Sunday Reading for July 5, 2026

1. 2026 St. Louis Pen Show Recap (via Pen Addict - Kimberly). The St. Louis Pen Show continues to be a well-attended regional show. It’s relatively close to me, so I may have to visit in the future.

2. 2026 St. Louis Pen Show (via Olive Octopus Ink). Lisa also attended the St. Louis Show and hosted her own class/seminar/activity table!

3. 2026 Dutch Pen Show Recap (via Pen Addict - Julia). If there was one European show that I would want to visit, it would be the Dutch Pen Show. That’s quite a pen show swag bag!

4. The Largest Craziest Fountain Pen Ink Collection (via Inky.Rocks). Ok, you have to watch the video of this ink collection - not sure I’ve ever seen anything quite like this. Now I need custom shelving.

5. Swallowed by a Whale (via A Gathering of Curiosities). Here’s to original, authentic writing.

6. Traveling Stationery Kit Themes (via Urban Adventure League). Anyone else absolutely LOVE that Lochby honey color?

7. Traveling with Ink, June 2026: Part I, Albania (via Fountain Pen Blog). Just a great travelogue post, and I enjoy hearing what stationery is available in different parts of the world.

8. Ya Gotta Start Somewhere (via From the Pen Cup). Whether it’s writing or drawing, just get started!

9. If I Could Only Keep 10 Fountain Pens (via Well-Appointed Desk). Not sure I could even begin to play this game.

10. Leonardo + Stilo e Stile MZ Radici (via Figboot on Pens). I have too many Momento Zeroes, but I love seeing these materials.

In Case You Missed It…

It was a bit of a quiet week around here due to the holidays and the fact that we all needed a rest! We released Episode 11 of On The Paper Trail, in which Lisa and I discuss nib size variations within fountain pen brands, and sometimes within the same model of fountain pen. Yesterday I also addressed some logistical questions and back-end site announcements.

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

This week’s new arrivals include a full restock of Taccia Ink (including all the new Kuniyoshi, Hokusai, and yes, more Sabimidori)! We also have new Kakimori notebooks, “Inkstand Colour” Mixable Pigmented Inks, Kakimori dip nibs and holders, and more Frost fountain pens and rollerballs. Finally, we have the TWSBI ECO “Horse Year” fountain pens available for pre-order, and a fresh batch of OnionBrand “Green Dragon” A5 leather covers! Be sure to check out each week’s Thursday Drops post for a full list of new arrivals and restocks.

We will be open normal hours this coming week in our Nashville shop, from 1-6pm Thursday and Friday, and from 10am-5pm on Saturday!

TWSBI

Kakimori

Notsu

Colorverse

How YOu Can Support us further: Visit Us on Patreon

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. In addition to exclusive content, Discord access, and online meetups, Patreon supporters have access to one or more initial “practice” episodes of “On the Paper Trail” which have not been publicly released.

Happy 4th of July Weekend! Announcements, New Resources, and a Holiday Weekend Special!

There’s been a lot going on around here over the past six months, between upcoming in-person events, a new podcast, a trip to Japan, and ever-expanding brands in our shop! As we get caught up over the holiday weekend - and rest a bit - I wanted to take this opportunity for a few announcements on topics where we’ve received a lot of recent phone calls and e-mails:

• Store Hours: Unless otherwise posted, our regular shop hours are Thursdays and Fridays from 1pm-6pm, and from 10am-5pm on Saturdays. We are open normal hours this weekend!

• Upcoming Pen Show Events. We will be in attendance at the D.C. and San Francisco Pen Shows next month, primarily for in-person events and classes. You can come visit with us at the Vanness Pens Tables, but we will likely not have an independent T.G.S. setup given that we need to maintain inventory for both the online store and the Nashville shop.

• On The Paper Trail Live in Nashville (10/16-10/18). We continue to get questions about where/when to buy tickets to the October event Lisa and I are hosting for the podcast in Nashville, so I’m reposting the link. To clarify, weekend passes get you admission to the event plus a free bottle of our event ink, stickers, and some extra swag that is still in development! There will be both paid classes and free seminars, with sign-ups made available closer to the event date.

• Kaweco DIY Glow Event in October. While our current plan is to have the Kaweco DIY machine on-site at the On The Paper Trail Live event, we still have not received confirmation of the exact dates we will have the machine available and whether/when we can make these pens available in our standard shop.

TWSBI ECO “Horse Year” Fountain Pens are now available for pre-order.

Don’t Miss Our Fourth of July Weekend Ink Promotion!

All orders placed this weekend (from Thursday through 11:59pm CT Sunday) that qualify for free domestic shipping ($75+) will receive a complimentary bottle of ink with no coupon code necessary. View full details here.

Thursday Drops: New Notsu Paper, Permanent Platinum Inks, and a July 4th Weekend Promo!

Notsu continues to expand their lineup of fountain-pen-friendly organizational products, including more blue Centre Rise notecard holders, new sticky notes, and a new set of “To Do” desk pads. We’ve also received a fresh shipment of Platinum inks (including two new permanent inks) as well as a new addition to the Colorverse “Joy in the Ordinary” collection. Finally, we have more of our favorite iLootPaperie Washi Tape, as well as new Well-Appointed Desk stamps and stickers.

UPDATE: As of Friday July 3, TWSBI ECO “Horse Year” pens are now available for pre-order, with pens shipping July 6. This is a limited edition which will only have one run, per TWSBI.

Don’t Miss Our Fourth of July Weekend Promo: Free Ink!

