Sunday Reading for June 22, 2025

1. DWRDNET Stationery Feed Interview with Ana from Well-Appointed Desk (via dwrdnet). Ana has a chance to sit down with Derek for an interview! (The house purse/bag is a brilliant idea.) I’ve been enjoying listening to all of these. If you missed my interview, the link is here.

2. Do Notebooks Destroy Memorization Skills? (via Notebook Stories). Honestly, my own notebooks help me remember minor short-term details because I don’t have the brain capacity, but on the flip side if I journal or write about more significant issues and events, I tend to remember them in greater detail.

3. What’s the Difference? Sailor Music vs. Stub Nib (via Doodlebud). Sailor’s take on the music nib is basically an extremely broad, wet stub. I do like stubs but this one has always been a bit much for me.

4. The Pleasure of Craftsmanship: The Alfie Tray (via A Gathering of Curiosities). I really need to get a hold of one of these. Oh wait I just bought one.

5. Twenty Years of the Urban Adventure League Blog (via Urban Adventure League). Congratulations on a huge achievement! Twenty years of any sort of creative project is a massive accomplishment.

6. MD Paper Products Pop Up at Kinokuniya (via Inkredible Colours). I scoured the photos looking for any evidence that ruled versions of the MD Cotton notebooks might be returning, but no such luck, apparently….

7. Stationery for Your Worst Enemy (via Rachel’s Reflections). Ahab FTW. Hopefully they’ll end up like me with ink on their wall, running all the way up to the ceiling.

8. Magasin Sennelier (via Pens! Paper! Pencils!). I love this shop and can’t wait to get back there.

9. Untangling My Zen (via From the Pen Cup). Many people use zentangles to unwind (and also to try out pens, inks, and paper). I’ve always been interested in learning more about this, but too many hobbies, too little time….

10. Dominant Industry Log of Elixir/Log of Atlantis Inks (via Well-Appointed Desk). Ok, I need to get an ink archiving book to play around with. I’m sold.

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I picked up one of these. If you don’t recognize it you will soon enough, as I plan to write about it soon!

In Case You Missed It….

This week was mid-year review week for 2025! I honestly don’t know how we got there already, but we are there! I recapped my favorite posts from the first six months of the year, as well as my currently inked fountain pens that I just revamped with fresh inks this month. I’ve had some new acquisitions come into my hands this month, and also dug through my “archive” for some old favorites that I haven’t used in far too long.

All the Lamy Crystal inks: So many underrated colors in this lineup.

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

New stuff keeps arriving! This week featured the return of the Lochby Field Journal Mini, which has been out of stock since January. Currently it’s available only in brown, but hopefully we will have the other colors back in stock soon. Lochby has also added a B5 Field Folio, which has the zippered closure and is large enough to carry a B5 notebook or a composition book. On the fountain pen front, we now have the popular Diplomat Viper, which is a hooded fountain pen that also has a matching rollerball. Finally, we have the Lamy Crystal inks in stock, which is a more saturated ink that Lamy makes in a wider range of colors. Peridot has long been one of my favorite green inks. Be sure to check out each week’s Thursday Drops post for new arrivals and more. This week’s post featured a few favorite 2025 new releases as well, in the spirit of our mid-year review.

Diplomat

Lamy Inks

Nebula Note

Lochby

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2025 Mid-Year Review: My Currently Inked Fountain Pens That Hopefully Won't Sit Unused

This week I’ve been recapping the first half of 2025, so I thought it would be fun to look at what I’m currently writing with and using at the mid-point of the year. Unfortunately, due to how busy things have been with the shop/travel/life, I haven’t had enough time for reflective writing or journaling, and most of my usage has been work-related. I don’t like it, but sometimes that happens. During busy periods I tend to gravitate towards non-fountain pens such as retractable rollerballs and ballpoints, as well as fineliners. To jump-start my writing, I pulled out some old favorites from my personal archive, and also inked up some newer releases for a test drive.

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From left, Kanilea Mauna Kea Classic Flush, Montblanc Writer’s Edition Virginia Woolf, Pilot Decimo Harvest Yellow, Pilot Vanishing Point, and Kanilea Kai Huli

Old Favorites and Workhorses: Pilot, Kanilea Pen co, and montblanc

1. Pilot Custom 823 (Standard Fine and Medium Architect). I’ve basically decided that both of my Pilot Custom 823 fountain pens will be perpetually inked. I have a Smoke in the fine nib, and an Amber (my original) in a medium that I’ve had ground to a soft architect. The fine nib pen is currently inked with Anderillium Moray Eel Green and the Amber with Tom’s Studio Loch Ness. (The Loch Ness has been a fixture in that pen for about a year.)

