2021 Holiday Gift Guide Christmas Ornament

The T.G.S. 2021 Holiday Gift Guide is Live!

November 16, 2021

It’s that time of year again, and consistent with my firmly held belief that Halloween and Thanksgiving are still holidays, I’ve held off on issuing the T.G.S. Holiday Gift Guide until the second half of November! (Personally, I’d love to wait until Black Friday, but given shipping delays, everyone should be getting a head start on orders.) As with last year, the 2021 Holiday Gift Guide features a selection of products from the fully restocked T.G.S. Curated Shop.

While the gift guide has more than a dozen different gift ideas, if I had to pick three personal favorites for gift-giving this year, they would be the following:

Caran d’Ache 849 Rollerball Pens. These have now started shipping in the Caran d’Ache metal clamshell cases, so they make an impressive gift presentation that won’t break the bank. While the 849 Rollerball ships with an excellent Caran d’Ache Rollerball refill, the pen accepts any Parker-style refill, ballpoint or rollerball. Your recipient will be able to easily use this pen for a long time.
A Midori MD Notebook with a Natural Goat Leather Cover. I’ve found that few gift ideas are more universally loved than nice notebooks, because even non “pen people” use notebooks in one way or another. The Midori MD brand combines both high-quality paper and a universal size cover that can probably be refilled not only with easily available MD notebooks but other similarly-sized refills.
Hightide Co. Desktop Hourglass and/or Folding Metal Book Stand. I LOVE analog timers that don’t feature a jarring buzzer, and these Hightide Co. desktop sandglasses/hourglasses are one of my favorite items in the shop. They’re useful and they look great in an office. Similarly, the folding metal book stands make an inexpensive, yet thoughtful, gift for the reader or office worker, who can use it to hold anything from a book to a notepad or electronic tablet.

Check out these and more in the 2021 Gift Guide. We’ve been receiving a high volume of orders lately, but don’t be concerned if something is sold out - We are constantly restocking and recently placed a couple of large orders so please keep checking back.

The T.G.S. Curated Shop is an authorized retailer of all brands sold. By shopping with us directly, you are supporting original content, pen reviews, pen show events, etc. from The Gentleman Stationer. If you would like to support us even further, please consider checking out the T.G.S. Patreon Program, which offers access to online meetups, exclusive discounts and pre-orders, and more!

Swapping Fountain Pen Nibs: From Easy to Expert

October 13, 2021

One thing that most enthusiasts love about fountain pens is the ability to customize your pen for your writing style and aesthetic preferences. Whether it’s having a custom pen turned from a favorite material, in a shape that’s the perfect size for your hand, or a nib ground to showcase your own style of handwriting, the options are essentially limitless. At the same time, the idea of physically pulling the nib and feed out of your fountain pen and putting it back together again intimidates many people, even seasoned users who have written with fountain pens for years. There’s no reason to be afraid. While changing nibs on your own does merit a degree of caution (just like disassembling a pen for cleaning or filling from an ink bottle), it’s something that most fountain pen users can do without risk of seriously damaging their pen. Today I plan to walk through a few different options, ranging from easily swappable pre-assembled nib units to more complex modifications.

When changing nibs (or doing any sort of pen-related maintenance), I typically like to work on a towel or other soft/grippy surface to keep pens and loose parts from rolling off the table.

Getting Started: Create Your Workspace

Necessary precautions are minimal. Basically, you need a well-lit workspace with a towel or other no-roll surface to hold your pens and nibs. The number-one danger when performing any sort of work or maintenance on fountain pens is dropping a pen onto the floor and cracking the pen barrel and/or bending the nib, so make sure your pens are secure. I typically unroll a towel onto a sink or standing desk and use that as my work surface.

Swapping out interchangeable nib units (discussed further below) doesn’t require any special tools. Otherwise, you will likely need a square of rubber to help grip the nib and feed, and possibly a loupe or other magnifier to align nib tines.

Franklin-Christoph fountain pens use JoWo nibs, so it’s easy to amass a large collection of custom-ground F-C nib units that you can swap between all of your JoWo-compatible pens.

