Sunday Reading for October 18, 2026

1. SPD: Sad Pen Day (via Pen Addict - Kimberly). If you are every testing out a pen at a pen club, show, or store, please turn the cap first to unscrew. Don’t pull!

2. First Look at Sunlit Steel: Duluth Shop Exclusive (via Dime Novel Raven). I love it when store/shop exclusives have special meaning, especially when they relate to local landmarks.

3. The Gentleman Stationer New Discoveries Box: What’s Inside? (via dwrdnet). Derek unpacks our latest Patreon box (and this time enough were left over to briefly hit the main site). We have a lot of fun assembling these.

4. The London Autumn Pen Show, 2026: My Haul (via Fountain Pen Blog). I love seeing a Waterman Laureate, my first nice fountain pen.

5. London Pen Show Autumn 2026 (via UK Fountain Pens). London apparently moved to a two-day format this year, which is a first. I personally am becoming a fan of shorter, smaller shows.

6. Checking In: An Inktober Update (via From The Pen Cup). Are you all participating in this year’s Inktober challenge? Pick a creative challenge each morning during the month of October!

7. Doomscrolling Alternatives (via Well-Appointed Desk). Most of us in this space are looking to spend less time online. Ana has a great list of alternative suggestions.

In Case You Missed It…

If it’s been quiet around here content-wise, it’s because we’ve been busy running our inaugural On The Paper Trail Live event, which was held this weekend in the Nashville area! You can hear about the details on our most recent podcast episode, which we timed to coincide with the event. This week’s episode also discusses Fountain Pen Terminology, including a deep dive into pen parts and basic pen problems

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If you come visit either us or Vanness in-store, you may be able to score an exclusive limited edition On the Paper Trail Onionbrand Leather Notebook Cover or Good Made Better Jester Fountain Pen.

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

This has been a whirlwind of a weekend! We had the Kaweco DIY machines on-site at T.G.S. Nashville on Thursday, and at the On The Paper Trail Event on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. We also have a full restock of Roterfaden in all sizes, including the TGS_25 A5 Slim version, which has been restocked in all colors. The much-awaited Lochby Daily Folios have arrived, as well as additional stock of the Lochby Field Sling and Field Sling Plus. Finally, Kakimori, Soolla, and our exclusive Rickshaw Bagworks designs return! Be sure to check out each Weekly Drops post for a full list of new arrivals and restocks.

We will be open this week in the TGS Nashville Shop during our normal hours, from 1-6pm on Thursday and Friday and from 10am-5pm on Saturday. We hope to run the Kaweco DIY event all three days, though how long it goes may depend on supply as we are running low on pens after unprecedented demand. I have requested a nib restock from Kaweco and will post updates as I have them.

Lochby

Kakimori

Soolla

Rickshaw

Visit Us on Patreon

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. In addition to exclusive content, Discord access, and online meetups, Patreon supporters have access to one or more initial “practice” episodes of “On the Paper Trail” which have not been publicly released.

Sunday Reading for October 11, 2026

1. 2026 Dallas Pen Show Recap (via Pen Addict - Kimberly). It’s difficult to get to gauge the Dallas show given the rapid expansion from 2 to 4 days, which changes how vendors look at attending the show. Friday and Saturday were relatively well attended, but a four day show is difficult to justify.

2. Ryan Krusac 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (via Figboot on Pens). I love Ryan’s pens featuring hand-carved artwork. This edition is from the latest series.

3. Wearingeul Modular Glass Dip Pen (via Well-Appointed Desk). If you’re looking to break into the world of glass dip pens, these inexpensive modular versions can be a good way to test the water.

4. Karatis A5 Soft Cover Notebook Review (via Pen Addict - Sarah). Lately there has been a resurgence of notebooks on the market that use Tomoe River paper, among them these Karatis notebooks which we have carried.

5. Vanness Haul with Nibs to Swap into Limited Edition Lamy 2000 Pine and Black Amber Pens (via dwrdnet). Many people don’t know that you can swap the nibs in a Lamy 2000 fountain pen - they are just very small and you need to worry about losing the parts.

6. A September Stationery Update: Back to School, Plateauing, and Rediscovering Older Pens. (via Urban Adventure League). A shout out to the Platinum Procyon, which is one of the more overlooked pens in Platinum’s lineup.

In Case You Missed It…

This week I published a fairly extensive overview of the Wonderland222 Planner System, and talked about why I intend to re-up with the same planner for 2027. You can also watch the YouTube video where I flip through my blank 2027 A5 Core Stacked version.

Don’t forget that this coming weekend is the On The Paper Trail Live in Nashville gathering! Tickets are required, so if you’re interested in attending be sure to pick up a weekend or day pass. Saturday availability is already running low.

We have stock of our Sunderland Machine Works mk1 exclusive, and will have some stock of our exclusive inks at the event this weekend!

This Week’s New Shop Arrivals!

