Do I Fly With Fountain Pens? Yes, I Do! (2026 San Francisco Pen Show Edition)

I’m on my way to the San Francisco Pen Show, where I’ll be co-hosting a maker’s panel tomorrow night, helping out at the Vanness Pens table through the weekend, and teaching two workshops on notebook systems: one on Saturday and one on Sunday! If you’re attending and want to sign up (space permitting), check out the events page on the show website. There is no charge to attend any of the events I’m associated with, but due to space constraints sign-up is required.

Flying with Fountain Pens: Do’s and Don’ts

Given that I have a four-plus hour flight ahead of me, I thought it made sense to discuss another topic of discussion that comes up weekly, both online and in the shop: Do I fly with fountain pens? The answer is absolutely, yes. I’ve successfully flown with fountain pens for years, mainly as a result of two pieces of advice I received early on.

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Tip One: Fly with the Fountain Pen Full or Half Empty

Most “inkcidents” on airplanes occur as the result of air in the ink reservoir expanding due to pressure changes, which pushes ink into the cap and causes a mess when you uncap the pen to write on the plane or after you land. The solution is to (1) fill the pen completely before departure or (2) empty the pen and take ink with you to fill upon arrival. Personally, I follow the first approach, but I also take a secondary precaution by limiting the types of pens that I fly with.

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Opus 88 is the most accessible maker of Japanese-style eyedropper fountain pens, featuring JoWo nibs and, of course, the stopper shown here.

Tip Two: Consider Flying with Vacuum-Fillers or Japanese-Style Eyedroppers

These days, if I’m flying with fountain pens, it typically will be a Japanese-style eyedropper (like an Opus 88) or a vacuum-filler (like the Pilot Custom 823 or the TWSBI Vac700R). In the past, I’ve had plenty of success flying with standard piston fillers and cartridge/converter pens using the “full or empty” trick discussed above, but both the Japanese eyedropper and vacuum-filler pens feature a valve system that allows you to seal the ink reservoir and prevent the bulk of the ink from leaking into the cap. (Occasionally you will still get a few drops from whatever ink is left in the feed or section.) Not only does this minimize the mess factor, but these pens also hold a ton of ink so you almost certainly won’t have to refill on the road.

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If you want to write for a more extended session, and allow the ink to flow freely, simply loosen the blind copy to open the valve. You can still write with the pen with the valve shut - the section and feed usually will hold enough ink for a page or two, depending on nib size.

Bonus Tip: Keep It Simple

Don’t overdo it and pack a dozen inked fountain pens for a plane trip. The more pens you take with you, the greater the chance one leaks. I’m road testing several new eyedroppers from Opus this weekend, but I could easily see myself packing just one or two of these pens for more extended travel in the future. Stay tuned!

While we are away, the Nashville Shop will remain open Thursday and Friday from 1-6pm, and Saturday from 10am-4pm (Slightly reduced hours). Online orders will continue to be processed but shipping time for orders placed after Wednesday at noon will have a 3-5 business day fulfillment time as opposed to our typical 2-3 business days. As always, orders placed while we are away get a little something “extra” in them. Many thanks for your support!

New Arrivals: Colorverse Colorvent Calendars Are Here! Plus NOLTY Notebooks

The Colorvent Calendar is Colorverse’s own take on an advent calendar, with 24 unique 15ml bottles. These sets are available now and limited, so be sure to order yours to ensure that you have it for the beginning of “Inkvent”/”Colorvent” season. After each year, Colorverse selects three inks to add to the regular lineup. Check out the 2024 Set and 2025 Set to get a sense of what’s inside. We were personally huge fans of the three choices from 2025, especially “Follow the Water” and “Erebus Crater”.

We are also happy to add to our lineup a wide array of notebooks from NOLTY, a Japanese brand known for their planners and other everyday tools. In addition to standard notebooks, we’ve also added the Log-Type Notebooks featuring their unique “Asymmetry” ruling, with alternating lined and dot pages.

The “Top 3” Selection from 2025.

Some of us will be attending the San Francisco Pen Show this weekend. The Nashville Shop will remain open Thursday and Friday from 1-6pm, and Saturday from 10am-4pm (Slightly reduced hours). Online orders will continue to be processed but shipping time for orders placed after Wednesday at noon will have a 3-5 business day fulfillment time as opposed to our typical 2-3 business days. As always, orders placed while we are away get a little something “extra” in them. Many thanks for your support!

Sunday Reading for August 23, 2026

1. 2026 Washington DC Fountain Pen Supershow (via Olive Octopus Ink). Many thanks to Lisa for helping out at the show (and of course with everything else around here)! A great DC Supershow recap.

2. DC Show Recap…and a remembrance (via Figboot on Pens). David has his recap of the D.C. Pen Show, with a sad note.

3. Ink of The Week: Ferris Wheel Press Scarlett Studio (via Dime Novel Raven). I’ve not tried this particular ink, but I relate to those of us who love to write with red ink, despite taking a lot of flak for it!

4. An Octopus Medusa? Good Name, Great Ink! (via Inkdependence). Octopus Fluids is a relatively new ink brand from Germany, known for their sheeners as well as their permanent document inks.

