Arkansas Pen Show Setup Gentleman Stationer

Sunday Reading for March 22, 2026

March 22, 2026

Spilling the Ink with Derek Deweese Live from the 2026 Arkansas Pen Show (via dwrdnet). This was a great idea - on day one of the 2026 Arkansas Pen Show, Derek set up brief livestream interviews with vendors. It was fun to sit for this one, and also to listen to it after the fact!
Can a Steel Flex Nib Rival Gold? NEW Magna Carta 650 Review (via Doodlebud). Magna Carta continues their nib experimentation with flex. I have not yet been able to check out this nib.
California Pen Show Recap (via Figboot on Pens). David brought back some fun stuff from Los Angeles, including a new Galen Leather Sketch Box.
Dupes or Oops? (via Pen Addict - Kimberly). When you’ve been in this hobby for years, you definitely accumulate duplicates (inadvertently or not), and running across these lets you know when it’s time to start using stationery.
Reengagement (via Line Variation). This post resonated with me because I’m also looking to reengage with my own personal collection a bit, including many custom and vintage pens I haven’t used recently.
My Parker 51 Aerometric Collection (via Fountain Pen Blog). Probably my own favorite vintage pen.
Scariest Pen Ever? The Little Hollow Customs Monster Finger (via Figboot on Pens). I couldn’t help linking to this one, though I doubt it will ever make its way into my personal collection.
CONID-Style Filling Systems: An Overview (via SBRE Brown). The syringe-filling system (or “pump piston” or “bulkfiller”) remains popular due to its high ink capacity and relative ease of cleaning. There are now several different versions on the market.
Stationery for a Writing Weekend (via Pen Addict - Sarah). I love seeing what people pack for a writing retreat, especially novelists who write initial drafts by hand.
Praying in Color (via From the Pen Cup). Another great post from Mary on how writing and actually using our things can help, and a reminder that all of this can be used positively not just for accumulation.

TGS Arkansas Pen Show Prep Back Room Table

In Case You Missed It… and Weekly Updates!

This week we’ve been attending the Arkansas Pen Show in Little Rock, and have been on the road since Thursday. Many thanks to everyone who’s come out to support us! You can get a glimpse into the behind-the-scenes of my packing in Wednesday’s post, and you can also hear more about the show in the “Spilling the Ink” feature linked above.

Please note that we will be attending the San Francisco Stationery Fest next weekend (March 26-30), and we will NOT be attending the Atlanta Pen Show. Maybe next year!

Yamamoto Paper New Arrivals Ro-Biki Bank Paper — New favorites from Yamamoto have arrived, including more Ro-Biki as well as the Yamamoto Bank Paper.

Highlights from the T.G.S. Curated Shop

This was a huge week for long-awaited new arrivals, which made for a somewhat tricky logistical launch given that we’re also prepping for two shows in two weeks! We received a shipment of the new Kaweco Lunar Sport fountain pens in Lunar Light Green and Lunar Shadow Green, the Kaweco Iridescent Pearl Perkeos (which sold out nearly immediately), and the new TWSBI ECO in Bahama Yellow! We also have more Traveler’s Notebooks and refills, as well as a full restock from Yamamoto Paper. Be sure to check each week’s Drops post for a full list of new arrivals and restocks.

Kaweco

Colorverse

Pilot

TWSBI

How to Support T.G.S. and Our Various Projects

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 special promotions, consider supporting us via Patreon. The T.G.S. Patreon includes early access and discounts on exclusive shop releases, a monthly updates newsletter, and of course our monthly meetups. As of this morning, ALL Patreon supporters (including non-paying free members) have access to one or more initial “practice” episodes of “On the Paper Trail” which have not been publicly released.

