Deals & Drops: Mazzuoli Nobile ITALIA, Maiora Impronte, and the ENSSO Aria

October 29, 2020

Lots of news to report this week, including the return of the Mazzuoli Nobile ITALIA ballpoint pens and WMS & Co. Sterling Page markers to the Curated Shop, as well as the launch of the ENSSO “Aria", a new Kickstarter project bringing ENSSO’s minimalist design to the everyman’s BIC refill. Keep an eye on the shop for new items that I’ve ordered in advance of the holidays, and I’ll also be spotlighting lots of new releases and promotions from friends and sponsors in the weeks to come. [UPDATE: I’ve also added limited edition Caran d’Ache + Paul Smith Supracolor Colored Pencil Sets, as well as the new Write Notepads Memo Pad! Don’t miss these.]

Modern Page Markers

CdA Claim Your Style

Write Chesapeake

All domestic Curated Shop orders over $75, and international orders over $250, ship free! Domestic shipping rates range from $4.50 to a max of $8, depending on weight. Heavier orders will ship USPS Priority Mail or UPS.

The TGS Patreon Program and sales through The Curated Shop are how I fund The Gentleman Stationer. Your support is greatly appreciated!

Mazzuoli Nobile ITALIA Ballpoints (via T.G.S. Curated Shop). After my last order sold out in 30 minutes, I restocked these highly ergonomic ballpoints that also ship with a mechanical pencil insert. Read more about the history behind the design, which is inspired by airships from the early 20th Century. Available in four colors.
Maiora Impronte Fountain Pens (via Vanness Pens). Maiora fountain pens share heritage with Leonardo, in that both companies were founded by former employees of Delta, and the influence shows. Vanness has sent me some of these pens for review and I hope to have a review up in the coming weeks.
ENSSO Aria (via Kickstarter/ENSSO). Another dedicated housing for BIC refills? Count me in. The new ENSSO Aria looks to apply ENSSO’s minimalist design philosophy to the common BIC ballpoint refill, which is always a favorite!
CW&T Pen Type-B (via T.G.S. Curated Shop). As I build up my inventory of high-quality, durable everyday writers that will serve you well for years to come, I don’t want to let a modern classic get lost in the shuffle. Superfans of the Pilot Hi-Tec-C gel refill, and needle-tip gel pens in general, need to give this pen a look. Check out my write-up here.
WMS + Co. Sterling Silver Modern Page Markers (via T.G.S. Curated Shop). Looking for an excellent gift idea for the upcoming holidays, or a high-end bookmark to jumpstart your reading during what might be a long winter indoors? Check out these page markers, which are larger than the Silver Page Points but smaller than the Folded Book Weights.
Write Notepads Copper Anniversary Edition Pocket Notebooks (via T.G.S. Curated Shop). I recently tried to order more of one of the most fountain pen friendly pocket notebooks on the market, but they are sold out and I worry the “Anniversary Edition” might be limited. Hopefully Write has something different in store using this same great paper, but for the time being I still have a few packs in stock. If you’re a fan of the PUR bound format, I do have Chesapeake notebooks in stock.
Caran d’Ache “Claim Your Style” Edition No. 2 (via T.G.S. Curated Shop). I still have Caran d’Ache 849 Claim Your Style pens in most colors, with the blues and the pink being my personal favorites. The 849 is an excellent everyday writing instrument in the sub-$50 category (or even less, for the standard version).
Caran d’Ache Annotation Pencils (via T.G.S. Curated Shop). A mentioned above, I now offer these by the dozen as well as by individual pencil. I rarely read a book without one of these pencils tucked in the back. Sometimes I’ll opt for the highlighter version.
Star Wars Pens on Sale (via Goldspot). Goldspot’s “Weekly Dip” features a sale on Star Wars pens, including releases from the Sheaffer “Pop” and Cross “Click” series. All of these are solid everyday writers that won’t break the bank.

