Sunday Reading for January 5, 2025

January 5, 2025

2025 Stationery Intentions (via A Gathering of Curiosities). Another thoughtful post from R.B. I’m still working through my own personal stationery intentions (as opposed to business goals).
A Stationery Year in Review: 2024 (via Urban Adventure League). Year-in-review season continues! Consolidation and enjoying the current collection is a common theme.
2025: Let’s Do This! (via Well-Appointed Desk). What planners are you using? Ana has some fun ones lined up.
Pen Plans for 2025 (via Pen Addict - Sarah). How do you choose which pens to keep when weeding out a collection? Many, if not most, of the ones I choose to hang on to have sentimental value.
Three Habits Worth Keeping (via Writing at Large). I loved this post. These are three habits I’m trying very hard to stick to in 2025.
The Vintage-Inspired Mythic Pens V53 (via Figboot on Pens). I’ve not added a Mythic Pens pen to my collection, and I love vintage-inspired designs….
Holiday Recap // Weirdoforest Penflections (via Weirdoforest Pens). Another great recap focused on intentionality.
My Notebooks for 2025 (via Inkredible Colours). Three notebooks is a good, manageable number for most people. It’s what I’ve settled on for daily/weekly use.
End of 2024 and a Happy New Year (via Dapprman). Two very interesting pens of the year!
Pen Review: Pilot Custom 74 (via UK Fountain Pens). A new voice over at UK Fountain Pens, reviewing one of my favorites.

In Case You Missed It…

This week on the blog I finished up 2024 recap content with a post about the top 10 products from our new shop and brick-and-mortar store! I also posted my 2025 planner/notebook system setup, which is going to drastically simplify things in the hope that I end up using more stationery and can better enjoy the writing process without worrying about keeping up with a strict system. (Since I’m not using Hobonichi this year, I can’t personally comment on any paper issues, though I’ve received a lot of inquiries.) Happy 2025, everyone!

Gentleman Stationer Brick and Mortar store — We’re restocked and ready to go for 2025!

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

I spent most of this week counting inventory in the shop, and immediately after I finished listing a huge Midori restock, which is now available for purchase just in time for New Year’s notebook season. We also have Roterfadens, Traveler’s Notebooks (including 2025 refills), and a continuing end-of-year clearance with a 15% automatic discount at checkout, no coupon code necessary. Just before the holidays, we also added Fisher Space Pen and Rite in the Rain All-Weather Pens to our selection of go-anywhere EDC options, so be sure to check these out!

Be sure to check our brick-and-mortar hours if you’re looking to visit us in person. We’ve gone back to regular, non-holiday public hours but you can always place an order online for pickup or make an appointment!

Midori 5-Year Diaries

Rite in the Rain Paper

TWSBI

Teranishi

Check Out T.G.S. Patreon for Breaking news and first access/Special pricing on exclusives and Sample Sales

If you enjoy our content (whether here on the main website, Instagram, YouTube Channel or elsewhere), and would like early/extra access to shop releases and gently used stationery opportunities, consider supporting us via Patreon. 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 either online (or in person, if you’re in the Nashville area)! If you enjoy in-person and virtual meetups and having access to more personal content, the T.G.S. Patreon includes these as well as access to early shop releases, the quarterly gently used sales, a monthly updates newsletter, and of course our monthly Zoom meetups. Patreon support starts as low as $3 per month, and if you pay annually there is a further discount. For example, Patreon supporters had their own special Fountain Pen Day promo “mystery box” opportunity and now have a chance at Inkvent samples before the colors are released.

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

2025 Notebook Setup Three Different Journals and Planners

Planners, Journals, and Notebooks for 2025

January 4, 2025

In 2024, I decided to explore the Hobonichi Planner in all its various formats. Last year's planning and journaling setup included the A5 Hobonichi Cousin (my work planner, used for both the day job and T.G.S.), the slim Hobonichi Weeks (what I would call a loose personal weekly journal where I set out to record what I did each day in a few sentences); and a standard Hobonichi A6 (which I intended to use as a daily journal for longer reflections). For reasons I explained in October's "Techo Kaigi" post, I knew about midway through 2024 that my grand Hobonichi experiment wouldn't extend past the end of the year. While all three books were objectively excellent, with none of the paper issues this year's journals have faced, the Hobonichi layout doesn't suit my particular needs for "planning" or notetaking - I can’t move individual pages around and pull them in/out of the notebook - and for journaling I found that I enjoy changing formats depending on my needs rather than adopting a rigid "one-book-per-year" setup that having the Hobonichi encouraged.

