Planner Pens: Picking a Pen for the Plotter

September 14, 2022

Brace yourselves, because as I hinted in my San Francisco Pen Show recap, a lot of notebook/system-Techo-related content is headed your way in the coming weeks. I thought I’d kick things off with a quick photographic response to the burning question that many of you have been asking via e-mail, DM, and in the blog comments: What pens fit the various Plotter leather pen loops?

Plotter A5 (bottom), Plotter Narrow (Middle), and Plotter Mini 5 (Top). If Plotter is reading, all I need now is a Bible Size and a Mini to complete the set (well, that and the “Square”). I promise I’ll figure out a way to use them all. (Maybe.)

Before we get started with pen comparisons, I need to do an overview of how Plotter works from a setup perspective. One of the key features of the Plotter system (which is either a benefit or a drawback, depending on how you like to purchase your planners), is that Plotter is completely customizable, meaning that you purchase the cover, refills, and all desired accessories separately to create the notebook that works for you. While the Plotter system does not ship with a pen loop, you can add one by purchasing the “Leather Penholder with Lifter” accessory refill specific to your size leather binder.

Pens that Fit Plotter A5, Narrow, Bible Size, and Mini Pen Holders

The product listing for the Plotter A5 penholder states that it will fit pens up to 13mm in diameter. The listings for the Bible Size, Narrow, and Mini penholder accessories indicate that they are supposed to be the same size as the A5, and since I personally own both A5 and Narrow-size Plotters, I can confirm that they are roughly identical. That said, these penholders are leather, so in real world testing, there is definitely variation in how tightly individual penholders are sewn, and the leather may stretch over time depending on the size of the pens that you keep in the loop. For example, both the Platinum Plaisir and the Nahvalur (f/k/a Narwhal) Original Plus fountain pens fit the pen loop on my Plotter Narrow, while neither came close to fitting the tighter pen loop on my Plotter A5. Here are several examples of how different pens fit, with pictures. (Narrow is on the left, and A5 on the right, with the exception of the Nahvalur that wouldn’t come close to fitting the A5.) If something fits both my A5 and Narrow “easily,” I can only assume it will work with most Plotters, except the Mini 5 discussed separately below.

Pilot Decimo (Fits both A5 and Narrow Easily)

Gravitas Ultematum/Polycarbonate Twist (Fits Both Narrow and A5 Easily)

Schon DSGN Full Size and Engineered Plastics Fountain Pens (Fits Both Narrow and A5 Fairly Easily)

Waterman Carène (Fits Both Narrow and A5 Easily)

Platinum Plaisir (Fits Narrow, But Not A5)

Nahvalur Original Plus (Fits Narrow, But Not A5)

Caran d’Ache 849 Ballpoint and Rollerball (Fits Both Narrow and A5 Easily)

Pens that Fit the Plotter Mini 5 Pen Loop

By far, I’ve received the most questions about my Plotter Mini 5, the smallest of the Plotters and the one I’ve been carrying as a combination wallet/pocket notebook. According to Plotter USA, the Mini 5 pen loop holds pens up to 9mm. As you might imagine, finding a suitable pen to fit this tiny notebook has been more challenging, and for the most part I’ve simply clipped a variety of pocket pens to the outside of the loop. (This technique also makes for quicker deployment - something I find advantageous for most forms of pocket writing.) To be honest, the only pen I’ve tried that actually fits inside the pen holder is the Kaweco Liliput, though it’s not pictured here because I don’t own one and borrowed one at pen club to test. Here are a few that I’ve actually been carrying in the Mini 5, all clipped to the outside:

Penco Perfection “Light”

Pokka Pen with Add-on Clip

Traveler’s Company Brass Ballpoint

Pens such as the Lamy Pico, Schon DSGN Pocket 6, and Kaweco Sport are too wide to fit inside the loop. I suspect the Fisher Space Bullet Pen might work, but don’t have one on hand to test.

Fisher Space Pen Shuttle Pen — Given that the Fisher Space Pen “Shuttle Pen” fits (even though it’s too long for actual carry in my pocket), I suspect the bullet pen will fit as well.

