Sunday Reading for March 23, 2025

March 23, 2025

Visit to Kingdom Note in Tokyo, Japan (via Inkredible Colours). This store looks gorgeous, and has shot to the top of my Tokyo visit list, if for no other reason than to peruse the binders of rare ink swatches!
Behind the Scenes at Kenro Industries (via Pen Addict - Kimberly). Kimberly got to visit the Kenro offices with a behind-the-scenes look at the distributor of Esterbrook, Aurora, and more.
Musubi Pocket Folio A6 Slim Notebook Review (via Blake’s Broadcast). Atelier Musubi, known for their high-end bound notebooks, has been experimenting with releasing paper at a more accessible price point, including the “Pocket Folio” series that features SPICA Bond paper.
Waterman Carène Marine Amber (via Figboot on Pens). People love their Waterman Carènes (myself included), as evidenced by the spirited comments section of David’s video. :)
$50 MB149 Replacement? Asvine J16 (via Figboot on Pens). I’ve been impressed with Asvine’s quality, though I sometimes find the edges on their threads sharp around the grip area.
Pilot Decimo with Stub Nib (via Dapprman). I’m an unabashed fan of the Pilot Decimo, over the standard Vanishing Point. It fits my hand better. While I’ve moved away from stub nibs, Pilot’s stock version is very good.
Nahvalur Nautilus Ti (Titanium) Fountain Pen Review (via Penquisition). I need to get my hands on one of these to try. I generally prefer smaller metal fountain pens, but this one has received good reviews overall.
Fountain Pen Shootout: Kaweco Sport vs. Benu Pixie (via SBRE Brown). Benu’s latest pocket fountain pen has received a lot of attention. I haven’t had a chance to see it in person (yet) but many have commented on how lightweight it is.
Midori Join Dots Mocha Pen Set (via Well-Appointed Desk). A very cool idea for a stationery product that I’ve not yet tried.
Pelikan’s Manufacturing Future Uncertain after Hamelin Takeover (via Pelikan’s Perch). More changes may be in store for Pelikan.

Blackwing Testing Station Arkansas — I love a full Blackwing Testing Station.

In Case You Missed It….

This week on the blog was pen show prep week. I wrote a piece on preparing for pen shows, including some resources you can visit if you’re considering planning a pen show trip, and I also posted some pictures from Day One of the Arkansas Pen Show, which turned out to be a fantastic regional show that draws attendees from several states. Stay tuned for more of a recap (written and video) later this week!

Lochby Canvas Cover — A customer brought this well-worn Lochby A5 Field Journal that a customer brought by the table! Look at that washed out color.

This Week in the T.G.S. Curated Shop

We had plenty of new arrivals this week, including the latest Lamy Safari and AL-Star Editions! We also have some remaining stock from our first shipment of the new Kaweco Collection Sport Fountain Pens (“Honey”), though they are getting a bit sparse. We will try to have more as they become available. We also have a ton of Lochby cases back in stock, and will have a couple of new items available in the coming week if any survive the Arkansas Show. While we are mostly sold out of the Roterfaden cases that we brought to Arkansas, whatever is shown in the shop is available for purchase as I did not bring everything with me.

Roterfaden

Kaweco

Taccia Roughna Sketch Inks

Taccia Denim

Check Out T.G.S. Patreon for Breaking news and first access/Special pricing on exclusives and Sample Sales

If you enjoy our content (whether here on the main website, Instagram, YouTube Channel or elsewhere), and would like early/extra access to shop releases and gently used stationery opportunities, consider supporting us via Patreon. 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 either online (or in person, if you’re in the Nashville area)! If you enjoy in-person and virtual meetups and having access to more personal content, the T.G.S. Patreon includes these as well as access to early shop releases, the quarterly gently used sales, a monthly updates newsletter, and of course our monthly Zoom meetups. Patreon support starts as low as $3 per month, and if you pay annually there is a further discount.

No matter how you support us - even if just with a comment, recommendation, or encouraging word - we greatly appreciate your readership!