Easy: JoWo, Bock, and TWSBI Interchangeable Nib Units

These days, the majority of pen makers no longer manufacture their own nibs in-house, and instead purchase nibs from third-party companies JoWo, Bock, and to a lesser degree, Schmidt (though I find Schmidt nibs excellent and don’t know why they’re not more widely used). While some people complain about monotony and the lack of expressiveness in how these modern nibs write, there is one key advantage to this uniformity: interchangeability. Many, if not most, pens that accept standard JoWo or Bock nibs use a default nib unit (i.e., a nib and feed seated in a threaded housing) that can easily be unscrewed and used in another compatible pen. Once you start custom-grinding these nib units or gather the range of nib sizes, it becomes a very versatile platform that can allow you to thoroughly enjoy your pen collection.

The process for swapping out a JoWo or Bock compatible nib unit is mostly the same between brands. Gently grasp the nib and feed and turn counter-clockwise to unscrew the unit.

The process itself is simple. First, if the pen you are working on is a cartridge-converter model, remove the converter. Then, gently grasp the nib and feed and turn the nib unit counter-clockwise to remove it. Select your new nib unit, insert it into the section, and rotate clockwise until secure. Do not overtighten, as this can misalign the tines of the nib, at best, and cause stress damage to the nib housing, at worst, in which case you will need a replacement.

Opus 88 pens, which are Japanese-style eyedroppers, add one slight wrinkle to the process. There is a small o-ring attached to the bottom of the nib unit housing. If replacing with a non-Opus nib unit, don’t forget to transfer the o-ring as well. It sits on the plastic “stem” and is easily removable.

TWSBI nib units are slightly different, though still simple. On the TWSBI Diamond 580, you simply unscrew the front section of the pen and slide the nib unit out of the plastic cover (shown here in red but clear on most current 580 models). Insert your new nib unit and reassemble. Because TWSBI sells spare nib units for the express purpose of allowing you to easily switch nibs between pens, you don’t have to worry about voiding your manufacturer’s warranty or otherwise causing unintended damage. I own several spare TWSBI nibs, some of which have been custom ground to specialty nibs such as architects.

Editor’s Note: There has been a lot of press recently about a manufacturing defect that has caused cracks in JoWo nib housings. While I’ve been lucky and have not yet found the issue in any of my personal pens, JoWo has released a series of announcements discussing how they plan to fix the problem. If you have been inspecting your JoWo nib units and discover cracks, please reach out to Meister Nibs, the U.S. JoWo distributor.

Intermediate: Pulling and Setting Friction-Fit Nibs

But what about pens that don’t use interchangeable nib units? Well, the nibs on those pens are, for the most part, equally “swappable” and the process is no more mechanically complex than taking a small square of rubber or other grippy material, grasping the nib and feed, and pulling both out of the front end of the pen’s section using a steady motion. You replace a nib the same way, though you need to be pay attention when reinserting the nib and feed as some pens have grooves or “guides” that determine exactly how the nib is supposed to fit.

The nibs on some pens, especially those with proprietary in-house nibs like this Platinum 3776, do not come in a housing, meaning that the nib and feed sit directly inside the custom section.

So why do I have this categorized as requiring an “intermediate” skill level? Honestly, it’s more about confidence than skill. Sometimes, things don’t go 100% as expected. Old ink residue may cause the nib and feed to get stuck in the section, and you may find yourself having to pull fairly hard or jiggle the nib a bit (gently!) to dislodge it from the pen. Any time you apply force, you run some risk of misaligning the nib tines or cracking the feed. Changing friction-fit nibs properly requires some patience, a willingness to engage in a bit of trial-and-error, and an “intermediate” understanding of how fountain pens work. Finally, keep in mind that if your pen breaks and you can’t fix it on your own, the manufacturer might consider removing or swapping the nib on a pen without an interchangeable nib unit to be a “modification” that voids your warranty. That’s not to say that you won’t be able to find someone who can fix the pen, but you will likely have to pay for it.

From the top: Platinum 3776 UEF in Schon Black Ultem, via Flexible Nib Factory JoWo housing; Pilot PO Nib in Newton Shinobi, via same housing; Platinum 3776 in an Opus 88 Jazz, via same housing.