Takeaways and Where to Buy

This post isn’t intended to be comprehensive, but rather to provide examples of what pens fit the Plotter pen loops. As you can see, the A5/Bible/Narrow/Mini pen loop is fairly versatile, while the Mini 5 somewhat more restrictive. My experimentation, of course, is limited to those pens that I have on hand in either my personal collection or the shop. Your mileage may also vary depending on your particular leather pen loop and how aggressively you try to stretch it.

I’ve thoroughly enjoyed using my Plotters over the past few weeks, and it’s prompted me to undertake a relatively deep reconsideration of how I use my notebook systems and the role of notetaking in general. As I mentioned, you’ll be seeing more Plotter-related content soon! For more information on Plotter and to purchase if you’re interested, visit the Plotter USA website, which is currently the sole retail source.

The Gentleman Stationer is supported by purchases from the TGS Curated Shop and pledges made via the TGS Patreon Program. While certain of the links contained in this post are links to the T.G.S. Curated Shop, this post does not contain third-party affiliate or sponsor links.

Practical Planning: How I Use Planners

August 13, 2022

Somewhat surprisingly, two of the products that received the most interest at this year’s D.C. Pen Show were the two undated planners we had at the table: The Write Notepads Weekly Planner, and the Planner Desk Pads from WMS & Co. I learned two things this weekend about interest in planners: People LOVE having the option of an undated style, and there are many, many people who would love to use a paper planner but are somewhat intimidated by “Planner Instagram” and the ornate bullet-journal style planners that dominate online. Well, I’m here to tell you that doesn’t need to be the case!

Two undated planner options: Write Notepads (top) and WMS & Co. (bottom).

My Planners Are Objectively Ugly, and I’m Fine With That.

Personally, I stick to a practical approach to planning that focuses on task management. First, I don’t keep a paper calendar to manage appointments or deadlines, at least for work stuff. (It’s much easier to use an electronic calendar when you have to coordinate with multiple teams and other people need the ability to see your schedule and make changes to common events.) I do, however, use the Write and WMS & Co. “weekly layout” pages to generally sketch out my week, typically in a list or bullet-style format that allows me to think through what I want to accomplish on each day. This is 30,000-foot level planning stuff that I do on Sunday afternoon and quickly revisit each morning - I very rarely go back to these “planners” after the week is over, and since the WMS & Co. is a tear-off pad, I usually just shred the calendar page after I’m done. If there are notes I make to myself that I want to retain, I’ll transfer them to another notebook or my laptop.

The Keyboard-sized WMS & Co. Planner fits perfectly underneath my Macbook Air (as well as my full-size keyboard that I use at work). I also like the narrow ruling - I write small.

I keep another “Bullet Journal”-style notebook that is more “work journal” than “planner”, which currently lives in my blue Standard Traveler’s Notebook containing a cut-down Stalogy 1/2-year and a homemade Tomoe River refill. In the Stalogy (which has lasted for just under a year and will likely need to be replaced next month), I have the notebook tabbed by numbered month using these inexpensive Midori numbered labels, with the first page of each month containing a Midori MD Diary sticker, followed by a “monthly task list” page. [Note: Obviously, I can’t show you an actual page of this journal in use because I would literally have to redact EVERYTHING and it wouldn’t be useful at all.]

While I don’t track deadlines and appointments on paper, I still find it helpful to have one of these planner stickers at the front of each monthly “section” in order to visualize the month and block off dates when I am out of the office, traveling, or needing to focus exclusively on certain things.

I use the “Monthly Tasks” page to track, in list format, projects and open items that come up as the month goes on. It’s a running list, and one of the reasons I enjoy the Traveler’s-style layout is that the long, narrow page is conducive to this type of task-tracking and list making. Even though I have dozens of action items that come up in any given month, I can use the Stalogy’s narrow ruling to keep this section to a couple of pages.

