Atlanta Pen Show Weekend (via Well-Appointed Desk). I won’t make the show on Sunday - have to go home and get cracking on those taxes! - but if you’re in the area be sure to visit Ana at the Vanness Pens Table and Jesi at Dromgoole’s.
In Defense of the Slow, Inefficient Read … and the Long Point Pencil (via mnmlscholar). I’m glad to see that at least one other person has rejected the seemingly ubiquitous urgings for us all to become “speed readers”, as opposed to actually processing what choose to consume.
Platinum 3776 Coarse Nib Review (via Blake’s Broadcast). Platinum’s new “Coarse” nib has received a lot of attention lately, particularly as a platform for custom nib grinds since it has a lot of tipping material.
Awol: A Quick Life Update (via A Fleeting Ripple). It’s amazing how much difference a change of scenery can make to those of us who love our analog “stuff,” and how this can affect our happiness with where we live.
Shibui North Pocket Fox (via Rachel’s Reflections). I’ve never heard of this brand, but I love the pattern on the nib.
f-inks F1 SS316 Fountain Pen (via Rants of the Archer). A new fountain pen brand from the Philippines is launching? Here’s one that looks worth monitoring, as I generally love pens with this specific shape.
Caran d’Ache “Ultra Violet” Ink Review (via Scrively). Another blog that will be writing “lefty-specific” ink reviews, for those of you with overwriter concerns about fountain pen inks and whether they will smear.
Itoya Profolio A5 Notebook Review (via Pen Addict - Jeff). I recently had a chance to try out the paper in these notebooks and came away enjoying it. If you enjoy paper like Clairefontaine Seyes-ruled, consider giving this one a try.
What I’m Using This Week (via From the Pen Cup). Cool idea from Mary on how to make sure you’re rotating through all of the pens and pencils in your collection!
Traveler’s Short Trip Passport Size (via Well-Appointed Desk). If you visit the Traveler’s/Plotter table at a pen show, often you’ll find some Japan-only or more “experimental” refill options, like this short-version.
People shouldn’t sleep on the Laban Inks - they’re excellent. (Burkina Leonardo not included with purchase;))
In Case You Missed It…
This weekend I took a quick trip to the Atlanta Pen Show as an attendee-only, with my daughter. It was a lot of fun bringing her to her first “real” pen show, and I may write a feature at some point about introducing kids to fountain pens and how to introduce them to shows. Earlier in the week I reviewed two additional inks from the Laban “Greek Mythology” Ink series, Poseidon Green and Hera Dark Green, both of which are excellent everyday users in an ink line that’s increasingly becoming a staple for me.
The Pilot Custom 74 (left) and the Pilot Custom 823 (right) fountain pens feature two of the most consistent, reliable nibs available.
Big News from the T.G.S. Curated Shop: Introducing Pilot Pens and Ink!
Though it’s been overshadowed a bit by Atlanta Pen Show travels, on Thursday we announced that The Gentleman Stationer is now an authorized retailer of Pilot Pens and inks, starting with our favorite Custom 823 and Custom 74 fountain pens and the entire line of Iroshizuku Inks! Our focus as retailers is on pens that you can use “all-day, every day,” and you can’t do much better than one of Pilot’s “Custom Series” as your daily workhorse. Check out our Thursday Drops post for the full list of new arrivals, which also includes the recently released TWSBI ECO “Persian Green”.
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T.G.S. Patreon is currently the only non-shop means of support for the site, and features not only access to meetups and early gently used sales, but more exclusive content. Patreon support starts as low as $3 per month, and if you pay annually there is a further discount. In addition to purchases from The Curated Shop, Patreon allows us to continue to grow the site without relying on advertisements and affiliate marketing. If you’re interested in meetups and exclusive content, or simply supporting the site, we greatly appreciate your support! Our next meetup will be at our typical time, which is the third Saturday of every month at 8:30pm U.S. Central Time. Details are circulated through the Patreon feed, so Patreon members should be sure to sign up to get updates/alerts.