What’s Your Planner Style? (via The Well-Appointed Desk). Ana and team all took the Clutterbug organizational survey to discuss the different types of organizers. I’m apparently a Cricket. I like my well-organized piles while I search for the perfect system.
Inside Stationery No. 4: Interview with Beate Mangrig of Roterfaden (via Scrively). This is a fascinating interview, for those interested in learning more about the philosophy and design behind the Roterfaden Taschenbegleiter notebook system.
Gravitas Skittle Polished (via Dapprman). I’ve heard nothing but rave reviews about Gravitas Pens. It’s about time that I picked one up for review. The “Skittle” takes what TWSBI did to the trim on the Vac Iris and applies it to the entire body! .
Platinum Preppy 03 (via Fountain Pen Pharmacist). One of the first fountain pens I purchased when I first got into modern “boutique” fountain pen inks years ago, the Platinum Preppy is a great pen. The friction fit caps do tend to crack over time, but a $3 pen isn’t meant to last forever.
Fantastic Voyager (via Penquisition). The Visconti Voyager fountain pen is one that I’ve not reviewed before, but I’m glad to hear that Evan has been having a consistently good experience with Visconti’s in-house nibs.
Testing Ink Resist on Different Papers (via Fountain Pen Love). I didn’t know there was a term for what happens when ink doesn’t stick to the lines on a page!
Travels with Pens (and Some New Arrivals (via UK Fountain Pens). Few things are as satisfying as picking out your stationery for traveling!
The Lamy Exact - Older Than the Lamy 2000 (via Bleistift). I’ve never heard of the Lamy “Exact,” but apparently it was the first Lamy ballpoint to feature a high-capacity refill?
Discord at the Factory: All Is Not Well at Pelikan’s Peine-Vöhrum Plant (via Pelikan’s Perch). All definitely does not appear to be well with Pelikan on the home front. Here’s to hoping they can work it out.
Montblanc Meisterstuck Blue Hour Solitaire (via Gourmet Pens). I can't believe there is still stock of this pen remaining at retail! It’s a gorgeous pen, but wasn’t it released nearly ten years ago?
In Case You Missed It….
This week on the blog I reviewed a “grail pen” of mine, the Pilot Custom Urushi in vermillion red, and it was everything I expected it to be - a rare event these days, especially when testing out very expensive items. On the other end of the spectrum, I reviewed the Narwhal “Original” fountain pen, an entry level piston filler at the $45 price point. Finally, this week’s Deals & Drops looked at one of my most recent acquisitions - a leather pen roll from The Superior Labor Company, as well as some recent additions to The Curated Shop (more on that below).
This Week in The Curated Shop
The biggest news is that I’m currently running a Fourth of July promotion: get 10% off all shop orders through tonight using the coupon code “FIREWORKS” at checkout! I’ve also recently stocked the full Rhodia lineup, new colors of the Quo Vadis Habana, all Traveler’s Notebooks, and the full range of Midori! If you’re looking to add a planner or notebook system as you head back to work or get ready for school, now’s as good a time as any.
Consider Joining TGS Patreon for Access to Monthly Meetups and First Dibs on Gently Used Stationery, Exclusive Products and More!
For some additional fun, and to help support the blog consider joining the Patreon program. You can read more about T.G.S. Patreon here. This year I’ve introduced monthly online meetups, which take place on Friday or Saturday and have been super enjoyable. We’ve discussed our thoughts on pen shows restarting, recent arrivals in our personal collections, and more. I will also continue with periodic “sample sales” of gently used review items and T.G.S. collaborations, to which Patrons will have first access. The current sale is now live!
Finally, and as teased in the picture above, I will be releasing a new collaboration with Sunderland Machine Works: a Sunderland mk1 featuring a bead-blasted matte black finish, matte red section, and DLC-coated clip! Patreon members receive first opportunity to pre-order and special pricing. While this will not be a limited edition, I do have limited quantities in this first order. Additional details will be posted publicly later this week! Patreon members should check the feed and your messages today for details on the pen and the pre-order.