Most of my recent Schon DSGN acquisitions!

Happy Holidays 2022: The Indie Gift Guide

November 26, 2022

As we enter not only the 2022 holiday shopping season but the final month of the year, I’ve been pulling together my plans for both the annual gift guides and the 2022 year-end recaps. Today’s post, on the Saturday after “Black Friday”, is going to be a bit of both. I’ve been encouraged by a much greater focus this Thanksgiving on supporting small and independent businesses, both inside and outside the pen community, and honestly, that’s how it should be, because independent makers and retailers are what make this hobby great. When you’re considering how to spend your hard-earned dollars on gifts for yourself or others, consider setting aside a portion for smaller retailers and makers who can offer truly exclusive products and a more personalized shopping experience.

The format for this “guide” might strike some as unusual. I’m not going to simply list all of the different independent makers out there - there are too many to do that in any coherent fashion - but rather will spend today’s post discussing my own acquisitions from the past year, the makers from whom I’ve personally purchased, and why I enjoy their pens and the reasons you might enjoy them too.

Schon DSGN

Ranked purely in terms of number of pens acquired this year, Schon DSGN tops the list, as I picked up two of the Full-Size fountain pens and a hammered copper Pocket Six with added patina, to join the three pens from the Engineered Plastics collection that I purchased towards the end of 2021. Known not just for original, ergonomic designs but dedication to quality, Schon DSGN pens are among my favorite everyday writers.

My two most recent Kanilea Acquisitions: a Lewa Lani and a Kai Huli.

Kanilea Pen Company

The second-most represented independent maker in my personal collection is Kanilea Pen Company. For more than six years now, Kanilea has been producing pens themed around places and locations in Hawaii. You can read more about the background of this brand in my prior reviews, but I love their clean design and ergonomics (particularly the “Classic Flush” shape), in addition to the unique materials chosen to match a specific image. I recently acquired the Lewa Lani fountain pen, as well as a pen show-exclusive “Kai Huli” in a coral and yellow-veined material, pictured below.

Three “Navigator” Models from Penzbydesign.

Stacy Robinson (Penzbydesign)

A long-time penmaker, Stacy Robinson brought ebonite and Conway Stewart acrylic versions of his “Navigator” fountain pen to this year’s Atlanta Pen Show. I ended up purchasing three: one in striated beige ebonite and two in relatively uncommon Conway Stewart acrylics that I had been looking to add to my collection for years. The workmanship on these pens is excellent, and the size nearly perfect for my hand, as with the Schon DSGN Engineered Plastics and Full-Size fountain pens. While Penszbydesign has a storefront, it may be easier to inquire via e-mail or social media, since some photos were posted recently of new Navigator pens similar to the ones I purchased, and they don’t currently appear on the website.

Kasama Pens

Currently sold only directly via Instagram and social media, Kasama is based in the Philippines and, to my knowledge, makes two models of pens: the larger “Una” and the more streamlined “Tala”. I’ve acquired two Una fountain pens, one in Ultem and another in a combination of Peek and anodized titanium. While not inexpensive, Kasama fountain pens are unique - there’s nothing quite like them on the market, in terms of design or material combinations.

My Hinze Pen in “Five O’Clock Somewhere” Acrylic

Hinze Pens

Hinze Pens made perhaps my favorite - and most unpredictable - acquisition of the year, my “Five O’Clock Somewhere” pen in this wild acrylic from Starry Night Resins. Like the Kanilea Classic Flush, this is a well-balanced pen with a comfortable section, and what makes Hinze Pens particularly unique is their anodized nibs, available in a range of colors.

Newton Pens

Ryan Krusac Studios

Pens by Pasquale in Primary Manipulation

Other Makers to Consider

As I mentioned above, I can’t list everyone (nor can I buy from everyone, because, well, $$$), but I do want to mentions several makers who do excellent work, some of which are on my “short list” of pens to acquire in 2023, for review or otherwise. Also, while some of the makers listed here do custom/bespoke work, many also have inventory currently available for purchase, which you can purchase, and which they will likely be wanting to sell, heading into the holiday season.

