Closing It Out: The 2024 "Best" List Is Complete! Now With Woodcase Pencils

As part of my “10 Years” of TGS retrospective, I wanted to overhaul and fill out what I’ve called the “Best Pens” list, though by adding mechanical pencils and woodcase pencils to our comprehensive list of recommendations I probably should try to name it something else. (Another project for another day!) As of this morning, the list now features a series of woodcase pencil recommendations. These aren’t necessarily lists of “my favorite” pencils, but rather the pencils I’m comfortable recommending to those looking for an everyday user, or for those looking to try out quality pencils for the first time. You can check out the full list here, but the pencils that ended up in the pencil section include:

• The Tombow 2558, which I consider the best all-around “yellow/orange No. 2 office pencil,” with an outstanding eraser.

• The Caran d’Ache “Edelweiss” series, which comes in either HB or 3B hardnesses and costs less than $1.

• The Musgrave Tennessee Red or Tennessee Round, which is the only pencil I’m aware of currently made from Eastern Red Cedar, and certainly the most “aromatic” of the group.

• The Blackwing 602 or Blackwing Natural, which feature the “firm” and “extra firm” graphite formulations that probably work best for most people.

• The Uni Hi-Uni 2B, which I consider the premiere Japanese graphite pencil in terms of wood, graphite core, and lacquer finish. If you’re a fan of lacquer-capped (no eraser) pencils, it doesn’t get much better than this.

For an interesting comparison, see this “Top 5 Pencils for Everyday Writing” list I did back in 2016. There’s still some overlap, but a few of the pencils on this original list are either no longer widely available or have experienced a manufacturing change.

A note on Recommendation lists and how they relate to the T.G.S. Shop

For each entry on the list, I typically link to a review that I’ve done of the product, and then provide a link where the product can be purchased. For many of the pens and pencils that appear on the list, that link is now to our own store. I do want to clarify: This list predates the shop by many years (you can see link to prior versions at the bottom of each rendition), and has provided the blueprint for how we’ve built out our shop, not the other way around. Back in 2020, I set out to create a curated retail experience as an alternative to the referral link and ad-supported revenue model that was prevalent at the time. My goal has always been to sell directly only those things that I’d recommend myself, so some overlap is inevitable. For those items that we don’t sell, our primary retail partner is Vanness Pens, or I’ve linked directly to the specific maker.

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

"If I Could Only Keep One...." (My Version)

I love these writing prompts that are currently trending throughout the pen community. So far, we've had #21PenQuestions, #17InkQuestions, #5MorePenQuestions (which I tacked on), and now, "If I Could Only Keep One." The standard version of this latest challenge prompts you to go through your pen collection and pick one pen from each brand that you would keep, if you were ever forced to limit yourself. Because I run T.G.S. as a business, combined with the fact that I've been collecting/accumulating/reviewing/using pens for over a decade, this exercise wouldn't be particularly practical for me, much less enjoyable for you to read, since I have many different brands - vintage and modern - and the selections wouldn't necessarily be meaningful because it would still be a ton of pens. So let's pare it down even further!

How About, “If You Could Only Keep One from Each Product Category?”

For my take on "If I Could Only Keep One," I'm going to limit myself to (1) one fountain pen; (2) one ballpoint/gel/rollerball; (3) one mechanical pencil; (4) one woodcase pencil; (5) one fountain pen ink; (6) one mechanical pencil lead; (7) one notebook/notebook system; and (8) one pen case. So in essence, if I had to get rid of everything, but had a chance to "shop my own collection" for one item from each major product category beforehand, this is what I'd choose.

• Fountain Pen: Lamy 2000. This shouldn't be a surprise to anyone. The Lamy 2000 remains my favorite fountain pen of all time, and the extra-fine or fine nibs tend to be my favorite writers of the bunch. The pen is durable, holds a lot of ink, and fits my hand perfectly when posted. It took me all of 5 seconds to make this call. If I had to choose between the various models, I'd pick a Makrolon pen and would keep my Bauhaus Blue edition.