Expert: Custom Nib Housings for Maximum Pen Hacking

The last topic I plan to discuss combines the two techniques discussed above in a manner that allows you to create your own custom nib units. Flexible Nib Factory sells custom nib housings designed to pair proprietary nibs and feeds (i.e. Platinum, Pilot, Pelikan, Sailor, etc.) with JoWo and Bock-compatible pens. For example, I pulled a friction-fit medium 14k Platinum nib from a standard Platinum 3776 fountain pen, and inserted both the nib and feed into a JoWo-compatible Flexible Nib Factory housing, which I then seated in an Opus 88 Jazz. The one drawback is that these custom housings won’t accept a converter, so you will need to use a piston filler, eyedropper, or bulkfiller-style (i.e. Conid) pen. Opus 88 pens work great for these types of modifications, though with certain brands like Platinum you may have to trim the plastic end on the back of the feed in order to allow the Japanese-style eyedropper system to close.

A nib unit disassembled. Using Flexible Nib Factory housings, you can pull, for example, a nib and feed from a Platinum 3776 and insert it into the custom housing designed to fit a JoWo or Bock pen. It’s less complex than it looks.

A word of caution: customizing fountain pens in this way is addictive. Since building my FrankenJazz, I’ve also moved another Platinum 14k UEF (Ultra Extra-Fine) nib and a Pilot PO (Posting) nib into JoWo housings, which are now in a Schon Black Ultem and Shawn Newton Shinobi. I’m eyeing several other nibs in my collection that don’t get much use in their current setup…

This post does not contain affiliate links. I purchased the pens, nibs, and nib units featured in this post with my own funds, for my own collection. The Gentleman Stationer is reader-supported. If you would like to support us, please consider purchasing from the T.G.S. Curated Shop or checking out the T.G.S. Patreon Program, which offers access to online meetups, exclusive discounts and pre-orders, and more!

What Do I Look For in a Ballpoint Refill?

May 12, 2021

OK, so I admit it’s a bit incongruous to follow up a post on the intricacies of fountain pen filling mechanisms with a discussion of ballpoint pen refills, but that’s the reality of my working life these days. I’ve never been one of those people who’s 100%-all-fountain-pens-all-the-time; rather, it’s 50/50 on most days, and as of late 30/70, in favor of ballpoints, gel pens, and even pencils.

Personally, I find Caran d’Ache pens comfortable to use due to their hexagonal shape. If you find the 849 model (shown at right) too narrow, the 888 “Infinite” (shown left) is larger and has a more rounded hex shape.

But I’m still picky. As far as writing experiences go, there’s nothing worse than a dry, skippy ballpoint pen that won’t write a solid line, especially if the pen itself is uncomfortable to hold. Fortunately, the ballpoint remains the default writing instrument for many, and it’s not difficult to find good ones. But what makes a “good one”? For me, it’s a combination of three factors:

The Pen Writes a Consistently Solid Line. If you’ve ever spent much time taking notes with a poorly made ballpoint, you’ll know what I’m talking about. Bad ballpoint ink has a tendency to lay down an inconsistent line, meaning that your writing will have “skips” or “gaps” in it where the tip fails to apply a layer of ink. Because it’s oil-based, and doesn't flow as easily as gel or water-based inks found in gel pens and rollerballs, ballpoint ink is more susceptible to this sort of skipping, especially in older refills that have partially dried out. In my experience, the ballpoint pens and refills that lay down the most consistent line are the Lamy Pico, the Caran d’Ache Infinite (featuring the “Swissride” refill, which I find smoother than the still respectable “Goliath” in the 849), the medium Bic Cristal, and the Schmidt Easyflow 9000.
The Pen Has a Comfortable Grip, Preferably Hexagonal. I find that ballpoint pens offer a tactile writing experience more akin to a woodcase pencil; therefore, it seems logical that my favorite ballpoints for longer writing sessions duplicate the feel of a pencil in hand. The two most famous are iconic stationery items: the Bic Cristal and the Caran d’Ache 849. I’ve also recently discovered a line of pens from Marks, Inc. that takes this a step further, using actual hexagonal wooden barrels to house a retractable ballpoint refill.
The Availability of a Narrower Tip Size Without Sacrificing Legibility. Last but not least, we come to the most important attribute for those of us who write small: finding a ballpoint pen with a narrow tip size that also satisfies the previous two criteria (but mostly the first one). Lately, I’ve gravitated towards needle-tip ballpoint pens, whether it be the Bic Cristal “Xtra Precision” (which now seems to have been discontinued though I have a stash), the Traveler’s Company Brass Ballpoint, and the Marks, Inc. “Tous Les Jours” woodcase ballpoint that I mentioned above. While I love needle tips because of the precision they offer, the Uniball Jetstream SXR Parker-style refill, the Lamy M22 (Pico Refill), and the Caran d’Ache Goliath in the 849 offer reliable non-needle tip “fine” options that can get you a narrow line without sacrificing too much smoothness or legibility.

