Sunday Reading for January 19, 2025

January 19, 2025

Top 10 Sections (via Figboot on Pens). Now this is an interesting idea for a video! I agree with many of the choices highlighted here.
What Makes a Good Ink Bottle? (via UK Fountain Pens). Of the various factors discussed here, stability (i.e., it won’t tip over) and filling convenience (specifically, the mouth of the bottle is wide enough to fill most pens) are the two that I most value.
Diamine x Sugar Turtle Studio, Slowpoke Series 1 (via Pen Addict - Kimberly). Lovers of sheen shouldn’t miss these inks. I love that they come in a set of three.
Big Idea Design Base Line Bolt Action Review (via Writing at Large). The universal refill pen folks are at it again, with another versatile design. Bolt-action mechanisms have never been my favorite, but many appreciate them as fidget toys.
Marvy LePen Flex Pens (via Well-Appointed Desk). Flexible brush-tip pens have been a new discovery for me this year. The classic “LePen” series of fineliners and brush pens features some great uncommon colors.
2024: Some of My Fountain Pen Highlights (via Fountain Pen Blog). I love the mix of acquisitions here!
Nahvalur Original Plus Lavender Tetra Fountain Pen Review (via A Fleeting Ripple). It happens that sometimes you get a bad nib. I always advise people to try to send it back to exchange the pen if it won’t write properly out of the box.
OMAS Arco Bronze Paragon Fountain Pen Review (via Blake’s Broadcast). A throwback from 1990 - the original Arco celluloid from the original OMAS!
Index Cards Again? (via Stationery Pizza). I too am finding myself reconsidering how index cards might work for me everyday, especially since I’ve found some good ones.
Waterman Charleston Fountain Pen Review (via Blake’s Broadcast). I have a rather large Waterman collection, but have yet to add a Charleston.

In Case You Missed It…

This week I looked at two of my current ink favorites: Taccia Sabimidori and Teranishi Gentle Green. I decided to write about these inks together because I find the colors complementary - similar yet distinct. I also published a new “Ask TGS” post on journaling, which discusses how I journal and a bit about the role it plays in my life.

Kaweco Perkeo Fountain Pen Cap — The Kaweco Perkeo has been a surprise hit. Read our recent review of this pen here.

This Week in the T.G.S. Curated Shop: Don’t Miss a Planner Sale!

It’s definitely not too late to start your journaling resolution for the year! Use the coupon code “25PLANNER” at checkout to take an extra 10% off all planners (including planner system refills). We’re also fully restocked on the popular Caran d’Ache 888 Infinite ballpoint pens, and recently received a shipment of new Pilot Vanishing points that included both the black and blue “Carbonesque” finishes. Finally, we had some new arrivals from Japan, including additional Pilot S20 ballpoints, Pilot Birdie Ballpoints, and more Uni Jetstream 4+1 Multi Pens in the Bamboo and Karimoku finishes.

Our brick-and-mortar shop will be open again this coming week during normal hours. Come by and see us!

Pilot

Uni

Kaweco

TWSBI

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

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My Current Journaling Tools: Pens and Pencils on Top of a Notebook

Ask TGS: Do You Journal? And If So, How?

January 18, 2025

The “Ask TGS” series collects frequently asked questions submitted to the website, and answers those that I feel would be most helpful to the readership at large. You can check out an archive of sorts here, which is periodically updated.

Today’s “Ask TGS” question involves journaling, and it’s one that I frequently get from readers who think they would benefit from a regular journaling practice, and don’t necessarily know where to begin. So do I journal? The simple answer is, “Yes,” but probably not in the idealized way that many people think about Capital J “Journaling”: an hours-long, deep, introspective writing session that involves your finest notebook, your fanciest fountain pen, and the perfect ink. Framing journaling in this way can even be counterproductive, because it keeps some from ever getting started.