Here’s where I depart from standard bullet journaling technique. After the “Monthly Tasks” Section, I have pages of “daily entries,” but I don’t start a new page for every day. I will write the day, record what it is that I worked on and any notes I need to make for myself relating to follow-up, and once that day is over, I’ll skip a couple of lines and write a header for the next day. This method works for me because (1) it doesn’t waste paper; and (2) I often have days where I will work on two or three things, and I don’t need to make a full page of notes to record what I’ve been doing. The purpose of this journal isn’t to serve as a general purpose repository of information - I have separate binders and project-specific notebooks for that - but rather to serve as a record of how I spent my time.

Midori MD Numbered Tabs — These Midori page tabs are infinitely useful. There are options other than “numbered”, and we also carry metal versions and Maruman labels as well.

Other Things I Keep In My Notebook

The second refill, after the Stalogy, is used solely as a scratch pad (i.e., infrequent rough calculations, notes from impromptu phone calls, jotted phone numbers, etc.). This notebook is typically thrown away after it’s full - I often find that what’s written in there makes no sense to me even a week later.

At the front, I have two pockets on the inside cover to hold loose papers and cards, a PVC zippered pouch that holds miscellaneous stamps and flags/labels, and my Traveler’s Sticky Notes. I use the back flap of the PVC pouch refill to hold some index cards, and I usually keep a ballpoint or other “write anywhere” pen in a Traveler’s Notebook Pen Loop.

Fountain pen friendly sticky notes are few and far between. These Traveler’s Company versions are great.

You never know when you might need index cards!

Takeaways and Final Thoughts

To be sure, there is nothing ornate or pretty about my “Planner”, though I personally find a notebook that’s been used as intended to be oddly satisfying, and for that reason I have shelves full of them that I’ve finished that I can’t bear to throw away. I’m torn over whether or not anyone will be interested in a post like this, but given the feedback from the table in D.C., I thought I would go ahead and test it out. What do you think? Do you want to see similar content? Maybe more practical posts on pen-and-paper notetaking?

The Gentleman Stationer is supported exclusively by purchases from the T.G.S. Curated Shop and pledges via the T.G.S. Patreon Program. This post does not contain links to paid third-party sponsors or affiliates.

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.

My Personal Traveler's Notebook, Plus Traveler's Notebooks in The Curated Shop!

January 30, 2021

Earlier this month, I teased my notebook setup for 2021, and the biggest change was that I have my Traveler’s Notebook firmly back in the rotation. Two things drove this: (1) After experimenting with pretty much every notebook format out there, I’ve come to realize that I prefer taller/narrower notebooks for most of my writing as opposed to a standard A4 or A5; and (2) I prefer versatile formats that allow me to easily subdivide notebooks into sections and add planners and organizing accessories, without being locked into a “dated planner” system. After using the Traveler’s Notebook on and off for the past six years, I’ve come full circle and feel very much at home here. Today’s post is a few shots of my personal notebook setup, with a brief description on how I use each one and links to the specific refills.

For organizational purposes, my Traveler’s Notebook has sticker pouches on the inside of the cover, as well as one of the zippered PVC pouches to hold things like paper clips, stamps, and a few Book Darts.

After the zippered pouch, I have a Kraft Paper Folder that I use to hold travel itineraries, notes, and other loose paper (typically folded). Back when I was traveling extensively for work, any hard copy travel documentation went in here.

The first refill I use is the Standard size “Free Diary” (Weekly + Memo), which I use for blog planning (with notes) and logging various things I track during the week. It can also serve as a mini-journal and repository for quotes and snippets of th… — The first refill I use is the Standard size “Free Diary” (Weekly + Memo), which I use for blog planning (with notes) and logging various things I track during the week. It can also serve as a mini-journal and repository for quotes and snippets of things I’ve read during the week.

The second refill I use is the “Free Diary (Daily),” which is an undated daily planner refill that I use as a journal. (Since I don’t always write every day, I tend to ignore the numbered pages and just write in the date.) These refills have enough … — The second refill I use is the “Free Diary (Daily),” which is an undated daily planner refill that I use as a journal. (Since I don’t always write every day, I tend to ignore the numbered pages and just write in the date.) These refills have enough pages for 60 days, assuming one day per page.