Currently Inked Pens in my Skogsy Rickshaw Model-R

Sunday Reading for March 16, 2025

March 16, 2025

Stationery and School: My Personal Round-Up (via Urban Adventure League). I love bag dumps and everyday carry posts, especially when it’s about stationery being used in a relatable everyday context.
Drawing Table Unpacked (via Fueled by Clouds & Coffee). More awesome scenes from non-internet real life.
BWIPS 2025 Recap (via Rachel’s Reflections). A great comprehensive recap of the Baltimore Pen Show by someone who’s attended nearly all of them! I also heard this year’s show was quiet, both in terms of attendance and purchase activity.
Baltimore Washington International Pen Show Recap (via Penquisition). Eric has a great recap of BWIPS 2025, with a ton of vendor pictures.
2025 Baltimore Pen Show Recap (via Pen Addict - Kimberly). And we also have Kimberly’s always-comprehensive Baltimore recap! I hope some of you got to take her class on handwriting.
Traveler’s Company Stamp Caravan at Hands (via Inkredible Colours). Another stop on the Traveler’s stamp tour! People apparently stake out the events and buy up the limited items, like a mini pen show.
The Amazing…and Reasonably Priced, Vazir Horizon (via Figboot on Pens). I like the streamlined shape on this pen, from a newer company I haven’t yet experienced.
Santini Giant Faceted Venezia Fountain Pen Review (via Blake’s Broadcast). The Santini Giant is one of those pens I would love to have in my collection, especially with their gorgeous materials, but unfortunately the size just doesn’t work for me.
Iroful Notebook Review (via Fountain Pen Love). A comprehensive post discussing Iroful paper as a Cosmo Air Light replacement.
Nanami Seven Seas - Old and New Tomoe River Paper Side by Side (via Well-Appointed Desk). I still get questions about how the two compare. Here’s a comparison for a specific popular Tomoe River notebook.

In Case You Missed It….

This week on the blog I continued to play around with video content, posting my currently inked lineup for the month of March 2025 and talking about my efforts to shop my own stash and reduce, overall, the number of pens in my collection. I also walked through yet another of my mini-collections, and honestly, probably not a mini-collection but a major theme of my pen accumulation in general: Yellow pens! Finally, I’m posting more video content on the T.G.S. YouTube Channel, some of which overlaps with what I’m doing on the blog, and other content which is entirely separate. Mostly it’s been a lot of personal sharing, such as this week’s Currently Inked video and a travel bag dump from the week before.

Roterfaden Black Leather with Pink Suede — Believe it or not, we already only have one remaining black with pink suede Taschenbegleiter remaining in stock! Thanks to everyone who’s taken one of these home - I will have a selection with me in Arkansas.

This Week in the T.G.S. Curated Shop: Roterfaden is Back!

We received a major restock of Roterfaden Taschenbegleiter binders this week, including binders with four clips, binders in the classic black+red color combination, and binders with blue felt or pink suede interior, which are somewhat uncommon options you don’t see much. Check out Tuesday’s post for full details. We also have the new Kaweco Honey Sport fountain pens, the new Lamy Scarlet Safaris, a Lochby restock, and lots more. All of the new arrivals are summarized in each week’s Thursday Drops (though after this week’s post went up, we also received a bunch of new ink from Taccia and Lamy - including the new Petrol and Sepia).

Also, please note that the shop will be closed except for by appointment for the upcoming week - we will be in attendance at the Arkansas Pen show from Thursday March 20 through Monday March 23. Any orders placed before close of business on Thursday will ship before then and the rest upon my return.

Kaweco

Lamy

Taccia Inks

New Lamy Ink!

Check Out T.G.S. Patreon for Breaking news and first access/Special pricing on exclusives and Sample Sales

No matter how you support us - even if just with a comment, recommendation, or encouraging word - we greatly appreciate your readership!

Sunday Reading for March 9, 2025 (The One Less Hour of Sleep Edition)

