T.G.S. Summer Giveaway, Round Three: Courtesy of Sunderland, Penwell, and Musgrave!

It’s still all-aboard the giveaway train around here, and this week I’m clearing out some more prototypes and review samples that deserve to find a home in someone’s daily rotation. I have three exceptionally good giveaway items this week:

• T.G.S. x. Sunderland mk1 Prototype Rollerball Pen. While the final version of the T.G.S. signature mk1 features a matte black and red finish, this prototype version features a polished finish. While we decided to go in a different direction for the pen that went to market, this one still looks great is a fully functional Sunderland mk1 for you to use as a daily writer. Read more about the Sunderland mk1 here.

• Penwell Traveler Pen Holder. This portable Penwell features a matte white finish with brass hardware, and comes in a zippered travel pouch.

• Assortment of Musgrave Pencils. The team at Musgrave, my local Tennessee pencil maker, is kind enough to periodically send me items to give away. Our final giveaway prize will be an assortment of Musgrave pencils, along with a high-quality sharpener so that you can put a fine point on your writing!

As per the usual, enter using the Gleam widget below, which also contains the full terms and conditions. In short, the giveaway will run all week until Sunday, June 12, at 11:59pm U.S. Central Time. Once the giveaway closes I will randomly select three winners. While this giveaway is open to participants worldwide, I may not be able to ship to your location due to legal restrictions or prohibitive cost. If cost is an issue, I will reach out to let you know and give you the option of covering a portion of the shipping costs.

This post does NOT contain paid third-party affiliate links. With respect to the giveaway, I don’t personally use any of your information for marketing, etc., but since Gleam is a third-party I’d encourage you to refer to their privacy policy.

Updated "Resources": Custom and Specialty Nibs

I’m traveling this weekend, but during a bit of downtime this morning I finalized my latest update to the site resources: a page aggregating all of the previous reviews and posts on specialty and custom nibs. I plan to supplement this as I work my way though a longer ongoing project in which I’m taking the time to compare and review different specialty grinds from many different pen companies and nib grinders. Honestly, this project will probably never be complete, but since nib grinds and nib customization have become such a huge part of the “experience,” I figured a resource like this would be helpful. Enjoy!

Reunion Season Throwback: Things I Wish I Had In School

So in addition to it being graduation season, it’s reunion season, and I’m currently in attendance at my 20th. (High School or College, I refuse to say.) But being here brought back a lot of memories, and since my own school experience abroad is a big reason why I got into this hobby and have remained engaged in the community over the years, I’ve spent some time thinking about the products that I would have found the most useful when I was a student. Sure, some of these almost certainly existed somewhere in the world at that time, but they weren’t easily accessible to me.

1. Extra-fine Fountain Pen Nibs for Annotation. Sure, I used fountain pens starting early on in college, but for whatever reason, all I could find were medium nibs, and that’s what I used exclusively until about ten years ago. Interchangeable nib fountain pens such as the TWSBI Diamond 580 would have been extremely useful tools, paired with a nib like the Mark Bacas Predator Hybrid or one of the Japanese extra-fine needlepoints I’ve reviewed in recent weeks.

2. “Slim” Style Notebooks. I’ve always been a note-taker and list-maker, but seemingly found myself limited to legal pads, larger letter-size or A4 notebooks, and DayTimers (remember those?) when what I really love are sizes like A5 Slim (“Traveler’s Style”) and B6 Slim (like the Nanami Paper Cafe Note and the Midori MD equivalent). If something like the Traveler’s Notebook system had been around, I certainly would have used it.

3. Quality Sticky Notes. I used to buy sticky notes by the case, but hated the fact that they all bled through with literally any pen except ballpoints.

4. Book Darts. I still have some books from high school and college, flagged with the aforementioned multicolored sticky notes and plastic document flags. Aged brass or bronze Book Darts probably would have looked a lot nicer.

5. Highlighter Pencils. Now this is a product that was almost certainly around, I just didn’t know anything about it and for whatever reason highlighter pencils never made it onto my radar until I started my legal practice and found one lying around the law library at my first job. The fact that you can use them over ink without causing the ink to bleed is infinitely useful.

6. Quality Woodcase Pencils for Writing. I’ve always been a pencil enthusiast as well as a pen lover, but towards the end of my school days the quality of U.S. pencils dipped tremendously as manufacturers outsourced and cut corners on materials. Pencils such as the Tombow 2558 and the Caran d’Ache School pencil remind me of what was available during my elementary school days, but had largely disappeared by college.

7. Quality Pencil Sharpeners, Especially Long-Points. If only I had known that I could have avoided years of feeding perfectly good pencils into the crappy electric sharpeners…

Later today I plan to make a run by the school bookstore, and while I’m not overly hopeful at what I’ll find, I’ll probably still add to my ever-growing stockpile, if only for the sake of nostalgia!

This post does not contain any paid third-party affiliate links. The Gentleman Stationer is supported by purchases through the T.G.S. Curated Shop and pledges through the T.G.S. Patreon Program.

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Exploring Stock Custom Nibs, Part II: Nagahara Needlepoints from Franklin-Christoph

Several weeks ago, I reviewed the Esterbrook Needlepoint nib by Kirk Speer, available for purchase as an add-on with Esterbrook Estie fountain pens. Today I plan to look at a product that’s similar, yet at the same time very different: Pre-ground needlepoint nibs by Japanese nib grinder Yukio Nagahara, available as an add-on purchase with pens from Franklin-Christoph.

