Happy Fountain Pen Day: Can You Believe It's been 10 Years!?!

November 4, 2021

It’s the first Friday of November, and you know what that means: Happy Fountain Pen Day! To celebrate, I have a weekend of fun planned. First of all, through the weekend, take 10% off all T.G.S. Curated Shop Orders with the coupon code “FPD10” at checkout. I’ve also reduced prices on a select group of products throughout the store, which you can check out here. All orders placed this weekend will receive free Fountain Pen Day and T.G.S. SWAG, while supplies last!

For Saturday, I have a giveaway lined up with a bunch of prizes that you don’t want to miss, and for Patreon members, access to a special sale with a new batch of gently used products priced to move!

Be sure to visit the Fountain Pen Day website to join in the fun, and for a list of all the special events and sales taking place this weekend around the stationery world, both in-store and online.

The Fountain Pen Day discount is good on all Curated Shop Products, with the exception of TWSBI and Sunderland Machine Works, per my agreements with those brands. All domestic U.S. orders over $75 ship free. 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!

What's Inside My Bag? Daily Carry Breakdown 2021

November 3, 2021

I’ve not done a full “Bag Dump” post in a few years, mainly because what I carry day-to-day doesn’t change all that much and it would be a rather boring exercise to repeat it over and over again. But as I was sorting through my bag yesterday, I realized how much I’m enjoying my current setup. Here it goes:

My briefcase has taken a lot of abuse over the years. And still looks basically new.

The Bag Itself

I’m not a bag person. Far from it. I essentially have two: a Filson Original Twill Briefcase in Otter Green that’s about 8 years old, and a five-year-old North Face Surge backpack that some of you may have seen me carrying at pen shows. Both of these bags do what I need them to do: They have three separate compartments/dividers for separating notebooks, files, and a laptop, while also providing plenty of pockets and loops for pens and other tools. The Filson gets carried daily; the North Face is for travel since it has more padding for a computer. I don’t see myself making any changes to this setup until something falls apart.

Planners and Journals

Lately I’ve been carrying two Traveler’s-style notebooks. My Standard Traveler’s Notebook in blue contains a trimmed down Stálogy Half-Year Notebook, an undated monthly calendar (for work), a sticky notes insert, and a zippered pouch. Lately, I’ve also been carrying a Traveler’s-sized Roterfaden from Baum-kuchen (“BK_19”) with four different inserts: a day-to-a-page diary refill, a standard blank MD notebook, a dot grid notebook, and a Letter Pad featuring MD Cotton Paper (in the back slot). This particular notebook serves as my personal journal, and it has absolutely no structure whatsoever. I simply write whatever I feel like writing.

A4 (black) and Letter (green) Filofax Refillable notebooks shown with my Traveler’s Notebook (left) and Roterfaden (right).

Work Notebooks

I go through a LOT of notebooks and pads of paper at my day job, used for a combination of notetaking, brainstorming, and writing. (I do the first draft of pretty much everything by hand - at a bare minimum I’ll hand-write a very detailed outline.) Many of you have written in asking me to do a more detailed post on my specific notetaking and workflow “systems”, and I’m considering it, but honestly nothing is very exciting and doesn’t go much beyond writing everything down and keeping a minimal index of each notebook in the event I need to go back and find things later. If something is important and absolutely needs to be remembered, it gets incorporated into an outline, database, or final work product that is easier for other people to read and navigate.

The wire binding on the Filofax refillable notebook. No more rings that fall out randomly!

Lately I’ve been relying heavily upon Filofax refillable notebooks in both Letter and A4 sizes. The Filofax paper is pretty good for most pens, but if you buy the hole punch you can use whatever paper you want, and also print out documents and articles to stick in these notebooks. I find these bindings more reliable than ring-bound systems, and the pages turn easier. I typically don’t carry pads of paper around with me, since I’ll have a few sheets in these notebooks, but if I do it’s usually a Rhodia Pad or a Write Notepads Dot-Grid Writing Pad.

