Closing Out 2023 and Starting 2024: Five Ways I'm Getting Ready for the New Year

It’s New Year’s weekend already! I had a great 2023 and look forward to 2024, but I still feel as though I have a lot to do before I can dive into next year with as clean a slate as possible. I typically don’t make really rigid plans or resolutions, but most years I do take some basic steps to start the New Year “clean”, such as straightening up my house and office, emptying out my various bags, flushing pens, and taking donations to charity drop-off. For those who are curious about what exactly I’m doing this weekend, here are five things I’m currently focused on.

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**Note that I’ve omitted most of the business-specific things such as starting to pull together tax documents, counting inventory, etc. because they probably aren’t of interest or relevant to other people. If I disappear for a few days around the New Year, it’s likely because I’m working on one of these.

1. Cleaning Out My Pens. By the time December 31 rolls around, my office is in thorough need of a cleaning (including at least three or four pens that I’ve forgotten I had inked). As a general matter, at the end of the year I flush all of the pens currently in rotation and pick five to re-ink (with new inks!) to start January 1. Even though I generally dislike flushing pens with ink still in them - especially if it’s a combination that I enjoy - I can be kind of superstitious and equate starting the new year with the previous year’s pens still inked to waking up on New Year’s Day with the Christmas tree still set up. (People have strong feelings on this, but for me it always comes down 12/31.)

2. Setting Up My Planners/Journals. More out of necessity than anything else, I’ll spend New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day setting up my planners and journals. I’ll write a bit more about this next week, after I truly finalize the setup: I’m currently planning on reintroducing the Hobonichi planners but perhaps using them in a different format than intended. I don’t keep a paper planner and manage my calendar digitally, but I do keep several running journals where I track how I spend my time.

3. Writing Out My Analogue System. Relatedly, I picked up a tip from a book or a podcast (I can’t remember exactly where) that recommended you write out exactly how you intend to use a specific “system”, laminate it, and either carry it with you and/or post it at your desk. It helps ensure you’ll stick to your “plan.” While some might find this rigid and restrictive, I like this idea (especially for the first several weeks of the year) because I’m trying to make some significant changes to how I’ve traditionally done things in the past, and I need to build some new writing and journaling habits.

4. Scripting a Month of Reviews/Content. I use the term “scripting” loosely, but the first few months of the year can be light on both pen shows and new releases, and combined with post-holiday exhaustion/chaos, the time can get away from you. I like to hit January 1 knowing what my first month will look like in terms of the reviews I plan to work on and pieces I want to begin drafting. Towards the beginning of February, I get a better sense of what the upcoming year is going to look like, including months where I’ll be traveling heavily, and then can start building out the full annual content plan.

5. Making My Pen Show Travel Arrangements. As I mentioned in my personal reflections on 2023, I want to rethink my travel strategy for 2024, including spreading out the travel a bit so it doesn’t feel as though I’m spending weeks on the road at a time. There are certain shows I would never miss - both D.C. and especially San Francisco - but what about all those shows in-between? And then there’s the issue of attending at least one international show. This all will take at least an afternoon to think through, both in terms of travel logistics and funding.

Looking for something to help you kick off the New Year? Be sure to check out our ongoing New Year’s shop promotion, where you can snag 10% off all notebook systems (including covers, refills, and related accessories) using the code “NEWYEAR24” at checkout. There’s also several products with clearance pricing throughout the shop! Check the link for details. Several of us will also be discussing our plans for 2024 on tonight’s Patreon Meetup! Patreon members should check the Patreon feed for details.

Intentions for 2024: Personal Reflections and Goals For the New Year

“Read more, write more, and drink more coffee.”

I’d say that I accomplished all three of my (simplified) intentions for 2023. I really nailed that third one. In all seriousness, you can distill my goals for the past year into a single sentence: Be more intentional in what I spend my time on, use my pens and paper to actually write and create, and keep in mind that everything I do here is with the goal of being helpful and fostering a sense of community around our shared interests. Because my intentions for 2024 haven’t changed much from 2022 and 2023, I get the feeling that I might be approaching a general “mission statement” for the site going forward.

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One of our most popular post is “Hierarchies of Fountain Pen Friendly Paper.” It - and other resources - could use a refresh.

