Happy New Years! Take 10% Off Select Planners to Kick-Off 2025!

I look forward to January 1 because it’s the day I officially roll over all of my notebooks and planners to the next year. While I plan to post my official lineup on Saturday (I’m still tweaking a few things), I thought I would kick off the New Year - and inventory week - by running a small promotion in the shop. Take 10% off Planners and Notebook Systems (excluding Roterfaden) with the coupon code “HAPPYNEWYEAR” at checkout. The promotion will run through Friday, January 3. Also, a reminder that our clearance sale continues, with all products marked as clearance subject to an additional automatic 15% markdown at checkout.

We are closed today for the holiday, but the in-person shop will reopen tomorrow (Thursday) for normal hours. Many thanks for all your support!

Looking Backward and Leaping Forward: 2024 Year-in-Review and 2025 Intentions

My two favorite posts that I write every year are the intentions posts: the one where I revisit and recap my intentions from the prior year, and another where I look forward to the next. Since this year turned out to be particularly eventful, with somewhat odd timing, I’ve combined these into one long post that looks back on what changed here in 2024, how things are going, and what to expect in 2025. Settle in, because I’m going to walk you through the saga that was T.G.S. in 2024!

I started 2024 with three main intentions: (1) continue to organize and optimize the back catalog of T.G.S. content and take better advantage of the knowledge acquired over 10 years of writing this blog; (2) minimize personal acquisitions; and (3) build more of a presence in my local community and become more deliberate with things like pen show travel. I can probably declare the first two intentions successful. This year balanced new blog reviews and content with material that drew on existing reviews and features, with the goal of bringing some of this content to the attention of a large influx of new readers, many of whom have had very little prior experience with fountain pens and stationary. I've also continued to thin out older posts that no longer serve a purpose (i.e., older links and deals posts, reviews of bad products by companies that are no longer in business, etc.). And while I do plan to write a stand-alone "favorite acquisitions of 2024" post, I know for a fact that I bought far less in 2024 than prior years, and more pens, inks, and paper went out the door than came in.

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You all will get a pictorial history of the new T.G.S. shop, from how I found it to what it looks like now!

Sometime in July, intention number three became the focus of nearly all my efforts for the second half of the year. In an abrupt turn of fortune, I managed to find a physical location to house The Gentleman Stationer - both the online content/webshop side of the business and a new in-person retail operation. I started 2024 quite down on the possibility of ever being able to do this, as the Nashville-area real estate market continues to be (in my opinion) absurdly inflated, and the nature of my particular business doesn't lend itself to the types of commercial spaces that were available. In late 2023, I had actually leased a temporary office for six months in order to give myself a studio-like space to work outside of my home. This idea didn't work out - half co-working space, half-private office, this place was loud, poorly ventilated, and expensive for what it was. (It also had bad coffee.) When my lease expired in April, and I found myself outgrowing my current inventory warehouse, I started touring spaces once again with a growing sense of desperation that I might have to start scaling back T.G.S. simply because I didn't have a place to put it.

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It’s amazing what new carpet and fresh paint can do.

The location I stumbled upon is “unique”. :) Those of you who have visited our shop know that we are tucked away in a non-traditional commercial/warehouse complex that houses a wide range of different businesses, most of which operate both in-person and online. Other business include a home alarm company, a custom closet company, and even a film photography store and darkroom facility. Below my shop is a space that bands can rent to rehearse at night, a mobile florist, and even a sculptor who maintains a studio in a refurbished storage unit. It's an interesting bunch. Based on my own internet research, my particular unit has housed anything from a picture frame shop to an art studio. While native Nashvillians and long-term residents know exactly where we are - my street has a number of what I would call "classic Nashville" businesses that have existed for decades - it's not a place where people are going to find you by accident. Some people who visit us for the first time ask how the business exists without traditional "foot traffic", by which they mean potential customers walking in off the street. The answer is that it’s not necessary for our business, and I love the flexibility of a business model that doesn’t have the increased cost associated with staffing a store 6 days a week and having to worry about security, shoplifting, etc.

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Bonus skill development: I got really good at assembling hex-key fixtures, finding wall studs, and mounting shelves to drywall!

In May of this past year, I actually almost signed a lease on a "traditional" retail shop in a strip mall. It's what everyone was encouraging me to do, and by "everyone," I'm referring to real estate brokers, family members who know absolutely nothing about pens or this industry, friends (including some pen friends) telling me to open a shop because it's-such-a-great-idea-and-our-city/community-industry-needs-this but who still haven’t visited the shop or bought anything online in the six months it's been open, and those random people on the internet who offer unsolicited advice when the word gets out that you're considering a certain business move. My advice to YOU if you're considering making a similar move, or any business decision: politely acknowledge those people and then make YOUR OWN decision, informed by your understanding of your business and, yes, your gut. At the last minute, I walked away from the first location I seriously considered because it didn’t feel right, and it was the single best decision I've made in the past ten years.