5. When Best Intentions Are Not Enough (via Well-Appointed Desk). The prevalence of AI everywhere is scary, and it’s becoming increasingly difficult to avoid, even when you try. For those navigating business services, it’s increasingly being included as a “feature” of services and software many of us have used for years, with little disclosure and no ability to opt out.

6. The Best Pen Show Bag (via Rachel’s Reflections). Pen Show bags are big topic of interest for me, and I fully agree that the default pen show bag should be getting smaller, given how crowded many of these shows are these days.

7. Platinum 3776 Century Travia - A Quick Look (via Pen Addict - Kimberly). Platinum has been making changes to it’s product lineup (as well as it’s price points). While I like the Ruthenium trim, I’m not sure the design of this particular model appeals to me personally as I post my pens and don’t love a heavily back-weighted feel.

8. The Sunday Letter Project (via From the Pen Cup). Mary always finds interesting challenges and projects that require you to use your stationery and tools!

9. Meet Your Maker: Darrell Davis, D Squared Arts (via Pen Addict - Caroline). Darrell makes some of the most unique fountain pens in the independent maker world. Be sure to check them out next time he’s at a show.

10. Burning Through to Stop Burning Out (via Line Variation). A reminder that regularly revisiting and using all the pens in your collection can help you figure out your likes and dislikes, and how they may have changed over time.

In Case You Missed It….

This week we released Episode 14 of On The Paper Trail, in which we discussed our Favorite Fountain Pen and Ink Pairings, including how to combine dry inks with overly wet pens, and vice versa, to improve the writing experience. I also published a follow up to my 10 Fountain Pens Post, in which I discussed choosing inks for some of my favorite pens.

This Week in the T.G.S. Curated Shop

We had lots of new arrivals this week in the shop, including new mechanical pencils from Uni, including a small shipment of Kuru Toga Dive pencils with the auto-advance lead mechanism! We also have new multi pens and gel pens from Pilot, Wonderland222 Notebooks, and some fun new desk accessories from Fred & Friends (a new brand I discovered this summer). Be sure to check out each week’s Thursday Drops post for a full list of new arrivals and restocks.

We will be traveling to the San Francisco Pen Show later this week, so orders placed after noon on Wednesday (8/26) will have a 3-5 business day shipping window. Our Nashville store will remain open, but will close one hour early on Saturday (10am-4pm).

NOLTY

Pilot

Colorvent

Soolla

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Three Keeper Inks: Choosing Inks for 10 Fountain Pens

About a month ago, I undertook the “10 Fountain Pens” prompt challenge, in which I pulled 10 fountain pens from my collection that I would keep “if I could only keep 10.” Rather than just photograph them, I decided to ink or re-ink all 10 pens, since I hadn’t used several in quite some time. The inks I chose were a combination of new inks I picked up in my recent travels, potential new additions to the shop, and classic favorites that fit the “if I could only keep 10” theme. Today I’ll talk about 3 of the latter.

Note: This post is about the inks. If you’d like to learn more about the pens shown here, please see the original “10 Fountain Pens” post linked above.

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Compare the dry Citrus Black shown here to the wet ink shown below.

Ink No. 1: Platinum Classic Citrus Black (Montblanc 146 with Medium Stub)

Sometimes a drier ink needs a wet-writing pen, and vice-versa. This Montblanc medium stub can be a challenge to use as an everyday writer given how wet the nib is, but with the Platinum Classic Series (which use iron gall), I can use this pen on all but the absolute flimsiest copy paper without significant bleedthrough or feathering. My favorite of the Platinum Classic inks is probably Citrus Black, which is a pale yellow when wet but dries to a dark green-gold. Iron gall inks are useful for taming ink flow in overly wet writing fountain pens, as they tend to be naturally dry. Don’t be fooled if they appear light or watery when first applied to paper - as the ink dries, the iron gall content bonds to the paper and not only darkens as it oxidizes but takes on a degree of permanence, so if your writing ever gets wet it won’t be entirely washed away.

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Platinum Classic Citrus Black, when first applied to the page and still wet.

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Note the small amount of “nib creep” (ink pooling on the end of the nib). This is a hallmark of some permanent inks, and does not affect how the pen writes. To learn more about permanent inks and how they might affect (or not affect) your pens, listed to On The Paper Trail Episode 13 where we have a fairly extensive discussion on ink permanence.

Ink No. 2: Maruzen Athena Blue (Pilot Custom 823 with Medium Blade Grind)

The Pilot Custom 823 is a favorite pen, but since it uses a vacuum-filling system it can be hard to clean thoroughly when changing ink colors. For that reason I rarely have this pen inked with anything other than a blue or blue-black ink, and it can be a challenge to find a variation that holds my interest. My current favorite is Maruzen’s in-house Athena Blue, which is a darker blue ink that flows extremely well, does not feather or bleed, and is permanent. How permanent? I ran a sheet of paper under the faucet for a full minute and the ink barely ran at all. The downside? You can only get this ink at the Maruzen shops in Tokyo, Japan, and they don’t sell the ink online.