Newton Pens (Shawn Newton). A fixture on the pen show circuit and the creator of some truly unique designs (such as the Prospector shown here), Shawn Newton usually has a healthy stock of pens ready to go.
Pens by Pasquale (Nicholas Pasquale). A relative newcomer to the bespoke pen scene, Nic is local to me and I acquired a pen in dark “Primary Manipulation” at this year’s Nashville-area Pelikan Hub. I love supporting new makers! Check out his Instagram (linked here).
Edison Pens (Brian Gray). Like Shawn Newton, Brian Gray is a longtime penmaker whose production-line Edison designs are now widely available at many major pen retailers. I have my eye on the new Collier Grande featuring a No. 8 nib.
Ryan Krusac Pens. One of the few penmakers whose work with wood truly appeals to me, Ryan Krusac combines wood with other materials such a stone and antler. His scrimshaw work is incredibly detailed.
Mayfair Pens. Pens with a “Lord of the Rings” theme? Count me in. Lately I’ve been more interested in penmakers who are exploring different shapes and contours, and I had the opportunity to handle these at the 2022 D.C. Pen Show.

Please Consider Supporting T.G.S. This Holiday Season

We’re also a small business, and entirely supported by purchases from our shop and pledges via the T.G.S. Patreon Program. Last week, we launched our own 2022 Holiday Gift Guide, focused on products from our own shop, which makes an effort to focus on and carry products that might necessarily be overlooked by larger stores. We appreciate your support, as it allows us to remain independent and advertiser/affiliate free! Through Monday at 11:59pm, take 10% off all TGS Shop orders with the coupon code “GIVETHANKS”!

Three workhorse ballpoints: The Gravitas Twist in Ultem; the Caran d’Ache 849 “Rollerball”, and the Caran d’Ache Infinite 888.

Ranking My Favorite Ballpoint Refills in 2022

November 12, 2022

Continuing my personal celebration of the ballpoint pen this week, I thought it might be fun to do something that I haven't done in a while: rank my favorite ballpoint refills. Despite what people may think, there’s actually quite a bit of variation between the different writing experiences available. Refills vary in terms of darkness, smoothness, and line width, though you’ll admittedly have a hard time finding the same range of bright colors as you can with gel pens. As my ballpoint usage has increased heavily in recent years, I’ve discovered some new favorite refills that I’d like to bring to the attention of ballpoint fans, especially those workhorse cartridges that don’t receive nearly the amount of attention they deserve.

Schmidt P900. At this year’s Washington D.C. Pen Show, I picked up one of the Gravitas “Twist” ballpoints in Ultem (which unfortunately does not appear to be available except in the standard clear polycarbonate finish). While most ballpoints that accept a Parker-style cartridge tend to ship with the Schmidt Easyflow 9000 (discussed further below), Ben Walsh includes the Schmidt P900F, which writes a finer, less “gloppy” line than the Easyflow. Sure, the latter is a smooth writer, but I prefer more precision. Lanier Pens on Amazon sells a four pack containing different colors in the F (.6mm) tip size, which costs just under $9. In addition to the Gravitas ballpoint, I now have these in all of my Baron Fig Squire pens.
Uniball Jetstream SXR-600. My second favorite refill, especially when I want to write small, is the Uniball Jetstream Parker-style cartridge in the .5mm tip size. (While it also comes in .38mm and .7mm sizes, the .5mm hits the sweet spot for me.) This particular refill lives in my Caran d’Ache 849 Rollerball. Though an excellent writer, the downside is that the cartridge can be pricey, ranging from $5 - $ 8.50 apiece depending on where you buy them. A similar writing experience can be found in the Jetstream D1 refills, as well as the white-labeled D1 refills used in the Penco “Perfection” series of pocket ballpoint pens.
Caran d’Ache Infinite 888 “Swissglide”. For longer writing sessions, you can’t beat Caran d’Ache’s “Swissglide” refill, which is sold only in the Caran d’Ache Infinite 888 pen. True to its name, the Swissglide writes a darker, smoother line than Caran d’Ache’s signature “Goliath” cartridge, and it’s almost as long lasting. Though the refill is proprietary to this particular pen, the Infinite ballpoint costs a mere $6.25, and additional refills only $3.
Ohto Needle-Tip (Mark’style Tous les Jours and Traveler’s Brass Ballpoint). I’ve written before on how I love needle-tip ballpoint pens for working in my planners, and for making tiny marginalia and annotation when I’m reading. The Japanese Ohto refills (which I know are used in the Mark’style pens and which I suspect are used in the Traveler’s Pens) are among my favorites, behaving similarly to Jetstream ink yet offering even more precision for writing and drawing due to the needle-tip. These refills are also incredibly inexpensive and long-lasting.
Caran d’Ache “Goliath” (i.e., the proprietary Caran d’Ache 849 Refill). If you’re looking for a rock-solid ballpoint that lays down a medium wet, moderately dark line and can go for years without drying out, the Caran d’Ache “Goliath” is an excellent choice. While on the expensive side, they are durable, don’t dry out easily, and therefore tend to last for an extremely long time. Plus you get the comfortable hexagonal writing experience of the iconic Caran d’Ache 849 ballpoint.