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I don't believe that brick-and-mortar retail is dead. Far from it. I actually think it's necessary for businesses to have a physical location to interact with customers - a place for customers to go with their questions, to view products in person, and for businesses to host events where they can engage with and become part of their local communities. That said, retail spaces should be carefully considered and closely tailored to the nature of the business they house. In my particular situation, not having a space suitable for operating online would have ignored the reality of my customer base, and the way in which many people get their information and research potential purchases in niche industries such as high-end stationery.

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So why wouldn't the first location have worked? It was (1) too expensive, both in terms of rent and staffing/insurance costs for the 6 days a week the lease would have required me to be open; (2) too small, in that it would likely have required me to rent additional warehouse space for online inventory and yet another office or studio to create content, if not give up that aspect of the business entirely; and (3) lacking in flexibility to host community events and to match my operating hours to the realities of when people tend to shop in person. I walked away from this location, depressed once again at the prospects of moving the business back into my house and, quite probably, beginning the process of "right-sizing" it for a home-based operation. I decided to do one last sweep of commercial listings, and came across a location that we had missed due to the fact that it was a "flex" space that didn't fall neatly into the retail/office/warehouse/industrial categories. Three weeks later I had a signed lease, and in late July I took possession.

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I’ve done several YouTube videos showing how to find the shop, and even posted a tour of the interior a while back.

Why our current location works, and what it means for T.G.S. in 2025

By now many of you are probably wondering where I'm going with today's post, which has turned into a long one. Bear with me for just a bit longer.

My current space had been vacant for a while and likely fits no business other than mine. It’s relatively small (small enough to comfortably staff by myself or with a single helper), yet it’s set up with a showroom area, two offices, and a warehouse. I can do everything I need to get done in one location, and it sits directly between my house and my other job, where I’m now fully remote and don’t need to go in as often. Most of all, I enjoy spending time here.

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TGS Back-office Tour. “Organization” is still a work in progress.

For 2025 I have one intention: focus on building out this new presence in my local community, while continuing to expand online and create new and helpful Gentleman Stationer content. I honestly never thought I'd be able to say that I'm now an "established" retailer with a legitimate physical shop, but that is my new reality, and it probably - no, definitely - means that traveling and pen show attendance will take a back seat to being present here in my own shop to grow my local business. I feel deeply that one of the things holding the stationery industry back is it's tendency to focus on catering to very vocal enthusiast communities while neglecting the much larger body of potential customers who enjoy stationery but don't necessarily attend pen shows and spend hours online. It's not stationery as something to collect or a niche hobby - it's part of their everyday lives. My experience running a physical store over the past six months has born out this belief. My customer base, both online and in-store, tends to mirror the general T.G.S. readership, comprised of those who love stationery because they use it and it helps them think, express themselves, and do whatever else they need it to do to get them where they want to be. It's been beyond gratifying to have new people walk into the shop every week and tell me that they're glad I'm here, and that they were tired of living in a city without a dedicated stationery store - something I’m happy to provide. But all of this comes at a cost, and takes a lot of work.

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This never gets old. And I find myself saying that every day.

Our business is thriving - doing better than I ever expected - and I wouldn't have opened the shop if I wasn't confident that there was a long-term path forward with my specific business model. That said, it's important for people to realize how difficult it is for physical spaces to exist in today's economy and any small business's existence is precarious. If you like a business, and value it's presence in your community, support it. Whether it's a stationery store or a favorite bookshop, a restaurant or a coffeehouse, spaces like these don't survive off their intangible contributions to the community - everything is monetized, and those of us responsible for creating and operating them have to take this into account when doing everything from selecting a location to determining operating hours to deciding what brands to carry. In other words, you have to balance what you would want your "ideal" shop to look like with what's economically feasible and what will allow the business to not just survive but grow.

I'm looking forward to 2025, and for the first time in a while, feel a renewed sense of direction and purpose. I do still plan to attend a few pen shows in 2025. Currently, I'm slated for the Arkansas Pen Show in March, and plan to be at the D.C. Pen Show and possibly the San Francisco Pen Shows in August. Stay tuned, and if you are in the Nashville area, drop in for a visit! You can find directions to our shop and current operating hours here.