2. Kanilea Mauna Kea, Classic Flush Shape. My original Kanilea fountain pen, purchased at the Baltimore Pen Show back in 2017, remains my favorite. The white acrylic has taken on a cream tone over the years, which makes me enjoy it even more. This pen is inked with Anderillium

3. Kanilea Kai Huli, Classic Flush Shape. Kanilea has smaller stocks of certain materials that they don’t end up adding to the main line, and brings a handful of pens to shows in their “Kai Huli” models, like this red material with yellow flecks. I saw this at two different shows before I finally ended up buying one. The matching ink for this pen is Anderillium Piranha Red. The ink is slightly darker than the pen, and reminiscent of my beloved (and long gone) Montblanc Alfred Hitchcock.

4. Montblanc Virginia Woolf Writer’s Edition. I only own two Montblanc Writers’ Edition pens, the Charles Dickens and the Virginia Woolf. The latter has a combination of shape and texture that I’ve not seen anywhere else, plus a stubbish broad nib that’s an exceptional writer. I inked this one with Anderillium Anglerfish Deep, because the nib is broad enough to bring out the subtler reddish brown shades in this very dark ink.

5. Pilot Vanishing Point (Standard) and Pilot Decimo Harvest Gold. I think I might be all-in on collecting Pilot Decimos. I added the Nagasawa “Harbor Mint” version, discussed below, but my longtime favorite Harvest Gold Decimo with an extra-fine nib is a choice annotation/planner pen. Both pens are inked with Pilot Iroshizuku Kon-Peki (cartridges).

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One reason I love the Pilot Capless Decimo is that it makes for an excellent planner pen. Shown here next to a Bible-size Plotter binder.

New Additions to the Rotation: nagasawa, diplomat, Leonardo, and More pilot

1. Pilot Decimo, Nagasawa Original Kobe Gradation Higashi Kawasaki Harbor Mint. This year’s special edition Decimo release from Nagasawa is exclusive to their store, but the pens are available in the U.S. through Vanness Pens, including in the rare “FM” (fine medium) nib size. I opted for the rhodium trim, and inked this one up with Taccia Sabimidori.

2. Pilot E95s in Burgundy. I held off on getting a Pilot E95s until the burgundy version came back in stock with an extra-fine nib. The E95s is an excellent compact fountain pen - I wouldn’t call it a “pocket” fountain pen because I don’t know how well the plastic would hold up to pocket carry - but it’s definitely a great option for a lightweight writer to pair with a planner or notebook. This one’s also paired with a cartridge of Iroshizuku Kon-Peki.

3. Diplomat Viper in Blue. I’ve been wanting a Diplomat Viper for a while, since I’m a big fan of both Diplomat pens and hooded nibs. The Viper comes in black, blue, and a bronze brown. I chose the blue fountain pen and paired it with a brown rollerball, because I couldn’t decide which one I like better. For an ink, I chose Colorverse Supergiant, which was the Day 1 Ink from last year’s Colorverse Colorvent calendar. Sadly, this ink was not chosen to be one of the few selected to enter the standard Colorverse lineup.

4. Leonardo Momento Zero Nuvola. I’m in the minority of people who seem to prefer the standard Momento Zero over the larger Momento Zero Grande. I’ve had my eye on the cloud-patterned Nuvola for years now, and finally took the opportunity to pick one out in person at Vanness Pens during this year’s Arkansas Pen Show. (See link to the video below.) The ink I chose for this pen ended up not being one of the two Akkermans that I also purchased in Arkansas, but rather the really dark Anderillium Swordfish Blue, which intrigued me when I was doing my swatch video.

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And writing samples for all 10 pens, on Midori MD Cotton Paper.

Further Reading or Viewing

Many of these pens have been reviewed individually in the past, either as part of the “Workhorse Pens” series, or as standard pen reviews available in our fountain pen review archive. Be sure to check out these resources if you’d like more in-depth info about the pens shown here.

I’ve also done some video content on a couple of these items, including a complete walkthrough of the Anderillium Ichthyoformes (“Fish”) inks, and a video documenting my trip to Vanness Pens where I picked out the Momento Zero Nuvola.