Writing samples from all five pens listed here, including four colors of the Schmidt P900F.

Takeaways and Final Thoughts

Of the five refills discussed in today’s post, the “new discoveries” that I’ve enjoyed using the most are the P900F and the Swissglide. Both are inexpensive workhorses that should tempt even the most die-hard gel or rollerball fan, namely because they require much less pressure to write than your typical ballpoint.

Though maybe a touch dry for pages of longhand writing, for annotating books and taking notes on thin journal/planner paper, it’s hard to beat a needle-tip pen.

Another encouraging trend that has emerged over the past few years has been better Parker-style ballpoint options. Pens such as the Caran d’Ache 849 Rollerball (which can transform into a “big 849 ballpoint”) and the Gravitas Twist both use this type of refill, as do many other kit pens and more generic ballpoints that people receive as gifts. The Schmidt P900 and Jetstream SXR-600 have not only allowed me to pull my “gift” pens - many of which have sentimental value - back into my regular rotation, but I’ve also converted many of my rollerballs because liquid ink rollerballs are among my least favorite writing options as they tend to bleed through everything.

The Schmidt Easyflow 9000 is a long-time favorite for many looking for a rollerball-like dark line, but in exchange for darkness you get smearing and a fair bit of “tip crud”.

Finally, why is the Schmidt Easyflow 9000 not on the list? Isn’t it the “best rollerball replacement option”? Not anymore, at least not to me. I personally find the Easyflow too oily, and it tends to gum up around the tip and leave streaks on the page. I consider both the P900F and the Jetstream to be superior options for pens that take Parker-style refills, but those who value “smoothness” above all else may still want to consider the Easyflow.

How about you? Is there a ballpoint refill option that I should be considering that doesn’t appear on this page? I’m interested, so leave a comment!

While this post does contain links to Amazon and other third parties, there are no paid affiliate links. The Gentleman Stationer is supported exclusively through purchases from the T.G.S. Curated Shop and the T.G.S. Patreon Program.

Unfortunately, these Traveler’s Company ballpoints in the exclusive colors were exclusive pre-orders from the San Francisco Pen Show. If they sold well, hopefully they may be coming to the standard lineup?

My Annual Paen for the Ballpoint Pen

November 9, 2022

Now that we’re all fully saturated with fountain pen purchases and fountain pen-related content after last week’s Fountain Pen Day celebration, why don’t we talk about something a bit different? I often get asked, “If you’re not writing with a fountain pen, then what are you using?” The answer is that it’s almost always either a ballpoint pen or a pencil, with ballpoints stealing an increased role from the gel pens and rollerballs in my collection. Today I’ll discuss five reasons why I enjoy ballpoint pens, particularly for work-related writing and annotation.

