Or maybe I should now say “Best Pen/Pencil” list? Earlier this month I teased some impending updates in the form of Mechanical and Woodcase pencil categories, and the “Mechanical Pencil” category is now live. I was waiting on an initial shipment of this favorite shown below to arrive before I launched, but overall there shouldn’t be too many surprises on the list! Enjoy!
Thursday Drops: Underrated and Overlooked? Pens and Stationery You Shouldn't Sleep On!
Since yesterday’s review of the Pilot Explorer fountain pen, I’ve received a few comments and messages thanking me for spotlighting what many consider an underrated fountain pen that often goes overlooked in recommendation lists. That’s a big part of what I’m trying to do here, both on the blog and in the shop: curate a selection of writing instruments and stationery with a focus on those items that I feel don’t necessarily get the attention they deserve. It’s easy to get distracted by the FOMO of new releases, limited editions, etc. (and those can be fun), but if you’re looking for a pen that you can actually use to write reliably on a daily basis, don’t sleep on some of the more “standard” offerings.
Recent arrivals include the latest Kaweco Collection release, “Apricot Pearl,” as well as a new ballpoint from Tombow (the Zoom L105)!
Pilot Explorer Fountain Pens. While the Metropolitan is a nice pen in its own right, the Pilot Explorer should have broader appeal, given its light weight, rounded grip, and the same reliable nib. The colors also really pop, even if they’re technically more demure than some of the wilder Metro patterns. Check out the full review from yesterday.
Pilot Custom 74 Fountain Pens. Pilot still offers a relatively broad range of gold nib pen options at the sub-$200 price point, led by the Custom 74, which I would equate to a “higher end Explorer” because it generally takes on the same shape and feel in the hand, only with several steps up in build. Currently available in multiple transparent demonstrator colors and four nib options!
Lamy Studio Fountain Pens. The Lamy Studio (both the steel and 14k nib versions) are the unsung heroes of the Lamy lineup. Even if you don’t enjoy a rounded metal section, check out the “All Black” Studio, which sports a matte finish for added grip texture.
Lamy Pico Ballpoint Pens. It really surprised me at the Arkansas Pen Show how many people had never picked up a Lamy Pico ballpoint pen! These pocket ballpoints expand to a full-sized writing instrument with the press of a button.
Craighill Caro Pen. I carried a “wallet pen” for years, and the Caro Pen builds on the same idea only with EDC/keychain functionality. The slip cap attaches using a garter spring, so it’s quite secure, and to date I’ve not had any issues with this pen coming loose even with my keys in my pocket. More on how I use this pen here.
Kaweco Collection Fountain Pens. There are some excellent colors in the Kaweco Collection “Sport” line, especially the muted pastel blues. And of course, don’t forget the latest release in “Apricot Pearl”, which just hit the shop last week!
Caran d’Ache 849 Rollerball Pens. While I love the original Caran d’Ache 849 for its portability, the 849 Rollerball is probably more versatile due to the fact that it takes Parker-style refills. The Caran d’Ache Rollerball refill is exceptionally good, especially in the fine tip, but you can also swap in your ballpoint of choice if you’re one of those who feel that the standard Caran d’Ache 849 is too narrow.
Anterique Brass Ballpoints. Anterique has expanded the range of colors in the brass-barrel offerings. The brass lower barrel adds a nice weight/balance to this vintage-inspired click pen.
NJK Pencil Sharpeners. Japanese sharpener specialist NJK continues to release excellent pencil sharpeners at an insanely good value. I keep several of these in rotation, at each of my work stations.
Viarco Pencils. Portuguese pencil maker Viarco has been making pencils in their factory for generations, and it’s one of a handful of pencil factories remaining in Europe. We offer a range of their vintage-inspired pencils,
The Gentleman Stationer is supported entirely by purchases from the T.G.S. Curated Shop and pledges via the T.G.S. Patreon Program.
Putting an Extra-Fine Point on It: Pens and Pencils for Tax Season
If I’ve seemed a bit absent from the pen internets lately, it’s not without good reason: I’ve spent much of the past two weeks either traveling to pen shows or finalizing taxes, like everyone else here in the States. While I do have an accountant to help me finalize any submissions, I’m in that weird spot where my business isn’t large enough to justify the expense of a regular bookkeeper, so I still do much of the work myself, and a lot of it requires manual review of invoices, reports, and related documentation.
