Galen Stack and Store Pen Trays: Great if You Come with the Right Expectations (via UK Fountain Pens). Stackable pen trays are a category of storage options that really have been limited to the serious collector. Galen’s new option looks interesting, though the finish seems a bit rough. Like most Galen products, I expect it will improve as they make more.
High Street Fountain Pens for a Fiver (via Dapprman). I must say, this is quite an impressive collection of inexpensive fountain pens that can be purchased in standard office supply stores. Options in the U.S. are much more limited, especially where I am.
Galen Leather Tomoe River Notebook (via Pencilcase Blog). Dries reviews Galen’s leather-bound Tomoe River notebook, which is one of a few ways you can still get your fix of old Tomoe River paper.
What’s in a Name? Featuring the Fountain Pen Revolution Quickdraw (via Penquisition). I’ve never used a pen from Fountain Pen Revolution, but they’ve received much praise in the past from those who like their flexible steel nibs, and now they apparently have a stub.
Custom Paper Sample Pack Updates (via Fountain Pen Love). If you didn’t know, John offers sample packs of fountain pen friendly paper in his shop. He’s recently updated his offerings to include additional varieties.
Pencils!?!?!? (via FP Quest). Curiously, the reason that I enjoy using pencils is because they aren’t fountain pens. Sometimes I find myself getting distracted by whatever pen I’m using, and I just want to write with something different to force myself to refocus.
Colorverse: The Standard Model (via Well-Appointed Desk). I picked one of these up last year, and have yet to make my way through it. I was actually surprised to see that none of the inks inside were glistening, which should make them all highly usable to me. Need to crack it open!
Montblanc Homage to Napoléon Bonaparte Blue Ink (via Gourmet Pens). This looks like a very attractive ink, but it sometimes seems like Montblanc has really focused on standard blues in their special and limited edition ink series.
Some Housekeeping Out of Hanover (via Pelikan’s Perch). I was not planning to pick up one of this year’s M205 releases, but this is an odd development. It will be interesting to see how people react once the actual pens are in-hand.
TRU RED Explore Journal Review (via Pen Addict). Staples.com sent me some samples of TRU RED products for review, and after reading Brad’s write-up I’m intrigued to dive into this particular notebook, especially after my fairly good experience with some of their other products I’ve reviewed.
In Case You Missed It….
This week on the blog, the big news was that I revamped my “Best Pen” Recommendations for 2021. This is the first time in a couple of years that several of the lists saw significant changes, including some new additions to my “Personal Favorites.” I also published Part II of my “Exploring Iroshizuku” series, reviewing Asa-Gao, Murasaki-Shikibu, and Ajisai, the latter two being inks I’ve never really uses much, if at all. Finally, since I’m now an authorized retailer of TWSBI products, I went ahead and swabbed all of the TWSBI Inks, including not only their standard lineup but also the Six Ink Set. This week’s Deals & Drops post featured the new “Honokalani Maile Lei” fountain pen from Kanilea Pen Company, as well as several restock notifications from the Curated Shop and elsewhere.
This Week in the Curated Shop
I recently received a large restock of Midori MD Notebooks and covers, Tombow and Uni Woodcase Pencils, and TWSBI Fountain Pens and Ink. I have exactly one remaining Caran d’Ache Ecridor Racing Pencil, as well as one remaining Klein Blue Léman Fountain Pen (with the limited edition ink). Look for some fun new products to arrive in the coming weeks, which I will list as I receive them!
Consider Joining TGS Patreon for Access to Monthly Meetups and More!
You can read more about T.G.S. Patreon here. This year I’ve rolled out some new features in 2021 that will be exclusive to Patreon subscribers, including monthly online meetups, which took place on Friday and was a lot of fun. We discussed our thoughts on pen shows restarting, recent arrivals in our personal collections, and more. I will also continue with periodic “sample sales” of gently used review items, to which Patrons will have first access. The current sale is now live!