Ballpoints are true “write anywhere” pens. If you need to get work done, and you don’t want to worry about the kind of paper you’re using, the ballpoint gives you the most versatility. For many, office copy paper is tissue-thin (like mine), and sometimes you’ll want to annotate something like a shiny-sheet magazine article or professional journal. Ballpoint is pretty much your only option.
Ballpoint ink dries quickly and offers permanence. Taking a lot of notes on documents where you need to flip through pages, and don’t want to worry about your fountain pen ink smearing? Not only does ballpoint ink dry near-instantaneously, but it’s also waterproof, which is why many in the medical and legal professions are actually required to use ballpoint pens on a daily basis in certain contexts.
Needle-tip ballpoint pens are excellent for annotation. I would say that half of the ballpoints I currently have in rotation are Japanese needle-tip ballpoints that I use to write in my Plotters (particularly the Mini-5 model), and to take notes in books that I’m reading. My number one recommendation for this category has always been the Traveler’s Company Brass Ballpoint and the arrival of my pen show special editions, pictured above, is actually what prompted this post. Smaller pens such as the Traveler’s ballpoint and the Penco Perfection series clip easily to a pocket notebook or paperback, allowing for portability and ease of deployment, but if you prefer something larger, consider any of the pens that use the Ohto needle-tip ballpoint refill, such as the Mark’style “Tous les Jours.”
Refills can last for years, and are relatively inexpensive. Though more expensive on a per-cartridge basis than fountain pen ink cartridges, ballpoint refills last much, much longer. (They similarly last much longer than liquid-ink rollerball refills, which I consider to be among the worst value propositions.) I currently have ballpoint pen cartridges that have been in use for years, with the “Goliath” cartridge in the workhorse Caran d’Ache 849 leading the way, and needle-tip pens using so little ink to the point that the refill in my first Traveler’s Ballpoint is still halfway full despite three years of use.
Ballpoint pens are largely distraction free. I say “largely” only because many ballpoints are click-pens, and the knock can serve as a fidget device both annoying and fascinating, but a ballpoint often allows me to focus on highly technical work or writing more than a fountain pen. Despite best intentions, it’s easy to find yourself more focused on the nib, ink, finish, etc. of a fountain pen than on the writing you’re actually doing. With a ballpoint, there just aren’t as many variables.

For all of these reasons and more, if someone asks me for a “nice pen recommendation” for a person who’s NOT already a known fountain pen user, that recommendation will almost always include one or more ballpoint options. As we enter the holiday gift season, it’s especially important to pay close attention to the needs of the person you’re buying for - while many of us love our fountain pens, they aren’t for everyone, and a nice ballpoint could be the best option for them. Stay tuned for more recommendations and discussion in the full holiday gift guide, coming later this month.

Ballpoint pens I’ve used over the past week, from left: The Caran d’Ache 849 (first two); Rotring 600 ballpoint, old Levenger edition; Studio Neat Mark One (with Schmidt Easyflow ballpoint refill); Bic Cristal; Caran d’Ache “Infinite” ballpoint, which I actually consider one of the biggest steals on the market right now; the Lamy 2000 ballpoint, and my two new Traveler’s pens.

The Gentleman Stationer is supported entirely by sales through the T.G.S. Curated Shop and pledges via the T.G.S. Patreon program. If you’re interested in shopping for a quality ballpoint pen for yourself or a gift recipient, we’d appreciate your support!

No, that’s not how a Traveler’s Notebook is “supposed” to look.

Hacking Stationery: Don't Be Afraid to "Personalize" Your Products! (They're Yours, After All)

October 29, 2022

One of my favorite topics to write about - though I don’t necessarily do it often - is “hacking” stationery products. As it’s used in the pen community, “hacking” can mean anything from using a different brand of paper refill in your Traveler’s Notebook to “actual hacking” away at a pen or notebook with an X-Acto knife to create a “personalized” product. Many people are understandably hesitant to experiment in this way, but if you go slowly and don’t attempt anything too crazy, the rewards are great and the risk relatively low.

One of the simplest “hacks” of all is a hole punch, creating your own refills from the paper of your choice for use in ring or disc-based notebook systems.