I typically have each pen featured in my weekly posts with me in the shop when I open over the weekend. Come in and say hello and see them for yourself. The Gentleman Stationer is supported entirely by purchases from the T.G.S. Curated Shop and pledges via the T.G.S. Patreon Program. We will be open this week from 1pm-6pm Thursday and Friday, and 10am-6pm on Saturday. Be sure to check the shop page for up-to-date hours.

Thursday Drops: A Lochby Pocket-Sized Restock, Plus Other Top-Sellers from 2025 So Far

After a long, nearly six-month wait, Lochby has restocked both the Field Journal Mini and the Pocket Journal, both of which are sized to fit the 3.5” x 5.5” pocket notebooks (the standard “Field Notes” size, including the Lochby 68gsm Tomoe River version). You can read more about the Field Journal Mini here, but in short it uses the same cord-based system as the Lochby Field Journal and Field Folio (which is now available in B5 to fit the Lochby B5 notebooks and a standard composition book).

The new Lochby Field Folio B5, which per Lochby, can hold a composition book? I didn’t realize that about B5 sizing, which has always puzzled me as an “in-between” size but now I think I get it. (Photo courtesy of Lochby)

Other new releases to keep an eye on are the Diplomat Viper Fountain Pen and Rollerball, the latest Blackwing Volume 140 pencils (plus a general Blackwing restock, including sharpeners), and new Lamy inks. We’re also in the midst of our annual mid-year review, so I’ve added a handful of “best-sellers” to today’s post. Happy shopping!

Come see these and more in-shop! We will be open this week from 1pm-6pm Thursday and Friday, and 10am-6pm on Saturday. Be sure to check the shop page for up-to-date hours.

1. Lochby Field Journal Mini. It’s back, after a long wait! This version of Lochby’s classic Field Journal features the same cords and hook-and-latch system as the A5, but fits 3.5” x 5.5” pocket notebooks. Brown only at the moment.

2. Lochby Pocket Journal. I feared this model would be discontinued, but the zippered Lochby Pocket Journal (which holds 1-2 pocket notebooks in a wallet-style waxed canvas case), is back! Brown, Navy, and Charcoal options, with the Charcoal now featuring the gold “Bumblebee” interior.

3. Lochby Field Folio. The zippered Lochby Field Folio is now available in B5 size, and apparently will also fit a classic composition book. The Field Folio works the same as the standard Lochby Field Journal, only it uses a zippered closure for added security. There is also an interior pen loop. And, yes, the B5 size comes in the coveted Nautical Navy/Cream colorway.

4. Lochby Sidekick. Lochby’s wallet/notebook cover will hold a pen plus an A7 notebook such as these Clairefontaine options. All three colors are back in stock!

5. Diplomat Viper Fountain Pens and Rollerballs. I’m thrilled to be able to add this new hooded-nib fountain pen to our lineup. The matching rollerball has much of the same aesthetic, and takes a classic long capped rollerball refill.

6. Lamy Crystal Bottled Fountain Pen Ink. You didn’t know that Lamy has an expanded line of ten additional inks in more vibrant colors than the standard releases?

7. Colorverse “Nebula Note” A5 Notebooks. A somewhat overlooked line of paper, Colorverse Nebula Note is fountain pen friendly, relatively inexpensive, and comes with perforated pages! I will always promote anything with convenient perforated pages!

8. Lamy 2000 Pens (Fountain, Rollerballs, Ballpoints, and Multi Pens). By far our top selling product, the Lamy 2000 line of pens is a personal favorite of mine, and unsurprisingly, our top selling pen across the entire range of variants.

9. Tom’s Studio Lumos Pro Duo. We just received a box of Lumos Duo refillable fineliners from the UK, and have most colors back in stock. For further reading on how these pens work and why I enjoy them as everyday writers, check out this post.

10. Yamamoto Paper. Yamamoto Paper is known for their assortment of unusual Japanese looseleaf papers, as well as their sampler packs that are organized by paper type and use. Both products allow you to try papers that otherwise would remain largely unavailable to the U.S. market.

11. NJK Long-Point Pencil Sharpener. Our top-selling individual product by volume isn’t a pen, but rather this cult favorite handheld pencil sharpener that takes a simple task and does it well.

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Colorverse Nebula Note: Tactile paper, perforated pages, and a sturdy double-ring spiral.