But enough about the nuts and bolts of tax prep. Nobody really wants to read about that, and those of you who aren’t serial procrastinators probably finished your taxes weeks ago. Every year, however, I always plan to write a post about what pens (and pencils) I use to make it through the first weeks of April, and never get around to it because the entire experience burns me out and I don’t want to even think about taxes more than I have to. But this year is different! 2024 tax season overlapped with an interesting vintage acquisition that I made at the Arkansas Pen Show, inspiring this morning’s post.
Vintage Extra-Fine Nibs and Dagger-Sharp Leadholders
If there’s one frustration among those of us who naturally have very small handwriting or or work in professions where we regularly annotate documents or take smaller notes, it’s the absence of (1) truly “extra fine” fountain pen nibs that write consistently small out of the box and (2) reliably good pencils - and sharpeners - that can hold a point for any substantial length of time. Sure, all of these things do exist, but mostly in import products and on the higher-end of the price spectrum. The standard steel “fine” or “extra-fine” fountain pen nib from Bock and JoWo - ubiquitous in modern pens - isn’t small enough for the type of notetaking I do regularly, so I have to rely on custom-ground needlepoints and Japanese gold nibs like the fine and extra-fine nibs from Pilot and Sailor.
This wasn’t always the case. Back when most bookkeeping and accounting work was done manually, it sustained a market for truly “extra-fine” nibs (preferably ones that were stiff to allow you to write very, very small with consistent inkflow, and which you sometimes see designated as “accounting nibs”). Case-in-point: the extra-fine nib on this Parker 51 “flighter” fountain pen I picked up at the pen show last week. I own a lot of Parker 51 fountain pens, and most of the nibs are standard fines or what I would consider a fine-medium: nothing like the smooth extra-fine nib on this one, which so far has held up wonderfully with reliable inkflow. I wouldn’t go so far as to call this pen a “needlepoint,” but it writes a line comparable to the extra-fine nib in Pilot Custom 74 or Vanishing Point, which I consider the most reliable, readily available, and reasonably priced writing experience for those looking to write very small with a fountain pen.
Otherwise, for very small writing I’m using a mechanical pencil, a .5mm low-viscosity ballpoint, or if I’m looking to keep things interesting, a leadholder pencil. One thing that I love about leadholders like the Caran d’Ache Fixpencil or the Penco Prime Timber is the ability to put an extremely sharp point on them, making them a favorite for art, drafting, or - like me - writing absolutely minute script. The 2mm and 3mm leads that these pencils use often sharpen better than the standard cores used in woodcase pencils, and you can easily change the hardness of the graphite to adjust point retention. In my experience, leadholder graphite tends to run slightly harder than its designation, so even a B or 2B drafting lead can get you both a very sharp point and a dark line.
To get the best point on a leadholder, I’d recommend you invest in a stand-alone lead pointer with replaceable blades, as the integrated sharpener in the cap of many leadholders isn’t of the highest quality. Sure, it’s serviceable in a pinch, but you won’t get the needle-tip that you see pictured here.
Takeaways and Where to Buy
I’ve been using my Penco leadholder and new 51 nearly exclusively for the past week, and recommend both as excellent tools for everyday work. Unfortunately, finding a suitable vintage nib for your needs likely requires a trip to a pen show or some back-and-forth with a reputable vintage pen dealer. Parker 51 nibs typically aren’t marked, and I’ve noticed a lot of variability in size between different pens that supposedly have the same nib, so I almost always like to write with them before I purchase. I acquired this particular Parker 51 from Danny Fudge at The Write Pen, who has become my go-to resource for all things vintage. The Penco “Prime Timber” leadholder is sold in our own shop - it’s an inexpensive quality leadholder that includes an excellent lead pointer in the packaging. We also have a selection of Caran d’Ache Fixpencils and graphite refills, as well as the ultra-sharp M+R Brass Lead pointer, which has holes for sharpening two different lead widths and replaceable blades.
Do you have a favorite tax-time tool? (Not Turbotax or Quickbooks, sorry, analog only! :)) Bonus points if you still use a leatherbound ledger!
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How Fine is "Too Fine"? Comparing Tip Sizes Across Different Pen and Pencil Types
It can be hard to make sense of the different tip sizes in ballpoints, gel pens, and mechanical pencils. Manufacturers tend to denote the tip size in millimeters (or tenths of a millimeter) as opposed to the arguably more descriptive "fine,” "medium,” and “broad” or “bold” typically used in fountain pens and rollerballs. Moreover, the actual corresponding line width isn't always consistent, due to differences between ballpoint and gel ink. For example, a .5mm gel pen might write a wetter line that looks wider than a corresponding .5mm ballpoint.