March 9, 2025

Top 10 Most Beautiful Pens (via Figboot on Pens). David walks through his collection after having picked 10 of the best-looking pens in his collection. This is a fun exercise and has me wondering whether I should do the same.
Leveling Up with Tea (via Olive Octopus). I’ve always been much more of a black coffee/espresso fanatic, but I found this post on tea fascinating. I need to experiment more.
Paper Plant Co. Shop Visit (via Pen Addict - Kimberly). I love eclectic stationery stores, especially when they manage to work in complementary products other than stationery. Add this one to the list next time I’m in Los Angeles.
London Spring Pen Show 2025: My Haul (via Fountain Pen Blog). One of these days, I will make it to one of the London Pen Shows. This is a fun haul post.
Spring 2025 London Pen Show (via Dapprman). More pictures from London!
London Spring Pen Show 2025 (via UK Fountain Pens). An interesting aspect of the UK shows is timing. Most of these shows only last a single day, as opposed to the three-day extravaganzas that mark U.S. Pen Shows. I can definitely see the benefits of both approaches as the U.S. shows can overwhelm.
Traveler’s Company Stamp Caravan at Cityluxe (via Inkredible Colours). Each Stamp Caravan stop in a different city turns out a bit differently. Here’s the Singapore version.
Teranishi Guitar Smoky Navy (via Mountain of Ink). We love our Teranishi Inks, and one of the reasons they are such top sellers is what Kelli describes - they show sheen without the extreme smearing.
Writech Dual Color Multi Pens (Vintage Color Set) (via Well-Appointed Desk). Writech is one of those brands that’s been appearing more frequently in my feeds, and generally garnering good reviews. I need to try out some of their products.
Why Independent Penmakers Are Worth the Wait: Unboxing the Pens by Pasquale Merlin (via dwrdnet). It’s been a joy watching Nick grow as a penmaker over the past several years. I love this material and this specific shape. Nick regularly uses matte finishes as well.

Fountain Pen Writing Samples medium steel vs. gold fine nibs

In Case You Missed It…

This week on the blog I focused a bit more on travel, including my first “bag dump” post of the year! I also published a companion YouTube video, for those who would like to watch the unpacking in real time. Yesterday I went “back to basics” with the “Ask TGS” series, hitting two frequently asked questions that have popped up recently regarding how vacuum filling systems are supposed to work, and how to set expectations regarding nib sizes given the inherent differences among regions and brands, as well as all the various factors that can affect how a fountain pen writes.

This Week in the T.G.S. Curated Shop: More Maruman!

I’m almost finished with the “great unpacking,” having listed dozens of new products over the past couple of weeks as we add them both to the online shop and our shelves in the brick-and-mortar. I’ve been most excited about all the new Maruman Mnemosyne products, including the new Hardcover Journals (featuring a whopping 240 pages of heavier dot grid paper), the new Softcover Notebooks (a more traditional Mnemosyne A5 notebooks with standard lined paper), and these new 3-packs of A5 notepads. We also have new Nakabayashi Logical Air Paper (with a grid layout!), and the new Blackwing Volume 11 Bill Russell pencils, with matching notebooks. Be sure to keep an eye on each Thursday Drops post for a full list and description of new arrivals.

Uni Jetstreams

NJK Sharpeners

Blackwing

Maruman

Check Out T.G.S. Patreon for Breaking news and first access/Special pricing on exclusives and Sample Sales

No matter how you support us - even if just with a comment, recommendation, or encouraging word - we greatly appreciate your readership!

Uni Jetstream Multi Pens 4+1 in standard and lite touch ink formulations — The Uni Jetstream 4+1 Lite Touch (left) compared against the standard 4+1 Jetstream Multipen, which is slightly larger.

Sunday Reading for March 2, 2025

March 2, 2025

Wancher Kyoto Celluloid (via Figboot on Pens). Wancher is at it again, with a rare or relatively high-end material with a price aimed at keeping the product accessible. These celluloid pens will be available via Kickstarter. In the past, I’ve seen this particular celluloid referred to as “Koi” style.
What Works: Pocket Notebooks (via Line Variation). A shout out to the practicality of pocket notebooks, and particularly the top-bound variety.
Spring 2025 London Pen Show (via Dapprman). If you’re in the UK, and aren’t at the ongoing London Pen Show, you’re running out of time! Let me know how it was.
Iroful A5 Dot Grid Review - The Perfect Notebook for Vibrant Colors (via dwrdnet). Iroful paper shows off color quite well, and has been described by many as a replacement for Cosmo Air Light (now discontinued?).
Colorverse v. Kakimori: Dip Nib Showdown (via Pen Addict - Kimberly). I need to get my hands on a couple of the new Colorverse Dip Nibs for more extended testing. I like the reservoir idea, but found that they had a very “sharp” feel in the limited experience I’ve had with them.
Zebra 301: A Ballpoint Pen Review (via Writing at Large). Sometimes a ballpoint pen absolutely is the right pen for the job.
1912 Diary from France (via Notebook Stories). I love reading the antique notebook and memorandum posts. This one is in great condition, with a lovely stylized title page.
Laban Skeleton Fountain Pen Review (via Pen Addict - Sarah). Sarah’s longer review confirmed my initial impressions about this pen. Visually, it’s quite nice, but the price point is challenging for the build quality.
Have You Joined the Ink Pony Club? (via Well-Appointed Desk). Ana discusses a fun idea from Olive Octopus Ink! If you enjoy coloring/painting with ink, check this one out.
Index Cards That Actually Work Well with Fountain Pens (via dwrdnet). Many thanks for running through all these index cards. I’m becoming more of an index card enthusiast and have started carrying many of these brands.

