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The Gentleman Stationer

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In the Shop: Midori MD Notebook Covers, from Paper to Leather to PVC

September 6, 2022

When we think of “notebook systems,” our thoughts immediately jump to the Traveler’s Notebook or something like a Filofax or a Plotter, but the truth is that there are many different systems out there with different levels of complexity. One of the most straightforward for those who prefer their core module to be a standard notebook without a lot of formatting is the Midori MD system/series. We recently built out our Midori MD offerings to include not just the standard MD and MD Light Notebooks, but the Midori series of covers as well as accessories such as sticky notes and notebook dividers.

Undyed natural leather after a few years (and this is relatively clean). Note: This is not a Midori-brand leather cover, but is made from similar undyed leather and provides a indication of how the Midori leather covers will age. Size shown is B6 slim.

Last week, we added several additional MD notebook covers in Midori’s signature goat leather, a soft undyed leather that will develop its own unique texture and patina over time depending on how you use it. (This cover is SUPPOSED to get dirty and ink stained!) We stock these covers in sizes that include B6 Slim, A6, A5, and A4, and recently added a vertical A5 leather sleeve (shown at top), which allows you to carry notebooks up to size A5 in the center pouch and writing instruments and other accessories in the front pockets. For those who prefer something other than leather, we stock Midori covers made from a heavy duty Japanese paper, which will last a long time and age and patina in a somewhat similar manner, as well as standard PVC plastic sleeves.

The T.G.S. Curated Shop is an authorized retailer of all brands sold.

In TGS Curated Shop Tags Midori MD, Undyed Leather, TGS Curated Shop
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Labor Day Giveaway, Courtesy of Rickshaw Bagworks and Nock Co.!

September 5, 2022

Brad was kind enough to send me home from the San Francisco Pen Show with an extra Nock Co. Sinclair “Model R”, in classic black cordura with bright yellow interior. While the case customizer isn’t quite ready over at Rickshaw Bagworks, you can still choose from some of Brad’s favorite color combinations, and comment below on the blog to get this one for free!

I’m keeping the rules for this giveaway simple, with no widgets, third-party apps, etc. You can leave a comment on this blog post, and/or visit the T.G.S. Instagram and like the post there. I’ll number comments and likes and then pick a winner using a random number generator. The giveaway will remain open until 11:59pm Central U.S. time on Sunday, September 11, 2022. While the giveaway is open to everyone (provided it’s possible for me to ship to you), I may request that you chip in for international shipping if it ends up being prohibitively expensive. Also, if you comment anonymously or don’t allow Instagram DMs, I may not be able to contact you to tell you that you won.

Finally, remember that all orders placed in the T.G.S. Curated Shop through today will receive a freebie, such as some washi tape, an ink sample, a pen or pencil, etc. All orders over $75 ship free!

This giveaway is not a paid promotion. Nock Co. and Rickshaw donated this case for promotional purposes, and T.G.S. is not being compensated in any way by either company for running it.

In Giveaway Tags Nock Co., Rickshaw Bagworks, 2022 Giveaway, San Francisco Pen Show 2022
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A few more San Francisco prizes inadvertently omitted from my recaps!

Sunday Reading for September 3, 2022: Labor Day Weekend Edition

September 4, 2022
  1. 2022 SF Pen Show: Definitely Not a Quick Recap (via Pen Addict - Kimberly). Kimberly and I are apparently locked in (friendly) competition over who can generate the longest recap of the SF Pen Show. This is a great one and extremely detailed.

  2. Show Recap: 2022 San Francisco Pen Show (via Well-Appointed Desk). Jesi was stationed at the Dromgoole’s ink rack all weekend, and she sold a TON of ink (including six bottles of Wearingeul to me).

  3. Thinking via the Notes I Take, a mnml Digest (via mnmlscholar). Given all of the discussions of notebooks and planners and journaling last weekend, including a couple of in-depth seminars, notetaking and the purpose of the notes I take is something at the forefront of my own mind as well.