I Journal To Get Stuff Out of My Head So That I Can Focus and Think Clearly

90% of my “journaling” takes place during a 20-30 minute stream-of-consciousness writing session, in which I simply jot down in a notebook everything that’s going through my head at the time. Sometimes this takes the form of coherent thoughts, but not necessarily. Sometimes it’s lists of things I have to do that I’m worried I will forget if I don’t write it out. Sometimes it’s random stuff drawn haphazardly across a blank page, with items circled and lines connecting thoughts. Other times it’s true nonsense. This is a variation on the popular “morning pages” technique, though I’ve never read the Julia Cameron book that popularized it, and how I journal is simply something I personally came up with over the years and which I feel helps me settle my mind. Typically I journal in the morning, while I’m having my first cup of coffee, but if I’ve had a particularly chaotic day, I’ll sometimes add a second session before I leave the office or before I go to bed, just to assure myself that I’m not forgetting anything.

The other 10% of my journaling practice is more introspective, and more traditional in the sense that at least once a week I’ll sit down and try to work through a problem or issue at greater length. These are your classic long-form writing sessions, and last as long as it takes for me to resolve something or get to a point where I can’t go any further for the time being. Again, this writing doesn’t take on a specific format, I hardly ever use prompts, and sometimes I won’t even do these sessions in a proper notebook since I may want to shred or destroy the pages after I’m finished.

My healthy back-office notebook stockpile — I don’t need to buy any more journals.

5 Tips For a Journaling Practice That I’ve Found Valuable

Over the years, these five thoughts have helped me keep things in perspective, especially as journaling has become trendier and I’m seeing it more prominently featured on the social media algorithms. The common theme running through all of these tips is “just get started and do what feels helpful/natural to you.” Journaling is not about following rules or impressing anyone else - it’s supposed to be personal.

Journaling Doesn’t Require a Specific Technique or Format. Just get started writing. Don’t ever feel that you “don’t really journal because you don’t do ______.” There’s no set format or rules that you have to follow, and your journal doesn’t have to look pretty. (Honestly, you don’t even have to “keep” a journal. If you want to write out all your innermost thoughts on a legal pad to get them out of your head and then shred or burn it so that you can be sure nobody will ever see it, do that! I do it all the time.)
Use Whatever Materials You have On Hand. While many people who write regularly do gravitate to a favorite brand of notebook, you can journal with anything. All you really need are a pen or pencil and a piece of paper. One of my own personal resolutions this year is to use up as much of my current notebook stockpile as I can rather than committing to a specific system for my journaling.
Less Fancy Materials Are Less Distracting. For the past week I’ve been journaling with a wood pencil and a ballpoint pen. Yes, they’re nice pencils and the pen is the excellent Pilot S20, but I’ve found that when I really need to focus on what I’m writing, I want the tools to disappear and prefer non-fountain pens. If I do use a fountain pen, I use plain blue or black ink.
For Me, More Frequent Journaling Is More Helpful, But I Definitely Skip Days. Like meditation or physical exercise, I find that I get more benefit from a journaling practice if I do at least a little something every day, but stuff happens and sometimes you definitely benefit from a day off. Heck, I’ll miss entire weeks on occasion. Don’t worry about it. Just pick up the pen/pencil and get back at it.
You Don’t Have To Post Your Journals on Social Media. Obviously you can do whatever you want, but if your goal is to journal for personal growth/mental health, make your journal truly personal. Avoid the temptation to make it look pretty for Instagram or YouTube. Not only will it help you to focus on the actual practice of journaling, but you’ll also avoid comparing yourself to professional social media accounts that often do little more than make you feel bad that your journal doesn’t look as nice as a professionally designed product. I’ve actually had multiple conversations with people who stopped journaling or never took the practice up in the first place because “It’s never going to look as good as [X-Influencer].” That’s not what it’s about.

If you feel stuck and want ideas on journaling techniques/including prompts, there are some excellent websites out there that go deep on journaling techniques. Two that I’ve found helpful are Writing at Large and Comfortable Shoes Studio, which I occasionally link to in my Sunday Reading links. Both have extensive journaling guides and resources and discuss many different types of journaling practices.

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.

Thursday Drops: Caran d'Ache 888 Infinite Pens, Pilot Fountain Pens, and a 2025 Planner Discount!

