California Pen Show Workshop Recap: Paper for Everyday Writing

Many thanks to everyone who came out to see me at the 2024 California Pen Show! We had a great turnout at the “Stationery for Everyday Writing” Workshops on Friday and Saturday, and since I’ve had a couple requests for the names of the paper samples we discussed, I thought I would post them. Just a reminder that the promotional code distributed to workshop attendees (and Patreon members) is valid through February 29, 2024 (end of the month). If you attended the seminar and lost the code or need the details of the promotional offer, please contact me and I will send them to you.

Four of My Favorite Papers for Everyday Writing

• Write Notepads Paper. Relatively inexpensive, absorbent, and available in a wide variety of formats and rulings, Write Notepads paper is among my favorite for everyday writing and notetaking.

• Midori MD Paper. Another excellent Japanese paper that’s cost-effective enough to be used everyday. I especially enjoy their writing pads, which can be used vertically and horizontally (“landscape mode”). MD Paper is used in standard Traveler’s Company refills, and if you’re looking for something slightly more absorbent, you should try the MD Cotton version.

• Clairefontaine French-Ruled Looseleaf Paper. The multi-lined paper handed out at the workshop was Clairefontaine French-ruled (or “Seyes-ruled”) looseleaf paper in the A4 format. Clairefontaine is often most people’s first experience with fountain-pen friendly paper, and while it’s slower to dry than the other options listed here, it’s also less expensive and more widely available.

• Tomoe River 68gsm Paper. While the long-term availability of this paper is subject to debate, given recent manufacturing changes, it continues to be available from some sources (including the Lochby refills that we sell). 68gsm Tomoe River Paper is still quite thin, though a bit thicker and slightly more absorbent than the lighter-weight 52gsm version so it dries quicker.

For additional fountain pen friendly paper recommendations, check out our post titled “Hierarchies of Fountain Pen Friendly Paper,” which will walk you through these options and more.

The Gentleman Stationer is an authorized reseller of the brands we sell, and is supported entirely by purchases from the T.G.S. Curated Shop and pledges via the T.G.S. Patreon Program.

Sunday Reading for February 18, 2024 (California Pen Show Edition)

1. Shibui North Pocket Fox Titanium Kraken (via Figboot on Pens). As you’ll see with what I’m going to end up bringing home from the California Pen Show, I’m loving pocket fountain pens right now and glad to see more makers exploring this space.

2. The Wet Pen Inks: Deception Pass and Elliott Bay (via A Gathering of Curiosities). This is the second review I’ve read about these inks, both from the creator of The Wet Pen YouTube Channel, and each review was positive. I love seeing creators make new products to support themselves.

3. Spoke Roady Model 2 Review (via The Poor Penman). This may be the Spoke Roady I’ve been waiting to try, with Uni Jetstream SXR-600 compatibility.

4. Fountain Pen Revolution Jaipur V2 14k Gold Ultra Flex Fountain Pen Nib (via Blake’s Broadcast). I had the chance to play around with the FPR flex nibs at the Dallas Pen Show in October, and picked up a stainless steel nib version. I enjoy the flexible nibs that FPR offers but you are definitely buying for the nib, not the pen body.

5. Under-Pretentious: Montblanc Meisterstuck 144 Fountain Pen (via A Fleeting Ripple). I enjoy the size of the 144 for things like planners and notepads, though it is indeed a slim pen.

6. Journaling Series: On Finishing a Journal (via Writing at Large). Do you have any special rituals or traditions when you finish a journal? I love reading these sorts of posts.

7. Kaweco + Kakimori = Perfect Swatching Tool! (via Pen Addict - Kimberly). Just sayin’ that we have one Kaweco Clutch Pencil in stock, as well as Kakimori dip nibs if you want to create your own ink swatching kit.

8. Notebook Comparison: 120gsm and 180gsm Paper (via Well-Appointed Desk). I’m not a fan of super heavy notebook paper - I prefer lighter sheets - but if you enjoy having the ability to really use brush pens and more you might find these interesting.