If the pen has a quality, legible refill, needle-tip ballpoints are excellent choices for those of us who like to write small and favor precise lines.

So What Ballpoint Pens Have I Been Writing With Recently?

You may have noticed that there’s not much overlap between the pens I mention in each of the three categories above. Nobody has “perfected” the ballpoint pen, so you end up with necessary trade-offs depending on what is most important to you at any particular moment (i.e., sacrificing some comfort for legibility and/or a narrow tip size, and vice-versa). For an overall combination of portability, durability, and performance, both the Lamy Pico and the Caran d’Ache 849 are excellent choices, and both come with “fine” refill options which, if not perfect, are still very good. Comfort-wise, I’ve been exceptionally impressed with the Caran d’Ache Infinite 888, though the refill is a bit on the wider side without a finer option. For annotating books or writing on the go, I’ve relied heavily on the Traveler’s Company Brass Ballpoint, since it has both a needle-tip AND a clip that can secure the pen to the front cover of a book or pocket notebook. All that aside, for its combination of value, performance, and I-just-don’t-want-to-have-to-think-about-it practicality, I still reach for the classic Bic Cristal, and these days Cristal fans can even dress the refill up in a fancy housing from Baux Pens. (I have three in rotation.)

A selection of writing samples from my current favorite ballpoints. Note that the Marks and Traveler’s Company refills easily offer the finest line.

If there’s one thing to be said for the humble ballpoint pen, you have a plethora of quality choices at very low price points, and as I explore the “higher-end offerings,” I’m increasingly convinced that ballpoints offer superior performance and versatility compared to rollerballs and even gel pens. Ballpoints tend to write more consistently at different angles, and are water-resistant. Of course, such advantages depend entirely on the context in which you use your pens - lately I’ve been focused on everyday use, and your own mileage may vary.

Do you have a favorite ballpoint? Drop me a line and let me know! For more pen recommendations and discussions of some of my personal favorites, check out my “Best Pen” Recommendations page, recently updated for 2021.

Two pocket ballpoint options: The Traveler’s Company Brass Ballpoint (left) and the Lamy Pico (right).

This post does not contain third-party affiliate links. The Gentleman Stationer is supported via pledges from the T.G.S. Patreon Program and sales through the T.G.S. Curated Shop, an authorized retailer of some, but not all, of the brands featured in this post.

Hierarchies of Fountain Pen Friendly Paper (Last Updated 9.13.25)

March 11, 2021

Years ago, I compiled a five-part resource titled “The Best Paper for Everyday Writing,” in which I looked at five different product categories that I regularly use in my working life and recommendations for each. These included hardcover notebooks, softcover notebooks, spiral notebooks, pocket notebooks, and writing pads/looseleaf. This particular post (which is semi-regularly updated), stepped back from specifics and offers more general thoughts on paper, this time going by brand.

I receive a lot of questions about which brand of paper to buy to ensure a good experience with fountain pens. Those are always tricky questions to answer because (1) “fountain pen friendly” is a relative concept; and (2) some brands use different types of paper for different products - some designed with the fountain pen user in mind, others not.

