Sunday Reading for July 21, 2019

1. Prometheus Writes Alpha Bamboo Pen (via Nib & Ink). A really cool looking pen, and an excellent video review from Matthew.

2. Updates to the Tokyo Pen Shop List (via Cronicas Estilografica). Bruno has updated his comprehensive list of places to do your Tokyo pen shopping! A bucket-list trip for me!

3. Pen Chalet Endless Recorder Notebook Review (via Fountain Pen Love). Have you ever wanted a Tomoe River notebook in the Moleskine/Leuchtturm format? Check out the Endless Recorder.

4. Lamy eBay Confusion (via FPQuest). Ray has a great discussion here on the market for counterfeit Lamy Safaris. If you are shopping around, and the price looks too good to be true on that coveted limited edition, it probably is.

5. Robert Oster Signature Astorquiza Rot (via InkSharks). Astorquiza Rot is a great looking red that has just a hint too much pink to it for my personal taste, but I agree that Robert Oster inks are generally well-behaved and an exceptional value.

6. Montegrappa NeroUno Fountain Pen Review (via SBRE Brown). A NeroUno Linea has always piqued my interest from an aesthetic standpoint, but the shape causes me some hesitation (as well as their tendency towards a dryness in the nib).

7. Ink Review #790: Robert Oster Black Is Black (via Mountain of Ink). I didn’t realize until reading Kelli’s review that Robert Oster has never released a black ink. This one certainly looks interesting, with lots of those “off-black” shades that I find appealing.

8. Leonardo Officina Italiana Sepia Ink Review and Giveaway (via Pen Chalet). Still looking for that “perfect” Sepia ink? I haven’t tried this one, but here’s an opportunity to win a free bottle!

9. Straits Pen Honest Ink Slowpoke Review (via Alt.Haven). I’ve been impressed with Straits Pen Honest Inks, and have several samples including Slowpoke Green. Look for a review at some point.

10. Sailor Pro Gear Tequila Sunrise (via Pen Addict). Susan reviews the only Sailor Pro Gear limited edition that has appealed to me in a long time. They really did nail it in terms of matching the color of the cocktail.

Please Visit and Support My Sponsors and Affiliates!

Please take a moment to visit these fine folks who help keep this blog going! It's next to impossible to keep up a steady stream of fresh review content without some form of sponsorship or affiliate relationship. I'm grateful to everyone who's helped me out along the way.   

1. Vanness Pens. Vanness Pens carries rare and hard-to-find inks from all over the world, including Colorverse, Callifolio, Akkerman, and the full line of DeAtramentis. You can check out my recap of a visit to Vanness here. This week, Vanness is also running a special in the “Grandpa’s Basement” clearance section of their website. Get an extra 10% off with the code “SUMMER19” at checkout!

2. Pen Chalet. Pen Chalet has a wide variety of available pens and offers unbeatable value on pens, inks, pen cases, etc.

3. Anderson Pens. In addition to having one of the largest offerings of bottled ink in the world, Anderson Pens is an authorized retailer of a wide range of brands, including Sailor, Aurora and Faber-Castell. Check out the sponsor profile I published here.

4. Appelboom. Please check out Appelboom's extensive selection and excellent pricing on a wide range of brands, including Montblanc pens such as this Classique 145 I reviewed.

5. Goldspot Pens. Goldspot regularly offers excellent promotions and specials! Check out their "Weekly Dip" section for details.

6. The Nibsmith. Dan offers a vast selection from Aurora, Montegrappa, TWSBI, Sailor, Pilot, along with nib customization services that is included free of charge on certain pens!

7. Pokka Pens. Pokka Pens makes high quality, portable ballpoints that make for a great EDC option. Check out my review here, and don't forget to use the code GENTSTA to get 10% off your purchase!

8. Tempus Planner. Many thanks to our newest sponsor, who will be joining us for the next few months! The Tempus Planner is a dateless planner designed to help you with prioritizing important tasks and goal setting, while leaving you with the flexibility to work how you want. TGS readers will get 15% off their first order, using the coupon code “Tempus15” at checkout!