Since I've spent the past couple of weeks on "day job" projects that have required a lot of travel and non-fountain-pen use, I thought it might be interesting to do a direct comparison of the different widths and test some recent observations.
Ballpoint Example: Uniball Jetstream
It's somewhat difficult to find decent ballpoints that allow you to write a very fine line outside of Uni's Jetstream line. There are exceptions, like the Anterique Mach Ball Pens and the Ohto Refills found in Mark's and Traveler's Company Pens, but these less common Japanese imports are generally limited to the .5mm size, whereas the Jetstream comes in in both .38mm and .28mm line widths.
I'm always shocked at how smooth Jetstream refills write, even at the .28mm width. .5mm will always be my personal sweet spot for everyday writing, but it's nice to have the ultra fine options for notetaking and annotation. Currently, I’m only aware of the Jetstream Edge in this ultra-fine .28mm tip, but it’s possible there are others sold in Japan.
Gel Pen Example: Pilot Hi-Tec-C Coleto Multi-Pen
The Pilot Hi-Tec-C remains a favorite gel pen, and the Coleto multi-pen version (in all of its various iterations) is probably my all-time favorite option. With gel pens, I tend to prefer the Hi-Tec-C's needle-tip, and I've found the Coleto Multi-Pen refills to resist the flow issues and clogging that can be endemic to the standard Hi-Tec-C.
Personally, the "sweet spot" for me is the .4mm Hi-Tec-C Coleto refill. I find these ever-so-slightly wider and smoother than most ".38mm" refills. This could be an ink issue as opposed to tip size, but I'm speaking from hands-on experience here, not any sort of technical analysis.
Mechanical Pencil Examples: Uni Kuru Toga and Caran d'Ache 888 Infinite
I've only recently begun experimenting with mechanical pencils narrower than .5mm. During my recent trip to NYC, I picked up a .38mm Uni Kuru Toga at Kinokuniya. I'm surprised at how usable this pencil is, even if you do have to be somewhat careful to avoid lead breakage. Generally speaking, a .7mm mechanical pencil will give you a line width closest to a standard woodcase pencil freshly sharpened in a long-point sharpener. The .5mm is my default “I-want-to-write-small-without-worrying-about-lead-breakage” pencil, and the size I use the most frequently. If you use a higher quality pencil lead, a .5mm mechanical pencil can be nearly as break-resistant as a .7mm pencil.
Practical Considerations: Some Parting Thoughts on Choosing a Size
First, the good news: Most ballpoints, gel pens, and mechanical pencils are relatively inexpensive, so the risk of choosing the "wrong line width" is relatively low. You can buy one of each size and write with them for a while before making a larger investment in a broader range of colors or multiple refills.
Second, as someone who takes a lot of notes and is a serial annotator - meaning that I obsessively mark up books, articles, and documents as I read them - I tend to find a use case for all of the different sizes. While .5mm is my go-to size for everyday writing, I typically keep a .38mm or .4mm handy, and have been experimenting with the .28mm Jetstream Edge. On the other hand, if you mainly write longhand, such as using your pens and pencils to journal, you may find .7mm the best all around choice. .5mm or wider will give you a smoother writing experience.
Finally, though I'm still working through my thoughts on ultra-fine mechanical pencils, I'm pretty confident that anything finer than .5mm won't make it into my everyday rotation. With a mechanical pencil, you have to worry about lead breakage, and these ultra-fine widths are inescapably more fragile than their .5mm and .7mm counterparts. With a .38mm mechanical pencil, I've found that I have to pay more attention to things like paper texture, which can snag the lead and cause a break.
The Gentleman Stationer is supported entirely by purchases from the T.G.S. Curated Shop and pledges via the T.G.S. Patreon Program. Certain pens and pencils discussed in this post are available for purchase in our shop, so please consider supporting us if you enjoyed this content!
Updated Travel Kit 2024: Packing Pens, Pencils and Notebooks for A Road Trip
I had a request a couple of weeks ago that I write an updated piece about my “travel kit” - namely the bags, pens, and notebooks that I bring with me when I hit the road. Obviously, it depends on the trip - when I travel to pen shows, I tend to bring a a lot of stationery for the sake of stationery. Work trips - or as with the trip I’m taking today, combination work/family trips - are much more difficult because I have to balance practicality with my own preferences. I’ll be on the road for just under a week, traveling in two different contexts, to two different cities, so I’ll need to be much more selective in choosing what to bring with me. As I pack, I thought it might be fun to document what I’m bringing and why:
Bag: Filson Zippered Tote
What it is: A long-handled tote bag from Filson with a zippered closure and multiple side pockets. Featuring Filson’s heavy duty twill fabric and durable construction, this bag epitomizes the term “workhorse.”
