2024 Year-End Review: My Five Most-Used Pens of 2024

Every December, I recap the previous year by discussing favorites, including favorite new product discoveries, most-used pens, favorite product reviews, and more. Last week, I talked about five favorite product discoveries from 2024: new and new-to-me products that I discovered over the past 12 months. Today’s recap offers my five most-used pens from this year. There are some old favorites on this list, which isn’t really surprising since it’s been such a busy year, and when I’m busy I tend to default to my “workhorses”, but there are also a couple of new entries.

1. Lamy 2000: Fountain Pens and Rollerball. The Lamy 2000 fountain pen continues to form the core of my everyday writing rotation. It’s long been my favorite pen, both because I enjoy the writing experience and because, as an understated design classic, it’s always pleasant to look at. This past year, I added the limited edition “Pine” version of the fountain pen, and I also began using the rollerball once I discovered the Ohto CR-305 .5mm refill - a low-bleed rollerball refill that’s causing me to reconsider rollerballs as an option once again.

2. Pilot Custom 823. These pens hold so much ink, and they’re so convenient for travel, that I rarely go any period of time without having one inked up. This year I’ve primarily used my Amber medium that has a Mark Bacas blade grind (sort of a Naginata/soft-architect).

3. Tom’s Studio Lumos Write. The Lumos Pro Duo is cool, with it’s double tip, but since I use my fineliners mostly to write, not draw, the single-tip Lumos Write model is my pen of choice. This model is a bit less expensive than the standard Lumos, and comes with a smaller set of firmer writing tips. I’ve been using either standard black ink or the Tom’s Studio “Midnight” fineliner ink in this pen, with good results.

4. Montblanc 146 UNICEF Edition. Sure, it’s basically a “boring” standard black Montblanc 146 with platinum trim, but this particular pen sports an excellent “Perspective” grind from Gena Salorino at Custom Nib Studio. It’s their version of the Naginata-style grind, and makes for an excellent everyday writer that I find more practical than an architect.

5. Tactile Turn “Vice” Short Side-Click. I don’t know why I like this particular pen so much - it’s probably the 1980s Florida connection - but regardless of the reason, it’s been a constant companion since I picked it up this summer. I still feel strongly that the “Short” version of the Tactile Turn Side-Click has the best balance for me personally. The fact that it accepts Parker-style refills makes the Side Click a versatile choice for those who need a durable EDC ballpoint.

The Gentleman Stationer is supported by purchases from the T.G.S. Curated Shop and pledges via the T.G.S. Patreon Program. If you’re interested in talking inks and seeing our swatches and growing selection, come see us in-person! We’re open this week Thursday-Sunday, and otherwise by appointment.

2024 Year-End Review: Five Favorite Discoveries from the Past Year

It’s mid-December already, which means that it’s time to start recapping 2024. Each year, I revisit my previous content and pull out some favorites, including favorite new product discoveries, favorite reviews, favorite trips, and more. To kick things off I’ll walk through my top five “new discoveries” of 2024. Not all of these are actual new products, mind you, as many of these are things I’ve personally overlooked and which were brought to my attention by friends (the AL-Star mechanical pencil and S20 ballpoint). Others are entirely new product categories, like the refillable fineliners. Even if you’ve been a stationery fanatic for multiple decades, there are always new things to discover, which is what I love about this hobby!

1. Lamy AL-Star .5mm Mechanical Pencil. A controversial discovery, to be sure, since the Safari/Al-Star grip section draws strong opinions from mechanical pencil fans, but I absolutely LOVE this pencil. It’s been on my desk ever since I reviewed it earlier this year. The wider-diameter barrel is comfortable to use for longer writing sessions, and the triangular grip works for how I hold a pencil. (I’ve even found that I can rotate it as necessary.)

2. Refillable Fineliners. I have yet to find a variation on this stationery category that I haven’t enjoyed. Whether it’s the Tom’s Studio Lumos, the Tom’s Studio Wren, or the semi-disposable Kuretake and Kakimori versions, I’m currently using them all and have an entire pen case devoted to them.

3. Pilot S20 Ballpoint. My ballpoint find of the year, which I discovered when a friend from our local pen club gifted one to me. Featuring the Dr. Grip “Cocoon” ballpoint refill with “Acro-Ink” technology, as well as an uncommon hourglass shaped-barrel that literally molds itself to your hand, I’m starting to prefer this pen even over my beloved Lamy 2k ballpoint…

4. Good Made Better “Jester” Pocket Pen. Dan from Good Made Better launched his initial pair of fountain pen designs at the 2024 Chicago Pen Show, and knowing just how good GMB products tend to be, I insta-bought one in a beige and black mottled ebonite with a matte finish. The Kickstarter appears to have been a success, and I can’t wait to see these pens hit the general market. (Also, if you’re looking for reading and/or writing-themed gifts this year, Good Made Better is an excellent place to shop!)

5. Zebra Sarasa Grand Vintage Gel Pen. While I’m not a big fan of the standard Zebra Sarasa (as in, the kind you find a big box office supply stores), the Sarasa Grand Vintage is a Japanese import that writes differently from this pen, and comes in a wide range of cool vintage-inspired colors. Best of all, the barrels and the inks match, and feature black-infused tones that make your writing more interesting while remaining subtle enough to use for work.

