Deals & Drops: New TWSBI Fountain Pens, More Midori, and Clairefontaine Looseleaf Last Call!

Well that was a week! I had a bunch of stuff waiting when I returned from vacation, including a small batch of TWSBI Vac700R “Iris” Fountain Pens, the new TWSBI ECO Jade, and a restock on Midori! A very special addition this week is the “B” grade version of the Tombow 2558 woodcase pencil, which is the exact pencil I used to discover this particular brand, all the way back in 2013. It’s just as smooth and well-behaved (i.e. non-smeary) as the HB, only a touch darker, for those of us who love our softer graphite. Happy Shopping!

All links to the T.G.S. Curated Shop, unless otherwise noted. By shopping with us directly, you are supporting original content, pen reviews, pen show events, etc. from The Gentleman Stationer. If you would like to support us even further, please consider checking out the T.G.S. Patreon Program, which offers access to online meetups, exclusive discounts and pre-orders, and more!

1. TWSBI Vac700R Fountain Pen. Over the years, TWSBI has reworked the Vac700R to improve ink flow and reliability, and also introduced the unique “Iris” finish with the blue-purple-holograph-like anodization on the trim. Vacuum-fill fountain pens work exceptionally well for travel, since you can take advantage of the “shut-off valve” to protect yourself from burps and cap leaks.

2. TWSBI Vac Mini Fountain Pen. In addition to the full-size Vac700R, I’m happy to offer the Vac Mini, a pocket-sized version of the Vac700R that posts. Looking for a high-capacity pocket fountain pen that features the same shutoff-valve filling system? Read my review of this pen here.

3. TWSBI Diamond Mini Fountain Pen. Another pocketable favorite! The Diamond Mini is compact when capped, yet expands to full size when posted and keeps TWSBI’s excellent piston filling system.

4. TWSBI ECO Jade Fountain Pen. The latest ECO release is a beauty! The ECO Jade features a pale green cap and finial in a slightly translucent light green hue.

5. Tombow 2558 Woodcase Pencils. As mentioned above, my favorite yellow (or orange) No. 2 pencil is now available in “B” hardness! Sold individually and by the dozen.

6. Midori MD Diary Stickers. Turn any notebook into a planner! These dated and undated planner stickers adhere to a page of your notebook of choice, and since they use Midori MD Paper, they’re fountain pen friendly. We have small and medium sizes.

7. Midori MD Fountain Pen. A simple pen with an excellent nib, adjusted to a slightly downturned angle to offer a smooth writing experience, especially for those new to fountain pens or who write with a bit of a heavy hand.

8. Hightide Sandglasses. These multicolored hourglasses are one of my favorite desk accessories, offering a gentle analog alternative to a buzzing timer or cell phone alarm, especially when you want to work in intervals. Available in 30, 15, 5, and 3-minute increments.

9. Hightide Folding Metal Book Stands. The demand for these things continues to amaze me! I use mine daily, and it folds flat to easily fit in my briefcase for portability between the home office and work.

10. Clairefontaine Looseleaf Paper. It’s almost last call for this shipment! I still have packs of the A5 looseleaf and A4 booklets (50-ct). Definitely bringing this one back!

Deals & Drops: We Have Pencils!

Before the New Year, I placed a restock order on pencils, to ensure that pencil enthusiasts still have an easy option for purchasing the high-end graphite that they love, particularly from Caran d’Ache. Included in the restock were the Caran d’Ache Edelweiss 3B, which sold out nearly immediately the last time I had them. I have plenty this time around. I also received more Swiss Woods, Midori MD pencils in both graphite and color, and the Caran d’Ache Bicolor pencils that I love so much for annotation. Happy shopping!

All links to the T.G.S. Curated Shop, unless otherwise noted. By shopping with us directly, you are supporting original content, pen reviews, pen show events, etc. from The Gentleman Stationer. If you would like to support us even further, please consider checking out the T.G.S. Patreon Program, which offers access to online meetups, exclusive discounts and pre-orders, and more!

1. Caran d’Ache Swiss Wood Gift Set. Looking to try out the Caran d’Ache Swiss Wood, or to give a gift to someone who you think might enjoy it? This gift set has three pencils, a sharpener, and an eraser. Swiss Woods are also available individually and in packs of ten.

2. Crayons de la Maison Caran d’Ache. We have one or two luxury Caran d’Ache gift sets in stock, featuring four high-quality CdA pencils in exotic wood finishes.

3. Caran d’Ache Edelweiss 3B Pencils. The last time I had these pencils in stock, they sold out almost immediately. I recently received a ton of them, and have them available both individually and by the dozen.

4. Tombow 2558 Pencils. Probably my personal favorite for a standard yellow No. 2 pencil (though it has almost an orange hue), the Tombow 2558 also features an impeccable eraser.