9. TGS Amazon Page. I run across many more items (pens, pencils, books, accessories, etc.) in my online "travels." Amazon has an option where I can set up an affiliate page to host product recommendations and earn fees on referrals. Amazon does not sponsor this blog.

10. Favorite Etsy Stores. I frequent a handful of Etsy stores that sell pens, leather goods, paper, and miscellaneous stationery and office goods. (Affiliate)

In Case You Missed It…

This week on the blog I discussed my journaling setup from this year, and the three notebooks that have formed the core of my writing kit. I also wrote a piece about stockpiling stationery, and when it might - under the right circumstances - make sense. This week’s Deals & Drops focuses on inventory clearance sales at Pen Chalet and Vanness, along with some new releases from Retro 51 and others.

Happy Sunday, and as always, thanks for reading!

Disclaimer: This post contains links to paid sponsors and affiliates.

Does It Ever Make Sense to Stockpile Stationery? Maybe Sometimes.

I’ve been thinking about this question a LOT lately. And not necessarily because I want to justify my own collection, which actually has diminished significantly in recent years. I’ve not purchased any new pens for months, and have made an honest effort to sell off unused items, work my way through my backlog of paper, and simply be more conscious about acquiring additional stuff. Of course I still tend to accumulate pens, pencils, ink, and paper over time - it’s the nature of product reviewing that you sometimes need to acquire items to review - but it’s become more gradual, I don’t feel as though I’m drowning in clutter, and I’m not losing money. A semi-annual stationery purge helps to keep things in check.

I’m not a collector, in the traditional sense, and I try to buy only those things that I could conceivably use one day. On principle, I discourage FOMO-driven “fear hoarding.” You know the forum threads - “They might discontinue X limited-edition product or run out quickly, and I know I haven’t tried it yet but it’s going to be great because X blogger says so and I went ahead and bought seven bottles/boxes/packs of notebooks because I might never be able to get it or anything like it ever again.” This type of stockpiling isn’t healthy, for your sanity, your wallet, or the stationery industry in general. These purchasing frenzies incentivize brands to churn out dozens of ill-conceived “limited edition” versions of the same product rather than innovate and bring something new to the market. Many “limited editions” aren’t even unique - with respect to something like fountain pen ink, is there any good reason to stock up on a dozen bottles of a single color when the overwhelming majority of people go through a bottle (maybe two) a year at most, and where the size and scope of today’s ink market renders it extremely unlikely that you won’t be able to find a similar, if not identical, color? Stockpiling like this rarely makes sense to me.  

Recent eBay score.

Lately, however, I’ve been wondering whether a good case does exist for stockpiling certain products you use regularly and form a core part of your workflow. Two items in particular prompted this internal debate: (1) the Baron Fig Mastermind desk pad, and (2) the cedar No. 2 pencil. The first, I’ll freely admit, is more fear-driven than the other. To my knowledge, Baron Fig is in no danger of going away anytime soon, but I’ve not found anything similar to the Mastermind that matches its combination of size, paperweight, and format. (The Studio Neat Panobook and the Write Notepads Landscape Notebook are similar, but I love that the Mastermind is a tear-away desk pad, especially since I have to shred most of my notes from work.) There’s no need for me to invest in a lifetime supply of writing pads, but does it make sense to have extra stock on hand to hold me over if it’s ever discontinued and I need to find something else? Since I’ve used the Mastermind every day consistently for the past two years, probably.

The Faber-Castell Mongols from the 1990s often have usable erasers, unlike older Eberhard-Faber branded pencils where the erasers have calcified.

The cedar No. 2 pencil presents a better case for buying up what you can while you can still get it. Much ink has been spilled (or graphite smeared) lamenting the fact that modern pencil production is plagued by inconsistent quality, even within brands, and unannounced design and manufacturing changes. Take the Dixon Ticonderoga, for example. While the original, USA-manufactured cedar Ticonderoga has been a bit over-romanticized, there’s no disputing the fact that since Dixon began outsourcing production to multiple factories around the world, consistent quality has been elusive. I’ve purchased a box of Black Ticonderogas made in Mexico that were some of the worst pencils I’ve ever used - hard, scratchy, and way too light for their No. 2 designation. Another pack of Chinese-made Ticonderogas that I purchased from Target are still among the best pencils in my stash, with a smooth, dark core, while yet another identical-looking box purchased from Office Depot were just “meh.” 

