Vacation Recap: Traveling with Stationery, Greatest Hits

Since my goal for this long weekend is to enjoy a couple of days off, I’m bringing back the tradition of recap-style posts for vacation weeks. Today, I’ve chosen five of my favorite T.G.S. posts relating to travel stationery, ranging from questions about flying with fountain pens to posts about what I travel with and use when I’m on the road. Enjoy!

1. Your Questions Answered: Flying with Fountain Pens. Air travel with fountain pens can be tricky, and my preferred way to avoid air-travel inksplosions is to carry a pen that features some sort of shut-off valve to minimize ink leaking out the section. In addition to the pens featured in this particular post, I’d add the bulkfiller-style pens discussed earlier this week.

2. Updated Travel Kit 2024: Packing Pens, Pencils, and Notebooks for a Road Trip. Over the years I’ve adapted my stationery “travel kit” to reflect different needs and preferences, mainly adding more mechanical pencils and low viscosity ballpoints, which are often simply easier options when working on airplanes and in travel lounges and conference rooms.

3. Travel Chronicles: Actually Traveling with a Traveler’s Notebook. Lots of people ask me about my preferred setup for a Standard-size Traveler’s Notebook, and since we’re taking a pretty significant international family trip in about 6 weeks (on which I plan to bring a Traveler’s Notebook as my primary journal), it’s a topic I’ve been thinking more about.

4. 2023 Travelogue: What I Consider When Visiting Pen Stores and Shopping at Smaller Retailers in General. Whenever I land in a new town (or a favorite city I haven’t visited in a while), I try to visit all the local pen shops and pick up any special or exclusive editions you can’t find elsewhere. I do the same with independent bookstores.

5. An Overlooked Gem? The Traveler’s Company Brass Ballpoint Pen. Whenever I get the chance, I try to push the Traveler’s Company Brass Ballpoint pen, which is one of my preferred vacation pens due to its compact size and the ability to clip it to the front of a book. (Though it may be rivaled by these little Anterique ballpoints, shown above.)

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

Should You Buy a "Bulkfiller"? Checking in on one of the Internet's Most Talked About Filling Systems

I’ve avoided writing about the “Conid craze” that took over the pen community during the Pandemic years. While I have nothing against these pens - I currently own a Conid Bulkfiller Kingsize that I regularly use, and previously reviewed the Bulkfiller Minimalistica - the prices these pens were commanding on the secondary market (in the multiple thousands of dollars) struck me as extreme. Today, it’s died down a bit as Conid has resumed limited production, and more companies are releasing pens with a version of the “Conid filling system”, which Conid calls the “Bulkfiller” but which has alternately been described as a syringe filler, or “pump piston” (Kyuseido’s term). While I might eventually write longer form reviews of all of these specific pens, each of which offer a slightly different take on the technology, I wanted to start with my general thoughts on the filling system itself, including what I view as its advantages and disadvantages, as well as alternatives that some might find less finicky.

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The Conid Bulkfiller Kingsize with the plunger rod engaged and extended, ready to fill.

How Does a Syringe Filling System Work?

I prefer describing this filling system as a “syringe filler” because I find it a more intuitive description of how these pens work. (Yes, I know these are distinct from various vintage filling mechanisms marketed as “syringe fillers.” This article is about the modern category of pens, and I may be using my own terminology here.) These pens use a plunger, much like a vacuum-filling pen, but while a typical vacuum-filler takes advantage of a vacuum in the barrel created when the user depresses the plunger past a certain point, a syringe-filler fills on the upstroke (like a syringe). The filling mechanism is somewhat complex, with a more involved filling process compared to most other fountain pens:

• You start by unscrewing the blind cap, which disengages the plunger rod just as you would with a vacuum-filler.

• You then pull the rod all the way back, and thread or hook the seal into the plunger head, which sits at the back of the barrel. This will allow you to push the newly assembled “plunger” all the way forward and prepare to take up ink.

• Dip the nib/section of the pen into the ink bottle, and then slowly draw back on the plunger (like a syringe), which should allow you to fill the barrel to near 100% capacity. At the top of the filling stroke, you unscrew the rod to disengage the plunger rod from the seal and slide it back into position at the top of the section.

