2025 Mid-Year Recap: Five Favorite Reviews from the Year So Far

Typically I’m on vacation during the middle of June, which means that I take a break from content in favor of a mid-year recap looking back at favorite reviews, product launches, new discoveries, etc. from the first six months. Though I’m not currently away (day job conflict forced me to cancel a trip, then promptly got rescheduled), I always enjoy doing these retrospectives, so I’ll continue the trend this week and pretend that I’m not working! Up first are five favorite product reviews from the first six months of 2025, in no particular order.

1. Workhorse Pens: Pilot S20 Ballpoint. The S20 has easily been my favorite discovery from the past year. The contoured shape is quite comfortable, and the slim profile makes this a great “planner loop” pen. I’ve also added the mechanical pencil and the striated wood version of the Legno multi pen, both in dark red, to form a matching set. As an aside, I think I’ve grown to prefer Pilot’s Acro-ink over Jetstream Ink, though the former is harder to find in the same diversity of refill formats as the Jetstream.

2. The Jetstream Prime Lite Touch 3: Can Uni Improve on the Jetstream Experience? While I love my Uni and Pilot 4+1 Mechanical Pencils, the format is too large for some people. I’ve spent a lot of time this year digging deep into the multi pen world, and I was pleasantly surprised by the Lite Touch 3.

3. Yes, Micarta For Me! I finally added some Micarta pens to my collection, all from smaller makers. Variations on Micarta have become quite popular in pen circles over the past couple of years, with makers such as Skogsy and Hinze specializing in designs that incorporate Micarta.

4. Ink Review: Taccia Utamaro Aomurasaki Is the Deepest of Purple-Blacks. I’ve been using more “new-to-me” inks lately, and of all the new inks that have run through my fountain pens this year, Aomurasaki was the favorite so far. It’s a dark purple-black-grey that’s understated enough for work but interesting enough to use regularly without becoming boring.

5. Notebook Review: Maruman Spiral Note Basic Notebook. I’ve been searching for a good “standard” notebook to use for work that represents a good combination of quality and cost-effectiveness. I’ve settled on this “Basic” spiral notebook from Maruman which is a step down in price from the Mnemosyne line and still features quality paper with a variety of different rulings.

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 will be open this week from 1pm-6pm Thursday and Friday, and 10am-6pm on Saturday. Be sure to check the shop page for up-to-date hours.

Diving Deep: On Exploring the "Back Catalog" of Established Brands

People frequently criticize established brands such as Lamy and Pilot for not introducing new products at a rapid clip, but what they overlook is the extensive back catalog of existing products that these companies have developed over decades, including dozens which don’t receive a lot of hype. Entire product lines have been ignored for so long that I was unaware of them despite nearly a decade as a blogger in the stationery world, and it was only after I opened a retail store and gained access to the full catalogs and pricing sheets that I somewhat shockingly “discovered” a treasure trove of great options that many people don’t know exist. These are excellent products that should receive far more promotion, not just by the community but by the manufacturers themselves. My observation is that most of these fall into three categories: multi pens (subject to the most egregiously unfair treatment), rollerballs, and mechanical pencils.

The Lamy CP1 Twin Pen (right) shown next to my vintage Lamy Unic (Thanks, Jim!)

Multi Pens: “Tri Pens”, “Twin Pens,” and 4+1 Options

Is ignoring multi pens a U.S. thing? Did the proliferation of low-quality multi pens in the U.S. market during the 1980s and 1990s spoil the category for most people, outside of dedicated Japanese stationery aficionados? Apparently Lamy, Pilot, and Uni all have deep lineups of multi pens in their back catalogs, but with very little presence at U.S. retailers. I find this surprising given the enthusiasm among my own readership and customer base for multifunction pens, especially those slimmer models that take nonproprietary D1 refills. I took a flyer from Lamy on three multi pens that I had never used before: the Logo Tri Pen, the CP1 Multi Pen (both Twin and Tri versions) and the ST Tri Pen. All of these are exceptionally good, and I’ll call out the CP1 Twin Pen as my personal favorite of the three. The matte black finish and squared off clip are reminiscent of the Lamy 2000, and I like the slim design. Fun note: Gerd Müller, designer of my beloved Lamy 2000, also designed both the Lamy CP1 and ST series of pens. All of the multi pens take the D1 refill so you can customize them with the gel or ballpoint refill of your choice.

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The Lamy Swift in the Special Edition “Black Forest”. Did you never hear about this one until a year after it was released? Me neither. I just got mine yesterday.

