Vacation Reading: Week of June 13, 2022

1. Where Lamy Daren’t Go…. (via Penquisition). I will now purchase both of this year’s Safari releases, since Evan has shown us what is possible with some tinkering and a little bit of courage.

2. BlueDew Flex Fountain Pen: Too Good To Be True? (via Pen Addict - Kimberly). For those looking for dip-nib-style flex, Kimberly reviews another option from a brand I’m not familiar with.

3. Comparing Common Nib Grinds (via Rachel’s Reflections). An excellent illustration of the differences in some of the more common nib grinds, showing both how the nib is modified and how the modification changes your handwriting.

4. 12 for 12: Our 12 Favorite Products for Our 12th Anniversary (via Well-Appointed Desk). Congratulations to Ana and team for this milestone, and thanks for including us!

5. Flexibility and Searchability in Taking Notes (via mnmlscholar). I love the science/art of notetaking, especially reading about how people archive their notes for later cross-referencing.

6. Romillo No. 7 Fountain Pen (via Blake’s Broadcast). These pens, which feature handmade nibs, continue to fascinate me, even though they tend to require a lot of tinkering, from what I hear.

7. An Ode to Cheap Pens: Faber-Castell Grip Fountain Pen (via A Fleeting Ripple). I’ve long believed that Faber-Castell makes some of the best inexpensive fountain pens available. They unfortunately have always received far less attention than I think they should.

8. IWI Colors of Nature Slight Snow (via Fountain Pen Pharmacist). I love dusky purples, though this one appears to me (or my screen) as more on the pink side. Either way, it’s an interesting color that should still be legible despite the desaturation and shading.

9. Cult Pens Diamine Flower Inks Set Exclusive (via Dapprman). Diamine is releasing a new set of flower-themed inks. I loved the first set and will probably try to pick these up as well.

10. Stilo&Stile x Leonardo Momento Zero Prisma Fountain Pen (via Gourmet Pens). Leonardo is now getting on board the prismatic/rainbow anodized train. I’m not sure this particular design is for me but everything they do is great quality.

In Case You Missed It….

Last week on the blog I published a piece on enjoying a hobby in the midst of an economic downturn or other financial pressures, something we all unfortunately have to do the longer we pursue a passion because, well, life happens. I also reviewed one of my favorite new nib grinds - the “Perspective” nib from Gena Salorino from Custom Nib Studios. If you appreciate versatile nibs that give you many different writing options in a single package, you absolutely need to check this one out.

This Week in the Curated Shop

I’m on vacation, so our usual 2-3 business day shipping time will be extended to 5 business days. That said, we’re still processing orders and any orders placed during this window will go out promptly on my return, with some extras included such as stickers, ink samples, etc.. We’re fully restocked on Midori MD Paper, including the Limited 70th Anniversary MD Light Notebooks and Fountain Pen & Ink Sets, and we also still have plenty of Lochby Quattro Four Pen Cases, Pocket Journals, and Tool Rolls! Check out even more links below.

Caran d'Ache

Traveler's Company

Platinum

CW&T

T.G.S. From The Archives

Vacation week seems like a good time for a reminder to check out the 2022 “Best Pens” list, updated to reflect recent preferences. Enjoy!

Many thanks for your support of The Gentleman Stationer! We rely entirely on purchases from the T.G.S. Curated Shop and pledges via the T.G.S. Patreon Program in order to keep the site going. If you enjoy the content, please consider visiting our shop or pledging! Even the smallest of amounts helps!

Exploring Custom Nibs: Custom Nib Studio "Perspective" Grind

When I was choosing pens to take on this latest trip, I leaned heavily towards loading up on specialty nib grinds that are an absolute joy to write with, because I really want to get some fun writing done. Whether that be journaling, a bit of “work” on the blog as opposed to the store, or simply playing around with pens, inks, and nibs, I feel like I haven’t had the chance to truly step away from the grind in a while. With that in mind, it’s a complete no-brainer that one of the pens I’d choose to take with me is my Pelikan M800 featuring the “Perspective” nib grind from Gena Salorino at Custom Nib Studio. Put simply, this nib is a joy to write with, whatever your specific use case.