The Gentleman Stationer is supported by purchases from the T.G.S. Curated Shop and pledges via the T.G.S. Patreon Program. If you’re interested in talking inks and seeing our swatches and growing selection, come see us in-person! We’re open this week Thursday-Sunday, and otherwise by appointment.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Best Paper for Everyday Writing, Part VI: Legal Pads

While I had originally envisioned “The Best Paper for Everyday Writing” as a five-part series, based on reader questions, I thought it made sense to expand it to include a stand-alone article on “Legal Pads”. I’ve placed the term in quotation marks because it’s regularly used to describe several very different types of stationery, ranging from the traditional 8.5” by 14” U.S. “legal-sized” pad of paper to any writing pad that is glue-bound on top and features detachable perforated sheets. I use the broader definition, since in my experience as an attorney fewer and fewer people are using actual legal-sized paper each year, and most of the legal pads I see in everyday practice now feature either letter (8.5” x 11”) or A4 (8.3” x 11.7”) sizing.

The main question I get from readers is very straightforward: What is the best fountain pen friendly legal pad available today? The answer, however, is NOT so obvious, because people prioritize different things. For example, many office workers will churn through a lot of legal pads (think three or four per week), so they look for the least expensive option with acceptable fountain pen performance. I don’t go through as many pads as I used to, so I no longer take this approach myself. Therefore, I’m not up to date on which Amazon or eBay brand of inexpensive legal pad is currently using decent paper - batch performance tends to change from year to year or even month to month. I tend to stick with slightly more expensive paper that delivers consistent performance with fountain pens, rollerballs, and fineliners, and that is how I’ll approach this post.

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In my mind, a classic “legal pad” has to allow you to easily fold sheets over the top, and feature a backing board sturdy enough to permit notetaking while standing up. In order to write on both sides of the page, you will have to tear the page out (hence, perforations).

My Favorite Fountain Pen Friendly Legal Pads

1. Clairefontaine “Pupitre” Writing Tablets. My long-time favorite for a legal-style writing pad remains the classic Clairefontaine “Pupitre” series. Available in A4 and A5 sizes, this durable writing pad is both glue and staple-bound across the top, and features a wrap-around cover in addition to a thick chipboard back for maximum durability and ease of use while standing. The combination of paper quality and high-end construction has kept this pad at the top of my list for many years, and I can’t recall a time when I didn’t have at least three of these in my office desk.

2. Rhodia A4 Dot Pads. The reliable Rhodia Pad can be found pretty much anywhere these days, including in big-box art supply and craft stores, so they get extra points for availability when you may not have a brick-and-mortar pen store nearby and need quality paper quickly. Also, when I’m looking for dot grid paper, which can easily be turned sideways to use in a “landscape” orientation, Rhodia is my go-to. Of course, Rhodia pads are available in other rulings and a wide range of sizes. I place them at No. 2 on this list, essentially tied with Maruman Mnemosyne, for the same reasons discussed below.

3. Maruman Mnemosyne A4 Pads. Basically, Maruman Mnemosyne pads tie with Rhodia after Clairefontaine in my book, with Clairefontaine given the edge due to the slightly sturdier build. Rhodia edges out Mnemosyne based on availability. That said, Mnemosyne paper is excellent quality, and if you enjoy having a dedicated space for a header at the top of the page, their layout makes it very easy to organize your notes. Maruman also makes a range of portfolios/padholders across a range of price points, including both PVC and vegan leather options.

4. Write Notepads Memo Pads. Featuring excellent paper and versatile layouts that include a “Meeting” format, these memo pads are sold in packs of two and therefore also offer good value. While the Write Memo Pads have a backing board, they don’t have a cover like the first three pads on this list, so they’re not quite as durable for portable use, but I’ve absolutely used them in a portfolio. Note that these are letter-sized (8.5” x 11”) and not A4.

5. Plotter A4 Pads. DesignPhil’s proprietary paper is exceptionally fountain pen friendly, but the A4 writing pad itself is (1) tailored toward users of the Plotter system, and (2) suffers from durability issues that will keep most people from using this as an everyday legal pad. You can use the Plotter A4 pads in either traditional “portrait” or “landscape” mode (i.e., horizontally or vertically), and the paper comes hole-punched for an A5 Plotter binder along the top edge. Because A5 is exactly half the size of A4, you can simply fold the sheet in half (or do a tri-fold) to carry with you in your binder. As a fairly heavy Plotter user, I’ve been experimenting with one of these pads in my A4 Roterfaden, and the primary drawback is that the pad doesn’t have a sturdy backing board or binding and falls apart fairly easily. This product appears to be designed primarily with desk use in mind, where you tear the sheets out one by one as you use them.

Honorable Mention: Midori MD and MD Cotton Writing Pads

Intended more as a desk pad than a traditional legal pad, the Midori MD and MD Cotton pads are glue bound on two sides (crosswise and lengthwise), which ensures the paper lies flat and prevents “curling” of pages as you get to the end of a pad. I include these as honorable mention because, while you can’t use them easily in a portfolio or padholder without breaking the binding, they are excellent pads of paper and can absolutely be used to take legal pad-style notes as necessary.

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Thick backing boards on the Clairefontaine Pupitre (top), the Write Notepads Memo Pad (middle), and Maruman Mnemosyne (bottom).

Further Reading

To catch up on the rest of the “Best Paper for Everyday Writing” series, check out our “Best Paper” Resource Page. I may need to do yet another post in the series in response to several reader requests for recommendations on pads for letter writing and written correspondence, which is an entirely different category (though again there may be some overlap). Stay tuned!

The Gentleman Stationer is supported entirely by purchases from the T.G.S. Curated Shop and pledges via the T.G.S. Patreon Program. This post does not contain third-party advertising or affiliate links.