So as a baseline, what needs to happen before I will publicly recommend something as “fountain pen friendly paper”? My standard is fairly simple: No bleed-through or feathering with any fountain pen nib that can be reasonably used for everyday writing. (Because I mainly use my paper for drafting and notetaking, as opposed to drawing, wet ink samples, or flex-nib calligraphy, my standards may be more lenient than some.) I also don’t worry much about how the paper shows off ink color or things like sheen and saturation, though dry time occasionally factors into which paper I want to use for a particular purpose (i.e., quick notes). Below, I’ve divided major paper companies into “Tiers”, based on my own experience with using a range of fountain pens on their products. This is NOT intended as commentary on the overall quality of their offerings, merely to serve as a reference point on how well the paper used by certain brands tends to handle fountain pen ink according to my own standard. For example, while Field Notes is listed in “Tier Three,” that’s not surprising because the company makes pocket notebooks, and their products aren’t directed at those who want to write with a stub nib fountain pen every day. I love Field Notes, sell them in my shop, and use them fairly regularly - just not with most fountain pens.

Midori Japanese Paper Notebooks — All the Midori MD Notebooks.

Tier One

When I place a company into the “Tier One” category, it means that you can likely purchase a product based on brand alone and ensure yourself a good fountain pen writing experience.

Clairefontaine. I still consider Clairefontaine the gold standard. Clairefontaine pads and notebooks feature 90g, coated writing stock that works well not only with fountain pens but pretty much any ink you can throw at it. It’s also relatively inexpensive for quality paper, making it my first choice and recommendation.
Midori. Both their “MD” and “Cotton” lines work exceptionally well with fountain pens. I find the paper more absorbent than Clairefontaine - especially the cotton - with better dry times. Midori MD paper can also be found in standard Traveler’s Notebook refills and the refills used in the Plotter binder system. Midori also recently introduced a “Thick” version of their MD paper, perfect for heavy ink applications and those who want to use the paper for mixed media projects that involve watercolor and ink washes.
Tomoe River. Available in 52g and 68g variants, this ultra-thin Japanese paper has taken on a cult following over the years. Even with the recent change in paper formulation, which I understand slightly changed the texture and the appearance of certain inks on the page, it remains excellent paper for writing. Though dedicated “Tomoe River”-branded notebooks can be found, typically this paper is sourced from third-party notebook manufacturers such as Traveler’s Company (“Lightweight Paper” refill), Nanami Paper, Lochby (68g), Atelier Musubi, and Odyssey Notebooks (68g) (among others). For similar though smaller-batch papers, check out Japanese Paper Distributor Yamamoto’s offerings, which change regularly. I don’t feel comfortable adding any of these as stand-alone entries as many are either not regularly available or being discontinued, hence the rotation in the Yamamoto lineup.
Iroful. This ink-friendly paper from Sakae Technical Paper was designed to mimic the now-discontinued Cosmo Air Light, and is known for its ability to showcase ink colors. Some find Iroful to have a too-soft texture, though not as much as Cosmo Air Light. This paper is generally seen as an improvement over Cosmo Air Light because it does not cause the ink to “spread” as much, working better with finer nibs.
Maruman. Exceptionally good office or student-grade paper that comes in both spiral-bound and pad formats, in multiple sizes, in both the Mnemosyne (80g) and Basic (70g) versions. In addition to handling fountain pen ink well, the pages are perforated, making Maruman notebooks a top choice for those needing versatile paper to use in the office where filing or scanning notes is necessary. The “Basic” version is slightly lighter weight than the flagship “Mnemosyne,” but still handles fountain pen ink well and comes in at an extremely reasonable price point, making it a good solution for an everyday work or student notebook.
Nakabayashi. Nakabayashi makes fountain pen friendly notebooks and paper under several different lines in multiple formats. The “Logical Prime” and “Logical Air” notebooks offer a multi-lined ruling similar to Clairefontaine French-ruled paper, and the “Yu-sari” paper is thicker paper designed to handle even the wettest of fountain pen nibs. Yu-sari paper is also sold in A5 and B5 looseleaf sheets. Nakabayashi is another relatively cost-effective option, especially if you are looking for notebooks to use in a Roterfaden, Lochby, or other notebook system/cover that uses the standard A5 format.
Profolio. Similar to Nakabayashi, Profolio notebooks contain a multi-lined paper that I find quite versatile and convenient. Available in multiple sizes (A6, A5, and B5), these notebooks offer another fountain pen friendly option in a thread/clothbound lie-flat format.
Life. Another Japanese paper that can be counted on to handle fountain pen inks reliably, though Life paper can be difficult to source in the U.S. and on the expensive side. Life also makes products in harder-to-find paper styles such as bank paper, typewriter paper, and Airmail/Onionskin paper.
Apica. Though Apica primarily makes very slim notebooks with lower page counts - a product I don’t use extensively - their paper is very fountain pen friendly and cost effective.
Stálogy. I love Stálogy’s 365-Day and Half-Year notebooks, which feature white paper and a light grey grid. While the paper is almost as thin as Tomoe River, it’s slightly more absorbent, resulting in shorter dry times that make it more “work friendly” for quick notes. (Several lefties I know love this paper.) Stàlogy used to be included in Tier 2, but from customer reports, they have resolved some issues with bleedthrough and I’ve now included them in “Tier 1”.
Rhodia. A sister company to Clairefontaine, Rhodia products have a different design aesthetic and the paper features a slightly different texture (i.e., many people find their paper slightly less slick than Clairefontaine and more absorbent, with quicker dry times).
Blackwing. I’ve waited to include Blackwing on this page to see if their paper quality remained consistently good, and I’ve been impressed with their standard offerings, particularly the paper in the Blackwing “Illegal Pad” writing pads. Note that the paper used in Blackwing products can vary across their special edition line, so this only applies to the standard pads and “Slate” notebooks, which I have enjoyed.
Notsu. I’m primarily including Notsu on this list for their ink-friendly index cards, which are frankly the best I’ve ever used and feature a wide variety of different formats. In addition to the index cards, Notsu also makes notebooks and notepads with thick dot grid paper that I enjoy because it’s textured and fairly absorbent, so it dries quickly. I debated whether I should include Notsu yet, since the brand is relatively new, but the lack of really good index cards on the market pushed this over the edge. I’ll probably continue to watch them though to make sure they don’t change card stock.