5. Mitsubishi 9850 Office Pencil. With their dark burgundy finish and white eraser, this is simply one of the best-looking standard No. 2 pencils that I’ve seen, with a smooth and relatively dark core.

6. Midori MD Pencils. Do you enjoy the Midori MD aesthetic? We do! Checkout this set of matching eraserless pencils in dark “B” grade graphite, featuring the signature cream Midori MD finish.

7. Midori MD Color Pencils. Do you like to journal or take notes in color? Midori also makes a set of color pencils in light blue, grey, and orange.

8. M+R Brass Sharpeners. In my opinion, German manufacturer M+R makes the best handheld brass sharpener on the market, and the best part is that you can purchase replacement blades for all of them, including the more expensive long-point Castor and Pollux.

9. Caran d’Ache Bicolor Highlighter/Graphite Pencils. These dual highlighter/graphite pencils from Caran d’Ache form a core part of my workflow, whether I’m reading for work purposes or my own enjoyment.

10. Caran d’Ache Bicolor Red/Graphite Pencils. Similarly, I always have a couple of these red/graphite pencils sharpened up for annotation purposes. We sell both these and the Highlighter version individually or by the dozen.

Deals & Drops: Holiday Shipping Update/Cutoff and Last Call on Low-Stock Items

Now that we’re about two weeks out from Christmas, I probably should provide an update on where I am, shipping-wise. I’m happy to report that I’ve managed to stay on top of orders despite being historically busy (thank you, everyone!) and have mostly managed to get everything out the door within 2-3 business days of an order being placed. If you have not received an order confirmation, let me know. That’s likely due to the Amazon Web Services outage that took place earlier this week, that prevented my shipping software from sending automatic updates. It didn’t actually affect me getting anything out the door so your orders should be on the way.

While I of course can’t guarantee that a carrier will deliver anything by a certain date, I suspect that all orders placed by early to mid-next week will arrive by Christmas. In addition to the new arrivals from Life Stationery and CW+T, I wanted to highlight in today’s post some low-stock and last-call items that are either going away forever because they’re limited, or may be subject to a lengthy restock period. You’re also doing me a solid by clearing some of the older special and limited editions out to make room for new arrivals, since I’m already having to start my buying for 2022! In addition to the items featured below, please check out the 2021 T.G.S. Holiday Gift Guide!

All links to the T.G.S. Curated Shop, unless otherwise noted. By shopping with us directly, you are supporting original content, pen reviews, pen show events, etc. from The Gentleman Stationer. If you would like to support us even further, please consider checking out the T.G.S. Patreon Program, which offers access to online meetups, exclusive discounts and pre-orders, and more!

1. Platinum Preppy Wa Limited Editions. I am down to the last few Preppy Wa limited edition pens, in a few of the colors. If you’ve been sleeping on these, what’s left is all there is, though I do hope that Platinum continues to issue limited edition versions of the Preppy fountain pen in the future.

2. Caran d’Ache Ecridor Racing Mechanical Pencil. The Ecridor “Racing” series is one of the best-looking releases from this past year, combining black chrome with a red racing stripe in an automotive-inspired design. I have exactly one mechanical pencil remaining in stock.

3. T.G.S. x Sunderland Special Edition MK1 Rollerball Pen. I won’t be restocking these until after the first of the year, so if you’ve had your eye on one for the holidays, or don’t want to wait, I only have a few left.

4. Most WMS & Co. Reading and Desk Accessories. While these are favorites of mine and I will certainly restock them, I’m currently low due to this entire range making exceptionally thoughtful holiday gifts for readers and home library enthusiasts. Last year I did almost all of my own Christmas shopping from the WMS & Co. lineup. (and the gifts were a hit!)

5. Mazzuoli Nobile ITALIA Ballpoint/Mechanical Pencil Combination Set. My favorite from the Giuliano Mazzuoli lineup, the ITALIA combines history with with a practical design. The pen/pencil ships with three different Schmidt Easyflow ballpoint refills and a .7mm mechanical pencil insert for maximum versatility.

6. Caran d’Ache Infinite 888 Swiss Cross Edition. The Infinite series is one of the better-kept secrets in the Caran d’Ache lineup and a surprise best-seller, and the Swiss Cross version might be my favorite. I have a couple of the mechanical pencils left in stock. Check out the standard Infinite series here.

7. Field Notes “Fifty” and “Trailhead” Editions. We tend to be selective in which Field Notes editions we stock, and these are two of the best that we’ve seen in a while. (“Trailhead” might be my favorite from the past couple years, actually.) We didn’t buy many of these and once they’re gone, we won’t restock.

8. Wilco x Field Notes Box Set. Know any Wilco fans who might appreciate this collection of six Field Notes pocket notebooks designed in collaboration with the members of the band? I have exactly one and probably won’t restock this one.