  4. Ferris Wheel Press Cream of Earl Grey (via Fountain Pen Pharmacist). So this is one of the most intriguing colors in the Ferris Wheel Press lineup, IMHO, but is very, very, VERY light.

  5. Private Reserve Black Cherry (The New Formula) (via Inkdependence). With my love for all things red-black, you would think that I would’ve tried this one already. No such luck. I may need to pick up a bottle.

  6. Col-o-ring Update: Cover Colors & FOLIO! (via Well-Appointed Desk). The Col-o-ring Folio - the largest Col-o-ring EVER, is now available for purchase! While I have no idea what I would do with it, I want one!

  7. On the Differences Between Grips (via KraftyKats). Chloe discusses an important factor in selecting your pen of choice, which may also present a reason to visit a pen show - if your grip tends to be sensitive, a show (or your local pen store) offers you the opportunity to try before you buy.

  8. Witches: Lamy Azurite (via a fleeting ripple). The Lamy Crystal inks haven’t received much attention from the blogosphere lately, even though I’m generally a fan of Lamy inks and they’re always priced competitively.

  9. Long-Term Thoughts on the Visconti Rembrandt Fountain Pen (via Fountain Pen Blog). I love reading “long term” reviews of favorite fountain pens, and whether people’s opinions of certain pens stay the same having used them for years at a time. I need to be better about revisiting prior reviews.

  10. Pelikan M205 Apatite Special Edition Demonstrator (via Pelikan’s Perch). Just in time for the announcement of this year’s Pelikan Hubs, Pelikan has revealed the M205 “Apatite” demonstrator to match this year’s special edition Edelstein ink.

In Case You Missed It….

This week on the blog, it was all about recapping a great weekend at the San Francisco Pen Show. My recaps actually started last Saturday, in real time, when I discussed Friday at the show. On Wednesday, I offered my thoughts on what makes the San Francisco show so well-run in general (hint: it involves more classes and seminars, and a broader, more diverse array of vendors), and yesterday I did a very extended walkthrough of everything I took home from the show. Now I just have to figure out where to start with the review content….

Did I mention we restocked on the Penco Perfection Bullet Pens, both the plastic version and the metal in Gold, Silver, and Matte Black? For those who have asked, yes, they clip quite well to the Plotter Mini-5. ;)

New This Week in the Shop Plus a Labor Day Promotion

Paper, paper, and more paper! I was low on most of the paper brands we stock here in the T.G.S. Curated Shop, including customer favorite Midori MD Cotton. (For those who have asked, the MD Cotton Paper is the same paper that is used in those letterpress specialty Plotter refills pictured in yesterday’s review.) We also have more Clairefontaine Triomphe and Seyes-ruled paper. Every Thursday I index new arrivals and features in a dedicated post. And through Labor Day (Monday at 11:59pm), we’re running a special promotion where all orders will receive a free gift, whether that be some washi tape, an ink sample, or a pen/pencil! No coupon code needed. Just place your orders and enjoy!

TWSBI
TWSBI
Traveler's Company
Traveler's Company
Planners
Planners
Mnemosyne
Mnemosyne

Many Thanks for Your Shop Support, and Please Consider T.G.S. Patreon!

We’ve been surprised at the level of enthusiasm and support for our curated retail strategy over the past couple of months, and after careful consideration are beginning to build out our inventory with more brands and product categories. I love managing this aspect of T.G.S., as it offers me the opportunity to directly put great stationery - including brands I feel are underappreciated and underemphasized - into your hands. For those who want to support T.G.S. without necessarily adding to their accumulation, the Patreon Program offers two options for tiers of support: $3 and $5, and plan on making monthly meetups, pen show events, and periodic exclusive content the primary benefits. Of course, Patreon members will continue to get first access to periodic sample sales, with right of first refusal on gently used pens.