Intention No. 1: Continue to Organize and Optimize the Back-Catalog of T.G.S. Content

T.G.S. will celebrate its 10th birthday in April, which means that there’s nearly 10 years worth of content available on the site. That’s a lot of writing, considering that I post at least four times a week (4 x 52 x 10 = 2080 posts). In recent years, I’ve made attempts to reduce the amount of obviously dated and/or irrelevant content, such as sale posts and new release announcements for products that no longer exist. However, even with periodic pruning, that still leaves a LOT of reviews, editorials pen show recaps, and how-to guides that can be difficult to navigate, especially for new users. Part of being intentional with my content is knowing when to take a step back from expanding and writing about “all the new stuff”, and when to devote time to making what already exists better. In 2024, for the 10th Anniversary, I’m planning some additional review archives (similar to the Fountain Pen Review Archive), as well as expanded and updated resource pages. Certain new content that I have on tap will look to fill the gaps in what currently exists.

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This year’s acquisitions reflect a mix of new and vintage pens - my personal acquisitions were just that - personal - and they are fewer in number than in recent years.

Intention No. 2: Minimize Personal Acquisitions

Much of the early Gentleman Stationer chronicled my own explorations and efforts to build a personal collection and develop my own base of knowledge about the stationery world. While there are always new products to explore and the learning never stops, after 10 years you definitely reach a point where each new addition to the collection seems less novel and less of an improvement over what you already own, and from a writing perspective, the focus shifts from learning yourself to sharing the knowledge you’ve already acquired with others. In 2023 I dramatically scaled back acquisitions for my personal collection to probably less than ten pens. I sold off or traded away many more, consolidated a large portion of my ink accumulation, and dramatically reduced my paper stash by … actually using it. I’m happier with less stuff, and it’s allowed me to focus funds on growing and improving TGS as a business rather than acquiring more that I don’t need personally.

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Eventually the travel will slow down, right?

Intention No. 3: Balance Pen Show Travel with Building a Presence in My Community

I traveled a LOT in 2023. I attended seven different pen shows, and to that you have to tack on at least five family excursions and multiple trips for my day job. Between all this travel and navigating a job change, I’m bone-tired. While my schedule unfortunately won’t slow down much this year, given my decision to focus more on T.G.S. from a business perspective, I do want to balance pen show travel with expanding my local presence in my community, including continuing to work towards opening a physical location that people can easily visit and browse goods in person. That might mean foregoing one or two U.S. pen shows in favor of holding local events in the Nashville-area. It certainly will mean working on additional content and opportunities for interaction with my online Patreon community. And of course (somewhat incongrously) I still want to make it to at least one international show….

Another year finished, on to the next!

At the end of each year, I publish a series of recaps that include Part I: Five Favorite Acquisitions of 2023; Part II: Five Favorite Products Reviewed in 2023; Part III: Best Sellers from the T.G.S. Curated Shop; and Part IV: Series and Editorials. Today’s post concludes that series with my thoughts looking forward to 2024!

Year-End Review, Part IV: Series and Editorials

As the years have gone on (The Gentleman Stationer will celebrate 10 years in April 2024), content has shifted somewhat from pure reviews to more of a 50/50 balance between specific product reviews and more “big picture” content that offers an overview of general product categories and how more specific products fit into the overall scheme of what’s available. To that end, TGS content in 2023 was heavily influenced by reader questions, as I aimed to be more responsive to what I perceived as the needs of the readership. Did this result in a more “scattered” range of content without a central theme? Possibly, but I also found unresolved loose-ends in some of the longer-running series, as well as gaps in coverage of certain product categories that needed to be filled.

TGS Responds! Your Questions Answered

Even if I can’t respond to all of the e-mails, direct messages, and snail mail correspondence, I do read every one, and I try to maintain a master list of questions that inspires future content. If the same question resurfaces frequently enough, I’ll answer it directly. Here are some of the questions I answered in 2023:

• #21PenQuestions from The Gentleman Stationer (My responses to this year’s internet trend)

• #5MorePenQuestions: What I Really Wanted to Answer (My own attempt to add a bit more depth to the analysis)

• Questions from the T.G.S. Mailbag (Frequently Asked Questions to which I wanted to respond directly)

• How to Get the Best Writing Experience with Shimmer Inks

• Fountain Pen Basics: 5 Best Practices for Fountain Pen Users

• Five Things You Can Do To Introduce New Users to Nice Pens

• Pen Problems: Do You Feel Compelled to Match Pens and Inks?

• My Personal Approach to Vintage Fountain Pens

• How Do You Curate Your Shop? (If you’re interested in my decision to open a companion shop, and the “philosophy” that guides my stocking decisions, I’d encourage you to read this post.)

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Updates to Established Series (i.e., Workhorse Pens, Fountain Pen Friendly Paper, etc.)

You can find links to the full range of series content in the “Resources” section, but here I’ll recap some new additions from 2023.