This Year’s Theme: Flexibility

I actually stopped using the three Hobonichis in mid-November, and decided to experiment with new formats over the last six weeks of 2024. I approached the year-end period from the perspective of simply using whatever I wanted to use for a couple of weeks, while gradually adding more structure around the products I gravitated towards most frequently in the hope that I would arrive at a “final” setup that met all my needs going forward. Here's what I've settled on:

Notebook 1: Plotter A5 (My "Work" Notebook)

The Plotter A5 holds my weekly schedule and notes for both T.G.S. and my legal practice. I considered keeping two binders - one for each job - but I like having everything in one place, without having to switch between notebooks and without the bulk of the Hobonichi Cousin. Let's face it - while the Cousin is one of the best planners I've ever used, it's a LARGE book, and can be a bear to tote around everywhere you go. The slim simplicity of the Plotter not only forces me to streamline what I'm focused on at any given time, it decreases bulk in my bag. I've been carrying approximately two to three weeks' worth of weekly schedules and notes in the Plotter at any given time, and once I run out of space I discard those notes that I don't need and archive those that I want to keep by scanning them digitally or filing them away in an A5 Filofax binder, which holds quite a bit of paper. If I ever need additional room, or decide that my current Plotter can't handle both jobs, I can either add a second Plotter A5 or rotate the Filofax into the "Notebook 1" slot.

A5 Plotter vs Filofax A5 Planner — Ring-based systems are excellent choices for those who love to print their own layouts and choose their own paper. I have many different A5 writing pads that I use for notetaking, and often punch holes in sheets of paper to add to the Plotter and/or Filofax A5. Here, you can see how slim the Plotter is compared to the Filofax, which dovetails perfectly with my current goal of narrowing my focus to fewer things at once.

Notebook 2: No Set Format (My Personal Journal)

This slot in my rotation will have no specific format, and no restrictions on how I can use it. I have a limitless supply of notebooks that I've accumulated over the years that I want to use and experience at some point, and last year taught me that I definitely lose interest in journaling if I find myself locked into a one-book, one-year or day-to-a-page format like the Hobonichi, especially if the pages are dated or numbered. If I miss days, it kills my motivation if I can’t get “caught up”. I started this new year by picking up a half-filled blank Musubi Notebook with bank paper, and have mostly been successful writing something every day, whether that's a reflection, blog post, notes on a new project, or simply three morning pages of drivel. This particular notebook is purely about the writing, not the format, as I desperately need to redevelop my habit of getting things out of my head and onto paper, even if I never look at it again.

Another reason for the flexibility: I want to be able to change up my journaling notebook depending on context. Lately, since it's the New Year and I've been in a more reflective mood, the Musubi feels appropriate. Since this notebook is now nearly 3/4 full, I will need to choose a new one within a couple of weeks, and that choice will depend on what's going on in my life at the moment. If I'm facing down some heavy travel, I might opt for a Traveler's Notebook, or even a Field Notes.

Notebook 3: Midori MD 5-Year Journal (Short-Form Daily Log/Journal)

I've had this journal since 2019, and it has roughly three full years of entries, leaving me enough space to use it for two more years if I write as close to daily as I can. Sure, sometimes I will have to catch up a day or even a week at a time, but this is easy to do if you only have to come up with two or three lines per day. The Midori 5-Year Journal replaces last year's Hobonichi Weeks, and while the Weeks was easily my favorite of the three Hobonichis and the one I wrote in the most, I missed having entries from the prior years to reflect on. Midori also makes 3-year and even 10-year versions, though I find the 5-year to be the sweet spot.

Other Books That See Regular Use

I will of course use other paper throughout the year, in various formats. My Roterfaden A4 holds an A4 writing pad and a few other large-format notebooks I use for brainstorming and drafting articles and briefs longhand. I have a commonplace book that I transcribe quotes and passages into whenever I'm inspired. I also have a handful of dedicated single-purpose notebooks that I use for specific projects and for tracking certain things. Most of these are A5 size, so as necessary I can move them into an A5 Roterfaden or Lochby Field Journal and carry them around with Notebook No. 2 (the general-purpose journal) as necessary. Most frequently, however, I have also been using one or both of the following:

Plotter Mini 5: My go-anywhere pocket notebook

Even if I'm not planning to write, I always feel better with some paper on me. The Plotter Mini 5 can double as a light wallet, though I'm using it as such less and less since the wallet/cardholder insert can make it too bulky to use as a notebook.

Remarkable2 E-ink Tablet

Yes, I'm giving the ReMarkable2 another go, primarily as a replacement for the half-dozen or so legal pads I have lying around my office. I've fought a long-running battle against "junk paper" - notes from phone calls, random meetings, marked-up printed copies of pdfs - none of which get saved and most of which get shredded or thrown out. The Remarkable2 works quite well as an electronic legal pad, feels the closest to writing on real paper as any electronic device I've tried, and certainly makes an excellent alternative to carrying around 300+ page binders full of printed pdfs. I find the writing and notetaking experience superior to the iPad (more immersive/less distracting), and really only use the latter for sensitive materials that require a higher level of security or documents that need to be annotated and circulated to other people for collaboration purposes.

Plotter A5 and ReMarkable2 Work Carry — For some work days, the Plotter A5 and ReMarkable2 can sometimes be the only two pieces of “Stationery” that I carry.

