How Pens Leave and Enter the Gathering (via A Gathering of Curiosities). How do you manage the number of pens in your collection, if at all? Do you adopt a “one-in, one-out?” philosophy? How do you choose which pens stay and which pens go?
Fountain Pen Day 2023: An Interview with Mr. FPD (via Pen Addict - Kimberly). I’ve been in the hobby long enough to recall when Fountain Pen Day first started. I enjoyed reading this interview with my friend Cary Yeager, who started the whole thing!
Fountain Pen Day Project: Starting My Ink Swatch Library (via Cheryl Lindo Jones). Another Fountain Pen Day has come and gone. Did you have any special pen-related projects that you tackled last week?
Tokyo Pen Show Haul (via Inky Rocks). Ok, so I’ve been watching TIPS videos for the past week and have now decided that I’m going to do anything and everything in my power to get there next year.
Pen Upgrade: Pilot 912 with Custom Nib Studio Spencerian Nib (and Flexible Nib Factory Feed) (via Well-Appointed Desk). If you are looking for a soft flexible nib and are willing to invest in customization, I cannot recommend Gena enough for this grind.
This Is All of It (via Line Variation). I really do need to photograph my own collection, even if just for informational/inventory purposes.
Summoning All of the Grinds. Well, Five of Them (via mnmlscholar). There are many ways to choose a “currently inked rotation.” Some people go by color, others by size and shape, and as here, a nice selection of different nib grinds.
Monteverde Jungle Chameleon (via Fountain Pen Pharmacist). Whoa, this very dark purple really jumped out at me!
Flushing New Fountain Pens (via Dapprman). This post points out an important thing to remember with any new pen - if you have flow or skipping issues with a new arrival, be sure to rinse it out and re-ink first because the problem could simply be manufacturing residue or dried ink from quality control testing.
Ink of the Week: Scribo Grigio (via Fountain Pen Love). Or, as I like to describe it, “Best Ink of All Time?” Seriously, it may come to that, as I have three pens inked with it right now.
Pelikan M200 Pastel Blue (via Mountain of Ink). A nice review with photos of the latest Pelikan M200 release, which is a pastel blue color paired with ivory. I tend to prefer Pelikan’s transparent demonstrators in this line but variety is good!
In Case You Missed It….
This week on the blog I reviewed a pen that I picked up at this year’s Dallas Pen Show: a Nagasawa Stationery exclusive 1911L dubbed the Kobe Affection Kyomachi Legend Blue! I also wrote a piece outlining my plans for the remainder of 2023 and 2024 in terms of my notebook and planner setup, as well as some additional insight into how I manage my workflow using analog tools.
Finally, be sure to keep an eye on the T.G.S. YouTube Channel! Yesterday I hit publish on a companion video to my recent review of the Santini Italia Libra fountain pen, and I have another such video in the works on the Sailor 1911L Kyomachi Legend Blue. Video content on these two pens offer me the ability to provide some additional context when discussing size, writing samples, etc. You can expect more of this type of content when I review stuff going forward.
We are now fully restocked on the Anterique Brass Ballpoints, including two new colors! (Keep in mind that the top portions are interchangeable with the standard Anterique Pens, allowing you to mix and match to create pretty much any brass + color combination you like.)
Curated Shop Arrivals: New Lamys, Caran d’Ache Special Editions, and Anterique Brass!
The past few days have been huge for the Curated Shop, as we’re listing new arrivals prior to the holidays. The rest of the Caran d’Ache Keith Haring special editions arrived, including the Keith Haring 849 Ballpoints in two different designs, along with Anterique Brass Ballpoints in two new colors.
On the heels of our Kaweco expansion, we’ve also decided to offer additional pens from Lamy, including one of my favorite sub-$200 14k nib options: the Lamy Studio. Be sure to check out all of the new shop arrivals for the remainder of the month as we have more on the way.
How to Support TGS!
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