Shorthand Press Grid Paper Spiral Notebook

Tier Two

Outside of the first group of papers, many of which are specifically targeted to fountain pen users, you have to start to think a bit about how you intend to use the notebook. Personally, I would still consider most of the paper listed in this category as “fountain pen friendly” for my own purposes (i.e., writing with EF-Medium nibs and “practical” inks), but since you may experience spots of bleed-through and feathering if you push the paper, I don’t feel comfortable discussing them in the same context as the papers listed above.

Leuchtturm 1917. Having developed a reputation as a “Moleskine upgrade,” Leuchtturm has become a fixture not only at specialty stationery stores, but more mainstream retail outlets. Leuchtturm paper is quite usable with fountain pens but you may see slight “pinpoint” bleed-through with very wet nibs and inks.
Lamy. Last year Lamy released a series of notebooks featuring a unique take on combination lined-grid ruling, with textured paper that behaves similarly to Baron Fig and Leuchtturm. Since this paper is quite fibrous, it doesn’t bleed but has a tendency to feather with very wet pens.
Roterfaden. While known for their Taschenbegleiter organizers that are compatible with most standard size notebooks (A4, A5, and A6), Roterfaden also makes their own proprietary refills in a variety of rulings. I’d compare the paper quality to Leuchtturm and Lamy, in that it works fine with finer lines and drier inks. The biggest selling point of these notebooks is that they lie flat and work exceptionally well with the metal clips in the Taschenbegleiter.
Kokuyo (Standard Paper). I love Kokuyo’s “tall and skinny” hardcover pocket notebooks, and the micro-grid paper works well enough for any writing instrument I would consider as pocket carry, including extra-fine and fine nibs on my pocket fountain pens. You may see pinpoint bleed-through otherwise, depending on the ink.
Laconic. Laconic paper behaves similarly to Stálogy and Kokuyo in that it works fine with extra-fine and fine nibs but is targeted to the Japanese planner market, which relies heavily on fine-tipped gel pens (particularly the erasable Pilot Frixion). I personally can tolerate a small bit of show-through, and have no issues using the wide variety of Laconic refills for practical tasks.
Shorthand Press. Los Angeles-based Shorthand Press has been around for years, and they’ve recently expanded their color range to include different covers and rulings. The paper has a vintage off-white tone, and will handle extra-fine through medium fountain pen nibs reasonably well, but may struggle with show-through and feathering with wetter inks and wider lines.
Appointed. I love the feel of Appointed’s textured, thick paper, as well as their linen stock covers, but since the paper is highly absorbent (presumably due to a higher cotton content found in U.S.-made paper), it can feather and bleed with wet fountain pens. While you can certainly get by with an extra-fine or fine nib, Appointed paper really shines with pencil, where its tactile feel pairs perfectly with graphite.
Baron Fig. Baron Fig has fallen off the radar in recent years, but I still draw from my stockpile. I love the texture of Baron Fig paper, especially with pencils, but I can no longer speak to how the current stock handles fountain pens as I have not bought any in some time.

