Platinum Curidas Gran Red (via Rants of the Archer). The Curidas - Platinum’s entry point into the world of retractable nib fountain pens - started with a lot of hype, a cracked-feed scandal, and then a fair bit of quiet. Are you all still using your Curidas pens? This review has me wanting to break mine out again.
Esterbrook JR Paradise with Scribe Architect Nib: The Feelgood Hit of the Summer? (via UK Fountain Pens). Anthony reviews the latest Esterbrook JR release, as well as their latest specialty nib developed in collaboration with JJ Lax Pen Company. I’m torn between the yellow and the blue with the yellow finial.
Esterbrook JR Pocket Pen (Paradise Set, Tuxedo, and Vintage Esterbrook J) (via Macchiato Man). Yagan has an extraordinarily comprehensive review of the new Esterbrook JR “Paradise”, which includes a write up of the standard JR and the vintage Esterbrook J itself.
Pens in Daily Use August 2021 (via Dapprman). My fountain pen use has been fairly spotty this month, as I’ve been doing a bit of travel and I’m in the middle of rejiggering my work from home/office schedule. What pens I have been using have leaned very much towards the practical.
D-Initial Impressions (via Penquisition). Evan takes a look at the S.T. Dupont D-Initial, a new “entry level” model from the luxury French brand, which is one of the very few remaining pen brands that I have no personal experience with.
Lemome Notebook Review (via Fountain Pen Love). John reviews what appears to be a very nice inexpensive notebook that handles fountain pen ink quite well.
How I Manage Meeting Agendas with a Notes App (via Bump). Streamlining meetings? I’m all for that.
Pennonia Inks Part 6 (via Mountain of Ink). Kelli reviews several inks from Romanian company Pennonia, including several of their red inks that have caught my eye.
Retro 51 Tornado Vintage Metalsmith Rollerball, Raw Brass Review (via Pen Addict). Sarah reviews a raw brass version of the classic Retro, and I’m interested to see how these patina.
Musgrave Heritage Collection Pencil Set (via Well-Appointed Desk). Ana reviews all the pencils contained in the new Musgrave pencil sampler. I will be contacting winners of our own giveaway when I return from the San Francisco pen show!
In Case You Missed It….
I’m a day late on my links post, but that’s because I’m currently getting ready to fly back from San Francisco this morning, where I’ve been attending the 2021 San Francisco Pen Show. I’ll be posting a full writeup and recap of this awesome experience later this week, but for now read my takeaways from Day One (Friday), and you can also follow my stories/reels/posts over on Instagram. Before I left, I posted an update on my own personal workflow and what I’ve been using since the office reopened, one of many topics I get a lot of questions about.
This Week in the Curated Shop
It’s been a week of restocking following a very busy summer! I now have TWSBI Swipe Fountain Pens in all colors and nib sizes, as well as Prussian Blue 580 fountain pens, and more of the Blue-Black and Midnight Blue inks. TWSBI pens remain as popular as ever, even at pen shows with large contingents of experienced users! Other restocks include Kokuyo Sketch hardcover pocket notebooks, Traveler’s Notebook Lightweight Paper (Tomoe River Paper) refills, and more.
Consider Joining TGS Patreon for Access to Monthly Meetups and First Dibs on Gently Used Stationery, Exclusive Products and More!
For some additional fun, and to help support the blog consider joining the Patreon program. Patreon supporters receive special pricing and early access to product releases and collaborations such as the T.G.S. x Sunderland pen, in addition to other benefits. You can read more about T.G.S. Patreon here. This year I’ve introduced monthly online meetups, which take place on Friday or Saturday and have been super enjoyable. We’ve 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 and T.G.S. collaborations, to which Patrons will have first access. The current sale is now live and features the inks that I’m selling off as I thin out my personal accumulation.