* This is not a scientific poll, and is intended for entertainment purposes only. Statisticians please don’t come at me.

What's the Most Popular Nib Size? By a Wide Margin, It's Fine or Medium.

January 25, 2023

Sorry broad-nib lovers, but the numbers don’t lie.* You may have noticed that I’ve been doing some surveys lately, both via Patreon and via Instagram, and it’s for several reasons. First of all, I’m always curious about people’s preferences and what they use for their everyday writing. Second, I’ve noticed that as many as 65% of the pens I sell are fines and mediums. If that holds as true, my buying strategy of stocking up on equal numbers of all nib sizes probably isn’t the best idea, especially as I bring in more pen lines and invest in more expensive inventory. So I posed the question: If you’re purchasing a pen to use unmodified, in one of the “default” nib sizes of extra-fine, fine, medium, broad, or stub, what size do you prefer?

Here are the results (which as of the time of writing are still preliminary on Instagram, but overall consistent with data I’ve seen elsewhere so I have no problems going ahead and posting my conclusions):

On T.G.S. Patreon, 75% of respondents chose fine or medium. The other 25% chose broad, stub, or wider (if available). Surprisingly, nobody chose extra-fine.
On Instagram, as of the time of writing, 63% chose fine or medium. 16% chose broad or wider, and 21% chose extra-fine. The Instagram results are probably more reflective of the community at large, as it’s a bigger sample size.

More mediums and more fines. Based on a survey of my own collection and what nibs I currently have in most of my pens, I seem to be pretty “average” in terms of what I use on an everyday basis.

As I noted above, anyone with rudimentary training in statistics could find multiple ways to criticize this poll, and it’s neither intended to be scientific nor taken completely seriously. When I posed the question, I also framed it around “stock” nibs that are generally universal across brands, as there’s a lot of variation between different companies’ in-house nibs. But let me say this: the results of this poll are 100% consistent with what I see going out the door in my shop, so at a minimum the responses are a pretty accurate reflection of the nib preferences of The Gentleman Stationer readership. One of the fun parts of being a retailer is having a bit of insight into what people actually buy, as opposed to what gets the attention on blogs, social media, and podcasts. If you follow pen-related social media at all, you might be forgiven for thinking that most true fountain pen enthusiasts write only with broad nibs or stubs - nibs that lay as much ink as possible on the page - or microscopically small needlepoints. While many people certainly enjoy having a few unusual nibs in their collection, those of us who are forced to go out into the word and write on what passes for “office paper” these days recognize that’s not a sustainable approach to modern life.

For me, it’s medium nibs all around, and I have never had any issues having a medium nib ground into a cursive italic or stub (like the Franklin-Christoph medium S.I.G. nib on the left).

Personally, I default to purchasing pens with medium nibs. A medium is broad enough to show off ink without soaking a page of copy paper, and usually still has enough tipping to support a nib grind. That said, I have so many medium nibs in my collection - including handfuls of loose JoWo and Bock nib units - that I’ve recently taken to purchasing broad or double-broad nibs solely for the purpose of accumulating a ready stock of nibs for modification. Nahvalur nibs in particular have a LOT of tipping, so if you’re purchasing a pen with the specific intention of getting a specialty nib grind, keep that in mind. In San Francisco, I had C.Y. of Tokyo Station Pens modify my Double-Broad Nahvalur Nautilus into a Naginata-style grind, with an excellent result.

I’m still interested in hearing directly from readers: What factors do you consider when selecting a nib? Why do you prefer one nib size over another? Please feel free to leave a comment or send me an e-mail!

Disclaimer: The Gentleman Stationer is supported entirely by purchases from the T.G.S. Curated Shop and pledges via the T.G.S. Patreon Program. This post does not contain paid advertisements or third-party affiliate links.

Spotlight on Midori MD Notebook Journals: A Wealth of Versatile Formats

January 24, 2023

So far this year, posts on journaling have received a lot of traffic (and comments!), and journals are flying out the door in the shop. It’s encouraging and gratifying to see so many people enjoying analog journaling, and even if I haven’t been able to respond directly to all of your comments, I’ve enjoyed reading them, especially the comments discussing all of your journaling styles, methods, and prompts.

I can see myself using the Grid-Block Notebook Journal as a Planner: you will have eight “boxes” on two pages facing one another, so you can use a box per day plus a section for notes or a bullet list?

While we carry a lot of notebooks appropriate for journaling (and pretty much any notebook can be made to work as a journal), the Midori MD system is the most popular. In addition to the standard MD “notebooks” in lined, grid, and blank formats, Midori also sells A5 notebooks that they bill as “Notebook Journals,” which come in different layouts that many find helpful for creative journaling. Of course, the dot-grid version is a favorite (and probably our overall top-selling Midori MD Notebook), but the A5 “Frame” version is also popular with those who draw, paint, or paste in photographs and other mementos. The newly arrived A5 “Grid Block” notebook is the most interesting to me, as it divides each page of grid ruled paper into four quadrants. The Midori MD Notebook Journals are the same size as the standard A5 MD Notebook, so they are compatible with Midori MD Covers and other accessories.