A Few Things to Keep In Mind When Modifying Your Own Products

Start Small. Maybe it’s trimming down a favorite brand of notebook to fit a specific case/cover, mixing two favorite inks together to create a new color, or clipping the end of a favorite gel refill so that it’s just a touch shorter and will fit in your preferred machined pen. Either way, these are small “hacks” that are easily accomplished at home with tools/materals that you have around the house, and will build your confidence to try more complex projects.
For More Complex Projects, or Those Involving Expensive Pens, Do Your Research. There’s a wealth of information out there on the internet, whether on pen-specific forms and blogs or on YouTube or Tiktok. For example, if you’re considering swapping nibs or feeds on pens from two different brands, the chances are somebody (like me) has done that before and failed, and has passed along and documented their wisdom, or lack thereof, for posterity. (I’ve linked to a post on my adventures swapping Platinum nibs into Opus 88 pens below.)
Don’t Worry About “Hurting Resale Value”. A common question I get from someone hacking a pen is “what will this do to the resale value”? Honestly, if you’re having to ask yourself this question, and you’ve purchased a pen for investment purposes, you shouldn’t be modifying it (or probably even writing with it). On the other hand, if you bought your pens to use them, you should feel free to do whatever you think will make you more likely to use the pen, and make the experience more enjoyable. Which brings me to…
You Will Void The Warranty. Recognize that you are taking some degree of risk anytime you modify a pen or any other product in a way not contemplated by the manufacturer. In other words, while it’s pretty difficult to break a pen beyond all hope of repair, if it happens in the context of you creating the Frankenpen of your dreams it’s going to be your fault, and you shouldn’t expect the manufacturer to replace it.

At the end of the day, if you purchased these products to use, and if you’re goal is to actually use them for work, pleasure, or otherwise, you shouldn’t be afraid to make changes that will allow you to maximize your own enjoyment and the overall experience.

And One More Thing… (A New Hack!)

An hour before I left on vacation a couple of weeks ago, an idea struck me. I recently discovered the Platinum Desk Pen on a recommendation from my friend Ana over at the Well-Appointed Desk. It has a smooth extra-fine gold-plated steel nib, which you can’t seem to find on any of Platinum’s other low-cost offerings like the Preppy or the Plaisir. The good thing is that the Desk Pen uses the exact same feed as these other models, and you can swap them out by gently pulling both the nib and feed to remove them, and inserting the nib from the Desk Pen into the Plaisir (and vice-versa), as shown in the photos.

Guide to Notebook Systems, Part IV: Single Notebooks, or the "Non-System System"

October 22, 2022

In the first installment of our ongoing “Guide to Notebook Systems” series, we discussed a few different categories, one of which was a “single bound notebook” category. This group, which I’ll discuss today, includes the Midori MD and Stàlogy brands. While you can argue that it’s a broad catch-all, the main reason I personally consider this particular group to be self-contained notebook “systems”, as opposed to simply different brands of notebooks (such as Rhodia or Clairefontaine), is the well-developed ecosystem of brand-specific accessories that allow you to customize your experience. If you stick with a particular notebook long-term, you can take advantage of these accessories to offer you more structure (though perhaps not as much customizability as a system like Traveler’s Notebook might offer). You can also avail yourself of the dedicated community of users who regularly share their tips and hacks for maximizing use and enjoyment of your favorite system.

Midori’s covers are known for their durability and relatively reasonable price points. Left is the “Paper” cover, which uses a thick Japanese craft paper that many believe ages like leather. On the right is my Gfeller undyed natural leather, which isn’t Midori-branded but ages in a similar manner to the Midori goat leather.

What Separates a “Notebook System” from “Just a Notebook”?

Before we get started, I need to insert a disclaimer here - everything I’ve been writing about in this particular series, from the categories themselves to recommendations as to whom each system might be a good fit for, represents my opinion. Since there are so many different notebook brands out there, these categories of different types of notebook systems are a construct I created for purposes of making sense of the different options and organizing my recommendations on the blog. That said, I consider a true notebook “system” to require, at a minimum, the ability to pair the notebook itself (or notebooks) with brand-specific accessories that you can carry over from book to book, hopefully year-after-year.