In Case You Missed It…

This week on the blog I looked at Levenger’s latest “Freeleaf” paper iteration, as a brand I’ve used forever but which has shown some batch inconsistency over the years in terms of how their paper behaves with fountain pens. Spoiler: the current Levenger paper is quite nice. Yesterday I also talked about three desk accessories that I find critical to my own productivity, and which often go overlooked as “upgrades” by stationery enthusiasts despite not costing a lot of money.

Tombow Mono Graph Fine Mechanical Pencils in .5mm and .3mm — The Tombow Mono Graph Fine mechanical pencils hit the shop this week, which feature either a .5mm or .3mm tip size, as well as a fine diameter eraser.

This Week in the T.G.S. Curated Shop

We’re constantly bringing in more products, including a lot more useful desk and office accessory-type items such as more Notsu note/index card sets, and Levenger pen cases. We’ve also received more fountain pens across the price spectrum, from Platinum Preppies to the latest TWSBI Espresso Bronze Eco to the Lamy 2000 in Stainless Steel. Oh, and did I mention we just got more of the Uni Jetstream Lite Touch Multi Pens in the 4+1 format? Be sure to check out the weekly Deals and Drops post for up-to-date information on the latest arrivals.

Mnemosyne Journals

Uni Jetstream

Tombow Pencils

Platinum

Check Out T.G.S. Patreon for Breaking news and first access/Special pricing on exclusives and Sample Sales

No matter how you support us - even if just with a comment, recommendation, or encouraging word - we greatly appreciate your readership!

Jetstream Lite Touch vs. Jetstream Prime Comparison

Sunday Reading for February 23, 2025

February 23, 2025

Pavlov’s Stationery Dog (via A Gathering of Curiosities). I loved this post, and second so much of R.B.’s philosophy of notetaking.
2025 California Pen Show (via Olive Octopus). An epic CA Pen Show recap from Lisa! I’m really sad to have missed some of the shows so far this year, but shop duty calls!
2025 California Pen Show Recap (via Pen Addict - Kimberly). Here’s Kimberly’s CA Pen Show recap, with a ton of pictures. I’m missing the whole pen show after-hours experience.
Pen Show Wrap-Up: California Pen Show Adventures (via Well-Appointed Desk). On second thought, maybe it was best I sat this one out. I don’t do particularly well on bumpy flights, and literally everyone commented on how bad their flight into LA was.
New Series Idea: What Works (via Line Variation). We need more content like this. People actually using their stationery! I’m looking forward to reading this series and hope that it comes to fruition.
How I Use My Notebooks: Twitter Replacement Field Notes (via Writing at Large). Replace Twitter with Field Notes!
Vazir Meteor Shower (via Figboot on Pens). A really cool finish on this pen, and I especially like the detail on the nib.
Inky Pursuits: February 2025 (via Fountain Pen Blog). Oh, to live in a city where you can take a pen repair course by the local Writing Equipment Society…
Retractable Fountain Pens: More Reviews Coming (via Dapprman). That is an impressive array of retractable fountain pens!
The More Things Change… (via Penquisition). I love seeing blogs expand. We need more long-form content, and I’m so glad to see Eric onboard.
Nolty Assymetry A5 Notebook Review (via Pen Addict - Sarah). I have never used a Nolty notebook, but I keep seeing them and feel like I should try them out at some point.

Uni Jetstream Multi Pens Ultimate Notetaking Machines

In Case You Missed It…

I’ve been increasingly focused on the practical lately, mainly because I’ve been trying to stay offline (as much as my online business allows), so I don’t feel particularly caught-up on social media and the latest pen releases. I’ve spent much time over the past two months journaling, reading, and taking notes, and one of my favorite companions has been the Jetstream Lite Touch 3 Multi Pen, which I reviewed on Wednesday. (Don’t worry, I know it’s out of stock but not forever, as I just placed an order for a ton of them, not in the least because I want one of each color). I also answered a couple of more practical questions from readers and customers, including one about freezing ink and whether you should place ink orders in the dead of winter.