Rollerballs

Many people (including myself) had essentially written off rollerballs as overly wet, gloppy writing instruments that tend to bleed through every type of paper and offer very little variety in terms of writing experience. There are some excellent rollerballs out there, however, including the Ohto Ceramic Series (CR01 and CR02), as well as the underappreciated Lamy Swift retractable rollerball. The Ohto Ceramic Rollerball refill is one of the best “capped” rollerball refills I have used, and with modifications (i.e., a spacer) it can even fit into the Lamy 2000 Rollerball. The Lamy Swift is a retractable rollerball with a cool design feature: when you depress the knock to extend the refill, the clip retracts into the body of the pen. This not only gives you the comfort of a clipless pen - no clip digging into your hand - but it prevents you from accidentally sticking the pen in your bag or pocket with the tip extended (and ruining fabric).

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There is no better $4 mechanical pencil than the TWSBI Pagoda. I’m confident of that.

Mechanical Pencils

Ok, so it’s probably not fair to say that mechanical pencils go “overlooked”. There are vibrant online communities solely dedicated to pencils (woodcase and mechanical), but for much of the stationery community mechanical pencils don’t receive a lot of attention. Personally, I think it’s because apart from the Uni Kuru Toga Dive, companies haven’t innovated all that much over the years, and most of the excellent mechanical pencils on the market have been around for a while. (In some cases since the 1960s, like the Pentel Sharp Kerry. If you’re interested, I did a review a while back looking at the Kuru Toga Dive and Sharp Kerry side-by-side.) In addition to the Sharp Kerry, check out the TWSBI Pagoda ($4, really?), and the gorgeous Pilot S20 at 1/4 the price of a Kuru Toga Dive, which is a great pencil but I would question whether it’s worth the current U.S. asking price.

And because I will get a dozen comments/emails asking if I don’t do this, the pens are, from left: TWSBI Pagoda, Uni Jetstream 4+1 Lite Touch, Uni Jetstream 4+1 Standard, Uni Jetstream Lite Touch 3 Prime, Lamy CP1 Twin Pen, Pilot Acroball 4+1, Pilot E95s fountain pen (because it IS underappreciated), Pilot S20 ballpoint, Pilot S20 mechanical pencil.

All of the pens and pencils discussed in this post are available to enthusiasts if you dig around enough, though sometimes U.S. retailers have to import directly from Japan, especially with some of the more uncommon mechanical pencils. While new product releases can be fun, I don’t get my stationery thrills from special and limited edition releases, but rather undiscovered (to me) gems that many people have been using as their everyday writers for years. Personally, I find many of the “innovations” in recent releases gimmicky, and would prefer to concentrate my efforts on raising awareness of existing products that are well made, that meet the needs of most people, and that I want to promote and support so that companies will continue making them.

Do you have a long-term favorite stationery item that you think tends to go un- or under-appreciated among stationery enthusiasts? Drop a comment below or send me a note. As you know, I’m always looking for new products to explore, and yes, we are still growing our own shop and looking for unique stuff that nobody else carries!

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 will be open this week from 1pm-6pm Thursday and Friday, and 10am-6pm on Saturday. Be sure to check the shop page for up-to-date hours.

Five Reasons I Prefer Undated Planners and Calendars

I’ve tried to love dated planner systems, whether it’s the Hobonichi Techo, the Jibun Techo, or even the dated version of the Traveler’s Company Weekly + Memo, but my specific planning needs change so frequently that I have a hard time sticking to a single system continuously through the year. I much prefer being able to switch between different undated books and inserts. For example, there are times when I need a full day-to-a-page layout, other times when I want a week-on-two-pages layout, and yet others when I don’t need a planner at all and roll with a blank notebook. Here are what I consider the five key benefits of an undated planner system:

1. No “Planner Anxiety”: You Can Skip Days/Weeks/Months Without Wasting Paper. The obvious benefit is that by using an undated planner, you can skip time for things like vacations or less-busy periods without leaving blank pages. As a result, you can use your planner longer (if it’s a bound book) and avoid wasting the unused dated sheets (if you use a 6-ring binder or other loose-sheet system).

2. You Can Choose Your Start Date. Did you start a new job in the middle of the year? Did your scheduling needs change? Do you simply want to try organizing your time a bit differently and experiment with a new method of organization? With undated planners you don’t have to wait until the New Year nor purchase a dated book that’s already half-expired.

3. You Can Use a Blank Week or Month to Help Plan a Standard Routine or Schedule. I personally do this when I’m trying to set a fixed work schedule or workout routine. You can take an undated week and pin it to your wall or pinboard with whatever “repeating” information you need to include and use that as a reference when setting up subsequent weeks.