In LInks Tags Links
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From Plotters to Paper to Ebonite Pens: My 2022 San Francisco Takeaways

September 3, 2022

In my main recap earlier this week, I talked about how the San Francisco Pen Show is a different kind of event, with a focus on classes, seminars, and community in addition to the typical pen show shopping extravaganza. Well, for all of those who have been asking for photos of my show haul, this is it, and it was a bit of a doozy. I rarely do “haul” posts, but I thought it might be fun to walk through my San Francisco pen show experience photographically, discussing each of my purchases/acquisitions by category, since what I ended up taking home from this show says a lot about the feel of the show and how I hope more shows evolve in the future.

Paper = Mostly Plotter

Earlier in August, I was on the fence whether to attend the San Francisco Pen Show at all, and then Plotter announced that they would be on-site with their creative director, Takayuki Saito, hand-assembling special-edition binders in specialty leathers that would only be available at that show. OK, I was in.

My yellow Plotter A5 being hand-assembled and adjusted.

At last year’s San Francisco Pen Show (2021), I was gifted the “Narrow” in brown “Pueblo” leather as part of Plotter’s US launch, when they sent out review kits to get feedback on the product in advance of a broader release. I’ve used my Narrow Plotter as my primary T.G.S. business notebook for the better part of a year, though I’ll admit it took me a while to get a feel for the system and discovery how it fits into my particular workflow. To be honest, it was more a factor of me being out of the “ring system” mentality for the better part of a decade and having to rethink how I could incorporate the ability to organize and shuffle pages around. Having now used the system at some length, perused the full range of refills, and visited with the people behind Plotter (both the U.S. and Japanese creative teams), I feel like I understand the system a bit better and there are definitely aspects that could drastically improve my research and writing process, as well as my daily capture of thoughts I don’t want to lose/miss.

Plotter refills and accessories

Plotter: Infinitely customizable. You can make the system as intricate or as simple as you desire.

I had my personal Plotter appointment at 11:56 on Friday morning. (The time intervals were very precise, which is not strange at all for someone who has tracked their life in six-minute increments for the past 17 years.) But before my booked time slot, at which I planned to purchase a Plotter A5, Saito-san’s own personal Plotter Mini-5 caught my eye. The Mini-5 is a newer size, at least in the U.S. Market: a wallet-sized Plotter that appeared to be wallet + pocket notebook + penholder solution for which I’d been actively searching for years. I bought one in grey Pueblo leather, to match my “aged” Baron Fig wallet.

Later that afternoon, as I watched Takayuki Saito - Plotter’s creative director - assemble my binder (A5 ochre/yellow leather with gold trim), I started thinking about the accessories I needed and how I would use the Plotter system. I ended up purchasing a wide selection of add-ons and different refills to set up each Plotter for the various roles I have planned for each size. While most of this will be featured in a longer series on Notebook Systems/System Techo that I have in the works, I’ll give a brief photographic overview below:

My Plotter Mini-5 in grey Pueblo leather has replaced my wallet since approximately an hour after I bought it. If you intend to use it as a wallet, you’ll need at least one of the cardholder accessories. The pen loop is also an add-on, if you want to carry a pocket pen. (The one shown here is a Penco “Perfection” Bullet pen - back in stock in the shop!)

My Plotter Narrow (in more worn/aged brown Pueblo), vs. my Mini-5 in grey Pueblo. The mesh bags seen behind them are one of the more intriguing Plotter accessories that I ordered after the show, and were delivered yesterday. The Narrow will remain my TGS business notebook for checklists, posting schedules, etc. The Mini-5 will serve as my wallet and pocket notebook.

My yellow Plotter A5 - I’m not sure what this leather is called, or whether it will be generally available, but it’s gorgeous and about as close to my beloved natural undyed leather as you can currently get in the Plotter lineup. This one will age beautifully. I intend for this notebook to serve as a general purpose creative and idea inbox - a place to sketch out ideas before moving them into storage or figuring out where they will permanently live.