What, More Pocket Pens? Introducing the Penco "Perfection"

October 28, 2020

One thing I’ve considered as I redefine my current workflows is the extent to which I’ve allowed my personal carry to get a bit out of control. For starters, I feel like I’m carrying too much stuff around with me, and find myself using pens not because they’re necessarily the best tool for the job at hand, but because I want to use them, or feel that I need to carry them at all times to justify having them. I’ll have further thoughts on how my own stationery use is evolving as I figure things out myself, but I wanted to mention it up front because it sheds some light on why I’ve been so obsessed with pocket pens lately.

The Penco “Perfection” shown here in two finishes: chrome and brass. I believe the “gold” finish is plated, so it will not patina like an unfinished brass pen.

I’ve found pocket pens to be excellent practical tools for the workday, and if you can find one with a versatile refill system that allows you to customize your ink, all the better. One pen that I’ve carried recently is the Penco “Perfection,” a compact bullet-style ballpoint from Japanese Company Hightide/Penco. Capped, the Penco Perfection is about the same size and width as a tube of lipstick/lip balm, and extends to a full-size ballpoint pen that has a fair bit of heft (it’s plated brass) while remaining balanced enough for all-day writing. Yes, it’s a smooth metal pen, but since it’s on the smaller side it’s easy to grip and I haven’t noticed any issues with it becoming overly slippery.

Penco-Perfection-Pocket-Ballpoint-in-Hand

The Penco Perfection comes equipped with a standard folded metal clip that allows you to carry it clipped to the cover of a pocket notebook.

But the most attractive aspect of this particular pocket pen, in my opinion, is the refill system. The Penco Perfection uses the “universal” D1 sized refill, which is not only inexpensive and easy to source, but quite versatile in that it allows you to transform this from a traditional ballpoint to an ultra-fine gel pen, or even to a highlighter. Check out my review of the Lamy 2000 Multi-Pen, which also takes D1 refills, for a discussion of the various options I’ve tried.

The D1 refill uses a custom insert that ships with the pen. It’s quite easy to swap in your preferred refill. I would compare the stock Penco refill to a .5mm Uniball Jetstream.

Takeaways and Where to Buy

Are you someone who enjoys the compact form factor of the Fisher Space Pen “Bullet Pen” but wishes that it had (1) a bit more heft and (2) more refill versatility? If so, you may want to consider the Penco “Perfection.” Not only does the wider barrel make this a comfortable pocket ballpoint to hold, but the pen accepts D1 refills, which are easy to source and come in a variety of formats.

Penco/Hightide is a Japanese company that unfortunately does not get as much attention in the U.S. as it probably should. I still have a couple of these pens for sale in the T.G.S. Curated Shop, priced at $46, but the distributor has been sold out for a while and it may be some time before I can get more. I’ll keep trying though, as I’ve personally been enjoying this form factor.

The Penco Perfection, top center, shown here compared against three other favorite pocket pens, clockwise from right: Lamy Pico, Kaweco Steel Sport, and Schon DSGN Pocket 6.

Disclaimer: The Gentleman Stationer is an authorized retailer of Penco/Hightide products. As a general matter, I only sell products I’m willing to stand behind and would use myself, but everyone has different needs so I strongly encourage everyone to do their own research as opposed to relying solely on my opinions as expressed in this blog.

Workflows: Resources and Recommendations for Working from Home

October 24, 2020

During the past several months, one of the most common requests I’ve received has been to talk more about my workflow. Now that I’m working from home nearly full time, what tools/products do I use and how do I effectively balance digital and analog in terms of actually getting stuff done? Well, to be honest, I’ve been avoiding the question because I don’t really have a good response yet. Things changed so quickly that I’ve adapted reactively rather than proactively, and my workflow is a mess. In fact, I’m not even sure that I can say that I have one. This past week I actually delved back into my own archive of work-related posts to see if I could figure out how to get myself back on track.