Check out this YouTube video from Doodlebud, which is an excellent demonstration of how the Conid version of this filling system works.

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Freshly inked with 3 Oysters Doldam, a great blue-grey!

What I View as the Advantages of This Filling System

As I mentioned, this type of filling system is more complex, necessitating a more involved process to fill your fountain pen. So why should you bother, apart from the inherent “cool factor” of having such an overengineered mechanism on an already overengineered category of writing instruments?

• Ink Capacity. These pens hold an insane amount of ink (anywhere from 2-4ml, depending on the model). For those obsessed with maximizing ink capacity and using the full barrel as an ink reservoir, syringe fillers and eyedroppers are your best options. If you don’t change ink often, and want to refill as infrequently as possible while not messing around with inherently messy eyedroppers, you definitely want to consider this filling system.

• Ease of Cleaning. Because you can force a large volume of water through the pen using the high-capacity filling mechanism, these pens are easier to clean than vacuum-fillers, standard piston fillers, eyedroppers, and honestly pretty much any other pen. My Conid Kingsize demonstrator will flush clean in as little as one or two cycles.

• Travel-Friendliness. When the blind cap is fully secured and the plunger rod completely screwed down, it creates a seal between the main ink reservoir (the barrel) and the primary writing reservoir in the section, which will help prevent burping and leaks during air travel and temperature fluctuations. So not only do you have a pen that will hold an extraordinary amount of ink for an extended trip, but you have the same safeguards against “inksplosions” as a vacuum-filler or Japanese-style eyedropper system. On all of these pens, you will need to open the valve to allow ink to flow freely for a more extended writing session.

• Ink Flow. With the valve open, you can get pretty heavy inkflow due to the volume of ink in the barrel. If you enjoy wet writers, or have a broader nib or ebonite feed that uses a lot of ink, you may love this pen. That said, as I’ll discuss further below, the ink doesn’t always flow seamlessly between the two reservoirs. You sometimes have to shake/tap the pen to force additional ink from the barrel into the section, which can cause significant variations in the level of ink flowing through the nib and feed that leads to the pen writing an inconsistent line.

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The Kyusedio Kakari and Conid Bulkfiller Kingsize, both inked but not “full”. (I’ve been writing with both for a couple of weeks and look at all the ink that’s still in the pen!

The Disadvantages

• Price. Conid ran into production issues over the past several years, leading to a scarcity which pushed demand far in excess of what the company can produce, with prices increasing accordingly. Currently, a Bulkfiller Kingsize starts at $900 for the pen, which I don’t believe includes the cost of the nib, shipping, and applicable taxes and customs duties. That is, if you can get one direct from Penworld, as these are sold in limited batches that often sell out in minutes, and secondary market prices have been astronomic at times. The Kyuseido Kakari is slightly less expensive for a 14k gold nib version. Companies such as Asvine and PenBBS make lower-cost versions of this filling system in the $50-60 dollar range, which feature steel nibs, so I would likely recommend starting here simply to see if you like the mechanism and design before acquiring a more expensive option.

• Yes, the Mechanism Can Be Finicky. Because there are so many moving parts, more can go wrong. The most widespread problems I hear about with these pens, across brands, is the piston/plunger head “sticking” at the top of the barrel, and/or the plunger rod becoming stuck and not disengaging from the plunger. While these issues are more common in the lower-cost pens, I’ve had the issue occasionally arise with my Conids and Kyuseido pens as well. Thankfully, I’ve always been able to figure out a fix myself, because shipping pens internationally for a repair is not a simple (or inexpensive) proposition.

• Inconsistent Inkflow. I’ve found the ink flow on my bulkfiller/syringe-filler fountain pens to be less consistent than with my vacuum-fillers and Japanese-style eyedroppers. On nearly every pen I have used with this style of filling system, the ink has a tendency to stick at the top of the first reservoir, which requires you to shake or tap the pen to get additional ink to flow from the barrel. I assume this is due to surface tension, but it’s somewhat frustrating on pens at this price point that someone hasn’t figured out how to fix the issue. Does it keep me from using these pens? No. But I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t annoying. Honestly, the issue was so bad on my original Minimalistica that I ended up parting with the pen. It’s somewhat better on my new Bulkfiller Kingsize and Kyuseido Kakari, but still a factor.