My pencil cup runneth over. Most of these will end up like the Blackwing stub below.

Woodcase pencil-making is, by its very nature, resource-intensive and susceptible to economic pressures that force manufacturers to outsource and cut costs, especially in market segments like school supplies where they can’t raise prices enough to compensate. All of the favorite inexpensive “school” pencils I used growing up (the Dixon Ticonderoga, the Faber-Castell American, the Blackfeet Indian Pencil) have either seen production move overseas or have disappeared entirely from the U.S. market. What’s to say that more brands won’t follow? Sure, it’s a safe bet that Blackwing probably isn’t going anywhere anytime soon - as long as people are willing to pay close to $30 for a dozen pencils - but can you really say the same about Generals, which operates a factory in the uber-expensive New York City metropolitan area and focuses on pencils that sell for around $6 per dozen? Even CalCedar (maker of Blackwing) discontinued the eraser-tipped Palomino No. 2, which I consider one of the best pencils ever made. They used to sell them in bulk for $100 per gross, and failing to pull the trigger on that purchase is one of my great regrets. I won’t make the same mistake with the Forest Choice No. 2.  

Original Blacking MMX, circa 2010.

I guess the point of this musing is to say that if I find a reasonably priced product that I use daily and enjoy, why wouldn’t I purchase it while I can, especially if there’s a real (as opposed to perceived) danger of it going away forever? Building up a nice stock of quality woodcase pencils doesn’t cost very much, and pencils don’t take up much space or deteriorate quickly. A dozen USA-made Ticonderogas from the 1990s or 2000s can be had on eBay for as little as $7, and they’re as usable as ever. Sure, that’s pricier than what you’ll see in stores today, but it’s still much less expensive than a dozen modern Blackwings. That Faber-Castell “American” pencil I mentioned? You can buy a sealed half gross of those for $20 - still less than a dozen limited edition Blackwings. The other good thing about pencils is that if you have school-age kids in the house, those pencils are going to get “stolen”, and you can always donate unused pencils or those that don’t match your personal preferences to school-supply drives, which my office runs every fall. In short, be conscious of what you use, and don’t buy multiples of stuff simply because of FOMO-pressure or because someone like me told you to, but at the same time, don’t let today’s trendy obsession with “minimalism” keep you from ensuring that you have a ready supply of quality writing tools that you need to do the work you love.

Now excuse me while I go finish work on my pencil bunker.

Disclaimer: This post contains links to paid sponsors and affiliates. All pencils pictured in this review were purchased with my own funds for my own use.

Also, please do not flood me with emails about selling pencils or pens. I’ve recently been receiving scores of unsolicited e-mails asking if I will sell “XYZ” pen, pencil, or notebook (typically a limited edition). If I am looking to sell or trade something, I will typically ask for trade offers or post things for sale on a separate page. Thanks for understanding - I can only respond to so much email!

Deals & Drops: July Inventory Clearance Sales

Pen Chalet and Vanness are both running inventory reduction sales this week, with markdowns on some great pens. Dan at the Nibsmith has a new “Shiny Circles” celluloid pen from Montegrappa that’s going to be hard to look away from, and the collaboration between Graf von Faber-Castell and automaker Bentley has caught my eye. Plus all sorts of other fun stuff, as per the usual. Happy Shopping!

Disclaimer: This post contains links to paid sponsors and affiliates. Please see our Privacy and Cookie Policies for additional information.

1. Extra 10% Off Everything in Grandpa’s Basement! (via Vanness Pens). Vanness is clearing out the closets this summer, including an extra 10% off everything in the clearance section of their website with the coupon code “SUMMER19” at checkout! This is a great time to grab a deal on past Aurora limited editions such as the Aurora 88 Minerali and the Aurora Optima Flex in the pastel colors.