• The Gentleman Stationer’s Favorite Fountain Pen Inks Inaugural Edition (2023) (People have been asking me to do a “favorite inks” list for years, and this was fun so I’ll likely update it.)

• The Best Paper for Everyday Writing, Part VI: Legal Pads (I’m a lawyer. How did I go nearly ten years without ranking legal pads?)

• Workhorse Pens: Considerations and Pitfalls of High-Capacity Pocket Fountain Pens

• Pocket Fountain Pens, Part II: Further Reflections on Pocket Carry

• Personal Workflow: It’s More Than Novelty - Different Paper Rulings for Different Purposes

Updated Review Archive, Best Pens, and 2023 Holiday Gift Guide

I’ve (mostly) kept up with the T.G.S. Fountain Pen Review Archive in real time, adding new pens to the archive as I review them. Every spring I also update the “Best Pens List”, and in the fall, I launch the Holiday Gift Guide! These remain live throughout the year as I feel they provide good general references for those seeking guidance in their pen purchasing decisions.

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I attended the Dallas Pen Show for the first time this year, and spent a LOT of time perusing available vintage pens.

Pen Show Recaps and Travel Posts

2023 was a year of travel, and while I hopefully don’t have to hit the road quite as much in 2024, that’s likely an unrealistic expectation as there are so many places I want to visit, both to expand my own horizons and interact with the readership. As I travel, I generally post recaps of my trips, including pen shows and trade shows (there’s a difference!), as well as the occasional vacation post to share my stationery travel gear of choice.

• 2023 Bag Dump: What Do I Carry to Work

• 2023 Bag Dump, Part II: Travel Edition and Pen Show Packing

• Adventures in Pen Travel and Pens for Vacation

• Travel Kit: National Stationery Show Edition

• 2023 Dallas Pen Show Recap

• 2023 San Francisco Pen Show Recap

• 2023 DC Pen Show Recap

• 2023 Atlanta Pen Show Recap

• 2023 Arkansas Pen Show Recap

• 2023 Baltimore Pen Show Recap

• A Trade Show vs a Pen Show: My Trip to NY Now and Shoppe Object

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Inkvent was fun but I’m feeling ready to conclude for the year!

Expanded Patreon/YouTube Content and the 2023 Inkvent Calendar

The YouTube Channel has been reactivated! During the second half of 2023, I’ve made an effort to supplement the written content on the site with (1) additional video content to showcase more aspects of the pens I review here; and (2) offer some additional perspective on items I’m using week-to-week. Finally, I put together a nearly complete - three more days to go - overview of the 2023 Diamine Inkvent Calendar, which you can follow on this YouTube Playlist.

Our Patreon program has turned into a pen club of sorts, which offers access to monthly meetups on Saturday night via Zoom, as well as additional content and early access/preferred pricing on T.G.S. Curated Shop exclusive releases. I have a lot planned for 2024, so if this interests you please consider joining. (If you join for a year in advance, I believe Patreon offers a discount on the yearly pledge.)

Each year in December I recap the prior year, including favorite acquisitions (Part I), favorite products I reviewed (Part II), and top sellers from the T.G.S. Curated Shop (Part III). Stay tuned throughout the next two weeks for additional recap content.

The Gentleman Stationer is supported entirely by purchases from the T.G.S. Curated Shop and pledges via the T.G.S. Patreon Program.

Year-End Review, Part II: Five Favorite Products Reviewed in 2023

As with my favorite acquisitions, my favorite reviews from 2023 leaned heavily towards small-batch and independent makers, and also reflected my efforts to branch out a bit and explore different aspects of the stationery world beyond the “workhorse” or “daily driver” pens, ink, and paper that have formed the core of my review content in the past. While people may be tired of hearing about the Schon DSGN Monoc :), there’s no denying that it’s one of the more influential and talked-about pens to have been released (and expanded upon) over the past year. Moreover, Toyooka Craft has cultivated a significant presence at U.S. pen shows, bringing their expansive range of accessories for attendees to peruse in person (and in my case, take home). I’ll talk a bit more later this month about my intentions for 2024 and how I plan to approach content in the New Year!

1. Schon DSGN Full-Sized Fountain Pen and Monoc Nib First Impressions. The Monoc nib, developed entirely in-house by Ian Schon and his team, might be the most talked about piece of stationery in 2023 (at least in the fountain pen world). I’ve enjoyed writing with my Monoc(s) throughout the past year and exploring the intricacies of this unique nib and feed system. I know it was linked in my “Five Favorites” installment from Saturday, but the follow-on review of the fine-nib Monoc fountain pen can be found here.

