Sunday Reading for February 2, 2024

1. Ripples Through Water: Happy Third Anniversary! (via A Fleeting Ripple). Happy third bloggiversary! That’s a huge achievement - and here’s to more long-form content and less social media.

2. Notebook Meeting 2025 (via The Poor Penman). I love a good notebook setup post, especially ones discussing really good user-customized systems.

3. Diggin’ These Amarillo Vibes (via Pen Addict-Kimberly). Four new inks from Amarillo Stationery! I can’t wait to check these out at a show this year.

4. My New Weekly Review Format (via Writing at Large). I found this concept of a “weekly review” in your journal quite interesting, especially as my own weeks are getting more and more cluttered and I have a hard time making sense of them.

5. Nahvalur Plongeur (via Figboot on Pens). A titanium version of the popular Nahvalur Nautilus, with a few different design modification. Apparently this one is limited to 365 pens.

6. Hinze Kolbenfüller (via Figboot on Pens). A piston filler from our friends at Hinze Pens!

7. Otto Hutt Design 07 Fountain Pen Review (via Blake’s Broadcast). Otto Hutt’s higher-end models are absolutely gorgeous, but they come at a steep price. The black finish looks sharp.

8. A New Month, a New Plan (via Fountain Pen Blog). I believe in the whiskey world this concept is called the “infinity jar”.

9. Pen Rotation Changes (via Rachel’s Reflections). Do you have an official system for rotating your pens? It’s something I’ve tried before but has never stuck. I kind of feel like I need a true structure in place because there are pens I love that aren’t getting used.

10. Planner/Journal Progress: One Month In (via Well-Appointed Desk). Keep going through the January doldrums!

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In Case You Missed It…

This week I reviewed a classic piece of stationery: The Field Notes Steno Pad, which alongside the classic kraft paper Field Notes pocket notebook is a relatively ubiquitous piece of stationery that is what it is and makes no apologies for its simplicity. I also updated the TGS Fountain Pen Review Archive to include recent reviews from the past year. If you haven’t checked out this resource, it’s just that - an organized-by-brand archive of all the fountain pen reviews from The Gentleman Stationer over the past decade.

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This Week in the T.G.S. Curated Shop: New Arrivals and a February Flash Sale on Paper

It’s February, which means all the restock orders that we placed in January are pouring into the shop almost daily! This past week we received a huge shipment of pencils from Musgrave, based down the road from us in Shelbyville, Tennessee. We also have a bunch of additional arrivals from pencil manufacturers including Blackwing, Kitaboshi, and Viarco. You can see the full list of new arrivals (including pencils, pens, and paper) in this week’s Thursday drops, with the major highlight being a massive Clairefontaine restock, nearly all of which has been listed and is available for purchase.

But the big news is that we ordered so much paper, we are having trouble making room for all of it on our shelves! Through Monday - no longer through Sunday! - while I’m at the NY Now and Shoppe Object Trade Shows (probably buying, you guessed it, more paper) take 10% off most paper orders using the coupon code FLASH10 at checkout. See this post for the full details.

Viarco

Notsu

Blackwing

Lochby

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

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

Updated Fountain Pen Review Archive and a February Flash Sale (Online Only!)

Sometimes you have to take a day to do some housekeeping! I spent most of yesterday and this morning updating the Gentleman Stationer Fountain Pen Review Archive, which if you haven’t yet visited, is an organized archive of all the fountain pen reviews on the blog dating back to 2014. (There is also an Ink Review Archive, organized by color, though it’s still a work in progress and the most recent ink reviews may not yet appear.) Even though a large amount of effort and most resources went into opening the shop over the past six months, we remain committed to offering as much information as possible to users and enthusiasts. In addition to the review archive, we offer a general resources page as well as guides on our recommended “Best Pens” at certain price points and a reference on fountain pen friendly paper. Speaking of paper….

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Pencil products are restocked, including the beloved Viarco pencil caps! Read on for details on this weekend’s flash sale and pencil promotion.