The last refill I’m using (for notes, etc.) is the standard blank MD Paper refill that ships with all Traveler’s Notebook starter kits.

So I use three refills total for writing. After the last refill, I have one more pocket sticker on the back cover. Here, you can also see the Medium Pen Holder in Blue (with my Traveler’s Company Brass Ballpoint Pen). This particular Traveler’s Note… — So I use three refills total for writing. After the last refill, I have one more pocket sticker on the back cover. Here, you can also see the Medium Pen Holder in Blue (with my Traveler’s Company Brass Ballpoint Pen). This particular Traveler’s Notebook cover was a limited edition from a few years ago, but Traveler’s Company has since released a standard blue notebook. I purchased the orange band separately, as part of a Traveler’s Notebook Repair Kit that allows you to upgrade your band to one of eight colors.

New Traveler’s Company Products Available in The T.G.S. Curated Shop

As you may have seen already, I’m happy to announce that the T.G.S. Curated Shop now stocks the full line of Traveler’s Notebook Starter Kits, Refills, and Accessories! I currently have notebooks available in most sizes and colors (both Standard and Passport), as well as most of the paper refills and accessories, though some are on backorder with the distributor. Please feel free to reach out directly if you have any questions about the Traveler’s Notebook system and how I personally use it. I will also be posting more in-depth Traveler’s Notebook content in the coming months, including a Passport notebook I’m setting up for pocket carry.

Starter Kits

Standard Refills

Diary/Planner Refills

Accessories

This post contains links to the T.G.S. Curated Shop. All products shown here are authentic Traveler’s Company products. The Gentleman Stationer is an authorized retailer of Traveler’s Company Products and The Traveler’s Notebook.

Updating the EDC: Galen Leather A5 Zipfolio

June 22, 2019

Some people have bag problems, some people have pen problems, some people have pencil problems. I have all of the above, but my main weakness is portfolios. I’ve tried a huge swath of them, from the super-inexpensive Lihit Labs “Bag in a Bag” to the pricier Bellroy A5 Zipfolio. The thing I love about portfolios is that you can own several of them and use them all, because they each come in various sizes and therefore have different use cases: a larger one that holds a legal or A4 pad to take to a meeting; an A5 portfolio that’s a bit more portable for journaling in a coffee shop or toting around your planner; or even smaller “pocket-sized” portfolios like the Nock Co. Hightower designed to hold a pocket notebook and a few pens. Portfolios slide easily into a bag, or if they have a zipper, you can carry them alone as your bag if you just want to grab something small and head out the door. Options truly are endless!

An overview of the A5 Zipfolio on my desk at work, complete with three pens and a Jibun Techo Planner System.

So what have I been using lately? Zeynep at Galen Leather was kind enough to send me one of their A5 Zipfolios in “Crazy Horse” brown leather, which is a rough-looking (in a good way) material that I’ve been lusting after for a long time. Though I love the pocket-sized Traveler’s-style notebook covers she sent me a couple years ago, Galen Leather has flown under my radar since and I’ve not taken the opportunity to explore their expanded product line. The company has absolutely exploded in popularity over the past few years. They’ve even begun to offer a range of wood products in collaboration with Walden Woodworkers’ Co., including a Writing Box and a Covered Pen Tray and other desk accessories.

The Zipfolio also comes with a removable keychain. Since the keys I carry are pretty bulky, I’m not sure how much use this particular feature will get, but it’s nice to have. The position of the keychain is such that they shouldn’t rub up against yo… — The Zipfolio also comes with a removable keychain. Since the keys I carry are pretty bulky, I’m not sure how much use this particular feature will get, but it’s nice to have. The position of the keychain is such that they shouldn’t rub up against your pens as long as you keep them in the removable pen insert.

Another loadout from this week, where I threw in a highlighter, Airpods, and glasses cleaning cloth.

