Continuing my mini-series of posts relating to upcoming travel, I thought I’d post my pen “packing list” for next week’s trip to London. You’ll notice a trend: I’m going for low-maintenance writing instruments focusing on ease-of-use, and plan to travel with everything in a single Rickshaw Sinclair Model R. Per my post from Wednesday, paper/notebook carry for this trip will consist of my Traveler’s Notebook and Hobonichi Weeks, and I should have plenty of room to bring stuff home!
What's going with me? My Rickshaw x Leigh Reyes Vanness Pens Exclusive!
Traveler’s Company Ballpoint Pen or Anterique Mini/Brass Mini Ballpoint. I have a certain category of pens that I consider my “reading” pens, which I can easily clip to the front cover of a book - especially when I’m on the beach or on an airplane. These pens aren’t intended for long writing sessions; rather, I use them for underlining, annotating, and other marginalia. I’ll probably bring at least two with me.
Anterique Brass Ballpoint Pen. These full-size low-viscosity ballpoints have a nice weight to them as well as an excellent .5mm refill that writes well on all types of paper, and which is quite convenient for travel. Some of you have asked recently about refill compatibility for these pens: While the stock refill is excellent, you can also use Bic-style “butterfly” refills, though you may need to adjust the length. For example, I have the pen shown here equipped with a slightly trimmed-down Ohto Needle-Tip refill.
T.G.S. x. Sunderland Machine Works mk1. You didn’t think I was going to leave this one off the list, did you? While you can read more about why I love the Sunderland mk1 in the full review, It’s durability, ability to post, and comfortable grip has long made this pen a go-to travel companion, as well as an excellent everyday writer that is easy to use in meetings.
Tom’s Studio Lumos Write Fineliner. One of the reasons I love these refillable fineliners is that they give me a way to use my fountain pen ink without having to worry about spills, leaks, or carrying refills. The Lumos pens refill using a cotton wick system, and the “Write” version comes equipped with firmer fineliner tips intended for writing, though you can always opt for the Lumos Pro and Lumos Pro Duo pens, which include a full set of 11 tips to choose from. I can’t emphasize how convenient these are. I’ve only had to refill my own pens once in about 6 months, since fineliners are much more efficient with their ink consumption than fountain pens.
Vacuum Filler Fountain Pen. I’m going to list a general category here in slot number five. I will bring one fountain pen with me on the trip, and it will be a vacuum filler (probably my Pilot Custom 823), which should easily last me a week even if I were writing exclusively with this one pen every day. Vacuum fillers also have the shutoff valve that you can close to prevent ink from leaking into the cap on the airplane.
I took an Anterique brass mini pen on my last beach trip, and it's portability served me well.
Still Looking for Recommendations: London and the U.K.
I’m currently planning to be in London, U.K. in early October (but, alas, not for the London Autumn Pen Show). If you have any recommendations for shops I can visit or only-in-the-UK stationery brands I should explore, please drop a comment or send me a message! I’m currently planning to visit Choosing Keeping and Present and Correct, but would love to keep a full day (or two) of exploration on the calendar.
The physical shop will be temporarily closed to the public for the following two weekends due to the aforementioned international travel. Online orders will continue to ship while I am away. Please keep checking this page for updated opening hours and our public schedule.
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