The Opus 88 Minty comes in two colors, light blue (a teal) and orange (a pale coral).

New in the Shop: Welcome Opus 88!

October 25, 2022

When you’re looking for a quality pen with a large ink capacity, workhorse durability, and comfortable, vintage-inspired design, it’s hard to go wrong with Opus 88. Made in Taiwan, Opus 88 first become known for their colorful demonstrator fountain pens, and have in recent years expanded into a broader range of materials and designs. What has remained consistent is the brand’s excellent Japanese-style eyedropper filling system. Each fountain pen ships with a glass dropper to allow you to fill the barrel directly with ink, yet the pen itself also features a valve system that you can open and close to manage ink flow - open it for longer writing sessions where you want ink to flow freely; close it when traveling with the pen (especially on an airplane) to prevent leaks. I’ve written a lot about Opus 88 fountain pens over the years, and you can read the “Workhorse Pen” overview here.

We currently offer two different models of Opus 88 fountain pens: the “Minty”, which is a streamlined flat top fountain pen in vintage-style flecked acrylic, and the translucent cigar-shaped “Jazz” demonstrator, a personal favorite of mine. Both pens are priced at $125 and $120, respectively, and feature reliable No. 6 JoWo nibs. As a preview of our upcoming Fountain Pen Day promotions, starting today all purchases of any fountain pen from the T.G.S. Curated Shop will ship with a free ink sample, so you can get your Opus 88 eyedropper writing immediately!

The Gentleman Stationer is supported by purchases from the T.G.S. Curated Shop and pledges via the T.G.S. Patreon Program. All domestic U.S. orders over $75 ship free. Many thanks for your support!

The “Aged Red” finish on this batch of T.G.S. Penwells came out just as exquisite as the last. Thanks to Dan at Good Made Better for making this collaboration possible!

Sunday Reading for October 23, 2022

October 23, 2022

Colorado Pen Show Recap (via Pen Addict - Kimberly). Though a smaller regional show, the Colorado Pen Show always receives good reviews, and if you’re West of the Mississippi it should be on your list of shows to attend.
Edison Pens Collier Grande with #8 Nib (via SBRE Brown). Back when it was first introduced, the standard Collier fountain pen was considered huge! Today, not so much. The Collier Grande features a huge No. 8 nib that many people I’ve spoken with have enjoyed.
Meet Your Maker - Tim Crowe, Turnt Pen Company (via Pen Addict). I’ve enjoyed reading this recent Pen Addict series of profiles on independent makers
Esterbrook Premium Camden Northern Lights Manitoba Blue (via Macchiato Man). This year Esterbrook released “Premium” models of their Camden fountain pen, with colorized nibs from Hinze Pens. As always, Yagan has a quite thorough review.
Endless Recorder Regalia vs. Cosmo Air Light (via Well-Appointed Desk). Endless, unfortunately has had to move away from both Tomoe River 68gsm (gah!), but their Regalia substitute looks excellent. I’ve not tried it myself but it’s received good reviews.
Sunshine: Penco A5 College Ruled Notebook (via A Fleeting Ripple). As you all know, we sell Penco products in our shop, but I’ve been somewhat hesitant to stock their notebooks given that I don’t know much about performance. Since Penco as a pen company is mainly known for their ballpoints and mechanical pencils (which are great) it probably shouldn’t come as much of a surprise that the paper isn’t designed for fountain pens.
New Pen: New Moon (via Fountain Pen Blog). Delike apparently has a writer’s Fude nib on the market, with only a slightly upturned tip, making it excellent for writing?
Sailors’ Dilemma (via The Poor Penman). I managed to successfully avoid Sailor’s North American “Don’t Miss the Boat” sale (mainly because I was out of town), but you could get some absolutely insane deals! To this day, I’ve never owned a Sailor Zoom nib, but I am intrigued a bit because they’ve been getting a lot of attention lately.
Blackwing Soft Handheld Eraser (Well-Appointed Desk). Blackwing has worked on building out their accessory lineup, with the latest being a larger handheld eraser based off the iconic Blackwing ferrule.
M1000 Maki-e Phoenix Limited Edition (via Pelikan’s Perch). I always admire the artistry on teh M1000 Maki-e edition, even though the pens have always been more than a bit out of my price range.