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An approximation of what can happen with the ink “sticking” at the top of the reservoir and not flowing down. I tried to recreate the issue here for photography purposes, but it tends to happen spontaneously as you’re writing, requiring you to tap or shake the pen to get ink flowing again.

Closing THoughts, Alternatives for a Similar Experience, and a note on fomo

Are these cool pens, that feature a lot of clever engineering that’s enjoyable to use every day? Absolutely. Would I buy my pens again? Absolutely. Do I feel like the hype on these pens is somewhat excessive and that people should carefully consider their options before making such an expensive purchase? Also yes. As I noted in my original review of the Conid Minimalistica nearly a decade ago, these are “pen geek” pens, and I don’t recommend them to everyone, especially beginners. Be prepared to tinker a bit, and if you’re newer to fountain pens, I’d recommend trying one in person or experimenting with the lower cost options from PenBBS (Model 355) or Asvine before spending a lot of money. Honestly, try a Japanese-style eyedropper to see whether you even like a pen that holds this much ink. If you’re a serial ink-changer, you may find that you prefer cartridge-converter.

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As you can see, because they hold so much ink, they tend to be larger pens. Shown here alongside a Montblanc 146 (far left) and Waterman Exception (far right).

The observations I make in this post apply across brands and models using this filling system, so there’s no “knock” intended on any particular pen. I enjoy using both my Conid Bulkfiller and Kyuseido Kakari, both are well-made, quality pens, and they are both going with me on vacation tomorrow. As a pen enthusiast and longtime fountain pen user, I love having examples of all the creativity and craftsmanship that goes into designing these pens.

So why have I been so conscious about emphasizing the “downsides” in addition to the positives? Because I’ve noticed a significant amount of social media-generated FOMO associated with these pens, which can be dangerous with such an expensive, often sight-unseen purchase. I don’t subscribe to the mentality I’ve seen in certain forums that acquiring one of these pens should automatically be everyone’s “grail,” and I cringe when I read about relative fountain pen newbies paying thousands for secondary market Conids before ever using one. As is the case with nearly any pen or filling system, these pens aren’t for everyone, and for ever person I know who considers their bulkfiller/syringe-filler a “grail pen,” I know someone else who finds these pens finicky and frustrating to use. To that end, if you want to use one of these pens to see if they’re for you, you’re always welcome to try mine. Pen show after-hours gatherings are great venues, as are local pen clubs, and since we now have a Gentleman Stationer physical store, just stop by! (Permanent hours will be posted next week.)

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

Ask TGS: What's the Best Pen for a Planner? Slimmer Pen Options for Pen Loops

It’s August, which means that the annual “back to school and back to work” season has started for many. You know what else that means? Planner time! I’ve noticed two distinct times of the year when people tend to invest in a new planner or notebook system. The first is during the November-January holiday season, just before the new year, and the second is in August and September, when the summer vacation comes to a close and many people return to work and/or school. In addition to general inquiries about the best planner or notebook system that might fit their specific needs, I receive a lot of questions about pens and pencils that “fit” planners. Usually this means they are looking for a slimmer pen (or multi pen or mechanical pencil) that will fit the often narrow “pen loops” or “pen slots” built into notebook covers. Since I’m already thinking about planners and notebook systems given the classes I taught at the D.C. Pen Show earlier this month, the upcoming planner and techo-heavy San Francisco Pen Show, and my participation in the Chicago Planner Conference this November, I figured this is a good time to update my previous planner pen recommendations.

1. Current Favorite Planner Pen Recommendation: Tom’s Studio Lumos Refillable Fineliner. Many people love fineliners and brush pens for their planners and notebook systems, and the Tom’s Studio Lumos allows you to refill this style of pen with your favorite fountain pen inks. The Lumos comes in three different format options: the Lumos Pro has a single tip, the Lumos Pro Duo allows you to have two different colors and/or tip styles in the same pen, and the Lumos Mini works well with smaller pocket-sized options. The slim format fits easily into most pen loops, notably the Plotter system. Read more on how the Lumos pens work here.

