Sunday Reading for June 20, 2021

June 20, 2021

Tomoe River: The Full Story (via Fudefan). If you’ve not been following the Tokyo Inklings podcast, you should. Jacob, one of the hosts and writer of the blog “Fudefan,” has well-researched, up-to-date information on the Tomoe River paper situation. So now they’re saying production may continue, only outsourced?
Upturned and Downturned Nibs (via Left Hook Pens). I’ve never gone full fude, but I’ve enjoyed slightly upturned nibs from PenBBS and (vintage) Sheaffer. In terms of downturned nibs, the MIdori MD fountain pen, with its slightly downturned “beak” nib, is an exceptional writer.
Pelikan M205 Moonstone Fountain Pen Review (via Pen Addict). Sarah reviews Pelikan’s M205 latest “gemstone” release in a grey transparent acrylic with sparkles. I have to say, these pens tend to be hard to photograph but this one looks really good.
Nanami Zen Paper (via Well-Appointed Desk). Since the Tomoe River paper supply appears to be threatened (at least temporarily while the manufacturer sorts things out), Nanami is exploring alternatives. See the article for information on how to get a sample of this new paper from Nanami.
New Brew Inks (via Rants of the Archer). These colors look great, as do the bottles.
Montblanc Petrol Blue (via Fountain Pen Pharmacist). Montblanc jumped on the “Petrol” ink trend, but this color has never really appealed to me, for some reason. I never sprang for Lamy’s version, either.
Yoseka Ink (via Mountain of Ink). So Yoseka Stationery is now selling their own line of ink? I love this green color.

In Case You Missed It….

This week on the blog, I took a more in-depth look at the new Traveler’s Company “B-Sides and Rarities” Collection. Part I looked at the Washable Paper and Super Lightweight Paper refills, while Part II looked at, well, everything else, including the Midori Cotton Letter Pad and the Zippered Cotton Case, two favorites. This week’s Deals & Drops post offered some last-minute Father’s Day gift ideas, whether for yourself or others.

New This Week In the Curated Shop!

In addition to the Traveler’s Notebook “B-Sides and Rarities,” I’ve received a restock order on most other Traveler’s Company products, including the brass accessories, refills, and notebooks, so that I have nearly the entire line available for purchase. I’ve also restocked on Midori MD Codex notebooks, which have sold like crazy. Finally, Field Notes Archival Wooden boxes are back!

Midori MD

Midori MD Cotton

Traveler's Company

Field Notes

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For some additional fun, and to help support the blog consider joining the Patreon program. You can read more about T.G.S. Patreon here. This year I’ve introduced monthly online meetups, which take place on Friday or Saturday and have been super enjoyable. We’ve discussed our thoughts on pen shows restarting, recent arrivals in our personal collections, and more. I will also continue with periodic “sample sales” of gently used review items, to which Patrons will have first access. The current sale is now live!

Exploring the Traveler's Company B-Sides & Rarities Collection, Part II: Letter Pads, Memo Cards, and New Zippered Cases

June 19, 2021

On Wednesday I dove into the first half of Traveler’s Company’s much-anticipated “B-Sides & Rarities” collection, looking at two somewhat-hyped papers: Their new Washable Paper and Super-Lightweight Paper. Today, I’ll open up the rest of the refills, including two devoted to correspondence (the Letter Pad and Message Pad), two intended for highly-specific use cases (“Sticker Release” Paper and the Accordion Fold), and a new accessory, the Cotton Zippered Case that let’s you turn your Traveler’s Notebook into a wallet.

The Letter Pad: Midori MD Cotton Paper (Finally) Comes to the Traveler’s Notebook

Midori MD Cotton paper is one of my favorite fountain pen friendly papers on the market today, though it’s currently available only in blank pads and notebooks in “F” sizing. At one point, Midori made their standard A5 notebooks in MD Cotton, but sadly those have since been discontinued. Now, however, you can purchase MD Cotton paper for your Traveler’s Notebook in the form of the new B-Sides & Rarities Letter Pad, which contains 30 sheets of paper ruled for letter writing on one side, with a 3mm grid on the other. Out of all the new “B-Sides & Rarities” refills, this is perhaps my favorite, though I will likely use this one as a notepad as opposed to written correspondence.