In Case You Missed It…

This week on the blog things got back into a bit of a rhythm following my return from vacation. I published the fourth installment of my “Guide to Notebook Systems,” this time looking at single-book systems (or “Non-System Systems”), using Midori MD as an example. I’ve enjoyed writing this series and it’s almost complete. I also reviewed two inks from Anderillium: Colossal Squid Dark and Green Kingfisher Green, both of which are darker green-black/teal-black colors that make for excellent workhorses.

This Week in the TGS Curated Shop: T.G.S. Exclusive Penwells Are In Stock and Shipping!

Our collaboration with Good Made Better - the T.G.S.-exclusive Penwell in the “Aged Red” Finish, is back in stock after a two-year hiatus! For this run, we’ve managed to keep the pricing the same, and Patreon members qualify for a special discount + free shipping, so members should check the Patreon site for details. We also restocked some favorite Washi Tape patterns, and added nearly a dozen more from iLootPaperie, which you won’t want to miss. You can check out the full new releases post here, as well as an update regarding the latest special editions from Caran d’Ache, the “Colour Treasure” editions.

Platinum

Caran d'Ache

Anderillium

Washi Tape!

Many Thanks for Your Shop Support, and Please Consider T.G.S. Patreon!

We’ve been surprised at the level of enthusiasm and support for our curated retail strategy over the past couple of months, and after careful consideration are beginning to build out our inventory with more brands and product categories. I love managing this aspect of T.G.S., as it offers me the opportunity to directly put great stationery - including brands I feel are underappreciated and underemphasized - into your hands. For those who want to support T.G.S. without necessarily adding to their accumulation, the Patreon Program offers two options for tiers of support: $3 and $5, and plan on making monthly meetups, pen show events, and periodic exclusive content the primary benefits. Of course, Patreon members will continue to get first access to periodic sample sales, with right of first refusal on gently used pens. (Reminder that those pens which made it through Patreon are now available to the general readership!)

Guide to Notebook Systems, Part IV: Single Notebooks, or the "Non-System System"

October 22, 2022

In the first installment of our ongoing “Guide to Notebook Systems” series, we discussed a few different categories, one of which was a “single bound notebook” category. This group, which I’ll discuss today, includes the Midori MD and Stàlogy brands. While you can argue that it’s a broad catch-all, the main reason I personally consider this particular group to be self-contained notebook “systems”, as opposed to simply different brands of notebooks (such as Rhodia or Clairefontaine), is the well-developed ecosystem of brand-specific accessories that allow you to customize your experience. If you stick with a particular notebook long-term, you can take advantage of these accessories to offer you more structure (though perhaps not as much customizability as a system like Traveler’s Notebook might offer). You can also avail yourself of the dedicated community of users who regularly share their tips and hacks for maximizing use and enjoyment of your favorite system.

Midori’s covers are known for their durability and relatively reasonable price points. Left is the “Paper” cover, which uses a thick Japanese craft paper that many believe ages like leather. On the right is my Gfeller undyed natural leather, which isn’t Midori-branded but ages in a similar manner to the Midori goat leather.

What Separates a “Notebook System” from “Just a Notebook”?

Before we get started, I need to insert a disclaimer here - everything I’ve been writing about in this particular series, from the categories themselves to recommendations as to whom each system might be a good fit for, represents my opinion. Since there are so many different notebook brands out there, these categories of different types of notebook systems are a construct I created for purposes of making sense of the different options and organizing my recommendations on the blog. That said, I consider a true notebook “system” to require, at a minimum, the ability to pair the notebook itself (or notebooks) with brand-specific accessories that you can carry over from book to book, hopefully year-after-year.

In other words, it implies more continuity and more of a long-term commitment to a specific notebook than simply keeping, say, a bullet journal and using whatever notebook you have on hand. At the same time, you can still consider these types of systems as “Non-system Systems”, in the sense that the notetaking and organization itself takes place in a standard notebook, and doesn’t require you to adopt any particular method of organizing your notes, such as buying a brand-specific hole punch, adopting a new organization strategy, or figuring out the best way to rig together different Traveler’s Notebook refills.

Midori MD Undyed goat leather, prior to any use. This particular product is the A5 vertical sleeve, designed to hold standard A5 MD and MD Light notebooks.

Example: The Midori MD Line of Notebooks and Accessories

The Midori MD line is probably the best example of what I’m talking about here (or at least the example that I’m personally the most familiar with). You can of course use Midori MD notebooks and other products on their own, without ever delving into the “system” aspect, and they’re excellent for that purpose. MD paper is among the most fountain pen friendly, relatively inexpensive, and it comes in most formats and sizes, ranging from A6 to A4 bound notebooks to writing pads to sticky notes, as well as lined, grid, dot grid, blank, and specialty layouts such as the A5 “Framed” Journal and the 365-day Codex, day-to-a-page journal.

