Simple Pleasures (via UK Fountain Pens). Great post from Anthony, who is still managing to put out thoughtful content despite his blog being “dormant.” You don’t need to post every day, or even every week, to be successful at this stuff, IMHO, and UK Fountain Pens is a prime example of that. I’ve also been struggling a bit, not only balancing time online and offline, but with finding time to enjoy this community (as well as writing this blog) since it now involves even more screen time.
Re-thinking Ink Samples: The Col-o-ring “Dipper” (via Inkpothesis). Ana come up with yet another way to quickly and easily sample inks! Check out this review of the latest Col-o-ring release.
A Few Analog Collections (via C.W. Pencil Enterprise). What are some of your non-pen analog collections? My big ones are books and analog music (CDs and Vinyl Records, mainly) but I also have a think for bookmarks, which I started collecting unintentionally. I was cleaning/inventorying my office for the first time in years and I think I have over a hundred.
Small Business Saturday (via Mountain of Ink). I wholeheartedly endorse this effort. If your current situation allows, it’s more important than ever to support the small businesses in our community.
Curidas.3.Analysis (via Cronicas Estilograficas). Now that the Curidas has finally shipped, reviews are starting to trickle out. I have a couple of Curidas pens on the way and look forward to actually seeing these in person.
Springtime for Van Gogh: Visconti Van Gogh Orchard in Blossom Fountain Pen and Rollerball (via Penquisition). The Van Gogh Series has long been among my favorite releases from Visconti, probably because the Van Gogh pens are among the least “over the top” designs in the company’s lineup. It also helps that I like Van Gogh’s work, and rose gold trim.
Diamine Inkvent Blue Edition (via Writing at Large). Many were speculating that Diamine would release the inks from their “Inkvent” calendar as stand-alone editions, and here they are! I need to be sure to get in on the Inkvent calendar next year - fingers crossed they’ll do it again - because it turned out to be quite a good idea.
Forever Inks (via UK Fountain Pens). Another awesome idea from Anthony. Most of us probably have quite a stash, but what are your “Forever Inks”?
What’s the Best Eraser? CWPE Investigates - Round 2 (via C.W. Pencils). Ok, I might have an unintentional eraser collection as well. Though the C.W. Pencils shop is currently closed (both brick-and-mortar and online), they are releasing some great online content.
Postcards from the Edge (via From the Pen Cup). It’s hilarious how so many of us have the same habits. I do the exact same thing with postcards. As did my Dad. I still have his collection of unused postcards dating back to the 60s.
In Case You Missed It…
This week on the blog I published a follow-up where I swatched the entire Diamine Music and Diamine Flower ink sets. I also wrote a short piece about a question that’s been bugging me - the speculated replacement of the TWSBI 580 in favor of TWSBI’s ever-expanding ECO lineup, and whether it would be a good idea for TWSBI to phase out its original flagship pen. Of course, I think that would be a bad idea as I love the 580, as do many of you who have reacted to the post. Finally, this week’s Deals & Drops highlights a new series of “Office” inks from Colorverse, the Platinum Star Wars pens, and some great Nuuna notebooks from Vanness, among other things.
Don’t forget, yellow and midnight blue Pokka Pens are back in stock in the TGS Curated Shop, along with the Pokka Pen Clip. I also have a wider range of Write Notepads paper than I had available for purchase at the Baltimore Pen Show, and still have a handful of “Everyday Writers” Ink Sample Packs, and of course TGS Swag Packs and Sticker Packs.
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Please take a moment to visit my sponsors and affiliates, who help keep the blog going. It's next to impossible to maintain a steady stream of fresh review content without some form of sponsorship or affiliate relationship, especially with a passion like pens that can easily empty your wallet. When you shop these links and support TGS sponsors and affiliates, you support the blog, and I appreciate all the help I can get! As a bonus, you will be aiding these businesses during what is sure to be a difficult time in the coming weeks and months.
Consider Joining the TGS Patreon Program!
For those of you interested in supporting the site and gaining access to some supplemental content and offers, check out the link to the Patreon page above and on the sidebar. Benefits of Patreon membership include early access to the “Gently Used” sale, a progressive discount code for any items sold through TGS (depending on your tier of support), and access to exclusive discounts and special offers through my sponsors. The current quarterly sale is ongoing, and there are still pens, inks, and pen cases available. The sale will open up to non-Patreon members at the end of the month.
Happy Sunday, and as always, thanks for reading!
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