The Message Cards are fountain pen friendly, and perfect for adding short notes to gifts and packages. If you don’t want to carry the full refill around with you, you can also detach a handful of the cards and store them in the pouch of your Traveler’s Notebook. (See below.)

Special Purpose Refills: Message Cards, Accordion Paper, and a Sticker Album

The next three new refills I plan to discuss are the ones I will likely use less frequently, simply because I don’t have as much of a personal use case for them in my daily rotation, though they’re still interesting. The “Message Cards” (pictured here) are a book of perforated, letterpress-like correspondence cards that you can use for short notes or gift tags. The “Accordion Fold” refill is a booklet containing 13 pages of folded watercolor paper, which you can extend map-style to create illustrated itineraries, multimedia travel journals, or even a timeline of your plans for the year. Finally, the “Sticker Release Paper” is made from the same paper used for sticker backing. If you collect stickers or tags from your travels, or are looking for an easy way to organize your washi tape collection, this refill lets you add, remove, and reorganize them in an album-style refill. (Note: I don’t have a sticker collection or much artistic ability with watercolor paper to show you how to use the Sticker Release or Accordion refills, though you can check out some stock photos from Traveler’s Company in the product listings to give you some ideas.)

Last But Not Least: Add Functionality to Your Traveler’s Notebook (Particularly the Passport Size) By Turning It Into a Wallet

I’ve been waiting for the right moment to add a Passport-sized Traveler’s Notebook into my daily rotation. What I would love to do is to be able to carry the Passport-size notebook as a wallet, if only on occasion, to reduce bulk and avoid carrying both a wallet and pocket notebook. The new Cotton Zippered Case might do the trick, since it contains two card slots, perfect for identification, library cards, and credit cards (though I wouldn’t overload it), and a zippered pouch, where you can stash coins, ticket stubs, and even cards that you’d prefer to keep in a more secure location. This accessory adds less bulk to the Traveler’s Notebook than the standard PVC zippered pouch, and is available in a standard size as well as the Passport size shown here.

When I first saw this product announced, I was skeptical, but the thin cotton material actually adds very little bulk to the notebook.

Takeaways and Where to Buy

I plan to get a lot of use out of the B-Sides & Rarities collection, even though I will use some refills and accessories more regularly than others. (The Letter Pad will see a lot of use.) Honestly, you don’t even need to have a Traveler’s Notebook to take advantage of some of these, particularly the Letter Pad, Sticker Release Refill, and Memo Cards. With respect to the latter two, I’m not sure I see a circumstance in which I’d ever actually carry them in my actual notebook, though I may keep a set of the Memo Cards in my desk.

You can purchase these refills, along with the rest of the Traveler’s Company “B-Sides & Rarities” Collection, in the T.G.S. Curated Shop. The Gentleman Stationer is an authorized retailer of the full range of Traveler’s Company products, including the Traveler’s Notebook and TRC Brass accessories, and I recently placed a reorder so almost everything should be in stock.

Check out these links to read further about the Traveler’s Notebook System, including how I set up my own personal Traveler’s Notebook and some of my favorite refills and accessories.

Exploring the Traveler's Company "B-Sides and Rarities" Collection, Part I: Washable and Super Lightweight Paper

June 16, 2021

Inspired by the tracks that used to appear on the “B-Side” of vinyl singles, the “B-Sides & Rarities” collection from Traveler’s Company features refills made from unusual papers with unique properties that serve a specific purpose. There are six different refills, available in both Standard and Passport size, and today I plan to look at the first two: the “Washable Paper” refill and the “Super Lightweight Paper” refill. The first as you might guess, is waterproof (or water-resistant, choose your own terminology), and the second contains ultra-thin (yet strong) onionskin paper.

Washable Paper: A “Waterproof” Paper Option for Those Who Risk Getting Their Notebooks Wet

Water-resistant paper is always a mixed bag in terms of writing experience, tends to be expensive, and typically can’t be used with fountain pens or other water-based inks. Here, with their new “Washable Paper” refill, Traveler’s Company has foregone Yupo or Rite-in-the-Rain paper in favor of the same material used to make laundry tags, with interesting results! Most notably, instead of the ink sitting on top of the page, resulting in extremely slow dry times, the Washable Paper absorbs ink. Not only does this render dry time and smearing to essentially non-issues, but it maintains “water resistance” with even the most non-water-resistant fountain pen inks. For example, if you get caught in the rain, spill a glass of water, or, heaven forbid, send your notebook through the washing machine, your writing should remain legible. And because the paper was specifically intended to be washed, it will retain its original shape and not fall apart or stick together.