The Gentleman Stationer is supported by the T.G.S. Curated Shop and Patreon. I’d like to give a HUGE thanks to all of my supporters on Patreon. Even more so than your monetary support, your encouragement and personal input has been invaluable, and I look forward to the monthly meetups (including tonight) more than you know.

Thursday Drops: Fisher Space Pens, Rite in the Rain/Pokka, and a Pilot Restock! Plus An End-of-Year Clearance Bonus

I hope everyone has enjoyed a restful past few days! In today’s Thursday Drops, we’re happy to introduce Fisher Space Pen to our curated selection of pens to help you get your thoughts on paper, no matter where you are. And since the weather outside might be slightly frightful this time of year, what better way to ensure your ideas are captured for posterity than some Rite in the Rain weatherproof paper? We now have the hardcover books and the top-bound spiral notebooks, available both in-store and online. Finally, you may recall the Pokka Pen from the early days of the T.G.S. Shop. Pokka has recently partnered with Rite in the Rain to release an All-Weather version of this pen, which features a fine-tip, long-lasting Fisher Space Pen refill, available in four different colors. Oh, and we received a restock shipment of nearly all Pilot Pens, including the Custom 823, Vanishing Point, E95S, and more!

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Shipping resumes this afternoon, after a two-day holiday break, and we will be open for business as usual in the shop Friday and Saturday. Now that we are on the downhill side of the holidays, we will be closed Sundays, since I need a day off. :)

As we prepare to take inventory for the new year, several different categories of items have been moved into a new “Clearance” section of the store. (I’ve actually combined it with the former “Gently Used” page to streamline things. Unless otherwise noted, all of these items are in new, unused condition.) Through 11:59pm on December 31, take an extra 10% off all clearance items - on top of any sale price - using the code “CLEAR10” at checkout. Most of these items are remaining one-offs of past special and limited editions, products we over-ordered, and/or brands that we have elected not to focus on moving into 2025.

1. Fisher Space Pen Bullet Pens. We’ve been wanting to add the iconic Fisher Space Pen brand for a couple of years now, and after seeing the Cerakote versions of the iconic “Bullet Pen,” we knew it was time. The full range of Fisher Space Pen refills are also available, and ship with an adapter that allow you to use them in most Parker-style pens.

2. Rite in the Rain All-Weather Pocket Pen. An all-weather version of the Pokka Pen, available in four different colors and sold in packs of two. For those occasions when you need a pocketable pen but don’t necessarily want to risk losing a more expensive option.

3. Pilot Custom 823. The Custom 823 made my list of five most-used pens in 2024, and it’s been up there for a very long time. Pilot recently introduced the clear version to the U.S. market, and we have all three colors in stock in the most popular nib sizes. You can also read our “Workhorse Pens” write up here for more on why we like this pen so much.

4. Pilot E95s. The former Pilot “Elite” has the same integrated nib in two classy colors and three different nib sizes. This portable fountain pen posts into a full-size writing instrument, and the burgundy/ivory color combination is among my favorites on the market right now. Once I have a steady supply of them I plan to acquire one myself.

5. Tom’s Studio Wren Refillable Fineliner. The pocketable Wren fineliner pen was a huge surprise from 2024, and it ended up even more popular than the excellent Lumos pens. All colors are back in stock, including Matte Black and Midnight.

6. TWSBI ECO Amazonite Fountain Pen. Featuring a new swirled material that looks and feels completely different than anything TWSBI has done before, the Amazonite ECO showcases how TWSBI continues to push creatively while maintaining an accessible price point.

7. Caran d’Ache “Black Code” 849 Ballpoint and Mechanical Pencils. An old favorite that I continue to love is back in stock. The “Black Code” model of the Caran d’Ache 849 was one of those pens that I knew I had to have in the shop. We once again have stock of both the ballpoint and mechanical pencil.

8. Caran d’Ache Infinite 888 Ballpoints. A consistent top-seller, the Infinite 888 is a sub-$10 pen that vastly outperforms its price point. All colors are once again available, along with the Swissride refill.

9. Caran d’Ache Cosmic Blue and Cosmic Gold 849 Ballpoints. This year’s winter special edition features a classic 849 with two different metallic gradient finishes. Think the industrial vibe of the Pop Line “Original” with gold and blue overlays!

10. Taccia Fountain Pen Inks. Fast becoming one of my favorite ink brands, Taccia features a beautifully understated color palette. The inks flow well and do not feather or bleed on anything that’s moderately fountain pen friendly.

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The pressurized Fisher Space Pen ballpoint refill writes under literally any conditions.

Need a Last Minute Gift Idea? Consider a T.G.S. Giftcard! Also, new Pocket Pen Arrivals!