Pilot Custom Series Fountain Pen Nib Comparison

Sunday Reading for March 15, 2026

March 15, 2026

The Intriguing Benu Haute (via Figboot on Pens). I’m waiting for the Benu Haute to take off, because I personally think this one is a game changer for the brand. It’s an excellent pen with a unique yet more mainstream look.
Interview with The Pen Addict (via dwrdnet). Derek sits down with the Pen Addict himself, Brad Dowdy, for an interview!
Pilot Iroshizuku Yama-Budo (via Inkredible Colours). Even after all these years, one of the first two Iroshizuku inks that I bought remains a personal favorite that sees regular use.
2026 Baltimore Pen Show Recap (via Pen Addict - Kimberly). I agree that the Baltimore Pen Show seemed to fly under the radar this year from a promotion perspective. I have enjoyed the show in the past but have had to miss the past couple of years due to conflicting work/family obligations on this particular weekend.
London Spring Pen Show 2026 (via UK Fountain Pens). I will attend one of the London shows one of these days, especially now that we have a direct flight from Nashville. I love how spaced out this show looks.
How Do We Create Your Ink Samples? Behind the Scenes at Vanness (via Vanness Pens). Even though I’ve personally seen this process many, many times, I always enjoy hearing about how everyone works behind the scenes.
Pelikan M200 Orange Delight (via Scrively). A review of the most recent Pelikan release - this time in a bright orange with a transparent barrel.
Hakase GW15C (via UK Fountain Pens). What, two articles from UK Fountain Pens in a week? I’ve had the opportunity to handle a Hakase (Matthew Chen’s) and the craftsmanship that goes into these functional pieces of art is exquisite.
Unfinished Notebooks (via Notebook Stories). What do you do with unfinished notebooks? Do you go back through them and try to finish them? I have my own archive I’m considering.
It’s the Little Things… (via Well-Appointed Desk). Finding stationery that you forgot you owned is indeed one of the little joys of this hobby, especially if it’s no longer made or causes you to remember a pen show or other experience.

On the Paper Trail Episode 5 Cover Thumbnail — This week’s Episode of On The Paper Trail will be our last before we record in front of a live audience at the San Francisco Stationery Fest! You can sign up here if you’ll be attending and would like to visit in person.

In Case You Missed It….

This week on the blog was a big one. First, Episode 5 of On The Paper Trail is now live, with Lisa and I discussing using vs. collecting stationery. You can watch on YouTube or listen in your favorite podcast app, and I’ve also put together a landing page where you can view/listen to past episodes as well as updates on upcoming events. Second, yesterday I published an overview of the Pilot “Custom” line of fountain pens, which is a project I’ve been considering and working on for some time. I think of the “Custom” line as Pilot’s “standard” line of fountain pens, and they play a key role in my own personal pen collection and make up a significant percentage of the pens I own.

Colorverse Colorvent Top 3 2025 Inks — This year Colorverse really did pick some of the best Colorvent colors, in my opinion.

This Week in the T.G.S. Curated Shop…Colorverse!

The 2025 “Top 3” Colorvent Inks have arrived, with Polar Night, Follow the Water, and Erebus Crater available as stand-alone bottles. We’ve also restocked the Top 3 Inks from 2024, including favorites Pulsar Pulse and Milky Way. Additionally, we’ve added the “Glistening” (shimmer) series, and received more “Joy in the Ordinary”. Finally, we had a major Pilot restock arrive Friday, and are fully restocked on standard and Madoromi Kakunos, as well as Explorers, Custom 74 Fountain Pens, and the Lavender Fog release!

Please note that we will have modified Nashville store hours this week and next, since we will be traveling. This week we will be open Thursday (3/19) from 1pm-5pm, closed Friday (3/20), and open Saturday (10-6pm). Check the “About” page or our Google profile for updates.

Colorverse Ink

Pilot

Craft Design Technology

Diplomat Viper

How to Support T.G.S. and Our Various Projects

Cloth & Paper Sticky Notes — The weather was awful yesterday, so I spent a lot of time in the shop replenishing our stationery display on the back wall, including all these sticky notes!