For this test I cut a sheet of Washable Paper from the refill, and wrote a few lines with various pens, including fountain pens loaded with some of the least water-resistant inks in my collection (various colors of Iroshizuku and a generic black cartridge). Note that extremely wet inks will feather a bit on this paper since it’s so absorbent. Like most waterproof papers, ballpoints and pencil work the best, but fountain pens are at least usable here, with much quicker dry times. — For this test I cut a sheet of Washable Paper from the refill, and wrote a few lines with various pens, including fountain pens loaded with some of the ***least*** water-resistant inks in my collection (various colors of Iroshizuku and a generic black cartridge). Note that extremely wet inks will feather a bit on this paper since it’s so absorbent. Like most waterproof papers, ballpoints and pencil work the best, but fountain pens are at least usable here, with much quicker dry times.

As you can see, while the fountain pen ink definitely washed out after a 30-minute soak, I can still read my writing to a degree which would allow me to salvage the information if the notebook ever got sent through the washing machine. I doubt there would be any effect at all on writing done exclusively in ballpoint. Just to reiterate - NONE of the fountain pen inks I used here had any water-resistance whatsoever, and would likely disappear entirely from standard paper.

Super Lightweight Paper: An Ultra-thin Option with Better Dry Times than Tomoe River

As I discussed in an earlier post, Tomoe River Paper faces an uncertain future. The company that manufactures the paper has announced its discontinuation at various points over the past couple of years, only to backtrack, most recently announcing that while they intend to shut down their own production by the end of the year, they are exploring ways to outsource the manufacturing. Honestly, it all sounds very contingent to me, and I can’t imagine what I’d be doing if I were running a business dependent on the continued availability of this paper.

Traveler’s Company, for its part, is clearly exploring alternatives. While it’s standard “Lightweight Paper Refill”, which contains 128 pages of Tomoe River paper, is a favorite among many, the new “Super Lightweight Paper” from the “B-Sides & Rarities” collection deserves consideration in its own right. Instead of Tomoe River, the Super Lightweight refill contains 128 pages of what appears to be onionskin, an even lighter and thinner translucent paper originally used for airmail correspondence (due to its light weight) and typewriters (due to the combination of light weight and strength). Traveler’s Company describes this paper as “oilproof”, which supposedly “does not allow for oil to penetrate easily so it is hard to smear when using a fountain pen.” I’m not sure of the science behind that, but I can attest to the fact that this paper has a much quicker dry time and much less smearing than Tomoe River paper. On the other hand, it has a slightly “draggier” feel when writing with a fountain pen, and you will have more show through due to the fact that the paper is thinner. (The exact amount of show-through will vary depending on your writing pressure and ink choice.)

You’ll notice that while there is no bleed-through on this paper, there is show-through, especially where I used heavy writing pressure. It could be difficult to use both sides of the page. With pencil or a ballpoint, you would probably be fine.

Takeaways and Where to Buy

While I probably wouldn’t use these two refills as my primary everyday writing paper, that’s not what Traveler’s Company intended with the B-Sides & Rarities collection. The Waterproof Paper would be a top choice for a camping or boat trip, or a travel situation with a high risk of spills (train trip, for example?). Some might opt for the Super-Lightweight Paper as a replacement for the Lightweight Paper Tomoe River Refill, which I presume may be in short supply as manufacturing issues with Tomoe River paper are sorted out, but be aware of the show-through that might prevent you from using both sides of the page for standard writing. Stay tuned as I work my way through the rest of the newly released refills!

You can purchase both of these refills, along with the rest of the Traveler’s Company “B-Sides & Rarities” Collection, in the T.G.S. Curated Shop. The Gentleman Stationer is an authorized retailer of the full range of Traveler’s Company products, including the Traveler’s Notebook and TRC Brass accessories.