2. Pen Chalet Red Tag Inventory Reduction Sale (via Pen Chalet). I can’t link to specific pens here, but be sure to scroll down to check out the insane deals on the Montegrappa Copper Mule, some Pelikans, a few Viscontis, and Colorverse Inks. The sale ends Sunday!

3. Pilot 100th Anniversary LE Iroshizuku Ink (via Pen Chalet). Maybe the 100th Anniversary Iroshizuku inks aren’t as limited as we originally thought? Pen Chalet seems to have the entire line in stock.

4. Montegrappa Nazionale Flex Fountain Pen with “Shiny Circles” Celluloid (via The Nibsmith). I love it when Montegrappa releases pens in their “stacked coin” pattered celluloid (which they call “Shiny Circles”), reminiscent of the material used to make the vintage Parker Vacumatic.

5. Aurora 88 Black Mamba Limited Edition Fountain Pen (via The Nibsmith). Best looking Aurora limited edition of the year, hands down! Don’t miss your chance to pre-order this beauty.

6. Retro 51 Tokyo Skyline Edition (via Goldspot). The latest “Skyline” collaboration between Goldspot and Retro 51 is out! These will probably go quickly.

7. Pilot Custom 912 Fountain Pen (via Anderson Pens). Looking for a way to explore Pilot’s specialty nibs? Check out the Custom 912, which Pilot uses as a vehicle to showcase nibs such as the FA, PO, and the SF.

8. Graf von Faber-Castell for Bentley Centenary Fountain Pen (via Appelboom). I love the look of this new collaboration with automaker Bentley. There’s something about the streamlined cap, and a lower-priced steel-nib version is also available.

9. PenBBS 308 in Manjusaka Red Acrylic (via Etsy/PenBBS). PenBBS is selling a cartridge-converter pen made from the same red material used to make the Model 469 double-ended eyedropper I reviewed here.

10. TWSBI Diamond 580ALR Purple (via Amazon). The much-awaited 580ALR in purple is out.

11. Duncan Shotton Design Studios Desk Accessories and Office Supplies (via Duncan Shotton/Etsy). If you like quirky push pins, page markers, and the rainbow pencils, visit Tokyo-based designer Duncan Shotton’s Etsy store. I ordered a bunch of stuff a while back and it always makes me smile.

12. Palomino Blackwing Natural Extra-Firm Pencils (via Vanness Pens). I’ve been on a bit of a pencil kick lately, and front-and-center in my pencil cup have been these new “Natural” Blackwings with the “extra firm” graphite (which is still darker than most No. 2 pencils).

13. Pocketknives from Santa Fe Stoneworks (via Huckberry). I don’t often link to EDC items like pocketknives, but I have a small penknife from Santa Fe Stoneworks that’s I love. These items that Huckberry currently has featured are beautiful.

14. Col-o-Ring Oversize (via Well-Appointed Desk). One of the main items on my list for this year’s D.C. Pen Show is an oversize Col-o-Ring notebook, with some of the best ink testing paper around!

15. Field Notes National Parks Memo Books (via Pen Chalet). National Parks is the first Field Notes limited edition that has tempted me in a while. The art on these covers is what drew me to Field Notes in the first place, and I’m glad to see this sort of project returning.

My 2019 Journaling Setup: Nanami Paper Cafe Note and Midori 5-Years Journal

I was on the Hobonichi Techo bandwagon for a while, using everyone’s favorite A6 Japanese planner as a one-page-a-day journal. I actually have three of them filled up from 2016-2018. Although I liked the Hobonichi, I wanted something slightly less structured, that offered me the flexibility to write more than a page on one day, and sometimes skip a day with less “journaling guilt.” Some days absolutely nothing of note happens, right, much less nothing that justifies wasting a full page of precious Tomoe River!