2025 Mid-Year Recap: Five Favorite Reviews from the Year So Far

Typically I’m on vacation during the middle of June, which means that I take a break from content in favor of a mid-year recap looking back at favorite reviews, product launches, new discoveries, etc. from the first six months. Though I’m not currently away (day job conflict forced me to cancel a trip, then promptly got rescheduled), I always enjoy doing these retrospectives, so I’ll continue the trend this week and pretend that I’m not working! Up first are five favorite product reviews from the first six months of 2025, in no particular order.

1. Workhorse Pens: Pilot S20 Ballpoint. The S20 has easily been my favorite discovery from the past year. The contoured shape is quite comfortable, and the slim profile makes this a great “planner loop” pen. I’ve also added the mechanical pencil and the striated wood version of the Legno multi pen, both in dark red, to form a matching set. As an aside, I think I’ve grown to prefer Pilot’s Acro-ink over Jetstream Ink, though the former is harder to find in the same diversity of refill formats as the Jetstream.

2. The Jetstream Prime Lite Touch 3: Can Uni Improve on the Jetstream Experience? While I love my Uni and Pilot 4+1 Mechanical Pencils, the format is too large for some people. I’ve spent a lot of time this year digging deep into the multi pen world, and I was pleasantly surprised by the Lite Touch 3.

3. Yes, Micarta For Me! I finally added some Micarta pens to my collection, all from smaller makers. Variations on Micarta have become quite popular in pen circles over the past couple of years, with makers such as Skogsy and Hinze specializing in designs that incorporate Micarta.

4. Ink Review: Taccia Utamaro Aomurasaki Is the Deepest of Purple-Blacks. I’ve been using more “new-to-me” inks lately, and of all the new inks that have run through my fountain pens this year, Aomurasaki was the favorite so far. It’s a dark purple-black-grey that’s understated enough for work but interesting enough to use regularly without becoming boring.

5. Notebook Review: Maruman Spiral Note Basic Notebook. I’ve been searching for a good “standard” notebook to use for work that represents a good combination of quality and cost-effectiveness. I’ve settled on this “Basic” spiral notebook from Maruman which is a step down in price from the Mnemosyne line and still features quality paper with a variety of different rulings.

The Gentleman Stationer is supported entirely by purchases from the T.G.S. Curated Shop and pledges via the T.G.S. Patreon Program. We will be open this week from 1pm-6pm Thursday and Friday, and 10am-6pm on Saturday. Be sure to check the shop page for up-to-date hours.

New Arrivals: Diplomat Viper Fountain Pens and Rollerballs, plus New Lamy Inks!

As you might guess from my love of the Lamy 2000 and the Parker 51, I have a thing for hooded nib fountain pens. An icon of mid-century modern design, a hooded nib allows you to have the fountain pen writing experience in a slightly less conspicuous format, because to the untrained eye, this sort of fountain pen will resemble a standard ballpoint or rollerball. I often prefer this type of fountain pen at work - especially in meetings - because it’s not flashy or distracting.

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I was excited to see Diplomat release the Viper fountain pen last year, and we now have them in our own shop in all three guilloché colors (Blue, Brown, and Black), in both fountain pen and rollerball format. Priced at $100 for the fountain pen and $88 for the rollerball, the Viper has one stainless steel nib option (a fine/medium), and I’ve found my own blue to be a smooth, reliable writer. The rollerball uses a standard long-style rollerball refill, which is Diplomat-branded and comes in a medium black tip size. I did not opt for a matching set, and chose the blue fountain pen and the brown rollerball for my own personal demos. I’m still trying to work out which tone I like the best, but I’m leaning towards the brown.

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We Now carry Lamy Crystal Inks!

Need some new ink to go with your new Viper fountain pen? We’ve expanded our lineup of Lamy Inks, offering the Lamy Crystal line which is inspired by Gemstones. (Peridot and Amazonite are longtime favorites.) Lamy’s standard line of inks, while dependable and a reliably safe standby, is sometimes criticized for being overly… standard. The Crystal inks combine the quality of Lamy ink with a bit more saturation and some fun colors.

We are an authorized reseller of both Diplomat and Lamy products. Come see these and more in-shop! We will be open this week from 1pm-6pm Thursday and Friday, and 10am-6pm on Saturday. Be sure to check the shop page for up-to-date hours.