Pens

My pen selection sees the most change, as I’ll typically rotate 2-3 new pens in every couple of days depending on what type of work I’m doing and whether I have something new in for review. These pens always travel in my Nock Co. wax canvas Sinclair or another 2-3 pen roll or sleeve. Lately, I’ve been carrying my Schon DSGN Ultem Pens nearly exclusively, since the nibs I have in those pens are perfect for the type of work I’ve been doing lately.

For general all-purpose writing, I carry a handful of ballpoints and rollerballs, including at least one Caran d’Ache 849 (my go-to “click pen”); my Montblanc Starwalker and Montblanc Le Petit Prince Classique rollerball; my Sunderland mk1 (of course), my Baron Fig Brass Squire, and a Traveler’s Company Brass Ballpoint (typically kept clipped to my notebook).

Computer

I don’t always carry a laptop, but I nearly always have an iPad on me (iPad Pro 12.9” with the Magic Keyboard and Pencil 2, to be specific). I mainly use my iPad for document management and annotation where writing on a paper copy would be unwieldy, since many of the documents I deal with can run into the hundreds of pages. As fellow attorneys know, the ability to leave “the binders” at the office is a huge advantage!

Noise Cancelling Headphones

I’ve had a pair of Bose Quietcomfort QC35 headphones for the past few years, and they get the job done. They’re more than serviceable on the sound side, and the noise cancellation (the main reason I use them) is superb. At some point I will likely substitute a set of noise cancelling earbuds so I won’t have to carry the larger headphones every day, and can reserve them for airplane travel.

And that’s it! You may find a couple of other small items tucked in my bag here and there, such as chargers, cables, and these days, spare masks, but all of this stuff discussed above forms the backbone of my day. As I mentioned, I may work up some additional posts regarding workflows, note-taking, and everyday use/carry topics, if this is something that would interest readers. Let me know!

This post does not contain paid third-party affiliate links. The Gentleman Stationer is supported entirely by reader contributions and purchases from the T.G.S. Curated Shop. 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!

Product Spotlight: Caran d'Ache Infinite 888 Ballpoint and Mechanical Pencil

November 2, 2021

Honestly, I get the most satisfaction from “bargain shopping” when stocking The Curated Shop. Buying the expensive, high-end stuff can be fun - especially when you’ve discovered a new product that doesn’t get much attention anywhere else - but to me the most interesting products are those workhorse pens, pencils, and notebooks that don’t cost very much at all yet provide enjoyment and performance well beyond their price point. Perhaps the best example of this that I currently have in stock is the Caran d’Ache “Infinite 888” Ballpoint and Mechanical Pencil, which comes in a wide array of colors, and is refillable, yet costs $6!

Caran d'Ache Infinite Blue Pen and Pencil Set — For my own personal set, I chose the dark blue pen and pencil!

The Caran d’Ache Infinite 888 ballpoint uses the “Swiss Glide” refill, which might be perfect for those who find the standard “Goliath” cartridge (used in the classic Caran d’Ache 849) too dry or light. The metal “nose cone” on the front of both the ballpoint pen and mechanical pencil adds a touch of heft for a nice balance. Hey, anytime you can give yourself a matching pen and pencil set for $12 (maybe $20 for the “Swiss Cross” collection).

For those interested in a needle-tip ballpoint that writes a finer line than the Infinite, which is more of a standard 1.0mm medium, you should definitely check out the Mark’style “Tous Les Jours” ballpoints!

The T.G.S. Curated Shop is an authorized retailer of all brands carried, including Caran d’Ache and Marks. 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!

Are Your Pens Inked for NaNoWriMo 2021? — Are your pens inked for NaNoWriMo 2021?

Sunday Reading for Halloween 2021!

