Why I Love Natural (Undyed) Leather and Why You Shouldn't Worry If It Gets Dirty

Up until a couple of years ago, I used to be fastidious about keeping my gear clean and free from marks, tears, scuffs, etc. For example, if a pristine leather notebook cover, briefcase, or pen somehow got a ding or scratch on it, I literally couldn’t carry it anymore because all I could do was “see the damage.” This hang-up obviously hampered my enjoyment of the hobby, especially since I’m a “user” as opposed to a collector. What pen or bag, or notebook - if it’s actually used for its intended purpose - isn’t going to receive the inevitable battle scars?

Note the difference between my relatively new Galen Leather 12 slot Hard Pen Case and this years-old Nanami Paper Cafe Note Gfeller leather cover.

So how did I get over this issue? I started collecting and using natural undyed leather. How did this help? Because the scratches, stains, dirt, and signs of wear are features, not defects, given that it’s literally impossible to keep this leather clean, and that’s the whole point. If you want to use the product at all, you have to get over it getting dirty, really fast.

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Once upon a time these black ink spots and the grey halo around the edges of the notebook cover would have driven me crazy.

Natural leather changes color over the years and months you use it. Even the oil on your hands will cause it to change color and develop the signature grey-bronze patina, and if you’re lucky you’ll also accumulate a few ink blotches and splashes along the way. While it may be hard at first to watch that pristine surface gradually disappear, I found that my hesitancy to truly “use” my other products vanished along with it. Case in point: check out these pics of this old Baron Fig wallet (which used to be “grey”).

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These days, I’ve largely moved on from black and dark brown, and actually appreciate leathers in lighter finishes such as tan, natural undyed, and even grey and yellow, specifically for the patina they accumulate over time. Fortunately, natural leather notebook covers, portfolios, and pen cases are fairly easy to come by. In addition to the Galen Leather product line, Nanami Paper carries undyed Gfeller leather covers for their “Seven Seas” and “Cafe Note” series, and of course there’s the classic Midori MD natural goat leather covers that we sell in our own shop. To me, nothing is more satisfying than showcasing a well-made, well-worn, yet still-perfectly-functional piece of gear that bears your own signature finish, made unique by your own years of use!

Other than the Galen Leather Hard Pen Case, which I received from my friends at Vanness Pens, I purchased all products featured in this post with my own funds. This post does not contain third-party affiliate links. T.G.S. is supported by purchases from the T.G.S. Curated Shop. 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!

Sunday Reading for January 9, 2022

1. 2021 Year in Review (via Well-Appointed Desk). Ana has a comprehensive review of last-year’s developments in the stationery world. Suffice to say, there was a lot of change, both good and not-so-good.

2. The Noodler’s Cinematic Universe: Noodler’s Q’ternity (via Left Hook Pens). Wow. This is a great article going deep into the various references on the Noodler’s Q’ternity bottle, which is getting to become a bit of history that many people might not recognize immediately.

3. Leonardo Officina Italiana Furore Aquapetra Rose Gold and Zenzero (Ginger) Gold (via Rants of the Archer). More great materials from Leonardo, and I think that “Zenzero Gold” might be my favorite of these two.

4. Magna Carta Elements Earth Fountain Pen Review (via S.B.R.E. Brown). Magna Carta is one of those brands that I’ve admired from afar (mainly due to their classic shape and materials), but I haven’t actually had a opportunity to get my hands on a pen.

5. Hello, Hello (via Ink Between the Teeth). Sometimes you just need a break. Welcome back!

6. Reflection: Journaling for Clarity (via Comfortable Shoes Studio). When I spoke earlier this year about promoting more content that shows how people use their stationery in a way that’s meaningful and useful to them, this is exactly what I was talking about.

7. Elbwood Pocketmaster: An Uncompromising Pocket Fountain Pen (via UK Fountain Pens). This is a really interesting pocket fountain pen design, especially the fluting on the metal section.

8. State of the Art: Working on Useful Journaling V2 (via Comfortable Shoes Studio). Ever wondered what goes into creating a zine? I really enjoyed Useful Journaling V1, and can’t wait to see the new edition.