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This grind is a bit difficult to describe. Gena’s Perspective Nib combines the vertical/horizontal line variation of an architect with the variable line-width of a Naginata as you raise or lower the writing angle. It even writes an incredibly smooth XXF point on the reverse. The result might be the most versatile nib I’ve used. The standard writing angle can best be described as a forgiving medium architect, excellent for everyday writing because it omits sharp edges while still offering character and line variation. What sets this nib apart, however, is the fact that it can serve as an “all-in-one” workhorse. For example, I typically enjoy writing with a medium nib, but also need to be able to alternately write larger and smaller to highlight/underline and annotate, respectively. The Perspective lets you do it all with one pen.

One nib, four different writing options. The ink is Laban Poseidon Green.

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From underneath, the Perspective grind appears almost wedge-shaped. You can see the tipping get wider, allowing you to write a wider line as you lower the angle.

I often talk about nib grinds as a way to salvage pens that you “like” but don’t “love”. Here, I asked Gena to modify the medium nib on my Pelikan M800 Stone Garden - a true workhorse pen that wrote too broad and wet a line for the type of writing I was doing. It bled through most of the paper used in my office (since we’ve recently cut costs even more and apparently gone even cheaper.) Paired with this grind, the M800 has arguably moved into my Top 5 Personal Pens, and I plan to send at least three more pens to Gena for the “Perspective” treatment.

Takeaways and Where to Buy

While you should absolutely take this glowing review with a grain of salt, since opinions on nib grinds reflect the personal preferences and use cases of the writer, the Perspective Nib from Custom Nib Studio is currently my favorite specialty nib grind. (I will say that everyone who has tried this nib - lefties included - has enjoyed it as well.) Fans of architect and Naginata-style nibs will certainly want to give this one a try.

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If I’m working, and want to emphasize something that I wrote, it’s nice to be able to lower the angle for a bold underline.

The Perspective Grind costs $55. You can read more about this and other grinds Gena offers on the Custom Nib Studio website, or you can visit them at a pen show, where they’re regular attendees, though you’ll either want to take advantage of early sign-up prior to arrival at the show, or get there very early on show days for the best chance of getting a table slot.

This review is part of a larger review series on custom nib grinds. You can follow along here. I purchased the nib grind featured in this review with my own funds, for my own use. I was not compensated for this review, and all opinions expressed are my own. The Gentleman Stationer is supported entirely by purchases from the T.G.S. Curated Shop and pledges via the T.G.S. Patreon Program.

Housekeeping Updates: Vacation Time!

Just a couple of housekeeping updates for the coming week (6/11/22-6/18/22):

• Curated Shop Order Shipments: I will be on vacation next week, so any orders placed starting tomorrow (Saturday) morning will ship out when I return. Thanks for your support and understanding, and I always include extras (stickers, notecards, ink samples, washi tapes, etc.) to orders placed during a travel period.

• Our Current Giveaway Ends Sunday! Things have been getting buried on Instagram, and I know lots of people are on vacation, etc., so I wanted to make one last push to let people know that this giveaway is still live! Win a T.G.S. Sunderland Prototype, a Penwell Traveller, or a Musgrave Pencil Assortment! Hit the link for details.

Enjoying A (Sometimes) Expensive Hobby Amidst Economic Uncertainty

I haven’t bought a lot of pens lately. Part of that is of course due to the fact that I’m finishing up multiple home repair/construction project that’s occupied a lot of resources and torn up most of my leisure space, but the other part is that, well, things aren’t looking so bright for the ol’ economy and I tend to react by downscaling hobbies and generally tightening my belt. So how do you stay engaged in a hobby you love while still trying to act responsibly? As someone who’s been a pen enthusiast through at least two different recessions - including the “Great” one - here are a few observations I’ve made over the years about staying connected to the community and enjoying my stationery even when I need to scale things back.

