On Closing (via C.W. Pencils). In case you haven’t heard the news, C.W. Pencil Enterprise will be closing its doors after seven years. To say this is a huge loss for the community is the understatement of all understatements, and I wish Caroline & team all the best for the future. Be sure to support all of your local and independent stationery retailers. If you value their contributions and want them to stay around, it’s important that you act with your dollars.
Nakaya: For Your Hand Only (via Tokyo Station Pens). If you’re a fan of Nakaya fountain pens and would like to understand more about the history behind this influential boutique brand, this is an excellent article.
The Three-Pen Collection for £1,000 (via UK Fountain Pens). I love the Worn & Wound series that inspired this post, and my three picks would look very similar to Anthony’s. The fact that the Schon DSGN Pocket 6 breaks the top three shows just how good they are and how much traction the brand is getting.
The Three-Pen Collection for $1000 (via FPQuest). Here’s the latest U.S. version! I definitely need to come up with my own rendition soon…. Stay tuned.
San Francisco Pen Show Haul (via Pen Addict). Kimberly shows off her San Francisco Pen Show prizes, including that Pininfarina PF Two which is on my short list of pens to review.
My Summer Vacation AKA the SF Pen Show 2021 (via Well-Appointed Desk). Julia shares her San Francisco Pen Show stories in this guest post over at the Well-Appointed Desk.
Color Traveler Tomonoura Sunset Sepia (via Fountain Pen Pharmacist). Color Traveler is a Japanese ink brand out of Hiroshima, that I don’t have a lot of experience with although I do have a couple of their colors in for review. I have found that while I love the colors, the ink has longer dry times and can remain “sticky” for quite some time in wetter nibs.
Aratrum Calamus (via Dapprman). I’ve not heard of this brand before, but I do like the design, especially the ink window.
Composition Book Round Up, Part 2 and Part 3 (via Comfortable Shoes Studio). Les has the remaining installments of her annual composition book round-ups, looking at this year’s offerings from both Staples and Wal-Mart.
Odyssey Notebooks Tomoe River 68gsm - Milky Way (via Gourmet Pens). I have an Odyssey notebook that I picked up at the D.C. Show. Stay tuned for my own thoughts as I work it into the review queue, but needless to say 68gsm Tomoe River is one of my favorite papers.
This Week on the Blog: In Case You Missed It….
This week on the blog I was back to some original content, with the fifth installment of my Vintage Pen Primer series and a post about vintage nibs in modern pens. I also wrote a short piece discussing paper sizing and how various popular sizes compare to one another. I plan on making an effort to do more of these posts responding to frequently asked reader questions.
Curated Shop and Pen Show Updates - TWSBI Rose Gold Restock and Navy Blue 580 ALRs!
New arrivals this week include a restock on TWSBI 580 Rose Gold Fountain Pens (which I can’t restock fast enough, apparently), a restock of the new Caran d’Ache 849 Rollerball Pen, and the new TWSBI 580 ALR in Navy Blue (which to me looks like more of an ultramarine or cobalt blue, but it’s absolutely gorgeous all the same). Check out this week’s Deals & Drops for some specials, including a price drop on 2021 second-half planner refills.
Pen Show Updates: I will be attending both the Dallas Pen Show (September 24 and 25) and the Chicago Pen Show (September 30-October 3). The best part? I will have my own table, so please stop by!
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.