Strategic Paper Replacement. The biggest culprit? File organization, namely what to save on paper and what to save electronically. If left to my own devices, I’ll always print something out and work off a hard copy with pen or pencil, but unless the project requires deep concentration or is especially complex, it’s unnecessary. Moreover, I’m left with a ton of “junk paper” that needs to either be filed or shredded. My solution? I’m going back to the iPad Pro/Apple Pencil, and trying to be more mindful of what I actually print out. Sure, it involves an up-front investment, but now that I’m having to purchase my own printer toner and printer paper (and lots of it), not to mention dedicating my own personal space to storing physical files, it will eventually be a wash.
Workspace Organization. In the “before times,” my home office served primarily as a library/hobby space, but became a combination law office/library/stationery store/file closet overnight. For the first few months I had piles of notebooks, notepads, journals, binders, printed out legal briefs and exhibits, and more stacked up on the desk and floor, in addition to products for the shop, products for review, and my own collections of books and stationery. Over time, I’ve streamlined my desk setup to a core set of items, and it’s actually turned into one of the most pleasant workspaces I’ve ever had. But in order to further reduce the clutter, I don’t have much of a choice other than to “go digital” in strategic areas.
Planning My Time. A couple months ago I wrote about using a planner to structure my days and stay focused, which has helped me in that I actually complete one task before I pick up another. Otherwise half-finished projects start to pile up, adding to the clutter (both mental and physical). Incorporating a timer into my work routine has also helped, though I opt for a gentler hourglass/sandglass timer as opposed to more jarring buzzer or phone timer.
Apps. I’ve never actually written at length on things like apps and productivity software, partly because what I use isn’t exciting. I work primarily in Office, PDF Pro, Dropbox, and Apple’s suite of stock apps like Mail, Notes, TextEdit, and Calendar. Sure, “better” options likely exist, but people get so wrapped up in finding the “ideal” tool for the job that they spend all their time (and money) switching between apps and don’t get any actual work done. I do have a couple of specialized writing apps that I’ve used for years, such as Scrivener and iWriter Pro, and recently I’ve experimented with using the powerful (and free) Notion to manage my content calendar for this site. The challenge for me is to mindfully choose these tools when it makes sense, especially for things like notetaking and annotation where I instinctively reach for a pen.

I’m a work in progress, and fixing my workflow has been more of a struggle for me than it probably should. I love working with physical media, and my brain definitely functions better on paper than on a screen. But at the same time, new systems need to evolve where the sheer volume of documents and information we’re expected to process makes this unmanageable. My goal has always been to choose the best tool for the job, and I’m slowly coming to realize that the best tool for a specific job may not always be my preferred tool.

I’ve been advised that the “Fun iPad” is no longer work appropriate.

If you’d like to hear more about these and similar topics, let me know. I’m definitely open to delving deeper into the intersection between the digital and analog areas of our lives, and for a while I published a newsletter, Digital Divide, addressing these issues. I’ve considered bringing it back, but I’ve never asked the readership. Meanwhile, what work from home challenges are you experiencing? Have any of you had success addressing similar issues transitioning to full-time remote work?

Travelers-Company-Brass-Fountain-Pen-Factory-Green

Traveler's Company Brass Fountain Pen: A New Twist on a Vintage Form Factor

October 21, 2020

Before 2020 broke bad, one bright spot was the proliferation of good pocket fountain pens, after years of there being, well, the Kaweco Sport and not a whole lot else. I’ve already discussed my love for the excellent Schon DSGN Pocket Six, and today I’ll turn my attention to Traveler’s Company’s new twist on an old format.

Travelers-Company-Brass-Fountain-Pen-Closed

The Traveler’s Company Brass Fountain Pen (shown here in the special “Factory Green” finish) builds on TRC’s “Brass” lineup that originally held just the bullet pencil - a modern reissue of the classic pocket writing implement from the early 20th century. Over the past couple of years, Traveler’s Company has slowly built out the line to include a ballpoint pen (which I wrote about last week), a rollerball, and now a fountain pen. I started out as skeptical as anyone of TRC’s ability to incorporate a decent fountain pen writing experience into this form factor, but again I was pleasantly surprised.

I found the TRC Brass Fountain Pen to have good length and balance when “posted” (which is really the only way you can write with it). As with the Brass Pencil and Brass Ballpoint, the TRC Brass Fountain Pen features a clip and a loop, if you’d like… — I found the TRC Brass Fountain Pen to have good length and balance when “posted” (which is really the only way you can write with it). As with the Brass Pencil and Brass Ballpoint, the TRC Brass Fountain Pen features a clip and a loop, if you’d like to attach this pen to a lanyard or keyring. The integrated clip makes all of the TRC pens quite functional, if like me you regularly clip your pens to shirt pockets and the front of notebooks.