9. Stabilo Boss Pastel Highlighter (via Pen Addict). For some reason, these were my favorite highlighters when I was in school. Maybe it was the compact, ergonomic design or the fact that they last forever. Anyway, I now find myself wanting to get my hands on these again.

In Case You Missed It….

This week on the blog I looked at my daily carry to start out 2022, which is a mix of the familiar and a few new items. I also kicked off ink reviews for the year with a review of Ancho Chili Pepper, a subtle, muted color from The Birmingham Pen Company. Finally, please don’t forget to check out this post, which discusses the T.G.S. Patreon and how you can help support what we do here at T.G.S. in 2022.

This Week in the Curated Shop

There weren’t many new arrivals this week, other than a small restock of Hightide Sandglasses which I got listed. (Some colors continue to trickle in.) For a recap of our top-selling products over the past year, you can check out the “Best Sellers” category, along with this “Back to Basics” post from earlier this week containing some ideas on basic products to help stock your office or writing space for 2022.

Clairefontaine

Traveler's Company

Write Notepads

Life

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. Check out the current sale, as there is at least one custom fountain pen remaining!

A New Ink for the New Year: Birmingham Ancho Chili Pepper

Last year I placed my first order with Pittsburgh-based Birmingham Pen Company, and ended up with a handful of interesting colors. The first ink I reviewed was Angelfish, one of their “Rich” formulation inks, and I particularly enjoyed the fact that this sheeny blue ink dried quickly and didn’t bleed, smear, or feather in the same way that many other super-saturated inks have a tendency to do. I’ve actually had Angelfish inked up since I reviewed it, and would even go so far as to call it a potential workhorse.

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A second Birmingham ink I’ve enjoyed is Ancho Chili Pepper, one of those colors that defies description, in that it’s a greenish-brownish-grey, which on some papers shows purplish or red undertones, especially when still wet. Ancho Chili Pepper features Birmingham’s “Crisp” formulation, meaning that the ink has been crafted to perform well on “a variety of premium, mid-range, and discount papers.” For me, this screams “workhorse ink,” and I can confirm that this ink largely lives up to its promises.

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The brown and reddish tones are most visible when the ink is still wet. As it dries, Ancho Chili Pepper takes on a more green-grey hue.

For one thing, the muted color fits me perfectly, in that it not only falls into my one of my personal favorite color schemes (dark greens, or should I say “green-ish inks”), but it’s the sort of office-appropriate muted color that stays interesting while not being overly ostentatious. I’ve found this ink performs quite well on high-end and mid-range papers, though I did experience some minor bleed-through and a touch of feathering with cheap copy paper. (I suspect it might perform better in a narrower nib - my long-term test pen has been a medium TWSBI Diamond 580 Rose Gold II, and I’ve found the rose gold plated TWSBI nibs to write a wetter line than their steel equivalents.)

I always opt for the smaller, 30ml bottle, but if you really enjoy certain colors you can purchase as much as 120ml of ink in an eyedropper bottle for only a minor upcharge.

I continue to be impressed with Birmingham inks, which can only be ordered directly from the Birmingham Pen Company website, including Ancho Chili Pepper. Most inks are available in 30ml, 60ml, and 120ml bottle options, and Ancho Chili Pepper is reasonably priced at $13, $16, and $19, respectively. The inks are hand-mixed in small batches, so certain colors go in and out of stock, but keep checking back if what you want is not available at the moment.

I purchased the ink featured in this review with my own funds, for my own personal use. This post does not contain third-party affiliate links. T.G.S. is supported by purchases from the T.G.S. Curated Shop. 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!

Deals & Drops: Back to Basics, Every Year

At the beginning of every year, I take stock of all of my “productivity tools,” whether that be my planners, notebooks, pens, pencils, computers, tablets, apps, etc., and review what was useful over the past year and what was not. I’ve mentioned before that I’m going on ten years of serious involvement in this community and this “hobby,” and while for the first five or so I did what many people do and cycled through various brands, formats, and paper types, I’ve largely settled on what I like and my setup doesn’t change much from year to year. You can read more about that here. Today I wanted to take a moment to discuss the philosophy behind the small curated retail shop we’ve built, which focuses on well-made products that aren’t fancy, but will serve you reliably and offer something to keep coming back to over the long haul. Case-in-point: Brands such as Midori, Clairefontaine, Rhodia, Maruman, Life and Write Notepads may not be trendy, but they all contain quality paper at a reasonable price point. Similarly, TWSBI fountain pens may strike some as “boring,” but in my opinion it’s hard to find better value out there, whether you’re a fountain pen newbie or an experienced user.