In advance of the new event, we have new Tono & Lims multi-shading inks in the shop, as well as the full setup of Wonderland222 Planners, Notebooks, and Covers. We also received a shipment of Uni One ballpoint pens and refills, new Anterique Multi Pens, and Carl Desktop Pencil Sharpeners and other desk accessories. Be sure to check out these and other new arrivals in each week’s Thursday Drops post.

Anterique

Tono & Lims

Mongol Pencils

Sunderland

The Nashville shop is open normal hours this week (1-6pm Thursday and Friday, and 10am-5pm Saturday), in addition to the On The Paper Trail Live Event. For those who have asked, we currently plan to have the Kaweco DIY Machine in the Nashville Shop on Thursday (10/15) and at the On The Paper Trail Event Friday through Sunday. It will return to the Nashville Shop the following week during our normal store hours.

Visit Us on Patreon

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. In addition to exclusive content, Discord access, and online meetups, Patreon supporters have access to one or more initial “practice” episodes of “On the Paper Trail” which have not been publicly released.

Sunday Reading for October 4, 2026

1. My Top 10 Fountain Pen GRIPES! (via Doodlebud). A bad cap seal tops my list as well, especially when it causes the ink to evaporate altogether. This can also be a problem with ink bottles.

2. Interview with Scrively: What Makes a Good Notebook? (via Scrively). 100% it can’t just be about the notebook. Pen and ink play a huge role as well.

3. Profolio Oasis Notebook Review (via Pen Addict - Sarah). I love multilined/hybrid dot-grid rulings, which is why we decided to bring the Profolio notebooks back into the shop along with others that use a similar layout.

4. What Would I Do Differently If I Started with Fountain Pens Today? (via SBRE Brown). I was fortunate enough to to come into the hobby when the pace of information online was a bit slower. I also think I’d do it about the same, though I’d probably try to learn a bit more about the history of vintage pens and focus less on acquisition.

5. Hakase 90th Anniversary (via UK Fountain Pens). That is a gorgeous wood pen, and I say that with wood pens typically not being my thing.

6. Creative Fuel Prompts (via From the Pen Cup). In our most recent podcast episodes we talked a little about using prompts for journaling and other creative exercises. Mary always has excellent prompt resources!

7. Ink Preview: Penultimate Inks (via Well-Appointed Desk). I picked up several bottles in Dallas as well, including Monk, Sorcerer, Paladin, and Wizard. Stay tuned!

In Case You Missed It….

This week we released Episode 17 of On the Paper Trail, Journaling for Mental Health Part II, in which we discussed different journaling techniques that we have both experimented with in the past. I also published a first look at the new Mongol pencil re-release that contains an updated Top 5 Woodcase Pencil list, as well as a YouTube video walking through the Wonderland222 A5 Core Stacked Planner, which I’ve decided to use again in 2027.

We also have additional stock of our exclusive Sunderland mk1 machined rollerball, which we brought back at popular request.

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

We’re continuing to restock the shop after our inventory ran down somewhat during our revamp and transition to Shopify! Thanks to everyone who shared kind words on this project, and we’re glad you all are enjoying the new space as much as we are. This week we added some additional Roterfaden Taschenbegleiters in A4 and A6 sizes, and released the Wonderland222 dated planners in multiple sizes and layouts. Wonderland is moving back to 52gsm Tomoe River Paper this year, and in addition to the planners we are also stocking the notebooks. Finally, on Saturday we received a huge shipment of Clairefontaine paper and Exacompta index cards.

Check out each week’s Thursday Drops post for the full list of new arrivals and restocks. We are open online 24/7 and our Nashville storefront is open from 1-6pm Thursday and Friday, and 10am-5pm on Saturday.

Wonderland222

Sunderland

Tono & Lims

Mongol

Visit Us on Patreon

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. In addition to exclusive content, Discord access, and online meetups, Patreon supporters have access to one or more initial “practice” episodes of “On the Paper Trail” which have not been publicly released.

Sunday Reading for September 27, 2026

1. Opus 88 Mini Fountain Pen in Baby Beluga (via Pen Addict - Sarah). Now that we carry Opus 88 I’m looking more closely at the Opus 88 Mini. I’ve tried this pen in the past but couldn’t deal with the difficulty posting for longer writing sessions. That said, many people love this particular form factor.

2. A Whole Bunch of New Inks from Papier Plume (via Inkdependence). Papier Plume has revamped their ink lineup, and I had the opportunity to see a few of them in person at this weekend’s Dallas Pen Show.

3. DC Supershow 2026 - Biggest Fountain Pen Show! (via Feed Your Creativity). An excellent video recap of last month’s DC Pen Show, which always impresses with the sheer number of vendors and products available.

4. Relay for Saint Jude 2026 (via Olive Octopus Ink). Be sure and support this good cause, which many people are participating in this September.

5. Frosted Goodness … Leonardo MZG Pura (via Figboot on Pens). I was next to the Vanness Pens table this weekend, where I had the chance to see the Puras in person. Like David, I enjoy Ruthenium trim.