• Ballpoint/Gel/Rollerball: Jetstream 4&1 Multi Pen. I was tempted to pick the Lamy 2000 multi pen here due to the ability to use D1 gel refills in addition to the Jetstream ballpoint, but instead went with the Uni Jetstream 4&1. I increasingly rely on low-viscosity ballpoints as my secondary writing instrument of choice, simply because they write on any kind of paper under any conditions, and the Jetstream inks have long been favorites. This particular pen gives you four color options plus a .5mm mechanical pencil, and all of the various colors write well. Green and red ballpoint inks tend to be on the dry side, but the Jetstream manages to avoid this issue. I need to do an extended review of this particular pen at some point in the future.

• Mechanical Pencil: Uni Kuru Toga Alpha Gel Switch. I don't draw, so my mechanical pencil pick won't necessarily be a drafting-style pencil. The Alpha Gel Switch combines a gel grip that's comfortable for writing with Uni's Kuru-Toga mechanism that rotates the lead as you write. To me, the Alpha Gel Switch is the ultimate mechanical pencil for actual writing.

• Woodcase Pencil: Blackwing Matte (Soft Graphite). For my woodcase pencil I chose the original "new" Blackwing: the "Matte" (or "Original," or "MMX", or whatever you want to call it). Even if I have to sharpen this pencil more frequently than one with harder graphite, I love the dark line that it leaves, with minimal smearing for graphite that approaches 4B hardness. Many market this as a "drawing" pencil, but I personally love it for writing.

• Fountain Pen Ink: Waterman Blue. Some may call it boring, but it's the first fountain pen ink I ever used and the last ink I'll get rid of. Safe in any pen (and fabulous in the Lamy 2000), Waterman Serenity Blue (formerly Florida Blue) is my go-to utility ink, even if I don't currently have a pure blue bottle of it in my collection. It turns out that this ink mixes quite well with Waterman Tender Purple/Violet to make a nice ultramarine "blurple" color.

• Mechanical Pencil Lead: Hi-Uni 2B. In general, mechanical pencil leads tend to run lighter than the graphite core on a woodcase pencil, and will resist breakage up until about the 2B grade. The Uni "Hi-Uni" pencil leads are of exceptional quality, and I use the 2B hardness in most of the mechanical pencils I use for everyday writing.

• Notebook Cover/System: Roterfaden Taschenbegleiter A5. At any given time, I'm using 5 or 6 notebooks, but if I had to reduce it to one notebook cover, I would pick a 3-clip Roterfaden in the A5 size. I'd choose this notebook mainly due to the combination of durability and versatility: The leather cover will last a very long time, while the A5 size is compatible with most of the notebooks I use on an everyday basis, including the Hobonichi Cousin, Midori MD Light and Soft Color notebooks, and A5 Tomoe River A5 notebooks. Roterfaden's clip system makes it easy to rotate individual notebooks/refills. You can seek how I have my Roterfaden set up in this YouTube video.

• Pen Case: Rickshaw Bagworks Sinclair Model R. The Sinclair pen case has long been my overall favorite, and it's perfect for my take on the "If I Could Only Keep One" challenge because the case has three slots to hold the Lamy 2000, Kuru Toga, and Jetstream Multipen, with room to carry other items I might need such as an eraser, pencil sharpener, pocket notebook, earbuds, etc. I actually have multiple Sinclairs and use them for all sorts of stuff that I tend to move between bags. (The Model R shown here is the Vanness Pens/Leigh Reyes collaboration.)

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Why is yellow such a theme these days? Maybe because it’s a happy color? I’m going with it.

Why do I enjoy these challenges so much?

It boils down to intentionality. I enjoy thinking about why I use the things I do and why I choose certain things over others. Additionally, it can be very stressful to surround yourself with too much stuff, and I find it important to periodically de-clutter and pass along those things I no longer use. Exercises like these give you an easy starting point: "OK, I'm definitely keeping THIS. Now what can I clear out?"