Sunday Reading for March 8, 2026

March 8, 2026

The London Spring Pen Show, 2026: My Stall (via Fountain Pen Blog). When people ask me for a recommendation on how to sell pens, I often suggest sharing a table at a pen show to offload pieces from a collection/accumulation that may need to go to a new home.
LIVE from the 2026 Baltimore Washington International Pen Show (via Inkdependence). Mike brings his livestream to the Baltimore Pen Show. If you’re in the area you should definitely check it out on the last day.
Visit to Tayama Bungu in Hiroshima, Japan (via Inkredible Colours). Another Japanese stationery store recap! I love following along on these tours.
Interview with Rob Sanchez of Rob’s Penworks (via dwrdnet). Derek interviews Rob from Rob’s Penworks for the latest season of dwrdnet Stationery Feed interviews.
Vazir Lizard Skin Deep Blue (via Figboot on Pens). A brand I have little experience with and need to check out!
Ashera Oleatus Review (via Mountain of Ink). Kelli does a pen review! You don’t see as many wood pens reviewed recently, and this one is beautifully finished.
Nikitana Looseleaf Paper and Notebook Review (via Pen Addict - Kimberly). I need to check out some of the offerings from Franklin-Christoph subsidiary Piper Trading Co. I enjoy textured paper, so the combination of texture and lighter weight makes this sound interesting to me.
What’s in My Bag: Travel Edition (UPDATE) (via Well-Appointed Desk). Ana is back on the road this weekend to the Baltimore Pen Show, with a fresh travel kit!

Joe Operating the Corner Rounder on a Notebook in the T.G.S. Back Shop

In Case You Missed It….

This week I was finally able to get back to making content, which is the part of writing this blog that I truly love. I wrote a piece on pen transport and pen storage, in which I walk through what pen cases I’m using and how I’m using them. Saturday’s post was a bit more specific, in which I spent some time walking through my pencil pouch and what I travel with when I decide to carry pencils on the road, which recently has been more frequent. Finally, as a special bonus, we did a short YouTube video demonstrating how you can cut down a standard A5 notebook to A5-Slim size. If this is something you’re interested in, reach out through the site, as we may start to offer this service on a case-by-case basis.

Note that we’ve added a social media account and now have a presence on TikTok. I know TikTok is not for everyone, but customers have asked to be able to tag the shop, so if you’re a TikTok user you can find us there.

Joe's Pencil Pouch unpacked on the table

This Week in the T.G.S. Curated Shop - Roterfaden A5 Slims!

As you might guess from this week’s YouTube video, the Roterfaden A5 Slim notebooks are back in stock in advance of the Arkansas Pen Show and the San Francisco Stationery Fest. We’ve also added some new pens from Lamy and Kaweco, including the Dialog 3 Capless Lamy and the Metal Kaweco Sports and Liliputs. Finally, we have a major washi tape restock from iLootPaperie, as well as a new shipment of sticky notes from Cloth & Paper in all sorts of unique formats for you to combine with your journals and planners. Check out each week’s Thursday Drops post for a full recap of new arrivals and restocks.

Normal store hours this week in the Nashville Shop, from 1-6pm Thursday and Friday, and from 10am-6pm on Saturday. Come see us in person!

Kaweco

Cloth & Paper

Craft Design Technology

iLootPaperie

How to Support T.G.S. and Our Various Projects

Sunday Reading for March 1, 2026

March 1, 2026

2026 California Pen Show Recap (via Pen Addict - Kimberly). An epic recap of last week’s California Pen Show, which was a great one! Kimberly managed to get pictures of nearly everyone there and I’m not sure this recap can be topped.
California Pen Show 2026 Recap (via Well-Appointed Desk). Ana was also behind the table at CAPS 2026 and has her own show recap!
On Finding that Third Place Yet Again (via Urban Adventure League). People often ask why I decided to open a physical location. A big part of it was that I felt the city needed another kind of third place.
You Pays Yer $$, You Take Yer Chances (via Inkdependence). There’s a lot of stationery “mystery boxes” out there, at various price points, and this is a product category that’s hard to scale well because as the scope gets bigger you have to appeal to so many different customers, all of whom have different preferences.
Living on the Edge with the Santini Safety 1920 (via Figboot on Pens). I’ve always been fascinated by safety fillers as a mechanism and am always excited when I see people introduce new takes.
House Totes for Notebooks and Pens (via Notebook Stories). Do you have a bag or a tote that you use to carry your stuff around the house? I don’t move around much at home (I tend to work in my office above the garage), but I do like to use tote bags to keep all of my stuff in one place so it’s easy to locate.
Living in the In-Between (via From the Pen Cup). Stationery is a great escape for the more challenging moments. Mary always has great reflections.
Nib Wetting Tool Overview and Use (via SBRE Brown). I would proceed slowly and carefully with any sort of tool like this.

Pentel Sign Pen Writing Samples 10 Colors

In Case You Missed It….