For those of you (us) who might need to come up with a few last-minute gift ideas, remember that we do offer T.G.S. Gift Cards! These will be delivered via e-mail, with the code valid for redemption either online or in-store. Gift cards are excellent options for fountain pen enthusiasts in particular, as we can be picky! If you need additional last minute ideas or gifts for New Years or post-Christmas arrival, check out the gift guide.

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Rite in the Rain hardcover journals are the field notebook of choice for many who work outdoors or simply love to explore.

While too late for Christmas delivery, this week we received shipments of new products from Fisher Space Pen and Rite in the Rain, including “write anywhere” pocket pens and Rite in the Rain’s weatherproof journals and notebooks for all your 2025 adventures!

While our online shop remains open, our physical location will be closed until Friday, December 27, when we will resume normal hours! Happy holidays to all!

Thursday Drops: Last Call for Christmas! Tom's Studio, Iroshizuku Inks, TWSBI ECO Amazonite

While we’re probably past the point of any delivery being guaranteed for Christmas, we will continue to ship up until December 23, when most of our shipping partners slow down. Plus, even a late-arriving gift is still a gift! We have restocks continuing to arrive, including new shipments from TWSBI, Lamy, Tom’s Studio, Caran d’Ache, and more. Just yesterday, we received a fresh restock of Tom’s Studio fountain pens (including pens with Architect nibs pre-installed), additional Lamy 2000 pens, and of course the new TWSBI ECO Amazonite.

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Oh, and we have new Roterfadens as well!

So what about in-person shopping? Many of you have stopped by “by appointment” this week, and public hours start today. For this last holiday shopping weekend, we will be open Thursday and Friday from 1-6pm, Saturday from 10-7pm, and Sunday from 1-5pm. We will be closed December 24-December 26, and reopen on the 27th. We will definitely be closed on New Year’s Day but otherwise business as usual.

Domestic U.S. orders over $75 ship free. Please review our shipping policies and time estimates prior to placing an international order. Orders to Canada may be delayed due to the aftermath of the postal strike, and UK orders are subject to a minimum due to VAT rules. We are open this week Thursday through Sunday! View up-to-date hours here.

1. TWSBI ECO Amazonite Fountain Pens. This new “Amazonite” material from TWSBI is created by mixing colors during the injection molding process, and as a result no two pens look alike! This material has a slightly different feel than your typical plastic TWSBI. Pens are in-stock and shipping.

2. New Iroshizuku Inks. Three new colors of Iroshizuku inks (Rikka, To-ro, and Syun-gyo) have landed in the shop, and you can see color swatches in Tuesday’s post. We have a blue, a shading orange, and a deep black/brown/red that might be my favorite.

3. Tom’s Studio Fountain Pen Restock. We have additional stock of the Tom’s Studio “Studio Pocket” fountain pen, including pens that ship with the Tom’s Studio Architect Nib pre-installed. Architect Nibs and Pro-Flex (Zebra G) nibs are once again available for purchase separately.

4. Tom’s Studio Wren Pocket Fineliner. The Tom’s Studio Wren is a refillable fineliner that comes in a pocketable size. We also have additional Lumos Pro Duo pens in stock as of yesterday.

5. Tom’s Studio Ink Restock. All colors of Tom’s Studio Ink is back in stock, including Pigmented Black and the Midnight Blue Fineliner Ink, specially formulated to work in the Lumos and Wren fineliner pens.

6. Lamy 2000 “Taxus” and “Blackwood” Ballpoints. The Lamy 2000 ballpoint doesn’t just come in Makrolon, did you know? These polished wood finishes add an interesting twist to the Lamy 2000’s classic design profile.

7. Caran d’Ache “Cosmic Blue” and “Cosmic Gold” 849 Ballpoints. The latest special edition releases from Caran d’Ache feature a metallic gradient finish that adds a “festive” element to an underlying industrial look. The blue might be my favorite here.

8. Taccia Ukiyo-e Inks. Based on the work of four different artists from Japan’s Edo Period, Taccia’s Ukiyo-e ink line features over a dozen wonderfully muted colors - perfect for those who want to add an interesting element to their writing without a loud color.

9. Lamy Pico Ballpoint Pen. Sales of the Lamy Pico always soar around the holidays, as this cool extendable pocket pen is one of the more practical pocket writing tools around.

10. Pilot Birdie and Birdie Switch Ballpoints/Pencils. Those looking for an ultra-slim planner or wallet pen will want to consider the Birdie. Currently available as both a mechanical pencil and a mechanical pencil/ballpoint combination.

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