What Are We Looking For? (via A Gathering of Curiosities). Why did you dive into the pen hobby? There’s a lot to unpack here, but I think this post does a great job of unraveling the various threads of interest.
2024 Philadelphia Pen Show Recap (via Pen Addict - Kimberly). This is a great recap of the show, and I’m glad to hear traffic continued to pick up after I had to head out early on Saturday afternoon. Friday was a bit slow.
AI in the Pen Community (via Well-Appointed Desk). While I can see legitimate uses for AI, I would prefer to keep it out of pen community, thank you very much. (I suspect the product discussed in this review is very much tongue-in-cheek.)
Holiday Recap: 2023 Weirdoforest Reflection (via Weirdoforest Pens). 2023 reflections are still trickling out! This was an interesting one for me because it has a discussion of some pens/brands that had been off my radar.
Nakaya Hurt by Noto Earthquake (via Dapprman). Fortunately everyone working for Nakaya is apparently safe.
Gravitas Ultimate Vac (via Dapprman). An exceptionally thorough review of a pen I need to get into my own review queue.
Waterman Tender Purple: Quick Impressions (via Cheryl Lindo Jones). A great purple ink, though as noted it’s a wet ink so keep that in mind when choosing to put it in broad and stub nibs.
Early Thoughts on the Duke 551 Confucius Bamboo Fude Pen Nib (via Fountain Pen Blog). I’m intrigued a bit by these lower-cost fude nibs that other bloggers frequently write about. I may need to give them a shot!
A Bock Mystery (via Rachel’s Reflections). I’m not a heavy Bock user, as nearly all of my custom pens use JoWo-threaded nib units, so I wasn’t aware of this controversy over whether all Bock nib housings are uniform….
The Harmony in a Simple Index Tab (via mnmlscholar). Index tabs are one of my absolute favorite categories of simple stationery accessories that can transform your usage, especially if you use notebooks for multiple subjects or purposes.
Quick Look - Asvine P36 (via The Poor Penman). I was impressed with the build of the Asvine P36 for the price point, but as Paul points out, there are going to be issues with consistency and QC when attempting to keep costs down.
The T.G.S. Ink Review Archive is Live!
In Case You Missed It…
This week’s theme was ink! I started by reviewing several dark teal and turquoise inks I’ve been using in my daily rotation, including inks from the Iroshizuku, Laban Greek Mythology, and Wearingeul lines. I also launched a project I’ve been working on for some time: The Gentleman Stationer Ink Review Archive, which contains reviews of 110+ inks from the past decade of T.G.S.!
As of the time of posting, we have exactly one of these pens left in stock.
This Week in the T.G.S. Curated Shop: Nahvalur Dragon, Clairefontaine Looseleaf, and a Black TWSBI Diamond 580 ALR!
Lots of new arrivals hit the shop this week, including Nahvalur’s 2024 Pen of the Year, designed around the Year of the Dragon. This pen features a stunning black, red, and gold resin plus a 14k nib option. (These sold incredibly quickly, and currently only the 14k nib pens remain!) The Black TWSBI Diamond 580 ALR is also available for purchase, with the pens set to arrive and ship on Tuesday. Check out this week’s Thursday Drops post for all of our recent arrivals!
Bear with us as we are still iced in, and USPS, Fedex, and UPS have all postponed most pick-ups and deliveries until Monday when warmer temperatures arrive. While we have been packing and delivering orders to the drop-off points near my office, I doubt many packages have moved due to the treacherous road conditions.
How to Support T.G.S. - Plus a Patreon Meetup This Coming Saturday
If you enjoy our content (whether here on the main website, Instagram, YouTube Channel or elsewhere), there are several ways that you can support us. We do our best to remain 100% self-supported without having to rely on third-party advertisers or affiliates. Of course, the number one way to help is to visit our curated retail shop, especially during the upcoming holiday season! If you enjoy in-person and virtual meetups and having access to more personal content, consider joining the T.G.S. Patreon, which also includes early access to quarterly gently used sales. Patreon support starts as low as $3 per month, and if you pay annually there is a further discount. This past month, Patreon supporters have had access to additional Inkvent content, including commentary on my favorite Diamine Inkvent inks and more. The first of these Inkvent posts is public, so please check out Patreon to learn more!
No matter how you support us - even if just with a comment, recommendation, or encouraging word - we greatly appreciate your readership!