Where this particular system begins to get interesting, at least for me, is when you delve into the available accessories. Midori makes a line of covers specially designed to fit both the MD and MD Light notebooks, in options that combine the utilitarian (the inexpensive plastic covers), the unique (durable Japanese paper covers, which actually age in a manner similar to leather), and the outright luxurious (natural undyed goat leather covers, which take on an amazing patina with long-term use). You can also use Midori’s brass tabs and notebook dividers to create a multi-subject notebook or to mark important pages, and Midori sells fountain-pen friendly sticky notes and even calendar/diary stickers if you want to incorporate planner functionality into your notebook. All of the paper products use the same MD paper (even the sticky notes and diary stickers) for a consistent experience across the line.

Advantages to Using This Sort of Notebook System

Flexible, unstructured layout that allows you to experiment with different notetaking systems and otherwise use your notebook however you like.
Notebooks and covers typically come in a variety of nonproprietary sizing, including A6, A5, and the somewhat uncommon A4.
Accessories such as notebook tabs, dividers, and even covers can typically be used with other stationery products or systems (though YMMV with the covers, as there can be slight variations even in standard sizing between brands requiring you to trim the notebook).

Who This Type of Notebook System is For

Someone who doesn’t necessarily need to compartmentalize their notes or writing in a way that requires moving individual pages or sections. If this sounds like you, you may want to check out a ring-based or modular system.
Someone who doesn’t need a lot of accessories such as pouches, moveable pen loops, dedicated planner inserts, etc., but at the same time enjoys having a dedicated cover and a few other items designed to work with their favorite notebook.
Someone who organizes their journals and notes by notebook, and keeps separate notebooks dedicated to specific subjects, yet still wants consistency in the form of interchangeable covers, tabs, etc.

I’ll plan to discuss further in a future post in this series, but I am a HUGE proponent of borrowing accessories from different notebook systems and customizing your own notebook to best suit your own purpose. (Shown here: a Traveler’s Notebook with a cut-down Stàlogy notebook insert, divided into sections using Midori sticker tabs)

Where to Buy Midori and Similar Brand Recommendations

As I mentioned, I used Midori as the example in this post because it’s the brand I’m most familiar with. The purpose of this post isn’t to serve as an advertisement for Midori - though I obviously think Midori is great. The goal is give you an idea of the depth of options available within a specific brand. As a relatively long-time Midori retailer, I have access to the different size and paper options, as well as the accessories. There are similar options out there on the market, some of which I sell directly and many of which I don’t, including Stàlogy, Maruman Mnemosyne, Nanami Paper’s “Seven Seas” and “Cafe Note” series, the Baron Fig Confidant, and even arguably the Hobonichi Techo and Kokuyo Jibun Techo Planners, which were designed as planners but many people use as notebooks and journals. Go with what works best for you!

The Quest for the Perfect Green-Black Ink: Anderillium Colossal Squid Dark and Green Kingfisher Green

October 19, 2022

For years, I’ve been searching for that perfect dark green ink - something that’s dark enough to look almost black at work, yet has just enough of a hint of green to keep things interesting, especially when I use a broader nib. I’ve cycled through loads of green ink over the years, and have dozens in my personal collection. Have I found that “perfect” dark green? No, of course not - and it would probably take much of the fun out of the hobby if I did - but the two inks I’ll review today from Anderillium are pretty darn good: “Colossal Squid Dark” from their “Cephalopod Series,” and “Green Kingfisher Green” from their “Avian Series”.

Anderillium Colossal Squid Dark Ink Swab — Review writing samples were done with a Nahvalur Original Plus steel medium, and a Nahvalur Nautilus BB ground to a “Mini-Nag” by CY of Tokyo Station Pens.

Colossal Squid Dark is perhaps my favorite sleeper hit from the entire Anderillium lineup. Is it a black? Is it a green? Is it a blue-black? All of the above, and that’s what makes it interesting. If I had to peg this ink as a color I’d call it a “deep teal-black”, which will look almost pure black with hints of green and blue in finer nibs, with more of the teal shades showing in broader nibs and stubs.

Is it a green-black? Is it a blue-black? Both? You’ll probably have to decide for yourself, but either way, I love it.