2. Fountain Pen Recommendation: Pilot Capless Decimo. The slimmer version of the Pilot Vanishing Point is an excellent option for planners and notebook systems, especially when paired with an extra-fine nib for writing in tighter spaces. I will also note that for many, the slimmer Decimo body also solves the “clip placement” issue that people sometimes have with the larger Vanishing Point. Read our full review of the Pilot Decimo here (and no, I’m not selling my Harvest Yellow!)

3. Multi Pen Recommendation No. 1 (Needle-tip Gel Pen): Pilot Hi-Tec-C Coleto. The Pilot Hi-Tec-C Coleto is a versatile tool perfect for those who enjoy color-coding their planners and/or notebooks, as you can hold up to four of the Coleto needle-tip gel refills in a single pen body (and even a pencil and eraser insert). The Coleto can also be a relatively inexpensive option for those who enjoy lots of colors - I sometimes carry up to three of these in my bag at any given time. I reviewed the Coleto quite a while ago and likely need to update my thoughts on what continues to be an excellent multi pen.

4. Multi Pen Recommendation No. 2 (Flexible Option): Lamy 2000 Multi Pen. I say “flexible” because Lamy’s 2000 multi pen is marketed as the “Four-Color Ballpoint,” yet because it uses universal D1 refills, you can transform it into a gel pen, a gel+ballpoint+highlighter, or - as I do - an upscale Jetstream multi pen. You can read my full write up on this pen here and why it’s been a fixture in my rotation for nearly a decade.

5. Ballpoint Pen Recommendation: Uni Jetstream Prime or Anterique Ballpoint. Many people prefer a simple black ballpoint pen for work. It’s reliable, professional, and most importantly, not distracting. For something like this, I will usually recommend a low-viscosity ballpoint that’s a hybrid between traditional ballpoint and gel ink, meaning that the pen will dry fast, and will neither smear, feather, or bleed-through thinner planner papers. Both the Uni Jetstream Prime and any of the Anterique pens feature a traditional slim “ballpoint pen profile” that slides easily into a planner and fits nearly all notebook pen slots.

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Do you have a favorite planner pen? If so, please write in or drop a comment. These are just the five that I’ve relied on recently, and there are dozens of popular options that would also include the entire Fisher Space Pen lineup, the Lamy CP1 fountain pen, the Traveler’s Company Brass Pens, Baux Pens, the Zebra Sarasa Grand, and more.

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

Choosing Accessories and Arranging Space: Starting an Office from Scratch

While building out and stocking a brick-and-mortar store space is certainly exciting, and I’ve enjoyed the process every bit as much as I expected, designing an office involves an entirely different set of considerations and decisions. Informational content, instructional and educational resources, and online sales will always be a key focus of The Gentleman Stationer as a business, and that side of site operations requires their own space. For years, I’ve made do by running TGS out of my home office, which is a smaller home library-style space not designed to accommodate product storage, photography/videography, and the overall level of organization required to run a growing business.

The new T.G.S. location includes a back office area that takes up approximately 1/4 of the overall floorplan - not huge, but about twice the size of what I have now, which gives me a lot of additional space considering that the office area won’t have to share space with product, which will be held in the warehouse/storage area. I’ve been thinking a lot about how to lay this space out and how I want to use it. For example, I not only need dedicated digital workspaces (i.e., a place for a computer and a large monitor for photo and video editing), but also table space for analog work, including adequate room from spreading out books and papers as I draft a lot by hand. Finally, T.G.S. now requires a dedicated photograph and video “studio” (i.e., a corner of a room where I can stage/light photos and video, and then leave all of the equipment set up and not have to take it down when I want to work at my desk).

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One of my new photography backdrops in natural wood, along with one of the new cactus leather Roterfadens that just arrived in our recent shipment. Stay tuned!