So that's it! This isn't a hypothetical setup that I'll be experimenting with - it's what I've already been using in some form since mid-November, and I firmed up my plans over the last week or so as I wrote up these notes. The best part about this system is that I don't have to think much about it at all, and I don't find myself forcing my writing into a pre-set format, as I sometimes felt pressured to do with Hobonichi. This setup is also highly adaptable. If I suddenly decide I prefer a disc-based notebook to the Plotter rings mid-year, I could theoretically move to a William Hannah or Levenger Circa without changing the underlying system much at all.

Thank you for reading! The Gentleman Stationer is supported by the T.G.S. Curated Shop and the T.G.S. Patreon Program. If you’d like to visit our in-person location, you can view directions and up-to-date hours here.

Year-End Recap: Top 10 T.G.S. Curated Shop Products from 2024

January 3, 2025

I’m foregoing the weekly “Drops” post in favor of closing out the 2024 year-end recaps with a bit of a shop update! Last year was quite eventful - in addition to opening our brick-and-mortar location, we expanded our range of online offerings, and as we take year-end inventory it’s always fascinating to see what was popular (or not) during the prior year. Stationery can be a trend-driven industry - while there are always constants such as Pilot and Lamy, what sells one year might not be in demand the next, and something that sat on the shelf for six months in 2024 might all of a sudden get hot in 2025 as more people discover it. Based on this past year’s stats, here are the past year’s “Top Ten” (in no particular order, but rather loosely organized by product categories):

Tom’s Studio Lumos Pro Duo Refillable Fineliner. We’ve been carrying the Tom’s Studio Lumos fineliners for less than a year and they’ve shot to the top of our favorite products. The Lumos Pro Duo, which allows you to ink two tips at a time and ships with a set of 11 different tip options, is the best seller. Read more about why we like them here.
Lamy 2000 (All Iterations). My personal workhorse pen and the least surprising entry on this list. Even if you’re not a fountain pen person, the ballpoint, rollerball, multi pen, and mechanical pencil options are all excellent.
Roterfaden Taschenbegleiter. For those who like to rotate through different notebooks and not be wedded to a specific refill, the Roterfaden Taschenbegleiter is a superb choice for a flexible planner/notebook cover. The recycled leather versions (LB23) are the most popular, in sizes A6 through A4.
Lochby Field Journal and Field Journal A5 Notebooks. Lochby saw a resurgence in popularity towards the end of the year, for those who like the versatility of the Roterfaden but may prefer a more rugged and/or non-leather build. The slim A5 notebooks feature 68gsm Tomoe River Paper in five different rulings, including two different types of lined rulings, dot, and even a planner layout.
NJK Long-Point Pencil Sharpener. The highest-volume seller in our entire store, these inexpensive long-point pencil sharpeners punch far above their weight class in terms of quality. Silver is currently the only color that remains in stock, but we still have a bunch and will look to restock later in the year.
Nakabayashi Yu-Sari Paper. Designed by Nakabayashi specifically for optimal fountain pen performance, the Yu-Sari paper is available in both notebook and looseleaf formats. I’ve found it to have a soft feel, and it handles ink beautifully.
Clairefontaine Looseleaf Paper. Though the single-sheet A4 is sold out (and will be reordered eventually), we have plenty of A5 sheets and A4 “double booklet” French-ruled looseleaf paper. The latter is a cool format that I discovered when I attended school in France many years ago, and are used by students for compositions, notetaking, and more.
Hightide Folding Metal Bookstands. One of our original products remains a best seller! These bookstands (which can also hold notepads, tablets, and more) are a fixture on my desk and in my travel bag.
Anterique Ballpoint Pens. We are happy to offer these excellent hybrid ballpoints in dozens of colors, in either the classic acrylic version or the upscale brass. Mini pocket pens are now available.
Pilot Iroshizuku Ink. What I remember as a “new release” from Pilot more than a decade ago has now become a stationery classic. Pilot continues to release new colors every couple of years, with the most recent versions

Our brick and mortar shop is open for regular hours Thursday through Saturday, and otherwise by appointment. For directions and specific hours, keep an eye on this page, which will also reflect any changes each week due to travel, etc. Also, our New Year’s Planner and Notebook System Promotion continues through tonight, so don’t miss out if you’re looking to try something new for 2025!

Happy New Years! Take 10% Off Select Planners to Kick-Off 2025!

January 1, 2025

I look forward to January 1 because it’s the day I officially roll over all of my notebooks and planners to the next year. While I plan to post my official lineup on Saturday (I’m still tweaking a few things), I thought I would kick off the New Year - and inventory week - by running a small promotion in the shop. Take 10% off Planners and Notebook Systems (excluding Roterfaden) with the coupon code “HAPPYNEWYEAR” at checkout. The promotion will run through Friday, January 3. Also, a reminder that our clearance sale continues, with all products marked as clearance subject to an additional automatic 15% markdown at checkout.

We are closed today for the holiday, but the in-person shop will reopen tomorrow (Thursday) for normal hours. Many thanks for all your support!