New Arrivals: Kaweco Is Back, Along with More Roterfaden TGS_25 Covers!

March 3, 2026

Last week we received a large shipment from Kaweco, including Classic Sport, Collection Sport, Metal Sport, and Liliput Fountain Pens. Many of you have requested additional stock of the stainless steel, brass, and copper pens, and we listened! Personally, I’m most excited about the Liliput Kolibri (German for “Hummingbird”), which applies a rainbow anodized finish to both the stainless steel body and the nib. We are also restocked on Kaweco bottled inks, as well as the “Sketch-up” Clutch Pencils in all finishes.

TGS_25 Roterfaden Taschenbegleiters Return!

We have restocked the green leather version of our A5 Slim exclusive model in dark green, with both green and grey elastic options. While we will plan to bring available stock to the Arkansas Pen Show and San Francisco Stationery Fest later this month, we cannot guarantee availability, so if you are interested in this please do not wait. We will have stock available in the Nashville shop during normal hours later this week. Many thanks for all your interest and support for this project - we never could have anticipated the level of demand it’s received so far!

Come see us in our Nashville Shop! Our store is open normal hours (1-6pm Thursday and Friday, and 10am-6pm Saturday), so please swing by and see these and more!

Sunday Reading for March 1, 2026

March 1, 2026

2026 California Pen Show Recap (via Pen Addict - Kimberly). An epic recap of last week’s California Pen Show, which was a great one! Kimberly managed to get pictures of nearly everyone there and I’m not sure this recap can be topped.
California Pen Show 2026 Recap (via Well-Appointed Desk). Ana was also behind the table at CAPS 2026 and has her own show recap!
On Finding that Third Place Yet Again (via Urban Adventure League). People often ask why I decided to open a physical location. A big part of it was that I felt the city needed another kind of third place.
You Pays Yer $$, You Take Yer Chances (via Inkdependence). There’s a lot of stationery “mystery boxes” out there, at various price points, and this is a product category that’s hard to scale well because as the scope gets bigger you have to appeal to so many different customers, all of whom have different preferences.
Living on the Edge with the Santini Safety 1920 (via Figboot on Pens). I’ve always been fascinated by safety fillers as a mechanism and am always excited when I see people introduce new takes.
House Totes for Notebooks and Pens (via Notebook Stories). Do you have a bag or a tote that you use to carry your stuff around the house? I don’t move around much at home (I tend to work in my office above the garage), but I do like to use tote bags to keep all of my stuff in one place so it’s easy to locate.
Living in the In-Between (via From the Pen Cup). Stationery is a great escape for the more challenging moments. Mary always has great reflections.
Nib Wetting Tool Overview and Use (via SBRE Brown). I would proceed slowly and carefully with any sort of tool like this.

Pentel Sign Pen Writing Samples 10 Colors

In Case You Missed It….

This week we released Episode 4 of On The Paper Trail, which recapped our trip to the 2026 California Pen Show. While you can listen on your favorite podcast app, the YouTube Episode contains bonus footage of a show walkthrough and vendor visits. Upon my return I finally was able to get back to some content, and I posted a review of the Pentel Sign Pen, which is a classic piece of Japanese stationery that I unfortunately only recently discovered despite it being available since 1963.

Galen Leather Single Pen Sleeves — We now carry Galen Leather in our shop! Single Pen sleeves and more!

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

We returned from the 2026 California Pen Show with lots of new products to share (and many more in the works). Top of the the list were additional Waka ebonite ballpoints from Laurett’s, one of my favorite Japanese makers who I make a point to visit every time I have a chance. Oh, and did I mention that T.G.S. is now an authorized retailer of Galen Leather? We have a selection of pen cases and notebook covers currently available, and will build out our selection further in the coming months. Finally, the recently released Blackwing Pen arrived, along with a huge Kaweco restock that included most metal Sport and Liliput pens, including the Kolibri!

Update: I just received notice from DHL that the fresh shipment of Roterfaden TGS_25 Taschenbegleiters is set to arrive tomorrow. These should begin shipping this week! Many thanks to all of you who pre-ordered!

Normal store hours this week in the Nashville Shop, from 1-6pm Thursday and Friday, and from 10am-6pm on Saturday. Come see us in person!

Laurett's

Kaweco

Rickshaw Bagworks

Craighill

How to Support T.G.S. and Our Various Projects

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 “On the Paper Trail” which have not been publicly released.