4. You Can Easily Keep Two Calendars Side-By-Side. This is one of the biggest advantages for my own personal situation. For example, with undated calendar pages, I can take two consecutive “months”, date them both for May, and have two calendars that track different things (i.e., a schedule or appointments calendar, followed by a content calendar for T.G.S.).

5. The Flexibility to Explore Different Formats and Layouts. Over the years I’ve found that companies tend to be a bit more creative with their undated planner layouts. If the company doesn’t have to worry about the dated planner “expiring,” they can experiment with different formats, and you can even use them all and jump back and forth between them as your needs change, as noted above. Case in point is the Laconic Tokyo series, which we’ve carried for a while and features all sorts of unusual refills and inserts that include “Gantt Chart,” “Spreadsheet”, “Think”, “Life” and more. They’ve recently released these in a 6-ring A5 binder format, in addition to the softcover A5 notebooks that fit notebook systems like Lochby and Roterfaden.

For as many people out there who love choosing and buying their annual dated planner, in the years I’ve spent running this site, I’ve also found that just as many - if not more - prefer the undated variety. Though we still carry some dated planner refills (such as the annual Traveler’s Company releases) in our own shop, undated planners outsell the dated versions by a fairly wide margin. If you value flexibility above all else, and therefore consider yourself “not a planner person” since dated planners sometimes seem rigid and inflexible, you may want to consider the more notebook-like undated experience.

I’m actively looking at consolidating and building out this product segment - not only do I value it and use it extensively in my own personal life, but I think it’s underutilized and receives far less publicity and attention than the trendier dated planners that seem to take over social media each year. There’s much less FOMO around the undated planner systems, allowing you to spend time experimenting and choosing the system that works best for you without the pressure to buy into a system before they sell out for the year.

Laconic also makes their own binder, at a fairly low price point, which offers a way to test out the six-ring system to see if it works for you. For those who want to use fountain pens, I would say that Laconic paper works fairly well with nibs fine-medium (maybe slightly better than Kokuyo Jibun Techo paper), but you may see show-through with broader nibs and wetter inks. I personally use multi-pens in my planners.

Joe's Picks: Five Favorite Inks From Pilot's Iroshizuku Lineup

I had someone come into the shop the other day and ask: “All these inks are overwhelming. If you could pick five to show me, what would they be?” That’s a hard question to answer, especially for someone who’s been into fountain pens and inks for well over a decade and have had so many inks rotate through my pens that they all start to blur together! It’s easier for me to point people to one or two preferred brands, based on their experience level and specific needs, and recommend a handful of inks within those lines. Pilot’s Iroshizuku line is one of my go-to overall recommendations for experienced and novice users alike.

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I’ve been using Iroshizuku inks for over a decade now, and even after all this time it remains one of my favorite workhorse fountain pen inks, with reliable performance and an interesting range of colors. Generally regarded as a safe, low-maintenance ink that works well in nearly all fountain pens, you could live comfortably in the Iroshizuku line without exploring much else, especially since Pilot has also issued a large number of the inks in cartridge form. See below for the five colors that have carved out a permanent role in my personal collection, which I was somewhat surprised to discover has a pretty good variation across the range, and actually includes some brighter tones as opposed to my preferred muted shades. Wherever possible, I’ve linked to past reviews of each individual ink, which may contain additional photos.

1. Iroshizuku Tsuki-Yo. The first Iroshizuku Ink I ever purchased remains a go-to workhorse that I usually have loaded into at least one pen. At first glance, it appears like a simple blue-black with hints of teal, but on certain papers you can get a bit of red sheen, and the ink has some depth that I still find myself admiring 10 years later.

2. Iroshizuku Yama-Budo. Another classic that was my “signature” ink for a couple of years before I went through a dark red phase. Yama-Budo defies characterization. Many people call it a purple, some call it a magenta/dark pink. I’m a fan of of these off-red shades, so however you describe it, it’s really nice to use to mark-up or annotate documents when you don’t necessarily want an eye-searing red.

3. Iroshizuku Sui-Gyoku. One of the newer Iroshizuku inks, from the second-most-recent batch of releases, Sui-Gyoku rapidly became my favorite teal. Leaning more bright green than blue, it’s easier on the eyes than a pure turquoise and still dark enough for me to use professionally.