Green Kingfisher Green, from the bird-inspired “Avian Series,” surprised me with how dark it was. Based on the label I expected a standard “hunter green,” but it’s actually more of a true green-black. If I had to pick out any undertones, I see some brown and maybe a hint of yellow in the thinner parts of the swab. In extra-fine nibs, however, this ink appears black.

If you angle the paper in a certain way and play with how the light hits it, you can see several different tones in Green Kingfisher Green. The writing sample here was done with a TWSBI Swipe, extra-fine nib.

Both Colossal Squid Dark and Green Kingfisher Green flow well in all pens I’ve used, dry relatively quickly despite being on the wet side, and neither bleed nor feather on most papers. I’d consider both to be good “workhorses” suitable for your everyday writing. What other inks would I consider comparable to these two, in terms of color? Based on my “Green Ink Comparison Project,” I would say that the closest three I currently have in my collection are 3Oysters “Black Moss,” Sailor Bungubox “Dandyism,” and Pilot’s 100th Anniversary Iroshizuku Ink “Hoteison”. Green Kingfisher Green is, of course, the more “true green-black” ink, while Colossal Squid Dark is more of a “teal black,” with hints of blue. Maybe even similar to Sailor Miruai (which I no longer own) but not an exact match?

This photo is probably the best representation of how these inks look in everyday use.

Takeaways and Where to Buy

Colossal Squid Dark has become a surprise favorite. I currently have it inked up in two pens, one of which I’ve had to refill (a vacuum-filler, no less). “Teal-black” is less common than “green black,” or standard blue-black, and it keeps my work interesting even though non-fountain pen nerds won’t notice that I’m writing with a non-standard color. Neither ink, however, has given me any problems, and Green Kingfisher Green is accompanying me to the office today.

Yes, I’ll keep posting photos of this display because I absolutely love it.

You can purchase Anderillium Inks, including the two shown here, directly from us in the T.G.S. Curated Shop. Anderillium was kind enough to send a full set of samples when I stocked the brand, and I’ll post reviews as I work my way through the colors in the various lineups (though I’ve already swatched them all). These inks are priced at $14.50 for 1.5oz (roughly 45ml) of ink, which represents good value, and are sold in a wide-mouth “jam jar” bottle that makes it easy to fill larger-diameter pens. The names of all Anderillium inks are nature-inspired. As i mentioned above, Colossal Squid Dark forms part of the “Cephalopod Series” - inks based on squids and octopuses - while Green Kingfisher Green forms part of the “Avian Series” - inks based on birds. Other Anderillium Inks I’ve reviewed in the past include “Cuttlefish Brown”, a classic sepia that looks brown when wet but dries more grey, and “Michigan Avenue,” another green released as a special edition for the 2022 Chicago Pen Show.

The T.G.S. Curated Shop is an authorized retailer of Anderillium Inks, as well as all other brands sold. This post does not contain links to paid sponsors or third-party affiliates.

In Stock: The Caran d'Ache 2022 Limited and Special Editions

October 18, 2022

Every year, Swiss maker Caran d’Ache releases multiple special and limited edition pens and pencils, often just in advance of the holidays. This year, they have released the “Colour Treasure” collection, the first of which have arrived! While the series will eventually include new special edition 849 Ballpoints and even a jumbo pencil set, we have in stock now these sets of 12 high-quality postcards designed to be colored using your favorite colored pencils, perfect for catching up on your holiday correspondence. (In my case, the particular postcard pictured here will be turned into a Patreon thank-you note.)

Shown here with the three-tone Midori MD colored pencil set.

We also have the rest of the Caran d’Ache 2022 releases, including this year’s Claim Your Style 849 Ballpoints, the Dark Violet and Pastel Yellow 849s, and the Black Code, Gold Bar, and Brut Rosé mechanical pencils designed to match the ballpoint versions. Finally, we have a healthy stock of the eminently giftable Swiss Wood Pencil Gift Sets, and the Caran d’Ache x Nespresso Edition No. 4 Swiss Wood Pencils.

It truly pains me to say it, but the holiday shopping season is starting now, whether I like it or not. (Personally, I enjoy Halloween and would prefer to celebrate my holidays one at a time.) That said, if you’ve had your eye on something that you are considering for a gift, please don’t sleep on it. Restocking has been delayed, especially for items arriving from overseas. Many thanks for your support!

The T.G.S. Curated Shop is an authorized retailer of all products sold, including Caran d’Ache.