Pentel Sign Pen Cover Image three pens on a desk

Pen Review: The Pentel Sign Pen (Craft Design Technology Version)

February 28, 2026

I have a soft spot for pens that have remained essentially unchanged for 60+ years, including the Lamy 2000, the Pilot Capless Series, and even less expensive pens like the one I plan to review here: the Pentel Sign Pen. Introduced in 1963, the Sign Pen is famous for its moderately flexible tip that allows for expressive line variation while remaining just firm enough to use for everyday writing. Long a favorite of calligraphers, I had written this one off as an “art marker” that wouldn’t be suitable for my more everyday needs. Let’s say I’ve had to reconsider.

Pentel Sign Pens used for Planner Layouts — An example of how I’ve been using these pens for my personal planner layouts.

Expanding My Japanese Fineliner Repertoire

Back in December we brought an assortment of Craft Design Technology products into the shop, which included CDT’s versions of a wide range of Japanese stationery items that I had never tried before. This shipment included not only the Sign Pens, but other unique finds including the Pentel Tradio, the Pilot Frixion 3 multi pen, and paper items such as the CDT Memo Rolls and Desk Note Bagasse notebooks. Of all the new additions, however, the Sign Pens and the Tradios were my favorites.

Pentel Sign Pens showing the Tip with Writing Samples — The brush/marker tip is adequately firm for writing, and the colors are quite vibrant. Writing sample here is shown on the CDT Desk Note (Large), which contains ink-friendly, sugarcane-derived Bagasse paper.

I’ve long been a proponent of fountain pen users trying out fineliners as an “everyday” alternative. Fineliners add a degree of expressiveness (meaning line variation) to your handwriting, and have a soft feel that, like a fountain pen, requires very little writing pressure. The Pentel Tradio is actually modeled after a fountain pen, but with a stiffer tip that will feel familiar to U.S. users accustomed to standard felt-tip pens and markers. The Pentel Sign Pen invokes a traditional Japanese brush pen, with a softer tip capable of more significant line variation. As a result, the Sign Pen has become a favorite for calligraphers and artists, though the tip remains firm enough that you can use it for standard handwriting and journaling.

TGS Back Office Desk Setup — The T.G.S. back-office work table.

So how do I use my own set of Pentel Sign Pens? I’m no calligrapher, and I long ago allowed my art skills to lapse, but I’ve thoroughly enjoyed these pens as journaling and planning tools. The tip is flexible enough to go from a relatively fine line to a bolder marker-esque line, making them useful for drawing layouts. I’ve also been trying to improve my cursive and reduce the amount of pressure that I use while writing by hand, so these are great given that the ink flows similarly to a fountain pen. Unlike many markers, the Sign Pens show relatively little bleedthrough and feathering on decent papers, with the ink behaving similarly to fountain pen ink in that regard.

Pentel Sign Pen End Caps — The Pentel Sign Pen features color-coded end caps so that you can conveniently locate the pen you’re looking for.

Takeaways and Where to Buy

I keep a jar of the Craft Design Technology Pentel Sign Pens on the main worktable in the T.G.S. back office - that’s how much I’ve grown to love these things. I’ve always been a fan of fineliners and other fine-tipped markers, but the Sign Pen is different enough that I sometimes feel as though I’ve discovered an entirely different product category! I have one of the 10-pen sets, and I even kept the zippered pouch so that I can take these with me when I travel. They make an excellent addition to a journaling kit if you like to write in different colors but don’t feel comfortable bringing multiple fountain pens and inks.

CDT Sign Pens in Five-Pack — If you opt for one of the multi-packs, be sure to save the pouch, as it’s quite nice for travel. (Or you can upgrade to one of the CDT Custom Leather zipper pouches.) :)

As noted above, we stock the Sign Pen in the exclusive Craft Design Technology mint green finish. For those unfamiliar with CDT, it’s a Japanese design house that collaborates with various stationery manufacturers on their own unique versions of classic items, including Pentel items such as the Tradio, Sign Pen, Energel, Sharp Kerry, and even more paper products and desk accessories. Most of their releases incorporate some version of their signature green colorway.

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 at our physical stationery store in Nashville, Tennessee.

Thursday Drops: Fun California Pen Show Finds from Galen Leather, the Blackwing Pen, a Massive Kaweco Restock and More!