9. Edelstein Ink of the Year 2024 Golden Lapis (via Pelikan’s Perch). This is an interesting direction for Pelikan to take their ink of the year - a shimmer ink!

View fullsize

In Case You Missed It…. (A Short California Pen Show Recap)

This weekend I’m attending the California Pen Show, and it was wonderful to meet so many readers, including those who sat in on my workshops on Friday and Saturday. I’ll plan to share some of the content in the coming weeks, but the workshop content was very similar to the recent “Ask TGS Posts,” all of which helped me focus the seminar. The California Pen Show is a reboot of the old L.A. Pen Show, which I last attended in 2019 and was only open to the public on Sunday. The new show has three public days, more classes, and a much more open location for a better attendee experience. I helped out behind the Schon DSGN table on Saturday in-between classes, and also got to visit with Hinze Pens, Gravitas Pens, Kanilea Pen Co., Kyuseido, Plotter/Traveler’s and many more. I will have more pictures later but here are just a few shots of what I was able to see Friday and Saturday!

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

This Week in the T.G.S. Curated Shop - Expanded Pencil Offerings and a presidents Day weekend discount code!

Yesterday morning we launched a brand new “Pencils” Section of the Curated Shop, which contains all of our wood and mechanical pencil offerings, as well as pencil accessories such as erasers and sharpeners. Having these on a separate page will not only make the shop easier to navigate, but it will also allow us to sort products by more specific category, such as leadholders, highlighter pencils, bicolor pencils, and more. We are also looking to expand our selection of Japanese pencils, and have recently received a second shipment of Camel Pencils and can now offer them by the dozen.

We also still have several of the recently release Nahvalur exclusive pens in the Ruby Koi and Matira Quartz/Lovina Graphite finishes. Check out this week’s Thursday Drops post for more details. Finally, don’t forget that Through Monday at 11:59pm CT, take 10% off all desk and reading accessories in the T.G.S. Curated Shop using the coupon code “PRESIDENTIAL” at checkout.

Lamy Studio Glacier Fountain Pen

Uni Jetstream Prime

Uni Pencils

HK-20 Sharpeners

Support us on patreon and get access to our monthly meetup and extra content!

If you enjoy our content (whether here on the main website, Instagram, YouTube Channel or elsewhere), there are several ways that you can support us. We do our best to remain 100% self-supported without having to rely on third-party advertisers or affiliates. Of course, the number one way to help is to visit our curated retail shop! If you enjoy in-person and virtual meetups and having access to more personal content, consider joining the T.G.S. Patreon, which also includes early access to quarterly gently used sales. Patreon support starts as low as $3 per month, and if you pay annually there is a further discount. Patreon supporters also get access to any pen show-exclusive specials and promotions, such as that offered to course attendees this weekend.

No matter how you support us - even if just with a comment, recommendation, or encouraging word - we greatly appreciate your readership!

It's Live! Check Out Our New Curated Pencils Page in the Shop!

I’m really not sure how I found the time to do this at the California Pen Show, but you can now shop all pencils and pencil accessories on their own dedicated shop page. This will allow us to better organize our pencil offerings (both wood and mechanical) by category, and also gives us the space to expand one of my favorite categories of stationery. We recently added several different variations on the Uni Kuru-Toga mechanical pencil, Uni 4B and 6B Penmanship Pencils, and the excellent Uni KH-20 Long-Point Pencil Sharpener. Stay tuned as there will be more arriving soon.

A Panoramic Shot of the Main Ballroom on Friday (Plus some weird guy on the right who tried to ruin the picture.) :)

As for now, I’m off to Saturday at the the California Pen Show! I’ll be helping out behind the Schon DSGN and Hinze Pens Tables, so be sure to come and say hello!

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

Thursday Drops: Presidents' Day Weekend Edition (Oh, and the California Pen Show, too!)