A Plotter group shot so you can get a sense of the different sizes in relation to one another.

Plotter refills in various sizes and rulings. One of the unique things about Plotter “refills” is that many are sold as bound pads that can be used as stand-alone notebooks. That way, you can selectively choose which sheets to remove and store in your binder. I’ll discuss this concept in more depth as part of a forthcoming review, but Plotter is not necessarily a planner system - you can use it that way, but it was originally conceived as curated binder system allowing you to carry with you those ideas that you’re currently working on, while archiving others elsewhere.

If you’re a fan of compartmentalized packing, bag-within-a-bag organization, etc., I highly recommend the Plotter Mesh Cases. Each case has a hinged opening that securely closes, two interior compartments, and while they are sized for the various Plotters (as shown in my pictures above), you can use them for an infinite number of other purposes.

I didn’t limit the “paper” theme of this show to Plotter. On Saturday, I scored a seat in the “paper tasting” seminar with Taizo Yamamoto and Bruce Eimon, and following that fascinating hour and a half session, picked up ten different memo pads full of unique, fountain-pen friendly Japanese papers at the Yamamoto Paper booth. I later discovered that the small square memo sheets can be hole-punched to fit perfectly into the Plotter (or any standard six-ring binder), should you want to keep any loose notes.

My takeaways from the Yamamoto Paper class and table!

Of these five, the Sleight White and the Soliste papers were the ones that pleasantly surprised me.

I doubled down on Soliste, though the textured Air Mail Bond White was also a lightweight favorite. I’m going to buy some full-size sheets because I suspect it will make for excellent typewriter paper.

The Memo Boxes themselves are well designed and useful. I really hope these become more readily available outside of pen shows.

You can use a standard Rapesco or Filofax hole punch to insert notes into the Plotter system (or whatever standard six-ring system you use). Plotter rings are not proprietary, so you don’t need to purchase an expensive proprietary hole punch to use your own paper with the system.

While I was at the Yamamoto Paper table, I also spotted some of their Ro-Biki Notebooks along with a cotton wrap-style case. Since it’s a long-narrow format, the Ro-Biki notebooks caught my eye, and I picked one up for experimentation. While most Traveler’s Company refills are too wide for this particular wrap, I found that I can make the MD Cotton Letter pad from the B-Sides series work. Honestly, though, the artwork on the Ro-Biki is what drew me in (that and the rumor that they may be moving to the Soliste paper in the future, which I adore.)

The Yamamoto Ro-Biki Cotton Canvas Cover plus two refills.

I love the details on the “Star Map” Cover.

The Canvas Cover Folds over and closes with an elastic strap.

Pen Cases = Mostly Rickshaw Bagworks

The other big piece of news in advance of San Francisco was the re-launch of the Nock Co. Sinclair (aka the Arguably Greatest Pen Case of All Time), in collaboration with San Francisco-based Rickshaw Bagworks. Rickshaw brought at least one tubful of the new Sinclair “Model-r”, one of which I purchased, and Brad supplied me with another for review purposes. The Sinclair is still an outstanding pen case, and Rickshaw has made some slight adjustments to the design (with more possible as customizations).

The Rickshaw show sticker was also available - if you picked up a fortune cookie at the entrance to the show, the “Fortune” was, at a minimum, a free sticker from the Rickshaw table!

Ink = Finally, Some Wearingeul (Plus a Lot of Giveaway Freebies)

Later on Saturday afternoon, Jesi over at the Dromgoole’s table finally got me with the Wearingeul Inks. Once again, I’m blown away by how many different ink brands there are now, and how many new inks they can bring to market. Sure, some companies aren’t very creative and don’t pay attention to whether or not they’re duplicating colors that already exist, but others - like Wearingeul - continue to amaze me with unique muted colors that are interesting but still suitable for everyday writing.