Traveler’s Company Brass Index Clips and other Traveler’s Company/Midori Accessories enable you to organize your journals and notebooks.

Of course, for those who journal regularly and want a true day-to-a-page notebook in a single volume that will stand alone by year, the Midori MD Codex will remain the gold standard. We have Codex journals in both Dot Grid and Blank formats, along with the clear plastic covers. (Note that the Codex journals do NOT fit the standard MD Paper or Leather covers, which are intended for the slimmer MD Notebooks and Notebook Journals.) You can check out our full range of Midori paper offerings here, in addition to matching pens and pencils.

The T.G.S. Curated Shop is an authorized retailer of all brands sold, including Midori and Traveler’s Company.

I’ve had some success easing back into regular journaling, but it’s been kinda slow.

Sunday Reading for January 22, 2023 (Philly Special Edition)

January 22, 2023

Philadelphia 2023 Pen Show Recap (via Pen Addict). I was bummed to miss this year’s Philly Pen Show, mainly because I wanted the chance to pick up my Schon DSGN Monoc nib in person! There’s always next year!
Petals on Water: Studyo Agackakan (via A Fleeting Ripple). I’ve jumped even further into the world of custom/independent makers this year, especially those working with especially interesting materials. I love the look of this particular material, a cellulose acetate.
Overheard at Philly: Three Views on Sharing Pens at Pen Shows (via mnmlscholar). I tend to think that it’s more about the people as opposed to the pens. I sometimes enjoy testing out or admiring pens I haven’t seen before (and have confirmed or nixed prospective purchases after seeing one in person “after dark”), but mainly I hang out to talk with friends.
Kakimori Brass and Steel Metal Dip Pen Nib Review (via Blake’s Broadcast). Blake compares two products that have exploded in popularity over the past year: Kakimori’s excellent metal dip nibs in two different materials. I have a brass nib, but would like a steel (and a glass) at some point in the future.
Early Thoughts on the Jinhao X159 Fountain Pen (via Fountain Pen Blog). I also had the opportunity to test out an X159 this weekend at pen club, and confirm that it wrote nicely. Picking one up myself! I suspect you will start seeing these nibs repurposed into custom pens at some point in the very near future.
Genuine Excitement for the BENU Talisman Shamrock (via Penquisition). While BENU pens generally aren’t up my alley aesthetically, the Talisman line of pens are more traditional and not quite as over-the-top visually. I like this one!
Fountain Pens from My Collection: Pelikan M200/M205 (via Fountain Pen Love). Two exceptional workhorses that were among the first piston filler fountain pens that I purchased.
What I Love About Stationery: An Incomplete List (via From the Pen Cup). This is an absolutely exceptional post from Mary. Love the combination of the journal entries + photographs.
DesignWorks Vegan Suede Folio in Blush Pink (via Well-Appointed Desk). Ana reviews a vegan-friendly option to the classic Traveler’s Notebook leather cover.
Aurora Il Viaggio Segreto in Italia Volterra with Goccia Nib (via Gourmet Pens). I’ve been admiring this series from Aurora for some time, and I’ve long wanted to try out one of their Goccia nibs. Maybe this year!

In Case You Missed It….

This week on the blog, I reviewed two new (to me) technical/drafting pens and pencils from the TWSBI “Precision” line. Fans of Rotring 600-style writing instruments may want to check these out. I also reviewed two offbeat ink colors that I’ve been using for some of my everyday writing recently, including my much sought-after yellow ink that I think I finally found.

Undated Paper Planners — It’s never too late to start a 2023 planner when you opt for an undated version! We have plenty of options, and you can even use items like Midori Diary Stickers to convert any notebook into a planner!

This Week in the T.G.S. Curated Shop

This week we continued to see many of you stocking up on letter writing supplies in advance of InCoWriMo next month, and I was happy to see the new composition books from Mr. Boddington’s Studio going out the door! This week’s “Thursday Drops” e-mail also highlighted a restock of pocket notebooks and reporter-style and steno pads.

Anderillium Ink

Multi-Year Diaries

Mini Stationery Kits

TWSBI Pens

Consider Supporting Us Via T.G.S. Patreon!

This year, I’m trying to be more visible and intentional with T.G.S. Patreon and how the support/membership program will expand in 2023 to include not only access to meetups and early gently used sales, but more exclusive content, including the potential return of Digital Divide. Patreon support starts as low as $3 per month, and if you pay annually there is a further discount. In addition to purchases from The Curated Shop, Patreon allows us to continue to grow the site without relying on advertisements and affiliate marketing. If you’re interested in meetups and exclusive content, or simply supporting the site, we greatly appreciate your support!