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Comparing the Franklin-Christoph Nagahara No. 6 (bottom) to the Nagahara No. 5 (middle) to the Kirk Speer Esterbrook No. 6 (top).

I’ll start with this: These nibs are true “needlepoint” nibs, leaving a line that measures approximately .25mm. The Nagahara nibs work best for very small handwriting - typically printing - and I use them primarily for document annotation, not journaling or correspondence. If you prefer to write in smaller cursive, or any handwriting style that involves lots of horizontal strokes, you may prefer a standard extra-fine or the Kirk Speer Needlepoint. While these latter nibs won’t write as fine a line as the Nagahara, they’re not so fine as to catch the edges of fibers in textured or less expensive paper. The Nagahara nibs perform best on smoother Japanese papers such as Midori MD or Tomoe River.

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I have two Franklin-Christoph Nagahara Needlepoints, in both No. 5 and No. 6 nib sizes. There is actually a fair bit of variation between the two, even though they’re ground by the same nib grinder. In comparison, the No. 6 is “smoother” than the No. 5, in that it has less tooth, but it also writes a slightly thicker line. Both Franklin-Christoph nibs write a finer line than the Esterbrook.

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The Nagahara nibs definitely have more tooth, yet at the same time they are truly “needlepoint extra-fine” and as a bonus, offer some Naginata-style line variation as you change the angle of your writing.

Takeaways and Where to Buy

Whether you prefer one nib grinder’s style over another’s is simply a matter of personal preference, and this is a perfect example of how “the same grind” can vary from nib grinder to nib grinder. For everyday writing, the Kirk Speer Needlepoint offers a “smoother” writing experience that many people will prefer, but if you’re truly looking to write very small, consider the Nagahara grinds. Like the Esterbrook Needlepoint, the Franklin-Christoph nibs are standard JoWo stainless steel nibs with the interchangeable housings, so you can swap them into any other JoWo compatible pens in your collection, from Franklin-Christoph or otherwise. It makes for quite a versatile purchase.

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You can purchase these Nagahara-ground Needlepoint nibs as a $25 add-on to the purchase of any Franklin-Christoph pen, such as the Model 02 Intrinsic in Antique Glass and Acrylic shown here, and the Model 45 in full “Cathedral” acrylic. (As you can see, I have a thing for vintage-style flecked acrylic pens.) I purchased these pens at this year’s Baltimore Pen Show, where the team at Franklin-Christoph checked and tuned the nibs to my preference, but both of the Franklin-Christoph pens shown here are currently available for purchase on the site.

I purchased the Franklin-Christoph pens featured in this review with my own funds. This post does not contain paid third-party affiliate links. The Gentleman Stationer is supported by purchases from the T.G.S. Curated Shop and pledges via the T.G.S. Patreon Program.

June is Almost Here! Father's Day and Graduation Gift Ideas

Believe it or not, June is upon us, and many of us find ourselves in the market for a graduation or Father’s Day gift. Whether you’re looking for a gift for someone else or responding to requests for “gift ideas”, our shop carries many different options for the analog-minded, from pens and notebooks to reading accessories. As we all settle in following the long weekend, I thought it might be helpful to point out a few of our favorites.

• Traveler’s Company Brass Pens and Pencils. A highly functional piece of stationery with a dash of history and Americana thrown in, the Traveler’s Company brass pens and pencils are inspired by the vintage “bullet pencils” of the early-to-mid 20th Century. The classic Brass Ballpoint is one of my favorite travel tools, and can frequently be found clipped to the front of whatever book I’m reading on the beach in the summer. Pair with a leather Traveler’s Notebook for an excellent gift set.

• CW+T Pen-Types A through C. Love the idea of the Traveler’s Company Brass Pens, but want to up the game a bit with something that will stand out and probably last forever? Consider one of these three releases from CW+T. Pen Type A combines a stainless steel ruler and straightedge with a pneumatic-fit pen that accepts Pilot’s Hi-Tec-C refill. Pen Type-B offers the same pneumatic fit technology in a more portable form and additional finishes, while Pen Type-C is a fabulous bookmark-style pen that you can take anywhere with you!

• Write Notepads Classic Hardcover Notebook. For the journaler, commonplace booker, or someone who would enjoy a fine hardbound notebook with excellent paper, consider this hardcover book from Write Notepads, featuring their fountain pen friendly lined or dot grid paper. Of course, the rest of the Write Notepads lineup features many other highly giftable, classically styled stationery options.

• Lochby Tool Roll. While I use it as a pen case, the versatile Lochby Tool Roll is capable of much more. Stash anything from bike repair tools to wrenches to, yes, fountain pens or mechanical pencils and still have room for odds and ends in its various pockets and pouches. The durable waxed-canvas construction makes for a true go-anywhere piece of EDC kit.

• Fine Bookmarks and Reading Accessories. A classic graduation or Father’s Day gift for a reader is a sterling silver or brass bookmark, and I speak from personal experience because I have nearly a dozen myself, accumulated over the years, treasuring every one! We carry anything from sterling “Page Points” and “Page Markers” to a pack of smaller. .1mm-thin bookmarks perfect for sticking inside a card.

From left, CW+T Pen Type-C, The Traveler’s Company Brass Ballpoint, and the Traveler’s Company Brass Fountain Pen in the “Factory Green” finish.

The Write Notepads Classic Hardcover Notebook with the CW+T Pen-Type C clipped in.

The T.G.S. Curated Shop is an authorized retailer of all brands we stock, including those featured here. The Gentleman Stationer is supported entirely by shop purchases and pledges through the T.G.S. Patreon Program.