Note that this post should NOT be construed as a "best pens" or recommendation list, but rather reflects how I personally use stationery.

The Gentleman Stationer is supported entirely by purchases from the T.G.S. Curated Shop and pledges via the T.G.S. Patreon Program. I will be at the Chicago Pen Show this weekend, not at a table but roaming around, so if you see me, say hello! Look for the T.G.S. logo on my nametag.

2024 Update to the "Best Pen" List: Top 5 Mechanical Pencils

Or maybe I should now say “Best Pen/Pencil” list? Earlier this month I teased some impending updates in the form of Mechanical and Woodcase pencil categories, and the “Mechanical Pencil” category is now live. I was waiting on an initial shipment of this favorite shown below to arrive before I launched, but overall there shouldn’t be too many surprises on the list! Enjoy!

If you don’t need the automatic lead advancement mechanism of the Kuru Toga Dive, the Pentel Sharp Kerry gives you a capped mechanical pencil option at a more reasonable price point.

A Huge Thank You for a Wonderful 10 Years: The 10th Anniversary T.G.S. Best Pens Update Is Live!

I did some more extensive revisions for this year’s “Best Pens” update, revising some of the list to reflect price changes, new additions, pens that have fallen out of production, and older companies that have become a bit stagnant. I won’t be overly long summarizing the update: you can read the list for yourself here! There is plenty more 10th Anniversary content on the way, including a pending “Best Pencils” list (both mechanical and woodcase), as well as a Multi-Pens category for the main Best Pens list. I wasn’t in a position to finalize all of those today, as I’m still considering whether to break pencils into a separate list. I hope you enjoy! I’ve really enjoyed being a part of this community for the past 10 years, and hope for at least 10 more!

Updated 4/14/24: I receive a lot of comments and messages whenever I update my “Best Pens” list. I can’t respond to all of them, but as a general matter I want to clarify a few things.

• It goes without saying that any TGS review/ curated list reflects my opinion, based on my own decade-plus experience of buying, using, collecting, and selling fountain pens. The fact that a pen is not featured on the list should NOT be considered a judgment on a pen that you otherwise personally enjoy.

• I cannot review everything. There are hundreds, if not thousands, of different pens available on the market and to keep things manageable I reduce each category to five entries. If there is a pen that I have not reviewed on the site or featured in the list, that you think I should consider, please send me a message through the “Contact” link and I promise I will look into it.

• Because the overwhelming majority of my readership is in the United States, I generally limit “recommendations” - especially for beginners - to pens that are readily available in the U.S., from U.S. based retailers, so that it’s unnecessary to mail a pen overseas for warranty service. Of course I still import pens and review them and enjoy them, but this list is written with a different set of considerations in mind.

The Gentleman Stationer is supported by purchases from the T.G.S. Curated Shop and pledges via the T.G.S. Patreon Program. If you enjoy our content, please consider supporting us directly.

Putting an Extra-Fine Point on It: Pens and Pencils for Tax Season

If I’ve seemed a bit absent from the pen internets lately, it’s not without good reason: I’ve spent much of the past two weeks either traveling to pen shows or finalizing taxes, like everyone else here in the States. While I do have an accountant to help me finalize any submissions, I’m in that weird spot where my business isn’t large enough to justify the expense of a regular bookkeeper, so I still do much of the work myself, and a lot of it requires manual review of invoices, reports, and related documentation.

But enough about the nuts and bolts of tax prep. Nobody really wants to read about that, and those of you who aren’t serial procrastinators probably finished your taxes weeks ago. Every year, however, I always plan to write a post about what pens (and pencils) I use to make it through the first weeks of April, and never get around to it because the entire experience burns me out and I don’t want to even think about taxes more than I have to. But this year is different! 2024 tax season overlapped with an interesting vintage acquisition that I made at the Arkansas Pen Show, inspiring this morning’s post.

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Three pens/pencils for tax season: The Penco Prime Timber 2.0 leadholder, a Caran d’Ache Fixpencil, and a vintage Parker 51 “Flighter”.

