Penco Passer's Mate .5mm Mechanical Pencil

New Arrivals: Retro-inspired Pencils from Penco!

May 9, 2023

One of the many reasons I love Japanese brand Penco/Hightide is their retro designs and vintage-inspired stationery products. In addition to the mini-drafting pens and pencils, as well as the series of “Perfection” Bullet Pens, we can now offer the “Prime Timber 2.0” leadholder mechanical pencil, and the “Passer’s Mate” .5mm mechanical pencil that is sure to take you back to middle school!

Four different finishes of the Penco Prime Timber 2.0 (Grey, Navy, White, and Red), shown packaged with a lead pointer.

The Passer’s Mate comes in 12 different colors, and is refreshingly affordable at $3.50. The Prime Timber is a sturdy, well-balanced leadholder that clicks to advance the lead - as opposed to the usual gravity-driven clutch mechanism. It also ships with a lead pointer complete with receptacle to catch graphite shavings. Prime Timber 2.0 is available in four different finishes at $16. Available now!

We’re traveling this week, so any orders placed in the shop will have a 3-5 business day processing time instead of the typical 2-3, and will ship upon my return. As always when I travel, orders placed during “away time” will include extras like pens, pencils, or ink samples to accommodate for any short delay.

TGS Currently Inked Series — Some of these “Currently Inked” Pens might be coming to a video shortly….

Catch Up on "Currently Inked," Our Series of Short Youtube Videos!

May 8, 2023

While The Gentleman Stationer features primarily written content, I have made an effort to update our Youtube Channel over the past month, reorganizing and refreshing some legacy content, posting some new shorts, and releasing a series of videos most Mondays titled “Currently Inked,” in which I look at a new shop arrival or a pen/ink/notebook I’m currently using. The latest entry is a video companion to last week’s post on hacking Caran d’Ache refills, which demonstrates the three hacks I talked about on the blog.

Certain items lend themselves better to video demonstration than others, and Youtube content will hopefully be complementary to what you find here on the blog. If you’re on Youtube and find our content helpful, please consider subscribing, as it helps us grow and increase our reach across all channels!

Currently Inked: Hacking the Caran d'Ache 849

Want to See a Specific Video? Let Me Know!

Many of you have been kind enough to send in suggestions of specific demonstrations and comparisons that you’d like to see in a video. I love this kind of input, so please keep it up, either through the “Contact Me” link, the comments, or a DM. I receive a lot of e-mail, so it sometimes takes me a bit to respond, but I do read (and greatly appreciate) all of your comments and correspondence.

The Gentleman Stationer is supported entirely by purchases from the T.G.S. Curated Shop, and pledges via the T.G.S. Patreon Program.

Notebook Systems: Introducing Laconic Tokyo

May 6, 2023

If I had to describe the Laconic Style notebook system, I would best characterize it as a modular, full-size A5 version of the Kokuyo Jibun Techo. (For those unfamiliar, the Jibun Techo is a dated planner/journal system that combines elements of the Hobonichi Techo with the “tall/slim” format of the Traveler’s Notebook.) The beauty of this particular notebook system is it’s customizability. You can choose from ten different 60-page A5 notebook refills, including four different planner formats (daily, weekly, monthly, or “100 days” with two days on each page), four “productivity” formats (To Do, Meeting, Spreadsheet, and Gantt Chart), and two "Lifestyle/Creativity” formats (Thinking and “My Life,” which some may recognize as similar to the “Life Book” component of the Jibun Techo).

Laconic Notebook Covers A5 — The full range of colorful Laconic covers!

While Laconic makes their own plastic notebook cover, capable of holding two refills, the beauty of this system is that the standard A5 size allows you to expand far beyond that using a system cover/organizer like the Roterfaden Taschenbegleiter or the Lochby Field Journal (which holds up to six of these softcover A5 refills). For example, you could select a Monthly Calendar, Weekly Calendar, and Daily Journal for your “Planner” section, and combine that with Meeting, To Do, and a “Thinking” refill for brainstorming sessions. All of the planner refills are undated, and therefore flexible for those who might skip a day/week/month every now and then.

Laconic Style Multiple Notebooks Cover — You can fit up to two of the A5 Notebooks into the Laconic Style plastic covers.