Offbeat Ink Colors for Everyday Writing: Anderillium American Goldfinch Yellow and Ferris Wheel Press Roaring Patina Black

January 21, 2023

This year, I’ve introduced a new rotation system that hopefully will ensure I use more of my pens, especially those favorites that haven’t been getting the attention they deserve. I’ll write more about specifics once things have broken in a bit more, but the gist is that I’ve divided my pens into several categories (“Desert Island/Favorite” pens, pens from independent makers, limited/special editions from standard makers, favorite brands, etc.), and the goal is to have a 1-2 pens from each category inked up at any given time, cycling in a new pen when one is written dry or at the end of the month, whichever comes first. It’s worked well, but a side benefit of this system is that I’ve been re-inking pens more, and therefore also using more of my ink collection and finally getting around to testing out a number of inks that have been in the queue. Today I’ll talk about two that I’ve really enjoyed, both of which are offbeat colors that pleasantly surprised me.

When wet, as shown here on Midori MD Cotton paper, the ink is a brighter yellow. Note the gold tones on the drier writing sample as opposed to the swab.

Anderillium American Goldfinch Yellow: Finally, a Legible Yellow Ink I Can Use Every Day

For years now, I’ve been on a mission to find a yellow ink. I know, it’s a somewhat odd color to fixate on, but I’ve really been wanting an ink that I can use to both highlight and annotate - one that’s not too dark, but at the same time legible. The latter has been the main problem. Most yellow inks are fine as highlighters, but when you try to actually write with them it looks, well, like you’re writing with a highlighter. You can’t read it easily.

On the off-white Plotter paper, Anderillium American Goldfinch dries to a darker golden yellow hue.

Anderillium inks are known for their offbeat, somewhat unusual takes on classic fountain pen ink colors. As it turns out, “American Goldfinch Yellow,” from their Avian series (based on birds), is exactly what I’ve been looking for. When wet, the ink resembles your classic yellow highlighter, but dries to a richer gold color that’s almost, but not quite, orange. It’s legible enough to use for annotation or everyday writing, depending on your use case. I currently have this ink in my Franklin-Christoph Model 20 in “Winter Pine” acrylic, paired with a medium S.I.G. (Stub Italic Gradient) nib that’s an excellent match for how I want to use this ink.

Of the two inks I’m reviewing today, American Goldfinch Yellow is the one that’s widely available, and we carry Anderillium Inks in the T.G.S. Curated Shop, priced at $14.50 per bottle. I’ve previously reviewed other colors in the series as well, including Cuttlefish Brown, the Michigan Avenue Chicago Pen Show Special Ink, Colossal Squid Dark, and Green Kingfisher Green.

Ferris Wheel Press Roaring Patina Black

One of Ferris Wheel Press’s 2022 limited releases, I hesitated to pick this one up giving my limited use of shimmer ink, but I’m glad I have a full bottle. Roaring Patina Black is a relatively uncommon pairing of a rich black ink with gold shimmer and, according to Ferris Wheel Press, a red sheen. (I’ve not seen much of the sheen, but I’ve also not been using the right paper as most of my writing has been “practical” so far this month.) I wouldn’t characterize this ink as a pure black, as it has some rich blue/purplish-undertones that complement the gold highlights.

Roaring Patina Black features what I refer to as “subtle shimmer” - it’s not so in-your-face glittery that you can’t use it for work, and the shimmer particles are fine enough that they won’t clog your pen. I’ve had this ink in my Graf von Faber-Castell Classic Macassar for the past two weeks without issue, and the “Art Deco” theme of this ink perfectly matches the look of the pen. Unfortunately, Roaring Patina Black was released as a limited edition so it’s no longer widely available, and I was unable to find any retailers with the ink in stock. If you can find it, buy it, because it probably won’t last very long. I enjoy Ferris Wheel Press inks, but looking back I haven’t reviewed very many, other than Peppermint Drop, another red sheener.

This week’s review pens: Franklin-Christoph Model 20 in Winter Pine (left) and Graf von Faber-Castell Classic Macassar.

Longtime readers of this site will know that I don’t use crazy inks: 80% of the time my pens are inked up with standard dark blue / dark green / dark red, but for the other 20% I like to play around with more offbeat colors. That said, even with more unusual ink colors or properties, I have little patience for inks that bleed, feather, and never dry, or only work on certain specific papers with certain nibs. Neither of the two featured here have given me any problems. Sometimes you have to hunt around - sometimes for a very long time - but well-behaved, relatively low-maintenance inks do exist outside of the standard blue/black/blue-black color scheme!