In other words, it implies more continuity and more of a long-term commitment to a specific notebook than simply keeping, say, a bullet journal and using whatever notebook you have on hand. At the same time, you can still consider these types of systems as “Non-system Systems”, in the sense that the notetaking and organization itself takes place in a standard notebook, and doesn’t require you to adopt any particular method of organizing your notes, such as buying a brand-specific hole punch, adopting a new organization strategy, or figuring out the best way to rig together different Traveler’s Notebook refills.

Midori MD Undyed goat leather, prior to any use. This particular product is the A5 vertical sleeve, designed to hold standard A5 MD and MD Light notebooks.

Example: The Midori MD Line of Notebooks and Accessories

The Midori MD line is probably the best example of what I’m talking about here (or at least the example that I’m personally the most familiar with). You can of course use Midori MD notebooks and other products on their own, without ever delving into the “system” aspect, and they’re excellent for that purpose. MD paper is among the most fountain pen friendly, relatively inexpensive, and it comes in most formats and sizes, ranging from A6 to A4 bound notebooks to writing pads to sticky notes, as well as lined, grid, dot grid, blank, and specialty layouts such as the A5 “Framed” Journal and the 365-day Codex, day-to-a-page journal.

Where this particular system begins to get interesting, at least for me, is when you delve into the available accessories. Midori makes a line of covers specially designed to fit both the MD and MD Light notebooks, in options that combine the utilitarian (the inexpensive plastic covers), the unique (durable Japanese paper covers, which actually age in a manner similar to leather), and the outright luxurious (natural undyed goat leather covers, which take on an amazing patina with long-term use). You can also use Midori’s brass tabs and notebook dividers to create a multi-subject notebook or to mark important pages, and Midori sells fountain-pen friendly sticky notes and even calendar/diary stickers if you want to incorporate planner functionality into your notebook. All of the paper products use the same MD paper (even the sticky notes and diary stickers) for a consistent experience across the line.

Advantages to Using This Sort of Notebook System

Flexible, unstructured layout that allows you to experiment with different notetaking systems and otherwise use your notebook however you like.
Notebooks and covers typically come in a variety of nonproprietary sizing, including A6, A5, and the somewhat uncommon A4.
Accessories such as notebook tabs, dividers, and even covers can typically be used with other stationery products or systems (though YMMV with the covers, as there can be slight variations even in standard sizing between brands requiring you to trim the notebook).

Who This Type of Notebook System is For

Someone who doesn’t necessarily need to compartmentalize their notes or writing in a way that requires moving individual pages or sections. If this sounds like you, you may want to check out a ring-based or modular system.
Someone who doesn’t need a lot of accessories such as pouches, moveable pen loops, dedicated planner inserts, etc., but at the same time enjoys having a dedicated cover and a few other items designed to work with their favorite notebook.
Someone who organizes their journals and notes by notebook, and keeps separate notebooks dedicated to specific subjects, yet still wants consistency in the form of interchangeable covers, tabs, etc.

I’ll plan to discuss further in a future post in this series, but I am a HUGE proponent of borrowing accessories from different notebook systems and customizing your own notebook to best suit your own purpose. (Shown here: a Traveler’s Notebook with a cut-down Stàlogy notebook insert, divided into sections using Midori sticker tabs)

Where to Buy Midori and Similar Brand Recommendations

As I mentioned, I used Midori as the example in this post because it’s the brand I’m most familiar with. The purpose of this post isn’t to serve as an advertisement for Midori - though I obviously think Midori is great. The goal is give you an idea of the depth of options available within a specific brand. As a relatively long-time Midori retailer, I have access to the different size and paper options, as well as the accessories. There are similar options out there on the market, some of which I sell directly and many of which I don’t, including Stàlogy, Maruman Mnemosyne, Nanami Paper’s “Seven Seas” and “Cafe Note” series, the Baron Fig Confidant, and even arguably the Hobonichi Techo and Kokuyo Jibun Techo Planners, which were designed as planners but many people use as notebooks and journals. Go with what works best for you!