While the Brass Pencil and Brass Ballpoints feel solid, they are still relatively inexpensive writing instruments that rely on the same metal ferrule system used in vintage bullet pencils. The fountain pen receives a bit of an upgrade, featuring a brass “bullet” section that makes the fountain pen feel like a more elegant, and likely more durable, writing instrument. The nib appears to be a JoWo No. 5, based on feed design and performance. While I’ve not experimented myself, I’ve heard anecdotal reports of JoWo No. 5 nib units being interchangeable with the one that ships on this pen. In any event, the included nib is stamped “Fine” with the Traveler’s Company Logo, and I’ve found it to be a smooth and reliable writer. This pen refills with short international cartridges. While I imagine Kaweco and Monteverde mini-converters will also fit, I typically rely on cartridges for most of my pocket pens due to issues with reliability and low ink capacity.

Travelers-Company-Brass-Fountain-Pen-Writing-Sample

Travelers-Company-Brass-Fountain-Pen-Disassembly

Takeaways and Where to Buy

No product is harder to do correctly than a pocket fountain pen, and the industry is littered with examples of poorly executed attempts and good ideas that simply never caught on. Occasionally, someone will absolutely nail the form factor, and what’s great is how Traveler’s Company has managed to make a pocket fountain pen that actually looks nearly identical to their Brass Pencil and Brass Ballpoint, drawing on a beloved vintage design to create an instantly recognizable aesthetic that captures the personality of the company. I’ve long been a fan of the Traveler’s Notebook and related accessories, and TRC has clearly put a lot of effort into expanding its product line in a way that maintains quality and doesn’t dilute the brand identity.

The Gentleman Stationer Curated Shop is an authorized retailer of Traveler’s Company pocket pens and pencils, including the Brass “Bullet Pencil,” the Brass Ballpoint, and now the fountain pen, priced at $75. Currently, the fountain pen is only available in the “Factory Green” finish but I will be looking to stock more in the near future, along with additional Traveler’s Company products.

New Arrivals: Field Notes "United States of Letterpress" Edition and More!

October 20, 2020

The pictures don’t do this edition justice: “United States of Letterpress” might be one of my favorite Field Notes Editions of all time, and certainly of those released over the past few years. And this one has special meaning, as my friends at Skylab Letterpress in Kansas City printed the flyleaf for each notebook! A huge congratulations to Bob and Ana on this accomplishment, which I understand was in the works for a long time.

This Field Notes limited edition includes three different three-packs, with each notebook cover featuring the work of nine independent letterpress shops from across the United States. Featured artists include:

Letterpress & Design
Genghis Kern, Denver, Colorado
Full-Circle Press, Nevada City, California
Mama’s Sauce, Orlando, Florida
Brad Vetter, Louisville, Kentucky
Springtide Press, Tacoma, Washington
Ben Blount, Evanston, Illinois
Erin Beckloff, Springboro, Ohio
Rick Griffith, Denver, Colorado
Starshaped Press, Chicago, Illinois

Additional Printing
Thomas Printers, Ogden Utah
Skylab Letterpress, Kansas City, Missouri
Lake County Press, Waukegan, Illinois

I still have the coveted Field Notes Archival Boxes in stock, which will make excellent holiday gifts, especially stuffed with fresh pocket notebooks!

Check Out Additional Field Notes Releases and New Shop Releases

The Gentleman Stationer Curated Shop is an authorized retailer of Field Notes, and carries a full array of Field Notes Limited Editions, in addition to standard releases. Recent additions to the shop include the new National Parks Series E, “Mile Marker,” and “Signature” editions. I also have added the Field Notes Undated Planner, a spiral-bound undated notebook with a setup for 56 weeks. Happy Shopping!

Takeaways and Where to Buy

Takeaways and Where to Buy

Further Reading

Check Out Additional Field Notes Releases and New Shop Releases

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