I can’t pick a favorite. All of these are good, if not amazing.

Did I mention I can’t pick a favorite? The paper shown here is Midori MD Cotton - my new favorite paper for ink sampling, but in a test run Plotter refill where Plotter took A5 sheets and letterpressed lines into the cotton paper. Please do me a favor and e-mail Plotter USA now, and demand that they bring this paper into the standard lineup. It’s amazing. For now, I’ll have to settle for taking the standard MD Cotton A5 pad and punching holes in it.

Nagasawa was selling Kobe ink for $10 a bottle on Sunday. Was I really going to pass that up? Plus I picked up a bottle of Ferris Wheel Press Mirror, Mirror of Moiraine, which I’ve been obsessing over for the better part of a year.

Donated Bottles of Ink

Not a purchase, but I definitely acquired a few more bottles of ink from a giveaway box that was floating around the show. Somebody apparently took a radical approach to thinning out their collection, leaving it with Jesi at the Dromgoole’s table!

I swabbed for posterity/sampling far more bottles than I brought home!

Pens = All Ebonite

So, Joe, no pens? That was the plan, and I held out until Sunday, when I found myself eyeing Ranga premium ebonite pens over at the Peyton Street Pens table. Never having owned a Ranga pen, and loving ebonite in general, I acquired a dark red/black striated Bamboo model, as well as one of the Abhimanyu models in a green/yellow color. Ranga pens take No. 6 (and sometimes, No. 8) JoWo nibs, making them perfect platforms for nib customization.

The Ranga Abhimanyu (left) and the Bamboo (right).

I love the color variation on the section of this pen. It’s what sold me on this specific piece. All of the pens are different.

I’m not sure there’s a color of ebonite that could speak to me more.

Nib Grinds = Further Exploring Naginata Styles

I picked up four nib grinds: two Nag-architect hybrid nibs with ultra-fine points from The Nib Tailor, and a Mini-Nag and architect from C.Y. of Tokyo Station Pens (who I enjoyed meeting for the first time!). The Naginata-style grind deserves its own post, so I won’t write at length here, but the grind features line variation similar to an architect (thick horizontal, thinner vertical), with less definition and a slightly smoother feel, plus the ability to vary line thickness depending on the angle at which you hold the pen. Different nib grinders use different techniques and have their own style, so no two pens will be the same. You really need to experiment to find your preference with this grind, which is why I’ve requested nibs from various people and will be doing a longer comparison post in the future. (For reference, check out my review of the Custom Nib Studio “Perspective” grind, which so far I consider one of my favorite Naginata-style nibs out there.) As an FYI, Gena is now offering pre-ground Naginata-style and cursive italic nibs through Schon DSGN, at least at pen shows. I picked up one of the former and it’s really, really good.

Once again, many thanks to everyone who made the 2022 San Francisco Pen Show such a great experience. I can’t wait to see you all again next year! If you have specific questions about any of the products featured here, feel free to reach out.

** I have strategically omitted certain purchases from this recap since I did pick up some cool things for upcoming birthday and holiday gifts. (The recipients read the blog.) :)

This post does not contain affiliate links or paid sponsorships, and unless expressly indicated otherwise, the products purchased here were acquired with my own funds at full price. Certain of the Plotter refills I ordered online were subject to a discount code that was floating around the show. The Gentleman Stationer is supported entirely by purchases from the T.G.S. Curated Shop and the T.G.S. Patreon Program.

In Pen Shows Tags San Francisco Pen Show 2022, San Francisco Pen Show, Pen Show, Pen Show Haul
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Thursday Drops: Only the Best (and Most Unique) Writing Paper!

September 1, 2022

Here on the retail side of T.G.S., we’re committed to selecting only what we consider to be the best paper products available for general purpose writing - whether that be for business or personal use. Unless it’s paper intended for a specific purpose and noted otherwise, you can assume that what we carry works with fountain pens. Read more about fountain pen friendly paper here.