Today I want to talk about five specific office components and how I’ve incorporated them into the new T.G.S. office thus far:

1. Two Desks, or a Desk/Table Desk/Credenza Combination. When I want to work on the computer, I want to work on the computer. When I want to work in a notebook and draft something by hand, I don’t want the computer sharing desk space because it’s distracting. Until now, I haven’t had the space to divide these into two separate areas, but now I have an entire room to build exactly what I need. I managed to find a very nice writing desk and credenza combination that someone was willing to let me have for the cost of moving it out of their house. (Pro Tip: Hire someone to move furniture this heavy.)

2. An Ergonomic Chair. I know there are super-expensive versions out there, and many of them may be worth the money depending on your exact needs, but since the pandemic-era work-from-home boom there are more-than-serviceable generic versions. I found a nice mesh ergonomic chair with a headrest for around $200. When “bargain shopping” for this kind of office furniture, be sure to read the reviews carefully and look for ones with photographs, so that you can see in real-time how the product looks when assembled. Ergonomic seating is helpful not only for your back, but also for issues with arm fatigue and RSI from typing and writing by hand, as a good chair lets you adjust the height of the chair and armrest positions. I’ve gone through many ergonomic chairs over the years, and in my experience, the more adjustment options the better.

3. A Standing Desk That I Can Raise and Lower for Photography. This allows me not only to adjust the angle of the table for better lighting, but also mix-up the backdrop that I’ve used for T.G.S. product photography over the years. Like ergonomic chairs, standing desks and tables have come down in price due to increased demand, and you no longer have to shell out $1000 for a decent model. In my opinion, you can’t have enough table space in an office, and as someone who tends to pace and move around when I’m thinking, having another workspace where I can stand helps my focus and concentration.

4. LOTS of Pen Trays and Holders. Some people might call it “clutter”, but since my job depends on having multiple pens and other writing instruments easily accessible for reasons other than actually writing with them, such as comparison purposes, repair, photography, etc., I need space in the office for visible pen trays and cases to keep things from getting lost. The current T.G.S. setup presents a huge problem, as I have next to no open desk space and am constantly tucking pens into cups, boxes, albums, and cases only to be unable to locate them when I actually need them. My go-to pen tray is the Toyooka Craft 6-pen tray, and I’m looking at investing in larger 10/12-pen versions for shop display purposes. Good thing they’re going to be at the D.C. and San Francisco Pen Shows because I need more!

5. Space to Incorporate Book Stands. One of my favorite “practical” products that we sell in the store is the Hightide Folding Metal Book Stand. It folds flat, so when not in use, you can easily tuck it into a drawer or store it vertically in a filing cabinet. It also travels well in a bag or briefcase. How do I use it in practice? When I’m typing up handwritten drafts, I’ll set my notepad, notebook, or e-ink tablet in the bookstand next to my computer while I’m working. If I’m summarizing research or entering passages into a commonplace book, I can use it as an actual bookholder next to my journal.

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In a world where most offices are being downsized to cubbies, or even eliminated entirely in favor of shared desk space, I’m fortunate enough to have this bonus space to actually build out an office that’s more traditional than what most people use today. I promise to post photographs of the finished space, but for now it’s still a work in progress. You can see a shot of the “blank canvas” below, and if you’d like to follow along with how the physical storefront is coming together, be sure to check out both Instagram and YouTube, where I’ve posted videos of what I’ve been up to for the past couple of weeks.

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The Gentleman Stationer is supported entirely by purchases from the T.G.S. Curated Shop and pledges via the T.G.S. Patreon Program. We greatly appreciate your support, especially as we grow the business and expand with a physical location!

New Resource: Introducing the "Ask TGS" Page!

I receive a lot of different questions from readers and customers, and because I can’t always respond in a timely manner due to the volume of correspondence and time constraints, I wanted to put together a site resource compiling answers to and links discussing some of the more common inquiries. I currently have these organized by topic (General, Pens and Ink, Paper, and Shop-related), but I may add to this over time. Please check out the new resource here!

While we are neck-deep in our move to a new shop location this week, we are still shipping orders within our typical 2-3 business day time frame. Many thanks to everyone who has continued to support us during this exciting, yet very scary, time! I look forward to sharing pictures of the new space as it comes together and hopefully seeing many of you in person.