February Flash Paper Sale, Travel Schedule and Trade Shows This Weekend

We just received a TON of paper, and will have more on the way shortly because it’s trade show season. How about a flash sale to kick off the month of February? Through tomorrow (Sunday, 2/3) at 11:59pm US Central Time, use the coupon code “FLASH10” to take 10% off most online paper purchases (excluding Roterfaden and Blackwing). Also, any purchases that include a pencil product will include a special gift that will make you laugh. I promise. And I’m not giving you any details on what it is. Let’s just say it was one of my many “mistake buys”. :) While supplies last, but I think I will have enough for anyone who wants one. [NOTE: Apologies but we ran out of these very quickly. For those who wondered, it was a gag “Dummy” pencil that looks real but when you go to sharpen it, there is no graphite. If you placed a pencil order but got a sticker instead of a pencil, and still want one, please e-mail us and I will place you on a list to get one if I receive another box.]

Through this weekend, keep an eye on the Instagram, because I’ll be posting pictures from New York City as we visit the NY Now and Shoppe Object Stationery Trade Shows in New York. The brick-and-mortar shop will be closing early today at 2pm because I will be on my way to the airport. It’s a short trip so online orders will continue to ship in the usual timeframe.

Thursday Drops: Clairefontaine Paper, and Pencils, Pencils, and More Pencils!

Those of you who have been asking about a Clairefontaine restock are in luck, because nearly all of it arrived this week! We now have all of the Clairefontaine Seyes/French-Ruled paper in most notebook formats, as well as standard lined and grid versions. Triomphe paper has returned just in time for InCoWriMo next month, along with A4 and A5 versions of most G. Lalo paper and envelopes.

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In addition to paper, we continue to build out our pencil selection! Musgrave and Viarco pencils arrived this week, including many new formats that we’ve never carried before. Be sure to check these out as most of our pencils are sold both individually and by the dozen, so you can put together your own sampler packs. (The one exception is Blackwing, which can only be sold by the dozen, and we have the new Blue/Pink Pearls, Red/Green Matte, and the Volume 574s in stock as well!)

Please take note that if you’re planning on coming to visit us this weekend, our brick-and mortar location will be closing early on Saturday (at 2pm). We are also open from 1-6pm today and tomorrow (Thursday and Friday)

1. Clairefontaine Triomphe Notepads and Notebooks. The bright white “Triomphe” paper is a favorite of letter writers, and it’s now available in notebooks as well as notepads. (Yes, the notebooks come in an ivory color as well as the classic bright white.)

2. Clairefontaine 1951 Clothbound and Staplebound Notebooks. The lined 1951 notebooks have a classic vintage-inspired design and come in several bright colors. These have long been a shop favorite and we’re excited to have them back.

3. Quo Vadis Habana Notebook Journal. One of my favorite notebook journals, which contains bright white dot grid Clairefontaine paper in a colorful assortment of leather-ish covers.

4. Blackwing Volumes 574 Pencils: The Native American Art Pencil. These pencils were designed in collaboration with Kaw, Osage, Lakota artist Chris Pappan to design a pencil that evokes geometric patterns found throughout many Native American expressions of culture.

5. Blackwing “Illegal Pads”. We have multiple rulings of the Blackwing legal pads back in stock, in both A4 and A5 sizes.

6. Rhodia Composition Notebooks. Rhodia’s upgraded take on the classic composition notebook is back in stock, in both orange and black covers.

7. Viarco Pencils. Viarco is back in stock in all of the various vintage designs! And, yes, we also have the metal spring-caps. These are now sold loose in a large box of 100s, so I’m going to divide them up into packs of 5 for sale.

8. Musgrave Pencils. We’re excited to add one of our local brands, Musgrave Pencil Co., to our curated selection of wood and mechanical pencils, with everything from the uncapped wood “Bugle” to the softer 4B Songwriter pencil.

9. Lochby Field Journal Mini. A smaller version of the A5 Lochby Field Journal, designed to hold four of Lochby’s Pocket Notebooks using the same cord-based system. Available in brown, charcoal, and navy blue. As noted, this will not only fit the Lochby 3.5” x 5.5” pocket notebooks, but also most Field Notes and similarly sized pocket notebooks.

10. Notsu Centre Rise Notecard Stand with Cards. I’ve been loving these fountain pen friendly Notsu index cards, which feature a “To Do” layout that allows you to track daily tasks, make lists and whatever else you like to check off as you go. The reverse has space for notes, and the 3x5 cards are prescored so they’re easily foldable. Standard dot grid index cards are also available.