Vintage Extra-Fine Nibs and Dagger-Sharp Leadholders

If there’s one frustration among those of us who naturally have very small handwriting or or work in professions where we regularly annotate documents or take smaller notes, it’s the absence of (1) truly “extra fine” fountain pen nibs that write consistently small out of the box and (2) reliably good pencils - and sharpeners - that can hold a point for any substantial length of time. Sure, all of these things do exist, but mostly in import products and on the higher-end of the price spectrum. The standard steel “fine” or “extra-fine” fountain pen nib from Bock and JoWo - ubiquitous in modern pens - isn’t small enough for the type of notetaking I do regularly, so I have to rely on custom-ground needlepoints and Japanese gold nibs like the fine and extra-fine nibs from Pilot and Sailor.

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This particular Parker 51 almost gets me as fine a line as I can get out of my Pilot Vanishing Point extra-fine nib.

This wasn’t always the case. Back when most bookkeeping and accounting work was done manually, it sustained a market for truly “extra-fine” nibs (preferably ones that were stiff to allow you to write very, very small with consistent inkflow, and which you sometimes see designated as “accounting nibs”). Case-in-point: the extra-fine nib on this Parker 51 “flighter” fountain pen I picked up at the pen show last week. I own a lot of Parker 51 fountain pens, and most of the nibs are standard fines or what I would consider a fine-medium: nothing like the smooth extra-fine nib on this one, which so far has held up wonderfully with reliable inkflow. I wouldn’t go so far as to call this pen a “needlepoint,” but it writes a line comparable to the extra-fine nib in Pilot Custom 74 or Vanishing Point, which I consider the most reliable, readily available, and reasonably priced writing experience for those looking to write very small with a fountain pen.

Otherwise, for very small writing I’m using a mechanical pencil, a .5mm low-viscosity ballpoint, or if I’m looking to keep things interesting, a leadholder pencil. One thing that I love about leadholders like the Caran d’Ache Fixpencil or the Penco Prime Timber is the ability to put an extremely sharp point on them, making them a favorite for art, drafting, or - like me - writing absolutely minute script. The 2mm and 3mm leads that these pencils use often sharpen better than the standard cores used in woodcase pencils, and you can easily change the hardness of the graphite to adjust point retention. In my experience, leadholder graphite tends to run slightly harder than its designation, so even a B or 2B drafting lead can get you both a very sharp point and a dark line.

To get the best point on a leadholder, I’d recommend you invest in a stand-alone lead pointer with replaceable blades, as the integrated sharpener in the cap of many leadholders isn’t of the highest quality. Sure, it’s serviceable in a pinch, but you won’t get the needle-tip that you see pictured here.

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Properly sharpened graphite will almost always get you a finer line than a pen.

Takeaways and Where to Buy

I’ve been using my Penco leadholder and new 51 nearly exclusively for the past week, and recommend both as excellent tools for everyday work. Unfortunately, finding a suitable vintage nib for your needs likely requires a trip to a pen show or some back-and-forth with a reputable vintage pen dealer. Parker 51 nibs typically aren’t marked, and I’ve noticed a lot of variability in size between different pens that supposedly have the same nib, so I almost always like to write with them before I purchase. I acquired this particular Parker 51 from Danny Fudge at The Write Pen, who has become my go-to resource for all things vintage. The Penco “Prime Timber” leadholder is sold in our own shop - it’s an inexpensive quality leadholder that includes an excellent lead pointer in the packaging. We also have a selection of Caran d’Ache Fixpencils and graphite refills, as well as the ultra-sharp M+R Brass Lead pointer, which has holes for sharpening two different lead widths and replaceable blades.

Do you have a favorite tax-time tool? (Not Turbotax or Quickbooks, sorry, analog only! :)) Bonus points if you still use a leatherbound ledger!

The Gentleman Stationer is supported entirely by purchases from the T.G.S. Curated Shop and pledges via the T.G.S. Patreon Program. If you enjoyed this content, please consider supporting us directly!