If you have the time, and are looking to restock your stationery supplies this New Year’s season, please consider supporting us by visiting the T.G.S. Curated Shop. Every week we highlight new arrivals and featured products, in addition to the regular T.G.S. reviews and editorial content. Curated Shop “Best Sellers” can be viewed here, and we recently restocked on the following:

1. Write Notepads Dot Grid Notebooks. This is my favorite spiral notebook currently on the market. I love the absorbent, bright white paper that allows ink to dry quickly while still showing off the color and special properties. The covers now come in a wide array of colors including pistachio (my fave), black, kraft, blue, and red. Also available in lined ruling.

2. Maruman Mnemosyne Spiral Notebooks. An oft-overlooked workhorse brand, Maruman makes the “Mnemosyne” spiral notebooks with their classy black plastic covers. Their graph/grid notebooks are set up to be used in landscape format (more on this below).

3. Write Notepads Landscape Notebook. I sometimes like to work with a notebook or notepad underneath my keyboard, and it helps to have that notebook be in landscape format. Write Notepads makes a landscape version of their lined spiral notebook.

4. Clairefontaine French-Ruled Notebooks. The paper that started it all for me is still a favorite. I find Clairefontaine’s Seyes-ruled paper to be incredibly versatile in that it allows you to do to anything from practicing cursive or calligraphy (using the ruling as guides), to writing really small.

5. Rhodia Webnotebooks. Want to upgrade your big-box leatherette notebook to something that better handles fountain pen ink? The Rhodia “Webbie”, in dot grid or lined ruling, is hard to beat. (The orange and silver covers look great.)

6. Rhodia Writing Pads. For the absolute best combination of quality and value, it’s hard to beat Rhodia. Their legal-style writing pads are a staple of my work desk.

7. Write Notepads Classic Hardcover Notebook. Featuring quality Write Notepads paper, these hardback notebooks are now available with dot grid paper.

8. Kokuyo PERPANEP Zara-Zara Notebooks. Don’t let the crazy name turn you off from these excellent Japanese softcover notebooks. The “Zara-Zara” paper handles fountain pens well, and comes in a wide range of rulings, including a .6mm “Steno” layout as well as graph and dot grid rulings in various widths.

9. Traveler’s Notebooks and Accessories. These have been flying off the shelves recently, as people move into new notebook systems for the new year! We are fully stocked on all colors, sizes, refills and accessories!

10. TWSBI Fountain Pens and Inks. Whether you’re looking for the Diamond 580 with interchangeable nibs, the colorful ECO demonstrators, or the recently released cartridge-converter Swipe, you can’t go wrong with a TWSBI.

All links to the T.G.S. Curated Shop, unless otherwise noted. 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!

2022 Daily Carry: Starting the New Year

I haven’t put that much thought into what I’ve ended up with for my 2022 “daily carry,” but perhaps that’s a good thing. With a couple of exceptions, I’ve defaulted to what works for me, and unless something breaks during the year the “Core Notebooks” and “Bags and Pen Cases” haven’t changed from 2021 and won’t change for 2022. I have an insanely busy schedule from January through March, and I’ll need consistency to make it through.

Core Notebooks

• Primary “Day Job” Notebook: Standard Traveler’s Notebook with Stalogy Half-Year. Of all the various “systems” I’ve tried over the years, I keep coming back to the Traveler’s Notebook format. I love the long, narrow page layout, which fits my notetaking style. I use a checklist/action-item style of notetaking that’s similar to bullet journaling but idiosyncratic in that I’ve used it for years, adapting it to my specific needs, and aspects of it make sense to nobody other than me. I’ve also enjoyed the Stalogy paper for its light weight and grey grid ruling. It doesn’t handle ink as well as Tomoe River paper, but it dries much quicker and therefore perfect for my workday.