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A handful of lower-cost pens I’ve been enjoying recently, including the Platinum Carbon Desk Pen, a Platinum Plaisir, my TWSBI 580 with a Mark Bacas “Predator” Nib, and a good old Bic Clic.

1. Focus on Using Your Stash. And most of us have one. When I was packing up my office prior to construction starting, I was astonished/embarrassed at the amount of ink, paper, and pencils I had accumulated, and immediately started sorting through it, giving paper and pencils away to family and friends and setting aside others for incorporation into the rotation or review/giveaway on this site. It’s amazing how much headway you can make even in just a couple of months - I do use a lot of paper between my day job and the website, so I’ve made progress to the point where I’ve had to replace stuff I need for work.

2. Scratch the “New Stationery Itch” with Less Expensive Items. My own recent stationery purchases have focused mainly on paper, as work is still busy and I find myself actively using notebooks and writing pads at a faster clip than I was previously. I’ve also rediscovered the joy of less expensive pens and appreciating good value where it can be found, whether it’s the insanely good extra-fine nib on something like the $13 Platinum Carbon Desk Pen or the fun colors available in the TWSBI Swipe and ECO lines. This has definitely informed how I stock my own shop, making sure that most of what I carry remains accessible to as many people as possible across a wide range of price points..

3. Have Nibs Customized! Honestly, discovering the joys of nib customization completely changed my outlook on this hobby. I very rarely find myself selling or parting with pens I otherwise enjoy simply because the nib doesn’t work for me. Even the most complicated of nib grinds usually cost $50-60 - less than the cost of a new pen in many cases, and it comes back tuned and adjusted to your personal preferences! I’m in the middle of a larger review project in which I’ve sent out a dozen or so pens to be ground by several different nib grinders, and plan to review the various offerings as they come in. I’ve also created a resource page where you can access all T.G.S. content relating to custom and specialty nibs.

4. Sell or Trade Pens and Inks. Slack, Discord, Reddit, and Instagram are full of communities eager to help you offload gently used stationery, and often you can maximize the value of your unused stuff by trading with somebody else. Pen clubs, meetups, and pen shows are also great venues for meeting other people and seeing what they have to offer in person before you agree to a deal.

5. When You Do Shop, Shop Intentionally. These are fraught times not just for consumers, but for business owners struggling to stay on top of rising costs and inflation. It’s more expensive than ever to run any sort of business, much less one based on the sale of relatively low-cost items. In short, if you want your local pen shops or favorite online haunts to stick around, be sure to patronize them rather than automatically looking for the lowest-cost option. Often the difference between supporting a smaller, family-owned retailer and a high-volume discounter or big-box store is only a couple of dollars, and small purchasing decisions can have big implications for what the community looks like going forward.

How do you stay engaged in the community during those down periods when you have to take a break what can be a consumption-focused hobby? Feel free to drop me a line via e-mail or our various social media channels!

This post does not contain affiliate links. The Gentleman Stationer is supported entirely by purchases from the T.G.S. Curated Shop and pledges via the T.G.S. Patreon Program.

Midori 70th Anniversary Fountain Pens, and Midori MD Notebook Restock

For good reason, Midori MD products have sold like crazy around here, from the standard MD Notebooks and writing pads to the newly introduced MD Notebook Light to this year’s 70th Anniversary Five-Year Journals. Sold so well, in fact, that we’ve been out of stock on some of our shop favorites, like the Dot Grid A5 notebook, a fresh shipment of which will be arriving today. This shipment will also include a refresh on the 70th Anniversary Fountain Pen Sets, each featuring a grey Midori MD Fountain Pen with one of three special inks in Midori’s signature colors of grey, orange, and blue (the same as their colored pencil set). Quantities are very limited on the latter, with only a couple of each color. Happy shopping!

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The Gentleman Stationer is supported entirely by purchases from the T.G.S. Curated Shop and pledges via the T.G.S. Patreon Program. We appreciate your support!