January 16, 2025

How about a planner promotion now that we’re a couple of weeks into 2025? All dated planners are 10% off using the discount code “25PLANNER” at checkout, including whatever remains of our current stock of dated Traveler’s Company diaries. We also have two new (to us) Pilot Vanishing Point finishes, in blue and black “Carbonesque” barrels, to add to our growing selection of Pilot writing instruments. Finally, we have a restock of select desk and reading accessories, including bookmarks and page markers, and annotation favorites such as the Caran d’Ache highlighter pencils and Infinite 888 Ballpoint Pens.

Our brick and mortar shop is open again this week 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 inclement weather, travel, etc.

Pilot Vanishing Point Fountain Pen (Carbonesque Finish). Possibly my overall favorite finish of the Pilot Vanishing Point, as I’ve chosen the blue for my own personal VP. The black looks excellent as well.
Caran d’Ache Infinite 888 Ballpoint. This inexpensive (sub-$10) refillable ballpoint is a gem, and one of our best sellers from the past five years. The Swissride refill is also back in stock.
Traveler’s Notebook 2025 Dated Planner Refills. We still have a handful of certain Standard and Passport refills. Use “25PLANNER” at checkout to snag an additional 10% off your 2025 Planner setup!
Pilot Custom 823 Fountain Pens. All colors are now available, including the new clear! The Custom 823 is one of my favorite high-ink-capacity workhorse pens on the market. Check out our “Workhorse Pens” write-up to read more about why we love it so much.
Pilot E95s Fountain Pen. One of the most accessible gold-nib Japanese pens on the market, the compact and portable E95s comes in two different finishes and three different nib sizes ranging from EF to Medium.
Craighill “Perch” Metal Bookmarks. I didn’t make nearly as much progress as I would have liked on my reading in 2024, but I’m already ahead of the game for 2025. To that end I’ve been diving into my collection of nice bookmarks, which I use not only in books I’m reading but journals and notebooks as well.
Book Darts. We’ve got a full stock of made-in-the-USA Book Darts, the archivally safe page markers that you can use to annotate books and notebooks. (I like to use them as dividers to create my own multi-subject notebooks.)
Caran d’Ache Highlighter Pencils. Available as a set of four, and now individually, these jumbo highlighter pencils are excellent annotation tools, especially for books with thinner papers where liquid ink highlighters bleed through.
HMM Eraser Balls. They’re back in all colors! These desktop oddities are fully functional erasers that double as pencil holders, picture holders, fidget toys, and more. HMM is a design-focused stationery brand out of Taiwan that makes pens, pencils, and various desk and reading accessories.
HMM “Mugr” and “Drippr” Coffee Accessories. Hey, even if you don’t want to use the mugs for actual coffee, they look great as a pen or pencil cup, but if you’re a coffee enthusiast the combination of lacquer and wood is gorgeous to look at every morning.

Swiss Cross Infinite 888 Pen and Pencil — The Swiss Cross Infinite 888 (which still has the mechanical pencil available!)

Ink Review: Taccia Sabimidori vs. Teranishi Gentle Green - Two Favorites Side by Side

January 15, 2025

I’m going to do something really mean here: talk about two exceptionally good inks, one of which is sold out for the foreseeable future (though more is on the way). I wouldn’t normally do this, but I’ve had the post in the works for a while, and even though we sold through our initial stockpile of Teranishi Gentle Green in a little over a week, we do still have stock of Taccia Sabimidori. Because I’ve come to view these inks as two sides of the same proverbial coin, I wanted to discuss them together.

Taccia Sabimidori Writing Sample — I would label Sabimidori a “dark teal”. It’s a workhorse for me and for some reason I think it looks great paired with an architect nib or Naginata-style/Kodachi grind.

How are the two inks related? Though technically from different brands, Teranishi Chemical Company and Taccia are both part of the Nakabayashi Group, a large Japanese stationery umbrella company that readers and customers will likely know due to their popular Logical Prime, Logical Air, and Yu-Sari papers. My understanding is that Teranishi makes the ink for both the Teranishi Guitar and Taccia ink lines, and they certainly behave similarly (all in a good way).