October 31, 2021

Does Kaweco’s Premium Nib Write Like Gold? (via UK Fountain Pens). Kaweco seems to have gone full Delta Fusion on the claims surrounding their new “premium” steel nibs (“Writes like gold!”) To be honest, I’m more than a little put off by being asked to pay a premium for what seems like basic nib Q.C. If Kaweco can’t do adequate quality control on their standard steel nibs at their current price point, they should raise their prices to a point that allows them to sell a product not marked by nib inconsistency. I would gladly pay more since I love their pens but think the inconsistency in nib quality holds them back at times. Just my $0.02.
Interview with Anthony Newman of UK Fountain Pens (via Cult Pens). I love how Cult Pens reached out to someone in the community to interview them! More community + retailer collaborations like this, please!
Emergency 3: New Tomoe River (via Tokyo Inklings). If you’re not listening to Tokyo Inklings and following them on social media, you should be, especially if you’re interested in all things Japanese stationery. Listen to the latest “emergency” episode about the future of Tomoe River paper! (Spoiler: The rights apparently have been sold to a new manufacturer.)
Sample Vials - A Mini FAQ (via Pen Addict). Kimberly has been writing some insanely useful, detailed content for the Pen Addict recently. If you’ve ever considered purchasing your own sample vials, read this first on which ones to buy.
YSTUDIO Classic Revolve Fountain Pen (via Rants of the Archer). I’ve not tried anything from YSTUDIO in quite some time, but this red lacquer over brass looks sharp.
Fountain Pen Quest Trail Log (via FPQuest). Ray’s weekly round-up is always a must-read for me. In addition to sharing his thoughts on whether to flush pens you’re bored with or write them dry (something I spend too much time thinking about myself), this week he discusses ideas for NaNoWriMo for nonfiction writers.
Ink Review #633: Harry Potter Gryffindor Red (via Fountain Pen Pharmacist). In addition to their current line of Harry Potter-themed fountain pens, Montegrappa has introduced a line of Harry Potter inks, starting with house colors! Also check out the reviews of Slytherin Green and Hufflepuff Yellow.
Wearingeul Ink (via Mountain of Ink). Kelli looks at another Korean ink brand, Wearingeul, with some nicely muted colors that I think I might enjoy. The “Forest of Literature” series looks especially interesting.
America Standards (via Bleistift). These look like Musgrave-made pencils to me, based on the sharpness of the hex.
Fountain Pen Ink Reviews: A Collection of Yellows (via Well-Appointed Desk). I love the color yellow (almost as much as I love red) but I haven’t been able to find a decently legible yellow ink. There are some intriguing suggestions here.

Schon DSGN Ultem Fountain Pens (Black and Amber) — This week I took an in-depth look at the Schon DSGN Ultem Fountain Pens. (I also have a Peek version on the way!)

In Case You Missed It

I published several different posts this week on the blog. First, a review of a new edc favorite: the Schon DSGN Ultem Fountain Pen, which I have in both Black Ultem and natural/amber Ultem. I also published two posts on so-called “lie-flat notebooks” and “waterproof inks”, two topics I frequently get questions on and have been meaning to write about for a while. .

Updates from the T.G.S. Curated Shop

This week’s Deals & Drops theme was NaNoWriMo, given that November (tomorrow!?!) starts tomorrow. If you’re looking for a nice notebook and/or pens and pencils to stock your NaNoWriMo stash in advance of a full month of novel (or nonfiction) writing, or whatever you may choose to do, please consider purchasing from us. We have a wide range of fountain pen friendly paper, pens, pencils, and other reading and writing accessories to help get you across the NaNoWriMo finish line! (We can’t do the actual writing though, that’s up to you.)

Pens

Paper

Pencils (+ Sharpeners)

Desk Accessories

Consider Joining TGS Patreon for Access to Monthly Meetups and First Dibs on Gently Used Stationery, Exclusive Products and More!

For some additional fun, and to help support the blog consider joining the Patreon program. Patreon supporters receive special pricing and early access to product releases and collaborations such as the T.G.S. x Sunderland pen, in addition to other benefits. 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. The Patreon membership also has “first dibs” on my regular gently used stationery sales, and I’m currently working on a fresh batch of pens, inks, and notebooks that should hit the Patreon shop in the next couple of weeks.

Water-Resistance in Fountain Pen Inks: How Important Is It Anyway?