So let’s take a closer look at the Zipfolio, and what distinguishes it from other available options. For starters, a key attraction for me is the size. A5 notebooks are my personal sweet-spot, which I use for most writing both at work and at home. Other sizes will fit, however, including the Jibun Techo 3-in-1, which is my current primary journal/planner/notebook that I’ve been using since January. A few other attributes that make the Zipfolio a no-brainer recommendation for me include:

Sturdy Construction. Galen Leather’s take on the Zipfolio provides thick-yet-supple leather and a sturdy zipper for a relatively inexpensive $119. It may not be as polished or “corporate” looking as something from Bellroy, but that’s the aesthetic, and in any event you will get a ton of mileage out of this portfolio. If you tend to be rough on your leather products, go with Galen, and consider Crazy Horse leather, because it hides scratches well. Scuffs and dings are part of the look!
Practical Modular Layout. This portfolio strike a balance between customizability and capacity, on the one hand, and practicality on the other. It holds just enough stuff to allow you to use it as a true grab ‘n go daily carry without getting silly, like other modular systems I’ve seen where you can pack so much stuff into them that the portfolio not only becomes too fat but risks damage to your pens and other items because it’s so crammed full of stuff that rubs together. Here, you have seven elastic loops that are well spaced: four of them are attached to a removable panel and plainly intended for pens or mechanical pencils, with the other three larger and more versatile. As you can see from the pictures, I’ve used them to carry anything from highlighters to headphones/Airpods to a microfiber cleaning cloth.
Extra Space for Added Notebook Versatility. One drawback to the Bellroy A5 Workfolio was the relatively tight fit if you wanted to use a standard hardcover A5 notebook such as a Leuchtturm or a Midori. Since I don’t regularly use the slim softcover notebooks, the Galen Leather Zipfolio works better for me. (Galen Leather designs most of their products specifically to fit Leuchtturm, Baron Fig Confidant, Hobonichi Cousin A5, etc.) Even though it’s not A5, this Zipfolio fits my Jibun Techo well.
Versatile Left-Side Pocket. The Zipfolio is marketed as an “A5 Notebook and iPad Mini Folio”, with a lined pocket on the left-hand side that will protect small tablets such as a Kindle Fire 7 or an iPad Mini. While I might slide in a tablet for a trip, I think this would bulk up the Zipfolio too much in an everyday carry situation. Fortunately, the left-hand slot can also easily hold a pocket notebook, folded sheets of writing paper, or even a soft-cover notebook like the recently released Studio Neat Totebook!
A Brand with a Great Story. While I may not write about the people behind the products as much as the products themselves, Galen Leather has a compelling story. I won’t spoil it for you but please do make the time to read it. (Link here to their site.)

Zipfolio with the Jibun Techo open to the week-on-two-pages layout. This has been my go-to carry for work over the past few weeks.

The pen-holder insert is removable, if you don’t want to carry pens in your Zipfolio or just want to carry one or two pens in the larger loops.

Notebooks are easy to switch out. The back of the Zipfolio contains a soft leather flap, under which you insert the back cover of your notebook.

Galen Leather A5 Zipfolio, loaded up and ready to go!

Takeaways and Where to Buy

All Galen Leather products I have owned over the years have thoroughly impressed me, from Traveler’s-style notebook covers, to a 40-pen zippered album-style case, to this Zipfolio. What I really like about Galen’s overall product line is their rugged durability. Compared to the Bellroy Workfolio, the Galen Leather Zipfolio just feels more durable and a bit less fussy, even though Bellroy products are also designed to last and age better than most smooth leather. If you’re someone who obsesses over gouges and scratches on your smooth leather products, however (like yours truly), the Crazy Horse leather option is excellent.

To view their full range of goods, visit the Galen Leather website. They are a family-owned business located in Instanbul, Turkey, and many of their products are made to order, so shipping will not be immediate, but my Zipfolio did arrive fairly quickly. For those who would rather go a more familiar route, Galen Leather also maintains an Amazon store, and the A5 Zipfolio is one of the products featured there.

Disclaimer: I received the product featured in this review free of charge, for review purposes. This post contains affiliate links. Many thanks to Galen Leather for providing this product for review, and making this post possible!