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Notsu Dot Grid Index cards!

Paper Review: The Field Notes Steno Pad

I know, it’s hard to believe that I’ve never used this product before now, but Field Notes’ contemporary take on a classic piece of stationery - the lined chipboard steno pad - has somehow stayed off my radar until I received a couple of them in a retail display assortment that arrived a few weeks ago. You know what? These are surprisingly good, even with fountain pens, and definitely should be on your radar as a durable everyday writing pad that’s made in the USA (something many may be paying more attention to these days as there’s increased uncertainty surrounding potential increases in the cost of imports).

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The Field Notes Steno Pad features a classic Gregg ruling with brown ink on bright white paper. Note the elegant rounded corners.

Specifications and writing experience

The Field Notes Steno Pad isn’t fancy, and that’s by design. It’s a 6”x9”, 80-page, Gregg-ruled classic steno book with a brown chipboard cover and a black double-O wired binding. The paper is white Finch 70# stock, which exhibits some show-through with fountain pens but honestly is pretty good. I’ve had no issues using both sides of the paper, especially given that I generally use steno pads such as this one as a general catch-all below or to the side of my computer keyboard at work. Nearly everything I jot down on it gets incorporated into something that I’m immediately working on, such as a brief, letter, or e-mail. It’s effectively scratch paper.

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This 70# paper shows no very little to no feathering with fine and medium nibs, and even one architect.

The reverse of the page photographed above. I would call this more “show-through” than bleed-through and perfectly fine for how I use this pad.

A lot of the Field Notes appeal is in the design, and there are slightly less expensive options, but from a practical perspective, I do enjoy how sturdy this steno pad is. The chipboard cover is quite stiff, and the pad itself is large enough to cover a folded letter-size piece of paper. I’ve found myself tucking notes inside the cover and then slipping the entire pad into my bag as a makeshift mini portfolio. (You can even wrap a larger rubber band around it and the chipboard will hold up without bending.) As I wrote long ago in this early post on the original Kraft paper Field Notes pocket notebook, Field Notes excels at balancing classic design with usability, and their take on the classic steno pad is no exception.

Just to give an indication of size.

Takeaways and Where to Buy

You can always rely on Field Notes for a fresh take on the basics, and if you’re looking for a classic, vintage-style Steno pad with good paper that will stand-up to heavy use in a bag, give this one a try. A huge benefit to these is that they are relatively easy to find, both online and in local stores, as Field Notes has broad distribution. We’ve started carrying the Field Notes Steno Pads in our own shop, both online and brick-and-mortar, alongside the rest of the Field Notes line. These notepads/notebooks retail for $12.95 and are sold individually.

Come visit us in person! Public hours are Thursday and Friday from 1-6pm, Saturday from 10-2pm (closing early on 2/1), and otherwise by appointment. We look forward to seeing you this week! We’ve just received a large restock of paper from brands such as Rhodia, Clairefontaine, Field Notes, and more, so be sure to check it out.

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You even get a free short course in Gregg shorthand.

New Arrivals: Tennessee-Made Pencils from Musgrave and A Blackwing Restock!

Musgrave Pencils, made just down the road from us in Shelbyville, Tennessee, are one of my all-time favorite stationery products. A family-owned business for more than 100 years, Musgrave makes a variety of pencil styles at a reasonable price point, and we’re happy to offer a fairly large selection from the outset. To get started in the Musgrave world, I often direct people to the “Heritage” sampler set, which contains 12 different pencils from across the Musgrave line, including a couple of “jumbos” and some of their specialty graphite such as news and test-scoring pencils. We also have classics such as the Harvest Professional (a classic yellow No. 2), three different varieties of the Musgrave Bugle, a 4B “Songwriter Pencil”, and the B/No. 1 “Pencil King”. (The latter two pencils are round, and extremely comfortable to use.)

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The latest Volumes release features extra-firm graphite and a burgundy eraser!

Finally, nearly all Blackwing is back in stock, including additional Blackwing 602 pencils, the latest Volume release (“Native American Art” Edition), and one-step long-point sharpeners. We’re going to continue to add pencil products throughout the year, so stay-tuned!

Come visit us in person! Public hours are Thursday and Friday from 1-6pm, Saturday from 10-6pm, and otherwise by appointment. We look forward to seeing you this week!