February 26, 2026

Returning from the California Pen Show, we arrived to find a massive stack of packages waiting for us, including a large restock from Kaweco that contained Kaweco Collection Sports (including Honey and Apricot Pearl!), Brass, Steel, Bronze, and Titanium metal pens, and more piston fillers! The entire line was essentially restocked, so be sure to check out all of our Kaweco offerings, including the Sketch-up Clutch Pencils! (If you recall, we did this eternally popular YouTube video a while back showing how you can use this as both a clutch pencil and a Kakimori nib holder.) We also received a large shipment from Portuguese pencil manufacturer Viarco, including the popular spring pencil caps!

Blackwing Rollerball Pen — The new Blackwing Pen has landed, and is available both in-store and online.

Other new arrivals traveled home with us from Los Angeles, including Galen Leather products (the wood pen holders), more Laurette’s knurled ebonite ballpoints, and new Musette tote bags from Rickshaw Bagworks to complement the rest of our “Clouds” series of exclusive editions.

We are back to normal Nashville shop hours this week, open from 1-6pm Thursday and Friday, and from 10am-6pm on Saturday. I look forward to being back behind my own counter after a week of pen show time!

Galen Leather Mahogany Pen Stands. You all asked for them, and now they’re here! This mahogany 3-pen rest has been featured in TGS reviews for the better part of 10 years, and I’m thrilled to be an authorized Galen retailer with the ability to stock them.
Blackwing Pen. The latest release from Blackwing is…a pen? Featuring a unique half-moon rollstop design, a smooth knock, and a Schmidt refill, there’s always room in my kit for a good capless rollerball.
Laurett’s Waka Ebonite Ballpoint Pens. These pens are machined from ebonite by Laurette’s, a Japanese company known for their ultra-fine knurling technique that they have used on parts they manufacture for automotive companies.
Rickshaw Bagworks Musette Tote Bag. When I asked Rickshaw for a recommendation for a new addition to the “Clouds” series for pen show season, they recommended the Musette, a classic tote with a strap long enough to be worn cross-body, making it useful for pen shows and other crowded events.
Kaweco Collection Sport Fountain Pens (Yes, Including Honey Yellow!). Honey was by far the most popular Kaweco color of the past two years, and we’re thrilled to have a restock. We also have more Mellow Blue, Apricot Pearl, Cyan and Teal.
Rickshaw Bagworks T.G.S. Exclusive “Clouds” Fillmore Cases. We’ve restocked our supply of Fillmore cases with the 3+3 layout that allows you to store pens on both sides and open the case flat to use as a tray on your desk.
Roterfaden TGS_25 Taschenbegleiter (Pre-Order). I’ve been inundated with messages regarding Roterfaden restocks - specifically the TGS25, and I can report that we should have a new shipment in the next week or so. If you would like to reserve one there is a pre-order opportunity for green Taschenbegleiters with green or grey cords.
Blackwing Pencil Clip. The latest addition to Blackwing’s line of pencil accessories is designed to fit a Blackwing and most other woodcase pencils, this clip will attach to notebooks, standard books, pads, or anywhere else you need to rest your pencil while working.
Viarco Pencil Caps. These sold out super fast last time but we ended up with a huge restock prior to the California Pen Show! We have the boxes of eight caps as well as larger quantities available for purchase.
Viarco Vintage Pencil Series. We have a fresh shipment of Viarco Pencils from Portugal, including the popular Lapis copying pencils.

Rickshaw Bagworks Musette Tote Bag — Introducing the Musette Tote, the latest addition to our Rickshaw Bagworks “Clouds” Collection.

2026 California Pen Show Recap Episode 4

On the Paper Trail Episode 4: Recapping the 2026 California Pen Show!

February 25, 2026

In Episode 4 of On the Paper Trail, we discuss our visit to the 2026 California Pen Show, one of the larger pen and stationery events in the U.S., and recap everything we saw. This two-part episode includes a pre-show discussion of how vendors prep for a show and decide what to bring, while the post-show recap talks about impressions of the event and the different brands and vendors in attendance. The YouTube episode includes footage of the event itself and a short vendor tour that follows the podcast portion, including visits to Stationery Stack, Laurette's Japan, Bungubox, and more!

Show Notes and Links

On The Paper Trail: Where You Can Download the Podcast

As noted above, if you want to follow along and watch the video, On The Paper Trail has its own YouTube Channel. We have also uploaded the podcast to most popular podcast networks and apps, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, and Overcast.