saturday. (We plan to close an hour early on Saturday due to a personal commitment.) Check the shop page and on our Google profile for hours.

1. Tom’s Studio Fountain Pen Nibs (Zoom and Fude). New Tom’s Studio fountain pen nibs include Zoom and Fude versions, as well as additional Architect, EF Steel Flex, and more! These nibs are a great way to test out custom grinds, and they fit the Tom’s Studio fountain pens. I have heard of people pairing them with Bock housings, but I have not experimented myself and cannot vouch for compatibility with any brand other than Tom’s Studio.

2. Tom’s Studio “The Studio” Fountain Pen. By customer request, we’ve brought back a few of the full-size Tom’s Studio fountain pens as a test run. If they are popular we will stock the entire line. These pens will accept the Tom’s Studio fountain pen nibs.

3. Tom’s Studio “Studio Pocket” Fountain Pen. This compact fountain pen works the same way as the Wren fineliners, with a pocketable form that expands to a full-size fountain pen. These pens will accept the Tom’s Studio fountain pen nibs.

4. Tom’s Studio Fountain Pen Inks in New Colors! The Tom’s Studio fountain pen inks are now available in three new colors, “Clementine” (a golden orange), Espresso, and Sepia. (The latter two are exactly what you would expect, rounding out the line with different shades of brown.) We’ve also restocked on many popular colors.

5. Lamy 2000 Fountain Pens. One more post-holiday Lamy restock arrived, including a shipment of Lamy 2000 fountain pens. We started with most nib sizes but some already have sold.

6. Lamy 2000 Multi Pens. The 4-color ballpoint/multi pen is one of our top sellers, and an incredibly versatile multi pen in that it takes universal-style D1 refills. You can read more about why we love this pen here.

7. Lamy Fountain Pen Inks. Lamy surprised many by adding three new inks to their permanent lineup this year, including new versions of old special editions Dark Lilac and Petrol, plus a somewhat out-of-nowhere release of Sepia. Of these three, Petrol is probably my favorite.

8. Maruman Mnemosyne Notepad Holders. We’ve finally been able to restock the Mnemosyne Notepad Holders in the 5-Pocket format. Each of these padfolios holds a Mnemosyne grid writing pad in either A4 or A5 size. We also have extra pads of paper available.

9. Maruman Mnemosyne Spiral Notebooks and Notepads. Maruman Mnemosyne remains one of my go-to recommendations for a nice professional notebook. These are available in multiple sizes and rulings.

10. Maruman Basic Spiral Note in A4. The excellent (and inexpensive) Maruman Basic notebook is available in A4 size, in addition to A5 and B5. These notebooks remain fountain pen friendly while coming in at a lower price point than the Mnemosyne line, featuring a kraft cover and single wire spiral.

11. In-Store Only: Maruman Mnemosyne A3 Spiral Pads. These giant spiral writing pads can’t easily be shipped, so this is an in-store item for the time being. We have a small number so if you want one please come see us in-store!

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We’ve been keeping the pencil section fully stocked, including with a wide variety of unique erasers. More are on the way so stay tuned!

Introducing "On the Paper Trail," a New Podcast/Video Collaboration with Lisa Vanness of Vanness Pens!

I’ve been mentioning this in passing for a few months now, but since we’ve been trickling out some excerpts from this ongoing collaboration, it’s time to make a formal announcement! My friend Lisa Vanness of Vanness Pens and I are collaborating on a video series/podcast with the working title of “On the Paper Trail.” We both have a decade+ of experience in the stationery community and industry so we’re hopeful you’ll find what we have to say interesting and helpful. As we’ve been working through the technical side of things and getting used to recording, we’ve been releasing our “practice” episodes to the T.G.S. Patreon community, which has been a invaluable source of feedback and encouragement. Members can still access the full episodes via the Patreon feed. (There are four.) When the project officially launches it will have its own channel. Follow the T.G.S. and Vanness YouTube Channels for updates.

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Not a customer order, but representative of what we’ve been seeing.

Holiday Shipping PSA - If You Need Something by Mid-Month Get Your Orders In As Soon as Possible.

The content we’ve chosen to share so far relates to holiday shipping timelines, since that’s a topic of concern given questions we’ve both been receiving through our respective businesses. Now is the time of year that we start to see shipping delays, missed package scans, and lost items. While both T.G.S. and Vanness ship quickly (within 2 business days if not sooner), increased order volume not only impacts our fulfillment but results in a general slowdown across carriers. The TLDR version is: get your orders in soon, especially if you need something by Christmas or New Year’s. Once we hit December 15, it’s probably going to be better to shop in person for last-minute gifts, as we cannot guarantee any delivery times given general unreliability of carrier estimates.

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!

New Arrivals: Lochby Field Sling, "Duo" Two-Pen Cases, and New Colors!

The long-awaited Lochby “Field Sling” is in stock in limited quantities! If you’ve been looking for a streamlined A5 EDC bag that can hold a notebook, a phone, a few pens, and maybe a small tablet and other items, the Field Sling features the same waxed canvas construction as the rest of the Lochby line. We’ve also added the Lochby “Duo” two-pen cases, the new Quattro 2.0 with a longer design, and new colors of the Field Journal and Mini Venture Pouch. Lochby is always popular over the holidays as these sorts of cases and travel accessories make great gifts!

If you’re looking for a compact notebook to carry in your Field Sling, we also received a shipment of Passport TRAVELER’S Notebooks in Brown, Olive, and Blue, as well as a restock of most TRAVELER’S Company refills. The notebooks have been out of stock for a while but we are starting to see restocks trickle in, at least in the Passport size.

This week our Nashville shop will be open mostly normal hours, from 1-6pm Thursday and Friday and from 10am-5pm on Saturday (closing slightly early due to a personal commitment). If you’re looking for gift ideas, be sure to check out the 2025 edition of our Annual Holiday Gift Guide!