Enter the Nanami Paper Cafe Note B6. I’ve long enjoyed the Nanami Paper Seven Seas series, both the original “Writer” and the “Crossfield,” but a couple years back they released the “Cafe Note,” which is a smaller Tomoe River notebook measuring roughly 4 x 7 inches in what is referred to as the Japanese “Shinsho” size. You can read more about the background of the notebook on the Nanami Paper website, but what’s notable is that this size book was “created for rail commuters that spend a lot of time standing in trains and hanging out in cafes between trains or after work.” In other words, if you’re looking for a highly portable notebook that’s easy to slip into a bag and write with in a coffee shop, on a train or airplane, or anywhere else space is at a premium, consider the Cafe Note.

Small grid ruling with lots of boxes for organizing/summarizing notes? Count me in.

This layout works much better for me than the A6 Hobonichi. For starters, I appreciate that the Cafe Note is rather long and narrow, like these hardback Kunisawa “Find” notebooks, since I do much of my writing and note-taking in list or bullet format. Some people dislike the boxes at the top and bottom, but I find it convenient for organizing my notebook entries by date and topic. Finally, the grid/graph ruling is pretty small, but I have small handwriting so it works for me. Nanami Paper makes a lined version if grid isn’t your thing.

At the end of the day, I did miss having a classic diary or “daily journal” to record the mundane happenings of life. For Christmas my family gave me a Vanness gift card, which I cashed in on a Midori 5-Years Diary. To me, the beauty of this particular journal is how easy it is to use consistently. There’s a page for each day of the month (including February 29 for those years), with each page broken down into five sections containing five lines each. I don’t care how boring the day was, you can always find one thing to record, and I recall that after I had used my old Levenger 5-Year Journal for a few years it was quite enjoyable to write each day’s entry and see exactly what I was doing and/or thinking one or two years earlier. I don’t have a perfect record of daily entries, but I’ve been pretty good so far.

Noticing a trend here, size-wise?

Takeaways and Where to Buy

This particular setup has worked well for me in 2019, and in all likelihood I will continue it next year. The great thing about the Midori 5-Years Diary is - wait for it - that you only have to purchase it every five years, and the Nanami Paper Cafe Note has so many pages that it will also last you a long time. I do use an annual paper planner, the Jibun Techo 3-in-1 A5 Slim, for tracking tasks and logging things, but I plan to hold the review on that particular tool until the 2020 versions are released in the Fall.

I purchased my Midori 5-Year Diary from Vanness Pens, and it comes with either a red or black cover. At first glance, it’s not inexpensive at $42, but then again you’re only purchasing the Diary once every five years, so that’s $8 annually. The Nanami Paper Cafe Note “Slim B6” can be purchased directly from Nanami Paper, priced at $18, which to me represents an exceptional bargain given that you’re getting 384 pages of Tomoe River Paper. A ruled version is also available. If you’d like to add the Gfeller natural leather cover shown in my pictures, you can purchase it separately for $68.

Disclaimer: This post contains links to paid sponsors and affiliates.

Sunday Reading for July 14, 2019

1. Going Equipped (Inside My EDC Bag) (via UK Fountain Pens). Anthony’s EDC kit (particularly computer choices and headphones) is eerily similar to my own. To the point where if I published my own “bag dump” I might be accused of plagiarism.

2. Nagasawa Kobe Profit Skeleton (Proske) + Music Nib (via InkSharks). I was obsessed with this particular pen after seeing it at the DC Pen Show 3 years ago (when Nagasawa attended). I finally acquired one and this review reminds me that I need to ink it up.

3. Derived from Human Sewage…. (via Bleistift). An awesome idea, IF you can get past the “ick” factor….

4. Sailor Ink Studio Wish List (via Mountain of Ink). Kelli has now reviewed all 100 Sailor Ink Studio Inks and talks about some of her favorites. Those “dual shaders” look absolutely awesome!

5. Pilot Murex: A Usable Myu? (via UK Fountain Pens). I’ve personally not had an issue with Myu from a usability perspective. I’ve also never reviewed that pen, which needs to change. The Murex is a favorite of many but for some reason has never captured the same level of outright fanaticism as the Myu, which of course says more about the nature of the “pentranet” than the pen itself.