So how’s the paper? I’ve been testing a Monthly refill since I first spotted these at NY Now back in February, and I would compare the paper to standard Rhodia or Kokuyo Campus. It will work fine with most fountain pens in fine or medium nibs, though extremely wet inks and wider nibs (and particularly a combination of the two) will see some bleed-through. That said, I’m not sure it will be an issue for those drawn to this particular planner, because it’s plainly intended for those who write small. (To that end, a Lamy 2000 EF nib with Pilot Iroshizuku Shin Kai gave me no issues.)

Bonus: Laconic Style Bookmarkers

Honestly, even moreso than the notebook system, what really caught my eye were these Laconic “Bookmarkers,” a set of eight different bookmarks in various formats that allow you to take notes while you read or write in your journal.

The Bookmarkers are sold in packs of 24, and fold over the page to prevent slippage. It’s also occurred to me that the “Planner” and “To Do” bookmarks could be taped or pasted into a bullet journal or other notebooks to add functionality. Personally, the “Reading Memo” layouts appeal to me the most, but I’ve kept a set of each for myself and since I churn through bookmarks fairly regularly I’m sure they’ll get plenty of use.

Laconic Style Multiple Notebooks Bookmarks — As with most notebook systems, all of the Laconic products are designed to work together.

Takeaways and Further Reading: Where Does Laconic Fit in the overall universe of notebook systems?

In the grand scheme of things, Laconic probably fits somewhere in between a single notebook system (each of these refills can be carried individually) and a modular notebook system, because you can combine them in a multi-refill cover to create a planner/organizer/journaling system tailored to your own needs. Laconic Style covers, notebooks, and bookmarkers are available for purchase in the T.G.S. Curated Shop, and they’re actually quite inexpensive, starting at $5 for a pack of 24 bookmarks, and individual notebooks priced at $6.

Laconic Style Zippered Cases — The largest Laconic Zippered case is large enough to accommodate an A5 notebook or two.

I’ve previously written several pieces on “System Techo” and the different types of notebook systems available. If you’d like to read more, see below:

The Gentleman Stationer is supported entirely by purchases from the T.G.S. Curated Shop, and pledges via the T.G.S. Patreon Program. We are an authorized retailer of all brands sold, including Laconic. Please note that due to scheduled travel, orders placed after noon, U.S. Central Time on Saturday May 6, 2023 will have a 3-5 business day processing time. As always, we appreciate your support and slightly delayed orders will include extras!

Caran d'Ache 849 Needle-Tip Ballpoint — Is that a Caran d’Ache 849 with a needle-tip ballpoint refill?

Refill Hacks: Alternatives for the Caran d'Ache 849 Ballpoint

May 3, 2023

While I personally think the Caran d’Ache 849 “Goliath” refill that ships with every Caran d’Ache 849 ballpoint pen is a smooth, reliable, relatively dark refill that lasts a long time and, at the end of the day, gets the job done just fine, I understand that many of you are left wanting a different option for Caran d’Ache’s iconic click pen. The Goliath, however, is a proprietary refill with a slightly odd shape that makes it tricky to replace. Over the past few weeks, I’ve experimented and come away with three alternatives that work reasonably well.

Note: The hacks discussed below are just that, “hacks,” and not in any way a modification authorized by the manufacturer. While I’d personally consider the risk extremely low - especially with a ballpoint - if you break any pen by modifying the mechanism or using a non-standard refill, you will likely void your warranty. The same goes for modifying or grinding fountain pen nibs, feeds, etc. Proceed at your own risk!

Option 1: The Caran d’Ache 849 Rollerball Refill

Many people were thrilled to see Caran d’Ache release a larger rollerball pen in the classic 849 profile. The best part about it? The 849 Rollerball uses a Parker-style rollerball refill - and a really good one at that - which comes in both .5mm and .7mm sizes, in black or blue ink. (The 849 Rollerball pen itself ships with a .7mm black rollerball cartridge.) While you can turn the 849 Rollerball into a larger ballpoint using any Parker-style refill, I’ve had very good luck with the inverse - the Caran d’Ache Parker-style rollerball cartridge also appears to fit the standard 849 ballpoint pen without much, if any, modification.