This week we released Episode 4 of On The Paper Trail, which recapped our trip to the 2026 California Pen Show. While you can listen on your favorite podcast app, the YouTube Episode contains bonus footage of a show walkthrough and vendor visits. Upon my return I finally was able to get back to some content, and I posted a review of the Pentel Sign Pen, which is a classic piece of Japanese stationery that I unfortunately only recently discovered despite it being available since 1963.

Galen Leather Single Pen Sleeves — We now carry Galen Leather in our shop! Single Pen sleeves and more!

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

We returned from the 2026 California Pen Show with lots of new products to share (and many more in the works). Top of the the list were additional Waka ebonite ballpoints from Laurett’s, one of my favorite Japanese makers who I make a point to visit every time I have a chance. Oh, and did I mention that T.G.S. is now an authorized retailer of Galen Leather? We have a selection of pen cases and notebook covers currently available, and will build out our selection further in the coming months. Finally, the recently released Blackwing Pen arrived, along with a huge Kaweco restock that included most metal Sport and Liliput pens, including the Kolibri!

Update: I just received notice from DHL that the fresh shipment of Roterfaden TGS_25 Taschenbegleiters is set to arrive tomorrow. These should begin shipping this week! Many thanks to all of you who pre-ordered!

Normal store hours this week in the Nashville Shop, from 1-6pm Thursday and Friday, and from 10am-6pm on Saturday. Come see us in person!

Laurett's

Kaweco

Rickshaw Bagworks

Craighill

How to Support T.G.S. and Our Various Projects

Sunday Reading for February 22, 2026 (California Pen Show Edition)

February 22, 2026

Behind the Stationery Stack with Addy (via dwrdnet). Derek interviews Addy of Stationery Stack, creator of some excellent pen trays and pen cases, and who it was fun to meet in person at this year’s California Pen Show!
Four Grey Inks: Taccia Budounezu, Ka-Ku x Ink Mazeru Gray of Ash Haze, Ka-Ku Black Jade, and Arcus Artisan Raven’s Shadow (via A Gathering of Curiosities). These new Taccia inks have been slightly delayed stateside but I can’t wait to get my hands on them, both personally and for the shop!
On Maintaining Friendships in My Adult Life (via Urban Adventure League). A great post and a reminder of why I make efforts to attend several pen shows a year to keep in touch with friends in-person.
Does Your Handwriting Change with Different Fountain Pens? (via SBRE Brown). An interesting question, and for me the answer is definitely more about the nib than the pen. Certain nibs favor a certain style of handwriting, and sometimes I have to switch it up.
Keeping a Notebook vs. Keeping a Diary (via Notebook Stories). A distinction that merits some consideration, as many people conflate keeping a diary, keeping a journal, and keeping a notebook as the same thing when in reality the process is intensely personal and specific to how each of us records thoughts.
What’s in My Bag: Travel Edition (via Well-Appointed Desk). Ana walks us through her travel bag that she brought with her to Los Angeles. Charging cords and pens are a common theme among pen show vendors!
Analog Defaults Page Now Live (via Pen Addict). A constantly changing reference guide to products currently in use? Now that’s a good idea.

In Case You Missed It….

We attended the 2026 California Pen Show from Wednesday through Sunday! This week I will have a more fulsome recap of the experience, but it was great to meet so many new and longtime readers and customers in person. Check out our short recap of Friday, including a few pictures of our setup and my one new find!

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

The biggest news from this week in the shop was the arrival of a second shipment of Pilot Custom 74 Lavender Fog fountain pens, of which we have only a couple remaining, hopefully with more on the way. In recent weeks we’ve received shipments of the new Lamy AL-Star fountain pens in Pine and Flamingo, TWSBI ECO Black and Marble fountain pens, and many unique paper formats including Life Noble Note in 6-hole looseleaf and A4 Canopus paper! Be sure to check out this week’s Thursday Drops for a full list of new arrivals and restocks, as well as details of this week’s special promotion using the code “CAPENSHOW26” at checkout, which expires at 11:59pm tonight!

We will return to normal store hours this coming week, open from 1-6pm Thursday and Friday, and from 10am-6pm on Saturday. We’re bringing back a ton of new stuff from Los Angeles so be sure to stop into the shop and see it all!

Lamy

Diamine Ink

Pilot

Notsu