6. Lamy Crystal Azurite Ink Review and Giveaway (via Pen Chalet). Azurite is one of the more popular colors from Lamy’s Crystal ink lineup. Don’t miss this chance to win a free bottle!

7. Sailor Ink Studio 123 (via Pen Addict). Susan reviews No. 123 from the Sailor Ink Studio lineup, and this ink appears to be one of those “Dual Shaders” Kelli was discussing in her overview.

8. Let’s Talk About Sepia Ink (via Well-Appointed Desk). I can vouch for what Ana’s saying here, in terms of how many people at pen shows will walk up to the table looking for a “true sepia.” If this piques your interest, then read on!

9. Galen Leather Tool Wrap vs. Superior Labor Leather Pen Roll (via Gourmet Pens). I need to sit down and watch this one closely, as I’ve been considering investing in a nice leather pen roll for some time now but haven’t pulled the trigger.

10. ITALIA Fountain Pen by Ensso (via Ed Jelley). Machined fountain pen specialists Ensso have released a new design on Kickstarter, the “ITALIA,” which sports a more traditional design than Ensso’s more modern, minimalist offerings.

Please Visit and Support My Sponsors and Affiliates!

Please take a moment to visit these fine folks who help keep this blog going! It's next to impossible to keep up a steady stream of fresh review content without some form of sponsorship or affiliate relationship. I'm grateful to everyone who's helped me out along the way.   

1. Vanness Pens. Vanness Pens carries rare and hard-to-find inks from all over the world, including Colorverse, Callifolio, Akkerman, and the full line of DeAtramentis. You can check out my recap of a visit to Vanness here. This week, Vanness is also running a special in the “Grandpa’s Basement” clearance section of their website. Get an extra 10% off with the code “SUMMER19” at checkout!

2. Pen Chalet. Pen Chalet has a wide variety of available pens and offers unbeatable value on pens, inks, pen cases, etc.

3. Anderson Pens. In addition to having one of the largest offerings of bottled ink in the world, Anderson Pens is an authorized retailer of a wide range of brands, including Sailor, Aurora and Faber-Castell. Check out the sponsor profile I published here.

4. Appelboom. Please check out Appelboom's extensive selection and excellent pricing on a wide range of brands, including Montblanc pens such as this Classique 145 I reviewed.

5. Goldspot Pens. Goldspot regularly offers excellent promotions and specials! Check out their "Weekly Dip" section for details.

6. The Nibsmith. Dan offers a vast selection from Aurora, Montegrappa, TWSBI, Sailor, Pilot, along with nib customization services that is included free of charge on certain pens!

7. Pokka Pens. Pokka Pens makes high quality, portable ballpoints that make for a great EDC option. Check out my review here, and don't forget to use the code GENTSTA to get 10% off your purchase!

8. Tempus Planner. Many thanks to our newest sponsor, who will be joining us for the next few months! The Tempus Planner is a dateless planner designed to help you with prioritizing important tasks and goal setting, while leaving you with the flexibility to work how you want. TGS readers will get 15% off their first order, using the coupon code “Tempus15” at checkout!

9. TGS Amazon Page. I run across many more items (pens, pencils, books, accessories, etc.) in my online "travels." Amazon has an option where I can set up an affiliate page to host product recommendations and earn fees on referrals. Amazon does not sponsor this blog.

10. Favorite Etsy Stores. I frequent a handful of Etsy stores that sell pens, leather goods, paper, and miscellaneous stationery and office goods. (Affiliate)

In Case You Missed It…

I was on the road for the early part of last week, so my first post revisited my “travel kit” for the first time in several years. I also reviewed a new, lower-priced release from Esterbrook, the Phaeton 300R fountain pen, which is a hooded-nib offering, and you all know how much I like hooded-nib pens. Finally, this week’s Deals & Drops looked at several recent releases that will be available to check out at this year’s upcoming D.C. Pen Show, where I’ll be working behind the Vanness Pens table. Hope to see you there!

Happy Sunday, and as always, thanks for reading!

Disclaimer: This post contains links to paid sponsors and affiliates.