4. Iroshizuku Kon-Peki. The first cult favorite from the Iroshizuku lineup, Kon-Peki topped many “best of” ink lists for years. A bright cerulean blue, it became popular because it offered a safer alternative to certain vivid, heavily pigmented blue inks that caused clogging issues for fountain pen users.

5. Iroshizuku Syun-Gyo. I was shocked to see Pilot add a red-black to the Iroshizuku line in their most recent refresh. Like Yama-Budo, Syun-Gyo defies characterization, with some people seeking more brown than black, and more purple than red. Either way, I love these muddy, muted shades because I find that they add character to my handwriting.

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All Pilot inks show a lot of depth, but Tsuki-yo (second from top) remains a favorite, because it has so much depth.

If you’re interested in exploring the Iroshizuku line for yourself, we carry the full lineup of inks in our shop, in both bottle and cartridge formats, and we also stock a curated selection of Pilot fountain pens. Our brick and mortar store is open this weekend from 1-6pm on Thursday and Friday, and 10am-6pm on Saturday.

Joe's Picks: Five Underappreciated Stationery Items Across Five Different Categories

For today’s post, I thought it might be fun to offer five different “picks” from five different stationery categories, highlighting what I’d consider to be underappreciated products that don’t get as much attention as they perhaps should. Most aren’t trendy, and some have been around for quite a while. Someone asked me this question the other day when I was in the shop and I thought it might make for an interesting exercise on the blog.

Some of these picks highlight a specific product, while others name a brand or product line if the individual items are heavily dependent on personal preference (i.e., ink color). Note that this isn’t a “best of” list, but rather my response to the question: “What should I try that often goes overlooked?”

1. Fountain Pens. Pilot Kakuno. No, it’s not just for kids! (Though it’s a great first fountain pen to give anyone, regardless of age.) Because of the smiley-face nib, the Kakuno tends to get written off as a novelty, but it features the same excellent nib as the Pilot Explorer, Metropolitan, and Prera. I have one of the red and grey models, and for a no-nonsense cartridge pen that comes in at under $20, the Kakuno should get way more mainstream attention than it does.

2. Fountain Pen Inks. Anything by Taccia. I won’t pick a color here, but I’ve repeatedly discussed here how Taccia inks are criminally underrated. While certain Ukiyo-e inks (such as Sabimidori and Aomurasaki) receive most of the attention, the standard Taccia line is excellent and competitively priced. The offbeat “Jeans” line has some interesting blacks and blue-blacks.

3. Notebooks. Quo Vadis Habana. One of the brands from within the Exaclair family, the Quo Vadis Habana is a go-to for personal journaling. Slightly larger than standard A5, the Habana contains Clairefontaine paper, but be sure to opt for the bright white dot grid version, as I’ve had mixed results with the ivory lined version in recent years. Featuring a leatherette cover, I’ve always considered this particular notebook higher-end than the Rhodia Webnotebook. The “Webbie” is also good, but I prefer the Habana’s slightly larger page and better paper.

4. Ballpoint Pens: Bic Cristal. I always get criticized for being a proponent of this mass-produced pen, but I consider it a classic of modern consumer design and actually like how it writes. I’m not alone: The original creator of Spoke Design used to make the “Baux Pen”, which is an aluminum upgraded barrel for the Bic Cristal refill that I still love. I guess there’s not enough of a demand to keep these going full time, though the website says they might be coming back in 2025?

5. Rollerballs/Gel Pens: Anything by Ohto. Ohto is a Japanese company that specializes in lower-cost rollerballs and needle-tip gel and ballpoint pens. I also strongly suspect that they are the “white label” manufacturer for many similar products on the market. The pen bodies themselves are nothing fancy, but the refills are always fantastic and the overall price makes for an attractive value proposition. Examples include the CR01 and CR02 Rollerballs, as well as the Jotter-inspired Flash-Dry gel pens.

Unpacking Our First Curated Stationery Box: Check Out T.G.S. on YouTube

We recently did something special, and offered our Patreon supporters a limited run of 10 Curated Stationery Boxes with the same theme as today’s post. Each box included around a half-dozen hand-picked items that fall into what I consider the “underappreciated” category, whether they’re long-existing items buried in manufacturer’s back-catalogs or newly released items that haven’t received much attention. If you’re interested in getting in on the next round, be sure to check out our Patreon program.

If you’re ever in the Nashville, Tennessee area, please stop in and see us! We’d love to welcome you in store and answer any questions you may have. The Gentleman Stationer is open this week Thursday (1-6) and Friday (1-6) and Saturday from 10-4. Our site is entirely self-supported through the shop and the T.G.S. Patreon Program.