Clockwise from top left: TWSBI ECO Glow Green (yes it does glow in the dark!); the Caran d’Ache Dark Violet Limited Edition; TWSBI Diamond 580 Iris; and Platinum Plaisir Aurora.

Also, we still have a handful of TWSBI ECO Glow Green fountain pens from the initial shipment, along with restocked nib sizes on most other TWSBI models, as well as the limited edition Platinum Plaisir Aurora (all of which look exceptionally good with the slightly color-tinged pearlescent white finish).

[UPDATE: As of midday Thursday, September 1, we are restocked on Penco Perfection Bullet Pens and Drafting Pens and Ballpoints, Hightide Folding Book Stands, and a VERY limited number of the large (30 minute and 15 minute) hourglasses.]

The T.G.S. Curated Shop is an authorized retailer of all brands shown here.

  1. Clairefontaine French-Ruled (Seyes) Paper. Probably my all-time favorite paper ruling, not only because the paper itself looks unique but because I love the versatility of the lines. We received a shipment of wire-bound and staple-bound French-ruled notebooks yesterday, and we still have the booklet-bound looseleaf sheets.

  2. Clairefontaine Triomphe Writing Pads. A favorite for written correspondence and other general purpose writing, Clairefontaine’s “Triomphe” series comes in both letter and A5 size and features bright-white paper stock excellent for showcasing ink.

  3. Quo Vadis Habana Fountain Pen Friendly Edition. I consider the Quo Vadis Habana to be among the best - if not the best - of the “A5 elastibound notebooks”. This particular model features the white dot grid Clairefontaine paper so it’s more fountain pen friendly than the ivory lined notebook.

  4. Midori MD Cotton Paper Writing Pads. Another personal favorite, especially when I’m looking for an absorbent paper with quicker dry times. Midori writing pads - both the cotton and the standard MD - are bound both vertically and horizontally to prevent paper curling and to allow you to use the pad in portrait or landscape mode, such as beneath a keyboard. Standard Midori MD writing pads in grid and blank ruling are also available.

  5. Midori MD Cotton Notebooks. Midori Cotton paper comes in notebook form too, in the F0, F2, and F3 sketchbook sizing. (Though they’re perfectly suitable for writing as well!) It can be difficult to keep these in stock so we bought a lot this time.

  6. Midori MD Notebooks and Covers. While not a notebook system per se, Midori MD Notebooks come with a range of compatible accessories, including notebook covers in natural undyed goat leather, a very durable Japanese paper cover, and standard plastic PVC sleeves. The covers can hold not just the standard MD notebooks but also two of the slimmer MD Light notebooks.

  7. Traveler’s Company Spiral Ring Notebooks (featuring MD Paper). In addition to the flagship Traveler’s Notebook, Traveler’s Company makes these excellent spiral ring notebooks in A5 slim, A6 slim, and a Landscape B6 layout that features blank white Midori MD paper for both writing and sketching.

  8. Soumkine “Oh My 307” Agenda. We still have five of these to-be-discontinued Soumkine hardcover planners in rose, and I’m attempting to get some additional stock in other colors but I’m not sure of the availability. At some point, these undated, open-format planners will go away as Soumkine is changing their business model so if you enjoy them to use as either a planner or a notebook stock up!

  9. Maruman Mnemosyne Notebooks and Notepads. Japanese stationers Maruman were in attendance at the San Francisco show, and while I didn’t have a chance to visit with them on-site, I was excited to see that they did bring the A5 Notepad Folio/Holders, which hold an A5 pad and also features five folders for organizing your notes.

  10. Life “Noble Note” Paper. An undersung stationery brand that often doesn’t get the attention it deserves, Life paper is excellent and comes in both pad and notebook format. There are also some specialty pads such as Bank Paper and Typewriter Paper that I am looking to restock soon.

In Deals Tags Deals
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