I frequently get asked about my favorite non-pen accessories that I use regularly. The five discussed below are part of my regular rotation, and move between whatever bag or backpack I’m using at the time. When I’m working around the shop or in the house, the Soolla Pouch pictured above serves as a catch-all where most small items live. Some of you might find this list fairly mundane, but it’s an accurate representation of how I use stationery. It’s not all fancy fountain pens!
Midori XS Compact Stapler. Despite my best efforts to move “junk paper” that I don’t intend to keep long-term to an electronic format, I still work on paper most of the time and therefore need a stapler for multi-page documents. I have several that I use but I typically have one of these Midori mini staplers with me at all times. They are sold individually or as part of the equally useful XS Compact Stationery Kit.
Allex Desk Scissors. I have owned these Japanese desk scissors for nearly 10 years. They cut through tape, sticker paper, cardboard, and whatever else you may need. For scissors this inexpensive, they’ve also maintained sharpness with very little maintenance. (Just cleaning the blades, no sharpening.)
NJK Long-Point Pencil Sharpener (#531S). The relatively inexpensive NJK #531S sharpener outperforms its price point in terms of quality and usefulness. In addition to being a really good long-point pencil sharpener, this small NJK model is compact with a small canister to hold shavings. Each sharpener comes with a long-lasting replacement blade, and you can purchase more separately.
Carl Refill Maker 6-Ring Hole Punch. One of my most-used stationery acquisitions from the past two years, this versatile hole punch allows you to create your own refills for ring-binder notebook systems in sizes ranging from A5 to Bible to Mini to Mini-5. I was thrilled when I found these at the distributor level, allowing me to add them to our own shop. One of these can truly transform your notebook system experience, since you’re no longer limited by pre-packaged paper choices and layout options. You can make your own refills from scratch!
Zebra Mildliner Highlighter Marker. I’ll admit - I didn’t get the Zebra Mildliner hype until I started stealing select colors from the pile of demos we keep in the shop. The dual tip size allows you to use these markers for more than your typical chisel-tip highlighters. I use them for blocking out time blocks in my planner, highlighting my own handwriting (since they are relatively low-smear), and just general highlighter usage when I need maximum legibility and want a color that’s softer than eye-searing neon.
The “Ask TGS” series contains posts addressing frequent questions about how stationery works, product recommendations for specific situations, my own personal use and more. Many of these posts are archived and organized in the FAQ Resource. Send in more questions via the “Contact” link!
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.