October 30, 2021

I don’t do as many ink reviews as some bloggers, and when I do, it’s mainly a high-level review of (1) how I like the color, and (2) how the ink behaves on the paper that I use on a day-to-day basis, meaning whether it feathers, bleeds, or takes forever to dry. I typically don’t review properties such as the degree of lightfastness (i.e., whether the ink will fade if exposed to sunlight over a long period of time) or water-resistance. So why not? First of all, I don’t have the scientific background or personal experience necessary to make an informed judgment much beyond “I splashed some water on this page of writing and it did/did not smear.” Second, these properties aren’t as important to me as being able to get the ink down on the page with as little fuss as possible. I don’t necessarily need my notes and drafts to be archivally bulletproof, and if I do, I’ll take notes in ballpoint or pencil, or will type them up for electronic storage.

Water-testing inks in everyday situations — Testing inks at pen club in “everyday” situations.

That said, I’ve actually been fairly surprised at the water-resistance of many modern fountain pen inks, even those that don’t advertise themselves as “waterproof” or “bulletproof.” You may have seen some pictures I posted on my Instagram account from last week’s meeting of the Middle Tennessee Fountain Pen Club, where several of us were comparing shades of dark green, and I got curious and splashed some water (not beer) on my writing samples. All five inks actually held up fairly well, with two qualifying as what I would call “waterproof” for my purposes. Here, the Kakimori pigmented ink held up the best (as pigmented ink should do); Noodler’s “Zhivago” came in second (it’s “semi-bulletproof” after all), followed by Cross Black, Birmingham Inks Ancho Chili Pepper, and Diamine Salamander, all of which remained highly legible even if some of the color washed out.

The results from water testing at pen club. Paper used in this test is Write Notepads Dot Grid Paper.

Water testing TWSBI Inks under “less ordinary” circumstances

Similarly, a while back I did a “soak test” of all five TWSBI standard inks and found that the Blue-Black was more or less completely waterproof, while the Black and Midnight Blue showed high levels of water-resistance. This is a far cry from when I first started getting into the pen hobby, and my beloved Waterman inks would essentially wash off the page if I got caught in a rainstorm or spilled a drink.

Results of my TWSBI waterproof testing from a while back. Testing paper is Rhodia.

Suggestions for Waterproof and Water-Resistant Inks

While I still wouldn’t expect fountain pens to be the best choice for signing legal documents or in situations like drawings or technical plans where you absolutely don’t want the ink to run, in light of this experiment I remain relatively unconcerned about the water-resistance of my fountain pen inks, expecting that most of them will remain “legible enough” in the event of a spill. That said, if I want to sign a legal document or am in some other situation where I do want a waterproof (or “highly water-resistant”) ink, here are my favorites:

TWSBI Blue-Black. A great classic steel-blue color, and water-resistant due to iron-gall content.
Pilot Blue-Black. Another classic blue-black ink with high water-resistance that behaves well in most pens. If you shop internationally, you can sometimes order this ink in very large bottles.
Sailor Kiwa-Guro. A pigmented black ink that dries to a matte finish. Blue and Blue-Black pigmented inks are also available from Sailor.
TWSBI Black. For a standard black ink, this ink surprised me with how well it held up when soaked in a glass of water. If you’re looking for a workhorse black, why not choose one where you won’t have to worry if your notebook gets wet?
Noodler’s Zhivago. Not quite as waterproof as Noodler’s “Bulletproof Black,” but I find that this one behaves better, and is a nice green-black shade.
Platinum Carbon Black. Another pigmented ink that’s a favorite of artists as well as writers.

Please note that this is absolutely NOT an exhaustive list of all the “waterproof” fountain pen inks available. Noodler’s makes an entire line of “bulletproof” and “eternal” inks, and companies such as Kakimori, Platinum, and Rohrer & Klingner all make iron-gall, pigmented and “document” inks expressly intended for maximum water-resistance. Also, most permanent inks will need to be regularly cleaned out of your pens every couple of weeks, if not more frequently. (As long as an ink is intended for use in fountain pens, it most likely will not harm your pens, per se, but you may start to have clogging and hard-starting issues if you leave these inks in a pen for a long time.)

This post does not contain paid third-party affiliate links, and unless otherwise noted, all links are to the T.G.S. Curated Shop, an authorized retailer of all brands we carry. 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!