Note: Though I’ve found it to work fine in fountain pens, Ferris Wheel Press Roaring Patina Black is a shimmer ink, meaning that the ink contains fine particles of gold shimmer material. If left in a pen for too long and allowed to dry out, all shimmer inks will clog your pen. If this happens, flushing the pen with water should resolve any issues, but it’s always a best practice to clean your pen every few weeks if you’re using inks such as these.

The Gentleman Stationer is supported entirely by purchases from the T.G.S. Curated Shop and pledges via the T.G.S. Patreon Program. This post does not contain third-party affiliate links or paid advertising. I purchased the Ferris Wheel Press Ink with my own funds, for my own use.

We have recently added all sorts of top-bound Maruman Spiral notebooks and Pads.

Thursday Drops: Pocket Notebooks, Reporter's Notebooks, and Steno Pads for Writing-on-the-Go

January 19, 2023

Since our primary shop focus is on tools to use for your everyday writing, it has always seemed like a natural fit to maintain a broad selection of portable notebooks, including pocket notebooks, reporter-style/top-bound notebooks and notepads, as well as more specialty items such as steno pads. We are fully stocked on most of the brands we carry, and have more on the way! If you’d like to read more on the different types of paper that we carry and why, please visit our paper resources page, which contains links to a variety of posts and guides to various paper brands and their intended use.

Please note that we are down to our last few 2023 dated planners from Traveler’s Company. While we will always carry the undated/open planners (and in fact have a wide selection from multiple brands), dated planners won’t be reordered until the mid-year starts become available. Happy shopping!

Each Lochby Pocket Journal includes one 68gsm Tomoe River Pocket Notebook to get you started.

Pocket Notebooks

Lochby Pocket Journal Notebooks. Featuring classic 68 gsm Tomoe River Paper, these 3.5” x 5.5” (i.e., “Field-Notes sized”) pocket notebooks are the most fountain-pen friendly, true pocket notebook that we carry. Pair with a Lochby Pocket Journal cover/case for an all-in-one everyday carry solution.
Traveler’s Notebook Passport-Sized Refills. Whether you use the refills by themselves or in the Traveler’s Notebook cover, the Traveler’s Notebook system offers a wide range of paper types from which to choose, including standard Midori MD Paper, Specialty Papers, or the quirky “B-Sides and Rarities” editions!
Kokuyo “Sketch” Field Notebooks. Slightly longer than your classic pocket notebook, these hardcover Japanese notebooks are perfect for list-making and smaller-format bullet journaling. We recently received a full restock of all available colors.
Field Notes Pocket Notebooks. We’ve restocked on nearly all of the current Field Notes standard and limited edition pocket notebooks, with - in my opinion - some of the best designs yet having been released over the past year. Case-in-point: the “Hatch Show Print” Collaboration, featuring a classic Nashville-based business; “Signs of Spring,” with its textured yellow cover, and the timely “Ignition” with two date books and a checklist journal.
Maruman Mnemosyne Card-Sized Memo Pads. Looking for a credit-card-sized pocket notebook to keep in your wallet, bag, or glove box? Maruman Mnemosyne is some of the most underrated fountain-pen friendly paper out there, and it comes in essentially every format you can think of, from pocket-sized notebooks and writing pads to spiral notebooks, steno pads (discussed below), and portfolios.

Kokuyo “Sketch” Field Notebooks come in an array of colorful cover options.

Top-Bound Reporters Notebooks

Write Notepads Reporter Notebooks. While we’re low on these at moment, Write Notepads reporter notebooks are among my favorite stationery items out there. The paper is fountain pen friendly, and those who have to do a lot of writing standing up appreciate the heavier chipboard cover.
Field Notes “Front Page” Reporter Notebooks. If you’re looking for classic Reporter-notebook styling, the Field Notes “Front Page” is your go-to option.
Field Notes “Heavy Duty” Top-Bound Pocket Notebooks. Featuring heavier paper than is typical in a Field Notes pocket notebook and a top spiral binding, we couldn’t keep these in stock back when they were a special edition, and were ecstatic to see that they joined the standard lineup.
Maruman Mnemosyne A7 Spiral Notepads. Small enough to easily fit in a shirt pocket and featuring excellent Mnemosyne paper, these are a cross between a reporter’s notebook and a mini steno-pad.
Maruman Mnemosyne Top-Bound Perforated Pads. One thing that I absolutely love about Maruman paper is the fact that the sheets are perforated, both in the traditional writing pads and in the spiral notebooks. In addition to classic A4 and A5 pads, Maruman makes a variety of other sizes, including narrower reporter-sized pads and squared notepads.

Steno Pads

Another product line that I’m actively looking to build out, traditional “Stenographer’s pads” are roughly A5-sized and feature either “Gregg”-ruled paper (classic steno lined paper divided down the middle into two columns). The Maruman Mnemosyne version, which is what we currently have in stock, also has a grid/graph-ruled option.

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