Tier Three

These are brands where you shouldn’t expect much compatibility with fountain pens, and if you purchase a notebook or notepad from one of these companies, you might see significant bleed-through and feathering. That’s not to say you can’t use fountain pens, I just wouldn’t expect to be able to use both sides of a page.

Moleskine. The ubiquitous black notebook that you see everywhere. If you’re a pencil or ballpoint lover, Moleskine has some great limited and special editions, but I’ve never had a good experience with any of their paper using a fountain pen, or even a rollerball.
Field Notes. While some of the special edition Field Notes pocket notebooks use thicker paper, Field Notes are relegated to pocket ballpoint territory in my own personal carry. That’s fine - it’s their intended purpose.
Doane Paper. One of my favorite paper rulings of all time (Doane’s signature Grid + Lines) is generally relegated to the ballpoint + gel pens + pencils rotation. While Doane paper handles fountain pen ink somewhat better than Field Notes, it’s best categorized in the same tier.
Any drugstore or big-box brand. Sure, occasionally you can find batches of very inexpensive imported composition or spiral notebooks made from sugarcane paper or another fountain pen compatible stock, but it likely won’t remain consistent from year-to-year and you may have to start your search over annually.

Missing Brands and Future Updates

Obviously I don’t have extensive experience with every paper brand out there, so I haven’t included many in this list and won’t do so until I’m comfortable discussing their performance with some degree of certainty. This rough guide therefore shouldn’t be read as “exclusive,” and I intend to add to it. Also, I’ve avoided commenting on small makers or boutique brands that can change their paper stock periodically. (I’m currently watching Nebula Note, Endless, Anecdote and Levenger for this reason, but to date I’ve been impressed with their offerings. As I gain more experience with some of these and/or see that the products show consistency, I will consider adding them to this list.)

You will also note that Write Notepads has fallen off this list, due to the company pausing their consumer/retail line to focus on B2B sales and custom work. While I hope they return at some point in the future, I have not included them due to the lack of availability.

UPDATE: If you’re interested in how paper and notebooks are sized, check out this post comparing various popular sizes (i.e. A4 vs. A5 vs. A6).

All links are to Gentleman Stationer Reviews, the T.G.S. Curated Shop, or to my friends at Vanness Pens. This post does not contain affiliate links.

Traveler's-Notebooks-Multiple-Refills.jpeg

Traveler's Notebook Tutorial: How to Connect Multiple Refills and Accessories

February 27, 2021

I’ve used the Traveler’s Notebook for years, and regard it as one of the best options for carrying multiple notebook refills inside a single cover. Want to carry a planner, notebook, and sketchbook together, with different papers? You can do that! While connecting multiple refills can seem tricky at first, it’s easy and intuitive once you get the hang of it. The general rule of thumb to remember: A primary refill secured to the notebook cover using the center elastic cord serves as an “anchor” for the entire system, allowing you to add additional refills and accessories using connecting rubber bands.

Changing out a single Traveler’s Notebook Refill is easy - just open the refill to the “staple page” and slip it under the center elastic cord. But most people will want to maximize this notebook system’s versatility. Read on to learn how to add mor… — Changing out a single Traveler’s Notebook Refill is easy - just open the refill to the “staple page” and slip it under the center elastic cord. But most people will want to maximize this notebook system’s versatility. Read on to learn how to add more!

