2026 Washington DC Fountain Pen Supershow (via Olive Octopus Ink). Many thanks to Lisa for helping out at the show (and of course with everything else around here)! A great DC Supershow recap.
DC Show Recap…and a remembrance (via Figboot on Pens). David has his recap of the D.C. Pen Show, with a sad note.
Ink of The Week: Ferris Wheel Press Scarlett Studio (via Dime Novel Raven). I’ve not tried this particular ink, but I relate to those of us who love to write with red ink, despite taking a lot of flak for it!
An Octopus Medusa? Good Name, Great Ink! (via Inkdependence). Octopus Fluids is a relatively new ink brand from Germany, known for their sheeners as well as their permanent document inks.
When Best Intentions Are Not Enough (via Well-Appointed Desk). The prevalence of AI everywhere is scary, and it’s becoming increasingly difficult to avoid, even when you try. For those navigating business services, it’s increasingly being included as a “feature” of services and software many of us have used for years, with little disclosure and no ability to opt out.
The Best Pen Show Bag (via Rachel’s Reflections). Pen Show bags are big topic of interest for me, and I fully agree that the default pen show bag should be getting smaller, given how crowded many of these shows are these days.
Platinum 3776 Century Travia - A Quick Look (via Pen Addict - Kimberly). Platinum has been making changes to it’s product lineup (as well as it’s price points). While I like the Ruthenium trim, I’m not sure the design of this particular model appeals to me personally as I post my pens and don’t love a heavily back-weighted feel.
The Sunday Letter Project (via From the Pen Cup). Mary always finds interesting challenges and projects that require you to use your stationery and tools!
Meet Your Maker: Darrell Davis, D Squared Arts (via Pen Addict - Caroline). Darrell makes some of the most unique fountain pens in the independent maker world. Be sure to check them out next time he’s at a show.
Burning Through to Stop Burning Out (via Line Variation). A reminder that regularly revisiting and using all the pens in your collection can help you figure out your likes and dislikes, and how they may have changed over time.
In Case You Missed It….
This week we released Episode 14 of On The Paper Trail, in which we discussed our Favorite Fountain Pen and Ink Pairings, including how to combine dry inks with overly wet pens, and vice versa, to improve the writing experience. I also published a follow up to my 10 Fountain Pens Post, in which I discussed choosing inks for some of my favorite pens.
This Week in the T.G.S. Curated Shop
We had lots of new arrivals this week in the shop, including new mechanical pencils from Uni, including a small shipment of Kuru Toga Dive pencils with the auto-advance lead mechanism! We also have new multi pens and gel pens from Pilot, Wonderland222 Notebooks, and some fun new desk accessories from Fred & Friends (a new brand I discovered this summer). Be sure to check out each week’s Thursday Drops post for a full list of new arrivals and restocks.
We will be traveling to the San Francisco Pen Show later this week, so orders placed after noon on Wednesday (8/26) will have a 3-5 business day shipping window. Our Nashville store will remain open, but will close one hour early on Saturday (10am-4pm).
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