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The Maruzen Athena Blue doesn’t dry to as vibrant a shade of blue as the Taccia Ruri, discussed below, but on the other hand it flows well and is permanent.

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Ink No. 3: Taccia Ukiyo-e Hiroshige Ruri (Pelikan M800 with Medium Perspective Grind)

Another blue ink? You bet. I’m a huge fan of the Taccia Ukiyo-e line, and while most of those inks tend to be on the muddier, subtler side, my personal favorite is Hiroshige Ruri, a vibrant blue. Taccia inks have a balanced flow works well in most pens, dry relatively quickly, and have some of the absolute best box artwork in the business. I tend to never save packaging, but I still have all my Taccia boxes.

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While this particular ink can sheen red on certain coated papers, the sheen does not overwhelm the blue and importantly, the ink still dries relatively quickly with little smearing.

Are you interested in learning more about pairing pens and inks, including how to adjust the writing experience by switching up your ink? In the latest episode of our Podcast (On The Paper Trail, Epsiode 14), Lisa Vanness and I discuss how pairing the right ink with a “problem” pen can turn a pen you never use into an everyday workhorse. While changing ink and paper can’t fix all problems (sometimes you need a grind or a nib adjustment), you’d be surprised at how far it can take you. In any event, the never-ending quest to find the “perfect” ink for favorite pens is just plain fun.

The Gentleman Stationer is supported by purchases from the T.G.S. Curated Shop and pledges via the T.G.S. Patreon Program. You can also come visit us at our physical stationery store in Nashville, Tennessee.

Thursday Drops: A Whole Lotta Paper.... Wonderland222 Notebooks and Undated Planners, Yamamoto and More

Why did I go to Japan? Well, in addition to the “fun” aspect of the trip, I had business reasons, and they arrived over the weekend! In addition to a massive restock of Yamamoto Paper and the arrival of the first part of our Wonderland222 shipment, I received a ton of multi pens, gel pens, and mechanical pencils direct from Japan. These include an expanded selection of Uni Kuru Toga Mechanical Pencils, additional Pilot S20 mechanical pencils, and new Pilot 4+1 Multi Pens.

There are many more items that have been added or restocked that are not specifically listed below, including all of the NJK Long Point Pencil sharpeners, NOLTY notebooks and paper, Soolla Studio Pouches and more. New items will be added regularly in the coming months, so stay tuned!

In addition to shopping our online store, you can see these and more in our Nashville shop, which is open from 1-6pm Thursdays and Fridays, and from 10am-5pm on Saturdays.

1. Wonderland222 Notebooks and Undated Planner Inserts. If you’re a fan of this past year’s Wonderland222 paper, which is a thin 52gsm paper they sourced as a substitute for Tomoe River, we have purchased a supply of those notebooks in both dot grid and grid/graph format. We also have slim A5 planner inserts. I have been using this paper for the past year in my planner and have been very happy with it.

2. Yamamoto Select Premium Japanese Papers. We have a fresh shipment of various Japanese papers offered by Yamamoto, sold in packs of 50 A4 sheets. Yamamoto gets creative in sourcing some VERY rare papers for this collection, which now includes Tateyama, Meringue, and more.

3. Yamamoto Paper Samplers. Looking to try three or more papers at once? These samplers each contain three pads of different sizes, grouped by characteristics such as eggshell, silky, or onionskin texture. New volumes are available for certain releases.

4. Yamamoto Bullet Jotter Refill Pads. Bible-sized Jotter pads are back in stock in all variants, including Canopus. These pads can be used alone, but are designed to fit the Yamamoto Bullet Jotter. Many people use these in combination with a Bible-size 6-ring binder and punch holes in the paper.

5. NOLTY PAGEM B6 Free Log Planners. These books feature excellent dot grid paper and can be used as an undated planner or a notebook. NOLTY is a Japanese brand that I’ve only recently discovered, and look forward to expanding our offerings soon.

6. Pilot 4+1 Wood Multi Pens (New Colors!). The first pens from my Japan travels have arrived, and they include four gorgeous new releases in the Pilot 4+1 format. These pens feature the Acroball low-viscosity refills and are also compatible with the Uni Style Fit Gel Cartridge.

7. Pilot ILMILY Nuance Black Gel Pens. These might be the answer to my quest for the best black-infused everyday gel pen. These dark gel pens were developed for the professional and student market, and feature seven subtle, understated colors in a .5mm tip size. Refills are also available.

8. Uni Kuru Toga Wood Mechanical Pencils. My favorite Kuru Toga yet (and yes, that includes the Dive). The wood grip on these pencils is extremely comfortable and I love the look of the wood grain.

9. Uni Kuru Toga Metal Mechanical Pencils. My second favorite Kuru Toga release, the Kuru Toga Metal features a textured anodized aluminum barrel in three darker colors.

10. Pilot S20 Ballpoints and Mechanical Pencils (Including New Colors!). These classic Pilot ballpoints and mechanical pencils are back in stock, with the pencils now available in three additional colors: Black, Mahogany, and Natural Brown, to match the Legno 2+1 Multi Pens.