We have a special offer this weekend - all orders placed 7/2-7/5 that qualify for free shipping ($75+) will automatically receive a complimentary bottle of fountain pen ink, valued anywhere from $9-15. In the regular course of shipping product, ink bottles and packaging get scratched, dented, and stained. While some of this is normal and the ink can still be sold, others get pulled as “scratch ‘n dent” items. Rather than run a sale we would prefer to just give it away, so all qualifying online orders will receive a free mystery bottle while supplies last! No coupon code necessary.

We are open this weekend in our Nashville shop normal hours: 1-6pm Thursday and Friday, and 10am-5pm on July 4th! If you’re in town for the weekend come by and visit!

1. Notsu Centre Rise To Do List Card Stand. The Notsu Centre Rise card box/organizer is back, and now with a blue option in addition to black and orange!

2. Notsu Large Format Dot Grid Notecards. These large 5x7 notecards are back in stock, and they fold in half so that you can tuck them away inside your notebook, pocket or bag for quick reference.

3. Notsu Dot Grid and Graph Sticky Notes. These sticky notes are sold in a four-pack, and feature dot grid, graph, or colored graph paper.

4. Notsu Writing Pads and To Do Pads. Notsu paper works well with most inks, and the thicker paper stands up well in a desk pad. In addition to the dot grid and graph pads (available in both letter and A5 sizes), Notsu now makes

5. Platinum Classic Inks. This series of fountain pen friendly iron gall inks offers six different colors that become permanent when they dry. Iron gall is a classic ink formulation used for centuries for archival purposes, and darkens as it dries, resulting in a unique look reminiscent of vintage letters.

6. Platinum Pigmented Inks. We’ve expanded our offering of Platinum Pigmented inks to include Brun Sepia, a permanent brown.

7. Platinum Chou Kuru Black. Do you require the ultimate black ink? As in, an ink as dark as you can possibly make it? Chou Kuro should be on your radar. While definitely one of the more premium inks that we sell, it’s always difficult to keep in stock.

8. Colorverse Joy in the Ordinary Inks. One of this year’s sleeper hits for us, the Colorverse “Joy in the Ordinary” line includes muted pastel inks and now the grey “Under the Shade.”

9. iLootPaperie Washi Tape (Yes, Including the Really Fun Ones!). We’ve restocked on our best-selling washi tape of all time. IYKYK.

10. Well-Appointed Desk Stickers and Stamp Sets. We have a fresh shipment of vintage-inspired stickers and rubber stamps designed by Ana! The rubber stamps are designed to help you set up your planner and organize your inks swatches.

On The Paper Trail, Episode 11: Why Is My Fine Nib Not Actually a Fine?

Have you ever written with two fountain pens of the same model and same nib size, only to notice subtle (or maybe not-so-subtle) differences in line width? As retailers, we get questions about this topic all the time, and have experienced this ourselves in our own personal use, so we wanted to talk about why this happens and what you can do to help ensure you get the nib closest to your desired line width. (Spoiler alert: if you're looking for consistent line-width specificity down to the millimeter, you're almost certainly looking at getting a pen tuned or custom ground for your specific writing style, and paying close attention to your ink and paper choice.)

We also talk a bit about upcoming pen shows and events, including the DC, San Francisco, and Dallas Pen Shows, as well as our own On The Paper Trail Live Event in Nashville!

On The Paper Trail: Where You Can Download the Podcast

Get caught up on previous episodes, and find more information about our first On The Paper Trail Live Event, which will be held in Nashville from October 16-18, 2026! Tickets are now on sale! ⁠⁠Check out the main podcast informational page for additional details. ⁠

Episode 11 Show Notes and Links

1. ⁠Pilot Custom 823 (Joe's Pen)⁠

2. Pilot 4+1 Wood Multi Pen (Joe's Pen)⁠

3. ⁠Nagasawa Odyssey Starseeker (Lisa's Pen)⁠

4. ⁠Savannah James Stickers (Lisa's Stickers)⁠

5. ⁠TGS Roterfaden Restock⁠

6. ⁠OnionBrand Notebooks⁠

7. ⁠TWSBI ECO Rootbeer Fountain Pens⁠

8. ⁠Coffee Stickers⁠

9. ⁠Opus 88 Cloud Dancer Fountain Pen⁠

10. ⁠DC Pen Show⁠

11. ⁠SF Pen Show⁠

12. ⁠Dallas Pen Show⁠

13. ⁠On The Paper Trail Live in Nashville

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. We WILL be open regular hours this week, including on July 4!

New Arrivals: Colorverse Restocked, Along with Platinum Pens and Inks!

We’ve received a fresh shipment of Colorverse Ink, meaning that nearly all of the Colorvent “Top 3” Inks are back, including the 2024 and 2025 three-bottle sets as well as quirky favorites like Erebus Crater and Polar Night! We also have more of the 2025 Red Horse Collection, as well as all of the colors in the “Joy in the Ordinary” series.

Every year we update our “Best Pens” list, which includes recommendations from across a wide range of product categories.

We also have more Platinum Plaisir and Prefounte fountain pens, both of which are mentioned on our “Best Pens” list for beginners as well as those simply looking for a reliable everyday writer that you don’t have to worry about when knocking around town, the office, or your world travels! Finally, fans of permanent, dark black inks can also celebrate because Platinum Carbon Black and Chou Kouro have both returned.

Come see these and more this week in our Nashville shop! We are open normal hours (1-6pm Thursday and Friday and 10am-5pm on Saturday), meaning that yes we are open for the 4th of July weekend. Many of you have reached out to let us know you are coming to town so we will be there and ready to welcome you!