Collect Your Traveler’s Notebook and Supplies

In order to assemble a Traveler’s Notebook containing up to three refills, you will need three things: a Traveler’s Notebook, your three refills of choice, and a package of connecting rubber bands. For this demonstration, I’m using a Passport size Traveler’s Notebook in “Camel” leather, but the process is the same for the Standard size. Here, I will walk through three different setups: a Traveler’s Notebook with two refills, a Traveler’s Notebook with three refills, and a Traveler’s Notebook with three refills plus accessories.

Clockwise from top left: Traveler’s Notebook Connecting Rubber Bands, Traveler’s Notebook Passport in Camel, Blank MD Refill (included in the Traveler’s Notebook Starter Kit), MD Paper Grid Refill, and Tomoe River (“Lightweight” Blank Refill).

Connecting Two Refills

To set up a Traveler’s Notebook with two inserts, attach the first to the notebook cover using the elastic cord, the same as if you were going to set your notebook up with a single insert. Take your second refill and place it next to the first, clos… — To set up a Traveler’s Notebook with two inserts, attach the first to the notebook cover using the elastic cord, the same as if you were going to set your notebook up with a single insert. Take your second refill and place it next to the first, closed spine-to-spine.

Next, open both notebooks to their respective centers. Holding the two covers together, as shown here, loop a connecting rubber band over both notebooks. In your original refill, the rubber band should sit alongside the elastic cord. That’s it!

A two-refill notebook is perfect for a planner + notebook setup.

Connecting Three Refills

To assemble a Traveler’s Notebook with three inserts, start by picking your three books and decide the order in which you want them to appear in the notebook. Place the first and third inserts back to back, and set the second one aside for the momen… — To assemble a Traveler’s Notebook with three inserts, start by picking your three books and decide the order in which you want them to appear in the notebook. Place the first and third inserts back to back, and set the second one aside for the moment.

Open the first and third refills to their centers, and using a connecting rubber band, attach them as shown above, similar to how you connected the inserts in a two-refill notebook.

Close the two refills, and set them face-down on the inside of the Traveler’s Notebook Cover, spine-to-spine and connected by the rubber band.

Gently pull the two notebooks apart, and pull the elastic cord up between the two refills. The connecting rubber band should be just loose enough to allow you to do this easily.

Slip your middle refill underneath the center elastic cord. There! You’ve now secured three refills inside.a Traveler’s Notebook!

Adding Accessories

Your Traveler’s Notebook is only limited by how thick you want it to be. In addition to three refills, connected as demonstrated above, I’ve included a PVC Zippered Pouch and a set of TRC Sticky Notes on my Standard Size Traveler’s Notebook.

Attaching the PVC Pouch is pretty easy. I simply slid the pouch underneath the refills through the main elastic cord.

I then attached the Sticky Notes to the PVC Pouch using another connecting rubber band.

The Sticky Notes insert is actually a slim folio, with a think PVC cover to protect your unused stickies. Open the folio and slip the connecting rubber band over the cover and the PVC pouch, much the same as you would connect two notebook inserts.

Traveler's-Notebook-Stickies-Accessories.jpeg

My current Standard Traveler’s Notebook is set up with three paper inserts and two accessories - in other words a total of FIVE refills + accessories. This obviously increases the thickness and weight of the notebook, but it also transforms it into … — My current Standard Traveler’s Notebook is set up with three paper inserts and two accessories - in other words a total of FIVE refills + accessories. This obviously increases the thickness and weight of the notebook, but it also transforms it into a powerful all-in-one tool.

Traveler’s Notebooks and Accessories in the T.G.S. Curated Shop

All of the Traveler’s Notebooks, refills, and accessories pictured here are available for purchase in the T.G.S. Curated Shop. As an authorized Traveler’s Company retailer, we carry Notebook Starter Kits, MD Paper Refills, Planner Refills, Specialty Paper Refills, and Accessories, in addition to TRC Brass products such as pen cases, rulers, and clips. Please feel free to reach out through the site if you have any specific questions about Traveler’s Notebook products and how to use them. If you’re interested in reading further on my own Traveler’s Notebook setup, check out this recent post in which I walk through the standard setup pictured here.