I can’t believe we’re already at President’s Day Weekend! I’m on the road to the 2024 California Pen Show, where I’ll be teaching a class and holding meetups throughout the weekend, as well as hanging out behind the Hinze Pens table. If you’re at the show, please come by and say hello!

Since it’s a pen show weekend + a holiday, we always like to do some sort of promotion. Through Monday at 11:59pm CT, take 10% off all desk and reading accessories in the T.G.S. Curated Shop using the coupon code “PRESIDENTIAL” at checkout. In addition, for those attending our class/meetup this weekend at the California Pen Show, we will be running a special promotion, so if you’re at the show please be sure to attend!

New pencil offerings include the Uni Kuru-Toga Alpha Gel Switch, plus additional Kuru Toga models. Note that in our refills section, we’ve added Hi-Uni Lead Refills as well as standard Uni Smudge-proof leads.

Finally, as a special bonus for loyal Thursday Drops readers, enjoy some early access to a new project that we’ve had in-progress: a stand-alone Pencil Section of the shop. Currently, this page contains some new products that have recently arrived, and are on their own page while we organize a transition of our existing pencil/pencil accessory stock over to this page. This will allow us to build out our selection of all sorts of pencils (woodcase and mechanical), sharpeners, erasers, and more, into what I hope to make a nearly stand-alone pencil destination shop. For the next week or so, pencils will be split between this new page and the existing pencil section of the main writing instrument page. I hope you enjoy!

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

1. Lamy Studio “Glacier” Fountain and Rollerball Pens. The aptly named ice blue “Glacier” finish might be my favorite of the Lamy Studio line. Read more on why we consider the Studio an underrated workhorse, including the ability to alternate nibs including Lamy’s calligraphy nib to a 14k gold option.

2. Nahvalur Original Plus Lovina Graphite and Matira Quartz Fountain Pens. These recently released vacuum-fillers from Nahvalur/Narwhal feature chatoyant black and white materials, respectively.

3. Roterfaden Taschenbegleiter A6 Notebooks - Last Call on What We Have in Stock. Roterfaden recently announced that they are significantly downsizing their A6 (“Small”) lineup, which I understand to mean that all of the notebooks we currently have in stock are going out of production. If you’re interested in one of the vegan leather, print blanket, or colorful colors in the A6 size, don’t wait.

4. Nakabayashi Logical Prime Wirebound Notebooks in A6 and A7 Formats. In addition to having most of the Nakabayashi line back in stock, we’ve added A6 and A7 size notebooks. The A7 notebooks are especially intriguing, as they feature a top spiral binding that makes these essentially fountain pen friendly reporters’ notebooks.

5. Nakabayashi Yu-Sari Notebooks and Looseleaf Paper. Developed specifically for fountain pens, Yu-Sari paper handles ink well, and comes in B5 and A5 formats, including notebooks and looseleaf sheets. Which brings us to….

6. InCoWriMo Supplies! Those of you participating in InCoWriMo (International Writing Correspondence Month) should visit our dedicated InCoWriMo page, which is set up to feature paper specifically intended for written correspondence, including some with matching envelopes, etc.

7. Washi Tape, Stickers, and Pins. Many snail mail enthusiasts enjoy sealing their letters with washi tape and stickers, and we have many different styles and designs currently in stock, including a range of hand-selected MT Tapes with vintage-inspired themes.

8. Craighill Caro Pen. In yesterday’s post, I talked about “contingency pens” - an easy-to-use, accessible everyday writer that you keep on or near your person at all times. While the Caro Pen has sold very well, we do have some left in stainless steel!

9. Craighill Kepler Pen. The Kepler Pen is a retractable pen that accepts D1 refills in its modified knock, including the recently added Uni Jetstream SXR refills that come in two different tip sizes and multiple colors!

10. Tombow Airpress Pressurized Ballpoint Pen. Looking for an inexpensive “write anywhere” ballpoint that will even write upside down? The Tombow Airpress is one of those pens that has been around forever, but which I’ve unfortunately neglected until now.