B-Sides-and-Rarities-Traveler's-Notebook.jpeg

In the Shop: New Arrivals from Midori and Traveler's Company

June 15, 2021

I had packages waiting for me when I returned from vacation - lots of packages. First up, I received a shipment of the Traveler’s Company “B-Sides and Rarities” refills and accessories, described as “a range of refills that are a little out of the ordinary.” These include “Washable Paper” made from the same material as laundry tags intended to survive a trip through the washing machine, “Super Lightweight“ paper that is even thinner than Tomoe River, and a “Letter Pad” featuring sheets of Midori MD Cotton Paper with lines on one side and grid on the other.

More offbeat refills, not primarily intended for writing, include a “Sticker Release Paper” designed to hold a sticker collection, an “Accordion Paper” insert that folds out like a roadmap, “Message Card” refills that contain letterpress-style notes to exchange with friends you meet on your travels, and zippered cotton cases that allow you to use your Traveler’s Notebook as a wallet. I plan to have a more thorough, in-depth review of certain refills this week.

The MD Cotton Notebooks shown compared against a standard Midori MD A5.

Finally, we now carry Midori MD Cotton Notebooks, in sizes F0, F2, and F3. These slightly larger formats, originally intended for art but equally good for writing, offer a larger page dimension inspired by the golden ratio. Midori MD Cotton Paper is among my favorite writing papers, and behaves exceptionally well with fountain pen ink. Visit the shop for additional details!

The T.G.S. Curated Shop is an authorized retailer of all brands we carry. By shopping with us, 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. Many thanks!

Sunday Reading for June 13, 2021

June 13, 2021

Rethinking the Stationery World Post-Pandemic: Overcoming Burnout (via Well-Appointed Desk). Jaclyn’s post spoke to me a lot, and mirrors many of my own current feelings on where I stand with this hobby. I’m really looking forward to the D.C. Pen Show this year!
Which Papers Are Good Tomoe River Replacements? (via Fountain Pen Love). Expect a lot of similar posts from the stationery blogosphere as Tomoe River becomes scarce. (For a while or forever, who knows?)
Musubi Cosmo Air Light Folio Notebook (A5) (via Pen Addict). While we’re on the subject of Tomoe River replacements, I think Cosmo Air Light will end up being a favorite for everyday writing. I know that some people have trouble with thin lines, but since I won’t be using it for calligraphy and I generally use italic-style script when I write, I didn’t have an issue.
Ayush Paper Fountain Pen Books (via Rants of the Archer). Fans of textured paper may want to check these notebooks out.
Maruman Glyphy B6 Notebook Review (via Pen Addict). I love the look of this notebook, but the paper is a reminder that in terms of fountain pen friendliness, even Japanese companies may have discrepancies in performance between different products in their lineup, especially more “mass market” companies such as Maruman and Kokuyo.
KUM Pencut Scissors (via Left Hook Pens). I’ve been looking for a set of portable scissors. But don’t forget to remove them from your carry-on if/when you start traveling again.
Benu’s Talisman Foxglove is charming (pun intended) (via UK Fountain Pens). Benu continues to release new models on a regular schedule, and some of their recent releases have been more traditional in shape (i.e., a traditional cap with clip), if not in color. I like the orange/red/black combo here.
Delitape (via Bleistif). I’m always on the lookout for good inexpensive tape (the shop uses an exhorbitant amount), and apparently the AmazonBasics tape is made by a quality OEM manufacturer.
Pelikan M205 Petrol-Marbled (2021) (via Pelikan’s Perch). I’m not a huge fan of the marbled acrylic on this one, but those who like this particular “look” should enjoy it. Honestly, I prefer the pen with the black cap ring, as opposed to the chrome-plated one shown in the initial pre-release photos.

No, You Didn’t Miss Anything This Week!

I was on vacation. As in, I didn’t really do much at all with stationery, other than put the weekly links post together on Monday. I think I’m experiencing a bit of hobby burnout, and oddly enough am looking forward to going back into the day-job office a few days a week.

This Week In the Curated Shop….

I’ll be catching up on orders, starting this afternoon. UPDATE: As of now, Traveler’s Company “B-Sides and Rarities”, as well as Midori MD Cotton Notebooks, are live on the site. I currently have a small number of each refill, but more is on the way. I also have the Zippered Cotton Cases in both Standard and Passport sizes, which allow you to turn your Traveler’s Notebook into a wallet. (I’m eyeing one of these for my Passport, in particular.)

Zippered Case (Standard)

Zippered Case (Passport)

B-Sides (Passport)

B-Sides (Standard)

MD Cotton Notebooks