Taccia Sabimidori Ink packaging — Taccia Sabimidori was “the” trendy ink from a few years ago, to the point where it was nearly impossible to get a hold of. I managed to snag this bottle at a pen show, but the craze has died down and it’s readily available.

Why do I like these inks so much? Because they’re both interesting and serviceable. 90% of the writing that I do on a daily basis is professional writing or personal journaling, and while I occasionally enjoy a wild fountain pen ink as much as the next person, most shimmer inks, “extreme sheeners,” and overly saturated colors are unusable for me because they tend to have long dry times.

Teranishi Gentle Green Box and Bottle — Though perhaps not as intricate as the Taccia Ukioy-e artwork, Teranishi’s ink bottle and packaging also look very nice in your lineup!

Both Teranishi and Taccia inks flow extremely well (without being overly wet and soaking through paper), show depth of color (including some sheen) while maintaining reasonable dry times, and exist at a sub-$25 price point that I consider to be quite reasonable for imported inks in the modern fountain pen market. Taccia has long been a staple in my ink cabinet, though I only recently discovered Teranishi as the inks became available to more U.S. retailers.

Teranishi Gentle Green Writing Sample — Teranishi Gentle Green is also a blue-green, but I would say its the “opposite” of Sabimidori. On the whole, I consider Gentle Green to lean green overall, and Sabimidori to lean blue, though the distinct mixes of similar colors is what makes both inks complementary and fascinating to me.

Of the dozens of Nakabayashi-family inks available, Taccia Sabimidori and Teranishi Gentle Green are two of my absolute favorites. When wet, Sabimidori appears teal blue, only to take on a darker teal-green tinge with red undertones/sheen as it dries. Gentle Green is the opposite - it appears to be a straight-up green ink when wet, but blue and red tones appear as the ink settles in to the paper. The degree of color variation will depend on the paper you use - here I opted for classic (old formulation) 52gsm Tomoe River Paper, which is among the best ever at showing off the various tones in fountain pen ink.

Teranishi Gentle Green Swatch — Another shot of the depth Gentle Green has when drying - shown here on Col-o-Ring Paper.

Takeaways and Where to Buy

We currently stock both Taccia and Teranishi Guitar inks in our own shop. Taccia Sabimidori forms part of the Taccia Ukiyo-e line of inks, inspired by the work of four different artists from Japan’s Edo period. Hence the full name, “Taccia Hokusai Sabimidori”, referencing the specific Ukiyo-e artist who served as the inspiration for this color. As you might expect, the box artwork is gorgeous. Teranishi Gentle Green comes from the Teranishi Taisho Roman Haikara ink line, which also bears a historical reference to Japan’s Taisho period. Both ink lines are not super-expensive, priced at $20 and $23 per 40ml bottle respectively, which seems generally consistent with other imported Japanese specialty brands.

Teranishi Guitar Inks in Store — If you come see us in person, you can view swatches and the bottle artwork up close.

If I ever decided to do a “Workhorse Ink” series (similar to my “Workhorse Pens”), I would organize it by brand, not necessarily colors, and Teranishi/Taccia would be included in the first wave of recommendations. Across the board, I’ve found that these inks perform well, and the subtle color variation gets me every time. Look for more of these reviews as I work my way through the various bottles. There are many I’m really excited about, especially in the Ukiyo-e line!

New Arrivals: Pilot Vanishing Point Black and Blue Carbonesque Models and a Fountain Pen Restock

January 14, 2025

Ok, so these arrived before the New Year, but in the rush of the holidays and all the year-end festivities, I completely forgot to get them listed! We are now happy to offer the Pilot Vanishing Point in both black and blue Carbonesque finishes, along with a restock of the black trim Vanishing Point models, the E95s in both burgundy/ivory and black, and all colors of the Pilot Custom 823. As always, if there is a specific color or nib size you are looking for and don’t see, please do reach out as we can easily special order products on demand and have them in the mail to you shortly.

After last week’s snowstorm, our brick and mortar location is open once again. Public hours are Thursday and Friday from 1-6pm, Saturday from 10-6pm, and otherwise by appointment. We look forward to seeing you this week!