View fullsize

Lots of deliveries are arriving daily!

Ask TGS: "Emergency Pens" and Paper Sizes A4 vs. Legal

The questions keep coming! It turns out that I really enjoy writing these posts because they’re directly responsive to things that readers want to know. I’ve also received a lot of feedback that you all find the Q&A format helpful, so I’m going to continue to prioritize this type of writing and make this part of the regular rotation.

Question 1: Do You Carry an “Emergency Pen” That Is On Your Person At All Time?

I found this question interesting because (1) it’s somewhat offbeat/unusual and (2) I’ve curiously been asked about this topic several times in the past few months. First of all, by “emergency pen,” I believe people are referring to a very small compact pen that you keep on your person as a “last-resort” writing instrument for when you absolutely need something to sign a document, make an urgent note, etc. It doesn’t need to be comfortable to use for longer writing sessions. The key attributes here are portability, reliability - especially if it sits unused for a longer period of time - and unobtrusiveness. It’s almost always going to be some sort of ballpoint.

My current “anywhere and everywhere” choice: the Craighill Caro Pen.

To answer this question directly: yes. For many years I carried a “Wallet Pen”, which was basically a modified D1 refill with a clip attached to it, designed to sit in the middle of a bifold wallet. I lost track of this pen long ago (it’s probably still around here somewhere), but because I’ve moved on from larger wallets to slimmer card sleeves, it would no longer meet my needs. Currently, I have two options that I usually carry as a contingency. I keep a Craighill “Caro” pen attached to my keychain, and I’ve been incredibly impressed with this simple tool that was originally recommended to me by a reader. Like the Wallet Pen, the Caro takes a D1 refill and clips to your keychain using a dock attachment that functions as a cap. The cap uses a garter spring to ensure a secure fit - I’ve been carrying this pen for four or five months now, mostly in my pocket, and I’ve not had it come loose once. After the Caro, I would probably rely on the D1 refill in my Victorinox Swiss Army knife as a true “last resort” option.

View fullsize

Craighill Caro Pen + Refill

View fullsize

Craighill Caro Pen + Victorinox "Pen"

Question 2: Will US Legal-Size Writing Pads Fit An A4 Portfolio?

One of the more vexing paper sizes for those of us who love stationery products - especially imported bags and cases - is the U.S. Legal Pad. It’s a “size” typically unique to the U.S., but there’s no uniformity - throughout my career as a practicing attorney, I’ve seen products marketed as “legal pads” that measure any where from 8.5” x 11.75” to 8.5” x 14”. While the extremely long 14” version is not nearly as common as it used to be (even in the legal profession), you still have to be careful because legal pads will not fit A4 or Letter-sized portfolios once you go past 12” in length. For example:

Show here is an 8.5” x 11.75” Roaring Springs Legal Pad in an A4 Roterfaden Taschenbegleiter notebook cover. This fits quite well, but there’s no room left for a longer pad.

The pad shown in the picture above is an 8.5” x 11.75” Roaring Springs Legal Pad, which is roughly the same size as a traditional 8.3” x 11.7” A4 writing pad. This particular “legal pad” should fit most A4 portfolios and padholders, but again, pay attention to your specific dimensions when you are ordering. For additional information on how different paper sizes compare, you can check out this rough “guide” to paper sizing from a few years ago.

Ask TGS in Person: Visit us at the California Pen Show This Weekend!

Tomorrow morning I’m leaving bright and early for the 2024 California Pen Show, where I will be holding a discussion/class/seminar on “Stationery for Everyday Writing,” and I hope to keep most of the focus on questions such as the ones addressed here, as well as in other recent “Ask TGS” Posts on topics such as how to avoid staining your pens, how to get the best writing experience with specialized inks (like shimmer inks), and the best paper for written correspondence (personal or professional). I hope to see you there!

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