9. Penco “Perfection Light” Pocket Ballpoints. While the Penco “Perfection” Brass Bullet Pen has been popular, we’ve been selling a lot of the lightweight plastic version, which also takes a universal D1 refill. We’re down to two colors and will try to restock in the future, but it may be a little while.

10. Traveler’s Company “Travel Tools” Special Edition Refill. This special edition cover uses high quality Midori MD paper, perfect for all Traveler’s Notebooks and “Traveler’s-sized” covers. I picked up a bunch of these while I could, but haven’t done a great job of putting them out there. I love the cover design!

Deals & Drops: New Arrivals and Holiday Restock Reminders

Just a reminder to please consider the T.G.S. Curated Shop and other smaller retailers for your holiday shopping needs! We are currently fully stocked on pens, notebooks, and desk and reading accessories from a wide range of makers, including special products you won’t find anywhere else! In addition to the items featured below, please check out the 2021 T.G.S. Holiday Gift Guide!

All links to the T.G.S. Curated Shop, unless otherwise noted. By shopping with us directly, you are supporting original content, pen reviews, pen show events, etc. from The Gentleman Stationer. If you would like to support us even further, please consider checking out the T.G.S. Patreon Program, which offers access to online meetups, exclusive discounts and pre-orders, and more!

1. T.G.S. x. Sunderland Machine Works mk1 Rollerball. Our exclusive matte black and burgundy rollerball is down to the last few pens from this initial run. If you’re looking for a unique gift, or just something nice for yourself that you’d like before the holidays, it’s an excellent option.

2. CW+T Pen-Type C. Though known for their popular Pen Type-A and Pen Type-B models, both of which house the full-size Pilot Hi-Tec-C refill, the Pen Type-C is a bookmark/pocket pen that features the Hi-Tec-C Coleto, a needle-tip multipen refill that comes in a wide array of colors. Titanium construction at an accessible price.

3. Penco “Perfection” Bullet Pen. Love the bullet pen format but wish your Space Pen had a bit more heft to it? This brass version by Penco comes in three different finishes, and accepts the universal D1 refill.

4. Caran d’Ache 849 Rollerball Pen. This one will likely make two of my 2021 year-end favorites lists: Favorite products stocked in the shop and favorite new releases in general. The larger barrel is extremely comfortable for longer writing sessions, and the fact that it accepts standard Parker-style refills makes it an extremely versatile choice on par with the Retro 51 Tornado.

5. Caran d’Ache Ecridor Racing .7mm Mechanical Pencil. Combining black chrome with a sharp red racing stripe, the Ecridor Racing series is the best-looking version of Caran d’Ache’s higher-end Ecridor pen/pencil that I’ve seen.

6. Caran d’Ache Claim Your Style Ballpoint, Edition No. 3. The monochrome color scheme from this year’s Claim Your Style pens is likely my favorite of the three releases, especially the dark blue, green, and orange versions.

7. Midori MD Fountain Pen. Midori’s fountain pen features the same off-white color scheme as the rest of their stationery products (like their “B” grade pencils), but that’s not what makes this one so much fun. They’ve tweaked the stainless steel nib from the Traveler’s Company brass fountain pen and angled it slightly downward to compensate for those who write with heavy pressure.

8. WMS & Co. Bronze Octagonal Custom Rubber Stamp. Of all the desk accessories made by WMS & Co., this customizable brass stamp is my favorite. I personally use it as an “ex libris” library stamp, but the purchase includes a voucher good for creating a custom stamp of your choice, whether that be a professional seal, return address, monogram, etc.

9. WMS & Co. Sterling Modern Page Markers and Page Points. These handcrafted sterling silver bookmarks are perennial sellers, and absolutely perfect gifts for any occasion if you have someone on your list who is a serious reader.

10. Traveler’s Company Brass Pen Case. I don’t know which of the Traveler’s Company brass accessories is my favorite, between this and the Brass Ruler. Don’t forget to check out other options like the Template Bookmark and Number Clips that you can use to organize your notebooks.

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Midori MD: All Notebook Sizes Now Available!

Just in time for Thanksgiving, I received a shipment of Midori MD Notebooks in all sizes, including A4, A5, A6, and B6 Slim, as well as blank MD notepads and a fresh restock of the Midori MD Fountain Pen, Midori MD Pencils in “B” grade graphite, and the Midori MD Color Pencils! I have a few more surprise arrivals in store for the weeks to come, so stay tuned.

If you’ve already begun your holiday shopping, don’t forget to check out this year’s T.G.S. Holiday Gift Guide, featuring gift ideas from Midori and more. For the coming week, I will be shipping orders, but due to the Thanksgiving Holiday in the U.S. orders placed Wednesday (11/24) and Thursday (11/25) will likely ship Friday or over the weekend. Many thanks!