2. Pen Trays and Accessories: Toyooka Craft and the Beauty of Simplicity. I didn’t acquire that many pens in 2023. Instead, I focused on accessories and those things which enhance my enjoyment of the pens I already own. As items I interact with every day, my Toyooka Craft pen trays easily make the list of favorite discoveries, and I look forward to reviewing additional Toyooka Craft products in 2024.

3. The Cortex Brand Sidekick Notepad: Hype or Innovation? A Bit of Both. The Cortex Brand Sidekick Notepad straddles the online stationery and digital productivity communities, and it’s been interesting to see this product take off in popularity. I’ve enjoyed using mine - it’s a very well-thought-out product and I’m excited to review Cortex Brand’s expanded lineup as they’ve recently announced a new calendar version of the Sidekick that’s currently available.

4. TWSBI Precision Ballpoints and Mechanical Pencils. In addition to reviewing new products, I delved into the “new to me” category. The TWSBI Precision lineup of ballpoint pens and mechanical pencils has been around for years, but for whatever reason I stuck to TWSBI’s fountain pens. That’s a shame, because the Precision line is an excellent take on technical pens and pencils. I even added the Precision fountain pen, which shares the name but sports a slightly different design, and I plan to write about that in the future.

5. The Good Blue R615 “Titanium Blue” Vanness Exclusive Edition Fountain Pen. While people have had mixed results with the Good Blue pens, I’ve enjoyed using both their flex and “Zoom!” nibs. This review was more about breaking out of my own comfort zone than it was about the pen itself - I’ve traditionally shied away from flex nibs as “impractical”, but lately I’ve incorporated them into regular use. They’ve allowed me to enjoy different types of ink, and have also encouraged me to slow down and focus on improving my cursive handwriting.

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Each year in December I recap the prior year, including favorite acquisitions, favorite products I reviewed, and more. Stay tuned throughout the next two weeks for additional recap content.

The Gentleman Stationer is supported entirely by purchases from the T.G.S. Curated Shop and pledges via the T.G.S. Patreon Program.

Year-End Review, Part I: Five Favorite Acquisitions of 2023

Every year towards the end of December I take some time to reflect on some of my favorite content from the previous year, as well as on favorite new acquisitions. Today I’ll start out by mentioning five of my favorite pick-ups from 2023, which includes four pens and one paper product/organizer. These are in no particular order - I review and acquire a fair bit of stuff throughout the year, all of it different, so it’s nearly impossible to do a fair ranking beyond a “Top 5”. Enjoy!

1. Schon DSGN Monoc (Fine Nib). One of two big purchases from this year’s San Francisco Pen Show, the fine-tip Monoc features an architect-like grind on the reverse side, making it an extremely versatile writer (in addition to being a stunning visual piece, especially with the anodization).

2. Kyuseido Kakari Fountain Pen. Kyuseido’s take on the syringe filler, designed in partnership with Ben Walsh at Gravitas Pens, has been perpetually inked since San Francisco. Yes, San Francisco was an expensive show for me. And yes, I have a review of the Kakari in the works. It’s a somewhat complex review to write of a very specialized pen, but if you love highly engineered filling systems you will enjoy this one.

3. Montblanc 149, Studio Bokumondoh Edition. Earlier this summer I sent my plain black Montblanc 149 to Tokyo for an urushi treatment at Studio Bokumondoh, and received it back around two weeks after returning from San Francisco. (Did I mention August/September hurt my bank account?) I will likewise plan to write up this one in the coming year, with more details on the design, etc. The link is to my original review of the 149.

4. Kaweco Art Sport in “Terrazzo” Acrylic. I was thrilled to see this year’s Art Sport fountain pen released with the same integrated clip from the older (and now discontinued) “Sport Luxe” collection. While I enjoy all four colors, The Terrazzo and Hickory Brown spoke to me the most, and I added these two to my personal collection alongside my original Navy Blue Art Sport from several years ago.

5. Roterfaden Taschenbegleiter A4 Portfolio. I’ve had an A5-sized Roterfaden Taschenbegleiter for years, but I’ve always wanted a larger portfolio that can hold both an A4 or letter-sized pad as well as an A4 notebook. This has been an excellent solution. While we are mostly sold out of the larger Taschenbegleiters at the moment, we plan to bring them back and restock around the end of the month.

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Stay tuned for more Year-in-Review content! I’ll be doing favorite my 5 favorite reviews from 2023 next week.

The Gentleman Stationer is supported by purchases from the T.G.S. Curated Shop, as well as pledges via the T.G.S. Patreon Program. This post does not contain paid third-party advertising or affiliate links.