• Personal Journal/Workbook: Roterfaden Slim with Traveler’s Company Inserts. A collaboration with Baum-Kuchen, this Traveler’s-size Roterfaden is used as my personal journal/workbook, as I love that I can easily swap out the refills with the Roterfaden clip system. I don’t know whether this particular size of Roterfaden has been discontinued, but Baum Kuchen sells an A5 Slim version that’s similar. The specific refills I use in this notebook change regularly, but one constant has been the MD Cotton Letter Pad from the “B-Sides and Rarities” collection. (I don’t use it to write letters - it’s just a really convenient skinny notepad with great paper.)

• Sketchbook: Nanami Paper Cafe Note. If you’ve met me at a pen show, you’ve seen this notebook. A combination journal/scratch pad/sketchbook, “whatever” notebook, this compact notebook features an absolutely massive amount of Tomoe River paper and goes with me anywhere. There’s no “system” or dedicated purpose for this notebook. As of now, it contains two years’ worth of pen show doodlings, draft reviews, ink tests, drawings, and other nonsense. And I love it.

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Bags and Pen Cases

This category has remained consistent for years (with the exception of the Superior Labor Pen Roll, which I recently picked up). I don’t see any changes coming soon.

• Filson Original Briefcase. It’s a classic, plain and simple. I acquired this six (?) years ago and haven’t been tempted by another briefcase or messenger bag since. The definition of a durable, versatile bag that also looks great.

• Nock Co. Sinclair. Another classic, which unfortunately is going out of regular production. This three-pen zippered case in a limited waxed canvas finish helpfully limits the number of pens I can cart around at any given time, and slips easily into my oft-overstuffed briefcase or backpack.

• Superior Labor Pen Roll. By far the single nicest leather accessory that I own. I love the olive green tone, the soft-yet-durable leather, and the layout. No, I don’t mind my pens touching.

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The Cortex Theme System Journal, shown here in a gorgeous leather cover sent to me by Harber London, which I’m currently reviewing.

Other Tools I’m Using or Still Figuring Out

I have a third category of notebooks that are either tools that I’m trying to work into my main rotation or “role players” that, while important to me, don’t necessarily get used every day.

• Plotter System. I was lucky enough to receive a complimentary Plotter system for testing at the San Francisco Pen Show, and have been thoroughly impressed with both the quality of the binders, paper and other accessories. Contrary to popular belief, the Plotter is NOT designed as a planner (though the system can certainly be set up to be used as one). If I had to summarize it, I would describe it as more of an “analog content manager,” with a range of flexible options for managing to-do lists and notes, including a unique foldering system that I’ve been relying on to help manage T.G.S. I’m diving deep into Plotter this year, so look for an initial review in the coming months.

• Cortex Theme System Journal. Last week I wrote about my personal goals for 2022, as they pertain to T.G.S., and many of you mentioned how my discussion parallels many of the ideas discussed on the Cortex podcast and their “Theme Journal” that’s been receiving some attention in pen circles. As it turns out, while I listen to that particular podcast only occasionally, I picked up a Theme Journal and have been waiting for the beginning of the year to use it. I’ll have a more thorough write-up once I finish setting up the notebook and working through the system for a couple of months, but so far I’m impressed with the thought that went into it, the ideas behind its creation, and the flexibility of the layout.

• Commonplace Book. I sporadically keep a “commonplace book” to track quotes from my reading, but I’ve fallen off the wagon with commonplacing a bit and need to catch up. Here I’ve typically relied on a Write Notepads Hardcover Notebook for durability purposes, since I envision keeping my commonplace books for the longhaul as I fill them up.

• Filofax Notebooks. Not fancy stationery by any means, but I use these highly versatile notebooks to manage handwritten notes from my job. Also, if I print out an article or a denser piece of online writing to read later with a pen or pencil, I will stick it in one of these to carry with me or save for later. While the included Filofax paper is pretty good, I highly recommend investing in the hole punch so you can use the paper of your choice.

I’ll likely do a mid-year check-in on how this lineup is working out, with some longer-form reviews in the meantime. I intend to spend more time focusing on workflows, notetaking, and analog “systems” this year, as it’s a personal interest of mine and something readers have been requesting. Stay tuned!

This post does not contain paid third-party affiliate links. T.G.S. is supported by purchases from the T.G.S. Curated Shop. 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!