Why: While I sometimes wish I’d purchased a darker color, this versatile bag pulls double duty as a carry-on and a briefcase, once I arrive at my destination and have to attend meetings. In addition to serving as an exceptional travel companion, it’s a great everyday overflow briefcase for when I need to tote around binders and larger files.
Notebooks: Roterfaden, William Hannah, and a Plotter
Roterfaden A5 with Three Clips (SO_20 Slim Leather with Suede)
What it is: The cover for my Hobonichi Cousin, which is my time-blocking notebook and primary “Work Notebook” for managing my day. This notebook goes with me everywhere. Currently, the Roterfaden cover contains a Hobonichi Cousin; Roterfaden A5 sheet protectors to hold notes, papers, and business cards, and a Midori A5 Softcolor Slim Notebook in blue.
Why: I’ve long used Roterfaden Taschenbegleiter covers because of the flexibility. Especially when I’m doing extended travel, I can clip individual notebooks in and out of the protective cover. With this setup, for example, I can add the thicker Hobonichi for a working session, and take it out to create a slimmer notebook profile if I just want to take the A5 Midori notebook to a coffee shop to do some brainstorming.
What it is: a disc-bound A5 notebook that’s a powerful organizational tool, provided you have a hole-punch that can be used with the Levenger Circa, Staples Arc, William Hannah or other disc-bound systems. For professional use, I need the flexibility of being able to move around individual pages, and even to remove them for storage/records management purposes.
Why: This notebook contains all of my law practice and professional development notes. It’s a work trip, so a bit of a no-brainer that this notebook goes with me on the road. (My Plotter binders contain all of my TGS and personal notes, and may or may not come with me depending on space since it likely wouldn’t get too much use this week.)
Pens and Pencils: Cartridge Fountain Pens, Ballpoints, and Mechanical Pencils
Fountain Pens on a Work Trip = Keep it simple.
Kaweco Art Sport and Gravitas “Dinky”. Cartridge fountain pens tend to travel well, since there’s not much ink in the cartridge and I’ve found that they tend to resist changes in temperature and air pressure quite well. The Kaweco Sport is a versatile pocket/travel option, and I’m testing out this Gravitas “Dinky” pocket fountain pen in “Cupronickel” that Ben was kind enough to give me for review at the LA Pen Show.
Pilot Custom 823. Ok, so I want at least one fun nib for journaling and playing around, and here I opted for my Pilot Custom 823 with a Mark Bacas medium blade nib. As I discussed at my California Pen Show seminar, vacuum-filling pens like the Custom 823, TWSBI Vac700R (or Vac Mini!), or Nahvalur Original Plus make great travel pens because they incorporate a shut-off valve that helps prevent major leakage on an airplane or when the pen is jostling around in a bag.
Two Ballpoints. I always carry two ballpoints, especially for conferences and work trips where I’ll be in meetings and don’t want to have to fiddle with a fountain pen and bad paper. For this week’s trip it’s the Uniball Jetstream Prime in .5mm, and the recently received Lamy Noto, an insanely comfortable triangular pen. Neither of these pens is particularly expensive, making them good candidates for a conference where things can unfortunately “wander off” from time to time.
Two Mechanical Pencils. When I’m on an airplane, I tend to work with a tablet/stylus or with a mechanical pencil, just to keep things simple and any mess to a minimum. Lately, I’ve really been enjoying the Uni Kuru Toga Alpha Gel Switch, which I first picked up at Kinokuniya in NYC last year and loved it so much that I brought them into the shop and promptly “bought” a yellow and black model for myself. I have two with me this weekend. Again, these are inexpensive writing instruments so they’re perfect for airplane and conference use.
So what’s the deal when I’m traveling? This trip is only a few days so it won’t throw off the blog schedule. Shop Orders placed late this week might take 1-2 extra business days to fulfill, but whenever that happens I always throw something extra in the box like a sticker, ink sample, or extra refill. I’m really looking forward to a couple of days off, and I’m in New Orleans so I plan to visit our friends at Papier Plume!