Caran d'Ache 849 Parker-Style Ballpoint Hack — Parker-Style refills such as the Jetstream SXR (in the yellow pen) and the Schmidt P900 (pictured here) can be made to work with a simple trick.

Option 2: The Jetstream SXR (and Most Other Parker-Style Ballpoint Refills)

One of my favorite ballpoint refills of all-time is the Uniball Jetstream SXR - a Parker-style low viscosity ballpoint refill that serves as one of my go-to Parker-style refills when I’m looking for an ultra-fine tip ballpoint that dries quickly. While it took a bit of work to get this particular cartridge to work in the standard Caran d’Ache 849 ballpoint pen, here’s what I did:

Step One: Unscrew the knock at the back of the Caran d’Ache 849 and remove the Goliath refill.
Step Two: Insert the Jetstream SXR (or Schmidt P900 or Easyflow 9000 or other Parker-style ballpoint refill of your choice).
Step Three: Replace the knock and screw it all the way down until you reach the end of the threads. You will likely have one of two issues: (1) when you retract the refill, the tip still extends past the end of the barrel, since the refill is too long; and/or (2) when you try to depress the knock, the refill won’t “catch” and stay in writing mode. To fix both of these problems, I typically unscrew the knock one or two turns, which pulls the tip of the refill back into the barrel without affecting the stability of the knock or causing rattling. (You may have to experiment a bit, depending on the refill you’re working with.)

Caran d'Ache 849 Jetstream Refill Too Long — Note that the tip of this Jetstream SXR refill is slightly too long when the pen is retracted. You can fix this problem by unscrewing the knock one, maybe two, turns to reach your preferred length. I have not found that unscrewing the knock in this way affects the usability of the pen.

Option 3: Ohto “Flash Dry” .5mm Needle-Tip Gel Refill

The third option I plan to discuss requires the most work, though it’s still a pretty easy hack. The Ohto “Flash Dry” refill has garnered a well-deserved reputation as an excellent, relatively fast-drying needle-tip gel option that is compatible with Parker-style ballpoint pens. The problem? It’s too long to fit the standard 849 ballpoint without modification. While you might be able to adjust the refill length using the trick described above (unscrewing the knock), you can also modify the refill by shaving off a bit of the clear plastic tubing using a craft knife or sharp scissors. GO SLOWLY. You only need to shave off .5-1mm, but if you take off too much you can add back length by wrapping a small piece of washi tape around the end of the cartridge. (This one will likely take some experimentation).

The unmodified Ohto Flash-Dry refill (left)

To reduce the length of the refill, pull off the black plastic cap and cut a small sliver off the clear refill tubing. Replace the black plastic cap and the refill should work. If you find that you cut too much (i.e., the tip doesn’t extend all the way through the opening when the knock is depressed), simply wrap a small piece of washi tape around the end of the refill to add back length.

Note that if you don’t want to mess around with hacking the Ohto Flash Dry refill to fit in the Caran d’Ache 849 ballpoint, this refill fits the 849 Rollerball without modification, and also has it’s own Ohto Fast-Dry click-pen, which is inexpensive and which we stock in the shop.

Again, I have to emphasize that although The Gentleman Stationer is an authorized Caran d’Ache retailer, hacks like these are NOT authorized and we obviously can’t guarantee that any modifications will work in all pens, due to slight variations in refill size (and even the various editions of the 849). Proceed at your own (admittedly low) risk, and have fun making your pens work for you!

New Arrivals: Paul Smith x Caran d'Ache Edition No. 4!

May 2, 2023

They’re here! Finally, we get a follow-up to the wildly successful release that helped us kick off the T.G.S. Curated Shop all the way back in 2020. This new collaboration between designer Paul Smith and Swiss brand Caran d’Ache features the iconic Caran d’Ache 849 ballpoint in six color combinations: Racing Green + Navy, Warm Red + Melrose Pink, Cobalt + Emerald, Sky Blue + Lavender, Chartreuse + Rose, and Cyan + Steel. Available now for purchase, though some colors are going fast and we will restock more soon.

We carry a wide range of Caran d’Ache products in our shop, including the 849 ballpoints, the larger 849 Rollerball, and - recently arrived - the full range of Chromatics fountain pen inks.

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