6. A Pelikan Hub Recap, London UK, 2026 (via Fountain Pen Blog). 130 people for a Pelikan Hub! Setting aside all the logistical “challenges” with this year’s event, that’s a great turnout for the community.

7. I Blew Up My Planner Set-Up for October (via Well-Appointed Desk). I’m getting ready to embark on my 2027 Planner Setup when all the new planners start arriving next week.

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Our paper testing setup in Dallas!

In Case You Missed It…

I visited the Dallas Pen Show this weekend, and as always it’s fun to meet readers and customers in-person! This has been a busy past few months between travel and launching the new TGS storefront (more on that below). I did find time this week to finally update one of my “Top 5 Ink” recommendation lists - Top 5 Red Inks, in conjunction with our release of the T.G.S. Tono & Lims Exclusives.

This Week in the T.G.S. Curated Shop - EXCLUSIVES!

Many thanks to everyone who has passed along kind words as we update our online store! Amazingly, there have been minimal hiccups and the transition has gone smoothly. Our main goal was to make navigation easier and to give us additional flexibility to add and organize products on the back-end, which we are continuing to do. This week we launched two exclusive inks in collaboration with Tono & Lims: Classic Burgundy and Black Shimmer. Based on the feedback from Dallas, Black Shimmer is a surprise early leader, though the Burgundy is running a close second. We also have additional stock of the T.G.S. x Sunderland Machine Works mk1 machined pens, along with additional pens from the standard Sunderland line.

Be sure and check out each week’s Thursday Drops post for a full list of new arrivals and restocks. We are open online 24/7 and our Nashville storefront is open from 1-6pm Thursday and Friday, and 10am-5pm on Saturday.

Pilot

Uni

Uni &Knot

Sunderland

Visit Us on Patreon

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. In addition to exclusive content, Discord access, and online meetups, Patreon supporters have access to one or more initial “practice” episodes of “On the Paper Trail” which have not been publicly released.

Sunday Reading for September 20, 2026 (The We-Have-a-New-Storefront Edition!)

1. 2026 San Francisco Pen Show Highlights (via Olive Octopus Ink). Lisa had an epic San Francisco Pen Show recap, including some great pictures from outside around the show hotel.

2. The dwrdnet Stationer Feed: Interview with Jonathon Brooks (via dwrdnet). Derek interviews Jonathon Brooks of Carolina Pen Company. I’m looking forward to check this one out.

3. Out of This World…Tactile Turn Roswell (via Figboot on Pens). Bolt action pens tend to sit funny in my hand, so I was sad to have to pass on this one.

4. Pen Rotation Transition (via Rachel’s Reflections). I love to read about how other people manage pen rotations and ensuring that all of their pens are used. I especially like to read about analog tracking systems, as opposed to electronic.

5. Galen Leather “Expansi-Pouch” Wide 10-Slot Pen Case (via Scrively). If you’ve been considering Galen Leather cases (notebook or pen) but find the standard ones too narrow, consider the “Expasi” series, which is capable of holding larger items.

6. A Successful Pivot (via From the Pen Cup). Sometimes you have to change things up, especially when it comes to writing and getting back in the swing of journaling after a few years off.

7. Owl Paper Co. 2026 B6 Dated Bullet Journal (80gsm Delphina Paper) (via Well-Appointed Desk). It’s planner season, and if you’re carefully considering all of your options, be sure to check out some of the less “hyped” brands which can feature more unique layouts and papers.

In Case You Missed It…

This week we released Episode 16 of On The Paper Trail, featuring Part I of a two-part series on journaling for mental health. We discuss some of the journaling techniques we both use, and Part II will go a bit deeper into other journaling practices we both have tried but may use less frequently. Yesterday I also published a post discussing specialty stock nibs, which can be a great way to test out less common nibs and nib grinds prior to committing to an irreversible modification.

Today we welcome Opus 88 to the T.G.S. Curated Shop!

This Week in the T.G.S. Curated Shop - WE HAVE A NEW WEBSITE!

Welcome to the new look Gentleman Stationer online store! We’ve moved off our aging Squarespace commerce platform onto Shopify, which should be much easier for everyone to navigate. Please read the announcement post for details on how the new shop will work, since there is a lot that does not translate form our old platform to the new one. Those who used the Squarespace “Account” feature will need to re-register on Shopify. Legacy Squarespace Account data (order history) can be accessed here.

In conjunction with our launch of the new website, we are also happy to introduce two new brands: Opus 88 and Retro 51, which are now available both online and in-store. Be sure to check out this week’s Thursday Drops post for recent new arrivals and restocks, which include a Lamy restock, new Tono & Lims inks, and more!

The Nashville Shop will be open normal hours this coming week, from 1-6pm Thursday and Friday and 10am-5pm on Saturday. Please come by and see these and more in-person, and we are open online 24-7!

Roterfaden

Lamy

Tono & Lims

Retro 51

Visit Us on Patreon

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. In addition to exclusive content, Discord access, and online meetups, Patreon supporters have access to one or more initial “practice” episodes of “On the Paper Trail” which have not been publicly released.